He’s always had a way with the ladies She won’t give him the time of day Sparks fly when two hearts in motion collide. Florist Joey Reeves is working overtime to stay away from Lou Cortez, the ace mechanic with a reputation for irresistible charm. She’s a single mom with enough on her plate—the last thing she needs is entanglement with the hottest guy in town… “Well, hello there.” Joey glanced … in town…
“Well, hello there.”
Joey glanced up and froze. The man who’d been haunting her sleep looked even better in the hard light of day.
“H-hello.” She coughed. The guys who worked at Webster’s Garage all looked larger than life, covered in tattoos, muscles, and that indefinable sense of danger they wore like a second skin. But this guy, the tall, Latin lover with dark-brown eyes and lips made for kissing, who had snared her.
Body Shop Bad Boys Series:
Test Drive (Book 1)
Roadside Assistance (Book 2)
Zero to Sixty (Book 3)
Collision Course (Book 4)
What People are Saying About Marie Harte’s Body Shop Bad Boys series:
“High octane chemistry keeps the pages turning and your engine revving!” —GINA L. MAXWELL, New York Times & USA Today bestselling author
“I could go for some more of the Bad Boys of Webster’s Garage, in fact, I think I would like to have them around 24/7.” —Night Owl Romance 5 Stars, Top Pick!
“Harte’s take on the redeemed bad boy is fresh and sexy.” —Kirkus
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COLLISION COURSE by Marie Harte was my first audio book. I really enjoyed book 4 of the Bad Boys Body Shop series.
I love Joey’s growth as a young, somewhat insecure, single mom at the start of the book, intimidated by her parents and abandoned by her high school boyfriend who got her pregnant. But she worked hard, got a college degree, and became manager of the flower shop where she works. All the while she took care of her son, but at the expense of a social life until she meets Lou. He makes her want for things she’s never had—a man of her own and hot, fulfilling sex.
Lou first saw Joey at his boss’s wedding, and he felt an immediate attraction. But shy, quiet Joey didn’t encourage him. They finally get together, and the attraction sizzles off the pages. They are perfect for each other except for one thing—Lou doesn’t want children. A deal breaker since Joey has a nine-year-old son she’s devoted to and hasn’t told Lou about him.
COLLISION COURSE is a page turner—hot sex, a great love story, and a perfect happily-ever-after ending.
Great series.
Wonderful books in a series of 4. Loved all of them.
Mechanic Lou Cortez doesn’t understand why Joey won’t go out with him. He’s used to women throwing themselves at him, so why does single mom Joey not give him the time of day? How can he change her mind?
Joey learned her lesson about men long ago when her son’s father dumped her. So she’s got no time for hottie Lou. But after an aggressively persistent campaign where Lou practically stalks her, she just can’t resist any longer. But, will her child be too much for Lou to handle? Can she give her heart to a man who may or may not be OK with her child?
I liked Collision Course. I didn’t love it, but I liked it. Joey especially was a great character. I applaud single parents everywhere, how they do it is beyond me. Joey is strong and such a great mother that honestly she made the story for me. Lou was a bit of an ass at times, so I didn’t really fall for him, but I do like how much he loved Joey. I’m looking forward to more from this series.
Marie Harte has created a love story series for gear heads, that even the most car illiterate person would find appealing!!! I loved the series!!!
If you are looking for a book that features the typically tattooed bad boy then you’ll be surprised when you read Collision Course. This book isn’t your average gritty book about hard core alpha males covered in ink and full of attitude. Oh, don’t get me wrong, this book has all that but there is so much more to the men who inhabit the pages!
Book four is about Lou. Lou turns the heads of women no matter where he goes – well….most women. You see, Lou has a problem catching the eye of one Ms. Joey Reeves. She goes out of her way to steer clear of Lou and he just doesn’t understand why. Well, Joey has her own reasons from avoided the tattooed Adonis trying to slide his way into her life. She’s not looking for short term – actually, she’s not sure she’s looking for anything right now. Joey isn’t the only person she has to consider.
While Joey and Lou are wonderful characters full of vibrant personality, I didn’t enjoy their storyline as much I as did the first three books. Part of it was some of Lou’s approaches/verbal exchanges with Joey. They weren’t altogether put-offish but didn’t seem like they were appropriate for someone who lived with a family full of women. I’m not a prude or even close to being a saint (let’s just say that Friday and food are my second and third favorite F words) but his mannerisms, demeaner, and vocab were a bit inappropriate at times. Don’t get me wrong, I love Lou and Joey but there was just something that rubbed me the wrong way during parts of the book.
Joey is a strong woman who has put up with a lot of condescension from her parents – the main people on this earth that are supposed to love, support, and protect her. Instead they put her down, don’t appreciate her, and remind her of what she could be and should be doing right now. They have taken her accidental pregnancy and tortured her with it for the past nine years. Joey, on the other hand, has fought tooth and nail to build a life for her and her child.
Even though I had issues with some of the way Lou’s character was written, this book was still worth the read. Lou is a supportive person and takes care of all the women in family. He knows how to treat people, not just women, and he’s a hard worker. His story is engaging and kept me captivated. The plot was well thought out and organized. The story was perfectly paced; not too fast or too slow.
Love this series.
Awesome book! The characters are so real and complex with great personalities – you can’t help but get sucked into their world and become vested in their lives. The story is carefully constructed that you feel all the emotions of the characters as they go through their personal struggles, pitfalls and triumphs. Their is family drama, relationship drama and sexy good drama. I got hooked within the first few pages and couldn’t put the book down.
I absolutely recommend this book, this series and anything that Marie Harte puts down on paper. She is one of my all-time favorites and must read author.
I loved Lou and Joey they were super awesome characters.
Joey has not had an easy time of it. She’s a young, single mom with a nine-year-old son. She is proud of putting herself through college and just recently becoming manager at the flower shop where she works. She’s always put her son and career first. While doing the flowers for a wedding recently, she caught the eye of Lou Cortez. Lou prides himself in being a ladies’ man, but also is very close to his large (mostly female) family. He sees something in Joey and is astounded that she doesn’t seem interested in him.
Watching these two, one who feels secure in his social, family and work life, and the other, unsure of what she is feeling because she’s shut off that aspect of herself for so many years, is entertaining. Yes, there’s plenty of physical attraction between them but there is an emotional connection, too. We see many sides of Lou; coworker, friend, big brother to his many sisters and cousins, and attentive lover. In Joey, we see a woman who, in many ways, is just figuring out who she is (other than a mom). She’s been so busy just getting through her life and providing for her son, not taking the time to really examine her own needs and wants, and then Lou enters her life.
This is a wonderful love story with great supporting characters providing additional depth as you experience what Lou’s and Joey’s lives are like on a day-to-day basis, drawing you further into their story.
This is the first book I have read from this series and I was a little concerned about being able to keep up with all the characters and main storyline of the series but I should have known not to worry. Ms. Harte always does a wonderful job of filling in any possible gaps and writing a seamlessly flowing story that keeps you engaged. I enjoyed this story so much I went right online and purchased the first three in the series to catch up on all the excitement. I am sure the other stories will be just as fun a read as this one.
Lou and Joey were such refreshing characters to read. I like the fact that they were struggling with their own life pressures as well as juggling a potential relationship and growing feelings towards each other. It made them more relatable and real. I love Lou…he is sexy, fun, charismatic, honest and has a great regard for women; but being raised in a family full of women, who could blame him. He has a healthy, loving relationship with his family and looks out for them all, even helping to raise his younger sisters. As for Joey, my heart goes out to the poor girl. She made a mistake when she was young and paid for it by sacrificing the rest of her schooling and teenage years. Even after all she has endured she is a gentle soul with a good heart doing the best she can for herself and her young son. He is her top priority and she does everything for him, to better his life, and keep him safe. You can definitely tell she is a caring, loving mother and Brandon is just adorable; he is kind, well-mannered and smart. The pull between Lou and Joey is electric and they have great chemistry. The dialogue and banter between all the characters is fun and engaging and kept a smile on my face. This is such a great story; I cannot wait to read the others. I really hope Felix is next in line to have his story told. It seems like there was some interest between him and Stella and I am sure that will make for a fun read.
Lou Cortez is a mechanic at Webster’s Garage AND an artist auto painter at Hellers. The boys at both are his buds/family. Family is first with Lou as he help to raise his 5 sisters and bunch of female cousins. He and younger cousin J are the only males as the Mom and Aunt’s male mates don’t stick around. They are a tight knit latino clan. He’s also VERY easy on the eyes and female companionship is effortless but short lived.
Josephine “Joey” Reeves is a hard working single mom florist who just made shop manager. She handled Dell’s wedding flowers and met the Webster crew working with Dell, the boss. There was inst attraction between Lou and Joey but she’s staying well away. As a single mom and living in her parent’s above garage apartment she has NO time for relationships. Her parents make her feel guilty for her one mistake that resulted in her son Brandon. His Dad, Felix, rich kid controlled by his parents ambitions, signed over all rights to Brandon when he was born. She’s managed to pretty much pay her way in life, raise a well behaved 8 year old and get a college degree by sheer determination. I really respected her. She is an awesome roll model with a level head considering how life has treated her.
Lou decides he’s gonna push it with Joey and really try for a relationship with her. He over and over shows he’s a thoughtful, considerate, nurturing person to the people in his world. He starts with Joey but ordering flowers for is sister Stella, who just got dumped by her duche drummer boyfriend, to help her feel better. I really liked Lou as a person. He’s scary in appearance being massively big, tattooed and Latin but he shows by his actions he’s a marshmallow inside. I love that kind of hero. I found myself pulling for these two to make it. There is REALLY HOT chemistry between these two also. My one critique is the crisis scene was weak and out of character I though. But I loved the resolution and Felix’s character in the end of the book surprised me.
Thank you Sourcebooks and Marie for the NetGalley ARC of this story. Marie’s stories always satisfy and I love how the characters of her previous series make appearances in the story.
Joey isn’t in the market for a man, the last one she let in did a number on her heart and left her a single mother of an amazing boy. It also left her with no where to turn, so she has spent the last nine years depending on her parents, and now she has finally become financially stable enough to make it on her own, and while her parents are proud they still can’t seem to get over the mistakes she made in the past… and it hurts like hell. She knows she screwed up, but she has worked hard to overcome it all, and she is ready to put it all behind her and move on, embrace the new opportunity she has created for herself and her son… nothing is going to hold her back now. So, when a gorgeous playboy mechanic comes sniffing around, she is ready to send him packing, she doesn’t need another man to derail her life… but even her best effort to keep him away doesn’t seem to work. Soon a friendship of sorts starts up between them…. and then come the fireworks, and Joey isn’t so sure she is prepared for all of that!!
Lou Cortez falls hard for Joey the first time they meet, but she doesn’t seem to notice that he exists, nor that he is interested… and it baffles him. Normally all he has to do is smile, and the ladies are willing to follow him to the ends of the earth, this one though doesn’t seem charmed by his smile, sweet talking, or good looks. He just wants a chance to show her they can be good together, she on the other hand doesn’t want a damn thing from him, so he is just going to have to get creative if he wants this one… there has to be a way to lure her in!
Collision Course is a sultry little page turner that is sure to have you swooning like a fool and madly in love all by the second chapter… the moment you meet Lou you won’t know what hit you!! Ms. Harte’s Latin Lothario will wander onto the page, your heart will melt, and your knees will be left permanently weak… yes ladies he is that good! He has impeccable manners, a good heart, can be dirty when the moment arises, and will stop at nothing to see to it that the woman he cares for has everything she could ever want or need. While he normally has the women falling at his feet, Joey doesn’t seem to be falling for any of the sweet words he’s whispering, and he has no idea how to handle that, but boy is it fun to watch him try and figure it out. This story is one that I have been anxiously waiting for, and I have to say it was WELL worth the wait, it ranks right up there with my favorites from this author. I guarantee readers will love this one, it’s got everything you could want in a story…and so much more!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this title.
It’s not the mistakes we make, but the lessons we learn that make us who we are.
Lou and Joey know that first hand. Honor students at the school of hard knocks are quick learners in heartbreaking scenarios. Marie Harte hits the freeway of love, as she navigates through bumpy roads and some killer views. Lou and Joey know that love is not always smooth sailing, nothing worth having ever is. However the rewards outweigh the heartache. Collision Course is a tempting uphill battle that speeds it’s way into the heart.
3.75 stars–COLLISION COURSE is the fourth instalment in Marie Harte’s contemporary, adult BODY SHOP BAD BOYS erotic, romance series focusing on the men and woman who work at Webster’s Garage. This is mechanic and artist Lou Cortez, and single mom/florist Josephine ‘Joey’ Reeves’ story line. BODY SHOP BAD BOYS is a spin off from Harte’s McCauley Brothers series but you do not have to have read the original series to follow the current time line. A number of the characters cross-over between the two series.
Told from several third person perspectives including Joey and Lou COLLISION COURSE follows the building relationship between mechanic and artist Lou Cortez, and single mom/florist Joey Reeves. Several months earlier Lou first noticed Joey through their mutual friendship with Del-aka Delilah Webster-Lou’s boss, at the wedding between Del and Mike McCauley. Fast forward to present day wherein Lou will come face to face with the woman who has starred in his fantasies and dreams. Enter Joey Reeves, the woman with whom Lou will fall in love but a woman who battles between her head and heart as it pertains to both her personal and professional life; and the secret she keeps from the man with whom she is falling in love. What ensues is the building relationship between Joey and Lou, and the fall out when Joey reveals the truth about her past, and the son Lou never knew she had.
Nine years earlier, a then fifteen year old Joey Reeves found herself pregnant; abandoned by the baby’s father; and all but ostracized from her friends, high school acquaintances, and the two most important people in her life-her parents. Joey has fought an uphill battle to become the some-what independent woman and mother who fiercely loves her child beyond the life of her own. Lou Cortez doesn’t do relationships, and with five sisters and thirteen female cousins our hero is determined to remain single and childless for the rest of his life but his attraction to Joey finds Lou wanting something more with a woman he believes is keeping secrets from the man that she loves.
I struggled with our heroine’s ‘need’ not to tell Lou that she has a nine year old son. Their relationship was exclusive with no promises for the future but the couple begin to develop feelings for one another, and in this, Joey’s ‘need’ to keep secret the most important person in her life, was a set up to fail. There are also some issues as it pertained to Lou’s views on motherhood-his own mother’s lifestyle shaped the man who has a difficult time seeing anything other than black and white. His ‘prickly’ attitude about women and motherhood is a little bit sexist but perhaps understandable under the circumstances.
The relationship between Joey and Lou is slow to develop as Joey struggles to control her growing love for a man who may or may not welcome a nine year old in his life. Throughout the story Joey hesitates to tell Lou about the child she gave birth to at fifteen years of age. The longer she procrastinates the more likely someone will accidentally spill the secret she struggles to keep. Lou will endeavor to come to terms, and accept that the woman he loves has a nine year old child- but his abrupt reaction will push our heroine out of his life. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text. Lou likes to talk to dirty and take control in the bedroom.
There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Del and Mike (What To Do With a Bad Boy), Johnny and Lara (Test Drive), Foley and Cynthia (Roadside Assistance), Ivy and Sam (Zero to Sixty); Joey’s son Brandon, her ex Felix, her parents Andrew and Amy Reeves, as well as all of Lou’s extended family including his five sisters (Rosie, Stella, Lucia, Carla and Maria), mother and grandmother. There is a potential story line building between Lou’s sister Stella and Felix Rogers. I am hoping for another spin off series focusing on Lou’s sisters.
The world building continues to focus on the family and friendship of the people who work at Webster’s garage. With the introduction of Lou’s very large extended family, I suspect another spin off in the works.
COLLISION COURSE is an energetic and enjoyable story line with passionate characters, and a sensual romance. There are moments of humor and fun; drama and heartbreak; falling in love and a happily ever after. COLLISION COURSE is a spirited look at a single mother who falls in love with the resident bad boy.