Review: Too Close to Touch

Too Close to Touch by Georgia Beers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Finished on March 14, 2021

Favorite Scene/Quote: "Live life...You're supposed to live it."

3.5/5 rounded up

Warning for this book: Contains detailed description of a sexual assault

The review for this book is hard to write because my feelings about this book are complicated.
    
I love the characters and their chemistry. Gretchen and Kylie played off each other so perfectly. The added tension from the boss-employee dynamic was fun and handled quite well. Separately the two characters are interesting. Kylie is a sweetheart who, at times, seems a bit too patient with the people around her but she’s also shown being angry and sad and lonely. Gretchen was a handful at times, but I liked her through it all. When she was sad, bitchy, annoyed, everything. She was fun and multifaceted and fit so well with Kylie.

I loved the general storyline of the book. The initial tenseness that comes from being introduced to, and in parts attracted to, a new coworker. Initially getting along, things happening that strain the relationship, and finding their way back together. Kylie going to Poughkeepsie was an amazing part and one of the single sweetest things about the book. It was good. Georgia Beers’ writing is good and emotive, and I felt the way they did for most of the book.

That leads me to the part of the review I hate:

The absolute worst part of this book occurs in chapter 13 (starting after the break when Kylie goes home). I’m hiding it behind a spoiler because it includes part of the story as well as mention of sexual assault that’s not handled well. Kylie was at a bar and drank and is a bit drunk and a bit sad and she begins kissing Mick. She wants to sleep with Mick with the light s off so that she can pretend Mick is Gretchen. Mick gets pissed about this and proceeds to sexually assault Kylie. 

This is bad enough on its own, especially considering Kylie says “stop” 4 times throughout the situation, but it gets worse. Georgia Beers writes lines like “fighting not only Mick, but the growing excitement burning in her belly” and “her own helpless arousal”. There’s even a part later in the book where Kylie thinks “I’ve already ruined one friendship this week” as though it was her fault. I want to believe that this was a misguided attempt of Beers to write the body reacting to a sexual assault even if the person themselves isn’t aroused. However, the writing there is horrible. It makes it seem like Kylie was aroused and into the idea of being dominated and forced by Mick. Kylie also continues to think about Mick sporadically throughout the rest of the book and wants to continue being friends with her. It might just be me, but sexual assault is an immediate friendship-ender. 

Mick also proceeds to whine about Kylie never having noticed her since they were teenagers, and that Gretchen has already been with two people since she’s been there. Mick never once actively asked out Kylie and she sleeps around as well (even telling Kylie about it) while still hanging onto Kylie as her “first love”.

I hate Mick as a character. I hated her before the assault but that just cinched it for me. Also, she has a weird hatred of people who aren’t out and proud, it’s appalling. The only time I actually liked Mick was in the first chapter and that was it.

This book is a good read but I would recommend skipping the second half of chapter 13 if you want to avoid that part. I read it because I needed to know how it was portrayed and I regret it.