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Touch of Fate

by Christine Amsden (Goodreads Author)

3.97 of 5 stars 3.97 · rating details · 30 ratings · 15 reviews

Marianne can predict the future but is powerless to alter its course. After a lifetime spent coming to terms with an ability that has cost her much, including her marriage, Marianne moves halfway across the country to make a fresh start and salvage her relationship with her daughter, who has inherited her terrible ability.

Once there, Marianne is drawn to a group of women w

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Published (first published October 15th 2006)

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Oct 24, 2011 Sheila rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, paranormal, relationships, romance, scifi-fantasy, spiritual, suspense

What Niffeneger did for time travel in Time Traveler’s Wife, Christine Amsden does for fortune-telling in her novel, Touch of Fate. Imagining a world where people really can see glimpses of the future, Touch of Fate explores what might happen if they were just ordinary people, from all sorts of walks of life. But prediction brings questions not just of predictability, but also immutability. What if the future they see really can’t be changed?

Marianne would love to change her prediction of the de...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 05, 2011 April rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-mystery-thriller, paranormal-romance

RATING: 4.5)TOUCH OF FATE by Christine Amsden is an engaging,and exciting paranormal thriller/
mystery/romance. First edition Oct. 2006.It is written with depth and details.The characters will capture your heart as you ride along with them on a roller coaster ride of adventure,mystery,murder,psychic powers,friendships,romance, intrigue,drama,and the blossom of love. Marianne has psychic power into future events but is powerless to change anything in the future.Her daughter also has this same powe...more

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Jun 04, 2011 Krystal rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book has it all: mystery, romance, intrigue, drama, and adventure. To have to know the future but be powerless to stop it is a horrible power. The main character, Marianne, lives with this power everyday...as does her daughter. This power acts as a catalyst for the novel; Marianne's marriage is ruined and she leaves to establish a relationship with her daughter, who also inherited this ability. After this, the action really takes off. Marianne becomes involved with a group of women who atte...more

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Dec 11, 2011 Tana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Touch of Fate by Christine Amsden

This book has everything I look for in a novel, mystery, romance, drama and adventure and of course a handsome police detective. Touch of Fate is a paranormal read and the author Christine Amsden has done a great job writing this story it’s easy to read, words flowed nicely and kept me interest all throughout the book.

The main character Marianne who we find out has a special gift, of course we say gift but in reality sometimes to Marianne seeing the future is mor...more Touch of Fate by Christine Amsden

This book has everything I look for in a novel, mystery, romance, drama and adventure and of course a handsome police detective. Touch of Fate is a paranormal read and the author Christine Amsden has done a great job writing this story it’s easy to read, words flowed nicely and kept me interest all throughout the book.

The main character Marianne who we find out has a special gift, of course we say gift but in reality sometimes to Marianne seeing the future is more of a curse. Marianne’s life has not been easy she has had many losses, and struggles with depression her most recent loss is finding out her husband was having an affair and dealing with the outcome of him leaving and moving on with another woman.

Marianne’s grandmother always told her that she may get the signs but there is nothing she can do to change the future or the events that will unfold. Marianne has learnt the hard way that her grandmother’s words are very true.

We are also introduced to Marianne’s daughter Gabrielle who has also been given her mother’s gift but is still fairly new at this point. Gabrielle and her friend want to go to a party on Friday and this leads to Marianne getting signs that her daughters best friend is in danger and will die in a car accident. When Gabrielle sees that her mother is having signs she wants to know what is going on Gabrielle pleads with her mom to help her save her best friends, ignoring her grandmother’s warning they set out to stop this event from happening.

The outcome of this changes things, their lives seem to fall apart, Marianne finds herself looking at a map trying to find a place to start over. Drawn to St.Louis she sells her house and she take steps to move on and start a new life with Gabrielle.

In St.Louis, Marianne makes friends with a group of women who share her ability to see the future, things seem to going well and she actually feels like she has things under control. But as her life seems to settle down her daughter is spiralling out of control, Gabrielle seems to enjoy warning people of things that will happen of course the outcome of this is not good.

Marianne’s new friend Jean is murdered in the parking garage and we meet handsome Detective Derek Richards who is investigating the murder. He knows things are not adding up and starts to questions the group of women to find out exactly what is going on. During the investigation Derek starts to have feeling towards Marianne and they both seem to show interest in one another. The romance here starts to blossom and Marianne comes clean about her abilities and what she thinks is going on.

Touch of Fate is written in third person and it’s great to see what each character is thinking and planning to do, Christine did a great job in keeping the reader’s connected to each character. I would recommend this book to anyone of my friends who enjoy paranormal, murder mystery and romance novels.
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Apr 12, 2012 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a nice, suspenseful story. I enjoyed reading it. Although we already know who the bad guy is toward the beginning of the novel, we are led through a suspense-filled story on how the rest of characters find out who it is - someone they never would have expected. Several of the main character are able to tell the future on certain events - they take little pieces or signs and put the puzzle together to determine what will happen in the future. Because of this ability, some feel like they...more

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Dec 19, 2012 Kelsie rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads, could-not-finish

First off I want to say that I won this book in a goodreads first reads giveaway.

Now I want to start by saying that I rarely if ever start a book and do not finish it. I know it sounds weird but its like I have some strange obligation to the book to finish it no matter how horrible it is. I highly doubt I'm hurting the book's feelings but I still feel the need to finish it anyways.

When I clicked on this giveaway, the first thing I saw was PARANORMAL ROMANCE and I was like "OMG YESSS!!" So aft...more First off I want to say that I won this book in a goodreads first reads giveaway.

Now I want to start by saying that I rarely if ever start a book and do not finish it. I know it sounds weird but its like I have some strange obligation to the book to finish it no matter how horrible it is. I highly doubt I'm hurting the book's feelings but I still feel the need to finish it anyways.

When I clicked on this giveaway, the first thing I saw was PARANORMAL ROMANCE and I was like "OMG YESSS!!" So after entering you can only imagine how excited I was to find out I won. I obviously started reading it immediately after I got it in the mail!

Touch of Fate by Christine Amsden is basically about a fortune teller who can see, or rather feel, what is going to happen. And at first I was like "Heyy that's kinda cool!!" until I realized that she just spent most of her time mopping around until she found out that her daughter inherited her so called gift. The whole first part of the story is told from the mother's point of view, which isn't all that bad except for the fact that I found her incredibly boring and slightly annoying. I had to force myself to keep reading thinking it would get a little bit better. But that wasn't even the part that really got me. The real deal breaker was all of the religious crap that started piling up. It was totally fine when they started saying how God gave them these "predictions." But then the crazy train crashed into a GIANT pile of bull shit and I just couldn't do it anymore! So not only do they believe that God is giving them these predictions for people he wants dead....but he actually wants them to kill these people? SERIOUSLY ??? Needless to say, this is one of, if not the ONLY! book that I just could not finish.

I feel like some type of out cast for giving this book a bad rating. After reading all the other one's, it seems like I'm the only person who didn't enjoy it. I'm just saying this book was definitely not for me. But by all means, read it for yourself. Maybe you will enjoy it more than I did.(less)

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Feb 07, 2013 Katy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of paranormal thrillers/suspense

Recommended to Katy by: Christine Amsden

Shelves: ebook

Book Info: Genre: Urban Fantasy/Mystery/Thriller
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Fans of thrillers/suspense w/ a paranormal twist, and a touch of romance.
Trigger Warnings: Murder, violence

My Thoughts: I was initially hesitant about accepting this book, as it is rated as paranormal romance and I’m just not a huge fan, but the author assured me the romance is secondary to the plot of the story, so I decided to take a chance. I’m glad I did, as I enjoyed the story immensely, and I particularly...more Book Info: Genre: Urban Fantasy/Mystery/Thriller
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Fans of thrillers/suspense w/ a paranormal twist, and a touch of romance.
Trigger Warnings: Murder, violence

My Thoughts: I was initially hesitant about accepting this book, as it is rated as paranormal romance and I’m just not a huge fan, but the author assured me the romance is secondary to the plot of the story, so I decided to take a chance. I’m glad I did, as I enjoyed the story immensely, and I particularly liked the ideas it gave about fate and taking control of our own future.

I saw one reviewer who complained that the book was mostly the main character “moping.” I had to say... How would you react if you could predict often horrible upcoming events, but not do a bit to change things? If you knew people were going to die, or accidents were going to happen, but you couldn’t stop them? You wouldn’t exactly be a shiny, happy bluebird on someone’s shoulder, would you?

Amsden does a really good job with characters. She creates characters that are unique and memorable without being cliché. I’d love to discuss some of the things I read, but that would be spoiler-y, so I’ll just say—if you like thrillers with a paranormal twist and just a dash of romance, then you will love this book. I recommend it.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: Marianne can predict the future but is powerless to alter its course. After a lifetime spent coming to terms with an ability that has cost her much, including her marriage, Marianne moves halfway across the country to make a fresh start and salvage her relationship with her daughter, who has inherited her terrible ability. Once there, Marianne is drawn to a group of women who share her ability. She starts to find meaning and purpose—until she finds one of them murdered. In the wake of the murder, Marianne is once again caught up in predictions she is powerless to change. Complicating matters, she finds herself falling in love with the handsome Detective Derek Richards—a man who, her daughter predicts, will become an intimate part of her future. Time is running out for Marianne. She must learn the truth—about herself, about her power, and about the murderer—before she becomes the next victim. (less)

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Sep 01, 2008 Diane rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“No matter what you do,
Nor how hard you try,
The signs will come.”

Marianne’s granny used to recite this to her when she was a little girl and it ended with “But futures can’t be changed by you or I.” Seeing the future was Marianne’s curse. She inherited the ability from her granny and recently Gabrielle, Marianne’s teenage daughter was having predictions too.

Marianne and Gabrielle move to St. Louis where Marianne meets a group of women that also have visions and see the future. The women were div...more

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Jul 24, 2008 JC Andrew rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Touch of Fate is a paranormal story about a woman named Marianne who has an extraordinary gift – a gift of foretelling the future. When she can’t change the course of events, she feels powerless and as though it runs her life. After moving to St. Louis because of the signs, she meets a group of women who share her gift. When one of the women in the circle gets killed, a good friend, she tries to do all she can to help catch the killer.

The story grabs you from the first sentence and pulls you in....more Touch of Fate is a paranormal story about a woman named Marianne who has an extraordinary gift – a gift of foretelling the future. When she can’t change the course of events, she feels powerless and as though it runs her life. After moving to St. Louis because of the signs, she meets a group of women who share her gift. When one of the women in the circle gets killed, a good friend, she tries to do all she can to help catch the killer.

The story grabs you from the first sentence and pulls you in. The main conflict in the story is with Marianne. She has a special ability but feels she can’t do anything to stop events from happening, although she tries to on some occasions. The plot was quite clear and the pace was just right to keep your interest in the main character and the supporting characters she meets in St. Louis. Touch of Fate moves along from one event to the next without any downtime. The subplots gave as much information required and only focused on the main characters of the story, using the minor characters as emphasis.

The characters came to life and practically jumped off the page. Marianne Waters, Detective Derek Richards, Suzanne and Jean had qualities that any reader could relate to while reading the story. They were well-written, with a history which made them stand out. The dialogue was good and kept in step with the story.

The setting was the present day and time, and didn’t deal with aspects that were unbelievable. Since foretelling is not out of the ordinary, whether it’s from reading cards, palms or the zodiac, figuring out future incidents is not something that we couldn’t grasp. Christine Amsden takes a phenomenon and makes it into a very interesting story. The timing and order of the events were consistent, leaving the reader anxious to see how the detective was going to solve the case.

Touch of Fate is written in third person but you are able to delve into all of their minds, giving you a peek as to what they were all about. This amazing, easy to read book, will keep you mesmerized from page to page. Don’t let the label of paranormal turn you away. It is far from a book about ghosts or goblins, but a story of a brave woman trying to live with a gift she doesn’t understand it to be a blessing or a curse and feels the need to keep silent.

Christine Amsden makes the storyline seem real; putting the character in a situation that we can all relate to in all walks of life. The title catches your attention, the descriptive back over brings you in but the story keeps you at the edge of your seat.(less)

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Sep 11, 2012 Staci rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed reading Touch of Fate as it seemed to cover a bit of every genre of literature. The writing style of Christine Armsden was easy like Sunday morning...hehe...just flowed real well...making it fun to read a paranormal thriller! I am giving it a 4 star and passing on to my daughter to read as well!

My rating system is as follows:

5 stars - Excellent, Worth Every Penny, Made It Into My Personal Library!
4 stars - Great book, but not a classic.
3 stars - Good overall, generally well written.
2...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Monica rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I actually read this book when it was first released; I have a signed copy of the book as I worked with the author's husband. This book was a definite page turner and when it ended I was begging for more. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes a good thriller; a good paranormal book; or just looking for something new to read!

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Feb 15, 2013 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-science-fiction, e-book

What a great story! There was a point where I just couldn't close the book (metaphorically, as I read the e-book version). It was a very enjoyable read, and an interesting take on the subject of fate and predictions.

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Jun 19, 2012 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a really good paranormal thriller with a wee bit of romance. I really liked this. The characters were likable except for the characters you weren't supposed to like. It didn't read as far-fetched either. I'll definitely check out her other book.

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Jul 13, 2012 Patty rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Looks and sounds awesome!!!!

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Apr 03, 2012 Jennifer Wolf rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: won

Touch of Fate was a very hard book for me to get into!! There was a large religious aspect from the fortune-telling that I honestly didn't expect., and wasn't sure what to think of.
At the beginning, I thought the characters were unbelievable, but as the book went on I came to understand and care for them - even with their eccentricities!

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Shelves: daddy-dark-s-baby-warrior-list

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Shelves: paranormal-romance, urban-fantasy-to-read

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Shelves: fantasy, paranormal

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About Christine Amsden

Christine Amsden has been writing science fiction and fantasy for as long as she can remember. She loves to write and it is her dream that others will be inspired by this love and by her stories. Speculative fiction is fun, magical, and imaginative but great speculative fiction is about real people defining themselves through extraordinary situations. Christine writes primarily about people and it...more

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