Ebook218 pages2 hours
Untouched
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
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About this ebook
New York Times and USA Today bestselling romance author Lauren Hawkeye serves up a captivating story of loss, self-discovery, and deep-seated desire.
Some secrets are best left locked away in the past….
Alexa Kendrick has no recollection of the car accident that left her scarred and sent her life careening wildly off course. When the half-sister she thought she’d never meet shows up at her door with an invitation to a new life, Alexa finds herself in Florence, Arizona, a town notorious for being populated with more prison inmates than actual citizens…a town that has done its best to hide its own dark secret.
After Ellie is called out of town, she leaves her sister with the keys to her flower shop and Alexa finds herself swapping lives with her sibling: running Ellie’s business, living in the house left to them both by their absentee father…and forging a smoldering relationship with sexy-as-sin penitentiary officer, Nate Fury—a man with his own demons.
But arranging flowers by day and tangling with the only man who has ever seen her real self by night isn’t enough to silence the mysterious panic that fuels Alexa’s dark dreams. When Nate brings home a book written by an inmate, one describing an unspeakable crime, the shackles binding Alexa’s own lost memories begin to shatter. And as the devastating truth comes to light, she realizes that Nate holds the key to unlocking her past, as well as her heart.
Some secrets are best left locked away in the past….
Alexa Kendrick has no recollection of the car accident that left her scarred and sent her life careening wildly off course. When the half-sister she thought she’d never meet shows up at her door with an invitation to a new life, Alexa finds herself in Florence, Arizona, a town notorious for being populated with more prison inmates than actual citizens…a town that has done its best to hide its own dark secret.
After Ellie is called out of town, she leaves her sister with the keys to her flower shop and Alexa finds herself swapping lives with her sibling: running Ellie’s business, living in the house left to them both by their absentee father…and forging a smoldering relationship with sexy-as-sin penitentiary officer, Nate Fury—a man with his own demons.
But arranging flowers by day and tangling with the only man who has ever seen her real self by night isn’t enough to silence the mysterious panic that fuels Alexa’s dark dreams. When Nate brings home a book written by an inmate, one describing an unspeakable crime, the shackles binding Alexa’s own lost memories begin to shatter. And as the devastating truth comes to light, she realizes that Nate holds the key to unlocking her past, as well as her heart.
Author
Lauren Hawkeye
Lauren Hawkeye is a writer, yoga newbie, knitting aficionado and animal lover who lives in the shadows of the great Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada. She's older than she looks–really–and younger than she feels–most of the time–and she loves to explore the journeys that take women through life in her stories. Hawkeye's stories include erotic historical, steamy paranormal, and hot contemporary.
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Reviews for Untouched
Rating: 3.80000002 out of 5 stars
4/5
5 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Absolutely dark and bittersweet down to the core; licorice... intriguing.
Okay, now that I got that bit of randomness out of the way.
This is the first, technically, in the Florence, Arizona series. The story prior to this one is Unspoken, Ellie's short story.
This book is Alexa's story. She is contacted by a woman who claims to be her sister which leads to Alexa heading to Florence to find out more of her past, as well as fill up the emptiness that dwells within her that resulted from a major life experience she just cannot remember.
I liked the plot. I knew there was a connection with the title couldn't figure it out yet. I really liked how the drawings Alexa did were visible to the reading audience to give more of a fell for her personality and natural creativity. I wish there was more to read on Alexa as an artist and put the romance on a bit of a slow-mo.
I did hope read more of Nate and get more of a feel for his character, bu the story solely focused on Alexa and her memories.
I still feel that Nate's character is a stranger, which is what he is basically to Alexa, so that allowed me as the reader to be put in Alexa's shoes, kind of.
The author really didn;t waste any time or space with unnecessary words or scenes. Everything was kept straight-forward, short and sweet. I recommend this to those looking for exactly that.
Overall, I really enjoyed this read and can't wait to get a hold of the next installment in this series. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/53.5 stars
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Alexa was in a horrific car accident a year ago and is still healing mentally from it. Unable to fully comprehend the trauma, she has blocked out what happened to her but little snippets have been trying to break free lately. When a half-sister comes out of the woodwork Alexa decides a change of scenery is needed and decides to visit Ellie hoping to get to know her. Alexa's over protective mother is against the idea, so much so that Alexa wonders what secrets her own mother is keeping from her. When Ellie's husband has a family emergency the half-sister Alexa was hoping to get to know leaves town and dumps her flower business on Alexa. Already overwhelmed with repressed memories trying to break through, Alexa stays in the town that she was born in and holds more truths and secrets than she is prepared for.
Nate may completely remember his trauma but it doesn't make it any easier. While on duty and chasing down a suspect, his partner was shot and died in his arms. Now this former cop is working as a correctional officer and fighting his demons. When Nate meets Alexa’s gaze across the diner, something calls out to him. They're both shrouded in the dark but see just enough light in the other to grasp onto and begin to believe there is hope.
Alexa is an artist (I wonder if the author is too) and the writing and how she sees the world is reflected in that. The way things are described involve a lot of color schemes and almost take on a murky dreamlike state. This sets the tone for a mysterious dark story while also adding to the feeling of Alexa's confusion and lost like state. While it sets a good tone for the type of story this is, it also creates a slower pace and you lose a bit of crispness. There are three main story threads, Alexa's confusion due to a traumatic event, the secrets Alexa's mother is keeping from her, and Nate. The romance between Alexa and Nate is a bit of insta-love and because of this it causes a feeling of it could be any two desperately needing people coming together; are Alexa and Nate meant to be together or is it right place right time? Their pain and outreaching do create an intense relationship, though. Alexa and Nate's relationship suffered from too many story arcs, the secret about Alexa's father could have been left out as it didn't really add to the story.
The story is mostly told through Alexa's eyes and she was a compelling character. She has her moments of weakness (you're searching for answers and yet you're not going to read a hidden book?) but ultimately pushes through. I didn't quite feel like I fully knew her as she herself was searching for her memories and identity but as the reader's leader she had a secure presence. As I mentioned, the mysteriousness behind Alexa's lost memories are the driving point for this story and Nate's character takes somewhat of a hit because of this. He is the dark and broody character who is alluring but I never completely felt like I had a grasp of him. His wounds are up front and center and become his sole representation making him very one dimensional. The ending featuring their relationship also wrapped up pretty quickly and a dose cheesy. Ultimately, I'm not sure what a happily ever after would look like for these two once they are not tumbling in their anguish together.
This is the second in the series but can definitely be read as a standalone as the first novella was about Alexa's sister Ellie and she only plays a small part in this one. This book also has a couple drawings in it (Alexa’s sketching) that were a great addition and visually helped the reader get further into the story. Subsequently, there were times that in making the style mysterious, it made the story vague and confusing but if you're looking for a different toned unhurried paced book, this has quality writing.
Book preview
Untouched - Lauren Hawkeye
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