From New York Times bestselling author Monica Murphy comes an angst-filled new adult romance featuring Drew + Fable’s (One Week Girlfriend) daughter, Autumn Callahan!Asher Davis. My first crush. My first kiss. The boy who ripped my heart out of my chest again and again. Over and over. I let him have it every single time. Willingly. We are that toxic high school couple you hear about, the one you … school couple you hear about, the one you witness in the hallway as they avoid each other. You laugh at them in class when they’re forced to work together, their gazes full of hatred. We are the couple you gossip about when they win homecoming prince and princess their sophomore year…
The back and forth is what kills me the most. I’m not his princess, I’m the girl he toys with when he’s bored. And he’s definitely not my prince, no matter how badly I want him to be.
Finally it’s our senior year and we’re months away from never having to see each other again when disaster strikes—and brings us closer together. All it takes is one touch, and I’m burning for Ash. Hotter than I ever have.
But will that burn turn into a devastating fire? Or can we actually make it work this time?
more
“If you just gave me a chance, I’d give you anything you want.” – Asher Davis
Gah, what a start!?! Monica Murphy’s Close to Me is the first book in the angsty, high school sports romance—The Callahans series. I enjoyed the push and pull between Autumn and Ash throughout, and found myself unable to put the book down! The dynamic and intrigue was angst-filled with nonstop conflict in the Callahan world.
“He needs to put a lockdown on that before someone else sneaks in and steals you from him.”
Ash Davis is one hot alpha that won’t soon be forgotten. And I look forward to reading about him and Autumn’s relationship throughout the Callahans series, and College Years spin-off.
Monica Murphy
Audio review:
Ash and Autumn’s story was fantastic to listen to.
Full of uncertainty, hurt, hope, and absolutely addictive, this book was gone in less than 24 hours.
That twist near the end? TOTALLY unexpected.
Teddy and Sarah did such a fantastic job with narration that I will definitely be diving into the next book asap.
All the feels with this one!! Man I can still remember what young love feels like and this story had me reminiscing just a little. Asher & Autumn had such a push n pull relationship from the very beginning. My heart continually broke for Ash and how bad his life was until the Callahan’s essentially rescued him. It was a passionate story full of emotions, drama and love. Couldn’t put it down once I started.
Gah!! The Callaghan’s again! However, it not about Drew and Fable. Sorry to disappoint! Lol! It is about their oldest daughter, Autumn. She’s in high school now. A good girl. Always following the rules. Well…until Asher Davis comes into the picture. Asher and Autumn have a head butting kind of relationship in the beginning. Autumn didn’t like him so much. At least, that is what she kept telling herself. And Ash felt he was never good enough for her. So for a few years they just “existed” in each other’s lives. But, when something bad happens, things begin to change. Ash is a lot like Drew and Fable combined when they were first getting together. So, you can imagine how Ash is. I loved how Drew and Fable were a part of this book though. I love them! Can Ash and Autumn be civil to one another? Will it turn out to be more? I really enjoyed reading this book about Autumn and Ash! If you loved Drew and Fable’s books, then you’ll enjoy this one too! Can’t wait for Jake’s story!
* A review copy was provided by the author *
Holy ANGST!!! This book is filled with so much angst and raw emotion.
Close to Me is an opposites attract New Adult high school romance. It spans over the 4 years of high school for Asher and Autumn. Now don’t let that time frame scare you, Monica does an excellent job with writing this story so that it doesn’t drag out. She gives you enough of each year to make the story flow well, but this story’s focus is on Ash and Autumn’s senior year. The year that changes everything for them 😉
I was completely captivated by this story from the beginning. I usually don’t like when New Adult and High School aged characters are in this same book, because we get a picture of high school that I don’t always think is correct, but with this book it worked. Now don’t get me wrong, there were some aspects that I didn’t think needed to be in the story. I thought some of it was added for more drama, and truly Asher and Autumn had enough of that already I don’t think it was necessary to add more (Rylie storyline) That of course is just my opinion.
What I didn’t know when I picked tis book up, was that the heroine of the story is the daughter of the couple from One Week Girlfriend, Drew and Fable. Now you don’t have to have read that series, because I haven’t and I don’t feel like I was missing anything. What I did realize though is now I want to go back and read that series.
Close to Me follows the story of Asher Davis and Autumn Callahan. Asher is the QB of his high school football team and also from the wrong side of the tracks. Autumn is the daughter of famous NFL QB Drew Callahan and his wife Fable. She comes from a family with a lot of money. She is new to town when the story begins and she is also someone Asher finds captivating. Their first interaction was unique….they didn’t exactly hit it off. So over the course of the next four years, Autumn and Asher have a rocky friendship. The go through a lot of back and forth and ups and downs. Until something happens and they grow closer and realize their feelings are the same. They finally have the communication they should’ve had from the beginning.
I will say that I really did love these two together. Their unique friendship and smoking chemistry was amazing. My only negative is that I wish we would’ve seen them as an actual couple for longer. I felt that the ending was kind of abrupt and open ended. With the ending that way I am hoping we get another book for them or we see them more in Jake’s book, that comes out next.
If you are a fan of a high school/ New Adult romance, then this is one you should read. I love Monica Murphy’s books and this was no different. I can’t wait for more of her books to come!!!
Why didn’t I read this sooner?! I am devouring (& loving) Monica’s books at the moment, & this continued into this first book of the Callahan series.
First Love
Coach’s Daughter
Second Chance
High School
Autumn Callahan, the famous NFL Drew Callahan‘s daughter, meets Asher Davis on her first day of freshman year. He’s the darkness in her world of light. He’s troubled & she knows she must stay away from him. But she can’t stop but feel a connection straight away. They then are paired as a Freshman couple & are required to participate in activities together. This brings a playful friendship in which you can tell Ash develops a crush on Autumn. But Autumn being a naive 15 year old, isn’t ready.
We then jump through sophomore & junior year where Autumn experiences dating another boy. Yet she finds herself not feeling the “spark” she seems to feel with Asher. Even when she knows he isn’t “right for her”. Especially that he is on the team her dad coaches.
We end up in senior year & Asher finds himself homeless. His coach then saves him & invites him to stay with them, giving him close proximity to Autumn.
Autumn & Asher find themselves having to then deal with their ongoing feelings they have had for each other through high school & try dating. Which is easy when they live together
Unfortunately Asher’s troubled past comes back to haunt him in which tests their bond. But fortunately the book ends with a HEA.
I really enjoyed this book because you really got to feel the characters emotions. The author wrote their story with true passion & it was an excellent first book & introduction to the Callahan series.
omg what can I say about this book that isn’t positive. I absolutely loved Autum’s and Asher’s story. it sort of reminded me a lot of the One Week Girlfriend novel, it had a bit of the same feel to it but not really. I do have to say personality wise Autum does remind me a lot of Fable and its definitely not a bad thing. I found both characters to be fun and the entire story to be captivating.
So good!!
I feel like it’s been a million years since I’ve read Drew and Fable’s story but it was one of my favorites. Reading about their kids is amazing. Autumn and Ash’s book as the perfect way to spend the day. I didn’t think I’d want to pull for them because it didn’t seem like it would ever be healthy but they brought the perfect amount of angst and hope.
I can’t wait for Jake’s book
Audible Audio Review:
Close to Me is the first book in The Callahans series about Drew and Fable’s kids. If you are a fan of past Monica Murphy books, you will know who these characters are. But those books do not have to be read (or listened to) before starting this series. This series is about their kids.
They are a close knit family of 6 that have moved out of the limelight to raise a family in a good family town. Autumn is their oldest and we get to follow her through 4 years of high school. The first 3 years seem to be just at the beginning of the school year before we fast forward to the next school year. It focuses on Autumn and her interaction with bad boy Asher Davis. Even when he is mean to her, you can feel their chemistry. This is high school in a nutshell and I enjoyed it.
Autumn is a good girl that gets good grades, is loved by her family and doesn’t do anything wrong. She’s a cheerleader and does a plethora of activities and dates a good and nice guy named Ben for over a year. But that relationship never seems to go anywhere and I could never feel anything with them. They are just a surface relationship it seems, and all for looks. But with Asher? You could always feel it. He’s the bad boy from the wrong side of tracks, but there’s gotta be more to it, right? Oh, we learn about it and there sure is more to him than meets the eye.
Close to Me is told in primarily Autumn’s POV with a couple chapters of Asher thrown in as well as Fable and Drew. It’s the epitome of a mature YA. It’s high school romance in it’s finest. Drama, school, sports and even a little sex. All the stuff you can imagine from your high school days. I may not always like high school romance, but I could appreciate this story for what it was. I just wish we got more of an ending and maybe more of an epilogue for these two. Maybe after the final Callahan book or interspersed in those books? We will see.
As for the narrators, I thought Sarah McEwan did a great job with Autumn. She captured being a high school girl and the drama and emotions that come with that. Since she told the majority of the story, I’m glad I liked her. Narrators can make or break a story. Teddy Hamilton did a great job with Drew and Asher’s chapters. I definitely felt like he changed up the feel of a father character and a smart ass bad boy.
This definitely read and felt like a high school book. Some of it silly drama, but that’s to be expected being in high school. I’ll definitely be around to finish out the rest of The Callahan clan. Their family will always be one I want to know about. Drew and Fable (and kids) Forever!!
I read Falling for Her (The Callahans #2) first, and when I saw that this series was about Drew & Fable’s kids, I also wanted to read this one, #1 in the series. And I was not disappointed! This book has more presence of Drew and Fable and it was great to see them in action with their four kids.
Autumn is the oldest of the Callahan kids, and like all of the oldest kids, she’s the rule follower, the goody-two shoes, the one that doesn’t want to ever disappoint her parents. She’s also a little bossy with her younger siblings. When Ash comes into her life, he takes her into a spin. A bad boy, always in trouble, up in mischief, a rule-breaker, he confused the heck out of her. Ash made her feel out of control, uneasy, and with feelings that she didn’t understand and was afraid of. So she took the easy way out, she ran from him and rejected all his advances.
Ash liked her from the get go, but the poor guy didn’t know how to deal with a good girl, so he was always messing things up. He was a little crude, which made her back off, in spite of being interested. It wasn’t until they were in their senior year that they got very close together, not because they wanted but because he came to live in her house. And then the gates opened and the action started!
The book was so entertaining because they totally behaved like teenagers. They were spiteful to each other, he made several snide comments about her parents wealth, called her a spoiled princess, while she called him gross and crude. Totally romantic, right? Eventually we get our HEA, but meanwhile we get an entertaining story with lots of intervention from Drew and Fable which is what I liked best in the book.
The ending felt a little rushed, maybe because I wanted more of their HEA and how they dealt with their University life, but it was a great story, with just the right amount of complications and angst.
This book is a story about Autumn Callahan the daughter of NFL superstar Drew Callahan. If your read Monica’s “One Week Girlfriend” series you already know him and his story. Her father is retired and the family moved to a small town where Autumn meets Asher Davis. We follow their story for a few years during high school. Autumn tries to avoid Asher by any chance, but she can’t deny how her attractions grows with every encounter she has with the good locking, arrogant quarterback.
I must admit that I didn’t know that this story was a Young Adult one. I don’t normally read this genre, but I really loved it. I loved the back and forth between those two. The story had drama, angst, some sexy times and sport … everything what I love in a good book. This is the first book in the “Callahan” series and I am looking forward to read the stories of Autumns siblings!
I really liked this book. This was my first Monica Murphy book and didn’t realize it was a next generation book. Now I want to go read the other books! It was well written and I couldn’t put it down!
My Thoughts:
I was excited to read Close to Me when I saw that Monica Murphy had written a new, new adult romance. I love her stories, but my absolute favorite are her mature Y.A., and college-aged contemporaries. I didn’t know anything about this story other than what I read in the book synopsis.
Imagine my surprise, excitement, and utter happiness, when I learned that the female lead, Autumn Callahan, was Drew and Fable’s oldest daughter. Drew and Fable are from Monica Murphy’s One Week Girlfriend Series, one of my ultimate favorite New Adult romances! Don’t worry, you don’t have to read the One Week Girlfriend Series before Close to Me. It’s a complete standalone.
Close to Me spans the four years of high school, and tells the story of Autumn and Ash. Autumn is a straight-laced “good girl.” She’s been blessed to come from a loving home. Her parents love her and her siblings, and adore one another. They are extremely wealthy, and Autumn has had a great life.
Ash comes from the wrong side of the tracks, and is part of a dysfunctional family. His father died, and now he has no one that cares about him or gives him guidance. His mother has substance abuse issues, is abusive, and is with a horrible man that’s just as bad.
When Autumn and Ash meet their freshman year, there are sparks, but Ash drives Autumn crazy. Each year after that, something significant happens between them. They have such strong chemistry, and an unforgettable connection, but they can’t seem to stop bickering or pushing each other away. Finally their senior year an event occurs that changes everything. This is where the majority of the plot takes place.
Close to Me was an extremely easy and fast read. I really enjoyed it, and got lost in the lives of Autumn and Ash, and the strong connection they shared. I was rooting for them the whole time. They both started out a bit immature, and I liked seeing them grow and become more mature with time. Drew and Fable were such good parents, and it was such a treat reuniting with some of my favorite fictional characters! I was so excited to learn that this is the first book in the Callahan Series, and each of the siblings is going to get their own story!
If you are looking for a fast-paced romance with a little angst, first love, and a whole lot of steamy chemistry, I recommend you check out Close to Me!
First off I love romance novels that continue with the next generation of love. In this book we get Drew and Fable’s children taking us on the roller coaster of emotions. Autumn is daddy’s princess, try as she might to have him see her as more. Ash the troubled kid that falls for daddies little princess is how this story gives you the adrenaline rush of a forbidden, enemies to lovers romance. These two heat up the pages with their rivalry turned young love and just like Autumn’s parents you fall in love right along with them.
I can not wai to read more of the series.
Close to Me had my kindle sizzling, it was on fire!
The constant push and pull these two had me on felt like a merry go-round. I was completely immersed, I was sucked into their story of enemies-to-lovers.
This coming of age book had me on edge, without a doubt.
Give me sports romance, YA/NA and sign me the heck up because I know I’m going to enjoy this ride no matter what and let me just say that this book will certainly keep you entertained and wanting to just beat these kids up at times from their constant back and forth.
But overall, this book was GOOD!
Monica Murphy bought all of the angst and drama with Close to Me.
I loved that we got to see Ash and Autumn’s connection grow through the years of high school and I felt that connection, the tension flying off the page. I knew that when they collided it would be amazing and I wouldn’t be able to put the book down. Senior year is when everything changes and I loved it.
I really enjoyed Close to Me and if you enjoy high school
Romances, check out this book!
A coming of age High school romance.
CLOSE TO ME is a next generation series, Autumn is Drew and Fables daughter from the book ONE WEEK GIRLFRIEND. The previous book does not need to be read it is a standalone but I have read Fable and Drew’ s story and I like how the Author has moved onto them years later with teenage children who are now getting their stories too as they are now grown up and coming into adulthood.
Autumn Callahan is a bit of a goody girl, she’s definitely a daddy’s girl, one of the head cheerleaders and although her character didn’t do anything to make me really dislike her I still found her none backbone sort of character annoying at times.
This is a good girl falling for the bad boy kind of story. He’s poor, she’s rich, I couldn’t wait to see were their story would go and I really enjoyed it.
My heart went out to Asher, a star football player, he’s a talented boy but also a bit of a loner with a troubled home life.
Autumn’s dad Drew Callahan is an ex NFL player and now the school football coach who ends up bringing Asher home after finding him beat up by his mother’s boyfriend, Drew goes looking for Asher when he didn’t turn up for practice and finds him bruised and broken.
Fable, Drew’s wife has had her own troubled upbringing similar to what Asher is going through and feels a kindred spirit with Asher so he is taken in by them and stays with the Callahan’s.
Autumn and Asher have danced around each other for 4 years up to this point and have never acted on the chemistry between them but now they are living in the same house, well, let’s just say there’s a lot more activity after dark in the Callahan home and its not homework, once these two teenagers stop fighting the pull towards each other.
Close to me is hot for a high school romance, I enjoyed the plot and the mix of angst in the story.
I would say Asher and Autumn’s story finishes on a hfn which was a little disappointing as it finishes with both characters applying to colleges, so hopefully there will be more of them in other books and we get to see a hea eventually.
I would read more in this series, I am also looking forward to Jake Callahan’s story Jake came across as the annoying moody brother and hot shot high school football player.
Told in first person pov.
If you have read Monica’s One Week Girlfriend then you will love this second generation High school romance as it features Drew and Fables daughter Autumn. It can be read as a standalone so you don’t have to read their story.
Autumn Callahan is the classic school good girl. Shes definitely a daddy’s girl. She’s head cheerleader and the complete opposite of the school bad boy Asher. Whilst my heart broke for Asher I struggled a bit with Autumn. There was just something about her I struggled to connect with. I could understand her being guarded as people use her to get to her famous ex-NFL player but she didn’t even confide in her best friends.
The push/pull between Autumn and Asher goes on for 4 years but apart from a kiss they have never acted on the attraction, at least not until he ends up living with the Callahan’s when Drew steps in to help him out.
I did enjoy this book and it held my attention throughout. The plot line is well thought out and goes at the right pace. I did like the fact that this had a more real ending as they went off to separate colleges instead of the together all the time ending.
I am looking forward to reading Autumn’s brother Jake’s story as I am intrigued about him and his broodiness.
On her first day of freshman year Autumn Callahan met a boy that made an unforgettable impression on her, one that would stick with her well into their Senior year. With one look that day she could tell that Asher Davis was trouble, he was the kind of boy you should guard your heart from, and try and avoid at all costs. But unfortunately life kept throwing them onto one another paths, constantly testing them, and the bounds of their so-called friendship.
Now they are about to embark on their Senior year, and life has once again thrown them back onto each other’s paths, this time it’s different though, Autumn no longer has a boyfriend to hide behind. He was always there to keep Asher at bay, but now that she is free Asher has come back around to get his girl… question is will she give him a shot?
Close to Me is a story of first loves, personal growth, second chances, and opposites attract. Autumn comes from an affluent family, one that holds some weight in their little town, her father’s fame follows her everywhere. So making friends, putting faith in anyone’s treatment of her is hard, mainly because she doesn’t know if their intentions are true or based on her father’s fame. But then she meets Asher, the boy from the wrong side of the tracks, and it’s easy to see that he likes her for her not what being friends with her can do for his reputation. Watching these two find one another, grow with one another, and heal one another was quite moving. She brought out the best in him and made him feel truly cared for, and he made her feel beautiful and strong. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, it had sweet and tender moments that spoke to the heart, and of course steamier moments that had the temps rising… it was perfect from beginning to end! One of my favorites from Ms. Murphy to date. I look forward to continuing the journey with Jake’s story in Falling for Her. Highly recommend this one, it’s good on the heart and destined to have you enthralled from the first page to the last!
I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.
I loved Close to Me! Ash and Autumn had such a great relationship, and I loved their story. They were a solid couple and had great relationships with each other and with Autumn’s parents. Such a great read overall.