Touch

by Kris Bryant

As the go-to therapist at Elite Therapy, Dr. Hayley Sims is the best in her field. It’s exactly why she’s just been assigned her most challenging patient yet, hockey player Elizabeth Stone. Not because Stone’s injury is complicated, but because she is intense to work with and needs someone to keep her in check. When Hayley’s personal life starts unraveling and she realizes she might be developing feelings for her patient, she’s torn between finishing her assignment and walking away to protect herself. Can Hayley get Stone back on the ice in one piece while keeping her heart from breaking?

Genres: Romance, Sports, Lesbian, Lesbian Romance, Medical, Contemporary, LGBT

212 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Podcast with Tara Scott at queerlyrecommended.com

Multi-award winning author Kris Bryant was born in Tacoma, WA but has lived all over the world and now considers Kansas City her home. She received her B.A. in English from the University of Missouri and spends a lot of her time buried in books. She enjoys hiking, photography, spending time with her family, and her dog, Molly (who gets more attention than she does on Facebook).

Her first novel, Jolt, was a Lambda Literary Finalist. Forget Me Not was selected by the American Library Association's 2018 Over the Rainbow book list and was a Golden Crown Finalist for Contemporary Romance. Breakthrough won a 2019 Goldie for Contemporary Romance. Listen won a 2020 Goldie for Contemporary Romance. Temptation won a 2021 Goldie for Contemporary Romance. Not Guilty written under Bryant's pen name - Brit Ryder - won a 2022 Goldie for Erotica. Kris can be reached at krisbryantbooks@gmail or ww.krisbryant.net, @krisbryant14.

Jolt - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Whirlwind Romance - ebook, paperback
Just Say Yes (Novella in the wedding series) - ebook only
Taste - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Forget Me Not - ebook, paperback
Shameless (written as Brit Ryder) - ebook, audiobook
Girl Next Door Anthology - "Dog Day of Summer" - ebook, paperback
Touch - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Breakthrough - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Against All Odds - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Travel Anthology (short by Brit Ryder) - ebook, paperback
Listen - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Falling - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Tinsel - ebook, audiobook
Temptation - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Lucky - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Home - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Scent - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Not Guilty writing as Brit Ryder - ebook, paperback (audiobook in the works)
Always - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Forever - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Stranded Hearts (with Amanda Radley & Emily Smith) - ebook, paperback
Serendipity - ebook, paperback, audiobook

Reviews

[Lex Kent · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/4 Stars. I’m a fan of Bryant. I have read all of her full length books, and was looking forward to this one. This was a perfectly fine romance; it just wasn’t quite what I was hoping for.

Physical therapist Doctor Hayley Sims mostly works with children. She has given up working on injured athletes since they can be a PITA. But when her boss asks for the favor of helping a women’s professional hockey player, Elizabeth Stone, Hayley can’t say no. Stone is a little cocky, but also sweet and attractive. But not only is dating a patient a no-no, Hayley just happens to be engaged. As sparks fly, Hayley most decide what she really wants in her life, and if there is a place in it for Stone.

I enjoyed the premise of the book. I love books with docs, and I also enjoy sports. There was just enough women’s hockey to be enjoyable, but not enough to turn off any non-sports fans. It was also nice to have the book take place in Vermont (where I reside). I actually live very close to an apple orchard, so I thought the book got that right on. You would be surprised how many Vermont books, don’t actually sound like Vermont.

When it came to the romance I had mixed emotions. In the beginning, I found it to be too much “tell” instead of “show”. We are told they have this amazing chemistry, I didn’t actually see and feel it. Luckily, as the books goes on, it finally starts to click and they have a ton of sexual chemistry that is obvious and enjoyable. But there was one last part of the romance that didn’t really work for me. I felt like they were very compatible sexually, but I didn’t necessarily believe it was deeper than that. When the “I love yous” are said, I don’t know if I believed them. This felt more like we are just starting to get know each other kind of relationship, not a for sure forever lasting HEA relationship.

I had a few other problems like how Hayley treated her fiancé and how Stone acts in one part of the book. There were just things that didn’t really sit right with me. I don’t know how to say this last part without sounding insulting, but I found the writing to be pretty simple. Almost like this could have been a debut book, not from such a seasoned steady author like Bryant. Besides the great sexual chemistry, this didn’t really feel like one of her books to me.

I had issues with this that I am not as used to having with Bryant books, but to be clear this was still an enjoyable read. I have a feeling most romance fans will like this. Maybe I just have higher expectations since I am a fan of Bryant. Whatever the reason, this was a little bumpy for me, but I think I would still recommend it for the most part.

An ARC was given to me by BSB, for a honest review.

[Les Rêveur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I have found my new favourite Kris Bryant novel and this is a hard feat because I love every single one of her books. This novel felt like it was on another level though, I felt more connected to the characters, their obvious chemistry and the fact that reading it was simply so much fun.

Physical Therapist, Dr Hayley Sims is engaged to the egotistic and very successful Alison, who’s career as a Surgeon seems to come before everything in their lives, including Hayley. When the very passionate and sexy, Elizabeth Stone becomes Hayley’s patient, she doesn’t expect to have an unbelievable connection to her new patient. Is she supposed to be with Alison when her chemistry with Stone overshadows any she has with her fiancé?

I love these characters like close friends. They became almost intrinsic to the story as if it was real life. The build up between Stone and Hayley had me glued to the book and I couldn’t put it down. There is something in the way that Stone pursues Hayley that I found really exciting. Her ‘not taking no for an answer’ attitude was actually really sexy almost like she goes after what she wants until its hers! It added an edge of menace that only added to her allure.

The sexual chemistry in this book is off the hook. I had to take breaks because I could feel my heart beating fast and getting incredibly fired up! I’m about to make a statement and you can bet it won’t change soon… Kris Bryant writes my favourite sex scenes in Lesbian Romantic Fiction. No wonder she has started to dabble in Erotica, it’s in her blood. Most of the fun in her books are the build up to the protagonists having sex but when they do… Fireworks. And I think this novel has been the steamiest so far!

The secondary characters were excellent and added an extra element to Hayley and Stone, evolving throughout the novel. I especially loved Rachel, whom at first I worried was a threat to the blossoming relationship but in the end she ended up being one of my favourite characters in the novel. I’m really hoping Kris does a novel about her, Which would lead to more Hayley and Stone… That would be immense.

Another home-run from Kris Bryant.
5 stars

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Touch” has its moments, but it really isn’t a memorable book. I’m behind in writing reviews, and to write this one after finishing the book six weeks ago I had to dig into some bookmarks to remember the story and the characters.

Brittni Pope’s narration is generally very enjoyable. I shouldn’t keep using the word “sonorous” to describe her style….I’ll go with “richly mellow” this time. Unfortunately, though, in “Touch” she frequently doesn’t differentiate between characters well, and it’s particularly difficult to tell when Hayley is thinking to herself (and us), and when she’s talking out loud.

There seems to be a current trend in lesfic for engaged couples not working out, and “Touch” is definitely part of that trend. Some of the books explore the nature of commitment: is the promise of betrothal (the engagement period) a commitment between the couple, or a final check-out before the commitment of marriage? The timestamp of commitment has changed historically, and differs with different cultures. Whether acting on lust outside of “engagement” is an act of infidelity as is acting on lust outside of marriage might ultimately be left for the two parties to decide. But…they’d best communicate ahead of time and make sure their expectations are the same!

Actually, “Touch” doesn’t deeply address the above issue, but it certainly addresses what can happen when parties don’t communicate. Yep - non-communication…that’s the story with this story. When non-communication is prevalent, I need to really be invested in the characters to want to care that they resolve things and earn an HEA.

With “Touch”, I never really cared that much. Perhaps because I didn’t particularly like the characters. MC Hayley is engaged to Allison, a self-centered jerk to be sure, but she’s at least internally consistent throughout the book. She is who she is, and there’s probably somebody out there who’s right for her….just not in this book.

Hayley kind of knows she’s not happy, but never communicates much with herself, much less with Allison, about what she enjoys and wants out of life. MC Stone, the famous hockey player, likes that Hayley is attracted to Stone the person, not the famous athlete. There’s chemistry between our MCs, and Stone wants to build a relationship on more than lust and sex….but their weeklong adventure together never really felt romantic, just lustful. There were certainly a couple well-done scenes that their mutual lust was quite enjoyable, I must applaud!

But the break-up and make-up part of the story was beyond annoying. It’s like the MCs were suddenly back in middle-school. I won’t go into details and spoil anything….but it was annoying.

So, everybody wants Hayley and she’s rather susceptible to being controlled by strong-willed women; Stone wants more than sex with a woman, but quits at the first weak hint of “are you best for her?”; and the only one trying to communicate and fight for Hayley is the jilted ex-financée Allison, who’s too unlikeable to root for.

In the end more kisses and sex occurs, and everyone gets a unicorn under a rainbow. The end. 3* - meh.

[Corrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Touch is one of Kris Bryants less inspired books. Much has been written about it already and I pretty much agree on the points that came up.

Hayley Sims and Elizabeth Stone (or Stone, as she prefers to be called) have buckets of sexual chemistry between them, but I don’t feel they are long lasting relationship material. Bryant tries to convince us really hard in the last chapter, but it didn’t sway me.

I was not a fan of how Hayley handled the break-up with her fiancée, and Stone taking a stupid pill to usher in the 80% drama was just… ugh!

Kris Bryant has written enough solid romances for me to always be a fan of her work. Touch will not change that.

f/f hot!

Themes: ice hockey, physical therapy, apples, the ex, really Stone?

3.4 Stars

[vacatedboat · Rating 2 out of 5]

The characters in this story were too emotionally immature for my liking. It may have been the writing that made them come across this way, but I just wasn't happy with this book. The writing, the characters...ugh.

I hate to be harsh here (but let’s be honest, me saying so is really just a prelude to me being harsh), but the writing in this reminds me of a debut novel that never saw an editor. I would have expected to pick this up on KU, not from one of the bigger lesfic publishers.

I'm not sure where this book takes place. Vermont is mentioned once, but I'm not sure what 26-story high-rise Stone is living in (mentioned at loc 2018), as no such thing exists in Vermont. Maybe she lives in a cave on the side of a mountain, as that's the closest anyone is going to get to 26 stories up in this state.

Anyway, this is the second bad review I've written in a week and I just don't feel good about it, so I'm going to plug a different book here. If you haven't read anything by Kris Bryant and you're curious about her, skip this and try 'Whirlwind Romance,' as it's a much better representation of what this author is capable of as a writer. I loved that book and wish I could have loved this one, too.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not fully convinced of this book. I’ve read others from this author which were more satisfying. It was not was I was expecting.

The story is about the physical therapist Dr. Hayley Sims and the star hockey player Elizabeth Stone. Lately, Hayley works only with children, but when her boss asks her for a favor, she can’t reject. Stone is a very attractive and cocky hockey player, who injured herself in a car accident. There are sparks since the first meeting. But Hayley is planning her wedding with her financée. And dating a patient is an absolute no go.

First I love sport and docs. So the combination of doc and athlete was promising. But there are a few things, I didn’t like very much. The whole romance between Hayley and Stone seems to me to be rushed. Hayley has barely blown off the wedding when she starts dating the new woman. After she complained about to much control from her previous partner, she almost let herself be pushed to the first date. This isn’t convincing. I would have felt better when there would have been more time between separating and dating again. And also Stone has her moments when she wasn’t believable how she acts in some part of the book. And personally, I would have loved a little bit more hockey.

It was an OK read, not the best one from this author.
My rating 3.25 stars.

[Mekeia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read, but I had some issues with this book.

1. The break up of the first relationship. It was juvenile. I mean, you don't just break off a long term commitment like that, and then move on so quickly. It was just weird. And callous. And middle school.

2. The main relationship - again, juvenile. It was just silly how that played out. Also, I thought stone would at least give some attitude in the beginning since we kept hearing about how difficult athletes were and how Hailey was specifically requested to take on this difficult athlete. There was no such moment where Stone behaved in such a manner. The break up in between - so so so juvenile.

The weird thing is, the book was actually well written if the issues and characters and relationships had been better fleshed out.

Im not sure how I feel about this book...

[Alexis · Rating 2 out of 5]

People really are terrible and this book proves it.

Every now and then I read a book and end up really disliking one of its characters. In this book there are 3 of those horrendous humans! First thing's first, what counts as cheating? Is it sleeping with someone else or does kissing someone else count as well? What about emotional cheating? Get ready to ponder those questions when reading this book.

For a book that's labeled as 'romance' there is very little of it to be found within it's pages. Sure Hayley and Stone have great sexual chemistry but everything else about them only managed to tick me off.

The following are called spoilers for a reason so proceed with caution because they sum up the entire book and are the reasons why I wanted to throw my E-reader out the window.
Hayley calls off her engagement to her fiancée Alison because she considers her too controlling. That's fair enough but barely three (!) weeks later she is seduced and pressured into a date by Stone who relentlessly pursued her. If someone is fresh out of a relationship and asks for space how big of a jerk are you to still chase after them? They date less than a month, only for Stone to call it off because of things Alison told her. Her excuses for doing so are truly ridiculous and yet Hayley welcomes her back with open arms. For women 28 and 31 years old respectively they sure seem to lack emotional maturity.

I wouldn't know who to recommend this book to but give it a try if you're feeling brave. It just wasn't for me.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a big fan of Bryant's work and was looking forward to reading her next book. Unfortunately this one didn't hit the mark the way her previous books have for me. The story didn't flow well for me where it felt more like certain things happened at specific times based on a schedule instead of it naturally flowing with the story.

I was not a fan of Stone, I really tried but just found that she was an ass at the start and towards the end. She was pushy and felt that she never thought about Hayley and her feelings. I thought Hayley forgave her too quickly.

I did think the characters had good chemistry.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of chemistry between the characters. Liked the working relationship. Some nice romantic moments mixed into the story, not all just steamy sex and angst.

[Gaby LezReviewBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a romance between Physical therapist Hayley Sims and professional hockey player Elizabeth Stone. They first meet in Hayley's practice, Stone in need of therapy as a result of an injury. There is some initial chemistry but Hayley has a fiancée and there's the obvious doctor-patient relationship restriction. As time goes by their feelings start to run deeper, will they have their happily ever after?

'Touch' is written in first person in present tense, a style that might take some time to get used to. It's only Hayley's point of view so the reader doesn't have the chance to get much into Stone's headspace apart from a good deal of telling by the author. My main issue with this book is that some parts of the plot seem a bit rushed and others a bit unrealistic. These issues somehow stopped the natural flow of the story and weakened the main characters' chemistry. It's an ok read but I enjoyed Bryant's book 'Taste' much more. 3 stars.

ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

See all my reviews at
www.lezreviewbooks.wordpress.com

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kris Bryant really is one of the best authors going when it comes to romances that are told in the first person. The present tense also brings an immediacy that means we’re with Hayley for every step of her journey and we get to know her very well.

Full review: https://www.thelesbianreview.com/touc...

[C. Mack · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comfortable, easy read.

A sweet, easy read that I tackled in one sitting. The characters were likeable with just enough development to get where they were coming from.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The only other Kris Bryant book I've read at this point is her novella Just Say Yes: The Proposal, which I liked well enough. It was a short, fluffy story but it was an enjoyable read. I wasn't quite as impressed with this book. I didn't find the main character to be very likable and it ended up being one of those books where the characters just needed to talk to each other.

Hayley Sims is a physical therapist who mainly works with children and babies, but as a favor to her boss, she takes on professional hockey player Elizabeth Stone, even though athletes are notoriously difficult clients. Stone starts out abrasive and critical but the two women soon fall into a tension-filled flirtation, though Hayley is unhappily engaged and Stone is still on the mend. By the time they do actually get together, issues of commitment and communication soon throw a wrench into their steamy romance.

There were a lot of things I really liked about this story and these characters. I liked Hayley's independence arc with her new friend Rachel after her breakup--I just wish we got more of it. If a romance novel starts out with a breakup from an old partner, I prefer there to be a healing element before they fall into bed with someone else. We got a little of that, but not enough. And Kris Bryant really knows how to turn up the heat with her erotica...I mean, wow. It makes me want to move her erotic romance, Shameless (written under a different name), up on my to-read shelf.

But I was really turned off by the way Hayley acted towards her ex. For the first quarter of the book, Hayley is engaged to Alison. They're both successful, busy doctors who seem to get along well enough on the page, but apparently, Hayley is just miserable. If we're supposed to hate Alison, that didn't happen with me. I actually felt sorry for the poor woman. She was a little overbearing and eventually tried to sabotage Hayley's relationship with Stone, but damn, Hayley really was a savage to her. She broke off their engagement and cut off all contact so quickly that I'd be reeling just as much as Alison was.

There were so many "cheating" red flags early in the book that made me not like Hayley. Even when she was still engaged, she was resentful of Alison's presence, kept secrets from her, and flirted openly with Stone. Even though many others wouldn't consider it outright infidelity, it felt close enough to me. It seemed like we were supposed to sympathize with Hayley more, but I just didn't, which made me root for her HEA less and less.

In another book, Alison would be the hero and Hayley the villain, but I suppose that's just how complex stories and relationships work, which made me up my rating from two stars to three. This is a mature romance with mature themes, and even if they didn't all work for me, I get why others would be drawn to them.

I actually liked Stone a lot more than I liked Hayley and I wish she was the first-person narrator. She falls into the hothead athlete stereotype a little bit, but I often like those characters in romance because we get to see their softer sides. She's also incredibly sexy, dominant, and eager to please in bed, which...yum.

(I find that I'm actually a lot like Hayley and Rachel in that I love ladies who plays sports but still remain one of those wild, weird lesbians who really couldn't care less about the games themselves).

The last quarter of the book was very frustrating because it relied on miscommunication. It's a long-lasting trope, but a tired one, and I'm glad it was resolved quick. This and Bryant's reliance on very short, brief sentence structures made me long for a little bit of technical editing, but it certainly didn't make it a messy or bad book.

All in all, not my favorite story or characters, but there were certainly parts that kept my interest.

[Elske · Rating 3 out of 5]

Superficial but nice. Ok read, but not more than that.

[Dreaming · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. It's a simple romance novel with great chemistry between the main characters. The seemingly necessary break-up seemed forced and silly, but the rest of the book was nice and likable.

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

*ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review*

I have mixed feelings about this book; on the one hand I really loved the chemistry between Stone and Hayley, but on the other I didn't like the way the story was told.

Stone and Hayley have great chemistry from the beginning and that only gets better as the story and relationship move along. I like how the author dealt with Hayley and Alison's relationship, with regards to avoiding a story about cheating but I do think that that relationship wasn't given much importance in the story, considering that they were basically walking down the aisle when it ended.

I have a really difficult time reading books that are in the present tense so I tend to not become as immersed in the story as I would like, which is what happened here. Overall this was an enjoyable read and is good if you are looking for a easy romance.

*3.7 stars

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a huge sports fan, I loved reading this book. It's about Dr. Hayley Sims, who works to rehab professional hockey player, Elizabeth Stone or "Stone", as she's known. Stone is the typical athlete trying to overcome what could potentially be a career ending injury, so super stubborn. And Dr. Hayley is doing her best to overcome that stubbornness for her client's best interest. The give and taken between the two characters was especially enjoyable to read with the sports backdrop. At least, for me as a former athlete and fan of sports. This story could have been pretty cliche, but Bryant does a good job taking a few unexpected turns whilst still giving the reader the expected romance. Bryant can be hit or miss for me, but this is a hit.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A romance between an injured hockey player, Stone, and her physiotherapist, Hailey. While I find the sports connotation enjoyable, the relationship itself is not as well-developed as I hoped. There's sexual attraction between the two, that's for sure. But the romance and ending seems quute rushed. The “issue” that arises when their relationship was starting was resolved very quickly and quite simply. It's a nice enough love story but I wish it was longer so we can really get deeper into the characters.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Another enjoyable read by Kris Bryant. I found myself totally able to relate to Hayley and her predicament. The fact the story is told in first person and completely from her point of view, meant I became a lot more invested in her than Stone. I didn't dislike Stone, I just never felt I got to know her.

The conflict, or should I say person who caused strife, came as no surprise. It's a tried and true plot device that's been used many times.

For those fond of some hot loving, there's a good dose of spice to whet the appetite ;)

All in all, this is a well-rounded story many readers of lesfic are bound to enjoy.

Copy provided by the publisher, Bold Strokes Books, via NetGalley.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read nearly everything from this author, and I have enjoyed them all. This one is my favorite, but it is close near tie to Forget Me Not. I though the chemistry between Stone and Hayley was written very well. They are a hot hot couple. When I first began the book and realized Hayley was in a relationship already, I wondered how in the world Bryant would pull off a breakup, and a new forever love in one short novel. She pulled it off. I think she is better for dropping Alison and wonder why she didn’t do so sooner. Both main characters were great, but I really enjoyed Hayley. Bryant backed the mains up with good secondary characters and for me this book was a win.

[Chand · Rating 1 out of 5]

NetGalley review copy

The biggest problem with this book is that it's a romance novel called Touch but it fails to touch one's heart. The story seems to have been told with disinterest and that also shows in the characters' motivations and reactions. The protagonists' growing attraction is not convincing and neither is their courtship or break-up. The novel did have a lot of potential and it is surprising that it's been written by a seasoned author.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hayley is a physiotherapist, she usually works with kids but at her boss's instance she takes on a Hockey player, Elizabeth Stone. The two struggle with their attraction which is only complicated by a doctor-patient relationship. Will love prevail over a hockey player's busy schedule and Hayley's complicated personal life?

This is not a cheating story, I nearly put it down several times because of this, but it's not like that. If you're like me and this turns you off a book, don't worry and keep reading, this story is well worth it. I enjoyed this much more than the last book I read by this author. The POV worked really nicely and the story was well balanced and well paced.

I loved Hayley's growth in this story, really really loved it. Her job was really fascinating as well, the kids are so cute. Nice love story and a very sexy one at that. The ending was sooo sweet, I awwww-ed out loud!

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[LeeBookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m still giving this book 5-stars b/c it was a page turner, had some good steam, & I loved the peek into the world of physical therapy & the world of women’s hockey. I think the parts I disliked from this book are b/c I can’t personally understand why someone would act that way. I HATE the trope of breaking up with someone b/c that’s what’s best for them. Do people really do that? I personally doubt it BUT I only know my own mind. I believe the only people who use that reason for breaking up just want out of the relationship themselves. I feel like if you love someone, and they want you too, who the hell would throw that away?? It would be torture. I’m probably just in a mood so I’ll wrap it up by saying you won’t regret giving this one a go. I definitely couldn’t put it down. Kris Bryant never fails to deliver some quality chemistry.

[Penelope · Rating 4 out of 5]

An honest review thanks to NetGalley. I did like this book, it was a great read and romance. The chemistry between Stone and Hayley was off the charts, and you could feel it come off the page. The reason this did not get five stars was because of Alison. There seemed to be no problems between her and Hayley until she was ending it. I was a bit blindsided, and then Stone appears, then the issue with Stone and Allision. I felt as if Bryant was bringing in all of these problems for the characters to work through that didn't make much sense overall. Even with these issues I did really like this book, you will enjoy.

[Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Haley Sims knows who she is and what is important to her, pediatric physical therapy. Elizabeth Stone, knows who she is and what is important to her, recovery and ice hockey. This is a romantic read about aging and coming to terms with what is important. What is important varies from person-to-person and both Haley and Stone discover people and relationships as important.

ARC provided by Bold Strokes Books Inc. via NetGalley for a review.

[Lesbian Romance Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story had sweet spots and what spots. I feel like with a few more emotional chapters this could have been better. I'm all for apples and apple pie but it needed a touch more.

Jae's Sapphic Reading Challenge:
character is a medical professional

[Orcbard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure what to think about this book. The characters and theme are all over the place. The writing is very simple, quite different than Kris' other books.

MC Hayley was assertive and blunt at the beginning and said to work well with difficult clients. But then she became submissive to Stone's unprofessional flirting and was also portrayed as a doormat to her ex. In her narrator's voice, she recognised the ex's shortcomings but also repeatedly made up excuses for her until Stone won her over. Her personality is not "complex", it's inconsistent and plot-driven.

Stone was... too perfect until the plot demanded her to be "stone" cold. She was told to be very difficult, but she only stayed that way for exactly one scene. For a cool athlete type, she's even more demure than Hayley was supposed to be, especially when I learned of the twist. Their chemistry was too much telling and not much showing.

And then there was the random woman who Hayley befriended. Who was this character supposed to be? Was she supposed to be a love rival to Stone? But Hayley's ex, Alison, had already been set up to fill that spot. Was she supposed to be a supportive friend? Was she there only to tell Hayley what to feel at the end? But we already have Gloria, Hayley's boss / friend person. It would have been better if they grew closer because Hayley confided in her instead of hiding things from her.

Okay read.

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as Taste, but I really liked it. I really liked Haley's character a lot.

[Ty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a bit frustrating to read because it had potential but didn’t end up fulfilling it. I think the main problem was pacing. It was too short, the relationship progressed too quickly, and even scene transitions felt erratic. There was so much space that could have been filled in, and it could have been used to build chemistry between Stone and Hayley (which was initially missing).