Collision

By Leaona Luxx

I have recently finished Collision by Leaona Luxx and I am at a complete loss for words over the truly phenomenal work she released as her fifth book. Collision is the third book in her Highway 17 series. The book revolves around Walker Pennington as he grapples with demons from a past that he is trying to keep buried. In order to keep those demons in his rearview, Walker imposes strict control over every facet of his life. Then, he meets Reese Morgan, a woman who is everything he has ever desired but feels he doesn’t deserve. A woman who puts Walker’s control in jeopardy because chaos surrounds her. Walker fears that every slip of his control brings him closer to the very thing that he hates most.

In order to tell you why I found Collision so exceptional I have to ask a question. What makes a good romance novel? Essentially the ability to tell an story that audiences’ will find interesting or possibly even important. The author has to cater to an individuals unique tastes. While this question does not necessarily have a right or wrong answer, most would agree that in a romance novel, an emphasis on the strength of the characters, their relationship, and the ever important Happily Ever are pillars of the genre. A great Author tells a tale that is both interesting and importance. The storytelling should appeal to the masses, yet will speak to an individual’s heart. Other qualities factor into the complexities of being an great author as well. These include the ability to draws a reader in deeper and deeper by layering the story, the character building, the intrigue and the passion that audiences expect. A great author bridges the gap between what is essentially a flat, one dimensional story — including its hero and heroine — and make it come to life behind our eyes. Moreover, great romance authors need to actually write the emotions so well that readers ability to relate through the complex emotions of the human psyche. So for romance novels, does the readers heart ache for the characters? Can we feel the sadness, joy, sizzle, etc that an individual author is describing? Can we picture the scene they are laying out for us? Do the characters have character traits that we love or despise?

Leaona Luxx exhibited all of these factors and so much more in Collision. With hashtags like #Buckle up, this is gonna hurt!!! and #Redemption floating around all over social media anyone would be intrigued. I was…absolutely so! Also, I have read Leaona Luxx before and loved her stories and characters. She has a unique ability to write a story that contains all the feels…to give me the chills and the desire to throw my Kindle all within the same book.

I can not deny that I went into Leaona Luxx’s book with high expectations. But I have high expectations of any book I read. After all, I am a voracious reader, a blogger, and an Editor. All things that I will admit at times make my expectations ridiculous. With Leaona’s work, I have seen tremendous growth in her writing from book one to book five. The editor in me see’s how far she’s come grammatically and with regard to syntax. To date, Collision is certainly her best work.

Readers will remember Walker from Still Creek, Changing Lanes and U-Turn, using her previous stories to lay groundwork for Walker’s character. On the other hand, Reese Morgan is a new character to the Highway Seventeen Series and what a great character she is. This heroine is strong, sassy, and easily loveable. She has an immense sexiness all of her one, one that as a woman I see in myself. Reese has been through more in her life than many experience and is very, very easy to relate to as a woman. I can see her determination to succeed at her choose field as if it were my own. I argued above that we, the audience, need to connect with a character and I’m not sure that I could have handpicked a better heroine for Walker than Reese.

This story looks at issues that really resonate with readers like abandonment and abuse and the damage previous relationships and/or one-night stands can have on an individual’s self-worth. I loved the plot twists Leaona threw in…they made it IMPOSSIBLE to put down. If I had never read her work before, I would have immediately started one-clicking every title she had in her back stock. The intricate emotions represented: angst, love, lust, loss, etc. were almost tangible and the storytelling will absolutely resonate with audiences. These things, combined with Leaona’s ability to tell a story that shows its importance while maintaining its reader’s interest is why I feel so strongly about Collision. Leaona Luxx’s Collision really nailed all the criteria for a truly remarkable love story. Bravo!!!