Touched

by Amy Stearman

Carrie Walters has a special gift – she can read the history of any item she touches. Though not everything she comes in contact with has led a happy life, she’s built a successful business selling the ones that have. After a painful divorce, she’s anxious to begin rebuilding her life in the small mountain town she grew up in. But a chance encounter with a pocket watch - unremarkable to anyone without Carrie’s ability - teaches her that not only can everyday items hold bad memories, they can become infused with evil and malicious intent.

Soon, Carrie's life becomes embroiled in vicious attacks, vandalism, even a murder. With the help of Lucas Anderson, town sheriff, and her first love, Carrie must find whoever has possession of the terrible entity within the watch, and stop them before anyone else is hurt, all while learning how to trust and love again.

244 pages, Paperback

Published September 29, 2016

About the author

Amy Stearman is an avid reader and writer of stories, hailing from the Midwest. She lives in the liberal mecca of Kansas with her husband, young son, and ornery Sheltie.

Amy holds her bachelors degrees in Human Services and Victim Studies, and a Masters degree in Social Work. That might sound pretty cool, but she accidentally ended up in marketing.

When she's not chasing her son or attempting DIY home improvement, she's jotting down story ideas and dreaming big.

Reviews

[Kerry Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carrie Walters has the gift of psychometry but it's caused problems in the past. She's back in her hometown to start up her own business. Only to find a past love and some old feelings returning. Add in a mysterious watch with evil intent and a crazed person on the loose. you've got the makings of a great book.

This is a slow build up book but it really works because you get to know the characters before the drama really kicks in. Carrie is instantly likeable and a strong character.

This is a great read and flows so well. The drama builds as the book goes on and keeps you reading on. The final revelation is really good and well written. I love a strong ending to a book and this has it.

The author has done a great job and I look forward to reading more of her work.

[Bambi Unbridled · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my second read from Amy Stearman, and this one was quite a bit different from the first (Altered). For some reason I thought Touched was the second book in the Altered series... but I was totally wrong. Touched is a standalone contemporary romantic suspense with a minor supernatural element.

Carrie Walters has just relocated back to her hometown of Evergreen after a painful divorce from her hot shot attorney husband in Denver. Deciding to go back to her roots, she has opened up a little shop in the middle of small-town Colorado. I liked Carrie's eclectic little store filled with all kinds of unique and feel-good treasures. Carrie has the gift of psychometry, so she is able to tell the history of items through touch. As a result of her gift, Carrie is able to carefully select each item for her store and she only stocks those that have a happy history.

Lucas Anderson is the town sheriff, and was Carrie's high school sweetheart until things ended abruptly when he left for college. Lucas was a solid hero for the most part. I would say he was typical of a small town sheriff, protective yet skeptical. After all these years, Lucas is still single and, now that Carrie is back in town, he can't seem to stay away from her. But while his heart may feel the attraction, his head is causing doubts due to Carrie's sometimes odd behavior. I can't blame Lucas from being skeptical as the setting is devoid of other supernatural elements so its not something you expect everyone to believe in, but he definitely didn't stop to consider the consequences that would result from his methods to uncover the truth.

This is a second chance romance, which I sometimes shy away from due to the drama content. In this story, after her failed marriage, Carrie wasn't expecting a romantic entanglement... but the chemistry between her and Lucas starts to pull fairly quickly, Unfortunately and much to my surprise (and annoyance), Carrie was able to resist the pull and turned into one of those runaway heroines a time or two. So I wasn't crazy about the ups and downs in the relationship - but I think some of that had to do with my mood as I was reading. I liked Lucas and wanted things to work out... so I would have liked to see more time spent building the relationship than manufacturing drama.

Although predictable, the suspense plot was interesting and I wish it would have been flushed out more. I liked the few glimpses we got into the antagonist's head, and I think more danger and dark aspects could have been added into the plot to get the reader's adrenaline going. But overall, this was a nice quick read that I think will satisfy contemporary romance fans.

This book was available via Kindle Unlimited as of the date of this review. 3 stars / 2 flames.

[dakotapie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved, loved, loved this story. From start to finish I couldn't wait to see what would happen and how the events around the pocket watch would impact Carrie and her relationship with Lucas. One of the things I loved about this novel was the perfect blend of paranormal with contemporary romance. With Carrie's gift, it wasn't overly paranormal which makes it the perfect book for someone who's looking for a little magic with their romance. And when you add in the suspense surrounding all the crime and mayhem Carrie finds herself in the middle of, well it's the perfect book to curl up by the fire with.

[Michele bookloverforever · Rating 3 out of 5]

psychometry...affects 2 cousins quite differently...

[virginia wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read

She keeps you interested and guessing throughout the entire book. I am certainly looking forward to reading her next book.