Review - Collide

Title - Collide

Author - Shelly Crane

Series - Collide #1

Genre - YA Paranormal Romance

Format - Kindle Freebie

Published - June 12th 2011

(Goodreads)(Amazon)

Synopsis

Sherry has always known there was something out there. She's eighteen, works for a tabloid newspaper in Chicago and has a brother, Danny who is a lazy mooch. They live a pretty normal dull life with hippie parents and a normal existence. Then the moon disappears and people start to go missing only to reappear later, but different. Sherry has an abusive ex-boyfriend who shows up and claims to be one of these beings that have been showing up around the world. He's no longer the same person in that body. He tells her he has come to protect her and her brother and takes her underground, against her will to save her, where they meet others like them. She begins to unravel the truth about Merrick, about what he's really doing here, about the way he looks at her, about the crazy dangerous world they live in. Can he convince her that he's here to help? Will she like what she finds when she opens up to the truth? Will he be the one to love her when everyone else has failed her? Will he be able to protect her?

Review

I picked Collide this week for my words with friend’s game on goodreads. Sherry is human but she’s not typical by any means. She has the ability to tell when people are lying, which can be good and bad. Suddenly the moon is gone, and aliens have arrived on earth changing everything. Sherry and her younger brother Danny are living at her house because her parents went off to welcome the aliens. When Sherry is confronted by her crazy abusive ex-boyfriend telling her that she and her brother need to come with him she’s far from thrilled with the idea. When Matt explains to Sherry he’s not the real Matt but an alien life form just in Matt’s body after he died and that he’s a keeper to save them.

The trio head off to a place where they will be safe from the aliens who want to take over the planet called Lighters.  Danny is special and Merrick who is in Matt’s body is his Keeper, it’s been his mission to watch and protect Danny because one day he will do something special. What makes Sherry special to Merrick is that as he watched Danny when she was older he fell in love with her. More keepers show up with their charges, soon the building is full of an eclectic group of people. Sherry at first thinks that Merrick can’t stand her but learns that he loves her and she in turn falls in love with him. Yet their safe time is short lived when they encounter a marker who attacks Sherry forcing them all to leave and head out into the world looking for safety in smaller groups.

Sherry’s group finds a new place to live with another keeper and his charge as well as her son. Her son Phillip's is intent on breaking Merrick and Sherry up determined that she is meant for him. Yet when they travel to town for supplies they learn that the Taker is in town. They also encounter a Muse who forces Sherry to see what she wouldn’t see normally. When Phillip runs off the group will have to worry about his intentions as well as the threat of the Taker. Will they be able to stop the Taker?

Sherry is this short cute girl with a feisty personality with a low self-esteem when it comes to men plus she’s stubborn.  She the kind of character you can relate to because she’s not tall leggy and blond with a perfect life. I think her relationship with Merrick is super sweet; it’s just so innocent even if he is living in the body of her ex-boyfriend which she’s able to get over. I think they supporting keepers as well as humans enhance the story, they each have their own unique personalities, good and bad.

I love the idea for Collide it’s an alien love story with a unique twist. I think the author took the alien concept and put a spin on it that I could see happening in real life. I always wonder if there are other life forms in space, or lurking on earth this concept I could see happening. The characters are engaging you have characters you root for and cheer on plus the ones you can’t stand. The relationships that come from being forced into this situation are positive. Sherry’s brother finds love with another special girl which is super cute. I love that the story is filled with clean sweet romance; it’s not steamy stuff that make me blush. This is my first book that I've read by Shelly Crane but I already love her writing style, the story flows along smoothly, it’s filled with fast paced action, romance and aliens. Everything you need for a great story. Collide is a perfect start to an exciting new series that captures the imagination as well as the heart. Looking forward to seeing what happens next. 

4 out of 5 stars