ARC provided via Netgalley.

4.5 Stars

Skye's life is mundane, she's doing all she can to make her dreams come true and to leave her past in the past. She doesn't take risks, she doesn't do relationships or men, and she certainly doesn't buy other people's stuff in a storage auction. Letting Ella coerce her into buying the storage room should only mean a little bit a debt, but instead it flips everything upside down, introducing her to Jason Wise and a whole lot of risk she never planned on taking. In possession of a mysterious poker chip, Skye is whisked off to Vegas, suddenly connected to a revenge plot that goes deeper than she can ever imagine and lusting after Jason despite every rule she's ever held herself to. As she gets to know the legendary poker player she finds a man worth the risk, but at every turn the blackmail haunts them and puts their whirlwind romance through the ringer.

He laughs, and somehow I know I've just challenged him to a game he's much better at than I am.

Romance and suspense go hand in hand when it comes to Lisa Renee Jones writing and Behind Close Doors was no different, we get a glimpse into the elusive Ella's life (Careless Whispers & Inside Out) and meet the modest Skye, whose life is about to change drastically. I really liked Skye, she's a no nonsense kind of character, and though her background is only alluded to we know that her adventure to Las Vegas with Jason is not the norm. Jason is book boyfriend worthy, his handsome looks and charming wit give off the womanizer vibes, but with Skye he's invested and caring, a far cry from the one night stand man he claimed to be. The secondary characters all brought so much into the novel, but each came with unknowns and it was incredibly interesting to meet so many individuals, not knowing if one might be the key to the blackmail plot.

I ghost a smile back. "At least I'll leave a lasting impression."
"If I let you go."

The plot itself was interesting, definitely more that what was initially at the surface, but I expected a little bit more. I felt like things, though scary for the characters, just progressed easily. It allowed for the romance to take the importance of the story, and I was so glad for the romance, but I wanted more fleshed out in the blackmail plot, especially with the who. I also wanted to understand more about the characters, their background, why each was the way they were. In the end I only docked .5 stars, because even without too much history I couldn't help but love the characters, their chemistry, and how everything worked between them through out the entire novel.

And it's powerful, so very powerful, to realize that two people can be strangers on day, and fate, or some destiny, starts weaving bonds between them the moment they meet. But newly formed, they are fragile, without history to secure them, easily ripped apart and destroyed.

I really enjoyed Behind Closed Doors, it helped hold me over as we wait for the final installation in the Careless Whispers series. As a standalone novel, readers will get a beginning and ending with the characters they meet, as well as all the romance and suspense LRJ is known and loved for. ( )