Just a Touch Away

This was a very sweet slow burn romance. I could really appreciate that the slow burn aspect of it stemmed more from the characters choosing to take things slowly than the fact that they just couldn’t admit their feelings. There is a bit of that too of course, but it doesn’t take up the bulk of things.

I loved the opposites attract trope of this one too. Hannah is a professional cuddler, which I didn’t know was a thing until this book, and Winter has a lot of trouble being physically close to anyone. The major theme of this narrative really focuses around the concepts of consent and comfort. I feel that the author handled these very well. While the characters had very amusing moments of bickering, when communication was important it was handled with the sort of seriousness it deserved.

The plot was entertaining, and had an equally sad and unique twist. Winter and Hannah are both inheriting an apartment building after Winter’s father passes. The catch: They have to live together for ninety-two days first, and they are complete strangers before that moment. In typical romance fashion there is plenty of hilarity as they learn to deal with each other, frustration as they don’t (and in Hannah’s case can’t, because of client confidentiality) open up to each other, and swoon worth moments as they navigate their feelings.

This was actually one of the few Jae books where I felt like the secondary characters were a bit underdeveloped, or perhaps just incredibly minor to the plot. The only character that had weight to the plot was Winter’s sister, who actually has a stake in the whole apartment building deal. There were story beats that include friend and family groups, but somehow they still felt pretty minor. Which was interesting too because one of the major turning points in their budding friendship/romance involves Hannah’s family. The plot definitely needed these moments to progress. My feelings on the secondary characters didn’t turn into a negative for me.

This is a book that really focuses on the mechanics of what makes a relationship work; consent, comfort, and communication. The author did a great job with this and I genuinely enjoyed a narrative where a steamy romance is not the focal point.

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