“Oh, you little heartbreaker!”Ben Richards is a professional rugby player, successful and single. He has everything he wants in life, except for the health of his younger brother who suffers from a life-limiting illness.When fun and feisty physiotherapist Brunina comes into both their lives, he realizes that love is a precious gift—and that a little love can last a lifetime.A heart-breaking love … lifetime.
A heart-breaking love story from the bestselling authors of ‘Undefeated’ and ‘Model Boyfriend’
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The first thing you should know about this book is that I wouldn’t put in the romance genre. It IS a love story, but more typical of one found in women’s fiction or a Nicholas Sparks novel. This novella follows the story of professional rugby player, Ben Richards, who finds himself in love with the team’s feisty physiotherapist, Bruninha (Ru). In addition to his career and a new love interest, Ben spends a lot of his time with his younger brother, Paul, who has cystic fibrosis and awaits a heart and lung transplant.
Since this is another book by the writing duo Harvey-Berrick and Reardon, I anticipated a book similar to Undefeated. Although they have similar sports details that bring the story to life, Touch My Soul is told from the hero’s point of view and this book is very different. The lack of perspective from Ru made her more of a secondary character rather than the heroine of the story, and I didn’t feel that I got to know her nearly as well as I got to know Ben.
I’m a little torn about wholeheartedly recommending this book, especially to those who read romance exclusively. However, if you go into it expecting more of a Sparks-type ending, you’ll find a beautiful love story that is touching, compelling, heart wrenching and inspiring.
*I reviewed an advance copy of this book freely and voluntarily, having made no commitment to provide a review and receiving no compensation of any kind from any source for this review.
Such an emotional love story! Its about love and loss with finding a way to come back from it all.
Ben a rugby player and Rue a physio therapist who fall in love, Paul is Ben’s brother who has major health problems and is in need of a heart and lung transplant. What will the outcome be for the three of them?
It was a beautiful and very emotional story. I definitely recommend this book and these authors.
Falling in love with someone you can’t be with (technically speaking). Would you be able to ‘forget’ the object of your affection? Touch My Soul is the story of Ben, who can’t help falling in love with Ru. I have enjoyed reading this romance, but the ending was bittersweet.
“When I was 23 and thought life couldn’t get much better, I met her. Life would never be the same again.”
Ben is a young rugby player who lives for his sports. He’s good (and knows it), but it doesn’t make him a partying, over-the-top womanizer. Not that he’s a saint, far from it, but he’s down-to-earth. Ben’s parents and his younger brother Paul are very important to him, so he spends a lot of time with them. And since Paul has a very serious illness, Ben helps him (and his parents) out wherever he can. Falling in love with Ru is not part of the plan, but Ben just can’t resist the beautiful physio therapist.
“I scratched my head, wondering how this conversation had ended up with her asking me out.”
Ben, swoon… He’s just a sweet guy who happens to play his favorite game as a career. I love his close relationship with his parents and Paul, it makes him a loveable guy. He and Ru don’t hit it off right away, but it doesn’t take long before they both know it much more than just friendship.
Like other books co-written by Stuart Reardon, there is a lot of rugby in Touch My Soul. I’m not very familiar with the sport (maybe I should watch a game or two?), but I don’t mind reading about it. Ben and Ru’s is not very long, but it tells a full story. I love it, but I so wish it has a different ending, my poor heart wasn’t happy.
“Today I was untouchable. Today I was unbeatable. Today, I’d start to live again. For her. For me.”
4.5 Stars ~ Reviewed by Sharon Thérèse at KFF
Jane Harvey-Berrick and Stuart Reardon seem to me to be having a wordy-wise book love affair going on! In a nutshell; they cracked it in this novella, making me sob ‘till the cows came home! The flawless first-person perspective in past tense shares thoughts, fears and future doubts. Okay…I am a crybaby per se, but that doesn’t mean that their latest offering didn’t touch my brainstem in every possible way. A duo to be reckoned with regarding sports romance if you like the thrill of going in blind; delving into the unknown and yearn for surprises, Touch My Soul has it all. It’s not a long read; however, the authors have covered a heart-wrenching subject with the utmost compassion, finesse, and sensitivity.
The opportunity to learn more about the stress behind professional rugby was far too enticing to be ignored since this genre apart from contemporary romance is at the top of my list. And to top the lot, a solid storyline about how two brothers felt in a dire situation was in my book, beyond special. Why you may ask! It was a question of tackling head on one’s acceptance of what is on the cards. How Ben Richards come to terms with his younger brother, Paul’s illness. How they both cope with it. Regarding everyday tasks, Paul’s self-respect is in question since simple things in life aren’t easy and ooh boy, did I feel for him.
Here steps in a no-nonsense physiotherapist not to be messed with. Brunina aka Ru has a new job to do as best as she can in front of some very attractive and burly rugby players. Their flirtations could easily overstep the mark; nonetheless, someone reminds them about the art of courtesy. She’ll cannily take what she gets with abounding Brit humour and sass and I fell hard for her. A relief to laugh out loud when the story is so heartbreaking. Work ethics she has, but she catches the eye of Ben. He likes what he sees and sparks fly, romance is in the air and I clapped my hands with glee.
Ben is adorable. Chivalrous, attentive…hmm, my new book boyfriend if he’s not already been taken! Opening his heart, observing his thoughts and watching how the story evolved kept me attentive at all times. Ladies, he and Ru’s chemistry cannot be denied. For me, their story is so much more than the steaminess, which I might add, is scorching hot.
The beginning of the story is harsh stuff, and as it rolled on, I was left with a lump in my throat. The twist floored me to the point of tears, the ending…I have no words to describe how I felt. I honestly don’t know how these authors have managed to pull off such a beautifully written novella, seeing as the content is so dense. A little-big gem of a read is not too long or too short and most certainly a must-read. Bravo Harvey-Berrick and Reardon!
This short read leaves you with mixed emotions, a clear sign of a good story! There’s a lot going on in this novella to deeply pull at your heart strings. Family ties and a new love make for a story with all the feels but tragedy has a way of ending the best of relationships.
If you’re looking for a good, quick read to get the emotions stirring, this book is for you.
A little gem of a book, full of heart and laughs and heartbreak, and yet it is uplifting and convincing. It’s a love story without an HEA, and has an important message about surviving.
Ben is living his dream, playing professional rugby with the Finchley Phoenixes. He trains hard and works hard at being the fastest player in the team. Life is good except his little brother suffers from Cystic Fibrosis. Ben and Paul are very close; Paul is a very positive young man notwithstanding his illness, and Ben feels so much compassion and care for his young brother. When Ben was younger, he was conflicted and felt neglected by his parents as they attended to Paul, now he understands and helps as and when he cans.
Bruninha arrives at the rugby team as the new physiotherapist. She’s short and feisty and gorgeous. Ben is struck with her, same as all his teammates. They all want a crack at her, but she is great at firing out set downs, in a very professional manner. Yet, after she meets Ben and Paul, at one of Paul’s medical appointments, she develops a soft spot for both.
The love story ends with a tragedy and a new beginning; both connected. Paul gives Ben a lesson on living life, for her and for him. Bruninha lives on in both Ben’s and Paul’s hearts and this marks not an end but a beginning. This was such a heartbreaking but beautiful story. It was short but complete and with all the feels. Incredibly, it didn’t feel so sad, it felt uplifting and hopeful, and it definitely gives such a clear message about living on after death through organ donation.
Living in a rugby-oriented household, any book with that sport as a backdrop is an automatic winner in my eyes. And given that these two authors write so well together and have already produced Undefeated and Model Boyfriend, this book is a must.
The story of Ben, Paul and Ru is a bittersweet tale of love, family and loss. Ben falls hard and fast for Ru, the club physiotherapist who turns his world upside down. Her spark, her zest for life has him head over heels.
The book also highlights the problems of living with a life limiting illness in the family and the guilt of being the one that doesn’t have it.
My only complaint is that this book isn’t longer. I loved the story and really didn’t anticipate the twist in the tale at the end. A few ugly tears were shed along the way and my heart was aching at the end. A really great read.
This novella a collaboration of two authors is packed with emotional punch. A short story that made my heart shatter into pieces but made whole again by the inspiring message and hope.
Ben Richards is a winger for the Finchley Phoenexis, a top league Rugby Union Club. He is wholly dedicated to his sport, a responsible young man and a skilled athlete at the top of his game. Paul, his younger brother, is the one who keeps him grounded and makes him reflect on life and the choices given to him.
Bruninha or Ru, is the new physiotherapist of the team. A little spitfire who won’t be messed around in the locker room by a bunch of jocks, she is quick-witted and can give as good as she gets. Ru, is a young woman who is full of life and loves her job.
This tale narrated from Ben’s point of view may be short but is full of angst. When I was warned that I might need tissues I knew that somewhere along the storyline this will end in tears and although I didn’t bawl my eyes out (I managed to hold it in), the grief and heartbreak I felt for the characters was totally consuming. This book is not only about romance but also tells us about the two brothers’ relationship. Eighteen-year-old Paul is a charming character, he may be physically weak but his zest for life is contagious. The interaction between Ru and her family, with Ben and his own parents is significant. The authors successfully combine the entertaining world of rugby and the fascinating family dynamics of Ben and Ru’s families. My only gripe is that because this is a novella, I felt short-changed, I wanted so much more. I hope the authors will give us more of Ben’s story. I highly recommend this.
Beautifully bittersweet, Touch My Soul is the latest gem from Jane Harvey-Berrick and Stuart Reardon. Once again they write seamlessly, telling the story of rugby player Ben Richards and the love of his life, Bruninha. Theirs is a forbidden romance, since they didn’t want either of their positions with the Finchley Phoenixes to be threatened by their ‘fraternizing’ with one another as winger and physio. But the chemistry is apparent right from the start and what follows is their unforgettable love story.
I’m beyond impressed that these Authors wrote this affair of the heart in the form of a novella as intensely as their prior full-length novels. This book packs a punch that seared my soul with the fierce emotions I couldn’t help but experience. Perhaps because it is shorter in length, no time was wasted in grabbing hold of my feelings. I felt great joy that is meticulously juxtaposed with some despair as Ben and his Ru fall deeper for the other. In addition, the suffering that Ben’s brother Paul continues to experience due to his cystic fibrosis is fraught with sadness as this wonderful man begins to deteriorate further and hope diminishes that he’ll get the miracle he needs. His part in this book is vital and he is never far from Ben’s thoughts.
I had no idea how this story would develop nor did I expect the way it ended. But when you get to read something this well-written, it doesn’t matter because it is touching from start to finish and is truly soul-enriching. Not to mention wildly passionate as both Ben and Ru find it hard to keep their hands off each other and I don’t just mean when she is tending to his post-game soreness. These two exemplify the meaning of meant to be.
I really loved Touch My Soul and am very happy to recommend it highly with 5 huge stars! It is a poignant tale that I won’t soon forget.
I received an ARC of this book and this is my voluntarily, honest review of it.
Sometimes a book can be hard to review, because sometimes you come across a story that touch you so much that you know that you will be thinking about it for a long, long time. And you want to express all those emotions in your review. But then there is another part of you that wants to keep it all inside and let other readers discover this emotional story all on their own.
‘Touch my soul’ is one of those books. Just like the title said, it touched my soul and left me with a lot of emotions. Just like Ben, the male character, I never saw it coming.
I’m really happy that Stuart Reardon and Jane Harvey-Berrick decided to write another book together. Because I really love the combination of rugby and love story that they combine in their books. This book is told from Ben’s POV, it was a little getting used to for me because I read mostly stories told from both POV’s. But I loved seeing Ben thoughts and feelings on things. He’s such a lovely, loyal and great character. He’s really a good guy. ‘Ru’ was also a wonderful character, she was bossy at times but she was also a warm and sassy woman. I loved both Ben and Ru very much.
‘Touch my soul’ is a story about love, hope and loss. It’s a wonderful story but if you read it, make sure that you have a handkerchief with you. You will need it! (I speak from experience.)