4 1/2 STARS!

Sexy, sinful and sweet all rolled into one! With the latest book in her Body Shop Bad Boys series, Marie Harte brings us Lou's story. He's always been the smooth-talking pretty boy around the garage who gets women without even trying, so it's interesting to watch him find a woman the he's attracted to who won't give him the time of day! This entire series has been a really fun interaction of a group of tough-guy friends/co-workers who are more like family. The characters were both very easy to like, we were drawn into their sexual tension from the start and the surprises we uncovered along the way made for an intriguingly sweet read!

Mechanic Lou Cortez enjoys life. He has a huge close-knit family that he adores, he not only has the job here at the shop with the boys, but he also gets to enjoy putting his creative side to work in his side job. When a beautiful woman walked into the shop a few months ago, he was intrigued ... but she wouldn't even look at him. What's up with that? Women always love him!

Florist Josephine Reeves obviously noticed Lou, but she has better things to do in life than fall at the feet of a man who goes through women like water. He doesn't give up though, and when happenstance brings him into the flower shop while she's working, she finds herself giving in and actually agreeing to coffee. She can't deny that he's attractive, and he turns her knees weak with just one steamy look ... but she has a lot counting on her with a whole other side of her life that he knows nothing about. Can she really give in to simple lust and have a fling without it ruining her plans?

This is book 5 in the series and it is about Lou another mechanic in the garage. You still get a little from some of the other characters. Now Lou is finding himself attracted to Joey a single mom with a great young boy. Both of them Joey and Lou find that they are becoming more attracted to one another and she must find a way to tell Lou about her son, but Lou does not want to be a parent and has a rule about dating single women. With all of the women in his life I was expecting him to be a little more open but when he finds out and actually helps her. She walks away when he tells her he does not like dating single moms. Now it is on him and he feels like crap but he must find a way to overcome his feelings. Or come up with a way to accept and apologize in a big way. Read this story and find out what he does. A good book.

Collision Course is the 4th book in The Body Shop Bad Boys series, and I think readers might be a little lost if they haven't read the previous books. Luckily, I have been reading the series, so no issues. Collision Course is an opposites attract theme, the heroine \, Joey, is a single mother, and the hero is the typical experienced ladies man. This book started slowly but built to a pretty enjoyable story. If you've read novels from Marie Harte before you will be expecting, and getting many passionate sex scenes. I really appreciated the depth of the female character, I really connected to her. I didn't connect so well to the hero, I just didn't see as much softening of the character as I would like. I do recommend the book and the series, as well as the author.

Collision Course is the fourth book of the Body Shop Bad Boys and it's Lou & Joey’s story.

We've seen a lot of Lou over the course of the previous books and he's come across as a real charmer and ladies man. Growing up with a load of female relatives seems to have given our mechanic an insight to how to treat a gal and he has no trouble finding company. Meeting Joy was a game changer for him!

Joey is a great character. Hard working, she's been abandoned and left by her family after getting into trouble when she was younger but that hasn't stopped her from trying to make the best life she can for her and her son.

This pair really work together and they have great chemistry and attraction and while quite different - he's outgoing and open and she's quiet and reserved - they gel well. I love how Marie Harte develops her characters and that they aren't perfect - they mess up like everyone else and then have to try and fix things!!

We caught up with the other guys and gals from the series and, if I'm not mistake, met a couple of peeps who we might find out more about in the future... fingers crossed!!

I'm really bummed that this is the last of our garage 'Bad Boys' books as this series keeps getting better and I'm hoping that MH either continues on with more books or starts a spin off so we can find out what happens with the other guys we've met so far!

For me, this book gets 5 bad boy stars

This is an enjoyable addition to the series. Sympathetic and engaging H and H in a story with plenty of humor and heat.

avorite Quote: “If you want him, have him. You have a right to be happy. Take joy in his man parts. Go forth, just don’t prosper.”

Lou Cortez is a true ladies man. Gorgeous, sexy, well mannered, good job, loves his family…he’s every woman’s dream man if he says so himself. So why can’t he get the lovely Josephine (Joey) Reeves to give him the time of day?

Joey looks at Lou and sees her biggest mistake. A mistake that gave her a beautiful son but still a mistake her parents never let her forget. She has spent nine years trying to make up for it and isn’t about to let anyone derail her. Even if he is the hottest man she’s ever seen.

A last minute request for flowers and an impromptu coffee date sets Joey and Lou on the road to romance. But Joey still has to tell Lou about her son and unless his attitude changes about kids, this affair is already set on a collision course to fail.

The fourth book in Marie Harte’s sexy and humorous Body Shop Bad Boys series-Collision Course-turns it’s attention to Lou Cortez, one of the four commitment phobic mechanics at Webster’s Garage. A spin-off of her yummy McCauley brothers series, Harte gives us the down and dirty on Del Webster’s ‘boys’ as they each fall in love and struggle to deal with it. There is some character/storyline crossover but it’s mild. This particular installment also references another series-The Donnigans-with some memories and a character crossover. Each book can be read as a standalone through previous couples and situations are addressed is.

As with the previous books, Harte once again delivers a humorous, sensual, earthy romance that deals the love and growth as it digs deep into the lives and insecurities of our couple. Harte takes her time setting the scene and the characterization with witty dialogue, endearingly characters, and a well-oiled storyline that keeps you entertained to he very end.

Lou is one of the mechanics at Webster’s Garage and does specialized car restoration on the side. A well-known ladies man, Lou gives as good as he gets, making sure his ladies are well satisfied before he leaves their bed and lives. Not a player exactly but more he hasn’t found the right woman for him yet. The product of a single mother who dated a lot, often at the expense of her children’s welfare, Lou has some serious issues with single mothers and commitment.

Joey comes from an upper middle-class family whose who carefully cultivated plans for her were derailed when she was impregnated at age fifteen. Shamed and deserted by the baby’s father, her friends, and more importantly, her family, Joey struggled to finish high school while supporting herself and her newborn son. Now, nine years later, she a degree in business and has received a promotion to manager. Through her parents are more agreeable towards her and their grandson now, there is still a lingering sense of disapproval from them that taints their relationship.

Lou and Joey are delightfully compatible. Fantastic chemistry, a genuine sense of attraction that goes beyond physical, and a romance that allows for plenty of sexual exploration allow readers to really get to know this couple and watch them work through their issues. Harte dials up the temperature with to scorching as our couple explores their mutual kink of light dominance and submission.

He cupped her breast and her body sizzled under his firm hand. He pinched her nipple through her clothes, and she bit her lip to stifle a groan.

“See, I think your deal is you like a firmer hand.”

They fall hard and fast but Harte believes in this couple and convinces us to also. Lou’s fall is so amusing to witness. Alway so confident around women, Lou being so out of sorts around Joey is hilarious. He met Joey during Del’s wedding and she refused to have anything o do with him. He chases her off page and when he catches her, he acts as though he is the luckiest man in town. Something that strikes Joey straight through the heart. She hasn’t had an easy life, abandoned by almost everyone when she needed them most, so to see this gorgeous man actually likes and wants her, is exhilarating. But she has to be careful though because she has another heart to protect.

The cast of secondary characters are just as fun as the protagonists and I think command a much stronger role in this story. I adore this tight knit group of mechanics with their appealing mixture of tough guy attitudes and heart melting vulnerability. Their sibling like relationship with one another celebrates friendship and families of all kinds. Though from different walks of life, their camaraderie is a strong base on which the series builds. The fast, furious, and funny banter flows between then like water with everyone air game for some high spirited teasing but when it counts, they always have each others back.

You good man?” Sam asked?

“Fine. Just surprised is all.”

“Okay. If you need to talk, Mr. Emotional is by the Accord.”

“Hey,.” Johnny yelled, buried under said Accord. “But he’s right. I’m here for you, Lou. A man of experience, wisdom, and emotional drivel.”

“More talky-talky. Great.”

We meet few new faces and see more than a few old friends. Joey’s friend Becky is hilarious and Lou’s whole family is wonderfully nosy and really steps up up to help Lou get over his fears. I hope we see more of Becky and the Cortez family in the future.

The ending is a happy catharsis that opens the door towards forgiveness and new beginnings when Joey and Lou are forced to confront all the pain and anger they’ve been carrying around and allow themselves to forgive and move forward. Fans will continue to cheer for these sexy, fun, humorous blue collar romance contemporaries with their strong sense of family and friendship. I am looking forward to the next story and crossing my fingers that the next couple is Heller and Rena.

Grade: B

Collision Course is the fourth title in the Body Shop Bad Boys and features Lou and Joey.

Lou and Joey are both endearing, and appealing characters. Both characters have appeared in the previous titles in the series, so I was somewhat familiar with them prior to reading this title.

Lou is charismatic, charming and a smooth talker, who is used to women falling at his feet. He's protective, kind, loyal and loving and takes his responsibility to his family very seriously.

Joey hasn't had the easiest life, and she doesn't trust easily. She makes Lou work for not only her attention, but her affection. She's gentle, kind, loving and a wonderful mother to her young son.

The banter between not only Lou and Joey, but the other character is fun and full of flirtation, and playful teasing. The side characters add an extra element to this story in the form of well meaning, yet interfering friends and family. Even through their relationship is quite full of ups and downs, the chemistry and heat between Lou and Joey is intense and believable.

Overall an enjoyable contemporary romance, and great addition to this series. I look forward to reading more from Marie Harte in the future.

Ms. Harte has crafted an exceptional single mom story for Joey. I love the strength Joey exhibits and the vulnerability she shows toward her parents and the hurt they dish out unintentionally. But what I love most about this book is watching Lou scramble to capture Joey and her heart. Lou is up against something new when he encounters Joey, not only does she not fall at his feet like all the other women, he has fallen for her, definitely out of character for him.

Like most fans of this series, I was really looking forward to Lou's story but not for the same reason. Lou did not have the troubled background of the other guys and his large number of female relatives made him very interesting to me. He is the quintessential Latin lover - gorgeous, hot, charismatic and a ladies' man - and I wanted to know what kind of woman would trip him up. While Joey would not have been my first choice, there is something fitting about a man who has had his pick of the finest and most exotic beauties falling for a quiet, reserved florist. Thankfully, she was not so reserved once you got to know her and was able to hold her own with Lou.

Joey was a very admirable character in her own right. Having to take on a major responsibility at a very younger age meant that she was light-years more mature than her contemporaries and it showed in every one of her decisions. She worked hard to make a better life for herself and her son, in spite of the cost in terms of her relationship with her parents.

Watching Lou go from the smooth know-it-all who always offered his friends the best advice about women to a bumbling, slightly insecure man was very enjoyable, as was having his well-thought out plans about romance and relationships blown up by his feelings for Joey.

The dialogue was fun, and the banter and chemistry among the other characters made this a very entertaining book. There were a lot more secondary characters here, but they all added something to the story and made what would have otherwise been an okay story a lot more enjoyable. The cameos from characters from her other series was one of the highlights of the book for me.

YAY! Lou finally! Book four of Marie Harte's Body Shop Bad Boys, Collision Course. Despite what you might have thought about Lou in the past books, he's not a manwhore. Lou is a ladies man, true, but he likes the courtship. He actually likes relationships, he likes dating and getting to know a woman before sleeping with her. He was raised by a single mom and half a dozen aunts and helped raise all his female cousins and sisters, he knows how to treat a lady. With that being said he never wants to marry or have kids of his own, in his words he's raised enough kids in his lifetime. So it only makes sense that he falls for a single mom, only he doesn't know it, yet.

Joey Reeves made a stupid mistake when she was a teenager and her parents never let her live it down. They never forgave her for ruining the plans they had for her but that mistake was also the best thing to ever happen it gave her her son. Joey has spent the last nine years dealing with her parents backhanded compliments and passive aggressiveness, now that she has finally gotten promoted to manager of the flower shop and has a good opportunity to be able to branch out to do weddings she is ready to move out and away from her parents. She also decides it's time for her to start living again, and if that includes dating the gorgeous guy who works for her friend, Del, then so be it. After spending the last nine years trying to apologize to her parents and show them they are wrong about her and being entirely focuses on her son, it's time to focus on her for a change, as long as it doesn't interfere with her son.



Joey's decision to not tell Lou about her son was after some serious thinking, after all she didn't know Lou, she didn't know if it was going to be serious or just casual. It was made in the best interest to her son, to protect her son. After all he didn't need a father, her son has a father who abandoned him before he was born and signed away his legal rights as father. Unfortunately for Joey the same man is back after nine years and wanting to meet his son and make amends. Neither Lou or Joey were looking for serious but it didn't take long before they were head over heels for each other. But between Joey's son and Lou and wanting to be a father, no matter how awesome he is at it, those issues just can't be ignored.



Overall, I love Lou. He is such a Casanova. (Don Juan was a manwhore who slept with every woman and then discarded them; where as Casanova really loved and cared about women who took the time to know them and remained friends with them afterwards.) Joey is a fantastic mom. I am so loving this series each of the guys are different enough to keep you entertained and each of their books unique to their characters. Marie Harte is so good with character development and romance, the sex is pretty hot too. I am crossing my fingers that Heller's book is soon.

I’ve loved Lou for a long time now. His talents go far beyond his expertise as a mechanic and the excellent custom design work on the cars he loves. Lou is a smooth talker, a charmer, a true ladies man. I wouldn’t really call him a player but he’s been content with a bevy of beauties in his life so far and has no real intent of settling down. He is surrounded by strong, loving women of his family so to say that Lou understands the female mind (as well as any guy can) is not an overstatement yet… he has issues that we haven’t seen up until now. And unless he can reconcile those issues he’s going to lose the one woman who could bring him the lifelong happiness he craves, even if he doesn’t see that feeling for what it is.

The one woman who seems immune to his charms is, of course, the one that he can’t get out of his mind. He’s just going to get a lot more than he bargained for in a relationship with Joey. And he’s going to have to come to terms with those issues of his as well. Happiness is there within reach, but only Lou can make that choice.

I liked Collision Course, a lot. I think part of that enjoyment of Lou and Joey’s story was because I could see both sides – I might not have agreed with some decisions, but I could understand why they were the people they are today. It’s not easy to change who you’ve become through life experiences, yet without some changes parts of life will pass right by. The chemistry between Lou and Joey was always present. They might have gotten off to a slow start but it was soon a fast burn. Mentally I was hoping for them both to get past what life had dumped on them and see that the future together could negate the past. It was an adventure watching them come to realize that together is far better than apart.

As always in Body Shop Bad Boys I enjoyed the bantering between the guys and the sense of family of another sort that all the characters bring to the table. Of course, there are small things that I wish might have been handled differently but then it wouldn’t be this story that I enjoyed, would it? A person can get beyond what happened in the past but that lingering fear and the determination to not let it happen again is still there. I’d recommend Collision Course for any Romance reader who enjoys strong characters, real to life issues to deal with and the community that good friends create.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

DNF-ed at 13%. The characters' internal voices annoyed me, and Joey's inability to speak or act like a grown adult woman in Lou's presence seemed ridiculous for the 24-year-old single mother that she was supposed to be.

The first page was awesome, though--gave me high hopes that the subsequent pages just didn't meet. :(

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader copy of this book.

Marie Harte writes fabulous series. And this one starts with the McCauley Brothers series and is connected to the Donnigans series. Thankfully, Collision Course works great as a stand-alone because I've only read a couple of the books in the other series and had read no other books in the Body Shop Bad Boys series. Man, I need to get cracking because I really like Harte's blend of tough and sweet men and take no prisoners women.

Lou Cortez knows women - he should! His family has like 50 gazillion of them and he only has one male relative. Despite that, he totally gets shot down by his long time crush, Joey, the flower shop girl. Bound together by a love of art, but struggling with a whole raft of issues, Lou and Joey are classic Harte characters.

I really liked how normal Lou and Joey are. Joey's got family issues (like many other Harte characters) and I liked seeing how she deals with them and how Lou deals with them as well. These men are all sweethearts under scary exteriors. There's a lot to be said for books about normal people. I loved Lou's huge, loving, boisterous family and how they drove him nuts.

Heck, I liked pretty much everything about this fun and sweet book. And Rena and Heller better get a book after all this!! Plus, Lou's sister has a hot prospect too. I see more spin-off series coming!

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Romance
Triggers: Teen pregnancy, Emotionally abusive family, physical abuse, signing parental rights away

I have not read any of the previous books in this series, but never felt that I was lost on who the characters were.

There are a lot of characters in this book. I really liked how they helped move the story along without overpowering Lou and Joey's story.

Joey has been trying to atone to her parents for several years. She knows that she's been a disappointment, but she can't regret her decision. She loves her son and knows what's best for him. While she wants to do more with her life, she also wants to be practical and not expose her son to too much or too many people. When she finally lets herself feel for someone else, it's scary and lovely all wrapped into a yummy package known as Lou.

Lou has had his eye on Joey for a while. However, she was great at ducking him. He's surrounded by women in his life with all of his siblings, aunts, mom, and grandma. He knows how women work and knows what makes them feel special, and he just wants Joey to smile. He is also somewhat shy about his own upbringing, as his mom didn't make the best choices.

When love is on the line, can Joey and Lou stick it out? Or will they let their family dictate their choices? I enjoyed their story a lot but felt that there was a lot of Joey's story that was left unresolved – especially with her parents. It was just glossed over. However, this was enjoyable, and Lou's family was laugh worthy almost every time.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the fourth book in the series, and is a really good addition to it. I found it necessary to disappear throughout the day to get it finished, and will be super tired in the morning – but wow it was worth it! (It took my brain an age to get used to Lou being male and Joey female, which made for some amusing mistakes as I was reading.)

Lou is a stand-up guy who has never felt the need to settle down, but Joey has somehow caught his attention and he cannot shake her from his mind. As they slowly get to know each other, Joey has to decide just how much she can trust him. At times I felt that it was even slower than necessary, but I loved the story, from Lou's crazy family, to Brandon and his amazing manners and love of soccer.

It was a very satisfying read, and I loved catching up with previous couples we have gotten to know. I think though, that Lou and Joey are my favourites so far.


Lee’Anne – ☆☆
I just wasn't a huge fan of the pace of this book. It had a great start that got me into the book but by about the fifth chapter I was skimming and waiting for some action other than the two main characters having sex.

Joey is a single mom who has parents who won't let her forget she got pregnant at 15 and "ruined her life." Lou is an artist/mechanic who pretty much raised his many younger sisters and is adamant about never having children. Lou's been attracted to Joey since she was working with Del (from the previous book) on flowers for Del and Mike’s wedding. He's relentless in pursuing her and when Joey does finally relent, she doesn't mention her 9-year-old son. Things progress quickly between Joey and Lou without there ever being a mention of Brandon, her son, until things have gone past a comfortable point of filling Lou in. Plus, Brandon's father is coming back into the picture, so things start getting confusing for everyone pretty quickly.

I will say the "sexy" scenes were hot, the author did a fantastic job, I just wish there would have been more of the rest of the storyline. Honestly, the way that most of the characters are described it was almost depressing. Lou's mom is made out to be a whore, Joey’s parents are nasty people who put their daughter down and treat her like she owes them the world, and Felix, Joey’s baby-daddy, is described as this horrible person from the beginning. When Felix shows up wanting to get to know his son, Joey is horrible to him. As I write this review I realize my biggest issue with this book is probably that I didn't like Joey, the heroine, at all. She lies to Lou, doesn't have a backbone with her parents until she comes into money, and is horrible to Felix when he tries to make amends. Hopefully the next book in this series will be better.

Collision Course was an entertaining new book in the Body Shop Bad Boys series! This book had everything in it that I expected from this series: steamy sex scenes, tons of flirting, and a lot of humor.

The main character, Joey, was such a strong woman. I felt so bad for her because there were so many tough obstacles she had to overcome. Tons of people in her life let her down in the past and I just wanted to give her a hug and make her feel loved. Joey was such a dedicated and loving mother as well, which was really sweet to see. I do think she kept some secrets for too long from certain characters, which was frustrating sometimes, but I understood where she was coming from. I thought the author did a great job at making Joey a very real and relatable woman.

Lou was the smooth-talking ladies man of the book. He knew exactly what to say to make a woman swoon, and he sure did make me swoon with some of his words! But, I liked seeing that there was more to Lou than his sexy and flirty side. He had a lot of passions and emotions that I was not expecting! However, there were times when I was hoping for more from him. There were moments when he did make some remarks and judgments that really bothered me. I understood how and why he had certain views that he did, but I still didn't agree with them. It was nice to see him eventually learn not to make those kinds of comments and judgments.

The romance between Joey and Lou was full of steam and passion. The sexual chemistry between the two of them was off the charts! Marie Harte knows how to make your e-reader feel like it is melting in your hands! There were a lot of trials and tribulations that they had to face, so it added a lot of angst and intrigue to watch them overcome those issues together.

Overall, this was a sexy and fun novel! If you are looking for a book that is steamy and fast paced, then you need to check this book out!

3 / 5 Fangs

*This ebook was given to me in exchange for an honest review. *

✦Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: COLLISION COURSE by Marie Harte https://wp.me/p3d0RZ-ayd
Publication Date: January 2, 2018
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated 4 Stars

A nice quick read that kept me wondering how things would turn out. I enjoyed the friends and family surrounding Joey and Lou while the couple discovered how to mesh their lives together. This is a hot and sexy contemporary romance, with realistic life issues. I will admit that the climax scene bothered me…if I were Joey – I would have kicked Lou’s butt to the curb until he thought long and hard about his preconceived ideas about her. It was still an enjoyable story.

*Review copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

~*~*~*~

Kindle http://amzn.to/2DEhwSB

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/review/B01ND19UTC/R46F6V9LB1CKN?ref_=glimp_1rv_cl

Lou Cortez is a mechanic at Webster's Garage AND an artist auto painter at Hellers. The boys at both are his buds/family. Family is first with Lou as he help to raise his 5 sisters and bunch of female cousins. He and younger cousin J are the only males as the Mom and Aunt's male mates don't stick around. They are a tight knit latino clan. He's also VERY easy on the eyes and female companionship is effortless but short lived.

Josephine "Joey" Reeves is a hard working single mom florist who just made shop manager. She handled Dell's wedding flowers and met the Webster crew working with Dell, the boss. There was inst attraction between Lou and Joey but she's staying well away. As a single mom and living in her parent's above garage apartment she has NO time for relationships. Her parents make her feel guilty for her one mistake that resulted in her son Brandon. His Dad, Felix, rich kid controlled by his parents ambitions, signed over all rights to Brandon when he was born. She's managed to pretty much pay her way in life, raise a well behaved 8 year old and get a college degree by sheer determination. I really respected her. She is an awesome roll model with a level head considering how life has treated her.

Lou decides he's gonna push it with Joey and really try for a relationship with her. He over and over shows he's a thoughtful, considerate, nurturing person to the people in his world. He starts with Joey but ordering flowers for is sister Stella, who just got dumped by her duche drummer boyfriend, to help her feel better. I really liked Lou as a person. He's scary in appearance being massively big, tattooed and Latin but he shows by his actions he's a marshmallow inside. I love that kind of hero. I found myself pulling for these two to make it. There is REALLY HOT chemistry between these two also. My one critique is the crisis scene was weak and out of character I though. But I loved the resolution and Felix's character in the end of the book surprised me.

Thank you Sourcebooks and Marie for the NetGalley ARC of this story. Marie's stories always satisfy and I love how the characters of her previous series make appearances in the story.

ARC - I voluntarily offered to review this book with no obligations and my opinions are honest!
Joey just want to raise her son in peace.
She is done w/ man.
For Lou, it was love at first sight.
Now he just have to woo the pretty Joey.
It is proven to be difficult, because Joey is not really getting w/ the program.
Will Joey be willing to give love another chance?
Will Lou succeed in wooing Joey ?
Loved the storytelling + the characters!

3.75 stars--COLLISION COURSE is the fourth instalment in Marie Harte’s contemporary, adult BODY SHOP BAD BOYS erotic, romance series focusing on the men and woman who work at Webster’s Garage. This is mechanic and artist Lou Cortez, and single mom/florist Josephine ‘Joey’ Reeves’ story line. BODY SHOP BAD BOYS is a spin off from Harte’s McCauley Brothers series but you do not have to have read the original series to follow the current time line. A number of the characters cross-over between the two series.

Told from several third person perspectives including Joey and Lou COLLISION COURSE follows the building relationship between mechanic and artist Lou Cortez, and single mom/florist Joey Reeves. Several months earlier Lou first noticed Joey through their mutual friendship with Del-aka Delilah Webster-Lou’s boss, at the wedding between Del and Mike McCauley. Fast forward to present day wherein Lou will come face to face with the woman who has starred in his fantasies and dreams. Enter Joey Reeves, the woman with whom Lou will fall in love but a woman who battles between her head and heart as it pertains to both her personal and professional life; and the secret she keeps from the man with whom she is falling in love. What ensues is the building relationship between Joey and Lou, and the fall out when Joey reveals the truth about her past, and the son Lou never knew she had.

Nine years earlier, a then fifteen year old Joey Reeves found herself pregnant; abandoned by the baby’s father; and all but ostracized from her friends, high school acquaintances, and the two most important people in her life-her parents. Joey has fought an uphill battle to become the some-what independent woman and mother who fiercely loves her child beyond the life of her own. Lou Cortez doesn’t do relationships, and with five sisters and thirteen female cousins our hero is determined to remain single and childless for the rest of his life but his attraction to Joey finds Lou wanting something more with a woman he believes is keeping secrets from the man that she loves.

I struggled with our heroine’s ‘need’ not to tell Lou that she has a nine year old son. Their relationship was exclusive with no promises for the future but the couple begin to develop feelings for one another, and in this, Joey’s ‘need’ to keep secret the most important person in her life, was a set up to fail. There are also some issues as it pertained to Lou’s views on motherhood-his own mother’s lifestyle shaped the man who has a difficult time seeing anything other than black and white. His ‘prickly’ attitude about women and motherhood is a little bit sexist but perhaps understandable under the circumstances.

The relationship between Joey and Lou is slow to develop as Joey struggles to control her growing love for a man who may or may not welcome a nine year old in his life. Throughout the story Joey hesitates to tell Lou about the child she gave birth to at fifteen years of age. The longer she procrastinates the more likely someone will accidentally spill the secret she struggles to keep. Lou will endeavor to come to terms, and accept that the woman he loves has a nine year old child- but his abrupt reaction will push our heroine out of his life. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text. Lou likes to talk to dirty and take control in the bedroom.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Del and Mike (What To Do With a Bad Boy), Johnny and Lara (Test Drive), Foley and Cynthia (Roadside Assistance), Ivy and Sam (Zero to Sixty); Joey’s son Brandon, her ex Felix, her parents Andrew and Amy Reeves, as well as all of Lou’s extended family including his five sisters (Rosie, Stella, Lucia, Carla and Maria), mother and grandmother. There is a potential story line building between Lou’s sister Stella and Felix Rogers. I am hoping for another spin off series focusing on Lou’s sisters.

The world building continues to focus on the family and friendship of the people who work at Webster’s garage. With the introduction of Lou’s very large extended family, I suspect another spin off in the works.

COLLISION COURSE is an energetic and enjoyable story line with passionate characters, and a sensual romance. There are moments of humor and fun; drama and heartbreak; falling in love and a happily ever after. COLLISION COURSE is a spirited look at a single mother who falls in love with the resident bad boy.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

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