Touching Ed

Silver Years Romance #1

by Allyson R. Abbott

This is an ACE for ISBN10:1507757077 Touching Ed

He wants 100 great adventures — She wants to get out of the house

Middle age and a lack of sex leads Abigail on a blind date with Ed. She’s attracted to this avid surfer and kayaker, who plans to travel the world and experience a hundred great adventures. This handsome grey haired man with a loud laugh and a twinkle in his eye ignites Abigail’s red hot passion. But the couple’s journey of love hits a major road block. Why does Ed fear he may not be man enough to fulfill Abigail’s wild desires? Can Abigail make her way around this obstacle and get back on track to a path of love and happiness with Ed?
A story of true life romance. A romantic, but realistic love story.

162 pages, Paperback

First published January 30, 2015

About the author

I 'm very lucky to have the indulgence of time and space to enable me to write. I took a sabbatical from work to accompany my partner on his bucket list travels and adventures, and never went back. I really thought I would struggle with all the free time, so decided to write to keep myself occupied. Now writing has consumed my time and I am never sure where we will be or when, hence my novels could be classed 'international' as they may have been written across a few countries. We are still travelling, although we do pop back to the UK for a few months every now and again.

I love the fact that no matter what our age we can use new technology to connect to the rest of the world and enhance our lives. Back in the UK I have my friends and family and with emails, phones, skype or face-time, we are never out of touch for long. Even my mother at eighty-six uses face-time to catch up with me. I have the world at my fingertips and only twenty-four hours away from anywhere.

Being a 'mature aging gracefully' woman, I feel akin to the problems of aging and relationships. I spent many years on my own before finding my truly remarkable and very patient partner who I happily gave up my whole world for. My stories are about mature relationships with mature people. People who have character and humour, who have a history; people just like us.

I like to call it Hen Lit, not Chick Lit, but it is not just about falling in love. They are about real relationships.

I hope you enjoy my stories. Please check my web page or social media pages if you would like to contact me. I love emails and try to answer every one as soon as possible.

http://www.allysonrabbott.com

http://AllysonRAbbott.blogspot.com

Reviews

[Pamela · Rating 2 out of 5]

A huge thank you to Allyson R. Abbott for advancing me a free copy of her novel in exchange for my honest review.

While the story was interesting, I found it to be more thought-provoking as the H/h were over 60/50 respectively, and the H suffered from erectile dysfunction. I can't remember reading a novel where the protagonists are middle-aged (is 50 middle-age?), and/or a senior citizen. No disrespect to anyone in either age group.

While both Abby and Ed were somewhat likeable, there was absolutely nothing special about them. In fact, I didn't think they worked well as a couple. There was absolutely no connection, heat, or chemistry between the two, even when they were having sex. Yep, they have sex many times over. While the sex scenes were interesting, I thought there was a little too much talking going on. In any event, I found them vastly different.

I would've given the novel three stars, possibly three-and-a-half stars if it wasn't for the way it was written. It felt like I was reading a journal, or someone's biography. At times it read like a step-by-step manual. Was I even reading a fictional novel? As such, the story didn't flow smoothly at all. Also, there were way too many details that were totally unnecessary to the story. By the way, I found it odd that Abby had no idea what erectile dysfunction meant. She's a teacher; educated; she reads; has friends, yet she doesn't know the meaning? The two words says it all. Baffling.

In the end, an interesting story that could've been so much more. I'm not going to tell you to read or dismiss it altogether as it turns out I'm in the minority here once again with my two-star rating. It seems quite a few readers loved it. Hey, you might end up loving it yourself. To each her/his own.

[Tamara Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love slow building romance. I LOVE characters that are likeable, honest and not afraid of acknowledging their limits and faults. Abigail checked all of those boxes within the first chapter! From page one she read like someone I could actually be friends with in real life, and you wouldn't believe how hard that is for me when I'm reading a romance novel. Anyway, I loved the relationship between Ed and Abigail. It was sweet and sincere. I kept going awwwww through quietly to myself as I sat reading my book in a long taxi ride.

The author Allyson Abbot definitely has an extraordinary gift of making you feel like you're just chatting with a life long friend about their relationship goings on. and it was refreshingly candid! I didn't have to rant at the heroine at all!! (once again, that was a huge change) Ed was lovely too. I think they're perfect for each other and although the romance was of the mature variety, it wasn't forced sensuality like countless books before it. It was realistic and I appreciated that. It all flowed naturally and I would definitely read more books by Allyson Abbot!

[Niyati Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so educational and great.

And to a lot of people, it may be taboo.

I've never really realised what it meant for someone to feel so strongly (I mean sexually as well) and yet not be able to emote that. I don't mean an introvert, but a normal person who has dated. Ed is someone like that. And Erectile Dysfunction works like that. You can't help feel bad for Ed because he does truly have feelings for Abigail. And you can feel Abigail's plight, even on discovering about the Erectile Dysfunction.

We all have a tendency to believe the worst for ourselves. We believe we can do no good and that any reaction adverse to that is a failure on our part. It is wrong to assume the worst for ourselves but that is human tendency. And that is what I felt myself wondering when I read this book. It was so natural for Abigail to assume she was doing wrong and performing poorly and it was so natural for Ed to think he was beyond help.

This book isn't one of those fact filled books to pull you down. But it was an inspirational tale of two people who decided to make it work even though things did not go their way. It felt very nice to see how something negative can be encountered by simply twisting your perspective of it.

In today's instant gratification age, I felt this book gave out an important message. I realised how important it was to be patient and more so, to never give up.

This is a short and sweet story and I hope everyone realises what it has to say.

[Taylor Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book as it focused on a middle-aged couple falling in love. I haven't read a book that focuses on middle-aged love and I think that this book portrays it very nicely! Abby has been wanting to fall in love for some time now and she has been reading stories on romance. Abby is divorced and has a daughter from a previous marriage. Her daughter sets her up to go on a date with one of her friend's dads. Abby meets Ed for the first time and they end up hitting it off. Abby and Ed face some struggles sexually, which becomes a challenge for the couple. Abby thinks about giving up on Ed because of the struggles, but then realizes that she just enjoys his company and being with him. I liked how the two focused on communication and trying to make their relationship better. I really think that this book is a must-read, I loved how it focused on the middle-aged years. I hope to read more from this author soon!

[Jackie Rogers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Abby and Ed are in their mature days. She is 50 and he is sixty-two. They both have baggage, but want to give themselves a chance to know each other. Ed is physically active. Abby not much so. They are Having fun when Abby discovers Ed is battling ED. The book carries their relationship forward with ups and downs as they both learn about ED and its affect on their relationship. Liked the honesty of these characters and the real life incident. Is informative and puts sex where it should be in later years. Thanks to Ms. Abbott and Goodreads.
'

[Blue Falcon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is of “Touching Ed” by Allyson R. Abbott, a book I won in a Goodreads giveaway.

The Story: The book is a romance between Abigail, or Abby, a 50 year-old schoolteacher, who has a college age daughter, Louise, and Edgar “Ed” Buckly, a 62 year-old IT technician who befriends her. At first, Abby is reluctant to date an older man, until she discovers that Ed is actually more active, even though he’s older, than she is. Ed is a surfer, skateboarder, mountain boarder, swimmer and marathon runner.

After a few dates and getting to know each other, Abby and Ed have sex. It’s not the earth-shaking type described in the romance novels, however, and Abby isn’t quite happy with the results. Ed later confesses during one of their intimate encounters that he has a problem, the type of problem medications like Viagra and Cialis are intended to address. Unfortunately, neither of those medications have helped Ed with his problem.

As their relationship continues, Abby tries to help Ed with his problem and finds herself dealing with another issue; Ed’s roommate, Dani, who is also his former lover. Abby has a problem with them living together. However, this is quickly-too quickly-dismissed as an issue and Abby and Ed fall in love and have their Happily Ever After.

While there is a lot to like about this book-especially the fact that a person can fall in love and have an active sex life at any age-Abby and Ed certainly do!; there are a few areas which keep this from being a 5 star book.

1. Ed’s medical issue is not really addressed much at all until the end of the book. By then, it’s a missed opportunity. Which dovetails with…
2. The book is one-sided. We only hear from Abby; we never hear from Ed unless he’s with Abby. This is another missed opportunity.
3. The book is lacking in emotion. Yes, Abby and Ed fall in love, but I really didn’t feel them falling in love. I want to feel the characters feelings and that also wasn’t there.
4. There are multiple typos in the book that a good word processing program would have caught. I don’t know if this is an ARC copy, and I may be nitpicking, but it’s still a negative.

Sex: A lot of sex, and it’s pretty graphic. Some may be surprised by this, but I actually like it. I love when books are comfortable with sexual content. The more, the better I say.

Violence: None.

Bottom Line: I admire Ms. Abbott’s effort,and it's nice to see a non-traditional love story, but there is still a ways to go to get this book to a 5 star level.

[Allyson Abbott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by Tracy Slowiak for Readers' Favorite 5 Stars

What a delightful book! That’s the first thing that popped into my mind when I finished reading Touching Ed, the new book in the Silver Romance Series by Allyson R. Abbott. Focusing on the story of Abby and Ed, two people who aren’t kids anymore, but who just might be ready again for a chance at love, this novel is a wonderful departure from the typical contemporary romance offerings available right now. And when this grown up couple deal with a real stumbling block in their relationship, Ed’s struggle with erectile dysfunction, you’ll truly be invested in finding out if they are able to overcome this issue and find love, or if their difficulties with intimacy will end what could be a promising relationship.

I loved this story. I loved that it was open in the discussion of sexual issues, especially those that affect us in later years, and the embarrassment and frustration that those issues can cause. I also enjoyed the focus on a love story between people who are not in their twenties. Abby is in her 50s and Ed in his 60s, but their desire and passion for each other is just as interesting and just as sizzling as those written about younger people. Author Allyson R. Abbott is skilled at developing characters that we truly care about, and her descriptive writing skills are second to none. Touching Ed would be a great book for any reader who loves contemporary women’s romance but is a bit burned out on stories focused solely on a younger crowd, and stories about overcoming frustration, or readers looking for a great read. This was the first book I’ve read by Allyson R. Abbott, but it certainly won’t be the last!

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Touching Ed is the story of Abby and Ed as they discover love at a "mature" age. Abby is 50 years old, divorced, and has one daughter, Louise. Ed is 62 years old, divorced, and has two sons.

Louise asks Abby if she would be interested in going to a Springsteen concert with a friend's dad, Ed. While Springsteen is her favorite singer, Abby has plans for that night. At her request, Louise gives Ed Abby's email address so they can talk about the concert. This leads to them meeting and falling in love.

At a "mature" age sexual difficulties are not uncommon. Ed suffers from Erectile Dysfunction(ED). Abby has a problem with vaginal dryness. Instead of letting these problems ruin their sex lives, they work together to overcome these hurdles. They try new things, get doctors' advice, and, most importantly, they talk about the situation.

I enjoyed this book. I like romances with mature characters. Middle aged people typically look at life differently than younger people. They have a lot of life lessons that only come with age.

The way Abby and Ed dealt with ED was realistic. Abby thought about ending the relationship because she didn't know if she wanted to invest in a relationship with a lackluster sex life. However, she realized how much she really enjoyed his company and how important he was becoming to her. Ed had doubts about how long the relationship would last since he wasn't able to perform on demand. Communication saved the couple from drifting apart. Through honest communication they were able to work together and save their sex life. If only all couples would really communicate with each other many relationships could be salvaged.

[Cornelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

After her divorce, Abby raised her daughter Louise alone, but now Louise is off to college and Abby can focus on her own life once again. She enjoys her own company but she has to admit she does miss some of the things that come along with having a having a relationship, such as kissing, cuddling …and of course sex. Then Louise tells her about Ed, the father of a friend of hers, and she sets her up on a date with him.
Abby likes Ed so much and things heat up pretty quickly. However, her night of passion with Ed doesn’t workout quite like she expected.

Author Allyson R Abbott has written a beautiful, touching love story with Touching Ed. She writes baby boomer romance books with smart, active, fun heroines who happen to be fully grown or as some might say mature. Ms. Abbot refers to her books as Hen Lit not Chick lit. Touching Ed is one of her Silver Years Romance Series’ novels, written for well rounded, mature women.

This story about Abby and Ed as they build a new relationship together in their 50s and 60’s is a moving romance. Ed and Abby are strong fleshed out characters dealing with real issues such as erectile dysfunction and menopause, which sometimes put a damper on their steamy sex life. I loved this Silver Years romance and I fully recommend Touching Ed. It’s a memorable read.

[Philip Dodd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Touching Ed by Allyson R. Abbot seemed less like a novel to me than a well written journal, but that worked in its favour. Written in the first person, it is an intimate, personal account of the relationship between its narrator, Abby, a fifty year old woman, and Ed, a sixty two year old man. I liked the humour in the book, and the truth, the reality of it. Abby and Ed and those they know are alive on the page as real people. For one thing, the book confirms the comforting truth that love does not belong to the young, as many songs, films and novels would like you to believe. Fundamentally, it is a love story, revealing that though the body can let you down, whatever age you are, if two people truly love each other, as Abby and Ed grow to do, then any problems and drawbacks they may face can be overcome, if they work through them together. In the end, I found it to be a positive, life enhancing story, well worth reading.

[A. McCarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Praise to the author for such a wonderful read. Abby and Ed's story is one for the ages. It was one I will probably go back and re-read more than once. I loved it!

I, Amber McCarty (Imaginative Dreams), was given a copy for an honest review