Collision

This was my first book by Kristen Granata, but it won't be my last. This was great read! It was not only a sweet love story, but also a heartwarming story about family and loss. 

"Merritt Adams was used to taking care of herself. With her mother's selfish abandonment and her father's suicide, she is convinced that nobody will ever stick around for long. However, after she is mysteriously rescued from a fiery crash, Merritt learns how to accept help, and love-even when it comes from an unexpected source. Trying to create a new life for herself will be difficult, and so will resisting the charms of someone she swore she would never show interest in. In addition to the buzz surrounding Merritt's tragic headlines, everyone is talking about the charismatic Chase Brooks' return home after spending two years in California aspiring to become a rock star. What people don't know is the real reason why he had to leave his dreams behind. Saddened by his return, Chase is even more saddened to see how broken and alone his childhood classmate, Merritt, is. Two sad souls could be good for each other, couldn't they? Merritt isn't so sure..and after she finds out who pulled her from the mangled car that night, her life will be changed forever."       

"People understand physical pain- they empathize with it. But when you are depressed, the only person they blame is you. They look at you with judging eyes, wondering why you can't simply snap out of it. As if it was a choice you were making on purpose, choosing to remain in mental anguish, and revel in it."      

I follow Kristen on Instagram, as I do a lot of authors, but I had never read one of her books before. I've had her book downloaded on my Kindle since I started following her, and finally decided to dive in. 

I really liked Merritt. She had been through so much, like more than any person should, but yet she was still trying to keep herself together. She was strong willed and wasn't afraid to tell people what she was thinking, which is always one of my favorite traits of a leading book lady. She also had a lot of character growth throughout the story, she started off a little cynical- which was completely understandable, and ended the story a loving and helpful person, using her pain for good. 

"Sometimes in life, you have to give yourself closure. Let it go. You'll drive yourself crazy otherwise."

Chase Brooks was like the dream book boyfriend, man what a guy. He made it his number one mission to make Merritt want to live again. He pushed her and pushed her until she couldn't resist him anymore, and his family took her in like she was one of their own. 

My favorite kinds of romance books are slow burns, and this was definitely a slow burn. It was perfect for this story though, they were both going through their own things, so it made since for them to take their time with their feelings. It showed you the maturity of their relationship, because they understood each other, and they understood each other's pain. When they finally gave in, it was a beautiful love story. 

"Love stories are like religion; people read something to believe in, something to cling to, even if they never actually find out whether it exists."

I loved the dynamic in Chase's family. They were all so loving and it really brought something special to the story. I also adored Shelly, she was such a loya friend to Merritt, she had truly been threre for her through everything. Some of my favorite parts of the book were between Merritt and Chase's family and Merritt and Shelly. I always feel like it really says something about an author when they can make you fall in love with the supporting characters also. 

This story really had something for everyone. There was humor, and there was love, and there was also loss and heartbreak. I thought it was really well written and I had no problem connecting with the characters right away. 

Overall, I'm giving this read 4.5 STARS. Some people have said that they think I give away to many 4 and 5 star ratings, I don't think there is anything wrong with that, I just pick and choose my reads carefully, and I find books that I can connect with. This was another one of those books. I will definitely seek out more of Kristen's books in the future!