Close Enough to Touch

Aug 27, 2012 Jess rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, for_review

Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog rating: 2.5/5

Make-up artist Grace is down to her last dollar, as she rolls into Jackson Hole on a bus to stay at an apartment in a building own by her great Aunt. She’s running from L.A. and a bad situation that found her accused of theft, being fired for speaking up against an abuser and kicked out of her boyfriend’s house. Grace has had a rough life even before all of this. She had to survive on the streets, pull herself up from nothing to make a c...more Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog rating: 2.5/5

Make-up artist Grace is down to her last dollar, as she rolls into Jackson Hole on a bus to stay at an apartment in a building own by her great Aunt. She’s running from L.A. and a bad situation that found her accused of theft, being fired for speaking up against an abuser and kicked out of her boyfriend’s house. Grace has had a rough life even before all of this. She had to survive on the streets, pull herself up from nothing to make a career for herself and she knows that now she has to do it again. She’s planning a small stop over in Jackson Hole for a few weeks to get her feet under her before moving on to Vancouver and another movie set where she can continue to do make-up for the rich and famous. Grace moves into the apartment and comes face to face with her neighbor, Cole.

Cole is a cowboy recovering from an injury that may mean he’s never able to ride a horse again. Hard to own and run a ranch, which is what he had hoped to do in the future, when you can’t ride. He’s still recovering and is intrigued by his new neighbor, a woman who doesn’t make a peep next door, who doesn’t have any furniture and who has purple hair. She stands out in this small town and he starts to slowly get to know her, offering her coffee, breakfast, small things to spend a little time with her. But when a production company for a movie rolls into town and Grace, working in her new job as an assistant to Eve, a local photographer who’s the main contact for the movie’s production crew, sets them up at the ranch Cole works out, he’s livid that she would bring the exact world he had escaped thirteen years ago in L.A. to his front door.

From the start, Cole and Grace have a romance that was hard for me to get into. They’re both hard people, dealing with past issues that are still influencing how they’re living their lives today. They ultimately decide to sleep together, no strings attached, and there’s very little emotion involved. Grace wants it that way, Cole seems to want more, but he ends up just giving Grace what she wants, which is to use each other and walk away. The hardest thing for me about this relationship was I never got the feeling that these two actually cared about each other. Sure, they have sort of a happy ending, but the lack of emotion left me having no connection to these two as a couple.

Grace has a hard time letting people get close, but she does start to make friends with her boss Eve, and the bartender who works next door to Grace’s apartment, Jenny. They have a fun girl’s night out scene that brought a little humor into the story, but that spark was missing throughout the rest of the book. I do want to know more about Eve though. She’s a reserved character, but it’s mentioned a few times that Grace could see something in her expression or in her eyes; I think there’s more to Eve’s past than she let on, and I’m curious.

The romance was a miss for me in this one. I liked seeing Grace finally let her guard down at the end and find a place to settle, to belong and let herself love and be loved. It just came a little too late. The humor and fun that I always enjoy in Victoria Dahl’s books was missing and it just needed that extra oomph to get me into the story. Individually, Cole’s struggle to figure out what direction his life needs to go in if he can’t ride again and Grace’s struggle to distance herself from her past and start new were interesting journeys, but their romance left me disappointed.(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Aug 12, 2012 Emily (Book Jems) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-fiction, contemporary, favorite-authors, romance, netalley-e-galley, kindle, third-person-pov, all-time-favorites, bring-tissues, angst, fun-to-read, need-to-go-eat-my-feelings, humor, erotica, run-out-and-buy-it, sweetling, suspense, obsessed, swoonz, released, review-on-blog, be-my-boyfriend, harlequin, signed, stand-alone, won-in-giveaway, ongoing-series

As seen on Ed and Em's Reviews!

4.5/5 Stars!

I really enjoyed Close Enough to Touch. If Victoria Dahl wasn't already an instant buy author for me, she just became one. This book is a touching, contemporary romance that I won't soon forget!

As soon as I read the synopsis for this novel, I knew I was going to enjoy it. While Close Enough to Touch is a bit heavier than the other books I've read by Ms. Dahl, it's just as addicting. Once I got into the novel, I couldn't put it down. The angst really is...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jul 26, 2012 Julia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, romance, dropbox

Though a little darker than my favorite Victoria Dahl books, CLOSE ENOUGH TO TOUCH still has the character development and heart pounding romance that keeps bringing me back for more. I love how Dahl's Happily Ever Afters match her characters as individuals, and this book was no exception.

Grace and Cole both have bagage to work through, which means the romance and their characters both have a slow, tentative opening. Grace is dark, angry and uncommunicative, which doesn't leave much room for Da...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 05, 2012 Jessi rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, 2012-challenge, contemporary, part-of-a-series, romance

Victoria Dahl is one of my favorite contemporary authors. "Lead Me On" was a great example of using a nontraditional hero (one who is covered with tattoos) and heroine (one who is very attracted to the burly, brawny, biker type. I really need to re-read that book).
This book is the same. Grace Barrett is a makeup artist, one with purple hair (as we are reminded about over and over in most of the advertising for this book.) She's running away from Hollywood and her troubles there. Cole Rawlins is...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jun 17, 2013 Mara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, romance, this-heroine-annoyed-me, why-must-you-frustrate-me-so, ever-heard-of-therapy

For a while there, she’d been a success. A small one, maybe, but someone who could be proud of herself. Now she was a failure by any stretch of the word. A weak person who’d thought she was strong.

But this was the moment. This was her chance. She could make something of herself, or she could keep being a tragic story. The typical tough girl who was really bleeding inside, pretending she didn’t need anyone when she really just wanted to be wrapped up in strong arms.

“Yuck,” she muttered, wiping te

...more

For a while there, she’d been a success. A small one, maybe, but someone who could be proud of herself. Now she was a failure by any stretch of the word. A weak person who’d thought she was strong.

But this was the moment. This was her chance. She could make something of herself, or she could keep being a tragic story. The typical tough girl who was really bleeding inside, pretending she didn’t need anyone when she really just wanted to be wrapped up in strong arms.

“Yuck,” she muttered, wiping tears from her eyes. It didn’t matter. More tears immediately replaced them.

God. She’d come all the way to Wyoming, several worlds away from L.A., and she was doing the same damn thing. Fighting with people, falling into bed, letting a man offer a helping hand. Except it was never a hand, was it?

That thought made her snort with wet laughter, and the tears stopped.

She was going to do this. She was going to go into work today and do a great job. She’d kiss a little ass if she had to, because she was strong enough to do that. She could deal with people who treated her like shit, because she wasn’t shit. And she could walk away from a man who told her she was beautiful and tried to take care of her, because being taken care of and lied to wasn’t love or security or anything but being treated like a wounded bird.

She didn’t need that. Not anymore. She’d pay Scott the money she owed him. Somehow. And that would be the end of her old life. She was moving on.

This was a lot more angsty than the cover would have you believe. As far as contemporary romances set in small towns go, this was believable, not too cloyingly sweet. The plot was a bit weak. Also, I was skeptical of just how Grace could come to terms with herself and her feelings so easily, when she spent so much time running and being detached from her own life.

I love heroines who are different: strong, damaged, socially inept, not cute, not pretty. Grace is the case of "beautiful all along", but she definitely has issues, and that's OK, I say bring it on, Dahl. But those kinds of stories are harder to wrap up in a pretty bow of conventional romance. I don't know if I bought this story, despite the fact that I found the characters to be believable, especially Grace. Cole, the hero, was a bit more broadly drawn, but he was OK. I loved the great-aunt Raylene (I think that's her name, anyway), and she was one of my favorite things about this book. The friends were obvious sequel-bait, and I don't know if I plan on reading the rest of the series, with the possible exception of Jenny's story.

Like I said, the plot was weak. The whole Hollywood thing I felt was over-blown, especially when it came to Cole and his past. I think the story would have been better were it not for the movie business. Also, the whole Scott angle with the missing money, I felt it could've been used better. I don't know. Dahl's contemporaries are hit-and-miss for me, there are things she does differently, and she does some things really well, but I usually feel like something small is missing, or it's been glossed over for the sake of the happy ending, if that makes sense. I do like her historicals a lot, though, and look forward to reading the third York book sometime in the future.(less)

like · see review

May 09, 2013 Fedora rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

4 and a half stars.

Ms. Dahl's really cemented her place on my list of great contemporary authors.

Grace Barrett's escaped to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, as a bit of a last resort. She's learned to be tough and smart and protect herself because she basically has recognized that no one else is going to be looking out for her.

Cole Rawlins is Grace's temporary next-door neighbor. He's vowed not to be captivated by any more gorgeous city girls, but something about Grace draws his eye and his heart, and he...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 15, 2013 Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I must start with the cover. I'm a little OCD and it bugs me when a cover doesn't represent the story or characters accurately. So, when our hero is noted to have blond chest hair, I'm disturbed that the dude on the cover is a brunette. When the heroine's purple hair is mentioned over and over again, the woman on the cover should have purple in her hair not just as the background color of the cover. Finally, heroine is edgy and is described to be more goth-like than anything, so showing her on t...more I must start with the cover. I'm a little OCD and it bugs me when a cover doesn't represent the story or characters accurately. So, when our hero is noted to have blond chest hair, I'm disturbed that the dude on the cover is a brunette. When the heroine's purple hair is mentioned over and over again, the woman on the cover should have purple in her hair not just as the background color of the cover. Finally, heroine is edgy and is described to be more goth-like than anything, so showing her on the cover in a cute pink cami and shorts, well, it's deceiving. This isn't a sweet contemporary romance filled with hijinks and puppies. What is it? Well...

We have Grace. A woman who has had a hard life and trusts very few. She's stolen from her ex-boyfriend and is trying to start over. In order to do so, she needs a temporary hiding place and has had to swallow her pride and ask from help from her great-aunt. Dahl prides herself on "unlikable" heroines and Grace can easily fall into that category. I almost stopped reading it when Grace had a too stupid to live moment where she refused to share her problems with her best and only friend because she was afraid her friend would stop caring about her. This is what friends are for. Okay, so Grace is socially awkward.

Then we have Cole. He's a wounded cowboy who isn't recovering as fast as he wants. He has a history that we learn will collide with Grace. Cole likes wild women and finds Grace instantly appealing. Grace appreciates what Cole offers but doesn't want to get involved. They're hook ups are not soft and gentle, but borderline violent. Both like it like that.

There is also a plot and characters who will appear in their own stories in the series. The plot has a movie company coming to town. The director/producer is a woman who Cole was intimate with years ago and is tied to his secret. Grace is a make-up artist and gets a temporary job with the town photographer assisting on the movie. And there is Grace's ex who wants his money back. Plus, Cole wants to own the ranch but if his leg doesn't heal, he won't be able to be a cowboy anymore.

The best character in the book is Grace's great-aunt. She's ornery and fiesty. LOVE her and she's has a crush on Cole's boss and surrogate dad. The bartender is also sweet and fun and I'm looking forward to her story.

This isn't a light romp of a romance. The characters have issues and are able to process some of them. I appreciate the growth Grace goes through during the story; Cole too.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Mar 03, 2013 Angie Outland rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Victoria Dahl is a new discovery for me—a very pleasant new discovery. I am so glad I picked this book up at my local book store. Close Enough to Touch, is the first book in the Jackson Hole series. I enjoyed this well written contemporary romance that has some humor, a touch of sadness, and lots of hot sex scenes. Grace is a make-up artist who left L.A. because of trouble with an ex-boyfriend. She is on her way to Vancouver when she stops in Jackson because her great-aunt gives her a place to l...more

like · see review

Nov 25, 2012 Sam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: those looking for a romance with a strong plot

Recommended to Sam by: received a copy from the publisher - thank you!

Close Enough to Touch is a fun, sexy romp just perfect as a relaxing read in the lead up to Christmas or for those lazy summer holidays. (Alternatively, it would be just as good snuggled up under blankets). It’s light hearted, warm and relaxing; a romance at heart with a good general plot to keep you interested.

Grace is the main character of this story (I hesitate to call her a ‘heroine’, as she’d probably have my guts for garters!). She is completely broke after the end of her relationship and...more Close Enough to Touch is a fun, sexy romp just perfect as a relaxing read in the lead up to Christmas or for those lazy summer holidays. (Alternatively, it would be just as good snuggled up under blankets). It’s light hearted, warm and relaxing; a romance at heart with a good general plot to keep you interested.

Grace is the main character of this story (I hesitate to call her a ‘heroine’, as she’d probably have my guts for garters!). She is completely broke after the end of her relationship and run out of Hollywood after some incidents and nasty rumours. The only place she has left to go is her Great Aunt Rayleen’s apartment in the middle of nowhere – Jackson Hole, Wyoming. After learning she is now living in what the locals call ‘The Stud Farm’, Grace’s hackles are up when she meets Cole, broken cowboy.

Why is Cole broken? He’s got some baggage from previous relationships and a nasty injury that may prevent him from reaching his dream as ranch owner. Sparks fly between Cole and Grace, but is there enough of a connection to keep conversation flowing? Add in some wonderful characters, such as Rayleen (who has killer one liners) and Jenny, the sweet-hearted barmaid and you’ve got a good story.

But wait, there’s more! Hollywood follows Grace to Jackson to film a cowboy/monster/alien movie and suddenly both Grace and Cole find their new relationships tested. Is the country really better than the big smoke?

I admire Dahl for writing a story that kept me entertained on so many levels – the relationship between Grace and Cole (very steamy), Grace’s shady past, Cole’s past and future in addition to having the reader interested in the fates of the supporting characters like Rayleen, Eve and Jenny. Not only did I want Cole and Grace to get together, I wanted Grace to make friends with Jenny, develop a good working relationship with Eve and a closer relationship with Rayleen. Her strengths are in forging the different types of relationships between the characters – in particular, the girls’ makeover is a wonderful, heart-warming scene. There’s also enough cowboy physique descriptions to keep you interested. Grace’s prickly, spiny demeanour is not so intrusive to be a clichéd plot device; in fact, I was so happy for her when she learned to trust a select few!

I hear there’s another book coming in this series and I’d be pleased to read another book about Grace, Cole and Aunt Rayleen! This is not your standard romance, please don’t pass it by.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com (less)

like · see review

Oct 17, 2012 Lisa rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Grace has fled her job as a makeup artist in Hollywood after being fired, cheated on, and mistaken for a thief. She stops to spend a few weeks in her aunt's apartment building in Jackson, Wyoming on her way to Vancouver for a fresh start. Cole Rawlins is an injured cowboy. He spent the past 13 years saving money to buy a ranch, and then got injured and his future is up in the air. Both Cole and Grace have a lot of negative history with Hollywood, and the appearance of a film shoot in Jackson Hol...more Grace has fled her job as a makeup artist in Hollywood after being fired, cheated on, and mistaken for a thief. She stops to spend a few weeks in her aunt's apartment building in Jackson, Wyoming on her way to Vancouver for a fresh start. Cole Rawlins is an injured cowboy. He spent the past 13 years saving money to buy a ranch, and then got injured and his future is up in the air. Both Cole and Grace have a lot of negative history with Hollywood, and the appearance of a film shoot in Jackson Hole brings it to the surface for them both.

Grace is very damaged. She doesn't trust herself and she doesn't trust anyone else. She's sure that no one will love her, so she pushes everyone away so that she doesn't get hurt by their rejection. (SPOILER: Of course people like her!) Grace had a really bad childhood and a example of what not to do for a mother, but sometimes I felt that she went too far in not giving other people a chance, the very extreme end of jumping to conclusions. It was really hard to like her at times and ultimately I didn't feel like she ever came around to a point where she could trust anyone enough to fall in love. It seemed like a very fast extreme switch, and I didn't quite buy it.

Cole isn't damaged so much as willfully blind. He's physically injured and it's not certain if he'll be able to ride again. It's hard to be a cowboy who can't ride a horse. This is weighing heavy on him, and I felt like this aspect was handled really well. However, 13 years in his past he was briefly lured to Hollywood by (surprise!) the same director who is on his ranch now. He is unable to leave the past in the past and see what really happened, and it's really hard for me to see this as anything more than a cheesy excuse. I did like Cole more than Grace, but he was awfully perfect aside from his reliance on the past as an excuse.

In the end, while the book was enjoyable, I didn't think it went quite far enough as a romance. There wasn't really any sort of falling in love. There was a lot of lust and sex (holy graphic sex, batman! Probably the most explicit sex I've ever read in a straight romance) but I just didn't see enough tenderness and companionship to believe that they had fallen in love. At the end of the book everything is wrapped up in a tidy bow, and neatly sets up a handful of possible next-in-series contenders. I won't lie and say I won't give the next one a chance, but this one won't make any top ten lists for the year.(less)

like · see review

Oct 04, 2012 Heather rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, audible

I can not believe this is one of Victoria's most recent books. I was sure it was a early work but maybe because it was a Harlequin romance? Just so over wrought and angsty--then again the narration left a lot-A WHOLE LOT- to be desired. Still, what the hell happened?

From Goodreads: For makeup artist Grace Barrett, Hollywood isn't the land of golden opportunity. It's the land of difficult divas, cheating boyfriends and unemployment. So when her great-aunt offers her a free place to stay in Jackso...more

like · see review

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

Shelves: adults, feel-good, the-ex-of-doom, so-very-american, sexy, realism, romance, trouble-in-paradise, tough-chick, shady-past, past-demons, country

i loved this book! i also got very very annoyed with this book. the plot itself was quite character driven and all about the characters past demons and how its affected their lives today. how you cant run away from the bad things in life, because regardless the past makes up who you are as a person in the present. so in that respect i loved watching Grace come to terms with who she was and who she wanted to be. the beginning was fantastic- you really get the sense that she feels out of place (an...more

like · see review

Sep 07, 2012 Crystal rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First thoughts
Again this was an Author that I hadn’t read before but came highly recommend from bloggers, authors, and even amazon told me I might like this author’s book. Well when I author is that recommended I feel I have no choice but to examine the hype and see if I feel it’s worth it. Let’s explore my thoughts, shall we?

My thoughts
This was a story I liked, but just didn’t fall in love with. I liked the premise of the book, the setting and the idea of the character’s running from their prob...more

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 01, 2012 Becky Moe rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, netgalley

Close Enough to Touch is the first book in Dahl's new series based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It stars two main characters, Grace and Cole, who are just chock-full of major issues. Grace is on the run from her life and her past, for reasons it takes a really long time to reveal to readers, and Cole is trying to recover both from an accident several months before and from family issues that are thirteen years old. Neither is really big on trust or honesty, which tends to be a stumbling block for r...more

like · see review

Sep 01, 2012 Lexi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

http://readingmymindreviews.blogspot....

Grace Barrett leaves LA in a whirlwind of trouble. An ex she owes money, a job she was fired from, and no family to speak of- except a great-aunt in Jackson, Wyoming. Out of options, she packs her all her worldly possessions into a duffle bag and catches the first bus out of LA, never looking back. Guilt and shame follow her to the small town as she realizes she has no idea where she’s going or how to contact her aunt. The locals help her find her way, ge...more http://readingmymindreviews.blogspot....

Grace Barrett leaves LA in a whirlwind of trouble. An ex she owes money, a job she was fired from, and no family to speak of- except a great-aunt in Jackson, Wyoming. Out of options, she packs her all her worldly possessions into a duffle bag and catches the first bus out of LA, never looking back. Guilt and shame follow her to the small town as she realizes she has no idea where she’s going or how to contact her aunt. The locals help her find her way, get her on the bus and send her to her great-aunt’s place, cheekily known as the “stud Farm’ because the aging woman only rents the apartments in her building to young men who are easy on the eyes. With great apprehension, Grace decides to stay, but only for a month as a stop-over on her way to Toronto where she feels she will be able to find work in the film business like she had been working as a makeup artist in LA before her rapid departure. Wanting nothing more than a roof over her head and a place to try and earn a little money over the next few weeks, Grace’s plans are complicated by the sexy cowboy in the apartment across the hall.

Cole Rawlins’ life wasn’t all rodeos and cowgirls. Recovering from a very serious accident he was still on restrictions because of his recovering leg and pelvis fractures. Physical therapy hadn’t cured him yet and most days it felt like things might never go back to how they were, before that horse had trampled on his leg, ruining his plans. Cole had worked at Easy Creek for years and had plans to buy the place once Mr. Easy retired, which was going to be any day now. He had worked his way through the ranks of the ranch until his injury sidelined him from everything he loved. Not one to sit still, he pushed himself physically to recover, but deep down he was terrified he might never be the same. When a purple-haired woman blows into town and catches his eye, she becomes a nice distraction as he awaits word from the doctor about if he will ever be able to ride again.

Secrets from both their pasts cannot be avoided and trouble has a way of following Grace and Cole. Running away from things hasn’t worked for either one of them in the past and when a movie production team comes to town scouting locations to shoot a few scenes from a movie, things come to a head. Ex’s cause trouble and fears keep Grace from being able to commit. Together they struggle to keep their feet beneath them in this fragile relationship as the urge to run grown in Grace rather than fight for what she wants.
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Aug 30, 2012 Guilty Pleasures rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: guiltypleasures-amanda

Amanda's review posted on Guilty Pleasures

Victoria Dahl’s Close Enough to Touch is a great beginning to her new Jackson Hole series for it’s an emotional and earnest novel. This story is a little edgier with angst from both main characters but that is what drew me in and held me until I finished with one big happy smile.

Grace Barrett is a strong, independent woman on the run from her ex-boyfriend and needs a place and a job. She takes up an offer from her great aunt Rayleen of an apartment in Ja...more Amanda's review posted on Guilty Pleasures

Victoria Dahl’s Close Enough to Touch is a great beginning to her new Jackson Hole series for it’s an emotional and earnest novel. This story is a little edgier with angst from both main characters but that is what drew me in and held me until I finished with one big happy smile.

Grace Barrett is a strong, independent woman on the run from her ex-boyfriend and needs a place and a job. She takes up an offer from her great aunt Rayleen of an apartment in Jackson so she leaves LA with a plan to take a job in Vancouver in a few weeks’ time. She’s a city girl, now in the great outdoors of Wyoming and a little out of her element for sure. Grace comes across as a hard woman with sharp edges, that doesn’t need anyone and is very prideful when asking for help. My heart ached for her and all the baggage she carries, but I can see her doing what she has to make ends meet. She just needs to get on the right path and put the past behind her. She tries but somehow it comes up to bite her in the b-u-t-t and she has more to deal with in her present situation.

Cole Rawlins is a cowboy that is recuperating from a bad injury and is Grace’s neighbor in the apartment building. There is more to this cowboy than what we first see of him and I am so glad his character grew into a multilayered rich man who also dealing with past hurts himself. When he first meets Grace he is drawn to her and wants to get to know her, but she isn’t forthcoming with information. He’s quite insightful on how to approach her and little by little we found out things about both of them, especially in their pillow talk afterwards. When Grace and Cole finally decide to have sex it’s not the sweet and sexy kind but more of the hard and dirty kind. And boy was that raw and edgy!

Both Grace and Cole have secrets and guard them closely. Cole is trying to get to know Grace when his past comes back to the ranch. Its hard dealing with a past you are ashamed of and what better way than to face it straight on and try to move past it. I thought Ms. Dahl did a great job writing a realistic storyline and reactions for both Cole and Grace. They both might jump to the wrong conclusions, but that is still an honest reaction when you react and not think first. There is a scene in the book that stood out for me when Grace see her great aunt Rayleen acting grouchy and knows that she might be like this in 40 years and that scares her. That was an eye opener for Grace, which she tried to make an effort to be friendlier with girlfriends in Jackson Hole.

Between these two and the few secondary characters I would say that this book had it all with good character development and emotional growth. There were a few light, funny moments with them and I do hope that their stories get told down the road.

I’ve read Victoria Dahl’s other contemporary romances and loved their funny and witty storylines and characters but there is something more to this story and series. I like it! I hope she continues this deeper and harder romance story because she captured my interest and would love to read more like this from her. (less)

1 like · like · see review

Aug 28, 2012 Juli rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm always eager to read a new Victoria Dahl book; there's always something surprising, different or risky (or all three). Plus, you know, hot sex. The sexual chemistry in Dahl's books is always powerful, because it's always unique to the particular couple. Some of Dahl's heroines have been called "unlikeable" (or worse), and Grace definitely falls into that category. I didn't like her at first, but I found her interesting, and I could see that it would take a lot to get her into a believable lo...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 31, 2012 Nina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, epic-couples, good-time-laughs, netgalley, series, sexy-banter, super-steamy, swoon, tortured-hero

Victoria Dahl did a really cool thing in this book. She surprised me.

I read a lot of romance, and my love for the genre was born out of the funny, emotional, and memorable roller coasters of the contemporary romance story. So, for me, I have high(ish) standards when it comes to these books. Make me laugh, swoon, gasp, sweat and race to the end. Put me in the middle of these strong people and knock me off my feet. At the start of this one, I wasn't sure that was going to happen. Grace Barrett ro...more Victoria Dahl did a really cool thing in this book. She surprised me.

I read a lot of romance, and my love for the genre was born out of the funny, emotional, and memorable roller coasters of the contemporary romance story. So, for me, I have high(ish) standards when it comes to these books. Make me laugh, swoon, gasp, sweat and race to the end. Put me in the middle of these strong people and knock me off my feet. At the start of this one, I wasn't sure that was going to happen. Grace Barrett rolls into town with her funky purple hair and huge Caboodle of makeup and you can tell the girl is running. You can also tell that she's got more pride then height on her, because she can't stop talking about it. As a reader I felt like Grace's pissed off I Won't Accept Help bit was just drilled a little too hard. It's okay. I get it from her actions. She doesn't have to keep thinking about it for pages on end. So I was starting to drift at this point, but stayed the course because I just knew. This is Victoria Dahl and she has guts when it comes to her books, so I knew there would be more.

Like Cole the Broken Cowboy next door. Did he come out with his drawl and deliciously toned abs to help the spitting pixie next door? Absolutely. From the start could we tell there would be more to this guy? Yes, the bread crumbs were there and they paid off, because Cole, as wrapped up in his own demons as he is, he's also action and pain and drive and he's immediately all tied up in knots over our purple-haired heroine and so the story just got better.

Let me be clear on this one. What Victoria Dahl is incredibly unique for one hugely important thing. Her characters get MORE interesting as they have the sex. For me, this is paramount. There is no sliding down the hill of yawns and flashing lights of Here Comes The Miscommunication. And holy mother of heart attacks can she write chemistry and sex scenes. The spark between Cole and Grace is a bloody forest fire. It isn't just two hot characters banging it out either. It's Cole and it's Grace and they bring themselves to the table (bed, floor, counter, etc...) and that just makes the sex that much more breath stealing and necessary.

I'm so in love with these two, and that is how you write the start to a new series. In the huge index in my head of romance books and the couples who star in them, Grace and Cole will always stand out, and for me that's the whole kit and Caboodle.

*This book was provided to me by Harlequin through NetGalley.(less)

like · see review

Jul 30, 2012 Heidi Rice rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Was very lucky to get a look at this when my friend Abby Green picked up a copy from Victoria Dahl at RWA book-signing... Then couldn't put it down. Read it cover to cover in 24 hours and can honestly say it's one of my favourite Victoria Dahl's now. Adored the crisp clean Jackson Hole Wyoming setting (who knew there was a difference between Elk and Deer... Not me!). Also fell totally in love with her big sexy and tortured cowboy hero Cole Rawlins, whose weakness for bad girls leads to a fling w...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jul 03, 2012 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was extremely lucky to get an early read of Victoria Dahl’s newest book, Close Enough to Touch. This was wonderful except for the fact that now I have an extra long to wait for the next books in the series. This was another great book by Ms. Dahl and a start to a great series. I really loved the heroine, Grace, because she seemed a lot different than the “typical” heroine I read. Grace was really down on her luck. She had arrived in Jackson, Wy with under $40 in her pocket and her pride. She h...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 29, 2012 Judith rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

4.25 out of 5. A very edgy and compelling novel about characters who are anything but sweet and simple. Grace is a very troubled woman, continuing to search for some kind of congruence in her life, yet running from anyone and anything who might remind her of how needy she really is. Cole is a true Wyoming cowboy who is recovering from a terrible accident that has put his future in doubt, at least the future he has always planned on. He, too, has some deep grief he has kept under wraps and prickl...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 17, 2013 Nab rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Grace, left the city of fake dazzling lights, for one where you can see the stars at night. Wyoming, here she comes!

Grace comes from a very broken past. Seeing her mother change for whichever boyfriend is feeding her, Grace vows to never depend on a man like that. Except that she does. And she gets burned, which is not as bad as the fact that she gets treated like she is less than the dirt she walks on. Completely and utterly dependent on a guy, Grace learns the hard way, wh...more

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 01, 2012 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've read some negative reviews of this book, because readers find the heroine, Grace, unlikeable. And I agree, Grace is kind of a bitch. But I like that about the book. Grace, a former Hollywood makeup artist, flees L.A. after a series of very unfortunate events leave her looking like a criminal, although it was actually a misunderstanding. She ends up in Jackson Hole, Wyoming because there is a free apartment there (her great-aunt Rayleen's) and the possibility of making a little money to pay...more

like · see review

Sep 12, 2012 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've read a handful of Victoria Dahl books and enjoyed them. This is book 1 in a new contemporary series that is supposed to sport 3 books total and a novella. I can't wait to see who these other stories will be about. I can make a guess or two having read book one now but no way am i certain. lol Grace Barrett has had a really hard life. Her childhood sucked and she ran away from home at 16 and lived on the streets. She pulled herself together and finally was doing ok as a make up artist for th...more

like · see review

Aug 26, 2012 Stephanie Collins rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is my first Victoria Dahl book and it won't be my last. I have followed her on Twitter for a while and love watching her banter back and forth with fans, bloggers and fellow authors. She has a quick wit and no real filters which makes her very interesting.

This book was a surprise in that it was a lot darker than I expected but I loved seeing the bits of humor and the incredible sadness that our main characters experience. Both are damaged but this book shows their emergence in to healthy ha...more

like · see review

Sep 11, 2012 Mariann {a.k.a. Belle's Book Bag} rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am always entertained by Victoria Dahl's books and Close Enough To Touch was definitely another winner. What a great way to start off a series and I cannot wait for the next book~which will feature Merry and Shane~Woo-Hoo!!! So excited!!
I absolutely loved Cole. Nothing better than a cowboy who says darlin'!!! ;) He was so sweet and charming and funny~I loved him and Shane!! Cole and Grace were both a little broken and I so wanted them to get the HEA that they deserved. With Cole and especially...more

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 18, 2012 willaful rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, stranger-in-a-strange-land, special-needs-physical, good-boy-bad-girl, o-theatre-film-show-biz-celebrity, o-farmer-gardener

I think the highest praise I can give Close Enough to Touch is that while reading it, I never thought about how common the "woman in trouble fleeing to a small town" theme is in romance these days. It's its own book.

Grace is a Hollywood make-up artist who's lost pretty much everything; all she has left is a cheap room in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, grudgingly offered by her bad-tempered great aunt. A great looking cowboy neighbor is an unexpected fringe benefit. But Grace and Cole's interest in each...more I think the highest praise I can give Close Enough to Touch is that while reading it, I never thought about how common the "woman in trouble fleeing to a small town" theme is in romance these days. It's its own book.

Grace is a Hollywood make-up artist who's lost pretty much everything; all she has left is a cheap room in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, grudgingly offered by her bad-tempered great aunt. A great looking cowboy neighbor is an unexpected fringe benefit. But Grace and Cole's interest in each other is complicated by his ugly associations with all things Hollywood, and by the high walls Grace has built to protect herself from hurt.

There was a lot I enjoyed about this story. It's an unusually balanced depiction of a small town - believably mellow and friendly, but not ridiculously so. I also liked seeing a relationship that felt genuinely tempestuous, not just a lot of bickering. Both characters have serious issues. Cole is tormented by the possibility he'll have to give up the life he's planned for himself, because of a riding injury; Grace is well drawn as a person who has been desperately in need and deeply dreads being dependent on anyone again:

"She tried not to look in the mirror, not out of worry for what she looked like, but out of worry for what she'd see in her eyes. She used people. It was an ugly thing to see in oneself. That sometimes people were no more than shelter to her. No more meaningful than a roof and walls and a warm bed to wake up in. Not always, but often enough."

Though the issues are heavy, there's a lighthearted side to their relationship as well:

"Cole's door closed and suddenly he was opening hers. 'Come on, tough girl'
'Are you making fun of me?' she snapped.
'Absolutely not. Your whimpers of terror were the toughest I've ever heard.'
'Screw you,' she muttered, ignoring his hand to jump down from the truck.
'You're cute when you're grumpy.'
'You know, nobody knows I'm with you. I could kill you out here and just walk away.'"

My main problem with the book was that I just didn't feel any sexual chemistry between the Grace and Cole. There are a number of intense, passionate sex scenes and it would be great reading if I believed in their attraction, but it never came to life for me. So this remained a very readable story, with strong characters, but without much of a romantic punch.
(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Apr 03, 2013 Sarah Eiseman rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Originally posted on Sarahsbookshelf.com:

I needed something fun and light to read in between my monster workload at school and my recent interest in military memoirs. Victoria Dahl is a favorite author of mine and one that I just go ahead and buy without looking at reviews. I enjoy her contemporaries more than her historicals–they tend to be a little more middle of the road in terms of content, while her historical tend to veer more toward ER. The writing is always excellent and the characters a...more Originally posted on Sarahsbookshelf.com:

I needed something fun and light to read in between my monster workload at school and my recent interest in military memoirs. Victoria Dahl is a favorite author of mine and one that I just go ahead and buy without looking at reviews. I enjoy her contemporaries more than her historicals–they tend to be a little more middle of the road in terms of content, while her historical tend to veer more toward ER. The writing is always excellent and the characters always make me chuckle.

This story is the first installment of her new Jackson series, taking place in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Grace Barrett just moved to the area to get away from a bad situation in L.A. She’s a make-up artist that has worked for movie production studios, but doesn’t seem to have any money or direction in her life. She’s a little rough around the edges, which is not helped when she ends up taking her great-aunt up on her offer for a free apartment rental in Jackson Hole. Despite not having a car or any personal effects, Grace gets herself to Wyoming and scrapes together work until she finally gets back into the industry. Luckily, she ends up getting work with a photographer involved in the pre-production of a cowboy flick. What she doesn’t expect is her cowboy neighbor, Cole, who ends up helping her get to know the area better, in more ways than one.

Cole was an interesting character. I tend to not love cowboy heros in contemporaries–they seem very dated to me for some reason. But Cole somehow worked. He was grumpy because he had a pretty serious injury related to his work and has been in recovery for a while now, but he’s also got a big heart that we get to know better through the course of the story. Although he’s perpetually curious about Grace’s past (and her tattoo), he’s also got some skeletons in his own closet. As with other contemporary series, Dahl sets this series up well with other characters for future books. I actually read Eve’s story, Strong Enough To Love, which is available free on Kindle right now.

If you, too, need something light and fun to read, Dahl is a great author to check out. Although the dialogue is fun, there are always some deeper issues going on with her characters that add some great depth to the story.
(less)

like · see review

Sep 11, 2012 Dabney rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The review may be read at Dear Author.

Dear Ms. Dahl,

I am still surprised at how little I liked your latest Western-lite book, Close Enough to Touch. I've enjoyed many of your books--especially the sexy Bad Boys Do (reviewedhere, along with the other Donovan books, by Robin)and the very funny Lead Me On (givena B+here by Jane)-- and you're hilarious on Twitter. This book, however, wasn't funny, sexy, or probable. The leads, Cole and Grace, are ill-suited sad sacks faltering through life who meet i...more

like · see review

Sep 01, 2012 Hsiau Wei rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for-review, books-read-in-2012

This book tell the story of Grace who lost everything that she have (not that she have many) and went to find her auntie who can (is) offering a free lodging for her before she embarked on a journey to Vancouver. Here, she met Cole who is her neighbour and their attraction between them seems to lit a fire sparkle. Grace left LA with a secret that she doesnt want everyone to know and Cole who is involve in an accident earlier is rather frustrated with himself and when he found out that his ex-fla...more

like · see review

title link	preview: Close Enough to Touch
avg rating	preview: Close Enough to Touch Goodreads rating: 3.51 (1169 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16098327-close-enough-to-touch?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1350776229l/16098327.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16098327-close-enough-to-touch?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Close Enough to Touch by Victoria Dahl[/url]

Close Enough to Touch (Jackson #1)

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (3)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Victoria Dahl

Books by Victoria Dahl

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Close Enough to T...