Beyond Your Touch

Esden builds on A Hold on Me with a compelling, atmospheric paranormal that feels fresh. Like many new lovers, half-djinn Chase and fully human Annie would rather spend their time alone, shutting out the real world for a time. But they live on her family’s ancestral Maine estate, where they and Annie’s extended family are the caretakers of magical and dangerous artifacts, and neither has the luxury of forgetting their primary mission. Annie, Chase, and her cousins are determined to rescue Annie’s long-missing mother, a captive in the djinn realm. Chase is unhappy about Annie joining the mission, but together, along with a captivating but possibly untrustworthy flautist, they team up to penetrate a strange world where carpets and curtains may lead to safety or peril. Annie isn’t a perfect heroine, given her jealousy and impulsiveness, but her youthful mistakes and her genuine caring make her relatable and likable. Agent: Pooja Menon, Kimberly Cameron and Associates. (Sept.)