BookAddict's Reviews > Souls Collide

All of the books in the Collide series have been fantastic, but this book blew my mind. Stunning and dramatic, with a shocking twist at the end! What an amazing way to end a series that I truly wish would never end. The only part that wasn’t shocking is the beautiful meeting of two souls, but belonging to two people who, at first glance, should never be together. Kent and Alexa are complete opposites, and everything except their souls clash the first few times they meet. She's friendly, bubbly, charmed and positive and he's . . . not. As a police officer and in his personal life, Kent has seen way too much of the dark, angry parts of life in this world, and his protective wall is layers deep. Not only does Alexa wage an assault on that wall just by being the beautiful soul she is, but she stands up to Kent and calls him on his bull. As much as he'd like to hate her, there's something about Alexa that Kent can’t resist.

It’s always a joy for me to read an early copy of a book from an author whose work I’ve come to know and trust, but this book deserves more effusive praise than I can possibly put into words. It captivated my mind from the first page and captured my heart immediately, making me fully invested in these characters and beyond eager to learn their story. Between the witty and biting banter and the action packed drama, there was never a dull moment and the rest of my world disappeared as I devoured this book.

One of the things this author does exceptionally well is cementing the emotion and deep connection of the two main characters while using external conflict as the drama and challenge to the relationship, rather than resorting to internal conflict for the main crisis of the book. For me, it’s always more rewarding and uplifting when the two characters grow closer and stronger as they fight challenges not of their own making together. And I love the picture it creates for the reader, that challenges and struggles in life can draw people closer together when they have a deep, abiding love and commitment to each other.

I also need to point out the way this author handles an insidious, horrible illness. The same thing that took Kent's mother has also stricken his sister Abby. While the author sheds light on the specifics of fighting the illness, she gives us Abby, a phenomenal, touching example of the indomitable, resilient human spirit. Abby’s journey is one of grace, beauty and courage, poignantly and compassionately told with an underpinning of hope and optimism, and it will forever alter your view of those fighting this disease and its survivors.

The books in this series all stand alone, so you can start with this book without feeling like you’re missing anything. It’s a wonderful holiday read and brings all the characters from the previous two books together, so it’s a great way to meet the other characters. Kent and Alexa may be my favorite couple, with their initial meetings being extremely entertaining and laugh-out-loud funny, but I’ll say one thing for Kent. He didn’t fight himself for long and, once he was in, he was all in. It was a reward in its own right to see the surly, broody hero learn to smile, laugh and love. This book really does have it all -- humor, drama, suspense, poignant emotion and tons of heart, and it’s sure to delight every reader!

*I reviewed this book freely and voluntarily, having made no commitment to provide a review and receiving no compensation of any kind from any source for this review.