Close Enough to Touch by Colleen Oakley -- Review

Title: Close Enough to Touch 
Author: Colleen Oakley 
Pages: 306 
Publishing: March 7th 2017 by Gallery Books
ISBN: 1501139266

Summary: 

From the author of Before I Go comes an unconventional love story perfect for fans of the emotional novels of Jodi Picoult and Jojo Moyes.

One time a boy kissed me and I almost died... 

And so begins the story of Jubilee Jenkins, a young woman with a rare and debilitating medical condition: she’s allergic to other humans. After a humiliating near-death experience in high school, Jubilee has become a recluse, living the past nine years in the confines of the small town New Jersey house her unaffectionate mother left to her when she ran off with a Long Island businessman. But now, her mother is dead, and without her financial support, Jubilee is forced to leave home and face the world—and the people in it—that she’s been hiding from.

One of those people is Eric Keegan, a man who just moved into town for work. With a daughter from his failed marriage who is no longer speaking to him, and a brilliant, if psychologically troubled, adopted son, Eric’s struggling to figure out how his life got so off-course, and how to be the dad—and man—he wants so desperately to be. Then, one day, he meets a mysterious woman named Jubilee, with a unique condition...

Close Enough to Touch is an evocative, poignant, and heartrending exploration of the power and possibilities of the human heart.

Review: 

I didn't know what to expect from Close Enough to Touch, but I can tell you I will be recommending this book for years to come! It had such an interesting story line and was very different from other books I've read recently. The characters were fantastic and I instantly fell in love with Eric, Jubilee, and Aja. I found myself wanting to know more about them and truly caring about what happened to them. 

Oakley touched on many interesting topics throughout the story such as children with special needs, bullying, and severe allergies. Each topic was handled with care and I felt that she did an excellent job bringing awareness to each topic. I also loved all of the book references throughout the novel. My bookworm/nerdy self loved reading about other books inside of a book. It was great! 

I thoroughly enjoyed Close Enough to Touch from start to finish. I laughed, cried, and flipped page after page until I finished the book in its entirety. I wish the ending would have been a little bit longer and more detailed, but that is the only complaint I had about the whole novel. I would highly recommend this book to lovers of romantic comedies! Pick it up today and read for yourselves. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! 

Rating 4/5