What do you think?
Rate this book
Close Enough to Touch
Wildlife investigator Avery Ward came to Silver Ridge to solve a series of brutal animal attacks.
What she found instead was a town buried in secrets, forests that seem to watch her back, and a man who feels far more dangerous than the creatures haunting the mountains.
Maddox Ashford is cold, guarded, and impossible to ignore. The deeper Avery’s investigation pulls her into his territory, the more reality begins to unravel around her. Strange disappearances. Creatures that move wrong in the dark. A presence in the woods that doesn’t hunt like anything human or animal.
And worst of all?
It’s learning.
As the line between predator and protector blurs, Avery discovers her connection to Silver Ridge may run far deeper than coincidence. Because something ancient has been waiting beneath the mountains…and it knows exactly who she is.
Now, with the forest closing in and the body count rising, Avery must decide who to trust before the thing watching from the shadows finally reaches her.
Close Enough to Touch is Book One of the Silver Ridge Series, a dark paranormal romance filled with mystery, tension, dangerous attraction, ancient secrets, and a possessive alpha willing to tear apart the world to protect his mate.
What she found instead was a town buried in secrets, forests that seem to watch her back, and a man who feels far more dangerous than the creatures haunting the mountains.
Maddox Ashford is cold, guarded, and impossible to ignore. The deeper Avery’s investigation pulls her into his territory, the more reality begins to unravel around her. Strange disappearances. Creatures that move wrong in the dark. A presence in the woods that doesn’t hunt like anything human or animal.
And worst of all?
It’s learning.
As the line between predator and protector blurs, Avery discovers her connection to Silver Ridge may run far deeper than coincidence. Because something ancient has been waiting beneath the mountains…and it knows exactly who she is.
Now, with the forest closing in and the body count rising, Avery must decide who to trust before the thing watching from the shadows finally reaches her.
Close Enough to Touch is Book One of the Silver Ridge Series, a dark paranormal romance filled with mystery, tension, dangerous attraction, ancient secrets, and a possessive alpha willing to tear apart the world to protect his mate.
325 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 15, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
June 23, 2026
This book is a complete 180 from other books with the same tropes/premise. Avery is a take-no-crap investigator for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife who doesn't change her entire personality the second she meets the Maddox, or when she's in dicey situations. Maddox (or Madd as he is nicknamed) is an alpha without being the stereotypical alphahole who keeps the town he's in safe from threats of any kind. The slow reveal about both the town Avery is sent to and the thing in the woods is so good, with a perfect mix of show-don't-tell. I kept having to stop and update my husband as new little clues were revealed.
If you like paranormal romance and suspense in your books, this one is definitely for you. I will say the book dragged a little bit at the beginning for me, but overall it was great, and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
If you like paranormal romance and suspense in your books, this one is definitely for you. I will say the book dragged a little bit at the beginning for me, but overall it was great, and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Close Enough to Touch comes out on the 16th of June 2026
Arch review
Close enough to touch by B.Nestor.
If you were warned to stay away from the forest, what will you do, if everyone had a secret even your family what will you do, if you could feel a connection with the town and the forest what will you. if something dark and ancient and howling in the forest perks your ears, what will you find out there.
Avery ward is a wildlife investigator and got call to go to a small town called Sliver Ridge to solve brutal animal attacked. Instead, she found a town full of buried secrets, her own family has secrets and a creature that keep calling for you, to go into the forest. She arrives and meets a man called Maddox a cold, guarded and mystery guy, who warns her not to go to the forest alone.
She feels a pull towards both the forest and Maddox, as she is investigating finds that the creature is moving and learning about them.
Can she trust Maddox, and the town, what her connection to the town and the creature in the forest, what secrets will she discover?
Why is the creature trying to connect with her, why does the creature what her?
Close enough to torch was a very interesting read and had me hanging on my seat towards end of the book. I was so invested and curious with each chapter on what was going to happen to Avery and Maddox and the people in the town. The forest and the creature had me so dam curious on what was going to happen. What is this creature is what I kept saying to myself. I love a book with a lot of mystery and picks out my curiosity make hi m enjoy this story a lot more.
The story and the characters were so interesting to read, I enjoyed getting to know them, I recommend this mystery, full of secrets and creepy thing in the forest paranormal novel to people who love reading who with lots of suspense and mystery, I look forward to reading the next one.
Arch review
Close enough to touch by B.Nestor.
If you were warned to stay away from the forest, what will you do, if everyone had a secret even your family what will you do, if you could feel a connection with the town and the forest what will you. if something dark and ancient and howling in the forest perks your ears, what will you find out there.
Avery ward is a wildlife investigator and got call to go to a small town called Sliver Ridge to solve brutal animal attacked. Instead, she found a town full of buried secrets, her own family has secrets and a creature that keep calling for you, to go into the forest. She arrives and meets a man called Maddox a cold, guarded and mystery guy, who warns her not to go to the forest alone.
She feels a pull towards both the forest and Maddox, as she is investigating finds that the creature is moving and learning about them.
Can she trust Maddox, and the town, what her connection to the town and the creature in the forest, what secrets will she discover?
Why is the creature trying to connect with her, why does the creature what her?
Close enough to torch was a very interesting read and had me hanging on my seat towards end of the book. I was so invested and curious with each chapter on what was going to happen to Avery and Maddox and the people in the town. The forest and the creature had me so dam curious on what was going to happen. What is this creature is what I kept saying to myself. I love a book with a lot of mystery and picks out my curiosity make hi m enjoy this story a lot more.
The story and the characters were so interesting to read, I enjoyed getting to know them, I recommend this mystery, full of secrets and creepy thing in the forest paranormal novel to people who love reading who with lots of suspense and mystery, I look forward to reading the next one.
June 18, 2026
****ARC review sent to me by author****
Unfortunately, this book wasn't the right fit for me.
While I appreciated the effort that went into creating Avery and Maddox's story, I struggled to fully connect with both the characters and the overall plot. There were moments that showed promise, but I never found myself becoming emotionally invested in what was happening, which made it difficult to stay engaged throughout the story.
One of the biggest challenges for me was the third-person narration. This is largely a personal preference, but I tend to connect much more strongly with characters when a story is told in first person. The third-person perspective created a distance that made it harder for me to become immersed in the characters' thoughts, feelings, and relationship.
I also found myself wanting more depth from both the story and the characters. Avery and Maddox had potential, but I never felt a strong attachment to either of them, and their journey didn't leave the emotional impact I was hoping for. Because of that, the romance and overall storyline didn't resonate with me as much as I wanted them to.
That said, just because this book didn't work for me doesn't mean it won't work for other readers. Fans of third-person paranormal romance and wolf shifter stories may have a very different experience.
Overall, this was a book I finished, but it wasn't one that I connected with, and it ultimately fell short of my expectations.
Unfortunately, this book wasn't the right fit for me.
While I appreciated the effort that went into creating Avery and Maddox's story, I struggled to fully connect with both the characters and the overall plot. There were moments that showed promise, but I never found myself becoming emotionally invested in what was happening, which made it difficult to stay engaged throughout the story.
One of the biggest challenges for me was the third-person narration. This is largely a personal preference, but I tend to connect much more strongly with characters when a story is told in first person. The third-person perspective created a distance that made it harder for me to become immersed in the characters' thoughts, feelings, and relationship.
I also found myself wanting more depth from both the story and the characters. Avery and Maddox had potential, but I never felt a strong attachment to either of them, and their journey didn't leave the emotional impact I was hoping for. Because of that, the romance and overall storyline didn't resonate with me as much as I wanted them to.
That said, just because this book didn't work for me doesn't mean it won't work for other readers. Fans of third-person paranormal romance and wolf shifter stories may have a very different experience.
Overall, this was a book I finished, but it wasn't one that I connected with, and it ultimately fell short of my expectations.
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC Review: Close Enough to Touch
I went into this novel fairly blind knowing only a handful of tropes and being drawn in by the intriguing cover.
The beginning was incredibly rocky. I was about 98% confused until around Chapters 11-12 when some pieces finally started to come together. I’m assuming the lack of information was intentional to build mystery and suspense but it didn’t work for me. It left me feeling disconnected and seriously considering a DNF. Never less, I pushed through a bit more.
By Chapter 18, more details had begun to fall into place, but I still felt like I was missing crucial information about what was actually happening. I kept waiting for a clearer understanding of what the creatures actually were and how they fit into the story.
The slow-burn relationship between the FMC and MMC also felt strange and really it was a zero burn. I started to understand where things were heading, but I was still confused about whether the FMC was bonded to the creature, bonded to the MMC or something else entirely. The information felt too vague for too long.
I also found myself asking a lot of questions that weren’t being answered quickly enough, everything was vague. The locket hides the mother’s bond and is hiding Avery’s bond too? Where does Avery’s job fit into all of this? I constantly felt like I was missing important context.
Unfortunately, I won’t be continuing this book. The suspense driven storytelling style simply isn’t my preference. It’s possible this is a case of the book not matching my reading style rather than the book itself being the issue.
I went into this novel fairly blind knowing only a handful of tropes and being drawn in by the intriguing cover.
The beginning was incredibly rocky. I was about 98% confused until around Chapters 11-12 when some pieces finally started to come together. I’m assuming the lack of information was intentional to build mystery and suspense but it didn’t work for me. It left me feeling disconnected and seriously considering a DNF. Never less, I pushed through a bit more.
By Chapter 18, more details had begun to fall into place, but I still felt like I was missing crucial information about what was actually happening. I kept waiting for a clearer understanding of what the creatures actually were and how they fit into the story.
The slow-burn relationship between the FMC and MMC also felt strange and really it was a zero burn. I started to understand where things were heading, but I was still confused about whether the FMC was bonded to the creature, bonded to the MMC or something else entirely. The information felt too vague for too long.
I also found myself asking a lot of questions that weren’t being answered quickly enough, everything was vague. The locket hides the mother’s bond and is hiding Avery’s bond too? Where does Avery’s job fit into all of this? I constantly felt like I was missing important context.
Unfortunately, I won’t be continuing this book. The suspense driven storytelling style simply isn’t my preference. It’s possible this is a case of the book not matching my reading style rather than the book itself being the issue.
June 16, 2026
When I started this book I wasn’t sure what to expect. I didn’t know it if would be full blown spice or full blown thriller. The book ended up being mostly suspense and thriller with some romance mixed in. The beginning had great world building and it wasn’t your typical shifter setting where she’s the damsel in distress. Avery is strong, capable, and smart. Maddox isn’t your typical alpha either. He’s not horribly corny and over the top. He is more of the strong silent type. The creature is the woods was CREEPY. I actually got chills during some of the scenes. Then it all ended with it being mostly resolved and leaks to another book. It was a good read. Read it in about 24 hours. I would recommend!
June 16, 2026
This quickly became a new favorite. You meet Avery in the beginning of this book and her character is based around if something unexplainable happens then there's always a a reasonable cause. She and Maddox set off on a journey, to find out what plagues a land and why its attached to her and her lineage. This Paranormal Romance is a slow burn however I never truly noticed due to how well written the mystery in the book alone was, the plot was giving and the twists were a work of art. I highly recommend if you're on the lookout for a book with Bonds, Ancient Creatures, and a small town that not everything is as it seems. I highly recommend!!! I received this via the author and this is a voluntary review.
November 2, 2026
Like another reviewer I almost stayed up all night!
Book exceeded previous reviews I saw. Missing the serious spice I like, but the story kept you moving and moving. You just have to keep ‘knowing’ what the thing is whether it be creature or the event. Very conversation driven, which you don’t often see melded with a lot of action. No blocks of descriptions that is subtly woven in. So totally not my usual genre the comment in Facebook then in Amazon drew me in happily. Between the two I have rarely been disappointed, and I read a lot. A lot. Don’t miss this book. Someone had said a somewhat cliffhanger but no. Just something that makes you say I really will read the next book! I even got it before finishing this one cause I knew it would be good too.
Book exceeded previous reviews I saw. Missing the serious spice I like, but the story kept you moving and moving. You just have to keep ‘knowing’ what the thing is whether it be creature or the event. Very conversation driven, which you don’t often see melded with a lot of action. No blocks of descriptions that is subtly woven in. So totally not my usual genre the comment in Facebook then in Amazon drew me in happily. Between the two I have rarely been disappointed, and I read a lot. A lot. Don’t miss this book. Someone had said a somewhat cliffhanger but no. Just something that makes you say I really will read the next book! I even got it before finishing this one cause I knew it would be good too.
August 19, 2026
Close Enough to Touch by B. Nestor completely pulled me into the Silver Ridge world! The world-building is incredible and so immersive that I felt like I was right there, experiencing the story alongside the characters.
The tension between Avery and Maddox had me absolutely flustered! Their chemistry and push-and-pull kept me turning the pages, desperate to see what would happen next.
And that ending?! I am officially left anxious and impatiently waiting for Book 2. If this is only the beginning of the Silver Ridge Series, I cannot wait to see where B. Nestor takes us next. Definitely a five-star read!
The tension between Avery and Maddox had me absolutely flustered! Their chemistry and push-and-pull kept me turning the pages, desperate to see what would happen next.
And that ending?! I am officially left anxious and impatiently waiting for Book 2. If this is only the beginning of the Silver Ridge Series, I cannot wait to see where B. Nestor takes us next. Definitely a five-star read!
July 3, 2026
This was such a suspenseful and unexpected read! I loved the spooky tension building! The author did an amazing job of developing a mystery and the characters were such a breath of fresh air. I loved that the male love interest was alpha while also being respectful (WHY do so many novels try to make alpha jerks appealing to us??). I also loved the ending- it wrapped up the action and solidified relationships but also peaked my interest enough to NEED to know how this develops. The story was unique and unpredictable- absolutely loved it!
June 12, 2026
I received an ARC copy of Close Enough to Touch in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, this one wasn’t quite the right fit for me.
What kept me reading was the story itself. The premise had a lot of potential, and I genuinely wanted to know how everything would play out. There were several interesting ideas throughout the book, and I found myself curious enough to keep turning the pages to see where the story was headed.
That said, I struggled to fully connect with the book and found it difficult to stay engaged for long stretches. While I appreciated the overall concept and could see what the author was trying to accomplish, the reading experience didn’t work as well for me as I had hoped.
As a debut novel, there is definitely promise here, and I would be interested in seeing what B. Nestor writes in the future. There were moments where I could see the potential of both the story and the characters, even if this particular book didn’t completely land for me.
Overall, while this wasn’t a favorite read, I’m glad I gave it a chance and wish the author success with future projects.
Unfortunately, this one wasn’t quite the right fit for me.
What kept me reading was the story itself. The premise had a lot of potential, and I genuinely wanted to know how everything would play out. There were several interesting ideas throughout the book, and I found myself curious enough to keep turning the pages to see where the story was headed.
That said, I struggled to fully connect with the book and found it difficult to stay engaged for long stretches. While I appreciated the overall concept and could see what the author was trying to accomplish, the reading experience didn’t work as well for me as I had hoped.
As a debut novel, there is definitely promise here, and I would be interested in seeing what B. Nestor writes in the future. There were moments where I could see the potential of both the story and the characters, even if this particular book didn’t completely land for me.
Overall, while this wasn’t a favorite read, I’m glad I gave it a chance and wish the author success with future projects.
July 28, 2026
Close Enough to Touch is a spooky, slow burn paranormal suspense story.
Avery’s investigation in Silver Ridge pulls her into a town full of secrets, a creepy forest, and a creature that kept me guessing. The mystery builds well, and every new clue made the story more addicting.
It starts a bit slow, but once it picks up, it sucks you in and you can't put it down.
It's suspenseful, eerie, and full of tension. I can't wait for the next book.
Avery’s investigation in Silver Ridge pulls her into a town full of secrets, a creepy forest, and a creature that kept me guessing. The mystery builds well, and every new clue made the story more addicting.
It starts a bit slow, but once it picks up, it sucks you in and you can't put it down.
It's suspenseful, eerie, and full of tension. I can't wait for the next book.
June 19, 2026
Magic, shape Shifter and something else.
This is for young adult paranormal. It does have a hint of romance. Avery and Maddox are trying to figure out what is going on and something ancient has made itself known. I love the mystery and the intense situation. I give this 4 stars just because I like spicy. But this does have a great story line.
This is for young adult paranormal. It does have a hint of romance. Avery and Maddox are trying to figure out what is going on and something ancient has made itself known. I love the mystery and the intense situation. I give this 4 stars just because I like spicy. But this does have a great story line.
June 20, 2026
I couldn’t stop reading! I needed to know what happened next! The story between Avery and Maddox was a quick, page turning read. I literally read it in a day!!! I couldn’t get enough. The plot was plotting and the characters were chef kiss. Loved it and can’t wait for the next one to come out! Absolutely give this book a try, you won’t regret it
June 17, 2026
The way I binged this book…
Read this book in 1 day! I couldn’t put it down.
I enjoyed how everything unfolded, and how the epilogue sets us up for a second book without giving us a cliff hanger.
Read this book in 1 day! I couldn’t put it down.
I enjoyed how everything unfolded, and how the epilogue sets us up for a second book without giving us a cliff hanger.
June 17, 2026
Loved this book! I cannot wait for the next one to come out. It was filled with mystery, suspense, love, intelligence, and more! The characters were well thought out and lovable, the plot was awesome and creepy. I couldn’t stop turning the pages, so good! Yes yes yes to this one!!!
June 19, 2026
ARC Review
I had a hard time getting into the writing style. There was a lot of attempted tension building that seemed to be the same conversation over and over without the back story in the first half of the book. The second half of the book was much better and I really enjoyed it.
I had a hard time getting into the writing style. There was a lot of attempted tension building that seemed to be the same conversation over and over without the back story in the first half of the book. The second half of the book was much better and I really enjoyed it.
June 22, 2026
It was interesting to follow Avery's path in discovering her past and future while making sense of her present.
I liked the character of Maddox too as he brought some strength and calm that the story needed to balance out all the mystery and ancient evil.
I liked the character of Maddox too as he brought some strength and calm that the story needed to balance out all the mystery and ancient evil.
June 22, 2026
Review of Arc provided by Author
I really struggled with this book. The beginning half felt more like reading a script than a book. I understand the basic story but felt lost through the whole book. I almost didn’t finish but pushed through to the end.
I really struggled with this book. The beginning half felt more like reading a script than a book. I understand the basic story but felt lost through the whole book. I almost didn’t finish but pushed through to the end.
September 4, 2026
Did not care for this book at all. The descriptions were repetitive, the storyline muddled, and the characters not expounded on. The concept was great....it has been similarly done before. The writing seemed inexperienced...I will not be reading the series.
September 8, 2026
This was a good short read for me. The content was different than I expected from the title. I was interested and wanted to read more which is good in a book. I am interested to see what the next book holds in store for us.
September 19, 2026
I enjoyed reading this.
This was the first book I read by this author and I really enjoyed it. It you like books with werewolves you'll like this one.
This was the first book I read by this author and I really enjoyed it. It you like books with werewolves you'll like this one.
October 2, 2026
If you like dark books then you'll enjoy this book. There's a lot of action and depth to it to keep you engaged. I would recommend it to you.
October 30, 2026
silver ridge series
Great book. Interesting take on werewolves and their past. Blending pack mentality with the battle of primordial evil and protection of pack and humans.
Great book. Interesting take on werewolves and their past. Blending pack mentality with the battle of primordial evil and protection of pack and humans.
June 12, 2026
This was a quick, captivating read. The whole premise was creepy and addicting.
I loved Avery, she wasn’t helpless like many FMC’s and I liked how cryptic Maddox the MMC was. It didn’t go straight into bond romance which I really enjoyed too.
It ended with hints at the next one and I’m here for it.
Highly recommend for those that lean more towards thriller romance.
I loved Avery, she wasn’t helpless like many FMC’s and I liked how cryptic Maddox the MMC was. It didn’t go straight into bond romance which I really enjoyed too.
It ended with hints at the next one and I’m here for it.
Highly recommend for those that lean more towards thriller romance.
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC Reader
It had its moment. The concept was interesting. Though it felt very repetitive at times.
Getting into it was rather slow, not because of long chapters or even the writing style. It was just overall sort of slow until the 'reveal' came involved. That is when it began to truly get interesting.
The writing style felt less like an actual book and more like it was a script for an dramatized audio book. What I mean by that is the sentences are mainly choppy and hardly no paragraphs were used. It made it quick enough to read because of it. Dramatize audio books are notorious for omitting parts of the more 'wordy' bits of the book. This is why that is the best definition that I could give of the writing style.
Is it bad? No.
Did it have its points? Yes.
Concept? Interesting. Though did feel like the journey took a while due to the repetitive nature.
Average.
It had its moment. The concept was interesting. Though it felt very repetitive at times.
Getting into it was rather slow, not because of long chapters or even the writing style. It was just overall sort of slow until the 'reveal' came involved. That is when it began to truly get interesting.
The writing style felt less like an actual book and more like it was a script for an dramatized audio book. What I mean by that is the sentences are mainly choppy and hardly no paragraphs were used. It made it quick enough to read because of it. Dramatize audio books are notorious for omitting parts of the more 'wordy' bits of the book. This is why that is the best definition that I could give of the writing style.
Is it bad? No.
Did it have its points? Yes.
Concept? Interesting. Though did feel like the journey took a while due to the repetitive nature.
Average.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I had a hard time getting into this book at first. I felt like I was missing part of the back story in order to make it make sense. As I read through the book, I caught on to the writing style and the story in time. This book is written in 3rd person POV. It is a super slow burn. I liked the mystery portion of the story and how Avery solved it. If you like paranormal mysteries, werewolves, with 1🌶️ then I think you would really enjoy this book.
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC reader review
Great fantasy world building with character development. Wanted to keep the pages turning and looking forward to the next one. Thank you, B Nestor.
Great fantasy world building with character development. Wanted to keep the pages turning and looking forward to the next one. Thank you, B Nestor.
June 6, 2026
ARC Review: This book started out very slow and a little repetitive, nearly DNF’ed about 80 pages in but I’m glad I managed to power through and finish it. The writing style is quite different to what I’m used to, it was easy to read but the plot was a little confusing and the FMC was constantly questioning everything. I feel like the romance was kind of unnatural and there wasn’t much that made me want to root for the relationship. It came together towards the end but it went from very slow to quite rushed.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Advanced reader here. I seriously loved this book! Absolutely devoured it in a day! Maddox and Avery’s relationship grew throughout the book and left me speechless at the end! The watcher was super creepy but in a good way and Rowan was such a great supporting character: the hint at the end makes me think he’ll be in the next one (I really hope so)
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I received an arc copy and it was a fun and fast read. The characters were actually believable and I was rooting for Avery the whole time. The creature in the story was a breath of fresh air and not something I’ve read before. It ends with foreshadowing of the next book and I can’t wait to see where it goes
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews