A TOUCH AWAY

Kim Louise

Arabesque

1-58314-174-X

July 2001

(4)  Shereen Jones

Contemporary Romance

PLOT SYNOPSIS: 

Returning to college after fifteen years, Sonji Stevens is determined to earn her degree and engages in a bitter battle with difficult English professor Grayson Gilmore, who wrongly accuses her of cheating, and as sparks fly, desire rages between them, and Grayson vows to win her heart.

REVIEW: 

“My dearest Nzinga, warrior woman with soft breath, I believe it is time for us to meet.

My dearest Osiris, …… I have come to expect your presence in my life as surely as my own heartbeat.  My beloved Osiris, Nubian man of the bright sun, I will meet with you.”

A TOUCH AWAY is Kim Louise’s second novel and as with her first effort DESTINY’S SONG, it takes your breath away.  Through the use of delightful prose, strong characters and a touch of humour, Ms. Louise weaves a thoroughly entertaining tale of love, despair and triumph.

Fifteen years ago, Sonji Stevens dropped out of college.  Coming out of a particularly bad relationship Sonji needs to rebuild her self-esteem and decides to return to college.  Determined to succeed this time round, Sonji finds herself faced with a tremendous challenge in the person of her English professor, the infamously tough Grayson Gilmore.  As she alternates between disliking Professor Gilmore for being excessively difficult in class and a growing attraction to her devastatingly handsome Professor, her determination to avoid all relationships with men grows and she decides to ignore the Professor. 

Sonji’s friend, the bubbly Andi – short for Andromeda, introduces Sonji to an online matchmaking service.  Feeling secure in the cloak of anonymity of the Internet, Sonji joins the service and very soon connects with the mysterious Osiris – the one man able to make her forget Professor Gilmore.  As she communicates with Osiris – reluctantly at first, she finds herself drawn to the personality behind the words and begins to immerse herself in her virtual relationship.

A TOUCH AWAY is the story of two very real people who must overcome their pasts to find each other.  One must learn to trust again, while the other must heal, throw off the mantle of guilt and learn to love again.  It is a story of intimacy that goes beyond the mere physical.  The tale is beautifully told and is filled with colourful and lively secondary characters who keep the story moving along nicely.  Andi and Sebastian (Andi’s boyfriend) give Sonji hope in love and relationships – especially those that start in a virtual world.  Sonji’s grandmother – Nzinga – is a constant source of strength and positive advice.  Kyle and Jerika round out the cast of lively, colourful and real characters.

Even with all the colourful secondary characters, throughout the story, the focus is always on the main protagonists – Nzinga and Osiris – as it should be.  You will suffer through the pangs of uncertainty ever present in the early stages of a relationship.  You will feel the joy and the wonder of early love, as their love begins to blossom.  Your heart will pound with anticipation as they move from a virtual to a real life relationship.  Then it will pound again once they find each other!  (Ms. Louise is definitely NO slouch when it comes to those love scenes!)  As our two lovers deal with their various issues, you will move through feelings of disappointment, annoyance, sadness and pride. 

I really enjoyed A TOUCH AWAY – and particularly liked the heroine.  I admire adults who opt to go back to college while maintaining their regular jobs.  I admire the determination to succeed despite the odds.  I thoroughly enjoyed the style of communication adopted by Nzinga and Osiris – so poetic, so expressive.  And in continuation of what seems to be a Kim Louise tradition, our hero is another handsome, sensitive man, who appreciates great literature, writes magnificent poetry and is not afraid to display his sensuous side.

There are only two areas of concern I had regarding this story.  I felt that the issue of mental illness that was touched on briefly could have been developed a bit more and would have had more impact if it had been introduced earlier and woven into the earlier parts of the story.  As it was, it appeared a little contrived and “force fitted” to ‘set up’ the story’s ending.  Also, the accusation of cheating felt a little unreal.  I had some difficulty accepting the general approach.  In both cases, however, my discomfort with the situations were slight, and did not detract from the story being told.

I believe that Ms. Louise has another winner on her hands.  I was taken with the characters, totally enjoyed their story.  I felt close to each one, as if I knew them and could share their emotions.  If she ever decides to write continuation stories, I’d love to meet all of these characters again.  I would especially like to see Andi and Sebastian in a story of their own, as well as Byron.

In my opinion, this one’s a keeper.  I look forward to reading much more of Kim Louise.

2nd August 2001