Review: Close Enough to Touch by Victoria Dahl

Close Enough to Touch by Victoria Dahl

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin HQN (August 28, 2012)

Goodreads Description:

 Can a city girl make it in the wild, wild West? For makeup artist Grace Barrett, Hollywood is less the land of golden opportunity and more the land of difficult divas, cheating boyfriends and unemployment. So when her great-aunt offers her a free place to stay in Jackson Hole, Grace thinks she'll spend a little time in the sticks to figure out her life, and then move somewhere exciting to live out her dreams. But it turns out that there are a few more thrills in this small town than Grace was expecting....

Cole Rawlins is a rugged Wyoming cowboy born and bred. Yet he can't help but be drawn to the fascinating big-city girl who moves in across from him. As they discover a sizzling attraction, it's Grace who finds herself surprised. Cole's the only man who's ever dared to get close enough to see through her tough facade. And his mysterious past only makes him sexier.

They'll need more than scorching-hot passion to make this opposites-attract affair work. But if they can learn to trust one another enough to reveal their secrets, they just might have a chance at forever.

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Review:

Close Enough to Touch is the first in a new series set in Jackson Hole Wyoming. I have previously read the author's Donovan Brothers Brewery series and since I loved her writing with those books I figured I would love this book just as much. Sadly, I was let down. When I finished the book I felt stressed out and drained. This was not a light or fun contemporary romance. The main characters are angry and secretive people and there was little to no humor or fun anywhere in the story. I also didn't feel that Grace and Cole had much of a relationship and to be honest at the end of the book one of the first things that popped into my mind was that it wouldn't last between them. They reminded me of those couples you avoid hanging out around because they are always fighting or being dramatic. It is stressful and no fun to be around people like that and when you ARE around them all you can think of is getting away. 

Although I dislike the main characters (especially Grace) and their so-called relationship (not a very healthy one in my opinion), the story isn't terrible. The secondary characters were wonderful, but I wish they were involved a little more in the story. I probably would have liked the book more. The setting was really nicely described and I could easily picture it in my mind. I did crack a smile a couple times while reading but those moments are overshadowed by the oppressiveness of the defensive and quick to anger main characters.

When I read contemporary romance I want it to be fun, light and romantic. This, however, just was not my kind of story. I'm not going to give up on the series just yet though because I really did like the secondary characters. Hopefully it will be more enjoyable.

1.5/5
*I received this for review. Any opinions are my own*