Reviewed by Annika
TITLE: Collide
SERIES: Out for Justice #2
AUTHOR: Reese Knightley
NARRATOR: Tristan James
PUBLISHER: Tantor Audio
LENGTH: 10 hours, 2 minutes
RELEASE DATE: January 21, 2020
BLURB:
Ex-hacker Seth O’Leary enjoys the hell out of being part of an elite team of operatives known only as Phoenix. In fact, he’s pretty much made it his whole life. When things go horribly wrong with his deadbeat boyfriend, Seth is surprised to find help coming from an unexpected source. The man he’s secretly fantasized about for years finally takes notice. Asher Grayson, code name Frost, is everything that Seth wants in a man, but the player is gun-shy about relationships. What will it take to capture the man’s icy heart?
Phoenix operative Frost thought he had it all figured out. Scratch an itch with the newly single and hot Seth O’Leary, and the craving would be over. Best laid plans and all that, Seth gets under his skin like nobody ever has, and without warning, Frost finds he can’t seem to walk away so easily. Which is completely out of character for him. He doesn’t do relationships because of his past. So, the question remains, will he let long-ago events drive him away from the best thing that has ever happened to him?
Mix in tragic turns of events and ruthless acts of violence, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. With evil forces hell bent on destruction, the pair are on a collision course that leaves them reeling.
REVIEW:
This is the second book in the Out for Justice series. I do think that it can be read as a standalone if you haven’t read or listened to Ricochet yet, but you’d miss out on the introductions and backstory to the guys and team. And some of the bad guys.
Collide focuses on ex-hacker Seth and his Phoenix colleague Asher a.k.a. Frost. Seth is recently single after his former boyfriend kicked him to the kerb and took their stuff. Turning to Phoenix and work has always been his escape and is so once more, but unexpectedly, the guy he’s been lusting after for years lends him a shoulder and helping hand. The lust is mutual and it’s not long before neither man could keep the hands of the other. But the past has a tendency to catch up with them and a former foe is rearing its ugly head and the team has to race against time to save one of their own.
These stories aren’t procedurals or feel all that genuine or credible, and I don’t believe they are supposed to either. They play out more like an action movie, with lots of bad guys, flying bullets, violence and fast paced action. Pure entertainment beginning to end. And isn’t that a big part why we pick up these kinds of books – and books in general? We want to be entertained, to dream away from reality for a while, and Knightley sure gave us that with Collide.
It was easy from the start to like and fall for Seth. There was something about him that drew people to him, the listener included. It took longer to warm to Frost, aptly named by the way, and more than once during the listen I felt the urge to hit him over the head with something – and I’m not a violent person. He needed to get his head out of the sand in a big way. When they were together they were great, I just had an issue with Frost’s excuses and running.
Tristan James… I’m wondering if there’s anything I could tell you about his narration that you haven’t heard already? Probably not, I mean he’s consistent in his narration, and I don’t recall ever listening to a narration of this that wasn’t great. This one included. His pacing and pronunciation is on point, and the feelings he adds to the story enhances the listener experience.
Collide was a nice follow-up and a great adventure. I’m looking forward to see what else this author might bring.
RATING: 
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