Touch Me

Picture This #1

by Andi McClane

This is Book One in a series of inter-connected standalones. Each book will revolve around one couple, all ending in HEA or HFN, but the series will have one singular mystery that resolves in Book Four.

Cassie

Graduation? Check.

Internship? Check.

Place to live? That’s complicated.

I have no home. At least not yet. It’s not the first time I’ve been homeless and unwanted. Hopefully, it’s the last.

When my best friend offers up her older brother’s condo, my stomach drops. No. No way.

He hates me.

I saw a glimpse of the real Jace years ago... and I ran.

Jace

Why did it have to be her? Cassie Sinclair.

My Cassie.

My life is exactly how I want it. Finally.

Living in a downtown condo. View of the ocean for miles. It’s my happy place.

Well, as happy as one can be when you’ve resigned yourself to a life of seclusion.

It’s easier this way.

Is it kind of lonely here all by myself? No.

Do I sometimes wish I had a companion to share my life with? Also, no.

I’m content.

Until my little sister calls and says her best friend is destined for homelessness if I don’t put her up for a few months.

So how do I survive having her so close and not touch her?

I can’t touch her. And I can’t even tell her why.

Genres: Romance

373 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 17, 2023

Reviews

[mistylovesbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! The quirky one liners, the hilarious made up names for things, the banter.
This is about Cassie. She had a really bad childhood but her best friend Jess helped her through it. Cassie was always at Jess’s house and had a mad crush on her brother Jace. Fast forward to Cassie’s college graduation. She graduated a semester ahead of Jess and is now homeless for the summer while doing an unpaid internship.
Jess convinces Jace to let Cassie stay with him. Cassie quickly learns that Jace’s little quirks are actually a lot more than they seem.
Also I’d like to add that Henry and his obsession with belly buttons is my favorite character. 😉🤣

Arc received for an honest review.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to the author for an early copy of this book! The following review is my honest feedback and given voluntarily.

I loved this book! It was a sweet and spicy little number that I just devoured! Jace and Cassie's story was such a pleasure to read and I felt so honored to be a part of this ARC reader group. Jace and Cassie grew up together, both having crushes on the other, but thinking that the other would never want them. Then years later, circumstances change and they find themselves in very, shall we say, close quarters, with one another... Unbeknownst to Cassie, Jace has a disability that has prevented him from truly living the life he has always been desperate for. With her help, he's finally able to start really living...and maybe even loving?? *wink wink*

Here's what we've got going on:
-disability rep (done very well, imo)
-best friend's brother
-friends(ish)-to-lovers
-forced proximity
-virgin H (but don't you worry, he's a quick learner!)
-dirty talker H
-D/s dynamic (even though they don't even realize it yet! 😮‍💨🤭)
-HEA
-1st book in a series of interconnected standalones

Let me just say that I absolutely fell head over heals for Jace Lancaster! 😍😍😍 I was not prepared! My goodness! He was such a sweet and beautiful soul of a character! And Cassie was just a fantastic counterpart, being that patient and kind support for him all throughout. But also not being afraid to give him sh*t when he was being an ass! I was rooting so hard for them and I absolutely loved the way this ended. Although, I really wish we could have gotten just a tad bit more of just them at the end before the epilogue. They went through a lot to get to that point and the payoff felt cut short just a tad bit. Still a fabulous story and the epilogue did a great job of setting us up for the next installment of this series.

I am definitely recommending this! Anyone who loves romance in general, contemporary or otherwise, I think this one will find a special place in your heart. 🥰 I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Happy reading! 🤙🏼💕

[S.J. Rosalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Touch Me is a beautiful story of two people who need each other but can't be near one another. Cassie and Jace have been acquaintances for years through Jess, her best friend, and his sister, where they all essentially lived under the same roof in childhood, though the two could have been worlds apart.

Jace is an outcast in his mind, a reflection of what he should be in his father's eyes while battling who he truly is deep inside, yet Cassie sees him in a different light, even if they never talk, even after one look, a phrase that changes everything.

Fast forward several years, Cassie needs a place to live, and Jace has room to spare. Still, they are worlds apart while under the same roof. Only, this time, Jace takes her in with the intention of helping her while also trying to help himself—if he can.

[Sheena Crespo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, heartwarming, and wonderful character development! I’m quickly realizing that I’m a character driven fan, and this book is very much that. Jace and Cass are two people with deep rooted issues stemming either childhood neglect and/or struggles with sensory overstimulation. They known each other since they were kids, but it isn’t they find themselves as reluctant roommates that they finally begin to fully open up and let each other in. The author does a fantastic job building up the tension between these two to the point where I was fanning myself and they hadn’t even touched each other nearly halfway into the book!

The side characters are also a breath of fresh air and I’m excited to learn some of their stories in subsequent books.

Great 1st book in an interconnected series!

Thank you to Andi McClane for an advance reader copy of this book.

[✨🍃Britt🍃✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really slow burn full of angst! I really enjoyed how Cassie was so patient with Jace and how they learned how to love each other in the way each needed to be loved. The story grabbed my attention from the very beginning. I am a sucker for the best friend's brother trope and being that he was rich helped as well. The quiet ones are always the ones with the dirtiest mouths... At least in books. I am stoked to read the next books!

[Thebookcrackingremlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this down.

I loved the witty banter and the tension built between the two MCs. My eyes were glued to my Kindle watching this forced proximity, situation-ship grow.

I can not wait to see how the interconnected mystery plays out... I already have some theories, but I'll keep them to myself.

P.S. the "dedication" doesn't lie 😂

5⭐
3🌶️

[Katie G · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐

Both Cassie and Jace have some trauma, and Jace is on the Autism spectrum, so this relationship thing is tough, but they figure it out. Cassie loves with her whole heart and I love that about her ❤️

[Anavihs · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED IT!

This book was SO GOOD!! Jace and Cassie have my WHOLE heart and I fell in love with every single side-character/friend. I cannot WAIT for book 2!! This was a fantastic read that made me laugh and cry and WOWEEE was it spicy!! 10/10 recommend!

[Lisa (TorontoMetalMom) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe this is her first book, it's too ... PERFECT!

I'll be honest, I went into this not expecting to fall in love with it. I normally gravitate to more dark romance or at least bad boy types.

This was not that type of book. Jace is almost entirely a great, nice guy (until you get to the sexy times, who doesn't like a little hair pulling? LOL). He also has some issues keeping him mostly a recluse. These were described so well and with such respect for his condition.

Cassie had a terrible home life. Her and her sister were basically left to raise themselves and were very poor. She spent a lot of her childhood with Jace's family as his sister Jess, was Cassie's best friend. Cassie also had a secret crush on him.

I don't want to say anything else as you’ll want to see it all for yourself. But just let me reiterate, it was Perfect! Also, perfectly HOT!!

This definitely ended in a HEA but also had a nice lead in to book 2. There also appears to be a situation that will continue in the series, which I'm both excited and anxious about. Either way can't wait for book two!

[Michael Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over the last few years I have greatly broadened my reading in terms of diversity of genres, authors and more. I have described many books as 'a wild ride' ... but with Touch Me, the spiciest book I have ever read - wild ride takes on a whole new meaning!

The story centers around Cassie, who has fought and struggled for all she has and has accomplished, her best friend Jess who helps her find a place while starting an internship, and Jace who is Jess' brother - and just happens to be the one with the place to stay but doesn't want a housemate... and who Cassie is sure hates her based on their last interaction and Jess' family home in high school. Somehow despite everything both agree to give it a shot.

To say that sparks fly throughout the book doesn't begin to approach things - there are slow burn elements but even those have a towering inferno subtext! You have Cassie's new work friend Ashley who just might be the horniest character I've ever met in media!

Also Jace has some issues to work through, and that requires involving Cassie and getting her help - or making her leave. There is a constant struggle that is really well mapped out - you can't help becoming emotionally invested in these two as their story unfolds. There is a single moment late in the book where I struggled with some actions and choices by both characters, but they were resolved and for good or bad made sense in the context of the character.

As I said, this is without a doubt the spiciest book I have ever read - but it was also funny, touching, loving, well developed, and left me sitting asking questions because there is even more I want to know about everyone! Ah well, the next book is supposed to come out in 2024!

[Janel D. Brubaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you haven’t read this book, WHY?! What’s stopping you?! You need to read it!

This book tells the story of Cassie Sinclair, a poor girl whose parents don’t care about her, and Jace, a rich boy whose father is never pleased with or proud of his son. Cassie is best friends with Jace’s younger sister, Jess, and due to a set of circumstances after graduating college with her journalism degree, Cassie finds herself living with Jace. As his roommate. It’s only until she lands a paying gig as a journalist, is what Jace is told.

But Jace — still the tall, handsome guy she crushed on in high school — has a secret. He has sensory issues that make being around other people difficult for him. Extremely so. Cassie works to try and help him learn to overcome these sensory difficulties, and the two of them start to build a friendship. That friendship (obviously) leads to other feelings, both emotional and primal, that complicate their living situation.

Full of fun, awkwardness, intrigue, surprises, suspense, and sexual tension that will make you scream at the pages in frustration and bliss, this book is a brilliant rollercoaster of every human emotion. I cried more than once. I gasped several times. I laughed. I screamed in anger. I could not put this phenomenal book down. I devoured it in two days.

You will love this book. You will love the characters, but especially Jace, who will always have his name imprinted on my heart. I love him so much. You need to read this book. It’s so good!

[Irum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating : 3.5 stars

Cassie was a whole vibe I loved her 😭Jace and her made such a good pair. The beginning of the book was so interesting but during the middle of the book I got extremely bored 😔genuinely I was skimming during the middle cause I was falling asleep on how boring and draggy it was.

One thing that made me so extremely mad was the third act break up. Like Jace whole character changed just for the third act breakup. His words to Cassie were so vile and heartbreaking. He used all her insecurities against her and threw it in her face. This all because his photos that he didn’t want to publish were published and he assumed it was her. I hate people using others insecurities in a argument it’s the most disgusting thing ever. I thought Jace was suppose to be smarter than that think. It was so out of character for him literally didn’t think some one as logical as him could be so stupid.

Thankfully she didn’t forgive him on the spot like most characters would have. She blocked him off her phone and literally didn’t speak to him for a month I was so proud 😌 He does end up doing a grand gesture to get her back after a month which wasn’t in my opinion good enough I wanted more grovel. For the amount of vile things he said to her I think he needed to do more. But that just my opinion 🫣

[Lexi Bruner · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. In theory the premise was interesting, but the execution fell short and I ended up DNF’ing at 60%.

Some of the pros:
✅ SPD rep and non-romanticized depictions of anxiety
✅Cass’s internal monologue is hilarious at some points

Some of the cons:
❌ Half of the narrative is just the FMC throwing herself a pity party. It gets better a quarter of the way into the book, but it’s still repetitive on the self-descriptions (I got here all on my own x5, I’m very poor x10, I’m so stubborn and unique x15)
❌The redundancy in both of our main characters’ self-deprecating pity spirals gets old real fast
❌Jace is always horny and there isn’t much depth to his character. In fact, the romance in general is very surface level — they haven’t had a single deeper conversation about values or what they care about. It’s not really clear what they actually like about each other other than their looks
❌There’s some unnecessary toxic masculinity, slut shaming, and fatphobic language that goes unchallenged
❌The MMC feels the need to compete with a literal dog for the FMC’s attention
❌It feels like different versions of the same scene happen over and over and the plot just drags in the middle. I wanted to finish the story and see what sort of character growth we get, but I truly just couldn’t get through the middle of this book 😭

[Tara Kat (MagnoliaPigeonBookBlurbs) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shut the front door…this was amazing!!! I came for the #NippleGate and stayed for the captivating storytelling - this is one of my favorite romance reads of the year!

We follow Cassie, who has graduated from college and landed a fantastic internship. The only issue? She doesn’t have a place to live now that dorm housing is no longer an option. Luckily her BFF’s brother has plenty of space at his condo. The only hiccup with this plan? Cassie hasn’t seen Jace in years after he made it clear he doesn’t want anything to do with her. Jace on the other hand has been living a life of seclusion and has been harboring a secret, one that will change both of their lives forever!

🧠 Neurodivergent Rep
❤️‍🩹 Complicated Family Relationships
🌶️ Spice
🫶 Friendship
♥️ Romance
🫀All the Emotions
📈 Character Growth
📚 Duel POV

I cannot express how much I enjoyed this read and am so excited to see how Andi McClane will continue the series!

[Laquita Agwiak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg! There's so much to love about this book. But first I want to say that if you're looking for/ needing a fast paced book this is not it. Come back to it when you're ready because let me tell you, the build up is so worth it!! The spicy scenes when they happen are so hot!
What I loved most about this book is how relatable the main characters are. Cassie the fmc carries insecurities with her from her childhood. And Jace the mmc is a hot mess! But we love him anyways! It's honestly nice to have the man be the character with issues that need to be worked on for a change. We can't all be sexy and suave in all situations. So the relatable-ness from all of the characters is top notch! There is of course enough money and swoon worthy moments to make it a nice fantasy, dream-like book.
Other note worthy things to mention are how well written it was, so it flowed nicely. And the funny and clever lines throughout were also great!

[Amber Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

debut?!

I’m so glad I picked this book up,and I’m absolutely floored that it was the author’s debut novel. I learned a bit about a condition I was previously unaware of,and I feel as if I’ve gained empathy for people whose struggles I knew nothing about. I’d say that’s quite an accomplishment for a new author.

Jace and Cassie are fantastic main characters,and I thoroughly enjoyed the longing,and yearning I felt while reading their internal monologues and struggles.

The banter and dialogue,the pace at which their relationship developed and progressed was perfect.

I’ve rarely enjoyed a group of side characters more,and I’ll be chuckling at Max,Mattie, and Henry’s antics for days.

Ashley,Alex,Jen,Jess and Ella provided such great comedic relief in a story that contained such heavy topics. Having them in this perfect cast was a stroke of genius.

I can’t wait to read more,and have downloaded book 2

[Kassybetweenpages · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gahhhh the characters in this book has my entire heart! I loved that you could really see their struggles.

A common complaint I’ve seen is how Insecure Cassie was and in turn annoying, but I resonated with her character for that very reason. You could really tell and feel that she had deeply rooted past trauma and could see how it often played into how she reacted to certain situations.

Jace…ughhh my sweet broken sad boy. Jace’s parents were so wrong for never seeing out medical care and in turn making his life so much harder.

Jace and Cassie together though!!! Pure unadulterated desperation mixed with long anticipated desire. There love story wasn’t perfect it felt real with self doubt, ups and downs, patience and insecurities🥰. I was here for it all🙌🏽🖤

[Hannah Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could rate this book more than 5 stars I 100% would!!! The writing was amazing!! I was hooked in and obsessed! I had to know how things with Jace and Cassie would play out! Her being exactly what and who he needed was perfection. I love a good forced proximity trope.

Was a slow burn but oh was it so worth it! The spice was spicing and Jace can diddle my skittle anytime! 😆

The photography aspect made my heart so happy as a photography lover myself.

“You ever have a smell just hit you in the vagina?”
I feel you Cassie I feel you 😂

Cassie had the best friends and I loved their interactions in the book! I can’t wait to read Ella’s story in See Me! 🫶🏻

Highly recommend for my romance lovers!! This was the perfect gloomy weekend book for me!

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved Every Page!

This book is amazing! I just have to say that I would LOVE to be friends with Ashley, because she had me laughing literally every scene she was in lol! “Babe-raham Lincoln” 🤣🤣🤣 But anyways, I loved everything about this book, especially the patience that Cassie had for Jace. My only pet peeve about Jace was how quick he was to get upset, but it’s understandable why he did. Overall, it was a beautiful love story and I definitely cannot wait to read the next book!

[bookishwith_toshyasue · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Best Friends Older Brother
*Rom-Com
*Awkward MMC
*MMC V-card
*Extremely patient FMC
*Epic and painful 3rd act breakup
*Slow burn
*Steamy
This book was such a fun read. Cassie and Jace worked really hard to be together. Jace struggles with life, touch, and everything in between, but Cassie has the patience of a saint. I really loved their relationship and the growth it went through. This might be one of the hardest third-act breakup I have read, my heart was weeping, but the author did such a good job with the HEA. I hope that we get to see Cassie and Jace in future books!

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am completely obsessed with this book and these characters. Oh my gosh, the way Jace pines after Cassie had my heart near breaking. This is one of those stories that really shows you that you don't know all of what is going on. From Cassie's view, it seemed as though Jace hated her, and really, he had his own struggles with how to work past his struggles to give in to his feelings for her. This was a very emotional read for me, and I loved every moment. This very quickly became one of my favorite reads.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was super skeptical going in to read this book. I’m not one to talk about my taste in books at work and hearing that someone who works in your building wrote a romance? So when I say this is an honest review, I’m sweating lol.

But MAN!

Andi you KILLLLLED IT!! I loved every second reading this story!

The cute back story, the detailed mental health journey, the SPICE! All. Of. It.

I am genuinely excited to read more & now I get to brag about knowing the author when I drop recommendations at my book club 😉

[Jacob gillan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

I really liked this book overall however some things I didn’t love where that neither of them ever looked into what his diagnosis meant, other ways to help him. He didn’t even actually get an official diagnosis. Professional help for him and her truly understanding how it affects his thought processes and reactions would dramatically help their relation and him in the world. But not a single google search occurred on what spd meant. Also the ending seemed to sneak up on you. It felt like there should’ve been more to their story. Too many loose ends.

[Sydnie Nova · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. It was a perfect blend of sweet, spicy, and sassy. Cassie and Jace were wonderful charasters and I have to admit I really loved this iteration of the brother's best friend trope. It felt like it was balaned really nicely with other plot elements and the story really held my interest the whole way through with great banter from the characters and a fae paced plot that was actually quite hearwarming. Andi McClane is a really solid writer and this was a terrific book! I'm so excited to move on and read book two now!

[Mercedes Hoover · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 minutes with the author and I knew I’d be hooked!

I had the honor of meeting Andi at a romance-con we spent about 10 minutes chatting with her and I already knew I was buying her books before I even picked one up.

Touch Me was more than I was expecting and I was expecting a lot!! This story brought out so many feelings in me and I was able to relate to the characters so well I felt like I was one of them or they could have been my besties. I can’t wait to dive into the next!!!!

[Abigail Agron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hallmark meets Spicy

If you like Hallmark movies & spicy scenes this book is for you. But you may need to grab a towel and some tissues because you are going to need them.
Learning how Jace’s mind works and how Cassie learns his ins and outs and teaches him how to be “normal” is amazing. I luv that it’s dual POV so we can read, see, feel, and almost touch everything they are doing and thinking. I would luv to read more of their story in the future and see where life takes them. Especially Jace.

[Jess Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not done with Cassie and Jace! I love them so much 😭

The chemistry between these two is absolutely everything and I just fell in love.

Jace is so sweet and you just want to hug him all the time even though you can't. Cassie is such a beautiful soul and I felt connected to her, more than most FMCs

I'm obsessed and excited for Ella and Luca's story.

But I have to admit I want more Jace and Cassie 🥹

[Holly Starkenburg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this. The banter was great, and the writing style seemed different from what I’m used to, but kept me interested.
Cassie’s over coming and yet having doubt was relatable even if her specific situation was not one I have been through.
Jace’s sensitivities made him less than perfect but still lovable and had me rooting for him.
Will definitely be reading more by this author.

[Barbara Huff · Rating 5 out of 5]

5star read

This was an amazing story. Andi told such a beautiful love story and the way she brought Jace and Cassie together was so incredibly heartwarming. For me, it was a slow burn but the reasons were explained each step of the way. There were so many working parts to this story that it kept me wanting to find out what was going to happen. Definitely a 5star read. Enjoy!

[Ciaranne · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book!!! Excellent read all the things.

This book has stimulating issues. His issues are so completely accurate and embodying all the complexity of who he is. I loved this story. The characters are complex and intelligent, very compassionate. The smut is so well done. That shower though. I chuckled out loud at the snark. 10 out of 10 would read again.