Lou Cortez has had Joey Reeves in his sight for months, and can't understand why she keeps giving him the brush-off.

Ever since Joey got pregnant at fifteen she's been on the receiving end of criticism. From her peers, from her parents, from her ex-boyfriend. She's learned to be cautious, not wanting to repeat mistakes. She's worked hard to provide for her son, he's loved, and he wants for nothing. But in doing this, she's also neglected things that would make her happy, like dating.

When Lou randomly walks into her flower shop one afternoon, she finally gives in and agrees to a date. Once Lou and Joey start dating they can't deny their attraction for one another. As things being to heat up between them, it seems like they're headed in two different directions relationship-wise. Lou not the type to ever consider starting a family - not after he all but raised his five younger sisters, and Joey with a son she's not yet ready to share with Lou.

Up to this point, Lou was my favorite "bad boy" of Webster's Garage. I'm happy that his book is finally out. Since we've been through three other books focusing on these mechanics, I liked that, in this one, the garage took a backseat to seeing more of Lou and Joey's lives outside of their work.

This is probably one of the better romance books I've read showcasing the single mother storyline. Marie Harte did a great job of balancing the fact that Joey has, essentially, raised her son on her own (with help from her parents, but with that help also came great disapproval). She realizes that sometimes it's ok for her to have needs too, and so she decides that it's finally time to say yes to Lou.

Joey's situation is a direct converse of what Lou's situation was when he was a child. Instead of his mother absolutely putting her children first, she loved them, but she followed her heart to all the wrong places. Consequently, Lou was required to step up and be the adult. He sees the single mother thing differently than Joey does and there's where the conflict of the story really comes in, with Lou's preconceived ideas of single mothers based on his own experience.

I liked the way the story is set up, though. The circling around one another that takes place as Joey tries to determine if she wants to put her heart out there, because she knows she has her son's feelings to consider as well, and while Lou doesn't immediately know about the child, he still sees Joey as someone to build a life with, which goes against everything he thought he wanted.

Overall, I was very happy with how Lou's book played out. There were quite a few potential secondary relationships hinted at that has me wondering where Marie Harte will go next. Lou is the final one from Webster's Garage to get their story. I'm wondering in what direction we'll branch off next. Wherever that might be, I'll be there!

Collision Course

*received an arc in exchange for an honest review**

3⭐️⭐️⭐️

Marie Harte’s 4 book in the Body Shop Series is Lou’s story. He fell for the cute florist from Del’s wedding and now is trying to go out with her, that is if she will acknowledge him first. Lou’s family will also keep him on his toes and won’t give him a moment of piece, especially if it means that the family will be growing.

Lou can’t get Joey out of his head since he first met her, but she continues to dodge him. When he makes a trip to the flower shop where she works he finally gets a chance to make an impression and he won’t waste it. Now he just needs to get Joey to agree to go out with him.

Joey is attracted to Lou, but she has a responsibility at home, her son. But at the same time she finally wants to give in to something she wants and she wants Lou. While things between them are going well she still is keeping Brandon to herself, she doesn’t want to bring her son into the picture unless it will be serious.

But do Lou and Joey want the same things? Or is Lou afraid of repeating the mistakes that his mother has made? And is Joey willing to let go of the guilt from her parents and finally let someone in?

I admit, I have no read the other books in the Body Shop Bad Boys series but you don't have to read the previous books to get into this one.



I love Lou and Joey together. They have amazing chemistry. This book starts a little slow but once it picks up I just couldn't stop reading.

I've always passed by Harte's Body Shop Bad Boys at my local store and loved another of her series so when the opportunity came to review, I jumped on it! Since this is the fourth book in the series I was a little lost in the beginning. There were SO MANY character names and backstories that were referenced that I got confused on who I was reading about.

Despite jumping in to the series late, I liked the story between Lou and Joey. The quintessential ladies man trying to win over the sweet and quiet flower shop girl is romance ease. I loved that Lou had to continually work to win over Joey and earn her trust slowly. That was all thrown out the window when they suddenly slept together (in her workplace!), It was so out of character for Joey who had spent years following rules and working hard for her new job. I couldn't wrap my head around it and it made me sort of not trust her character for a bit.

That being said, Lou continued to win me over every step of the way until the very end. He does everything he can to earn Joey's trust even as far as taking care of her and her son when she becomes sick with the flu. In the end Lou fears he's not good enough for Joey and it takes his sassy sisters and Joey herself to get him back in to the game and fighting for each other. A fun read of how one woman came out of her shell and was able to lock down the ladies man who feared love!

When you are a commitmentphobe, it is really hard to accept that there is one girl whom you just cannot get out of your mind or your system. That is where ace mechanic and ladies' man Lou Cortez found himself with Josephine "Joey" Reeves.

Joey finds Lou irresistible; but as the saying goes "once bitten, twice shy," she finds it hard to trust a man after getting pregnant at 15 and left alone to raise the child alone. And though Lou seems truly a nice guy, can Joey tell him that she comes as a package deal?

Easy to read with lots of O-O-OMG moments, "Collision Course" also tugs at your heartstrings. A teenage single mom giving all she has for her little boy will bring tears to your eyes.

"Collision Course" is Rated M for Mature due to language and sexual content.

Joey had purposely stood away from Lou ever since she met him. She was shy and extremely guarded after being burned in the past. Hesitant to take a step forward to claim herself after being a young mom to her son Brandon, she slowly begins to let down her guard. Lou is adamant about not getting involved in a relationship but everything is different with Joey. Explosive chemistry and absolutely hilarious!

Marie Harte makes her stories compelling, sexy and full of fun! This book returns us to Webster’s Garage and all of the people who work there. We get to revisit old friends and check in on relationships from the earlier books in the series. For those new to the <i>Body Shop Bad Boys</i> series, this books can definitely stand on its own. I have a feeling you will fall in love with the other characters and want to read their stories as well.
Joey Reeves made a mistake when she was 15 that has changed her life. Although she loves her son and is working on building a life for them, she knows that things are not easy. She has to work really hard to make everything work. The last thing she needs in her life is a sexy man who challenges her on every level. Having her parents questioning her judgement at every turn, Joey has to figure out what she wants and how to get it.
Lou Cortez has always been a ladies man. He never has trouble attracting their attention. When Joey seems to be blowing him off and not giving him the item of day, Lou questions why this woman is making him work harder and why he cares. As he gets to know Joey, Lou sees what a wonderful woman she is and finds himself wondering what he really wants. Being around women all his life and practically raising his siblings makes Lou wary of starting his own family.
We can feel the heat between Lou and Joey as soon as we see them together. They have a lot of chemistry and seem to work. Both Lou and Joey also have a lot of baggage to work through. Joey isn’t sure she can trust herself or her decisions. Lou saw how relationships impact children and doesn’t want to have any of his own. They need to figure out if they can work together and how to merge their lives. All of this tension makes for some interesting situations. Fair warning, the sex scenes are explicit and steamy.
I loved every minute of Joey and Lou’s story. I can’t wait to see what Ms. Harte has in store for some of the other characters in her next book. I also really like that Ms. Harte has overlapping characters in all of her series which makes the characters feel like family.

I loved this book,its part of a series about a group of mechanics and this one was about Lou.He met Joey at his bosses wedding but was unable to connect with her until a few months later when he met her at the flower shop she managed.They hit it off with great chemistry but neither of them wants a permanent relationship.Joey had a son at 15 that she keeps a secret from Lou.Lou helped raise his sisters so he doesn’t want kids.There lies the problem.The story was well written with appearances from other characters from other books in the series and the offshoots of the series.I enjoyed this book and look foward to the next book by Marie Harte.

Lou Cortez is the lothario of the body shop. He is the only male in his immediate family and the oldest sibling. He has 5 sisters, his mom and grandma that he watches out for and is always there for. He is into serial monogamy but not anything long term or permanent. And he doesn’t want to raise any more kids as he basically raised his sisters.

Joey Reeves is 24 and a single mom of an 8 year old son. She lives in an apartment above the garage at her parent’s house. Her parents have never let her forget she got pregnant young and didn’t live up to their expectations. It was a pretty toxic relationship. Her son’s dad signed away his legal rights when Brandon was a newborn. Joey got her GED and paid her own way to a business degree. She was recently promoted to manager at the flower shop where she has worked for the last several years.

Lou has been interested in Joey since he first met her several months ago, but she has ignored him. He runs into her again when he goes into the flower shop to get flowers for one of his sisters. He relentlessly pushes for a date and she eventually caves.

SPOILER ALERT
I was really disappointed with this book. Multiple times I felt like I was reading scenes from previous books just with name changes or very slight variations. For supposedly being a great single mom, Joey didn’t spend much time with her son. I didn’t like how she kept her son secret after their relationship went past casual. Lou’s judgmental attitude toward what kind of mother he expected her to be, based on his own experience and making snap decisions about what she should be doing without talking to her about it drove me nuts.

While I wasn’t impressed with this book, I have liked the previous ones. I look forward to Heller and Rena’s story.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher.

Joey has had a hard life. At the age of fifteen she became pregnant and had a son. The baby's father signed away all of his rights and her friends ostracized her. Not to mention she received very little help from her family and was constantly having this "mistake" thrown in her face by her own parents. Now many years later, Joey meets someone who rocks her world, but she has a hard time opening herself up to him because of how she has been treated in the past. In the beginning of her relationship with her new beau Lou, Joey hides the fact she has a son. It didn't help any when Lou told her he didn't want any children. Things changed though and Lou and Joey were able to have a good life together.

This book was a good read. I liked that Lou was a great family man with his mother and sisters and he was able to show Joey what a true family is.

Talk about emotional highs and lows! Joey has had it rough. A single mom, who was just a baby when she had her son, trying to gain the approval of her parents by following all the rules and being a “good” girl. You really had to dislike her parents. They wer thoughtless and at times verbally cruel to her. The final blow up was heartbreaking. Lou is a good guy, but he has hang ups about single mothers and not wanting kids. He loves Joey but his own past causes him to make decisions about their relationship based on his own messed up feelings.

4.5 Stars!

I don’t know how you can’t love these Bad Boys from Webster’s Garage. Marie Harte created a group of guys that’s every good girls dream! Tall, built, tatted and while they look like bad boys, they have a heart of gold.

Lou is the smooth talking pretty boy of the group who draws women without even trying. He’s from a big family, mainly consisting of woman. He loves his mama, his grandmother, his many sisters and he takes care of all of them. If anyone knows women, it’s Lou. That’s why it’s so entertaining that he has to chase Joey.

Joey has not had an easy life. She’s the good girl that made the mistake of listening to her smooth talking boyfriend and got pregnant at 14. The boyfriend walked away, the parents barely supported her and never let her live it down. 9 years later, after putting herself through school, she’s finally seeing her hard work start to pay off. Although she’s attracted to Lou, she knows the smooth talkers are nothing but trouble.

I love to see when a guy has to work to get the woman he wants. Especially when that guy has never had to work for it before. I really enjoyed Lou’s pursuit. Joey resists him, but not for so long that it gets annoying.

When Joey decides to not mention her son, I understood her reasoning but it also had me nervous for Lou’s reaction. Especially when Lou later admits he doesn’t want kids. I wasn’t thrilled with his reaction to dating a single mom, but I also thought the author did a good job of explaining why he felt the way he did.

I love this series and I really hope Heller is next! ARC provided by NetGalley.

I love this series by Marie Harte and with each new book I fall just a little more in love each story I read and I read them over and over again as I can’t get enough of this series. Love everything about this series and Marie Harte always has me coming back for more each time she brings a new book out. One to look out for in my opinion as everyone should have a Marie Harte in there library.

It's not the mistakes we make, but the lessons we learn that make us who we are.
Lou and Joey know that first hand. Honor students at the school of hard knocks are quick learners in heartbreaking scenarios. Marie Harte hits the freeway of love, as she navigates through bumpy roads and some killer views. Lou and Joey know that love is not always smooth sailing, nothing worth having ever is. However the rewards outweigh the heartache. Collision Course is a tempting uphill battle that speeds it's way into the heart.

I absolutely adored Joey and Lou. I could feel through the pages their strong connection and how much they liked each other even before things got that far. While I understand to a degree where Joey was coming from, I did have a hard time with her not telling Lou about Brandon, especially since literally everyone else knew (which also begs the question, how did he not know?). I was also a little disappointed that despite the fact that Joey was portrayed as such a strong female that she tolerated her parents belittling for so long, especially with her son around to see it. The romance itself is my favorite of the series! I would love to hear more from Lou's family, especially his sister and Brandon's father.

COLLISION COURSE is the fourth book in Marie Harte's Body Shop Bad Boys series. After becoming a mother early in life, Joey Reeves has known nothing but a life of hard work and responsibility ever since. Her focus has been on bettering herself in order to enrich her son's life. When she first meets perennial charmer Lou Cortez, she is wildly attracted but understandably wary. When Joey finally gives herself permission to pursue a romantic relationship with Lou, the sense of freedom it gives her is euphoric. It's not long before Lou starts falling hard for Joey, but he doesn't know the one thing she is hiding from him -- her son.

Joey is an extremely sympathetic heroine. Although she made some poor choices when she was younger, she has been conscientious to an excruciating degree ever since. The sore spot in her life is the uneasy relationship she has with her parents. While living with them until she can save up enough money to get a place of her own, she endures the occasional snide remarks -- whether intentionally made or not. She is the kind of mother Lou would have wished to have had when he was a boy. Although they love each other, Lou's mother didn't have the same single-minded focus on her children and ambition that Joey has. As a result, Lou has always maintained a policy of never dating single moms. The one aspect of COLLISION COURSE that is somewhat hard to believe, is how Lou and Joey move in the same circles but it takes a while before he finds out that Joey has a young son. It doesn't ruin my enjoyment of this story, but I just can't believe how long Lou is successfully kept in the dark about this one major aspect of his girlfriend's life. The parent/child relationship is a major theme in COLLISION COURSE.

When Joey's previously suppressed sexuality is released, things get spicy fast. Joey's longing for sexual satisfaction is very palpable, and it throws Lou for a loop before he figures her out. I love how Marie Harte always writes sexual scenes in her books that are fun as well as hot, and how there is no judgement. With Lou, Joey eventually feels comfortable expressing her desires, and Lou is more than happy to give Joey whatever she wants. Until the inevitable moment when Lou finds out Joey's secret, their courtship is fun and a mix of sweet and sexy.

COLLISION COURSE is a book with strong female characters and a joyously torrid romance. I hope to read more about several supporting characters in future books -- especially the enigmatic Heller. I eagerly await the next amazing romance by Marie Harte!

Lou Cortez is an ace mechanic but also loves to draw and paint cars. He is a sweet guy that has always had a way with the ladies, but once he meets florist Josephine, Joey, to get his sister who had been dumped, he can't get her out of his head.

Joey has had her mistakes thrown in her face by her parents since she had her son, Brandon, at fifteen. Joey's father makes snide comments and makes her feel like a failure because she didn't follow his dreams for her, but instead works as a florist. She is not into letting people in her life, because of Brandon, she lives to get him what he needs and make sure he's happy. They have a very close relationship. Joey doesn't tell men she dates about her son, but Lou finds out about him on accident from one of Brandon's friends, who just happens to be Del and Mike's son.

I liked this book, it wasnt my favorite of the series because i felt like it was missing something. I also felt like the the chemistry wasn't there between Lou and Joey. Joey was a very mousey character that didn't stand up for herself and weak. Joey had a hard time making a life for herself with her son until she had enough and decided to move out. Lou wanted nothing but the best for Joey and her son showing how dedicated he was accepting her son with no questions even when the father showed up wanting to get to know his son.

Received ARC in exchange for honest voluntary review from NetGalley

i received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start that this is not really a single mom book if your looking for feel good moments with mom and son who are doing everything they can to make their life great. Lou, who has grown up with a house full of women, still is a typical alpha male who bosses Joey around, has sex whenever possible, and seriously I just didn't connect with this one.

I feel that there is really nothing about it to set it apart from any other book. I'm not going to lie... it feels the same as Road Side Assistance (book 2) but changed the characters names.

3.5 Stars

Lou Cortez has been interested in Joey ever since she started coming into the garage where he works... but he can't get her to give him the time of day. Deciding on one last shot... he asks her out... and hopes for the best.

Josephine "Joey" Reeves has never spent a lot of time on dating, and someone like Lou looks like he is too much for her to handle. But, the single mother decides letting loose just this once couldn't hurt... 

When a little uncomplicated fun turns into real feelings... Joey is hiding a large part of her life from Lou... and he knows it. 

This was a good read... especially the H.O.T. sex between Joey and Lou... Joey likes a man who takes control... and they are the best to read about, too!!

I loved Joey, she has worked hard to be where she is in her life, with being dumped on at almost every turn by those who claim to love her. She is a fantastic mother and role model to her young son.

And now... Lou. Ugh, I don't know what it was about him, but Lou basically annoyed me the entire book. Other than the previously mentioned sex scenes... I totally liked him during those. His personality annoyed me a little... and his judgment on how Joey should be as a mother was the final straw.

This is a fantastic series. While this book wasn't my favorite... I can't wait for more from this author and her lovable and interwoven cast of characters.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest and unbiased review.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC from Netgalley.

I thoroughly enjoyed this...Although I must admit, I've enjoyed every book by Marie Harte. This one was just as good as the others. Lou cracked me up with all the dealings with his female relatives (all 100 of them! - I exaggerate slightly). Joey impressed me by sheltering her son from her potential love interest (as few as they were).

DON'T get me started on Joey's father. Oooohhh, it would've been bad...... But, Joey got him straight, thank goodness.

I can't impress upon you how fabulous this read was. Needless to say, I eagerly await the next book in the series!!!!