Book reviews

The Touch
Colleen McCullough Book Review

Read a book review online (click here to search reviews)
Books Movies  
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Mystery/Thriller Literature Romance Biography History
Colleen McCullough Books
New book search
Colleen McCullough Message Board
Get more information about this book
Plot Summary of The Touch
"Elizabeth Drummond arrives in Sydney after a difficult voyage to meet her husband-to-be for the first time. She discovers though to her dismay, that he frightens and repels her at once, and reminds her of a devil. Offered no other choice though, she marries him and is whisked once again across a wild uninhabited countryside to Alexander's own town. His town is named Kinross after himself, and in the cages above it lies the world's largest gold mine.

Feeling isolated in Alexander's great house, with no company save the Chinese servants, Elizabeth finds that the intimacies of marriage do not prompt her husband to tell her of his past life, much less his present one. She has no idea that he still has a mistress, the tough, very outspoken Ruby Costevan, whom Alex has established in his town, nor that he has also made a partner in his company. This rapidly expands his interests beyond gold. Ruby has a son, Lee, whose father is the head of the Chinese community; the boy becomes dear to Alexander, who fosters his education as a gentleman.

Alexander wants nothing more than to have both Ruby, and Elizabeth, in spite of their radically different natures. Why should he not? He has the fabled "Midas Touch"-a combination of curiosity, boldness, and intellect that he applies to every situation, and which fails him only when it comes to these two women.

Though Ruby loves Alex with all of her heart, Elizabeth does not at all. Elizabeth bears him two daughters: the brilliant Nell, so much like himself, and then there's Anna, who came out a beautiful child in appearance, but is mentally challenged. Thwarted by his desire for a son, Alex will turn to Ruby's boy Lee, as a possible heir to his empire, unaware that by keeping Lee with him, he may be courting disaster.
"
Boppy, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of The Touch
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of story - 18th century
Difficult/unusual lover? Yes
How difficult? - domineering
Love Triangles/Polygons Yes
What kind: - one man-two women

Main Male Character
Profession/status: - engineer
Age/status: - 40's-50's
How sexual is this person? - very picky
How romantic is this person? - not very romantic
Sex makes him - angry
Sex has bad effect on him Yes
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Female Character
Age/status: - a teen
Profession/status: - unemployed
How sexual is this person? - very picky
How romantic is this person? - somewhat romantic
effect of sexing - confused
Sex has bad effect on her Yes
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Setting
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK
Asia/Pacific Yes
City? Yes
City: - London
Misc setting - Fancy Mansion - resort/hotel - moving train - castle

Style
Person - rotating 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
What % of story is romance related? - 40%
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - vague references - touching of anatomy - impregnation/reproduction
Focus of story - equally on him and her
Consequences of sex - pregnancy
How much dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
How much sexing? - 5-9 sex acts
Most similar books to The Touch
River Lady by Jude Deveraux
Counterfeit Lady by Jude Deveraux
Lost Lady by Jude Deveraux
The Diamond Slipper by Jane Feather
Night Storm by Catherine Coulter


Click here for more information about this book




Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
Three ways to search for Romance books!

1) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot or subplot below!

Action/suspense subplot?

Captor, in love with

Caretaker, in love with

Children/Pregnancy

Difficult/unusual lover?

Family focus?

Fantasy/Magic

Forbidden/mismatched love?

Hidden Identity/Secret Motive

Inner struggle subplot

Love Triangles/Polygons

Lovers are competitors

Making a living subplot

Marriage/Married

Matchbreaker

Matchmake, (will/family)

Phone/email/mail relationship

Pygmalion--From Wench to Woman

Searching/Rekindling love?

Seduction/coercion/force

Sex/Erotic story, Primarily

Sports training/competing story

Time Travel

Virgin, dramatically devirginized



or 2) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
3) Even more search options available with a Detailed Booksearch (click here)

Use our site!
Feedback
About us
Bribe your congressman!
Rudy Giuliani



Most recent discussions:

General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
Online Dating Advice
Southampton Row 12:26:19 AM
Ann Brashares 12:02:10 AM
Teri Woods 11:38:55 PM
Suzanne Collins 8:26:08 PM
Libba Bray 6:12:00 PM
Harlan Coben 2:48:19 PM
Robert Stanek 2:42:37 PM
Erin Hunters 12:01:38 PM
Norah Lofts 9:41:08 AM
Judith McNaught 2:51:34 AM
Harry Turtledove 11:40:44 PM
Lisanne Norman 8:20:04 PM
Cornelia Funke 6:05:14 PM
David Pelzer 1:20:29 PM
Wayne Thomas Batson 11:24:49 PM
Rik Andreas Berryere 9:08:48 PM
Gerald Morris 1:52:39 PM
George W. Bush 12:15:29 PM
Penny Vincenzi 10:36:43 AM
Iris Johanson 9:26:46 AM

More message boards