"A Funny, Sexy Romp Through The Great White North"

Jeffrey Bradshaw, mini-movie mogul, lands at the Alpine, Alaska airport in full business mode. He is there to scout the location for the TV series he hoped to develop, produce, and shoot in Alaska. Jeffrey is a mover and a shaker in his world; a former resident of the foster care system, now the recent cover story of Fortune magazine. His intention is to hop a commuter flight to Arctic Luck on Saturday, scout the area, and get a flight back to LA in time to pitch his series on Monday. Piece of cake...he can do this in his sleep. Once Jeffrey lands in Alpine, he's slow to catch on that things (and people) do not move or shake in quite the same way. "Urgent" is a vague concept when you live at the whim of the weather patterns, and missing his connecting flight to Arctic Luck is the beginning of his immersion into Alaskan culture.

Cyd Thompson, a force of nature herself and True North Airlines' best bush pilot, is Jeffrey's only hope of getting to Arctic Luck. Cyd discovered Alaska's gifts and magic as a child, has grown to love and cherish its wild beauty, and is fiercely protective of her adopted home state. Upon learning that Jeffrey may possibly bring a TV production to the unspoiled region she loves, she becomes determined to make sure that it doesn't happen. The intrusion of "big business" was the catalyst for a devastating turn of events in her life. Cyd is willing to pull out all the stops -- from seduction to outright sabotage -- to make sure Jeffrey doesn't arrive at his destination. And of course he doesn't...they land in Katimuk...her destination. Her home.

Jeffrey and Cyd can't help but butt heads; she's an obstacle in his path and he is a threat to all that she holds dear. Cyd's a bit rough around the edges (but honestly, she's working on it), and all the while "hiding her light under a barrel". Jordan is smooth and cosmopolitan and he can't believe that he's captivated by this "Northern rowdy". But the power of attraction is a funny thing -- it can pop up in the strangest places. For Jeffrey and Cyd, the battle begins in the seat of the local transportation: the basket of a dogsled. The immediate attraction between them is awesome and overwhelming, and Ms. Collins draws out the sexual tension in ways that will have you wiggling in your seat.

Does Jeffrey get to Arctic Luck? And if not, what happens to the TV series? Well, TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT contains an added bonus, an underlying plot involving local Katimuk resident Jordan Adamson, the (no, no, can't tell you who Jordan really is...). I suspect that we'll find out what happens with the series when Jordan's story is told.

TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT is funny, sexy as all get-out, and a beautiful homage to the Great White North. The secondary characters are fun and charming, and the rhythm of Ms. Collins' dialogue is so much fun to sink into. She can turn a phrase in the most wicked ways!

I must admit that I did have a bit of difficulty with Cyd at first. There were moments when I couldn't find justification for her actions, and early on, her seemingly sparse back-story frustrated me. To my surprise and pleasure, I came to realize that she was being revealed to me, the reader, in much the same way she is revealed to Jeffrey. Like Jeffrey, I just had to throw my hands in the air and hope that I was being led in the right direction. I most definitely was not disappointed. You won't be either.

Explicit seduction scenes, one mighty sex scene on a snowmobile, oral sex.

Reviewed by Maggie Ryan
Courtesy Sensual Romance
Posted July 17, 2003

Summary

WHEN IT'S THIS CLOSE...

Jeffrey Bradshaw's well-ordered life has just taken a detour. Instead of being in L.A. making the pitch of his career, he's stuck in Alaska with a feisty bush pilot. Seductive, independent Cyd Thompson has him so captivated, he's not even thinking about his career. All Jeffrey can focus on is the snow-melting heat he and Cyd create. He'll let his newly discovered twin handle L.A. until he's gotten Cyd out of his system.

MAYBE THE ONLY THING TO DO IS GET CLOSER!

Cyd wants Jeffrey...she just doesn't want him here. His big-city plans are bound to destroy the Alaska she loves. So she'll do anything she can to distract him from finalizing his business. And if that means seducing the guy...well, she'll do that. But she doesn't count on falling for Jeffrey's intoxicating kisses.

So what else can Cyd do but convince him that in the Arctic, there's no such thing as getting too close for comfort?