Life By Kristen

Book Review: Close Enough to Touch

Synopsis: Jubilee Jenkins has a rare condition: she’s allergic to human touch. After a nearly fatal accident, she became reclusive, living in the confines of her home for nine years. But after her mother dies, Jubilee is forced to face the world—and the people in it—that she’s been hiding from.

Jubilee finds safe haven at her local library where she gets a job. It’s there she meets Eric Keegan, a divorced man who recently moved to town with his brilliant, troubled, adopted son. Eric is struggling to figure out how to be the dad—and man—he wants so desperately to be. Jubilee is unlike anyone he has ever met, yet he can’t understand why she keeps him at arm’s length. So Eric sets out to convince Jubilee to open herself and her heart to everything life can offer, setting into motion the most unlikely love story of the year.

My review: 4 stars.

I started to read this book on the Sunday of the fire and it was a few days before I was able to pick it back up again, but I’m so glad I did. This was a wonderfully heartwarming story with some great character development of the main character Jubilee and a light love story.

The book is set into three parts and for most of the book, the chapters alternate between the two main characters of Jubilee and Eric. While there is a love connection between the two of them, I think the main course of the novel is more about their own personal self-development and self-awareness as they both struggle with their own issues. As Jubilee comes to terms with living independently and becoming herself despite her allergy, Eric grapples with issues with his children. Together, Eric and Jubilee’s friendship and chemistry between the two of them allows each to work through their own personal struggles and find some resolution.

My 4-star review is only because I found part three at the end of the book to not be as well-developed as the rest of the story. A few of the bits, particularly Eric’s story line with this 2 kids, seemed to be glossed over a bit. Likewise, Jubilee’s story is quickly wrapped up and then explained further in the epilogue. I definitely feel some aspects would have been better served with a more detailed approach. I really came to like Jubilee throughout the novel, so I felt like the ending didn’t have as much of her personal insight and personality as the rest of the book.

With a personally stressful week, it was the perfect thing to pick up each night to read that was light and enjoyable to read, but well-written with characters I cared about. I definitely recommend it and would have likely read in a weekend, if not for the other circumstances of life.

As part of the TLC Book Tour of this book, I was provided a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.