The Crush Collision by Danielle Ellison is the 2nd book in the Southern Charmed series, and a wonderful book. It is a sweet, fun, and delightful YA contemporary romance. I love this genre, even though I am far from a young adult. There is something so innocent about first loves. Haley Howell has always had a crush on Jake, her brother's off limits best friend. When life and community service throw them together, sparks fly, but what will happen when her brother finds out. I found this book to be a quick read, and recommend it to all YA romance readers, young and old.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

To say that I’m reading ‘The Crush Collision’ to get my rare YA fix is partially correct, but the truth is probably closer to the fact that I do like the best friend’s sister/brother kind of trope, which throws in a hint of the forbidden or the unrequited.

‘The Crush Collision’ follows this particular trajectory. Embroiled in his own turmoil, Jake’s grades and social life are suffering and with alcohol as a constant companion, all he can see in front of him is football, his spiralling life…and a girl who’d always been in his orbit but never more than a distant friend. On the other hand, Hayley is determined to let people know that he’s just having a hard time and is misunderstood, then later makes a mountain of a molehill of how Jake should not incidentally be better for her, when she argues that he should do it for himself…and not put it on her for it.

The lady doth protesteth too much, me thinks.

I wasn’t too sure I could empathise with the minute details and the exhaustive analysis of a teen’s every action to see if this was a demonstration of whether ‘he likes me or he likes me not’, along with peer-pressure and overthinking and the prerequisite teenage angst. Then again, it’s a YA read, and Danielle Ellison does capture the voices right—it’s definitely a switch of gear downwards from the more adult romances that I dive into (I had to do some mental readjustments after all), when all that the protagonists are worried about are how their friends perceive them and their relationship.

I really enjoyed this book. I was pretty much hooked from the minute I started reading. Although he was fighting some demons it was obvious how much Haley loved him And the connection they had from the beginning. I was so happy that he was able to get better and that her twin too was able to see that they were meant to be. Definitely recommend.