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One Touch of Topaz
From New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen comes a timeless tale about the immutable power of attraction, as two lovers forge a bond so undeniable that nothing can break it… Samantha Barton survived imprisonment on the war-torn island of St. Pierre. Her family wasn’t so lucky. Now, in her new identity as the tough-as-nails revolutionary code-named Topaz, she enlists the aid of an enigmatic industrialist, Fletcher Bronson, on a risky mission to rescue some stranded refugees. Trapped behind enemy lines with a man she both fears and desires, Samantha finds herself irresistibly drawn by his promise of a new life away from the hail of gunfire. For Fletcher, Samantha is more than just an intriguing new lover. She’s an object he must possess and protect at all costs. Opening his heart to her was never part of the bargain. But when new developments from Samantha’s past life threaten to disturb his careful plans for their future, Fletcher must come to terms with the changes she’s wrought in him—and reconcile himself to the truth of the warning she once “I’m Samantha, but I’m also Topaz.”From the Paperback edition.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 15, 1988
51 people are currently reading
383 people want to read
About the author
Iris Johansen
229 books7,356 followersIris Johansen is a New York Times bestselling author. She began her writing after her children left home for college. She first achieved success in the early 1980s writing category romances. In 1991, Johansen began writing suspense historical romance novels, starting with the publication of The Wind Dancer. In 1996 Johansen switched genres, turning to crime fiction, with which she has had great success.
She lives in Georgia and is married. Her son, Roy Johansen, is an Edgar Award-winning screenwriter and novelist. Her daughter, Tamara, serves as her research assistant.
IRIS JOHANSEN is The New York Times bestselling author of Night and Day, Hide Away, Shadow Play, Your Next Breath, The Perfect Witness, Live to See Tomorrow, Silencing Eve, Hunting Eve, Taking Eve, Sleep No More, What Doesn't Kill You, Bonnie, Quinn, Eve, Chasing The Night, Eight Days to Live, Blood Game, Deadlock, Dark Summer, Pandora's Daughter, Quicksand, Killer Dreams, On The Run, and more. And with her son, Roy Johansen, she has coauthored Night Watch, The Naked Eye, Sight Unseen, Close Your Eyes, Shadow Zone, Storm Cycle, and Silent Thunder.
http://www.irisjohansen.com
She lives in Georgia and is married. Her son, Roy Johansen, is an Edgar Award-winning screenwriter and novelist. Her daughter, Tamara, serves as her research assistant.
IRIS JOHANSEN is The New York Times bestselling author of Night and Day, Hide Away, Shadow Play, Your Next Breath, The Perfect Witness, Live to See Tomorrow, Silencing Eve, Hunting Eve, Taking Eve, Sleep No More, What Doesn't Kill You, Bonnie, Quinn, Eve, Chasing The Night, Eight Days to Live, Blood Game, Deadlock, Dark Summer, Pandora's Daughter, Quicksand, Killer Dreams, On The Run, and more. And with her son, Roy Johansen, she has coauthored Night Watch, The Naked Eye, Sight Unseen, Close Your Eyes, Shadow Zone, Storm Cycle, and Silent Thunder.
http://www.irisjohansen.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
January 29, 2018
“One Touch of Topaz” is the story of Topaz aka Samantha and Fletch.
When Billionaire and war hero Fletch is ordered to a war torn area to rescue some kids, he never expects to meet and be enchanted the mercenary Topaz, or for circumstances to force them to be together for a night in the forest.
Soon fascination gives into passion, and a rescue ambush leads Fletch to rescue an unwilling yet injured Topaz!
As she wakes up in his secluded island, she doesn’t expect to be propositioned to marriage- but she is, and thus begins an unusual courtship.
It was a good story, but dwindled somewhere midway. We had a typical IJ obsessed hero, hot sex scenes, super forgiving and kind heroine- but I didn’t understand the need for four month separation or the hero’s excuses!
The ending too is abrupt, and I wish we had seen a HEA for this meant to be couple.
Safe
3/5
When Billionaire and war hero Fletch is ordered to a war torn area to rescue some kids, he never expects to meet and be enchanted the mercenary Topaz, or for circumstances to force them to be together for a night in the forest.
Soon fascination gives into passion, and a rescue ambush leads Fletch to rescue an unwilling yet injured Topaz!
As she wakes up in his secluded island, she doesn’t expect to be propositioned to marriage- but she is, and thus begins an unusual courtship.
It was a good story, but dwindled somewhere midway. We had a typical IJ obsessed hero, hot sex scenes, super forgiving and kind heroine- but I didn’t understand the need for four month separation or the hero’s excuses!
The ending too is abrupt, and I wish we had seen a HEA for this meant to be couple.
Safe
3/5
Read
August 24, 2013 I thought I had read & loved all Iris Johansen's books, but I found this one on audio. I haven't checked the publication date, but it has to be one of her first. It was terrible!! Thank goodness it was only four discs. The only reason I finished listening to it, was because I was waiting for my next audio book to arrive.
ZERO stars!
ZERO stars!
March 19, 2015
Couldn't finish reading it.
June 21, 2019
Ugh - I don’t even have the words to describe how I felt about this book! Take a brooding, strong possessive male, introduce him to a woman who is a bit of an innocent heroine and watch sparks fly. Watch man try to control woman and hide from his feelings for her while woman (even though innocent) turns into a seductress to try and win his heart. There were some pretty steamy love scenes but I found the plot lacking and the writing unimaginative. Since the author is pretty famous, I assume this was an early book or written on a bad day. I’m glad to have this book behind me!
April 27, 2018
A nice little romance. They meet at a helicopter that sent to rescue people, he throws an injured man in the helicopter and she runs off to a cave. He follows her and their chemistry astounds them both. He tries to heal her, feed her, give her everything and is scared she will leave him. She falls in love with him and refuses to leave him even though he does everything to push her away.
March 26, 2024
Nancy
What a good book. Very interesting storyline with intrigue and romance. The characters were interestinginteresting with a lot of heart I enjoyed this book. Thanks for the great read.
What a good book. Very interesting storyline with intrigue and romance. The characters were interestinginteresting with a lot of heart I enjoyed this book. Thanks for the great read.
November 3, 2017
I couldn't get past the first love scene, it was so juvenile and corny. I tried to continue but it was a joke. I quit reading it, something I rarely do
December 22, 2020
This was a cute book.
May 4, 2021
I picked this up at a thrift store because I enjoy this authors crime stories. This was not very good. I didn’t like any of the characters. The storyline was typical for a bad romance.
July 24, 2022
It gave me something to read while waiting for a book I wanted. Very forgettable.
January 9, 2025
I was in the mood for romance novels, and "One Touch of Topaz" was a short and light story that wasn't burdensome. However, you need to be in a specific mood to enjoy it
March 9, 2017
Sweet love
The strength of this read is amazing I love the characters the backgrounds and thr main theme of the novel very sensual passionate scenes recommend as one of Irir better novels
The strength of this read is amazing I love the characters the backgrounds and thr main theme of the novel very sensual passionate scenes recommend as one of Irir better novels
August 12, 2012
Tender Romance from the Caribbean to Paris
I have learned to love Iris Johansen's romances (I've listed my favorites at the bottom of this review). One thing many have in common is wonderfully complex plots, many multifaceted characters and exotic locales. I loved this story, and it did take place in the Caribbean and Paris. While I recommend it, I cannot give it 5 stars as it's lacking some meat. I wanted more story, more plot; 277 pages just wasn't enough. However, I understand that this book is related to Tender Savage, the story of Ricardo Lazaro, a character in this one.
Fletcher Bronson is your basic, self made tycoon. A handsome, rugged hunk graying at the temples. A former Vietnam vet with a head for business, he's now a billionaire in his late 30s. He's on the island country of St. Pierre (fictional) because a junta has taken over the island and confiscated his refinery. And no one takes anything that is Bronson's without paying a price. But in the middle of this, Bronson learns the revolutionaries are trying to evacuate nine of their members whose lives are threatened. When he hears this group includes children, he lends his helicopter to the evacuation effort. His contact's code name is Topaz. Soon, he finds out Topaz is a woman, a slender bit of a young woman (age 21) who is a part of the revolution that failed. Fletcher gives up his seat on the helicopter and stays with Topaz (aka Samantha Barton, an American) because she fascinates him. He offers her a proposition she cannot refuse and soon, she becomes his obsession.
It's well written and moves along at a good pace (I finished it in one day). Fletch is a hero with a noble heart though he appears ruthless in business. Samantha is a girl who has had to face hardships, like living in a cave for six years and often having nothing to eat while on the run. She is also self-sacrificing and gentle, risking her life for her friends. Fletch is humbled by her kindness to him. As usual, Johansen creates wonderful heroes and heroines; I loved both Fletch and Samantha/Topaz. The dialog is good back and forth banter and you'll love the secondary character, Skip Brennen, the helicopter pilot. read that won't disappoint, get this one--and the related one, Tender Savage.
I have learned to love Iris Johansen's romances (I've listed my favorites at the bottom of this review). One thing many have in common is wonderfully complex plots, many multifaceted characters and exotic locales. I loved this story, and it did take place in the Caribbean and Paris. While I recommend it, I cannot give it 5 stars as it's lacking some meat. I wanted more story, more plot; 277 pages just wasn't enough. However, I understand that this book is related to Tender Savage, the story of Ricardo Lazaro, a character in this one.
Fletcher Bronson is your basic, self made tycoon. A handsome, rugged hunk graying at the temples. A former Vietnam vet with a head for business, he's now a billionaire in his late 30s. He's on the island country of St. Pierre (fictional) because a junta has taken over the island and confiscated his refinery. And no one takes anything that is Bronson's without paying a price. But in the middle of this, Bronson learns the revolutionaries are trying to evacuate nine of their members whose lives are threatened. When he hears this group includes children, he lends his helicopter to the evacuation effort. His contact's code name is Topaz. Soon, he finds out Topaz is a woman, a slender bit of a young woman (age 21) who is a part of the revolution that failed. Fletcher gives up his seat on the helicopter and stays with Topaz (aka Samantha Barton, an American) because she fascinates him. He offers her a proposition she cannot refuse and soon, she becomes his obsession.
It's well written and moves along at a good pace (I finished it in one day). Fletch is a hero with a noble heart though he appears ruthless in business. Samantha is a girl who has had to face hardships, like living in a cave for six years and often having nothing to eat while on the run. She is also self-sacrificing and gentle, risking her life for her friends. Fletch is humbled by her kindness to him. As usual, Johansen creates wonderful heroes and heroines; I loved both Fletch and Samantha/Topaz. The dialog is good back and forth banter and you'll love the secondary character, Skip Brennen, the helicopter pilot. read that won't disappoint, get this one--and the related one, Tender Savage.
July 7, 2016
Meet Fletch Bronson. He's a hardcore, aggressive, worldly businessman who is interested in only making his businesses and ventures succeed. He hardly has time for relationships beyond a woman or two waiting for him to pass back into their cities to spare them a night or two before he's gone again. He controls 100% of his life, his business, and his relationships.
Meet Samantha. She's a young rebel in St. Pierre, that at age 15, watched the murder of her father of her town's people. A few years has passed, and now she is a rebel herself, freeing political prisoners under the code name "Topaz". While on one of her missions, Topaz has to enlist the unlikely and unknowing help of Fletch and his helicopter. When things don't go quite as planned, Fletch is forced to decide whether to save Topaz, her companion, or both. Sparks quickly ignite when Topaz and Fletch find themselves alone, and a whirlwind relationship is born. Topaz is forced to make a choice between carrying on risking her life in gorilla warfare as a freedom fighter , or settling for an unusual relationship agreement with the controlling, yet forcefully passionate Fletch and the emotional roller coaster that comes with him.
// Typically, I enjoy reading/listening to romance suspense novels while I work, and usually most are loaded with eye-rolling steamy romance scenes, which is part of the reason I like them. I've read quite a few Iris Johansen books with glee and the abundance of joyful eye rolling. However, this book just didn't do it for me. Don't get me wrong, there is plenty - PLENTY - of eye rolling romance scenes, but the first encounter was too creepy quick for me to forget throughout the whole listen. The story was short, seemed rushed, and ended flat.
Meet Samantha. She's a young rebel in St. Pierre, that at age 15, watched the murder of her father of her town's people. A few years has passed, and now she is a rebel herself, freeing political prisoners under the code name "Topaz". While on one of her missions, Topaz has to enlist the unlikely and unknowing help of Fletch and his helicopter. When things don't go quite as planned, Fletch is forced to decide whether to save Topaz, her companion, or both. Sparks quickly ignite when Topaz and Fletch find themselves alone, and a whirlwind relationship is born. Topaz is forced to make a choice between carrying on risking her life in gorilla warfare as a freedom fighter , or settling for an unusual relationship agreement with the controlling, yet forcefully passionate Fletch and the emotional roller coaster that comes with him.
// Typically, I enjoy reading/listening to romance suspense novels while I work, and usually most are loaded with eye-rolling steamy romance scenes, which is part of the reason I like them. I've read quite a few Iris Johansen books with glee and the abundance of joyful eye rolling. However, this book just didn't do it for me. Don't get me wrong, there is plenty - PLENTY - of eye rolling romance scenes, but the first encounter was too creepy quick for me to forget throughout the whole listen. The story was short, seemed rushed, and ended flat.
October 15, 2012
I'm not sure I liked this one all that much. I didn't care for Samantha (Topaz). She was just too self sacrificing for me. I'm not sure that a 15YO who witnessed the murder of her father and who had fought in a revolution for so long would be wiling to give up so much of herself for the sake of others. It kind of got annoying after a while.
I liked Fletcher a lot more. He is an honorable man and can clearly see that Samantha needs to be rescued. He fights his pull to her for so long only to realize her can't live without her. I was happy to see that Samantha realizes in the end that she can deserves to be happy and is able to reach for what she wants.
I liked Fletcher a lot more. He is an honorable man and can clearly see that Samantha needs to be rescued. He fights his pull to her for so long only to realize her can't live without her. I was happy to see that Samantha realizes in the end that she can deserves to be happy and is able to reach for what she wants.
December 12, 2012
Samantha, a young rebel in St Pierre, asks for help from a Fletch Bronson. She has freed several political prisoners that she needs evacuated from the island. Fletch comes to help and sparks fly between the two very different personalities. This story follows their unusual relationship arrangement.
This was an ok book. The story was mostly interesting romance. It had a bit of intrigue that you see in other Johansen books. This was an early romance that she wrote and I think it lacks the finess she develops in later books.
This was an ok book. The story was mostly interesting romance. It had a bit of intrigue that you see in other Johansen books. This was an early romance that she wrote and I think it lacks the finess she develops in later books.
October 22, 2016
I didn't realize Iris Johansen had written romance novels. This one started out promising, but then as it progressed, I just didn't like the male lead. His obsession annoyed me so much! Topaz/Samantha deserved a better man... and a better role. She started out so strong and then one night of sex and she turned into a marshmallow! Really? I'm glad her later women stayed strong.
September 25, 2009
A very quick read, too short and rushed, in my opinion. It was good, but left me wanting more. I finished it in about three hours. The sex was more graphic than her later novels are, a bit too graphic in my opinion.
November 8, 2011
I liked Samantha at first then not so much. Fletcher had moments when he was great and the rest of the time he was an arse. The book was so short that there was not enough time to really develop a story, let alone the characters.
July 7, 2012
After surviving in the remotr Jungle for years, Topaz finds herself falling in love and living a world filled with wonder! I was pleasantly happy reading this book, filled with love and romance on each page. This was a good, short, read.
February 8, 2013
Oh man this book was hilariously bad. It was just sitting on my shelf, and it only took about an hour and a half to read, but it's so bad it's kind of funny. I think that I'll give it to a friend as a "gift".
July 12, 2013
A Passionate story, strong characters and well constructed situation but lacks a smooth flow of the narrative and some places, talks or thoughts get repetitive and some situation where characters are having a big turmoil, were shallow for me.
January 3, 2010
This is filthy. I couldn't finish it!!
January 24, 2010
Great fast read. It's a reissue by this author. You can never go wrong with her books.
July 22, 2010
I don't know if I will be able to finish it. Not very good at all...
December 23, 2010
LS no number- special edition not for sale.
April 4, 2011
I liked iris Johansen's books that I have previously read, but this was a very simple romance novel and I didn't like it at all.
May 17, 2011
very quick read but very good
February 1, 2015
Pretty much straight up romance. There's not much that happens on the island, so pay little attention to the back cover blurb -- it lies
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews