#OctobeRecFest Review #9 ~ Close Enough to Touch ~ Victoria Dahl

Close Enough to Touch by Victoria Dahl
Jackson Hole #1
Release Date: August 28, 2012
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: Borrowed paperback from Robyn
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Goodreads
Recommended by: Victoria Dahl comes highly recommended by Lexxie @(un)Conventional Book Views...and Robyn @Robgirlbooks adores this series so she lent it to me :)

Synopsis
Can a city girl make it in the wild, wild West?

For makeup artist Grace Barrett, Hollywood isn't the land of golden opportunity. It's 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. He wants to get close enough to Grace to see past her tough facade, but if he does, she might see the real Cole. The one with a Hollywood history gone bad. As they discover a sizzling attraction, it becomes harder for him to keep his demons at bay-and those fires from long ago may burn them both.

They'll need more than a 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.

*This author comes recommended by Lexxie @(un)Conventional Book Views. But Robyn @Robgirlbooks happens to adore this series and lent it to me in paperback.*

It's been a long while since I read Victoria Dahl and reading Close Enough to Touch reminded me why I like her so much. She spins a fun tale, that also deals with some serious, and wraps it around a full-color cast of characters in a setting you can clearly see in your mind.

Grace has come to Jackson Hole to escape and possibly make a fresh start. This girl, with her purple-streaked hair and prickly demeanor, is absolutely a survivor. She prides herself on being tough and never letting anyone close enough to hurt her. I admired Grace and her tenacity. Anything she accomplished she did all on her own. However, it was ironic that she never gave of herself to anyone but she did take. Still, I wanted her to figure it out and realize she had a lot to offer people.

Cole is rather down on his luck, having suffered an injury that might keep him from living his dream. He's a cowboy, born and raised in Jackson Hole, and his future lies with the ranch he works. When Grace arrives in town, he's immediately drawn to her. I think he saw her as a puzzle - a challenge and something to work out. I adored Cole and all his cowboy manners and the ways he tried to get under Grace's skin, But for as much as he wanted her to share a piece of herself with him, he refused to share a certain piece of himself with her.

Things I most enjoyed:

• Jackson Hole - having spent a little time there this past summer, I can say Dahl nailed this picturesque little town at the base of the mountains
• Supporting cast - I fell for everyone I met from cranky Raylene to charming Shane and everyone in between. I'm excited at the prospect of spending more time with them
• The conflict and its resolutions were very realistic

I think what I loved most about Close Enough to Touch was this: Grace has some baggage - some emotional scars - that's she very aware of. Cole saw these and wanted to be a part of healing her. Cole has physical scars. What he didn't realize was that he had some emotional scars of his own. When he had his aha moment, it became apparent that he and Grace could be a part of healing each other. It was a beautiful thing.

After reading Close Enough to Touch, I can guarantee I won't wait so long to read Dahl again. Especially since I already have the next two in the series lined up. I'm eager to spend more time in Jackson Hole. :)