A Touch of Innocence

Touch #1

by Julie Mannino

Oriel Keeper is the Crown Prince of West Bay, but even he’s supposed to follow his Father’s rules. He’s tired of only being allowed out with a guard pasted to his side even though his eighteenth birthday is so close. Maybe the homeless guy he spotted can help him out.

When he starts to get new feelings that he’s never experienced with anyone else, he knows Aspen is the one for him. If Oriel has too, he’ll marry Aspen even without his Father’s blessing.


Aspen’s time is money, and he’s sure the Crown Prince wouldn’t even look twice at him. It’s clear what his profession is, but when Oriel offers to pay him for fun on the beach, and nothing else, how can he say no?

People like him don’t get happy endings with royalty, and while he reciprocates every touch and kiss with all of his heart, he knows it won’t last. He’s heading straight for a bruised heart, but he can’t stop. When he receives an offer from the King, he takes it, thinking he can have a little more time with the Crown Prince. A little is better than nothing, and he’s used to settling for far less.

If only he’d believed Oriel.

If only Oriel hadn’t been foolish enough to give his heart away.

Genres: Fantasy, M M Romance, Romance, Fae, LGBT, Royalty, Poverty

68 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 26, 2023

About the author

Author of the Alternate Earth Novels

Ace 🖤🤍💜
Autistic
Proud wog
Paragirl

I primarily write MM and fantasy/paranormal romance. If you like a trope or certain type, I've either got it or I'm working on it😊

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Reviews

[Molly]

Is the innocence in the room with us right now?

[Bluebelle-the-Inquisitive (Catherine) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wasn’t a storybook world where the orphan got to marry the person of their dreams and live happily ever after. — Aspen

Warnings: From the author's note: "This novella contains material intended for mature readers, including sex workers, light bondage, mentions of parent death, angst, rich/poor, class difference, friends to lovers, and lovers to enemies."

For aspec books: In the interest of full disclosure, this is an almost automatic 5🌟 book for me. Any book that features an aro/ace protagonist and treats them with respect and dignity will get 5 stars, any writing plot or character other flaws be damned. The world needs more aspec representation where we aren't the best friend or something to be fixed.

A Touch of Innocence ends in a bit of an odd place. It's bittersweet. It suits the characters and the tone of the story. I think a Touch of Savagery was always supposed to exist but I think it's going to have a totally feel to it. Not bad necessarily just different. When reading this you need to remember this is a novella. It's short but does a decent amount with the limitations. There is something of a natural flow to the relationship moving through strangers to friends to lovers to enemies with ease and using simple time jumps. I recommend it for readers who want to read a demi and want some emotional punch with their novella.

There is beauty in the way the characters are written. It focuses primarily on seventeen-year-olds whore Aspen (book language) and Crown Prince Oriel. Aspen is working as a whore to keep himself fed and housed. Yes, he has tried to find other jobs but nothing worked. He's new to the skin trade. Aspen is incredibly suspicious and a bit jaded. Crown Prince Oriel is what one expects from a princeling, sheltered and disconnected from his people and real life. He hires Aspen on sight not for s*x but to aid him in escaping the city to go to the beach. S*x doesn't appeal to him, he has had it gets the pleasure of the physical act but not the closeness/intimacy. In other words, Oriel is demi. They continue this escaping to the beach for fun for weeks. Emotions get involved, s*x happens, Orel wants more and then the sh*t hits the fan. Their actions are human and relatable, especially in the end game. You see both perspectives empathise with both and feel for some of their pain.

Have some quotes and comments...
• This is the life and the way that was chosen.
The silence, often of pure innocence, persuades where speaking fails. -William Shakespeare, Winter’s Tale, Act II, Scene Two — This is the epigraph. Once you have read the novella it makes sense.
• I found the language to be challenging at points. It is period appropriate but it can be difficult for modern sensibilities. Like whore and prostitute rather than the more socially acceptable sex worker.
• I'm trying to figure out if this was poorly edited or if an author decided to f*ck with readers by naming Aspen's only two friends/allies Zima and Vima. Like seriously it's confusing and inconsistent and there is a point where both names appear on the same page. (I can't add it as a quote because of spoilers)
• While this is set in the same universe as my Alternate Earth novels, the fairy realm is separate from Earth, and no interaction with humans takes place. This takes place in 1674. — That this is set in the fairy realm seems to be nearly irrelevant. Though the 1674 date definitely helps with expectations and scene setting. The first book of the Alternate Earth series is... unknown. It feels like over half of her books are set in the same verse.
• This novella contains material intended for mature readers, including sex workers, light bondage, mentions of parent death, angst, rich/poor, class difference, friends to lovers, and lovers to enemies. One character is a demisexual with biromantic attraction, but his feelings and actions don’t speak for all demisexuals or anyone under the ace umbrella. — This is from the Author's Note it is definitely worth paying attention to. The bondage is exceptionally light, it's pinning, and there are no cuffs though there are references to more. I really appreciate the disclosure that Oriel's experience is not universal. But as an ace author, Julie Mannino would know. 🖤🤍💜
• Oriel couldn't deny that after so many trips and simply spending time with Aspen, he was starting to feel attracted to him in a different way, although he hadn't dared to utter a word. He'd never looked at anybody and had such feelings before. Maybe he just needed more of a bond with someone first, and then the sexual attraction came from that. Either way, this was the first person he’d had such feelings about. — This is the nearly dictionary-working definition of a demisexual. It is the realisation that Oriel comes to about himself (Oriel)
• I like the idea of triplet Princes. Oriel is only the Crown Prince because he won the race out of the womb. The others are Zale and Kard. Zale and Kard are more than willing to share the bed with men, women and each other.
• Nothing real could come from this. It would die like the beautiful white rose Oriel bought before coming to get him one day. He'd removed the thorns with his dagger, and the petals had been smoother than velvet.
Aspen had enjoyed it until it wilted. He'd enjoy this too until it was gone. — The cover of this is beautiful. It comes from this moment. To be honest this is one of the loveliest and most meaningful covers I've seen in a while. I'm not sure if Mannino made it herself or if she paid someone to. There is no credit either way. (Aspen)

Would Aspen think he was weird if he knew Oriel didn't feel sexually attracted to anyone? To him, sex was just an action that felt good. — Crown Prince Oriel

A representative gif:

[Hira Chaudhary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story started out cute and sweet, and then became the set-up for A Touch of Savagery, and kind of lost me. I enjoyed Oriel and Aspen and how sweet and innocent their friendship started out. I loved how Aspen thought the only thing anyone could ever want from him was sex, but Oriel just wanted to spend time with Aspen. I loved how their friendship grew into love and affection between them. This was going so sweet, and then it became rather interesting at the end. I'm not sure if I'll read the next book. But this was a really cute novella for the most part.

[Ava S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wooow, June 18th can't come fast enough for menow

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes yes yes. More ace rep. I loved Oriel (the demisexual in this) and how he and Aspen interacted. The beach scene was so cute. God, my fluffy filled heart. I wanted to kick Zima because even though he was totally right and had the experience to back it, he didn't know how things could have been.
The ending hit hard and I can't wait for two.
Also, the fairy realm is so interesting. Something about the vibe just gets me. They've modernized like humans up to a medieval point in terms of material stuff, they have just enough magic but not so much that it makes everything stupid easy and/or complicated.

At the same time, they've advanced much farther in sexuality (I read Valentine so I'm pretty sure that was the Godesses plan) since no one thinks homosexuality is wrong (although they're a bit behind on asexuality). I love that idea of freedom and world building so they can focus on other challenges. Whatever comes out in this other realm is an auto read for me too.

[Hannah Mossman · Rating 1 out of 5]

WTH

What an absolute horrid ending. You get roped into these two beautiful characters just for the ABSOLUTE WORST POSSIBLE THING TO HAPPEN. I am furious with myself and with the author. I would’ve rather one of the characters die some horrible death than what happened. And it just ends. When I picked up the second book to see what the description says (hoping to God it gets fixed) but it only gets worse.

[Tom Leverett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple romance between a street whore and a prince - what could go wrong? It's set in a fantasy kingdom, but that doesn't play much of a role, and as a story it just shows how we bring our class assumptions into a relationship, often to everyone's detriment. Well-written with good characters.

[Trefoil · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is short.. like 75 pages or so, but it's a good start to the series. this first book does not have a happy ending and reading summary of book 2 ..that is a continuation with the same characters, that one is 400 pages or so. this was a good start and curious where it will go!

[aspeccharactersoftheday]

https://www.tumblr.com/aspeccharacter...

[notachance · Rating 3 out of 5]

So bleak, holy shit.

[e_miscellany · Rating 3 out of 5]

More harsh than what I usually read, would be so much better with more detailed writing style