Untouched

Untouched is a dark yet sweet romance where two people struggling to overcome personal tragedies find each other and fall in love. We are along for the ride as Alexa struggles to remember the event that changed her life and Nate’s daily struggle to forget the one that changed his. I am not usually a fan of the “instant connection” type story but these lost souls recognize one another and the author makes it work. The only thing I really didn’t like about this book was the title. It says nothing (to me) about the story, in fact it led me to think it was another type of story altogether. I was glad I read the blurb. This is a well written, well thought out read. I recommend it highly. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

Untouched was an edgy read as it starts off with the main character Alexa being home and the readers discover that she was in an accident which caused her to lose her memory of what occurred and has also caused her to stop her passion of painting. The readers also discover that prior to the accident , Alexa was a big-shot artist who had her own gallery shows and sold quite a number of paintings. After her accident, Alexa's mother became more protective and all is sailing smoothly till Alexa gets a visit from Ellie - a woman who is claiming to be her older sister. The thing is Alexa knows nothing of her father and can't believe she has a sister out there as whenever she tries to talk to her mum about her dad , her mum clams up. Over the next course of the novel, we read as Alexa travels to Florence, at first I kept thinking Florence , Italy but turns out that their is a smalltown in Arizona called Florence - this is where she goes. Over the following week or so Ellie ups and leaves Alexa in charge of her flower shop as her fiance's dad is sick -during this time Alexa meets Nate - one of the prison guards and also discovers a book up in the attic - a diary of sorts. Inside this book though is disturbing entries which indicate a horrible crime was committed. Who is this book about and who is the woman in the story ? To not give any more away in the book, I shall finish the review here as this is one book that you will have to read to discover the truth as anymore would be a total SPOILER alert. The perfect read for those fans of Edgy Fiction.

Overall, I found Untouched to be very well-written. Cast in third-person, the story is told from the perspective of multiple narrators: Alexa, her mom Tracy (briefly), and Nate.

One thing I found to be really special about the novel is the inclusion of sketches from our main character Alexa. They really make her artistic ability feel authentic. In many ways this merging of art forms reminded me of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, which combines writing and photography.

Main characters Alexa and Nate have an undeniable connection. The two actually have quite a bit in common, something they discover as the novel progresses.

The mystery in this novel is very intriguing. So much so that I didn’t move from the couch—my prime reading spot—until I finished Untouched. Both the romance and the suspense elements kept me interested and, comparatively speaking, the novel is relatively short. Of course, its brevity didn’t make it any less enjoyable. On the contrary, I appreciate that Untouched is succinct and to-the-point, without any fluff, unnecessary characters, or contrived plot points.

I definitely recommend this one to fans of contemporary romance, especially those who like courtship with a side of mystery.

The complex story of the Kendrick sisters continues with Alexa's story. It has been a year since her car accident and still she cannot recall what happened. Her last known memory was of her sitting having a drink at a bar. Nothing after that until she woke up days later in the hospital. She cannot help but feel stuck in time and unable to move on with her life until she is able to recollect what happened to cause the accident.

As she decides to spend some time with her half sister Ellie in Florence, Arizona, she can feel the exhilaration that she is about to resolve a great puzzle.

Once again, Lauren Hawkeye has given us an emotional, thrilling and moving story of a young woman paralyzed by events that traumatized her. The writing is superb. I was in the story with Alexa, feeling her anxiety and desire to finally remember and move on with her life.

The love story between Alexa and Nate proceeds at the speed of light. There is a mutual attraction that unequivocally draws them together. Nate is a prison guard at the local penitentiary. He is also broken and seeking to disappear into an ordinary life unable to reconcile his feelings of loss and recrimination.

Plot twists, serendipity, fate, whatever you call it, our story brings together a cast of characters who have irreparably affected each others lives. As the secrets begin to unravel, all will be known to the reader's dismay. This is one gem of a story. Be prepared... this is not a soft and fluffy story. This is real, raw, and emotional story pain and survival.