Colleen Oakley, author of CLOSE ENOUGH TO TOUCH, on tour April/May 2017

About Close Enough to Touch

Hardcover: 336 pages

Publisher: Gallery Books (March 7, 2017)

A March 2017 Indie Next Pick

From the author of Before I Go comes an evocative, poignant, and heartrending exploration of the power and possibilities of the human heart, perfect for fans of the emotional novels of Jojo Moyes and Jodi Picoult.

Love has no boundaries…

Jubilee Jenkins has a rare condition: she’s allergic to human touch. After a nearly fatal accident, she became reclusive, living in the confines of her home for nine years. But after her mother dies, Jubilee is forced to face the world—and the people in it—that she’s been hiding from.

Jubilee finds safe haven at her local library where she gets a job. It’s there she meets Eric Keegan, a divorced man who recently moved to town with his brilliant, troubled, adopted son. Eric is struggling to figure out how to be the dad—and man—he wants so desperately to be. Jubilee is unlike anyone he has ever met, yet he can’t understand why she keeps him at arm’s length. So Eric sets out to convince Jubilee to open herself and her heart to everything life can offer, setting into motion the most unlikely love story of the year.

Look for Close Enough to Touch on Real Simple’s list,

Best New Books to Read this Month

“The story of three wounded souls denied the human touch they desire, expertly conceived with all the warmth and affection of an enormous bear hug. A real achievement.” (Steven Rowley, national bestselling author of Lily and the Octopus)

“A witty, inventive, and bittersweet story of a reclusive young woman forced to venture into the world where complex medical issues become tangled with longings of the heart.”
(Beth Hoffman, New York Times bestselling author of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt and Looking for Me)

“It’s so rare these days to find an utterly original heroine like Jubilee – one who is bravely living an almost unimaginable life. Gripping, raw, and moving, this is one of my favorite novels of the year.” (Sarah Pekkanen, bestselling author of Skipping a Beat and The Opposite of Me)

“In Close Enough to Touch we meet Jubilee Jenkins, who has a life-threatening allergy to human touch, and Eric Keegan, a good guy whose life isn’t going according to plan. Colleen Oakley expertly weaves Jubilee and Eric’s stories together, ensuring we laugh a lot and cry a little as we fly through the pages. This is a heart-warming, unconventional love story you won’t be able to put down.” (Karma Brown, bestselling author of Come Away With Me and The Choices We Make)

“Heart wrenching and humorous, Oakley delivers an out-of-the-ordinary love story with steady quips and endearing characters… [Jubilee’s] journey from recluse to recovery is fascinating.” (Publishers Weekly)

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

About Colleen Oakley

Colleen Oakley is an Atlanta-based writer and author of the novel Before I Go. Her articles, essays, and interviews have been featured in The New York Times, Ladies’ Home Journal, Marie Claire, Women’s Health, Redbook, Parade, and Martha Stewart Weddings. Before she was a freelance writer, Colleen was editor in chief of Women’s Health & Fitness and senior editor at Marie Claire. Close Enough to Touch is her second novel.