The details…
- Title: Just a Touch Away
- Author: Jae
- Publisher: Ylva Publishing
- Publication date: August 24, 2022
- Formats: ebook, paperback
- Length: 120,000 words (434 pages)
- Genre: romance
- Themes: women loving women, pansexuality, aphantasia, cuddle therapy, family conflict
- Tropes: ice queen, enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, slow-burn, age-gap, opposites attract
The blurb from the publisher…
An ice queen’s frosty façade is melted by the power of touch…
Hannah Martin has an unusual job: she’s a professional cuddler. While she has a big heart for her clients, she hasn’t found someone special to snuggle up to in her personal life.
Winter Sullivan isn’t looking for love. She’s an aloof workaholic who’s built walls of ice around herself. She would rather drive toothpicks under her fingernails than cuddle, and she certainly doesn’t want to share her space with anyone.
When Winter’s estranged father dies, he leaves her one last surprise: she and Hannah, a perfect stranger, will inherit a building together. But there’s a catch: first, they have to live together for ninety-two days.
Winter is determined to dislike her rival, but soon finds Hannah isn’t what she expected at all. Thanks to a hilarious doormat war, a cuddle dare from Winter’s half sister, and a kiss in the most unusual of places, the frosty fortress around her heart begins to melt.
Will she be able to accept that love might be just a touch way?
My thoughts…
Just a Touch Away is simply the most lovely romance in every possible way. In fact, it just might be Jae’s best to date, and that’s saying something because all of her stories are quite good!
In her latest one, Jae gives readers a love story that unfolds beautifully and naturally across the page, making the romance ever so inviting. It’s tenderly told, filled with leading ladies that are as complex as they are interesting. They are flawed and vulnerable in ways that melt the heart; readers care about Winter and Hannah and they want them together.
What I appreciate most about this story is her approach to the romance; she does not rush it. She cultivates it with tender care. The result is a beautiful romance that is overflowing with gorgeously expressed emotion and desire. Readers connect with it; they feel it and understand it.
Jae is a top-notch writer and with this latest novel, she once again proves that she’s skilled in the use of literary elements and devices. Just a Touch Away showcases her use of theme beautifully. Aphantasia is probably something most readers aren’t familiar with, but Jae takes advantage of that by gently incorporating it into the story. The romance is richer, full and more dynamic for it. Ultimately, it provides readers with some interesting and enlightening reading. The same can be said of Hannah’s occupation, a professional cuddler. It’s unique and original and without it the story would be less.
Jae hits it out of the park with her use of tropes too. They play into the storytelling quite well and are equally as effective. Slow-burn, ice queen, force proximity—they all work well in this story, especially forced proximity. Often forced proximity comes off as contrived, but not here. Jae sets it up nicely and readers see it as believable. It most definitely adds dimension to the romance. In fact, this is probably one of the best forced proximity romances I’ve read.
Final remarks…
Just a Touch Away is a winner. I predict Jae will scoop up some awards with this one. If you love her work, you won’t want to miss this one. If you haven’t read her before, then this is a great place to start.
Strengths…
- Touching and romantic
- Beautifully written
- Lovely characters
- Insightful and endearing
- A book that can be enjoyed again and again
This book is available from…
A bit about the author…
Jae is the author of twenty-three award-winning lesbian romances.
She lives in the sunniest city in Germany, near the French and Swiss borders. The writing bug bit her at the age of eleven.
She used to work as a psychologist but gave up her day job in 2013 to become a full-time writer and a part-time editor. As far as she’s concerned, it’s the best job in the world.
When she’s not writing, she is an avid reader of lesbian books, indulges her ice cream and stationery addictions, and watches way too many crime shows.
Connect with the author…
Comments
Post a Comment