Dangerously Close

Dangerously Close by Dee J. Adams

Bad-boy rock star Seger Hughes hit rock bottom after a near-fatal tragedy at his concert. He hates how his life has spun out of control. After changing his appearance and his name, he transforms into a different man: Mel Summers. Now he just needs a place to hide out from rabid fans and paparazzi.

An isolated cliffside mansion is perfect. Ashley Bristol, his only neighbor, is blind-and her assistant is a classical music fan. They have no clue who he really is, but someone else does and she's waited her whole life to be with him.

Struggling to find her way after an accident that took her sight, Ashley is determined not to feel anything. Yet she gets to know Mel and can't help falling for him. When her assistant mysteriously disappears, Ashley must rely on Mel more than ever. But then his past comes back to haunt them both, and just when they must pull together to avoid danger, betrayal and lies threaten to tear them apart...

--Dangerously Close

by Dee J. Adams

Copyright © 2010 by Dee J. Adams

Published by Carina Press

My Review

What a great story!  It felt good reading a story with characters who felt real.  A young woman with a lot to live for has her eyesight taken away in a freak accident and her next door neighbor just happens to be a rock star who wants to hide from the world for a while.

Mel’s grateful that Ashley doesn’t recognize him as a Rock Star and lets her get to know the Real Guy.  They strike up a good, solid friendship before it slowly evolves into a romance.  That’s the kind of romance I like, where two people can be friends before it grows into something more, rather than rushing into bed with each other and then trying to decide if they’re compatible.  Much more satisfying the other way, in my opinion.

Now, I have to admit, the Paula character made me nervous.  Which was good, because this is a woman with no conscience and will do literally anything to get what she feels is rightfully hers, which in this case is The Rock Star.  She’s manipulative, conniving and, frankly, dangerous.  I disliked her from the start because I immediately knew she was only there to get in Mel and Ashley’s way and those stalker-types can be really scary.  But, of course, a stalker-type character was needed for there to be conflict in the plot, and boy did Paula provide it.  We all know how it’s going to end—Paula is “taken care of” and Mel and Ashley live happily ever after, but its how they get there that had me at the edge of my seat and reading way past my bedtime.

Awesome story.  I’ll be looking for more from this author.

I give this story FOUR STARS.