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Healing Touch
Divorced mother of one, Tracy Campbell is trying her best to stay out of small town gossip. A mysterious lump on her throat is making it hard. Handsome Dr. Jeremy Nelson is making it harder.
70 pages, Nook
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
January 1, 2024
Reviewed for THC Reviews
"3.5 stars" Healing Touch is a short, stand-alone, contemporary romance novella set in a small town in Iowa. Our heroine, Tracy, is a divorced, single mom of a three-year-old who is dealing with a lump on her neck or perhaps more accurately not dealing with it. She’s been called into the office of the young, new, town doctor, Jeremy, several times, but while he does try to persuade her to take action on her medical problem, he also tries to keep the visits more casual and friendly. He’s clearly interested in her, but Tracy is kind of oblivious, and she also doesn’t think she wants to date anyone. She comes up with many different reasons why a relationship between them wouldn’t work, but through patient persistence, Jeremy finally gets through to her on both the romantic front and the medical one.
The story is told entirely from Tracy’s first-person perspective. I could relate to her as a mom of a young child. She seems to be doing the best she can under the circumstances and her little boy, Cody, appears to be pretty well-adjusted for a kid whose dad essentially walked out on them. I could also sympathize with her having a cheating husband who left and the uncomfortable feeling of the small-town rumor mill run amok. However, I didn’t think that her feelings about these things were brought out sufficiently for me to fully understand why she was so adamantly against getting involved with Jeremy. For his part, Jeremy is a total sweetheart who seems to do nothing but care for Tracy and immediately hits it off with Cody, so her stubbornness and even occasional outright rudeness toward him could grate at times. Even though she’s attracted to him and deep down seems to appreciate his attentions, she has a dozen reasons for why things won’t work between them, some of which weren’t all that logical. One of the bigger ones is that he’s seven years younger than her, but once again, Tracy’s feelings about the age difference weren’t sufficiently explained to make me fully understand her objections. Tracy’s refusal to get medical treatment for the lump on her neck was frustrating, too. I understand being afraid of a scary diagnosis, but her excuse is that she fears what will happen to her son if she has to undergo cancer treatments. This didn’t make much sense to me, because she seemed to have plenty of family and friends around who likely would have been happy to help. Not to mention, delaying treatment could have worsened her condition and what would have happened to her son if she’d died?
Overall, Tracy was just a little too obstinate, abrasive, and snarky for me to completely relate to her, which also made it a bit difficult to figure out what Jeremy saw in her since we don’t get anything from his point of view. I have to give him credit, though, for exhibiting persistence coupled with extreme patience, which eventually won the day. He was certainly a gem of a hero, which is why I had a hard time understanding why Tracey was fighting it for so long. If I had a man paying me the kind of attention he was giving to her, I’d have melted long before she did. I don’t want to make this novella sound bad, though, because it’s not. My frustration with Tracy aside, Healing Touch was a gentle story with a sweet ending. My love for Jeremy is a large part of why I didn’t rate it any lower, and Cody is as cute as a button and rendered very age appropriately. If Tracy’s character had been toned down just a little and/or her feelings about all the things that were driving her to brush Jeremy off had been brought out in more stark relief, I could have seen this becoming a keeper. As is, it was an okay read with some things that I liked about it, just not enough to propel it up to a higher rating. Unfortunately it appears that this novella is no longer available for purchase at this time.
"3.5 stars" Healing Touch is a short, stand-alone, contemporary romance novella set in a small town in Iowa. Our heroine, Tracy, is a divorced, single mom of a three-year-old who is dealing with a lump on her neck or perhaps more accurately not dealing with it. She’s been called into the office of the young, new, town doctor, Jeremy, several times, but while he does try to persuade her to take action on her medical problem, he also tries to keep the visits more casual and friendly. He’s clearly interested in her, but Tracy is kind of oblivious, and she also doesn’t think she wants to date anyone. She comes up with many different reasons why a relationship between them wouldn’t work, but through patient persistence, Jeremy finally gets through to her on both the romantic front and the medical one.
The story is told entirely from Tracy’s first-person perspective. I could relate to her as a mom of a young child. She seems to be doing the best she can under the circumstances and her little boy, Cody, appears to be pretty well-adjusted for a kid whose dad essentially walked out on them. I could also sympathize with her having a cheating husband who left and the uncomfortable feeling of the small-town rumor mill run amok. However, I didn’t think that her feelings about these things were brought out sufficiently for me to fully understand why she was so adamantly against getting involved with Jeremy. For his part, Jeremy is a total sweetheart who seems to do nothing but care for Tracy and immediately hits it off with Cody, so her stubbornness and even occasional outright rudeness toward him could grate at times. Even though she’s attracted to him and deep down seems to appreciate his attentions, she has a dozen reasons for why things won’t work between them, some of which weren’t all that logical. One of the bigger ones is that he’s seven years younger than her, but once again, Tracy’s feelings about the age difference weren’t sufficiently explained to make me fully understand her objections. Tracy’s refusal to get medical treatment for the lump on her neck was frustrating, too. I understand being afraid of a scary diagnosis, but her excuse is that she fears what will happen to her son if she has to undergo cancer treatments. This didn’t make much sense to me, because she seemed to have plenty of family and friends around who likely would have been happy to help. Not to mention, delaying treatment could have worsened her condition and what would have happened to her son if she’d died?
Overall, Tracy was just a little too obstinate, abrasive, and snarky for me to completely relate to her, which also made it a bit difficult to figure out what Jeremy saw in her since we don’t get anything from his point of view. I have to give him credit, though, for exhibiting persistence coupled with extreme patience, which eventually won the day. He was certainly a gem of a hero, which is why I had a hard time understanding why Tracey was fighting it for so long. If I had a man paying me the kind of attention he was giving to her, I’d have melted long before she did. I don’t want to make this novella sound bad, though, because it’s not. My frustration with Tracy aside, Healing Touch was a gentle story with a sweet ending. My love for Jeremy is a large part of why I didn’t rate it any lower, and Cody is as cute as a button and rendered very age appropriately. If Tracy’s character had been toned down just a little and/or her feelings about all the things that were driving her to brush Jeremy off had been brought out in more stark relief, I could have seen this becoming a keeper. As is, it was an okay read with some things that I liked about it, just not enough to propel it up to a higher rating. Unfortunately it appears that this novella is no longer available for purchase at this time.
December 4, 2009
After being burned by the small town gossip at the end of her first marriage, Tracy, a single mother is gun shy to try love again. Working full-time and raising a three-year-old son doesn't leave much free time, let alone time to meet a new love interest. Dr. Jeremy Nelson has just moved to town and is intrigued by the hard-working no-nonsense Tracy. When Tracy discovers a small lump in her throat, Jeremy has a chance to get to know Tracy better but Tracy is afraid to let someone close with the whole town watching the new doctor's every move.
I really liked the main character Tracy, she is no-nonsense and doesn't sit around waiting for someone to save her from her problems. She works hard providing a happy life for herself and her son. Having grown up in a relatively small town (by small I mean being related to almost everyone and having them discuss every aspect of your life) I understand Tracy's fears about providing fodder for the gossip mill. The story was entertaining and the storyline moved quickly, keeping me interested until the very end. I really liked Tracy's relationship with her son. A Healing Touch is a heartwarming story sure to please. Jeremy is a strong man attracted to a strong woman, with a desire to assist her but not take over her life. I have to admit I have a special place in my heart for the man who is strong enough to stand next to a strong woman.
**The one downside was the language, the "F" word was used four times in the novel, so if you are offended by this, beware.
I really liked the main character Tracy, she is no-nonsense and doesn't sit around waiting for someone to save her from her problems. She works hard providing a happy life for herself and her son. Having grown up in a relatively small town (by small I mean being related to almost everyone and having them discuss every aspect of your life) I understand Tracy's fears about providing fodder for the gossip mill. The story was entertaining and the storyline moved quickly, keeping me interested until the very end. I really liked Tracy's relationship with her son. A Healing Touch is a heartwarming story sure to please. Jeremy is a strong man attracted to a strong woman, with a desire to assist her but not take over her life. I have to admit I have a special place in my heart for the man who is strong enough to stand next to a strong woman.
**The one downside was the language, the "F" word was used four times in the novel, so if you are offended by this, beware.
December 14, 2009
I loved this story! Jenna Anderson definitely has a gift for storytelling. Healing Touch is a romance without being syrupy and overly "romantic". The dialogue is perfection and makes the characters truly come to life. Tracy Campbell, the lead character, is funny and quirky with lots of those all-too-human qualities. Her love story is one that, in various versions, has likely been a top fantasy of most women at one time or other.
September 15, 2010
This is a sweet little romance story, nothing more and nothing less. I think it does what it says it does. It makes you smile and it's a easy read with a cute little story. I really enjoyed the story aspect of it.
It's really not long enough to get too deep into character development and the ending is one of those you can see coming from two miles away. The ending didn't bother me so much, that's typical for this genre, but I really wish it had been longer and we had gotten to know the characters a little more. One of the two main story lines seem to wrap up entirely too easily.
There are quite a few typos in here which I found a little disappointing. I will admit that I am not a great grammarian or speller, but I am also not out there publishing books. Even self published books deserve a good read-through with an editor (and no, mom doesn't count).
Having said that, the author has talent and I look forward to watching what she does next.
This is a worthy read for someone needing something light and predictable. I read it after reading a rough book with lots of bad guys and this was just the ticket!
It's really not long enough to get too deep into character development and the ending is one of those you can see coming from two miles away. The ending didn't bother me so much, that's typical for this genre, but I really wish it had been longer and we had gotten to know the characters a little more. One of the two main story lines seem to wrap up entirely too easily.
There are quite a few typos in here which I found a little disappointing. I will admit that I am not a great grammarian or speller, but I am also not out there publishing books. Even self published books deserve a good read-through with an editor (and no, mom doesn't count).
Having said that, the author has talent and I look forward to watching what she does next.
This is a worthy read for someone needing something light and predictable. I read it after reading a rough book with lots of bad guys and this was just the ticket!
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November 21, 2010Dear Jenna Anderson;
Thank you for the opportunity to read your book. While this book was a quick and easy read (78 pages), I found that it was too short and too easy. None of the characters were very deep and while there were moments that I felt some emotion towards them, that emotion didn't last more than a couple of sentences. I believe if the story were developed more and written better you would have an endearing story and one where the reader would care.
One example of where the story line just didn't make sense was when Tracy found Dr. Jeremy in her house with his car parked in the garage. They had only gone out one time before that. After a lame attempt of asking "How did you get in here", she quickly forgot her question when he swooped in for a kiss. I can't imagine a woman reacting that way. Especially a woman with a young son.
Tracy has spent 90% of the book telling him they could not be together due to age difference and people talking. In the last several pages, they kissed, she gave in and they moved in together. It felt very rushed and incomplete.
The book deserves a re-write.
Melissa
www.thesundaybookreview.com
Thank you for the opportunity to read your book. While this book was a quick and easy read (78 pages), I found that it was too short and too easy. None of the characters were very deep and while there were moments that I felt some emotion towards them, that emotion didn't last more than a couple of sentences. I believe if the story were developed more and written better you would have an endearing story and one where the reader would care.
One example of where the story line just didn't make sense was when Tracy found Dr. Jeremy in her house with his car parked in the garage. They had only gone out one time before that. After a lame attempt of asking "How did you get in here", she quickly forgot her question when he swooped in for a kiss. I can't imagine a woman reacting that way. Especially a woman with a young son.
Tracy has spent 90% of the book telling him they could not be together due to age difference and people talking. In the last several pages, they kissed, she gave in and they moved in together. It felt very rushed and incomplete.
The book deserves a re-write.
Melissa
www.thesundaybookreview.com
July 24, 2010
Healing Touch is a light, quick read at 23,000 words. It is a sweet romance dealing with the heroine’s inner conflict about her own lovability and her fear of being the subject of gossip and derision in a small town. The book moves along at a nice clip, without getting bogged down in backstory before pulling the reader into the current action. Told in the first person, the tale clearly presents the heroine’s point of view, but fails to do the same for the hero. I found myself not entirely convinced that the relationship would endure, as I wondered, just as the heroine did, exactly what she and the good doctor had in common. I was also a bit frustrated with the lack of final editing, which left a number of minor typos in the text and a bout or two of rapid summarizing, which should have been expanded into full scenes. Those particular flaws notwithstanding, however, the book’s ending still left me smiling and glad to have invested the time.
October 18, 2010
I wanted to like this book. It claims it is a "sweet romance", which it was in the general sense. It was ruined for me by the excessively vulgar language used repeatedly. It ruined the tone, the feeling, and the sweetness and was completely unnecessary and inappropriate in my opinion. Also, I know it is generally acceptable for people to date while going through a divorce, I still place value on the marriage covenant. A man asks the main character in this book why she hasn't dated since she has been separated for almost a year. Shouldn't the most basic answer be, "I'm STILL MARRIED!" Isn't that obvious? I guess I would give this book 2 1/2 stars. I didn't hate it, I just didn't find much to like, either.
July 28, 2011
3.3 stars
This was an enjoyable little romance novella with a humorous twist. Told in 1st person POV, we get a glimpse into the mind of a late thirties single mom, who just can't believe the handsome doctor in her tiny little town could possibly be interested in her. And he just won't take 'no' for an answer.
The romance in this is totally clean. Tracy (the main character) does have a nasty habit of uttering a particular vulgarity that, while realistic, still pulled me out of the story every time she said it. I felt the frequency was a little much.
Would I read more from Jenna Anderson? Yes, I think I would.
*Disclaimer: I received this book free from the author. I was not paid in any way for my review. The views expressed here are my honest opinions of this work.
This was an enjoyable little romance novella with a humorous twist. Told in 1st person POV, we get a glimpse into the mind of a late thirties single mom, who just can't believe the handsome doctor in her tiny little town could possibly be interested in her. And he just won't take 'no' for an answer.
The romance in this is totally clean. Tracy (the main character) does have a nasty habit of uttering a particular vulgarity that, while realistic, still pulled me out of the story every time she said it. I felt the frequency was a little much.
Would I read more from Jenna Anderson? Yes, I think I would.
*Disclaimer: I received this book free from the author. I was not paid in any way for my review. The views expressed here are my honest opinions of this work.
February 14, 2010
Healing Touch by Jenna Anderson is a cute, engaging, and touching love story about a woman who really doesn't want to fall in love. The characters are quite likable. Tracy is a smart, sassy woman that's been burned. Jeremy is the young, good-looking and very persistent doctor that wants to get to know her better. The little boy, Cody, is written perfectly. He's adorable, and acts and talks like a real toddler should. Overall, it's a very enjoyable, if short, read that I'd highly recommend.
November 26, 2011
Healing Touch
By Jenna Anderson
HEALING TOUCH is an insightful and humorously cynical peek into the dynamics of small-town life. The story is a first person tale told by the main character, Tracy Campbell.
Tracy has long suffered as the subject of gossip resulting in an all-out character assassination riddled with more perception than truth. The reader is given a front row seat inside Tracy’s mind as she gains the attention of the town’s new doctor.
The tale is a delightful love story about a scorned woman, a younger suitor, and a gossip ridden small town.
By Jenna Anderson
HEALING TOUCH is an insightful and humorously cynical peek into the dynamics of small-town life. The story is a first person tale told by the main character, Tracy Campbell.
Tracy has long suffered as the subject of gossip resulting in an all-out character assassination riddled with more perception than truth. The reader is given a front row seat inside Tracy’s mind as she gains the attention of the town’s new doctor.
The tale is a delightful love story about a scorned woman, a younger suitor, and a gossip ridden small town.
January 7, 2010
I enjoyed this book. It was a quick read for me as I couldn't put it down. I liked the way Jenna portrayed Tracy as a somewhat prickly person but just under the surface lurked a very vunerable woman just aching to be loved and cherished. The fact that the handsome Dr Nelson didn't give up trying to find that vunerable side and show her that she deserved to be loved and cherished made this romance all the sweeter.
May 18, 2010
Anderson's novel completely captures what it's like to live and love in a small town where everyone knows everyone else's business. In as much as there is a frustration to living in such an environment, the author also happened to capture the endearing charms of it as well, with all the homecoming events and football games. She really did a nice job balancing the details. I really liked the characters and enjoyed spending time in this fictious world.
October 20, 2010
A cute story that could have been much better if the language had been cleaned up. Just another reason I've sort of decided to stay away from contemporary adult fiction. I don't like reading along (and actually thinking it was supposed to be a clean read!!!) and finding the 'f'-bomb let loose within the first 2 pages. No thanks. If it were cleaned up, I would have given it a much higher rating.
February 4, 2011
I give this 2.5 stars... mainly because I wanted more!
This was a pretty good short story... but I would like to see it developed into a full scale novel.
I think it's a good concept... but the characters were a little two dimensional because it was so short.
Good effort by the author though. It kept me interested!
This was a pretty good short story... but I would like to see it developed into a full scale novel.
I think it's a good concept... but the characters were a little two dimensional because it was so short.
Good effort by the author though. It kept me interested!
September 28, 2011
One of the worst books I have ever read. Dear god, the plot is thin, the characters are annoying and it is very obvious that the author can't right. I accidently bought this book from Amazon thinking it was free but unfortunatly it wasn't. This book is a complete waste of money and I doubt I will read anything by Jenna Anderson again
April 10, 2010
Again, I say Jenna Anderson is highly recommended. There is the right amount of everything included in this book.
I felt there was too much fast forwarding, but that is just a personal issue, I don't think it affected the story one bit.
Definitely read this. Its a nice story.
I felt there was too much fast forwarding, but that is just a personal issue, I don't think it affected the story one bit.
Definitely read this. Its a nice story.
November 17, 2010
This book is pretty short. It's more of a novella, but it's a good length for what it is. It's just a short, cute story that moves along at a good pace. It needed a little more editing, but it was readable. I thought the story was believeable and realistic. It was also a "clean" romance.
November 8, 2010
I had forgotten about the book and was reminded today that I should do a review.
It is a fast read. Charming and heart warming. My copy still needed another proof read but nothing major. I hope this means more stories will be written and will be just as cozy to read.
It is a fast read. Charming and heart warming. My copy still needed another proof read but nothing major. I hope this means more stories will be written and will be just as cozy to read.
November 8, 2010
I had forgotten about the book and was reminded today that I should do a review.
It is a fast read. Charming and heart warming. My copy still needed another proof read but nothing major. I hope this means more stories will be written and will be just as cozy to read.
It is a fast read. Charming and heart warming. My copy still needed another proof read but nothing major. I hope this means more stories will be written and will be just as cozy to read.
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January 3, 2011It's been a little over one year since the release of Healing Touch. Thank you so much to all of those who have given this title a try. My goal for 2011 is to release at least two more titles.
November 17, 2009
Excellent book. Enjoyed it very much. Great cover.
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January 2, 2010Short read, but worth it! Enjoyed immensely!
January 6, 2010
This was a fantastic book - good quick reading and easy to understand!!
November 3, 2011
A nice story that is clean! I just had a hard time with the girl being older than the guy.
August 24, 2010
I loved this ebook..It was so sweet and heartwarming.
October 28, 2010
Cute story line but the biggest turn off was all the F words. I wish they hadn't been in there. I just don't do books with foul language.
April 18, 2017
This is a sweet story and a really quick read. The sad thing is there is a little use of the "F" word in it.
June 30, 2015
It was a nice, quick read. Nothing was dragged on, which was nice. Although it was pretty hard to put the book down. . . that's a good thing!
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March 16, 2011Review posted on www.queenofreading.blogspot.com
March 29, 2011
Only complaint about this book is that it wasn't longer...loved it! Sweet storyline and lovable main characters.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews