Closer to You

Haven, Montana, Book 1

By: Jill Sanders

Narrated by: Joe Arden

Length: 7 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times bestselling author Jill Sanders strikes gold with a sizzling series about oil-rich playboys whose hearts are up for grabs.

No one's more surprised than Tyler McGowan when he discovers he has a knack for running the family's oil business - a role he took on after his father's sudden passing. Now, to keep the old man's legacy afloat, Tyler's giving up his playboy ways and settling into small-town life. But his newfound resolve is tested when trouble strides into his office in five-inch heels.

Kristen Howell has spent the last five years working her way up the corporate ladder. And somehow it's landed her smack-dab in the middle of nowhere: Haven, Montana. It's her job to convince the head of McGowan Enterprises to sell. But the tall and rangy hunk is proving to be exceedingly stubborn - and overwhelmingly hot. When someone attempts to derail her negotiations, Kristen is ready to get down and dirty. But the sparks she and Tyler are throwing near the oil field may be dangerously combustible...

©2017 Jill Sanders (P)2017 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

B+ rating...

My Review:
Overall: 4.0
Performance: 4.25
Story: 3.75

I've grown up in the oil business and now my husband works in it, too. So, I picked up this book to read purely out of curiosity about how the author approached this rarely used (and usually completely overblown) setting as a world. I didn't expect much so I was completely blown away about the fact that she got it right. The guys out there in the field...even the owners of the really successful service companies don't have a glamorous, sexy life...so HUGE KUDOS to Jill Sanders for getting it right!

But that's completely an aside. Let's get to the meat of this story...the romance. Kristen is in the wilds of Haven, MT to convince the brothers to sell their oil company to her bosses. They aren't interested, but her bosses don't plan to take no for an answer. She's in town for up to a month if that's what it takes. Kristen is not made for Haven, Montana. She's a city girl through and through. She likes her thousand dollar shoes and custom fit suits. She is NOT made for the real world out in the muddy, messy oil business.

So, immediately Kristen and Tyler are at cross-purposes, but that doesn't stop their sizzling chemistry. Overall this was a good book. It was a little bit slow at times, but listening to audiobook meant that worked for me, because I could walk away when I needed to do something besides listen to the book. But overall, it was very enjoyable. I'm looking forward to the other brother's stories.

Love It!!!!

I really loved listening and reading this book. I really loved it from start to finish.

very good

Loved it !! this story. the narrator is so fantastic it's like your really there!! good overall

OK read and barely OK narration..

OK, it took me five days to read this, where I usually read a book every day or two. This was a little boring so I stopped reading it and read two others then came back to it. And it really never got interesting until about page 228, when Kristen was knocked out and only about an hour was left of the book.

I did like all the characters: The brothers, Trent and Trey, and the mother Gail, and Trisha, Kristen's mother. I didn’t like Darla or Burnett or Brian. They were all characters you loved to just hate.

This was all about Kristen, who was sent to Montana to try the buy the brothers' oil company and no matter how many times they said NO the more Kristen and Burnett tried to change their minds. Until Kristen became suspicious as to why Burnett wanted the business so much, why he wouldn’t take no for an answer. There seemed to be a lot of questions left unanswered when the book ended rather abruptly. Didn’t like the ending at all.

There were a couple of sex scenes in this story and the F-bomb was used 4 times.

As to the narrator: Hmmm, not sure how I felt about him. Joe Arden has a great reading voice and, of course, his men sounded wonderful BUT his women’s voices really need work, as does his lack of emotions. He never laughed or whispered or anything the book called for. He really needs to do something about that.

5 Page turner Stars

I had the pleasure of listening to this book on audio, and man, I never wanted to push pause or stop to take a break!!! What a page turner!!! Ohh and the steam...it was 🔥🔥🔥 hehe

Jill Sanders is a new author to me and boy, I loved her writing style. I definitely have a new author to stalk and read more of her books!!!

5 Page turner Stars!!!

Nice story.

This was a good book. Not great by any means but it got the job done. There was definitely some slow moments in the beginning. I even found myself fast forwarding which I rarely ever do. Once the story picked up it was much better but it ended just as dry as it started. I know there are more books in the series so the author will probably finish the storyline there but it’s suppose to be a stand alone and I doubt I want to read the next one. Not a fan of books with no epilogue. Lastly, the narrator is great when he’s just talking. Once he starts doing other voices, especially the older characters he does this weird lazy drawl that I hated. 😖 It was very annoying and made the story just a little less like able.

Overall not a bad read but I wouldn’t re-read.

All Joe Arden is always good

Narration was all Joe Arden and that worked just fine.
It’s kind of a fish out of water romance with a New York Girl out in Montana.

There’s a mystery a romance some witty banter.

I will say it’s not my favorite story ever but it was entertaining and a good listen.

Great book

I really like the story line and characters. It had a bit of romance and mystery. Highly recommend!

Decent book and narration

Finally...a male narrator that doesn’t change his voice to be obnoxious and shrill. Most male narrators grate on me with their valley girl interpretation of a female character.

The story is okay. Entertaining enough, not amazing or very memorable. But fun enough to pass the time.

Just ok.

I thought this book was just ok. It definitely would have been better with 2 narrators - kind of hard to follow with the same voice.

Storyline was pretty predictable.