The Magic Touch by Kelly Florentia is an incredible debut not to be missed by contemporary fiction fans.
The plot:
Once bitten, twice shy, Emma King is in no rush to join Harry’s bustling, big, fat Greek Cypriot family and become Mrs. Georgiades. Emma doesn’t think they need a piece of paper to prove how much they love each other. They’re solid – unbreakable.
But when she accidentally stumbles across a flirtatious text message on Harry’s mobile phone, alarm bells start going off in her head.
Overcome with suspicion and an impending fear of losing the love of her life, Emma goes on a mission to get to the bottom of this secret affair with the help of her best friend Ola, her 93-year-old neighbour Alastair, and a psychic predictions app: The Magic Touch.
Florentia knows how to keep you engaged
The plot of The Magic Touch delicately weaves in troublesome topics like abuse in a relationship, lies and deceit, the darker-side to families and friendships, and heartbreak, all tied up in a little bow of romance.
It took a while for me to get used to the language, and I thought it was slightly questionable for the first 50-odd pages because Emma’s dialect felt more of a 25/30-year-old, than that of her age (39) – it initially gave off a YA vibe. Despite this slight annoyance with Emma at the beginning, I grew rather fond of her – you’re reading it like she’s your pal, and Florentia executes this well.
I really loved the other characters in this book – without giving anything away, there were particular characters I was rooting for, and others I’d happily close the door on. I’m glad we didn’t meet one person, as it makes it different to your other romance/heartbreak stories and adds a touch of class to the read.
Being a relatively short book – and reading similar to Bridget Jones’s Diary – it’s a one-sitting read. I highly recommend The Magic Touch, especially if you need something quick but still offers a wonderful, well-thought through story with great characters. It does include the supernatural, which I thought was a nice little touch, but may not be for everyone.
I definitely teared up in the end and have no shame. It comes together beautifully and I’m so glad it ended the way it did.
The Magic Touch is uplifting but sometimes horrific – it’s definitely a rollercoaster journey for the protagonist, and that makes this book feel so real. There are a few bits to make you gasp, and Florentia knows how to keep you engaged.
I would’ve loved another chapter at the end, but it wasn’t needed, I’m just being greedy. Highly recommend.
The Magic Touch, Kelly Florentia, RRP £8.99 (paperback); Book Depository
Pages: 296
Publisher: Accent Press
Genre: Contemporary Fiction