Collide (Blackcreek #1) by Riley Hart

Title: Collide
Author: Riley Hart
Length: 254 Pages
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Independent
Heat Level: Hot & Steamy
Overall Rating: 4 adorable hearts

Synopsis: At ten years old, Noah Jameson and Cooper Bradshaw collided mid-air when they dove for the same football. For three years, they were inseparable…until one day when Noah and his parents disappeared in the middle of the night.

Noah and Cooper never knew what happened to each other. Now, seventeen years later, after finding his boyfriend in bed with another man, Noah returns to Blackcreek looking for a fresh start. And damned if he doesn’t find his old friend grew up to be sexy as sin. Coop can’t believe Noah—the only person he trusted with the guilt over his parents’ death—is back. And gay… Or that Cooper himself suddenly wants another man in his bed for the first time.

There’s no denying the attraction and emotion between them, but can they overcome the ghosts of their pasts to have a future together?

This title contains two strong, sexy men, and a passionate friendship that transforms into a sizzling hot romance. – via goodreads

Review:  Two childhood best friends who have no one else in the world to count on besides each other. Then the unthinkable happens and one moves away only to be reunited seventeen years later.

This was such a sweet story of best friends who fall in love. It’s a GFY, where after finding out Noah is gay, Cooper finds himself obsessing about Noah and what it would be like to touch him, kiss him, taste him. I think the author did a good job of illustrating Cooper’s confusion and struggle to accept his feelings for Noah without becoming repetitive or going too heavy on the angst.

Cooper fights his attraction to Noah at first, only to give in when the UST becomes to much for either of them to bear. They’re pretty damn hot together and I really liked watching them grow closer over the course of the book. Noah was very patient and understanding, while Cooper tried to figure out what he wanted.

There was a nice little twist at the end that I probably should have seen coming, but I was so tied up in Noah and Cooper that I missed it entirely. I think it ended a bit abruptly, or it could have been that I wasn’t ready to let them go, or both. I kind of wanted to stay wrapped up my Noah and Cooper cocoon and not come out.

The only complaint I have is the editing. There were several instances of completely the wrong word used, like ‘breaks’ instead of ‘brakes’, or sentences that started to say one thing then were partially changed to say another, but not fully edited to make it clear. If that makes sense. I think one was along the lines of ‘there isn’t will never not be a reason’. I can’t remember exactly, but it was similar.

Having said that though, I enjoyed these two enough that it didn’t even bother me. The characters were all likable and the story was good. I love GFY stories and this one was a little angsty, a little sweet, and a lot hot. I’m curious to see how Wes & Braden’s story plays out and I’d love to see more of Noah and Cooper.

Purchase Link: Amazon