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masa22's review against another edition
4.0
"Don't judge book by its cover" should be applied to this book. Although the cover looks quite cheap and reminiscent of erotica book, the story itself is full of emotions and great moments. I didn't exepect it to deal with such broad of subjects - grief, mental health, diabetes, abusive family, friendships. What amazed me the most was the questioning of love, can it exist without sex (obviously, yes), what sex is even supposted to look like and how important is touch in human connections? As someone living with social anxiety it struck me how much I could relate to Irelands struggles and fears. Here are some quotes that stuck with me:
"People assumed I didn’t want touch, but that wasn’t true. If I didn’t want it, I wouldn’t have spent years in therapy trying to achieve it. "
"The point of finding love was to find that someone who you connected with on such a level that you could envision yourself growing old with them. Sex didn’t have to be the most important variable in the equation."
"Every time you touch me, I’m on top of the world because I know what kind of gift I’m receiving.”
"People assumed I didn’t want touch, but that wasn’t true. If I didn’t want it, I wouldn’t have spent years in therapy trying to achieve it. "
"The point of finding love was to find that someone who you connected with on such a level that you could envision yourself growing old with them. Sex didn’t have to be the most important variable in the equation."
"Every time you touch me, I’m on top of the world because I know what kind of gift I’m receiving.”
booksafety's review against another edition
5.0
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes & tags down below.
People assumed I didn’t want touch, but that wasn’t true. If I didn’t want it, I wouldn’t have spent years in therapy trying to achieve it.
I might actually love this one just as much as Cravings of the Heart from the same series, which I didn’t expect to happen, because that book still hasn’t left my mind. I read a review of this book with a quote that made me tear up, and I was immediately sold. This story is heartwarming, heartbreaking, and just really beautiful. I really enjoyed the organic feeling of how their relationship evolved. The slow build of trust to become friends, and then Ireland slowly letting himself be vulnerable again and let Raven in even further. They didn’t have a smooth ride by any means, but they both fought tooth and nail to make it work, and Raven especially was so patient and kind, even when he was hurting.
His shoulders shook as he wept. My hand twitched, itching to reach out. It was physically painful watching his heart break and knowing I couldn’t comfort him.
Nicky James is so freaking talented. She makes me connect with the characters within the first pages, and have me crying just as fast. Very highly recommend.
Also, I can’t even imagine the pain of wanting to touch, to feel comfort, to be touched by the people you love, and not being able to. To have people walk away eventually, because you inevitably have setbacks. My heart broke for Ireland.
He said he could touch when things were going well. I’d live for those moments if he gave me a chance.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Haphephobia (fear of touch)
Diabetic MC
Nurse MC
Tattoos and piercings
Slow burn
Strangers to friends to lovers
Hurt/comfort
Age gap
Musician MC
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Anxiety disorder
Past abuse (side character)
Brief mentions of rape (side character, not detailed)
Parent with Alzheimer’s
Death of a parent (present, not detailed)
Haphephobia (fear of touch)
Hyperglycemic episode
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: N/A
[…] he removed his hoodie and placed it on the foot of my bed. “I know I can’t hold you right now, but if you need comfort, maybe this can bridge our gap. If you want.” He backed toward the door again, paused, blew me a kiss, and left. My heart lurched, and the moment he was gone, as stupid and juvenile as it was, I caught the kiss and pressed it to my lips with a choked sob.
Unobtainable. A dream that could never be. This was my life. Constantly striving for the impossible.
Yes, I enjoyed sex—a lot—but what I’d learned in all the years I’d dated was that an emotional bond and friendship were far more important than bumping uglies.
It had become an ever-growing, impossible standard of living he could never achieve. He set the stakes higher and higher, so no matter how many positive steps forward he took, he only saw failure.
People assumed I didn’t want touch, but that wasn’t true. If I didn’t want it, I wouldn’t have spent years in therapy trying to achieve it.
I might actually love this one just as much as Cravings of the Heart from the same series, which I didn’t expect to happen, because that book still hasn’t left my mind. I read a review of this book with a quote that made me tear up, and I was immediately sold. This story is heartwarming, heartbreaking, and just really beautiful. I really enjoyed the organic feeling of how their relationship evolved. The slow build of trust to become friends, and then Ireland slowly letting himself be vulnerable again and let Raven in even further. They didn’t have a smooth ride by any means, but they both fought tooth and nail to make it work, and Raven especially was so patient and kind, even when he was hurting.
His shoulders shook as he wept. My hand twitched, itching to reach out. It was physically painful watching his heart break and knowing I couldn’t comfort him.
Nicky James is so freaking talented. She makes me connect with the characters within the first pages, and have me crying just as fast. Very highly recommend.
Also, I can’t even imagine the pain of wanting to touch, to feel comfort, to be touched by the people you love, and not being able to. To have people walk away eventually, because you inevitably have setbacks. My heart broke for Ireland.
He said he could touch when things were going well. I’d live for those moments if he gave me a chance.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Haphephobia (fear of touch)
Diabetic MC
Nurse MC
Tattoos and piercings
Slow burn
Strangers to friends to lovers
Hurt/comfort
Age gap
Musician MC
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Anxiety disorder
Past abuse (side character)
Brief mentions of rape (side character, not detailed)
Parent with Alzheimer’s
Death of a parent (present, not detailed)
Haphephobia (fear of touch)
Hyperglycemic episode
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: N/A
[…] he removed his hoodie and placed it on the foot of my bed. “I know I can’t hold you right now, but if you need comfort, maybe this can bridge our gap. If you want.” He backed toward the door again, paused, blew me a kiss, and left. My heart lurched, and the moment he was gone, as stupid and juvenile as it was, I caught the kiss and pressed it to my lips with a choked sob.
Unobtainable. A dream that could never be. This was my life. Constantly striving for the impossible.
Yes, I enjoyed sex—a lot—but what I’d learned in all the years I’d dated was that an emotional bond and friendship were far more important than bumping uglies.
It had become an ever-growing, impossible standard of living he could never achieve. He set the stakes higher and higher, so no matter how many positive steps forward he took, he only saw failure.
fuzzywilson's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
malphassador's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
storydarling's review
Just not for me. Contemporary romance isn’t my thing most of the time anyways and this was just too slow for me.
layla87's review against another edition
5.0
Reread via audiobook
4.5 stars rounded up for the narration.
I absolutely loved this book.
Ireland's phobia is truly heartbreaking. How much do we truly touch other people, people we love, without really thinking about it.
Intimacy is instinct and touch is part of that.
For Ireland.. touch is pain and wrong and hurt.
Enter Raven, the perfect boyfriend who has patience by the buckets. I adored him.
This book is completely relationship driven as with all the books in this series and I loved seeing them IN a relationship as they work out the kinks.
Adam Gold is just perfect in this one. Love love love his narration.
4.5 stars rounded up for the narration.
I absolutely loved this book.
Ireland's phobia is truly heartbreaking. How much do we truly touch other people, people we love, without really thinking about it.
Intimacy is instinct and touch is part of that.
For Ireland.. touch is pain and wrong and hurt.
Enter Raven, the perfect boyfriend who has patience by the buckets. I adored him.
This book is completely relationship driven as with all the books in this series and I loved seeing them IN a relationship as they work out the kinks.
Adam Gold is just perfect in this one. Love love love his narration.
dreamofhorses24's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. These books just keep getting better and better. Nicky is a one click author for me and it's no wonder with the amazing and realistic characters she writes. I will be putting off my responsibilities - well, most of them- to read the next book in this touching series. I can't wait for more broken men made whole.
liza5326's review
5.0
Out of the 1st 3 Trials of Fear books so far, this one is my favorite. Human touch is so vital at every stage of life and for that to be your biggest fear . . . Ireland and Raven are so beautiful together. Raven is infinitely patient, never losing his cool or patience with Ireland and his phobia. He never rages at the injustice of the abuse he suffered. He just learned what he needs to do and does it.
ayjayy's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0