Touched

by Mara White

-Does your sister let you touch her, Gemini?
-Barely, but, yes, more than anyone else. I remember even in preschool when the teacher would grab her hand, she’d stare at the spot where their skin connected as if it were an affront to her existence. Just stand there and glare like she wanted to hurt someone.
-Junipera suffers from a rare phobia.
-Please, what does June not suffer from?
-When did she start chasing storms?
-In third grade she started obsessing about the rain. Full blown? I’d say after hurricane Katrina she never looked back. And she didn’t just chase them, June became those wild storms.

Junipera and Gemini Jones, Irish twins born during the month of June, survive a childhood of neglect and poverty by looking out for one another. Destined for a group home, the girls are rescued by a rich aunt and uncle who move them from Northern Minnesota to Fairfield, Connecticut. One sister thrives while the other spins out of control. A violent assault leaves Gemini searching for clues, but what she finds might be questions that are better left unanswered.

Genres: Fiction, Emotional, Contemporary

269 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 25, 2017

About the author

Mara White is a contemporary romance and erotica writer who laces forbidden love stories with hard issues, such as race, gender and inequality. She holds an Ivy League degree but has also worked in more strip clubs than even she can remember. She is not a former Mexican telenovela star contrary to what the tabloids might say, but she is a former ballerina and will always remain one in her heart. She lives in NYC with her husband and two children and yes, when she’s not writing you can find her on the playground.


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Or Twitter: https://twitter.com/authormarawhite

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Reviews

[Emma Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a truly beautiful book. It's raw, real, and possessing of a quiet poetry. The prose is so understated and yet contains so much. I know that sounds vague but this is the kind of book you read and savor, as a reader, in your own way.

It's not your typical romance by any stretch. And that's not a bad thing. The cover, while beautiful, can lead one down that road but the reality is that it's so much more and yet hard to categorize. Women's lit, romance, and, in part, a coming of age story between two sisters who grew up in terrible poverty. Yet their situation was rendered so well, without shock value; without sensationalism. It put you right there. With unbrushed teeth, ratty shoes, and little kids cooking for themselves because their mother can't. Brutally beautiful and not always easy to read, but sometimes we need a book that feeds the soul, rather than tantalizes. This is that book.

There is romance, but more than that, there is deep, deep, love. Between sisters, between those who love June who has become "untouchable" due to trauma, and from Alaric, who grew to love and need both sisters as they all struggled through the brutality of their childhood.

...she’d always wondered if he was real, or just a creature comfort she and her sister had conjured to ease the cold burn of their childhood.

June was smiling devilishly and her sensuality turned him on. Everything June did, he appreciated. [He] liked how she moved through the world.

I could quote so many more passages but they fit into a beautiful whole, leading to an emotionally gut-punch of an ending. The fact that this book deals with the devastation of Hurricane Katrina at a time when Harvey has ravaged Texas, feels not just timely, but somehow appropriate. The ARC fell in my lap at the exact right time.

I realize this review is all over the place, but the bottom line is this is a unique, lovely human story and I highly recommend it.

[Jx PinkLady Reviews ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have procrastinated and am still mulling over how to review and rate this story, I’m still not sure of my thoughts except that perhaps my expectation was that the plot would take a different direction. Perhaps this is because there is, what I considered, an important line in the narrative that I felt was contradicted when the complex story arc came full circle. Touched has many layers in its makeup, many puzzle pieces and I felt like I spent a lot of time trying to figure out where everything fit and then feeling slightly perplexed as it developed which was further exacerbated by the time transitions that jumped around somewhat. Perhaps as a suspense it works exactly as the author intended. Mara White is definitely a very talented writer, I totally appreciate and respect the written word in her work but somehow the narrative lost my engagement.

I’m not blurb reader, I tend to go into stories with little information, it’s how I like to read but in the case of Touched, I think having all the information in the blurb right before reading may have enhanced my enjoyment and added a certain amount of clarity to my thinking. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. The suspense element kept me thinking and surmising and ensured this story stayed with me a while after. A contemporary, intriguing piece of fiction that is very different from anything else I have read, a super plus point in reading material.


CHAPTER 1 -->

August 28th, 2005


June drove almost all night. The farthest south she’d ever been was Oklahoma, going after a tornado, and she’d flown past the Louisiana state line around four in the morning. She wasn’t exactly sure where she would stay since she’d heard on the radio that all of greater New Orleans had been placed under a mandatory evacuation order. Experience told her that there would be at least one hotel open downtown where reporters were holed up. She’d followed their lead before, pretending to be chasing the story and not the storm. They usually had the best intel and she would leech off of them if she could. The storm had been given a name when she turned into a hurricane—Katrina, they called her, and she’d become a category three when she hit land in Florida. But now she had free rein over warm open water. That meant her hunger would gain and when she touched Louisiana, she’d do it with a vengeance. She was expected to hit land around six in the morning, as a category five. June had never actually seen a five before, but she knew roofs, cars and trees would go flying through the air like paper dolls, sucked up into the vortex and spit out indiscriminately.
Traffic snaked away from the Gulf in impossibly long lines of chrome and glass, rubber tires packed full of momentum wishing they could go faster. June had the speed they wanted as hers was one of the very few cars racing in the opposite direction. She came down I-55, and when she hit the I-10 bypass, the seriousness of the evacuation became apparent. Anyone who could was getting the hell out of New Orleans.
Storm excitement felt very much like a hormone—tipsy, punch-drunk and out of control. June got high off the anticipation; she tuned out the radio and the long line of evacuees and listened to the storm. She spoke its language. June lowered the windows in the Beamer so she could feel the pressure in the air. Her blood surged in her body like the ocean tides do in response to its pull. Her extremities tingled; so did her nose. She could taste the storm on the tip of her tongue, like a spike, a live wire, a sharp blade laced with coppery blood. Katrina called to her and June’s thigh muscles quivered.
June laid into the gas. Sometimes municipal law enforcement would block incoming traffic as well. June knew how to pose as a news reporter, but she wasn’t the most convincing candidate. Stringy blonde baby hair, lithe body like a cattail reed, clothing that was two sizes too big for her. She looked more like a painter or a homeless person despite driving a BMW. But her passion was always convincing, and her hope was that if Katrina was as big as she promised to be, whoever was watching would be too distracted to waste precious energy on just one life when hundreds of thousands were at stake.
“You a chaser?” the man asked her. He was a plainclothes officer, or maybe a reporter? She couldn’t be sure. He was the third person to stop her since she’d made it into the abandoned city. Anyone left on the streets was in transit, looking for a way out. More than one person had flagged her down and asked for a ride to the Superdome.
“No, I report to the Weather Channel directly,” June snapped. She stuck her anemometer on top of her small rolling suitcase. “I’ve got a room at the Riverside Hilton,” she said. She’d parked Uncle Ben’s BMW in the closest parking garage, reserved the room with his Mastercard. The receptionist only asked her if she knew there was a city-wide mandatory evacuation in progress. June looked up at her as if she were insulted. She smacked a press card on the desk. It wasn’t hers and the receptionist didn’t check it.
The cop or reporter was sold with the card. He figured hustlers or chasers couldn’t afford digs like hers. She walked briskly past him and flashed him her key card. What was he going to do? Arrest her and take her to jail? They had bigger things to worry about. This city was about to get slammed and everyone who’d stayed knew their lives would be in danger.
There were maybe a hundred or so of them in the Hilton. June recognized all the chasers, and not just because she’d seen them at other storms. It was their wily nature, their eyes holding the spark instead of the dread that was written all over the faces of the real press in the crowd. Some were there for the historic record and others, like Junipera, were there for the fix.
The wind started to scream at around eleven that evening. June wrapped her camera and her meter tightly in Saran Wrap, then stuck them in Ziploc bags along with her paper and pens. She packed all of the tiny water bottles and soda, peanuts and pretzels from the mini fridge into her backpack. Rolled up her blue tarp, Swiss Army knife, extra pair of underwear, waterproof pants and windbreaker and stowed them alongside the food.
The rain lashed the windows and splashed against them in sheets as if her hotel window were the windshield and she was moving slowly through a vigorous carwash. June stepped outside onto the balcony around two in the morning; the rain seemed to have died down but the wind was picking up, the trees across the way bending and straining, at times leaning almost horizontally. Her anemometer picked up wind speeds over eighty miles per hour. It’s the eastern side of the hurricane that packs the power punch. When that came calling, the hotel would be bending like the trees.
The television in the room blared with the constant evacuation warnings. June watched the Doppler radar image on a loop, circling toward the city like a hanging jaw going from red to purple. Hungry, angry wind and water were coming. June filled the bath tub, reinforced the metal stopper with Saran Wrap, did the same to the sink. She plunked down on the bed, splayed her limbs wide and stared at the ceiling.
The demon bared its teeth, and the windsong progressed from scream to roar, drowning out the warnings on the television. The beast was in the room, she was everywhere, surrounding them. June flinched every time she heard glass pop and shatter.
The window shook with the ferocity of a King Kong tantrum. Junipera imagined the tall Hilton as a toy in a child’s diorama reproduction of the French Quarter. Her fingers dug in and she held tight to the edge of the mattress. The room went black and the television silent when the power failed. The roar got louder, filling up her ears to find a way inside her skull.
At six-thirty in the morning her windows finally burst; the shades flew into the room and danced a madcap jig, wrenching themselves from the sliding track. June watched, eyes wide, as the one on the left took flight, a flash of soaring white in the dark sky before it flew out of sight. She crawled along the carpeted floor that was now soaked in brackish water, rolled to her back and filmed the macabre sky. The center of the hurricane looked like the center of a starfish, opening and beckoning, then folding in on its own hungry embrace. If there were Gods they were angry, monsters immune to the rules of give and take. June’s ears popped with the pressure while debris flew over her head, sometimes inches from her face. Then the rain began to plop down again in enormous drops. She stuck her camera under her shirt.
No sun rose and daybreak came in without color. From white to grey to a drab blue, the subdued tones of pigeons colored the horizon. When the roar finally moved far enough west to quiet, her ears still buzzed with its scream as if it had taken up house in her head. June could hear the beating of propellers—Army, she assumed, and not meteorological. The sound of periodic gunfire she decided to tell herself was exploding transformers and not ruthless people taking advantage of a ghost city with only a weary skeleton crew to protect it. She washed her face and armpits in the water she’d saved in the sink. Brushed her teeth, spitting in the toilet. She drank from the bathwater as if it were a baptismal font. It tasted as warm as the humid air around her.
It was still a good storm raging outside but June figured she’d head to the command center and hang with the reporters, hear their assessment of the damage. Running her fingers through her tangled hair was the best she could do for appearances. Nobody would care. The room, which had probably been a continental breakfast concierge haven, was now buzzing with reporters using an antiquated form of dial-up to communicate with the greater world. With a crashed electrical grid, the means for direct communication were severed. Someone had made coffee from instant crystals and bathwater. June helped herself to two mugs full as she listened to their chatter and took notes. Analog reporting, they were relaying messages like it was 1984. June heard reports of levees breeched, ruptured, possible flooding, but no one seemed to know for certain. She left the command center and went back to her room, pulled on her waterproof pants and rain boots, and put a sweater on under her windbreaker even though the humidity was stifling. She walked out the door with nothing more than her equipment and tiny rations in a backpack.
“Which way is the ninth ward?” she asked the security guard standing by the sliding glass doors. He looked her up and down reproachfully and Junipera tried to stand even taller than her already generous five feet ten inches.
“To your left. It’s a long walk, and believe me, from what they’re saying you don’t want to go there. Head to the Convention Center instead.”
“Thanks,” June said. She stepped out into the dense fog and turned left.
“There’s still debris flying. Hurricane ain’t over yet!” the security guard shouted after her.
She disappeared from his view, swallowed up by the insatiable mouth that wasn’t yet finished feeding on New Orleans




Advance copy provided for my honest review thoughts *

[Betül · Rating 5 out of 5]

**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**



"Her sister was made exactly how she was supposed to be. Untouchable."

The blurb summarizes the story well however it doesn't prepare you for the impact it'll have on you. Touched was unpredictable, I had no idea what to expect and the direction the author would take with this story. I was blown away with how much I was sucked into Junipera and Gemini Jones' story. I was intrigued by these unique and beautiful characters, I especially loved how free and fearless June was. She touched so many characters in this book, and she touched me as well. The layout of the story in regards to the timeline could be a bit confusing, but I didn't really mind them at all. I think it was the perfect way to tell this story.

"June was a free bird; no cages could withstand her. Escape or die trying."

Touched was fun, emotional, heartbreaking, magical and sad at times. But it felt real and raw. I also appreciated that the author highlighted one particular disaster that happened in the USA. I loved how everything eventually fell into place, how everything was connected. It was hard for me to contain my tears, so I went ahead and cried my eyes out. Touched was such a powerful story and definitely one of my favorite reads of the year. I am going to miss all the characters, and wish there was an epilogue, but it didn't me bother as much as it would for other stories. The author did such a phenomenal job with this book and it will always have a special place in my heart. I didn't go into the plot on purpose because I think it's best to go in blind!

[Deanna❤Pink Lady❤️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

This was a somewhat hard review to write. I would like to start out by saying that the writing of Mara White was wonderful. The characters in the story were extremely complex and flawed. Juniper and Gemini had a very rough upbringing. Their grownup years would be forever marked. But what I had was a somewhat difficult time with the transitional jumps in this story, the three different timelines, and the many different POVs. For me, it kept me from truly feeling for the characters.

There are many wonderful reviews for this book and I feel that it just may have been a case of me and not the book. This is not a romance book but more of a women's fiction book. The topics of sisterly love, neglect, mental health, crime, death, foster care, storm chasing, and Hurricane Katrina are dispersed throughout the story creating an interesting and at times intriguing read.

*advance copy provided by Ardent Prose in exchange for an honest review*

[Suanne Laqueur · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book about appetite. Poor appetites and appetites that can't be satiated. The appetite of the belly and the appetite of the flesh. Those who hunger and will never be filled. Those who... oh Christ, I'm never going to get this right. The writing was voracious and hungry and insatiable. It's a story that will devour you as you stuff your face with it. I'm not only touched, I'm digested.

Just read it.

[B.B. Easton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can confidently say, without a shred of doubt, that this story and these people will stay with me for the rest of my life. They exist on a different plane, a level of importance and sophistication and beauty that most writers will never ascend to. I bow down, Mara White. You wrote a category 5 masterpiece.

[EscapeNBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Touched by Author Mara White quickly became one of my favorite reads of this year.

“God makes us each how we are, June. Unique, special, different from others. You touch people with your actions, with your heart. I can see that and I just met you.”

I am not quite sure how to wrap up my feelings on this novel in a review that is worthy of the words that Author Mara White gifted to us in the pages of this novel. It was deep, soul-searching, making us question humans, their actions, and the subsequent result of said actions.

Touched reminded me a lot of a Tim Burton movies. We were given the facts piece-by-piece, all the while wondering how these fragments would play out in the story. I loved how the author gave us clues and hints about the characters through through their own personal stories, without actually just coming out and saying it. The use of colors and emotions vividly painted objects, actions, and backdrops, making us feel the story on a much deeper level.

"For a girl who didn’t touch people and refused all physical affection, June had discovered a beautiful strength hidden in her imperfections. If she wanted to let go, she simply had to grab hold as hard as she could."

Bravery. Humility. Desire. Strength. Love. There are several characters in this story who play sIgnificant roles in the development of the plot. But I have to talk specifically about one. June. She was this enigmatic creature whose essence was like a beacon. She was so surreal, she appeared to be other-worldly. Her love was beautiful, pristine, and the most precious commodity to so many. It both thrilled and saddened me to experience affection through her eyes.

"...she knew first hand that when love was put into action, it was enough to save us all. Love wasn’t just a band-aid, it was the cure."

For me, Touched was an ugly cry, cut-me-to-the-core novel. It was an exceptional example of life in written word, and I was completely enamored by it.

[Laura Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Touched
By: Mara White
4.5 Stars

Well my goodness, where to start with this fantastic story!! Mara White has become an author that I expect a great story from. One that is so unlike any other books out there. This one is no exception!
It is a story that from the very beginning till the very last page will have you so enthralled in it, your real life will suffer.

This book is broken down into 2 parts. Part 1 is June and Gem growing up and the life these two girls were brought up in. Part 2 is the adult lives of June and Gem. No description I could give could do this book justice. It’s a book that needs to be read, to give this book all the credit it deserves. I will say though, this is not a romance book, this is a wonderful story that everyone needs to read!

A couple things I want to mention, the layout of this book is a bit confusing to begin with. The jumping back and forth in years, places, make sure to read the chapter titles to keep up with where you are. It helps tremendously. Took me a couple chapters to get this down pat. While the story is a beautiful story, I felt as though situations were over descriptive. Finding myself having to go back and re-read what I was reading just to back up and grasp what I was reading. Sometimes, in my opinion too much takes away from the beautiful story that is trying to be told. For this alone, I am taking a .5 star off my rating. Otherwise, this fantastic book would have been a Solid 5-star book. Just my opinion.

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[Carlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

It is difficult to review a book that impacts you in an almost uncomfortable way, Touched was impossible to put down and is now impossible to not think about. Mara White tells an unpredictable story of three individuals during the peak moments of their lives. We see snippets of elementary school, of their rough living situations, coming of age moments that aren't quite the norm, of adulthood and the learning that comes with growing older. Gem and June are Irish twin sisters and opposite in nearly every way. Gem craves consistency, knowledge, the comfort of another, while June shies away from touch, seeks adventure, and struggles with her connection between food and comfort. Children of an absentee mother, they learn to survive on their own, keeping their situation a secret from everyone except Alaric. Though he is the same age as June, Alaric is more experienced in the world, accustomed to being on the run and the ever changing walls of various foster homes. Together they form a bond, the three of them growing together, maturing together, experiencing together. Their bond is unique, filled with love and compassion and trust, but to outsiders it is inappropriate. Through the years they fall in and out of touch, but their bond remains the same, always connected to one another. As adults Gem seeks stability and what she deems a normal life and June seeks storms, the wild instability of nature that connects to her soul like nothing else.

"Three blind mice. See how they run."

It's no romance and it's not an easy read, but it is a story that reads much like real life with the beautiful prose of Mara White bringing it to life. The girls and Alaric take life's difficulties and turn them into positives, their outlook on the world is cynical and beautiful at the same time, their desire for independence and adventure is so refreshing. The chaos of their lives makes for an enchanting, other-worldly read, especially with June's calling to nature. The storms mirror their youth, the instability and unruliness make for the perfect adventure for a girl who could never accept the ugly world of poverty, laziness, and handouts. Nature is her lover, the snow and rain her comfort, with Gem tethering her to earth and Alaric offering her the only other compassion she knows how to accept.

"It hurt to hurt her. He swallowed her cries with his mouth and tried so hard to make it something beautiful."

Touched is told over several years, in two parts, and from the perspective of two main characters as well as three fully developed secondary characters. It was difficult to keep up with the pacing, the changing from past to present, and the alternating perspectives. Mara makes sure readers are aware of who is speaking and what year and location each chapter takes place and ultimately the confusion works out for the story. It was like being inside the head of each character, especially that of June's as she dealt with the difficult hand that life gave her while also being so compassionate and the most understanding of individuals.

"Tears rolled down June's cheeks and she refused to open her eyes and let Maude see all of the ugly pain she held onto inside."

I found myself discussing Touched with my significant other, reading him lines and summarizing chapters as I read. Though it doesn't perfectly fit into any single genre, Touched is a psychological fiction that makes you truly look at life and creature comforts. It's a book you start without expectations and finish with a heavy heart, changed forever by Mara White's incredible storytelling ability.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Touched is a story that I will soon not forget. This is my first Mara White book and most definitely will not be my last. While I had some difficulty reading this book due to how it was written, I was still able to feel every bit of Mara's writing.

This story is completely different from what I've read in the past. In all honesty, I think this may be my first women's fiction book. I had no idea what to expected when I jumped into this book. The blurb doesn't even come close to giving you the true depths of this book. It's about so much more.

“God makes us each how we are, June. Unique, special, different from others. You touch people with your actions, with your heart. I can see that and I just met you.”

Gemini and Juniper are Irish twins who grew up in poverty. But they made the most of what they had. Gem was the most resourceful of the two, making sure they both had what they needed to survive. June was the more free bird of two; nothing stopped her once she had heart and mind set on something. And these two were inseparable; they were dependent upon one another in order to survive. But Gem suffered from a phobia that caused her a lot of hindrances as they grew up - she didn't like to be touched by anyone, aside from her sister. Until they met Alaric. These three formed a bond like no other - it was very unique bond too.

"The good Lord made us the way he intended us to be. There are no mistakes in His divine hands."

There are so many important characters in this book, not just Gem, June and Alaric. Each characters plays significant role in their own way. But June really stood out to me. She was an enigma. How largely she lived without ever touching anyone but still touched them each in different ways, speaks volumes about her as a person.

"For a girl who didn't touch people and refused all physical affection, June had discovered a beautiful strength hidden in her imperfections. If she wanted to let go, she simply had to grab hold as hard as she could."

I know that my review may seem as vague as the blurb as to how truly deep this goes. It's a book that you have to experience on your own. I will state that titles of each chapter will be a huge help in reading and understanding as you go along. Mara flips between past and present within the chapters and it sometimes got confusing, but you are able to figure out where she is going with her story. As I said, this is a book that I will not be soon forgetting.

[Shabby -BookBistroBlog · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book reminds me of the movie Insidious. The more you step into the chapters, the deeper it gets. There's so much depth into the characters and their environment is so dismal that their personalities develop phobias to protect themselves.
Junipera Jones and Gemini are Irish Twin sisters to a junkie , depressed Mother -Anne. She's on a deliberate suicide mission, withering away into oblivion, leaving the girls to fend for themselves , barely surviving on scraps . Junipera and Gemini find a surprisingly "normal" companion -Alaric . They form a dysfunctional love triad and just string along together

Alaric was connected to Gemini and Junipera in a tenacious bond. Their friendship was a pact. He became the third sibling and alongside them, suffered through their woes. Gem was ripe. June, green and prickly. Alaric was smooth. He was solid and sturdy. He could carry them both. Be it through snow, cold and poverty, or even death if it came to that.They were a three-person link. He felt plugged in, like the energy could finally circulate.
Alaric had told her, “You’re the captain, I’m the ship and June is the storm .”

And they fall in love.....
It's a wonderment to see how Mara has written Junipera. She's the most unique character with storm in her eyes. She chases danger, wants to taste the adventure, she controls the air around her. Her persona one with the nature. Hepephobic June is of virginal body and soul yet her heart is full to the brim with compassion and love .



A most wonderful person is Cheron . His entry into the story comes at a very complexed moment. June stumbles upon him and a weird ,but unbreakable , soul connection develops over soul food .
Trust means more to Junipera than anything else, second only after food, And Cheron delivers both !

Junipera was his untouched, very real Lover

There's so much crystal clear purity and perfection in their union, I was in awe.
From hunger to poverty to Hepephobia to her unquenching thirst for storms to her connection with supreme being, Juniepra endures and evolves though all



She herself was like the weather. Temperamental , unpredictable, capable of both destruction and unexpected symbiotic perfection.

The only point of contention I had was the huge White Elephant - Metaphor.
Like The Naked Chef , Jamie Oliver says, if you have fresh , exquisite ingredients, no need to over flavour it. It spoils the freshness and taste.
The story is so fresh and raw, it doesn't need embellishments of any kinds and Mara has the most fantastic stories in her Pandora's Box .
Very sensitive , yet tough .
Very stark , yet full of soul.
Very dismal, yet full of hope
An immensely engrossing read which redefines the parameters and definition of Love & Acceptance.
You will not remain untouched by this story of Soul Mates - Untouched and Real Loves

The good Lord made us the way he intended us to be. There are no mistakes in His divine hands.

4.5 Soul Food stars
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[✦ Ellen’s Reviews ✦ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Memorable Stars!!!

I am not sure how to categorize this beautiful and unforgettable story but Mara White really shows her writing skills with 'Touched'. This is not so much a romance as a coming of age story, BUT there is romance and love in this beautiful story. The cover is a perfect rendition of the story inside: ethereal, tempestuous and achingly beautiful.

"Her sister was made exactly how she was supposed to be. Untouchable."

This is the story of two sisters who grew up in abject poverty. But the author doesn't write them as pitiful characters; instead they are resourceful, industrious and most of all, survivors. They suffer through an absolutely brutal childhood which leaves June damaged and unable to be touched by anyone. But there is most definitely lots of love and devotion in this story. The sisters cross paths with Alaric and there are many tender moments between the sisters and their new young friend.

"June was a free bird; no cages could withstand her. Escape or die trying."

I read this story in mid-Summer, before the advent of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. So the story is especially relevant now, as it deals with the terrible impact of Hurricane Katrina on the citizens of Louisiana.

I realize this review is vague but this is an epic story that spans years and locations and jumps back and forth in time. I can't really write any more detail without spoiling the plot. And the ending!! This is Mara White's BEST book yet and should not be missed. If you are up for an epic story with love and suffering and beauty and multi-dimensional characters, then read 'Touched'. You won't soon forget it!

"The good Lord made us the way he intended us to be. There are no mistakes in His divine hands."

(ARC provided by the author in return for an honest review.(

[V.K. Torston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mara White never could have expected the climate she'd be releasing "Touched" into. The back-to-back hurricanes are unprecedented, feel apocalyptic. I read her descriptions of New Orleans levees breaking at the same time controversy reignited around the insufficient response to the crisis in Puerto Rico.

Junipera Jones can't stand touch, but needs to feel. This all-consuming desire drives her to chase storms like an addict chasing highs. I wondered how White would possibly pull it off--how could she transmit June's almost religious, almost erotic relationship with extreme weather without downplaying the horrific consequences of natural disasters?

If I hadn't made notes while I read, I don't think I'd be able to write this review. I'm still in a state of shock, as though I just personally witnessed an almighty force of nature. "Touched" is so titanic in scale, so vast in scope, it's impossible to summarize. Like the storms she so complexly captures, Mara White's latest novel is thrilling and devastating and beautiful all at the same time.

She pulled it off. She pulled it off because nothing is ever just one thing. Water is life, but you can still drown in it. One fact doesn't invalidate the other. "Touched" deals with contradictory yet simultaneous extremes.

The Jones sisters grow up neglected and impoverished, but still spend jubilant summers with an itinerant playmate (who needed a kitten, like, so bad). The happiness they find in the refuge of a neighboring garage doesn't prevent them from getting scarred, but neither does the brutality of their existence prevent them from experiencing joy. Behaviors can be pathological and nourishing, perverted and innocent, ugly and beautiful.

Mara White is versed in language of sex and love, but "Touched" is no romance novel. Readers looking for mere titillation will certainly be disappointed--if not devastated. Here, White wields her power of erotic prose to wound.

And, just, the storytelling, man. Often, non-chronological stories can feel like "Mystery Boxes"--the premature doling out or withholding of information a cheap trick to create intrigue where none would otherwise be. Not so with "Touched." Every single moment is presented exactly when and exactly how it should be for maximum gravity. We need to read in this order to fully appreciate the issues she's dealing with, divine meaning. There is no such thing as a straight path through a storm--detours are necessary, and without multiple vantage points, you'll never get a complete picture.

While reading, I had the irrational-yet-familiar sensation that this had somehow been written just for me. As though the author had reached into my head and plucked out the issues I'm most passionate about, the subjects I'm most curious about, the experiences I find most relatable, and woven them all together with exactly the kind of storytelling and prose I most admire. This, I realize now, is what always happens when I read a favorite book for the very first time. This is a novel I never knew I wanted, but now can't imagine living without.

My experience with "Touched" had less to do with what I brought with me as a reader, and more to do with the author's powerful command of detail. By sharply focusing on the specific, White pries open the universal.

Ultimately, life's most powerful forces--economic class, chaotic girlhood, race, loss, adolescent sexuality, prejudice, mental illness, violence, faith--intersect like westerly winds over hot water. With "Touched", Mara White conjures a hurricane.

[Arden Aoide · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's interesting the things we can take from books. It also turns the whole subject of literary analysis on it's very large head.

I've been with my husband for over 20 years. From the outside, it looks like a good, strong marriage with love, respect, ease, and children. I think it is. He thinks it is.

But I'm likely clinically codependent. I likely can't walk a straight line without him. I can't fill out forms, book hotels or plan anything. I feel real violence to strange women who talk to him. My thoughts can turn downright macabre with thoughts of ingesting bits of DNA that should only belong to him. He does not have personal autonomy; he belongs to me. I want to get his finger prints tattooed to every bit of my body. Around my neck and especially places I never see. And I dare anyone to tell me it's not love. I don't care if it doesn't fit in the box labeled eros. The bottom fell out of that box long ago. Love isn't a list with qualifying boxes to tick. Or a flow chart that leads to yes or know. It's a chaotic Venn diagram with a million circles that would take infinity to ever make any sense. All that dysfunction in my head and I'm still capable of having my breath stolen by him.

Evolution doesn't care about mental fitness. It cares if we're strong. And despite all life molding us to healthy, Junipera Jones had more self-awareness than any living breathing person I've ever met. And she learned very early on who she was and only very rarely made apologies for it. And to have a sister such as Gemini, with all her own issues, who provided a prismatic filter surrounding her sister as best she could, also helped distract a world that could never be enough. Junipera was clearly born out of time and out of place, but it’s nowhere we’ve ever heard of. It’s a place we’ll never get to visit.

And Alaric. Oh Alaric. And this is the point for me when I take my own childhood in mind. These three people, if there ever was such a thing, belonged together. In every spiritual, tangible, not yet comprehended way. Beautiful dysfunction at it's core.

And despite that, the acute love story between Junipera and Cheron, well I feel fortunate to be invited in to see it. It breaks me the depth of his love for her. It can make you believe in God.

It's interesting all the many ways humans can fit together. We forget that.

Humans are shitty. We fail each other a hundred ways a second with dull butter knives and flood waters. And we will do it until the end of time.

There’s poverty and neglect (though not necessarily both at the same time, but mostly). Even people who have dealt with neither with be able to see exactly what that can feel like. This is "walking in their shoes" as good as it gets. It opened doors I kept firm shut about my own mother.

I’ll stop now. Because otherwise I won’t. It’s a beautiful book.

[Picky_Book_B1tch · Rating 5 out of 5]

”Mother Earth lets us live here but we are insignificant, specks of muffin crumbs on her galaxy-sized bakery floor, and she sweeps us aside when it conveniences her, no matter how much significance we bestow on ourselves.”

I am quite certain that I don’t have the ability to express how deeply this book touched my soul. It was a deep, thoughtful, and soul searching read that demanded I pay attention, ask questions and change myself accordingly. Any story that demands this much is not easy but is more than worth the effort.

All the characters in this book are unique and add purpose and meaning to this story but it was June who absolutely stole the show. She was such a force of nature. The sum of her imperfections created a beauty and light that pulled people in just as much as she pushed them away. Destined to be surrounded by love but always alone.

” “You never knew with June. She herself was like the weather. Temperamental, unpredictable, capable of both destruction and unexpected symbiotic perfection.”

Much like life, this story is served one small piece at a time. The pieces never quite fitting together until you have them all laid out on the table. And only when the final piece is placed, can you stand back and in wonder at its awesome genius. This gift of words from Mara was an absolute pleasure to read and I urge anyone contemplating this book to snatch it up and hold on for the storm. For me, this was a profound and heartfelt read that will have a lasting impact.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book captures the strength of the human spirit. Beautifully written, the author delivers a captivating and unique story of two girls, born into poverty with no true parental figure to guide them, and the friendship they form with a boy that brings them the feelings of hope and love for the first time.

Gemini and Junipera "June" spend their days just surviving.
Food is a luxury.
Comfort is temporary.
Friendships are non-existent.
Until Alaric moves into their neighborhood. He offers a place to escape to, establishing a bond with the two girls that carries them through their toughest days, even when apart.

One could say that the book title is based on unique conditions by two of the characters.
June suffers from haphephobia (fear of touch), among other conditions. This presents obvious barriers to getting close to anyone, despite the attention her blooming beauty attracts. The only two people she allowed to get close, were her own sister and Alaric. For the latter, the touching remained something that could only be done on her terms.

In the complete opposite spectrum was Alaric, who craved touch at all times. Whether on the more innocent side or sexually, the desire consumed him at times. While he craved to get closer to June, his heart was just as happy to seek comfort with Gem. And together, the three form a highly charged connection that turned very steamy at times.

He realized June was the most unattainable girl in the world in that moment. That she would never belong to anybody. June was a free bird; no cages could withstand her. Escape of die trying.

Told through past and present POVs, this story follows the three youths through their more troubled times and as they moved on to new opportunities. But the heart of the story is June, with her various ailments and how she evolves as an adult. Once seeking comfort in food, over indulgence leads her to a new passion, surviving within the eye of deadly storms (note the cover). She craves the power and ferocity of a storm like an adrenaline junkie.

It was hard to relate to June's new addition, one that most people fear. But this passion gives her new purpose when Katrina strikes. This storm exposes the depth of June's character. Her selflessness, dedication and fighting spirit. Something the author creatively brings full circle later in the story.

This is one of those books that gets under your skin. There are so many parts that will touch your emotions, in that I began to think the title was just as much about the reader as it was the characters. There are heartbreaking moments and uplifting ones in equal measure. It is a story that will be hard to forget.

For more reviews, visit

[Mercedes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sorry, this review is long and chunky...

So, I'm a little unsure about my feelings regarding this book. First off, I thought it was a romance, it's not really, there's certainly some romantic entanglements but that's far from the main focus. Secondly this story does not have a linear plot line, time in this book is more of a sliding scale; one minute it's 1992, then it's 2005 or 1990 or 'present' and we'll bounce around between these different times. In addition to the bouncing timeline, there are quite a few POVs in this book, once I became accustomed to three (though one of those three was more rare) we were thrown another POV, and then one final addition at the end. That's a total of 5 different view points. The view points weren't cyclical, they just came up when they came up and sometimes you'd switch to someone else in the middle of a chapter. Coupled with the timeline, it was a bit disorienting.

As I spent the whole book thinking it was a Romance, it's a little difficult to now look back on the story through the lens of 'fiction' and try and rephrame the feelings I had about this 'romance' story. This story was very emotive. I would say there are three main characters, sisters Gemini (Gem), and Junipera (June), and their neighbor Alaric. Though, calling Alaric a main character is slightly misleading, he's important to the story and his struggles compound that of the Jones sisters' but he seems to me, slightly more peripheral. Regardless, Alaric's life, much like that of June and Gem, is void of stability, void of love; it's a life of constant struggle for these three children from the moment they meet. The three form an unbreakable bond, and it's almost too close at times but it's hard to deny them the affection they find in one another when they've been so starved for it.

While reading the book I very much got the feeling that I was just peeking in on June, Gem and Alaric. We're given the fragments of their lives that Mara White wants us to see. Don't expect these fragments to always fit together nicely and don't expect the story to be tied up neatly. June, Gem, and Alaric are all damaged in different ways they each make different strides forward and have setbacks and this continues on throughout the story. They're trying. Read this if you're looking for something deeper, something through provoking, and if you're not afraid of a rather constant stream of tragedies begotten from unfortunate circumstances and selfish, callous human beings.

**I have voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this book

[H.B. Jasick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is absolutely captivating. I couldn't put it down. I recently discovered this author, and this was the third book that I've read from her. Every story is amazing, and every story I different and almost better than the rest. I am addicted to her stories, but back to this specific book. This story is raw. It's addictive. It's beautifully written, and it will stick with you for a very long time. I would recommend this book to anyone that needs to be fully entranced by a book.

Reviewed by #TheUnratedBookshelf & Sweet Spot Sisterhood

[Stephanie Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Touched was like nothing I've ever read before. It was a beautiful story about inner chaos and hunger, and how love and devotion can transcend physical touch. I finished several days ago and I'm still thinking about June and how she touched so many without laying a finger on them. I loved all the different stories woven in and how perfectly they came together at the end. It's a wonderfully written tale that stays with you.

[J.R. Rogue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book. This effing book. Mara White you are something else. You’ve mastered “show don’t tell” in a way I’ve rarely seen. This piece of art is otherworldly. How is this the first book of yours I’ve read?!?!? I own three others! What!

I was completely fascinated, like everyone else, with June. I imagine being in her presence would be like being in the eye of the storm. The childhood relationship between Gem, June, and Alaric was so vivid, warm, shocking. I felt like I was there.

Everyone, you need to read this book.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very different and unique story with characters that I won't soon forget.

[Auden Dar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten enthusiastic stars!

Original.
Thought-provoking.
Heart-breaking.
Awe-inspiring.
Honest.
Raw.
Stunning.

And simply one of the best stories I have ever read.

[Philomena Callan Cheekypee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this a few days ago and I am still struggling to put into words what an amazing read this was. I read it pretty quickly as I needed to know more about the characters and how the story was gonna go.

I do believe you should go into this story blind so I won’t be saying much about the storyline except it’s a fantastic storyline that will stay with me for a long time.

Once I got into the swing of the backwards and forewords of the timescale I was engrossed. I’ll certainly be recommending this to my friends.

I’m really looking forward to reading more from this author. I loved it.

[Dawn Porter · Rating 1 out of 5]

I cant say this book was for me. Whilst it was written well and the characters were great. I felt it was kind of all over the place and the back and forth was distracting. I didn't feel the characters were developed enough nor the relationship between the 3. It felt like so many things were thrown at you and you had to catch them and juggle them . Then the author hits you with a few punches towards the end but there was a lot of unanswered questions......

[Yahaira · Rating 5 out of 5]

A remarkable story of belonging, soul searching and love. How deep can you touch someone’s soul despite all your flaws?

One of my favorite reads of 2017.

[Romance Readers Retreat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book by Mara White and even though it took me a few chapters to get into it and to start understanding the backwards and forwards timescales, I found it excelled in originality and it had me mesmerised in some parts.

This isn't a love story as you would imagine a love story to be. In fact by the end you will see we don't always get what we expect to find inside or the way we expect it to end. Expectations can end up being pipe dreams in our minds and so often can result in things we can't foresee which leads to disappointment. However there was nothing disappointing about this book, a few little gripes maybe but nothing that stopped me from immersing myself in the story.

I'm not going to rehash the story because I can't explain anymore than what it says in the blurb or there would be no point in you reading it. The plot is well thought out and has a few sad or tragic chapters that will have you in total sympathy with the characters involved. Junipera's story is mostly based on her psychological well being due to her phobia and it will evoke feelings in the reader in some of the stuff both Junipera and Gemini go through.

The only gripes I had with the book were that I found it hard to follow initially and maybe the author has still to put final chapter headers in but if not it could definitely benefit from them as it was easy to get lost in past and present. There is a quick explanation of timeline at the beginning of the book but it can still be hard to follow. I would also have loved to have saw an epilogue but then on the other hand I think some things are just meant to end the way they do without explanation.
Overall a great read and I will be looking out for more of Mara White's books in the future.

[S. Ann Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

6 Stars!

June was in the presence of her God and she was devoted; this was worship. Her salvation was for her to decide, he had no business trying to change it.

I am not good at writing reviews. I do not know how to put into words the great epicness of this book. Its vicious claws dug into my chest and ripped my heart out. It made me feel things I didn’t want to feel. It made me shed tears I resented.

When love was put into action, it was enough to save us all. Love wasn’t just a band-aid, it was the cure.”

Mara’s writing is so goddamn beautiful and captivating that there is no getting off this ship once you board it. Her words caress you with fingers made from silk, they lull you into a false sense of security before the sharp nails protrude and spear your very soul.

June had helped her to see that Mother Earth lets us live here but we are insignificant, specks of muffin crumbs on her galaxy-sized bakery floor, and she sweeps aside when it conveniences her, no matter how much significance we bestow on ourselves.

Do not go in with any sort of expectations. Whatever you think this book might be, it’s not it. No review will help or prepare you. TOUCH is not a story. It is a journey and an experience. I guarantee you, with everything in me, that you’ve never read anything like this before.

TOUCHED is my second favorite read of the year so far.

[Autumn Grey · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I just want to say how much I love Mara's writing. It's the kind of writing that you just want to savor every word. I found myself pausing and rereading a sentence twice. It's stunningly poetic and expressive.

I completely fell in love with the characters in this book, especially June, a woman who doesn't like to be touched, but manages to touch people's lives in immeasurable ways, irrevocably changing their lives for the better. This quote sums her up:

"June was a free bird; no cages could withstand her. Escape or die trying."

This story is a true definition of the title of this book: Touched. It's told in different POVs, each one playing a big role in making this story what it is: A true and unique masterpiece. It's not a love story as such, but you FEEL the love flowing throughout. It's hunger and passion and lust. It's about following your dreams without fear or letting anything hold you back.

I.Loved.This. Story!

[Hopelessly Addicted To Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every now and again you come across a book that’s simply stunning and so beautiful that it hurts your heart but also makes it soar with happiness.

The story is told from multiple points of view, I’m always happy when we hear from all the characters in a story as it gives a real insight into how they connect.
June does not like physical touch so it’s quite ironic the impact she has on the lives of those around her, she is what I would call a beautiful soul.
This is not what you would call a traditional love story but there is love in spades on every page. It’s unique and unconventional and heartfelt and a story that will stay with me for a long time.
If your looking for something different buy this book you won’t regret it.



reviewed by Sweet Spot Sisterhood

[doreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. This is the first book I have read from this author and I loved it. I loved June, Gemi and Alaric. How she described this characters and their phobia's and how they interacted with each other was extremely well written. I was torn because I wanted an epilogue but then again you can use your imagination as to how it ended. I am very glad I read this book and will read more from this author. Thanks for a GREAT read!