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Anything Rae Touches
Rae and Miles met on the worst day of their lives.
They shared a kiss goodbye
And never saw each other again.
Ten years later and fresh out of rehab, Rae's starting over in a new town, Golden Bay Beach. With a cynical outlook on life, her only two goals are to stay sober and escape the past.
However, running away from the memory that haunts her becomes difficult to do when she crosses paths with Miles. With his sunny disposition and charming personality, he’s the complete opposite of Rae—but that only lures them closer to one another.
As the two reconnect over their tragic history, Miles becomes intent on showing Rae that the stars aligned for them to have another chance at life together. Slowly but surely, Miles chips away at Rae’s armor. Through their steam and banter comes vulnerability and healing.
Until ultimately, Rae is left with the decision of creating a new life with Miles or staying trapped in the pain of the past.
*******
Anything Rae Touches is a reverse grumpy/sunshine romance which deals with several heavy topics. Please check trigger warnings beforehand!
They shared a kiss goodbye
And never saw each other again.
Ten years later and fresh out of rehab, Rae's starting over in a new town, Golden Bay Beach. With a cynical outlook on life, her only two goals are to stay sober and escape the past.
However, running away from the memory that haunts her becomes difficult to do when she crosses paths with Miles. With his sunny disposition and charming personality, he’s the complete opposite of Rae—but that only lures them closer to one another.
As the two reconnect over their tragic history, Miles becomes intent on showing Rae that the stars aligned for them to have another chance at life together. Slowly but surely, Miles chips away at Rae’s armor. Through their steam and banter comes vulnerability and healing.
Until ultimately, Rae is left with the decision of creating a new life with Miles or staying trapped in the pain of the past.
*******
Anything Rae Touches is a reverse grumpy/sunshine romance which deals with several heavy topics. Please check trigger warnings beforehand!
358 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 19, 2023
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April 16, 2023
Anything Rae Touches - Holly Caste
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐♾️
𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐈’𝐦 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦.
I don't even think a review will do this book justice. I finished this about a week ago and am still thinking about it and not over it. I don't know if I ever will in the BEST way. This was my first Holly Caste book and it will not be my last. She left a lasting impression on me 🥹 Before I jump into trying to review this. PLEASE read the triggers. I am not easily triggered and while it wasn't a trigger FOR me it was something that is currently an issue in America and so that made it a little difficult to read, but it was handled SO well.
𝐒𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬. 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐞𝐫.
This was a reverse grumpy/sunshine about a handyman and a coffee loving artist. Rae and Miles knew of each other in high-school, but never were on each other radar except that Rae's twin sister had a huge crush on him. Tragedy strikes and we fast forward 10 years and they wind up in the same town. Miles is all sunshine with a dirty mouth and Rae tries to not be affected by him and fails....which who wouldn't with a his dominant filthy mouth.
“𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞?"
"𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐡. 𝐖𝐡𝐲?”
"𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝.”
This book was raw, emotional, HOT and pure perfection. I am stingy with my 5 stars and this deserves way more than 5. I am SO glad I picked this one up. I will be thinking about this one often. Please give this book a read if you can handle the warning. You will not regret it. It's a masterpiece.
“𝐎𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐬, 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐♾️
𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐈’𝐦 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦.
I don't even think a review will do this book justice. I finished this about a week ago and am still thinking about it and not over it. I don't know if I ever will in the BEST way. This was my first Holly Caste book and it will not be my last. She left a lasting impression on me 🥹 Before I jump into trying to review this. PLEASE read the triggers. I am not easily triggered and while it wasn't a trigger FOR me it was something that is currently an issue in America and so that made it a little difficult to read, but it was handled SO well.
𝐒𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬. 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐞𝐫.
This was a reverse grumpy/sunshine about a handyman and a coffee loving artist. Rae and Miles knew of each other in high-school, but never were on each other radar except that Rae's twin sister had a huge crush on him. Tragedy strikes and we fast forward 10 years and they wind up in the same town. Miles is all sunshine with a dirty mouth and Rae tries to not be affected by him and fails....which who wouldn't with a his dominant filthy mouth.
“𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞?"
"𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐡. 𝐖𝐡𝐲?”
"𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝.”
This book was raw, emotional, HOT and pure perfection. I am stingy with my 5 stars and this deserves way more than 5. I am SO glad I picked this one up. I will be thinking about this one often. Please give this book a read if you can handle the warning. You will not regret it. It's a masterpiece.
“𝐎𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐬, 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬.”
January 29, 2023
"Why should I shrink myself to make others feel more comfortable? So that it's easier for them to look away? I don't want people to look away. I want to make people uncomfortable. I'm not conforming to what society wants me to be and that's unsettling for some people. Well, good—some people should be unsettled. They need to start understanding that people outside of their circle are also walking this planet. They need to be reminded that people like me exist and we're only fucked up like this because the system failed us. Society failed us. They need to stop living in a goddamn bubble and explore all the shit that makes them feel unnerved because that's the only way they'll grow."
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Characters: Miles Kingston, Rachel Hansley
Tropes: Reverse Grumpy Sunshine, Soulmates, Fated Love, Second Chance, Right Person Wrong Time, Sensitive Topics
Review: There's no rating greater than five stars, or I would've promised it to this book. When I finished my last book, I mentioned something about this one in the review. I wasn't looking forward to any characters being killed, but by the first two pages, I had a vivid idea whose death Holly mentioned. Not spoiling, but I was right in my guesses. Anyway, guessing the character never meant I could prepare for the storm headed my way.
Before I talk about "the event" or anything related, I will talk about everything else. Rae's character is rebellious and non-conforming, and even though I realize I will never genuinely know her emotions or the way she thinks, for that matter, I feel a raw, guttural connection to her that I can't seem to shake off. She's fierce and strong and what she's been through makes my heart ache for her. Her grief and addiction are far more deep-rooted than anything else I've seen in my life, and Holly's representation of the same is awe-inspiring.
However cheery and happy-looking, Miles has been through too much in his life, and I think I never understood how hard it was for him until I read his perspective. There's so much more to "that day" than just what Rae lost. Because even though Miles didn't carry active grief, he carried trauma and emotional damage. While Rae had great parents, there was no one Miles could seek comfort in, which breaks my heart the most.
While I appreciate the epilogue, I don't care much for it. Because after having read so much about the horrendous event, there's not much lightness you can accept from a book, even if it is a step in the right direction, at least not before it's been a year for real.
Miles and Rae have so much more than just chemistry or sexual tension. I don't believe in star-crossed lovers, but maybe this book has changed that for me because, perhaps,
The book is flawless in terms of writing and presentation, and it never strays into the category of too much or too little. It's not too long or too short and does not make me want to put it down. I've rated many books five stars in my life, but each of them would fade in comparison to this. The best part is that even though the acceptance of love isn't frictionless, it isn't unnecessarily wordy or stretched. It's so comforting and precisely what the book needs.
The sensitive topics, however primal to the book, never overpower the theme or feel forced. Instead, their impeccable presentation hurts your heart less than it would've with another author. I've never read another book by Holly Caste, but she's going to my auto-buy list after this.
Coming back to the most dreaded topic of conversation in this review, I would like to mention beforehand that the parts going forward contain significant spoilers and should only be read with previous consideration.
When reading the book, I often imagined what could've gone down with these kids. Perhaps they got drunk, and Cara fell off a ledge or a terrace? Maybe it was a dare? Or what if they just got high? I had no idea what I was signing myself up for. But when the real reason was revealed, I was shell-shocked. I was so perplexed it took me a few minutes to come back to my senses and accept the reality. Shooting in school has been a nightmare that haunts me to no end, even though I live in a country where the possession of guns is illegal. I've interacted with many people who've lost their loved ones in mass shootings, but it still shakes me to my core every time I think about it. What happened to these kids was tragic and largely shaped everything about their adulthood.
I have a toxic, mildly abusive family, and I still consider myself damaged goods, but these people they've been through the worst there is. They don't require sympathy or time to heal. They need actions to be taken and the system upgraded so that no one in the future has to go through what they did. Shooting in school has been a nightmare that haunts me to no end, even though I live in a country where the possession of guns is illegal. I've interacted with many people who've lost their loved ones in mass shootings, but it still shakes me to my core every time I think about it. What happened to these kids was tragic and largely shaped everything about their adulthood. I have a toxic, mildly abusive family, and I still consider myself damaged goods, but these people they've been through the worst there is. They don't require sympathy or time to heal. They need actions to be taken and the system upgraded so that no one in the future has to go through what they did.
There's so much I can say about this book, but it wouldn't be much different from what other reviewers would have to say. But if there's one thing ai could confirm, it's that this book deserves an Oscar, or at least its equivalent.
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Characters: Miles Kingston, Rachel Hansley
Tropes: Reverse Grumpy Sunshine, Soulmates, Fated Love, Second Chance, Right Person Wrong Time, Sensitive Topics
Review: There's no rating greater than five stars, or I would've promised it to this book. When I finished my last book, I mentioned something about this one in the review. I wasn't looking forward to any characters being killed, but by the first two pages, I had a vivid idea whose death Holly mentioned. Not spoiling, but I was right in my guesses. Anyway, guessing the character never meant I could prepare for the storm headed my way.
Before I talk about "the event" or anything related, I will talk about everything else. Rae's character is rebellious and non-conforming, and even though I realize I will never genuinely know her emotions or the way she thinks, for that matter, I feel a raw, guttural connection to her that I can't seem to shake off. She's fierce and strong and what she's been through makes my heart ache for her. Her grief and addiction are far more deep-rooted than anything else I've seen in my life, and Holly's representation of the same is awe-inspiring.
However cheery and happy-looking, Miles has been through too much in his life, and I think I never understood how hard it was for him until I read his perspective. There's so much more to "that day" than just what Rae lost. Because even though Miles didn't carry active grief, he carried trauma and emotional damage. While Rae had great parents, there was no one Miles could seek comfort in, which breaks my heart the most.
While I appreciate the epilogue, I don't care much for it. Because after having read so much about the horrendous event, there's not much lightness you can accept from a book, even if it is a step in the right direction, at least not before it's been a year for real.
Miles and Rae have so much more than just chemistry or sexual tension. I don't believe in star-crossed lovers, but maybe this book has changed that for me because, perhaps,
The book is flawless in terms of writing and presentation, and it never strays into the category of too much or too little. It's not too long or too short and does not make me want to put it down. I've rated many books five stars in my life, but each of them would fade in comparison to this. The best part is that even though the acceptance of love isn't frictionless, it isn't unnecessarily wordy or stretched. It's so comforting and precisely what the book needs.
The sensitive topics, however primal to the book, never overpower the theme or feel forced. Instead, their impeccable presentation hurts your heart less than it would've with another author. I've never read another book by Holly Caste, but she's going to my auto-buy list after this.
Coming back to the most dreaded topic of conversation in this review, I would like to mention beforehand that the parts going forward contain significant spoilers and should only be read with previous consideration.
When reading the book, I often imagined what could've gone down with these kids. Perhaps they got drunk, and Cara fell off a ledge or a terrace? Maybe it was a dare? Or what if they just got high? I had no idea what I was signing myself up for. But when the real reason was revealed, I was shell-shocked. I was so perplexed it took me a few minutes to come back to my senses and accept the reality. Shooting in school has been a nightmare that haunts me to no end, even though I live in a country where the possession of guns is illegal. I've interacted with many people who've lost their loved ones in mass shootings, but it still shakes me to my core every time I think about it. What happened to these kids was tragic and largely shaped everything about their adulthood.
I have a toxic, mildly abusive family, and I still consider myself damaged goods, but these people they've been through the worst there is. They don't require sympathy or time to heal. They need actions to be taken and the system upgraded so that no one in the future has to go through what they did. Shooting in school has been a nightmare that haunts me to no end, even though I live in a country where the possession of guns is illegal. I've interacted with many people who've lost their loved ones in mass shootings, but it still shakes me to my core every time I think about it. What happened to these kids was tragic and largely shaped everything about their adulthood. I have a toxic, mildly abusive family, and I still consider myself damaged goods, but these people they've been through the worst there is. They don't require sympathy or time to heal. They need actions to be taken and the system upgraded so that no one in the future has to go through what they did.
There's so much I can say about this book, but it wouldn't be much different from what other reviewers would have to say. But if there's one thing ai could confirm, it's that this book deserves an Oscar, or at least its equivalent.
August 25, 2025
Omgggg. This book. I inhaled in 24 hours after a friend recommended to me. I am a sucker for broken characters and boy where these two working their way through life. I loved this so much. I cried a good cry as well. Will not be my last read from her.
Please check your triggers for this. Please please. I am ok to go in blind but it’s def some heavy subjects happening here.
Please check your triggers for this. Please please. I am ok to go in blind but it’s def some heavy subjects happening here.
January 28, 2024
✨
Oh my god!!!! Definitely a recommendation for everyone and I demand more attention to this book. The book flowed like water. I didn't get tired of it for a second.The chemistry between Rae and Miles is just magical, their banter and interactions are just cosmic.
✨
Oh my god!!!! Definitely a recommendation for everyone and I demand more attention to this book. The book flowed like water. I didn't get tired of it for a second.The chemistry between Rae and Miles is just magical, their banter and interactions are just cosmic.
✨
April 8, 2025
WOW!!!
that’s the review for now because i just finished and I’m not done crying and i just simply loved this book so much i haven’t found the words yet to express it 😭
that’s the review for now because i just finished and I’m not done crying and i just simply loved this book so much i haven’t found the words yet to express it 😭
February 15, 2024
• Addiction/recovery
• Trauma bonding
• Reverse grumpy x sunshine
• Perfect plot to spice ratio
• Sensitive topics (check TW if you have any)
Wow - its been a few days since I read the book and Im still cant find the words to do this review justice. This is such a special book in a way where it deals with emotional and often times hard to discuss topics, with such care. I will say, I am not one who has triggers, but this book has topics that can certainly trigger people so please be mindful of that.
Rae is starting over after rehab and the last person she expects to run into is Miles. Miles who she hasn’t seen in 10 years. Miles who was there when her life changed. Miles has dealt with his own issues over the last decade but where Rae is the grumpy sarcastic artist, Miles is the sweet, friendly ray of sunshine. Their banter was so well written, the plot was captivating and the spice? THE SPICE?! Listen don’t let they ray of sunshine fool you, Miles has a dirty freaking mouth & those spicy scenes? They are there for a reason and done to perfection!
• Trauma bonding
• Reverse grumpy x sunshine
• Perfect plot to spice ratio
• Sensitive topics (check TW if you have any)
Wow - its been a few days since I read the book and Im still cant find the words to do this review justice. This is such a special book in a way where it deals with emotional and often times hard to discuss topics, with such care. I will say, I am not one who has triggers, but this book has topics that can certainly trigger people so please be mindful of that.
Rae is starting over after rehab and the last person she expects to run into is Miles. Miles who she hasn’t seen in 10 years. Miles who was there when her life changed. Miles has dealt with his own issues over the last decade but where Rae is the grumpy sarcastic artist, Miles is the sweet, friendly ray of sunshine. Their banter was so well written, the plot was captivating and the spice? THE SPICE?! Listen don’t let they ray of sunshine fool you, Miles has a dirty freaking mouth & those spicy scenes? They are there for a reason and done to perfection!
January 16, 2023
Thank you Holly Caste & Romance Me With Books for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review and the ability to be on this tour. This book does have a few trigger warnings including grief, death and addiction. Please be aware of these before reading as they do play a massive role throughout this book.
Anything Rae Touches begins in the past and goes back and forth between current times and a fretful day where her entire life changes. The chapters change between Rae and a guy named Miles. Rae was just a random girl in high school and Miles was the head of the baseball team, a big shot. There’s something severe that happens that change their lives forever and they go their separate ways, never to see each other again. Or so they thought. After 10 years, they meet each other again by chance and have the ability to reconnect after tragedy stole 10 years of their lives.
This book was the reverse grumpy x sunshine I didn’t know that I needed. Rae had plenty of stubborn one-liners in this book and it honestly made me envision her character even more. I was able to physically imagine her in my brain and that doesn’t always happen to me. Her character surrounded around her addictions and past addictions made her completely real in my mind. It was written so vividly that I couldn’t stop reading about Rae.
Miles is definitely your next book boyfriend. He’s sweet, been through some trauma and says all the right things. He has his own storyline which makes this book 10x better in my opinion. Their friendship & relationship realistically shows what trauma is like and how people react to each other when put in a terrible situation.
This book is very spicy. It wasn’t something I expected in the beginning, but I’ll tell you, this was spicy in the best way possible. It didn’t overpower the book by any means, but it had some scenes where my cheeks were blushing.
This was my first Holly Caste book, and definitely not my last. I feel extremely comfortable saying that. This book wasn’t just written as a romance, it was written for those who have dealt with death, addiction or both. I found this book to be comforting to see how people attempt to get sober and how they might be feeling. It was very real, and I liked that a lot.
Anything Rae Touches begins in the past and goes back and forth between current times and a fretful day where her entire life changes. The chapters change between Rae and a guy named Miles. Rae was just a random girl in high school and Miles was the head of the baseball team, a big shot. There’s something severe that happens that change their lives forever and they go their separate ways, never to see each other again. Or so they thought. After 10 years, they meet each other again by chance and have the ability to reconnect after tragedy stole 10 years of their lives.
This book was the reverse grumpy x sunshine I didn’t know that I needed. Rae had plenty of stubborn one-liners in this book and it honestly made me envision her character even more. I was able to physically imagine her in my brain and that doesn’t always happen to me. Her character surrounded around her addictions and past addictions made her completely real in my mind. It was written so vividly that I couldn’t stop reading about Rae.
Miles is definitely your next book boyfriend. He’s sweet, been through some trauma and says all the right things. He has his own storyline which makes this book 10x better in my opinion. Their friendship & relationship realistically shows what trauma is like and how people react to each other when put in a terrible situation.
This book is very spicy. It wasn’t something I expected in the beginning, but I’ll tell you, this was spicy in the best way possible. It didn’t overpower the book by any means, but it had some scenes where my cheeks were blushing.
This was my first Holly Caste book, and definitely not my last. I feel extremely comfortable saying that. This book wasn’t just written as a romance, it was written for those who have dealt with death, addiction or both. I found this book to be comforting to see how people attempt to get sober and how they might be feeling. It was very real, and I liked that a lot.
November 6, 2025
FMC - Rae: 5 🌟
MMC - Miles: ♾️ 🌟
SPICE: 🌶 🌶 🌶
I finished this last night and needed to wait until this morning to review it so that I had time to process the heartbreak and amazingness that was this book
From the beginning, and obviously from the blurb as well, you know that there is a traumatic past for both the main characters. The flashbacks building up to the event were spaced out and written so well, keeping you on the hook. I was so eager and terrified at the same time to learn what it was, because it drove both Miles and Rae to addiction. And the book addresses addiction and recovery in a powerful and deep way
But while the past is simmering in the background, the story of Rae and Miles finding each other again 10 years later, as if fate purposefully put them in each other's path at the perfect time, was just beautiful. Their reverse grumpy/sunshine dynamic amused me, and both of their personalities won me over immediately. Right away I felt that their chemistry was perfect, and as the relationship bloomed, the tension and spice was immaculate as well!
By the end of the book, I was in tears, first from the gut punch from the past and then joy at experiencing their HEA. And the way these characters burrowed themselves into my heart, I've never felt happier for two fictional people's HEA. So, naturally, this is an immediate pre-order for me!!
Thank you so very much to Love Notes PR for the opportunity to read this ARC 💕
MMC - Miles: ♾️ 🌟
SPICE: 🌶 🌶 🌶
I finished this last night and needed to wait until this morning to review it so that I had time to process the heartbreak and amazingness that was this book
From the beginning, and obviously from the blurb as well, you know that there is a traumatic past for both the main characters. The flashbacks building up to the event were spaced out and written so well, keeping you on the hook. I was so eager and terrified at the same time to learn what it was, because it drove both Miles and Rae to addiction. And the book addresses addiction and recovery in a powerful and deep way
But while the past is simmering in the background, the story of Rae and Miles finding each other again 10 years later, as if fate purposefully put them in each other's path at the perfect time, was just beautiful. Their reverse grumpy/sunshine dynamic amused me, and both of their personalities won me over immediately. Right away I felt that their chemistry was perfect, and as the relationship bloomed, the tension and spice was immaculate as well!
By the end of the book, I was in tears, first from the gut punch from the past and then joy at experiencing their HEA. And the way these characters burrowed themselves into my heart, I've never felt happier for two fictional people's HEA. So, naturally, this is an immediate pre-order for me!!
Thank you so very much to Love Notes PR for the opportunity to read this ARC 💕
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2023
Thank you Holly Caste for the ARC of Anything Rae Touches!
This is my first book from Holly and we started out strong 👏🏼 I knew going in it was a second chance of sorts and that there was a traumatic event that had occurred but that was it. Oh and that there would be epic spice. 😏
When I started ART I was immediately hooked. I knew this book was going to sucker punch me in the end when the event was revealed. As I was reading I picked up on a few clues that told me what to expect. I guessed the event correctly and prepared myself for the utter devastation that would come and although it helped, it still hurt tons.
Rae and Miles are still dealing with the traumatic events 10 years later and they help each other navigate their traumas.
Miles is epic book boyfriend material. Not just because hello the mouth on the man but because he’s sweet, attentive and so considerate! He learns how to read Rae so quickly and is just so freaking amazing all throughout.
My heart just hurt for Rae the entire book. Poor girls suffered an insane loss and never really dealt with the aftermath in a healthy way. I loved seeing her healing journey through ART.
Y’all. The smut. THE SMUT. Wow wow wow. Holly really gave us an amazing plot and some insane one handed reading worthy moments. 😏
THE BALCONY?! I will never be the same again. HOT DAMN. 🥵🔥🔥
Y’all please go read Anything Rae Touches.
The events revealed in the book can be insanely triggering so please reach out if you need clarification on the matter. It is a big spoiler to the story but I’d be happy to talk about it if needed. 🫶🏼🫶🏼
This is my first book from Holly and we started out strong 👏🏼 I knew going in it was a second chance of sorts and that there was a traumatic event that had occurred but that was it. Oh and that there would be epic spice. 😏
When I started ART I was immediately hooked. I knew this book was going to sucker punch me in the end when the event was revealed. As I was reading I picked up on a few clues that told me what to expect. I guessed the event correctly and prepared myself for the utter devastation that would come and although it helped, it still hurt tons.
Rae and Miles are still dealing with the traumatic events 10 years later and they help each other navigate their traumas.
Miles is epic book boyfriend material. Not just because hello the mouth on the man but because he’s sweet, attentive and so considerate! He learns how to read Rae so quickly and is just so freaking amazing all throughout.
My heart just hurt for Rae the entire book. Poor girls suffered an insane loss and never really dealt with the aftermath in a healthy way. I loved seeing her healing journey through ART.
Y’all. The smut. THE SMUT. Wow wow wow. Holly really gave us an amazing plot and some insane one handed reading worthy moments. 😏
THE BALCONY?! I will never be the same again. HOT DAMN. 🥵🔥🔥
Y’all please go read Anything Rae Touches.
The events revealed in the book can be insanely triggering so please reach out if you need clarification on the matter. It is a big spoiler to the story but I’d be happy to talk about it if needed. 🫶🏼🫶🏼
Want to Read
June 14, 2024Rec from @hopelesslysmuttyreads
November 6, 2025
i liked the idea, but i didn't like the writing at all and how quickly everything developed
October 20, 2023
“Stay gold.” 🖤
So there’s this movie called The Little Mermaid… mmhmm… you know the one. Red hair, mermaid, dinglehopper, part of your world… yeah that one.
The beautiful mermaid Ariel rescues Prince Eric from a shipwreck and when he comes to and sees her sittin there in all her singing glory it’s all love at first sight and the rest is history.
Ok so now that we’re on the same page, remember the part where Ursula comes along and starts gyrating her hips and hypnotizes Ariel into giving up her voice and then Ariel has her tail ripped in half and turned into legs and is thrust into the human world to convince the prince that she’s the same person so they can fall in love and ride… errrr sail off into the sunset!?
Yeah well that just happened to me with this book… minus the hip gyration, and mermaid tail, and I don’t have red hair or a dinglehopper. Basically none of this happened but my heart did get ripped in half so there’s that.
Rae exists in the shadows of her twin sister, Cara’s, light, but she’s ok with that, she’s comfortable there. This world was made to be Cara’s stage and Rae is happy to watch her shine.
Today was no different.
It was just supposed to be another day where she
wakes up at the last minute, goes to school, blends in, and comes home.
Nothing could have prepared Rae for what was to come.
Terror strikes.
Tragedy ensues.
And Cara’s light is no longer where Rae finds comfort.
Instead she has found solace in the oblivion of numbness where she can finally silence the monsters that haunt her thoughts.
You’ve heard of 7 minutes in Heaven?
Well, this was 7 minutes in Hell.
A hell where only one angel exists… him.
You could call this a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or was it the right place at the right time?
One might argue which it is.
So there’s this movie called The Little Mermaid… mmhmm… you know the one. Red hair, mermaid, dinglehopper, part of your world… yeah that one.
The beautiful mermaid Ariel rescues Prince Eric from a shipwreck and when he comes to and sees her sittin there in all her singing glory it’s all love at first sight and the rest is history.
Ok so now that we’re on the same page, remember the part where Ursula comes along and starts gyrating her hips and hypnotizes Ariel into giving up her voice and then Ariel has her tail ripped in half and turned into legs and is thrust into the human world to convince the prince that she’s the same person so they can fall in love and ride… errrr sail off into the sunset!?
Yeah well that just happened to me with this book… minus the hip gyration, and mermaid tail, and I don’t have red hair or a dinglehopper. Basically none of this happened but my heart did get ripped in half so there’s that.
Rae exists in the shadows of her twin sister, Cara’s, light, but she’s ok with that, she’s comfortable there. This world was made to be Cara’s stage and Rae is happy to watch her shine.
Today was no different.
It was just supposed to be another day where she
wakes up at the last minute, goes to school, blends in, and comes home.
Nothing could have prepared Rae for what was to come.
Terror strikes.
Tragedy ensues.
And Cara’s light is no longer where Rae finds comfort.
Instead she has found solace in the oblivion of numbness where she can finally silence the monsters that haunt her thoughts.
You’ve heard of 7 minutes in Heaven?
Well, this was 7 minutes in Hell.
A hell where only one angel exists… him.
You could call this a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or was it the right place at the right time?
One might argue which it is.
January 8, 2023
This book will crush your soul (and make you so angry with society and how dense they and we can be with trauma). It will then piece you back together with Miles and Rae’s love story- their humor, love, sex, art and souls. But those soul crushing moments are so worth the tears because “there’s an art to everything.”
Holly knows how to tug at heartstrings and get the readers so invested in the characters lives that you can’t put the book down. The world she describes and her descriptions of the art that Rae creates is so vivid and that you can picture everything so clearly. She makes it feel so real- that sometimes you forget that it is fiction. Her stories have so much truth to them, that so many readers will be able to relate to them.
Also, Miles. Swoons.
Please check the content and trigger warnings- it has some heavy subjects.
Holly knows how to tug at heartstrings and get the readers so invested in the characters lives that you can’t put the book down. The world she describes and her descriptions of the art that Rae creates is so vivid and that you can picture everything so clearly. She makes it feel so real- that sometimes you forget that it is fiction. Her stories have so much truth to them, that so many readers will be able to relate to them.
Also, Miles. Swoons.
Please check the content and trigger warnings- it has some heavy subjects.
January 19, 2023
I'll actually post my review later once I'm done bawling 😭, it's so fucking good
Edit -
Reverse grumpy x sunshine romance ✔️
Dual POV ✔️
Spice - 🌶🌶🌶
In my opinion, very few authors are able to create a nice flow from past and present chapters. However, Holly did it just beautifully 🤌
Miles, our sunshine MC, he's so positive and patient with our grumpy FMC, Rae. They really balance each other out and their love story is raw, heart breaking, but beautiful all at the the same time.
TW : grief, addiction and death
Edit -
Reverse grumpy x sunshine romance ✔️
Dual POV ✔️
Spice - 🌶🌶🌶
In my opinion, very few authors are able to create a nice flow from past and present chapters. However, Holly did it just beautifully 🤌
Miles, our sunshine MC, he's so positive and patient with our grumpy FMC, Rae. They really balance each other out and their love story is raw, heart breaking, but beautiful all at the the same time.
TW : grief, addiction and death
August 29, 2023
Before you decide to read it please make sure to check the TW'S.
This book was EVERYTHING!!! The mental health representation in this book has been done perfectly. I loved to see how real and emotions the book felt, it was very the character driven and made me feel all the emotions!!
If I am honest, I can hardly put into words how much I loved this book. Holly's writing style has become one of my favorites and this book will not be the last I read by her.
This book was EVERYTHING!!! The mental health representation in this book has been done perfectly. I loved to see how real and emotions the book felt, it was very the character driven and made me feel all the emotions!!
If I am honest, I can hardly put into words how much I loved this book. Holly's writing style has become one of my favorites and this book will not be the last I read by her.
May 3, 2024
This story follows Rae & Miles who went through a *very* traumatic experience 10 years ago in high school. (I won’t spoil it but PLEASE read the content warnings at the beginning AND end of this one). Miles is the mayors son who is now 3 years sober, and Rae (who lost her twin sister), has been in recovery from H for a few months. They both move to a new town and run into each other.
Rae struggles with falling for Miles, because in high school, her sister crushed on him hard. This goes through their back and forth of trying to just live their lives while staying clean.
A few of the chapters take you back to the trauma from 10 years ago, exactly what happened, and why she became obsessed with drawing and painting his lips, all these years later. Even if they never saw each other after that day.
The emotions were so perfectly written. I was sucked in from the beginning. I loved reading about Rae’s struggle to make friends with the receptionist in her building (they are polar opposite!) and that she’s a horrible waitress (I imagine I would be too!).
I’m so glad so I finally took a chance with one.
I’ve been sitting on this book for MONTHS. It’s been taking up a spot on my KU forever and I just never got to it. Then Holly offered up some water damaged copies (guaranteed to also get *you* wet as her husband so lovingly put 😂). I love a good scratch and dent discount.
Now I need to order myself the next book because I never want this make believe town of Golden Bay Beach to end!
Rae struggles with falling for Miles, because in high school, her sister crushed on him hard. This goes through their back and forth of trying to just live their lives while staying clean.
A few of the chapters take you back to the trauma from 10 years ago, exactly what happened, and why she became obsessed with drawing and painting his lips, all these years later. Even if they never saw each other after that day.
The emotions were so perfectly written. I was sucked in from the beginning. I loved reading about Rae’s struggle to make friends with the receptionist in her building (they are polar opposite!) and that she’s a horrible waitress (I imagine I would be too!).
I’m so glad so I finally took a chance with one.
I’ve been sitting on this book for MONTHS. It’s been taking up a spot on my KU forever and I just never got to it. Then Holly offered up some water damaged copies (guaranteed to also get *you* wet as her husband so lovingly put 😂). I love a good scratch and dent discount.
Now I need to order myself the next book because I never want this make believe town of Golden Bay Beach to end!
January 19, 2023
This book is the first by the amInf author. I have to say I can't wait to read more by this amazing author. The book I was hooked from page one to last page of the book.
Rae and Miles was amazing. They were realistic. Throughout the story they went through so much much when they were apart that when they got together they work through it together.
Reading this book had pulled on all my emotions. It had me wanting more. It had me heartbroken for them. The vivid description was done very well.
The steamy and sweet romance was so amazing
Rae and Miles was amazing. They were realistic. Throughout the story they went through so much much when they were apart that when they got together they work through it together.
Reading this book had pulled on all my emotions. It had me wanting more. It had me heartbroken for them. The vivid description was done very well.
The steamy and sweet romance was so amazing
September 2, 2025
What a beautiful story about trauma, grief and addiction. This story was so beautifully written. I ate this up and couldn't pht it down. I read this in less than 24 hours.
It felt so real. Ive been around addiction all my life so this storyline called to me. It described trauma and what causes addicts to go down the rabbit hole perfectly.
I rarely love FMC in books but absolutely loved Rae. Theres nothing about her that annoyed me and Miles as become one of my favorite book boyfriend.
I 1000% recommend this book if you love reading about this type of stuff.
It felt so real. Ive been around addiction all my life so this storyline called to me. It described trauma and what causes addicts to go down the rabbit hole perfectly.
I rarely love FMC in books but absolutely loved Rae. Theres nothing about her that annoyed me and Miles as become one of my favorite book boyfriend.
I 1000% recommend this book if you love reading about this type of stuff.
August 21, 2024
powerful
Wow. I impulsively bought this book at a super cute bookshop not thinking it’d move me this much. What an incredible story of survival, trauma, and resilience and showing how nonlinear all of that truly is. Miles and Rae are amazing characters. Miles truly is a hard book boyfriend to beat. And Rae, she is a force and this book showed so much character development for her. I absolutely loved it.
Wow. I impulsively bought this book at a super cute bookshop not thinking it’d move me this much. What an incredible story of survival, trauma, and resilience and showing how nonlinear all of that truly is. Miles and Rae are amazing characters. Miles truly is a hard book boyfriend to beat. And Rae, she is a force and this book showed so much character development for her. I absolutely loved it.
May 30, 2023
“𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 - 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲’𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬!“
Rae is an artist, fresh out of rehab and trying once again to get her life on track; this time in the town of Golden Bay Beach. Miles is Golden Bay’s resident handyman and is definitely the sunshine to Rae’s grumpiness. But make no mistake, Miles is not all sunshine and smiles - he deals with addiction and demons of his own.
“𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐦 𝐈 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞?“
Rae and Miles share a tragic past that forever altered the course of both their lives. Ten years later, in a random twist of fate, they run into each other in Golden Bay.
“𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐞, 𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥.“
This story is amazing! It’s emotional and raw and real. It deals with topics that are important and very much relevant in the world today. Miles is everything and Rae will break your heart again and again. Unknown to each other, they have each stayed in the others thoughts for a decade. Will being together now bring them the peace and healing that they have each been searching for? Or will the shadow of their shared past be too dark and heavy to break free from?
“𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐭𝐨𝐨. 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥. 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐞.“
Anything Rae Touches is a definite must read! It’s full of so much emotion, angst, tears, even laughter - the back and forth between Rae and Miles is delicious - and yes, plenty of steamy steam. Miles has a filthy mouth and Rae loves every way he uses it.
“𝐑𝐚𝐞. 𝐈𝐟 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝’𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐰.“
The topics can be heavy but the writing is so beautiful! The characters and world Holly has created are unforgettable and this is definitely a journey worth taking!
“𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝, 𝐏𝐨𝐧𝐲𝐛𝐨𝐲. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝.“
Rae is an artist, fresh out of rehab and trying once again to get her life on track; this time in the town of Golden Bay Beach. Miles is Golden Bay’s resident handyman and is definitely the sunshine to Rae’s grumpiness. But make no mistake, Miles is not all sunshine and smiles - he deals with addiction and demons of his own.
“𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐦 𝐈 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞?“
Rae and Miles share a tragic past that forever altered the course of both their lives. Ten years later, in a random twist of fate, they run into each other in Golden Bay.
“𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐞, 𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥.“
This story is amazing! It’s emotional and raw and real. It deals with topics that are important and very much relevant in the world today. Miles is everything and Rae will break your heart again and again. Unknown to each other, they have each stayed in the others thoughts for a decade. Will being together now bring them the peace and healing that they have each been searching for? Or will the shadow of their shared past be too dark and heavy to break free from?
“𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐭𝐨𝐨. 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥. 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐞.“
Anything Rae Touches is a definite must read! It’s full of so much emotion, angst, tears, even laughter - the back and forth between Rae and Miles is delicious - and yes, plenty of steamy steam. Miles has a filthy mouth and Rae loves every way he uses it.
“𝐑𝐚𝐞. 𝐈𝐟 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝’𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐰.“
The topics can be heavy but the writing is so beautiful! The characters and world Holly has created are unforgettable and this is definitely a journey worth taking!
“𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝, 𝐏𝐨𝐧𝐲𝐛𝐨𝐲. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝.“
January 19, 2023
two souls who found their home
“𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙨, 𝙞 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙚 𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙞 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚. 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙧𝙖𝙚. 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙧. 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙪𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙙, 𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙚𝙙𝙜𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩, 𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡.”
tropes:
– reverse grumpy | sunshine
– opposites attract
– learning to live & love after loss
– he falls first
– exhibitionism
– degradation & praise
– dom | sub dynamics
i swear holly never misses, anything rae touches was one of my most anticipated reads of this year and it exceeded my expectations!
art follows rae and miles, who know each other after briefly connecting through a traumatic event. many years pass until one day they unexpectedly cross paths. while both in recovery after everything they went through in those years, they can’t help it but form a deeper connection than the one they already shared..
i love these two so much! rae and miles are two tortured souls who complement each other so well that you’re rooting for their love. i will say, it isn’t all pretty.. it’s a raw and beautiful love story about two people who find what they need by being together. i loved how miles was so attentive and caring towards what rae needed & once rae opened up more to him, all the little things she did for him were everything! the writing, the side characters, the spice (the balcony 🥵), and that twist.. everything about this books was incredibly written! & that epilogue made me tear up 🥹
if you’re looking for a book where two souls find their home after years, then look no further!
“𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙨, 𝙞 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙚 𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙞 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚. 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙧𝙖𝙚. 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙧. 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙪𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙙, 𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙚𝙙𝙜𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩, 𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡.”
tropes:
– reverse grumpy | sunshine
– opposites attract
– learning to live & love after loss
– he falls first
– exhibitionism
– degradation & praise
– dom | sub dynamics
i swear holly never misses, anything rae touches was one of my most anticipated reads of this year and it exceeded my expectations!
art follows rae and miles, who know each other after briefly connecting through a traumatic event. many years pass until one day they unexpectedly cross paths. while both in recovery after everything they went through in those years, they can’t help it but form a deeper connection than the one they already shared..
i love these two so much! rae and miles are two tortured souls who complement each other so well that you’re rooting for their love. i will say, it isn’t all pretty.. it’s a raw and beautiful love story about two people who find what they need by being together. i loved how miles was so attentive and caring towards what rae needed & once rae opened up more to him, all the little things she did for him were everything! the writing, the side characters, the spice (the balcony 🥵), and that twist.. everything about this books was incredibly written! & that epilogue made me tear up 🥹
if you’re looking for a book where two souls find their home after years, then look no further!
January 23, 2023
“If you can tell me that you don’t sense the slightest fraction between us, then I’ll leave. I won’t bother you again … as long as you can look at me right now and tell me you don’t feel anything.”
This was another book that just blew me away. Holly Caste did the most when it came to making her readers feel every single emotion possible while reading this novel. Caste did an absolute amazing job depicting just how hard it is to walk away from a tragedy and continue on with your life, especially when you lose someone special in the process. I walked away from this book with a bit of a hangover and definitely emotionally raw, having felt so much during reading it. Once I got about ⅔ of the way into the book, I couldn’t put it down. I was riding the emotional roller coaster with Rae every step of the way.
Talking about the logistics of the book, it was beautifully written. It is a dual POV, with perspectives from both Miles and Rae but the main storyline follows Rae and her experiences. There is also a bit of time jumping backwards, if this is a turn off. Not to mention, the level of spice is A+. How Caste did it, I have no idea. There are so many emotions not only mentally but physically too. I was blown away; simple as that.
The only request I have is for more. I want a book from Miles POV. I want to read about his life after the tragedy and how he ended up where he ended up. I want more.
*NOTE* Please read content warnings for triggers as I have mentioned, this is a very emotionally intense read.
This was another book that just blew me away. Holly Caste did the most when it came to making her readers feel every single emotion possible while reading this novel. Caste did an absolute amazing job depicting just how hard it is to walk away from a tragedy and continue on with your life, especially when you lose someone special in the process. I walked away from this book with a bit of a hangover and definitely emotionally raw, having felt so much during reading it. Once I got about ⅔ of the way into the book, I couldn’t put it down. I was riding the emotional roller coaster with Rae every step of the way.
Talking about the logistics of the book, it was beautifully written. It is a dual POV, with perspectives from both Miles and Rae but the main storyline follows Rae and her experiences. There is also a bit of time jumping backwards, if this is a turn off. Not to mention, the level of spice is A+. How Caste did it, I have no idea. There are so many emotions not only mentally but physically too. I was blown away; simple as that.
The only request I have is for more. I want a book from Miles POV. I want to read about his life after the tragedy and how he ended up where he ended up. I want more.
*NOTE* Please read content warnings for triggers as I have mentioned, this is a very emotionally intense read.
January 19, 2023
“Will you do the honour of never marrying me? But instead being my forever person, being by my side wherever this crazy life takes us, until we become the stars?”
anything rae touches is a raw, poetic love story between to recovering addicts who shared a life changing event together then met again 10 years later.
I found this book so whole some and it just put me back together. I could not recommend it enough. My soul felt complete. I’ve been altered. I will forever have Rae and Miles in my heart. This book is the first true representation I’ve seen on addiction and it made me smile. I am so so so thankful to be given the opportunity to read this and I will never be grateful enough.
Miles is this beautiful sunshine of a person. I love him, he’s basically the human embodiment of a summers day. He’s so warm and caring and sexy. I feel his warmth through the page (my phone technically but the point still stands). He warmed mine and Raes heart.
Rae is cold and icy but radiant and electric at the same time. You feel her pain through the pages and it will make you sob. When they shared their story I was crying, screaming, throwing up. You see her opening up, cracking open and when she closed back up it hurts you.
Out of all the indie authored books I’ve read, this one is truly the most beautifully written. I felt a connection with these characters and I can’t wait for more in this universe.
To Cara’s Haven🖤
anything rae touches is a raw, poetic love story between to recovering addicts who shared a life changing event together then met again 10 years later.
I found this book so whole some and it just put me back together. I could not recommend it enough. My soul felt complete. I’ve been altered. I will forever have Rae and Miles in my heart. This book is the first true representation I’ve seen on addiction and it made me smile. I am so so so thankful to be given the opportunity to read this and I will never be grateful enough.
Miles is this beautiful sunshine of a person. I love him, he’s basically the human embodiment of a summers day. He’s so warm and caring and sexy. I feel his warmth through the page (my phone technically but the point still stands). He warmed mine and Raes heart.
Rae is cold and icy but radiant and electric at the same time. You feel her pain through the pages and it will make you sob. When they shared their story I was crying, screaming, throwing up. You see her opening up, cracking open and when she closed back up it hurts you.
Out of all the indie authored books I’ve read, this one is truly the most beautifully written. I felt a connection with these characters and I can’t wait for more in this universe.
To Cara’s Haven🖤
March 25, 2023
I’ll be honest- this book was not what I’d expected. I was going in expecting a sort of second chance romance that focused on the heated connection between the two main characters. And while the book did do that, there was so much more to it. This book made a statement and told a story of trauma, healing, acceptance, and finding love not only in someone else but in yourself.
The main character, Rae, has been heartbroken for the past ten years over the trauma that she and Miles experienced together the day they met. This book takes us on her journey, showing what the trauma did to her, how she copes but never truly accepted and moved on from her past. When she reconnects with Miles, Rae is forced to think more and more about that day and eventually find acceptance for what happened and Miles helps her forgive herself and her guilt along the way.
And ok, let’s talk about Miles for a second: Completely hot, former baseball player, ray of sunshine despite everything that’s been thrown his way, and an amazing boyfriend to Rae. Miles Kingston is a great man with his own demons, but he’s willing to face them if it means taking care of Rae. And the spicy scenes? Miles Kingston is definitely the king of the bedroom.
If you’re looking for a book with feeling and a book boyfriend who totally dominates those spicy moments, check this one out. You won’t regret it.
The main character, Rae, has been heartbroken for the past ten years over the trauma that she and Miles experienced together the day they met. This book takes us on her journey, showing what the trauma did to her, how she copes but never truly accepted and moved on from her past. When she reconnects with Miles, Rae is forced to think more and more about that day and eventually find acceptance for what happened and Miles helps her forgive herself and her guilt along the way.
And ok, let’s talk about Miles for a second: Completely hot, former baseball player, ray of sunshine despite everything that’s been thrown his way, and an amazing boyfriend to Rae. Miles Kingston is a great man with his own demons, but he’s willing to face them if it means taking care of Rae. And the spicy scenes? Miles Kingston is definitely the king of the bedroom.
If you’re looking for a book with feeling and a book boyfriend who totally dominates those spicy moments, check this one out. You won’t regret it.
January 19, 2023
Anything Rae Touches by Holly Caste
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Rae has been dealt a hard hand in life. After a tragic event in her past, she turned to drugs, alcohol, and men. She did anything she could to forget that horrible day. After her second near death experience she moves to a small beach town to start over. She never expected to see Miles Kingston again. She hated him. After both of them get over the shock of seeing each other again, they form a friendship. Rae is so skeptical of Miles just like she is of course everyone. Miles slowly starts to be there for Rae to try to earn her trust. As time progresses Miles becomes so important to Rae. Rae becomes Miles’ whole world. Their shared trauma and addictions are something they slowly try to overcome. Will Rae be able to let go of the ghosts and trauma or her past or will she lose Miles forever? Please read trigger warnings about this book. This book is beautiful, raw, real, and made me absolutely cry. I cannot recommend this book enough!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Rae has been dealt a hard hand in life. After a tragic event in her past, she turned to drugs, alcohol, and men. She did anything she could to forget that horrible day. After her second near death experience she moves to a small beach town to start over. She never expected to see Miles Kingston again. She hated him. After both of them get over the shock of seeing each other again, they form a friendship. Rae is so skeptical of Miles just like she is of course everyone. Miles slowly starts to be there for Rae to try to earn her trust. As time progresses Miles becomes so important to Rae. Rae becomes Miles’ whole world. Their shared trauma and addictions are something they slowly try to overcome. Will Rae be able to let go of the ghosts and trauma or her past or will she lose Miles forever? Please read trigger warnings about this book. This book is beautiful, raw, real, and made me absolutely cry. I cannot recommend this book enough!
June 25, 2024
𝐄𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐞𝐥 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚 𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐮 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐚 𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐚, 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐟𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐚 𝐝𝐞 𝐥𝐚 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐳𝐚 𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐.
Este libro transmite tanto que siento que me voy a quedar corta con las palabras pero en resumen hubo: momentos hermosos, angustiantes, muchísimo crecimiento personal, dolor, sanación y sobre todo una nueva manera de ver y aprender a vivir que te hace ver todo de manera diferente.
La historia de Miles y Rae empieza con un encuentro bastante angustiante entre ellos dos y la autora nos deja entre ver que hubo una historia que los marco a ambos pero nunca se dieron los detalles ya que eso los vamos viendo a medida que pasan los capítulos y vemos el pasado/presente.
Rae es Rae, su personaje me transmitió tanto y en todo momento quise abrazarla, su vida sin dudas fue muy difícil y el trauma que tuvo de joven la marco mucho y lamentablemente encontro la salida en una adicción. Su personalidad al principio puede parecer muy "grosera" pero a medida que la vamos conociendo descubrimos que ella es así por las personas que se aprovecharon de ella en su momento mas bajo y vulnerable, ella solo necesitaba una persona que sepa comprenderla sin sentir lástima de ella ni tratarla como víctima, solo alguien que comprenda su dolor y sepa acompañarla.
Allí es donde aparece Miles (no niego que estoy totalmente enamorada de este ser hermoso). Miles es todo lo contrario a ella y al conocerlo y leer como fue su infancia y crecimiento te das cuenta que el encontro la manera de salir de su adicción ayudando a la gente con su amabilidad y solidaridad. Me gusto que el supiera cuando dejar de presionar a Rae y el amor, paciencia y respeto que tenía por sus decisiones, manera de ser y sobre todo con lo cerrada que era con sus sentimientos, el nunca la juzgo y supo entrar a su corazón para brindarle el mas puro amor 😭🫂.
La relación de ellos me encanto, el desarrollo fue perfecto con su historia a su tiempo, y ella tuvo sus cambios de a poco y me gusto que su personalidad no cambiará si no que aprendiera a expresar sus sentimientos sin reprimirlos, Miles y Rae sin dudas son el uno para el otro y estoy feliz de leer su historia.
✨ SPOILER ✨
Es la primera vez que leo sobre un tiroteo anteriormente e visto una película y fue algo duro pero seguramente muy real lo que pasó en la vida de Rae y Miles, muchas veces se ve en las noticias sobre las tragedias y tiroteos dónde solo se habla de "las víctimas" y se olvidan que detrás de esas víctimas existen personas a las que ese momento les cambia la vida para siempre, es horrible que esta vez se este leyendo de algo que es real y se ve muchas veces al años, ojalá y no pasara nunca más y como sociedad aprendemos a no minimizar cuando alguien dice estar mal o cuando alguien admite querer hacer dañó porque se lo hicieron o simplemente saber que a veces se dicen cosas que no son chiste y es necesario buscar ayuda profesional 🙏🏻🤍
Este libro transmite tanto que siento que me voy a quedar corta con las palabras pero en resumen hubo: momentos hermosos, angustiantes, muchísimo crecimiento personal, dolor, sanación y sobre todo una nueva manera de ver y aprender a vivir que te hace ver todo de manera diferente.
La historia de Miles y Rae empieza con un encuentro bastante angustiante entre ellos dos y la autora nos deja entre ver que hubo una historia que los marco a ambos pero nunca se dieron los detalles ya que eso los vamos viendo a medida que pasan los capítulos y vemos el pasado/presente.
Rae es Rae, su personaje me transmitió tanto y en todo momento quise abrazarla, su vida sin dudas fue muy difícil y el trauma que tuvo de joven la marco mucho y lamentablemente encontro la salida en una adicción. Su personalidad al principio puede parecer muy "grosera" pero a medida que la vamos conociendo descubrimos que ella es así por las personas que se aprovecharon de ella en su momento mas bajo y vulnerable, ella solo necesitaba una persona que sepa comprenderla sin sentir lástima de ella ni tratarla como víctima, solo alguien que comprenda su dolor y sepa acompañarla.
Allí es donde aparece Miles (no niego que estoy totalmente enamorada de este ser hermoso). Miles es todo lo contrario a ella y al conocerlo y leer como fue su infancia y crecimiento te das cuenta que el encontro la manera de salir de su adicción ayudando a la gente con su amabilidad y solidaridad. Me gusto que el supiera cuando dejar de presionar a Rae y el amor, paciencia y respeto que tenía por sus decisiones, manera de ser y sobre todo con lo cerrada que era con sus sentimientos, el nunca la juzgo y supo entrar a su corazón para brindarle el mas puro amor 😭🫂.
La relación de ellos me encanto, el desarrollo fue perfecto con su historia a su tiempo, y ella tuvo sus cambios de a poco y me gusto que su personalidad no cambiará si no que aprendiera a expresar sus sentimientos sin reprimirlos, Miles y Rae sin dudas son el uno para el otro y estoy feliz de leer su historia.
✨ SPOILER ✨
Es la primera vez que leo sobre un tiroteo anteriormente e visto una película y fue algo duro pero seguramente muy real lo que pasó en la vida de Rae y Miles, muchas veces se ve en las noticias sobre las tragedias y tiroteos dónde solo se habla de "las víctimas" y se olvidan que detrás de esas víctimas existen personas a las que ese momento les cambia la vida para siempre, es horrible que esta vez se este leyendo de algo que es real y se ve muchas veces al años, ojalá y no pasara nunca más y como sociedad aprendemos a no minimizar cuando alguien dice estar mal o cuando alguien admite querer hacer dañó porque se lo hicieron o simplemente saber que a veces se dicen cosas que no son chiste y es necesario buscar ayuda profesional 🙏🏻🤍
February 17, 2024
WELL HOLY CRAP
**this is your warning for spoilers ahead, if you don’t want spoilers don’t read this, go read the book instead it’s 10000000000% worth it**
Right from the beginning of this book I was HOOKED. I was so intrigued by Rae’s character, and wanted to know why she was starting this new life in Golden Bay.
The story from the past was SO WELL integrated in with the present. It truly left me thinking about what truly that horrible day was. Was there an incident at the party? Potential drunk driving accident? Assault? Only right before it was revealed did I start to even imagine it was a school shooting. As someone who lived close to Newtown when the Sandy Hook shooting happened, this resonated with me deeply. I feel as if so many stories that portray the awful gun violence in our world only touch on the moment of the tragedy or even only a few months after. I love how this explored their adult life, and showed the lasting effects something like this could have on someone. Addiction, fear of getting close to people, nightmares, panic attacks, etc. The trauma and internal turmoil both Miles and Rae work through both together and separately is portrayed fantastically. I just - wow I loved this book.
The overall relationship between Rae and Miles is so sweet and touching. I love the spice level - it’s just enough that you get to see more into their characters, and get to witness their insane chemistry, but not too much that the book lacks plot. If anything it’s just a nice lil sprinkle of spice on top of an absolutely stunning story.
The side characters are also extremely notable. Sam feels like such a father figure throughout the book in the best way. He guides Miles and Rae through their struggles and provides insight whenever they feel as if the world around them is too much. He’s pretty much the steady voice of reason.
Emma is such a sweet girl, and I’m so excited to read her story and find out what she is like on a deeper level. The friendship her and Rae develop is heartwarming. She’s the opposite of Rae, similar to how her sister Cara was, but they work really well as friends. They both care for each other deeply and it’s so sweet.
I love the recurring bits like Rae’s choker that was given to her by Cara early on in the book, on the morning of their tragedy. I also adore how Rae says Cara is gold, and how the theme of her being this sunshine reoccurs all the way to the end.
I’m simply obsessed. I laughed, I cried, I gasped out loud. I can’t WAIT to read Emma and Grayson’s story, and I also am SO excited to dig into more books by Holly Caste. I’d give this a million stars if I could.
**this is your warning for spoilers ahead, if you don’t want spoilers don’t read this, go read the book instead it’s 10000000000% worth it**
Right from the beginning of this book I was HOOKED. I was so intrigued by Rae’s character, and wanted to know why she was starting this new life in Golden Bay.
The story from the past was SO WELL integrated in with the present. It truly left me thinking about what truly that horrible day was. Was there an incident at the party? Potential drunk driving accident? Assault? Only right before it was revealed did I start to even imagine it was a school shooting. As someone who lived close to Newtown when the Sandy Hook shooting happened, this resonated with me deeply. I feel as if so many stories that portray the awful gun violence in our world only touch on the moment of the tragedy or even only a few months after. I love how this explored their adult life, and showed the lasting effects something like this could have on someone. Addiction, fear of getting close to people, nightmares, panic attacks, etc. The trauma and internal turmoil both Miles and Rae work through both together and separately is portrayed fantastically. I just - wow I loved this book.
The overall relationship between Rae and Miles is so sweet and touching. I love the spice level - it’s just enough that you get to see more into their characters, and get to witness their insane chemistry, but not too much that the book lacks plot. If anything it’s just a nice lil sprinkle of spice on top of an absolutely stunning story.
The side characters are also extremely notable. Sam feels like such a father figure throughout the book in the best way. He guides Miles and Rae through their struggles and provides insight whenever they feel as if the world around them is too much. He’s pretty much the steady voice of reason.
Emma is such a sweet girl, and I’m so excited to read her story and find out what she is like on a deeper level. The friendship her and Rae develop is heartwarming. She’s the opposite of Rae, similar to how her sister Cara was, but they work really well as friends. They both care for each other deeply and it’s so sweet.
I love the recurring bits like Rae’s choker that was given to her by Cara early on in the book, on the morning of their tragedy. I also adore how Rae says Cara is gold, and how the theme of her being this sunshine reoccurs all the way to the end.
I’m simply obsessed. I laughed, I cried, I gasped out loud. I can’t WAIT to read Emma and Grayson’s story, and I also am SO excited to dig into more books by Holly Caste. I’d give this a million stars if I could.
January 20, 2023
𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐈 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝. 𝐀𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞.
I never thought I would 5 star a book that included grief, death, addiction, a horrific event, smutt, romance, and a relationship that isn't toxic. But, here we are! First month into 2023 and I've found it.
🌊 Reverse Grumpy x Sunshine
🌊 Opposites Attract
🌊 Learning to Live & Love after loss
🌊 Swoon Worthy MMC
🌊 He Falls First
This book was incredibly hard to read, emotional, very sweet, and damn spicy. We get dual POV of the two MCs, and it time jumps from 10 years before to present day. Rae and Miles have been dealt some rough hands. Ten years after "the event" they both experienced together, they find themselves face to face again. Is it fate? And can they both find the healing they have needed?
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞. 𝐈𝐭'𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐧𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞.
The characters feel so real. Rae is incredibly complex, and has some laugh out loud one liners. Miles is so swoon-worthy, and the absolute perfect book boyfriend. The chemistry between them, and the spicy moments were enough to make my cheeks burnt read. The scene out on the balcony. Whew 🔥. I wasn't expecting it to be that high of a spice level. The relationship between the two MCs was refreshing. Yes, Rae was the toxic one at points, but it was really nice to see her make an effort to do better. The communication between them ended up being healthy. A real person isn't perfect, but they can acknowledge when they were wrong and take accountability. That's what both Rae and Miles did through the story.
𝐑𝐚𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐫𝐭.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
𝐓𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐛 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐛𝐞𝐝.
This book broke my heart. I cried with both Rae and Miles. Please, make sure you check the trigger warnings before reading. A lot of this book is very heavy. If you need more clarification, it is a major spoiler, but if you need then ask! This was a beautiful, painful story. I will need to sit with this for a bit.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
⚠️
Addiction
Death
& others, please read the trigger warnings from the author.
𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.
I never thought I would 5 star a book that included grief, death, addiction, a horrific event, smutt, romance, and a relationship that isn't toxic. But, here we are! First month into 2023 and I've found it.
🌊 Reverse Grumpy x Sunshine
🌊 Opposites Attract
🌊 Learning to Live & Love after loss
🌊 Swoon Worthy MMC
🌊 He Falls First
This book was incredibly hard to read, emotional, very sweet, and damn spicy. We get dual POV of the two MCs, and it time jumps from 10 years before to present day. Rae and Miles have been dealt some rough hands. Ten years after "the event" they both experienced together, they find themselves face to face again. Is it fate? And can they both find the healing they have needed?
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞. 𝐈𝐭'𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐧𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞.
The characters feel so real. Rae is incredibly complex, and has some laugh out loud one liners. Miles is so swoon-worthy, and the absolute perfect book boyfriend. The chemistry between them, and the spicy moments were enough to make my cheeks burnt read. The scene out on the balcony. Whew 🔥. I wasn't expecting it to be that high of a spice level. The relationship between the two MCs was refreshing. Yes, Rae was the toxic one at points, but it was really nice to see her make an effort to do better. The communication between them ended up being healthy. A real person isn't perfect, but they can acknowledge when they were wrong and take accountability. That's what both Rae and Miles did through the story.
𝐑𝐚𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐫𝐭.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
𝐓𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐛 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐛𝐞𝐝.
This book broke my heart. I cried with both Rae and Miles. Please, make sure you check the trigger warnings before reading. A lot of this book is very heavy. If you need more clarification, it is a major spoiler, but if you need then ask! This was a beautiful, painful story. I will need to sit with this for a bit.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
⚠️
Addiction
Death
& others, please read the trigger warnings from the author.
𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.
January 20, 2023
Anything Rae Touches is one of those rare books that not only tells a beautiful love story, but also explores some very dark topics beautifully. From trauma and death to addiction this book takes on those topics in a way that is both powerful and thought provoking.
The story follows Rae and Miles, two people who were thrown together during a horrifically traumatic event in high school, who find each other again ten years later. Both have struggled with the events of the past and their own addictions, and together they find love, acceptance, and healing. The love story is at the center of it all, and it is absolutely stunning. The relationship that develops between Rae and Miles is both adorable and steamy, and most of all it's real.
This book is more than a love story though, it is a tribute to those who have survived trauma and it makes you stop and think how society fails our survivors. The image of Rae’s NA meeting and those in recovery meeting in a basement stuck with me even after I put the book down. Broken souls don’t just magically heal within a certain time frame, and shouldn’t be shoved into the background like they have something to hide. The author did an amazing job in writing about this topic, one that is messy and difficult, but so important.
The characters in this book, especially Rae and Miles, are what drives the whole story. Rae is an incredible and complex character. She jaded, and guarded but slowly her walls start to come down and she allows her vulnerability to shine through. Through her relationship with Miles, who is in many ways her opposite with his positive outlook, she finds healing. Their bickering and banter provides a bit of light as the book navigates darker topics, and will keep you reading to the very end.
I gave this book a 5 out 5. It is incredibly well written and tells an amazing story. It is also quite steamy, and I gave it 4 out of 5 for spice. I would highly recommend this book, but be sure to read the trigger warnings. It deals with some incredibly gut wrenching topics, but does so beautifully.
The story follows Rae and Miles, two people who were thrown together during a horrifically traumatic event in high school, who find each other again ten years later. Both have struggled with the events of the past and their own addictions, and together they find love, acceptance, and healing. The love story is at the center of it all, and it is absolutely stunning. The relationship that develops between Rae and Miles is both adorable and steamy, and most of all it's real.
This book is more than a love story though, it is a tribute to those who have survived trauma and it makes you stop and think how society fails our survivors. The image of Rae’s NA meeting and those in recovery meeting in a basement stuck with me even after I put the book down. Broken souls don’t just magically heal within a certain time frame, and shouldn’t be shoved into the background like they have something to hide. The author did an amazing job in writing about this topic, one that is messy and difficult, but so important.
The characters in this book, especially Rae and Miles, are what drives the whole story. Rae is an incredible and complex character. She jaded, and guarded but slowly her walls start to come down and she allows her vulnerability to shine through. Through her relationship with Miles, who is in many ways her opposite with his positive outlook, she finds healing. Their bickering and banter provides a bit of light as the book navigates darker topics, and will keep you reading to the very end.
I gave this book a 5 out 5. It is incredibly well written and tells an amazing story. It is also quite steamy, and I gave it 4 out of 5 for spice. I would highly recommend this book, but be sure to read the trigger warnings. It deals with some incredibly gut wrenching topics, but does so beautifully.
September 25, 2023
First thing, please check trigger warnings before reading this book it deals with some heavy topics so please take care before reading. With that being said.....
This book was incredible! I am going to try to put my thoughts into words here without giving too much away.
This book follows Rae and Miles. When they were kids they both experienced a traumatic event that forever changed the course of their lives. When this book starts, it is 10 years later and Rae has just moved to a new town after completing rehab. Her parents wanted her to have a fresh start. While sitting in a diner one day she comes face to face with Miles. She hasn’t seen Miles since that day 10 years ago and she doesn’t handle it well. She ends up seeing Miles again when she needs a maintenance person to fix her shower. Miles and Rae fall into a friendship that moves to a romantic relationship.
There were so many fun parts to this book. Miles is just swoon worthy. He truly understands Rae better than anyone else can. He pushes her to move out of her comfort zone, but also takes care to make sure he doesn’t push too hard. Rae is so grumpy and snarky and Miles is so playful and that dynamic leads to some excellent banter. The spice in this book is also so very good, there is a balcony scene that will live rent free in my head for a while 🔥🥵!
This book really balances the heavy with the light. Rae and Miles have been through so much and continue to struggle to make it to the other side. We do not find out about their shared trauma until about 80% Into the book, and when we do it was incredibly difficult to read.
This is such a beautiful story of letting go of the past, and embracing the future. It’s about grief and living with guilt for having survived when someone you love didn’t. Holly handles very difficult topics so beautifully and as difficult as some parts were to read, others were so much fun to read. She balances both of those so well.
I had only read a few chapters and had signed up to be an arc reader for Holly's next book! I have such a book hangover after reading this book and I know I can't do it justice with a review, so please just read it!
This book was incredible! I am going to try to put my thoughts into words here without giving too much away.
This book follows Rae and Miles. When they were kids they both experienced a traumatic event that forever changed the course of their lives. When this book starts, it is 10 years later and Rae has just moved to a new town after completing rehab. Her parents wanted her to have a fresh start. While sitting in a diner one day she comes face to face with Miles. She hasn’t seen Miles since that day 10 years ago and she doesn’t handle it well. She ends up seeing Miles again when she needs a maintenance person to fix her shower. Miles and Rae fall into a friendship that moves to a romantic relationship.
There were so many fun parts to this book. Miles is just swoon worthy. He truly understands Rae better than anyone else can. He pushes her to move out of her comfort zone, but also takes care to make sure he doesn’t push too hard. Rae is so grumpy and snarky and Miles is so playful and that dynamic leads to some excellent banter. The spice in this book is also so very good, there is a balcony scene that will live rent free in my head for a while 🔥🥵!
This book really balances the heavy with the light. Rae and Miles have been through so much and continue to struggle to make it to the other side. We do not find out about their shared trauma until about 80% Into the book, and when we do it was incredibly difficult to read.
This is such a beautiful story of letting go of the past, and embracing the future. It’s about grief and living with guilt for having survived when someone you love didn’t. Holly handles very difficult topics so beautifully and as difficult as some parts were to read, others were so much fun to read. She balances both of those so well.
I had only read a few chapters and had signed up to be an arc reader for Holly's next book! I have such a book hangover after reading this book and I know I can't do it justice with a review, so please just read it!
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