Intimate Distance
Karla BrandenburgContemporary romance
Available from Lulu
ISBN: 978-1-4303-2448-5
March 2007
| Julianne is working full time and studying for a degree in marketing. She is also trying to plan a wedding that she has less and less confidence in. Her fiancé spends all his time either working or at the local arcade and Julianne suspects that he has not been faithful. She has been corresponding on-line with Jack Guilder, one of her teachers and her relationship with him is much warmer than with Steve. Jack asks her to pose as his wife at a client meeting and she jumps at the opportunity to advance her career. Her ideas are well received and she is enjoying herself until she sees Steve across the restaurant cozying up to her sister. She breaks off the relationship and moves out. Jack has landed the account and still needs his imaginary wife, so Julie moves in and the web of lies grows more and more complicated.
This story started out a little slow but more than made up for it as it went on.. Julianne is a great character, sure of her intelligence but not her looks, due to her sleazy manipulative sister and the mother who plays favorites and won’t see Suzanne as she really is. There is a lot of emotional drama and suspense in this story. I loved the Alec character; he is a true fairy godfather to Jack and Julie. Jack is an interesting and extremely complex man. The loss of his parents and breakup of his engagement made him isolate himself emotionally, fearing hurt. Julie has broken through his walls despite himself, but he does not know how to convince her that his feelings are not part of the game they are playing with the client. Steve, the psychopathic ex really shakes things up. I also enjoyed the subplot of Julianne reconnecting with her father’s brother. This story is a definite keeper.
Overall rating:
Reviewer: Maura Frankman |
