Collision Course by K.A. Mitchell

There's a few things I want to get off my chest before I really get into it, and it is this:

FUCK THIS FUCKING FUCK OF A FUCKING BOOK.

... I feel a little better.

When it comes to gay erotica, I tend to read those set in olden times (i.e. historical romances) and those set in never-really-happened times (i.e. fantasy). I don't usually read anything set in modern times, and this book proved to me why.

Collision Course is about two guys in Jacksonville, Florida. Aaron is a paramedic with a hatred of social workers. Joey is a social worker who falls in love at the drop of a hat. They meet at the scene of an accident where Joey was doing the Good Samaritan shtick, and it's not long after that the two leads are having sex in the back of the ambulance.

Of course, my first reaction was, whoa, not fucking around, are we Mitchell? The gay erotica I usually read tends to save the sex scenes for after the guys get to know each other, angst over each other, or at least had a couple of drinks first. No, Mitchell knows why we're here and the writer does not want to disappoint.



Not long after that sex scene, there is another sex scene. And another. And yet another. A third of the book in, and the ZOMG HAWT-ness of it dwindles, leaving a quiet pot of rage as I demanded at the top of my lungs for some PLOT.

There is plot, or at the very least, a thin facsimile of it. Joey has problems (which are so superficial to me I don't care to remember them), Aaron has problems (which actually have more impact to the 'story' and I was actually more interested in that than I was in the sex), but again, we're not here for that. We're here for the sex, and the growing romance, and the sex.

What really drove me over the edge, however, were the references to modern-day. It started with Joey's 'character trait' of constantly having music in his head. I knew I was in trouble when he mentioned Goldfrapp.



Later, the character flirt/fuck around by challenging each other with a game of Halo (which is not described. We instead get to enjoy the aftermath, which is (you guessed it) another sex scene. Goody.)  They also mention Grand Theft Auto in a way that suggests it has multiplayer and leaderboards. (And I'm simply peeved that I can't be sure if that's true or not to scream RESEARCH at the book.)

The book is actually part of the writer's Florida series. The first book, Diving in Deep, is about Joey's ex-boyfriend, and the third, No Souvenirs, is about a doctor that shares an antagonist/friendly relationship with Aaron. After reading this book, however, I don't want to deal with their baggage either.

Sadly enough, it was the baggage part that attracted me to the story in the first place. Joey's deal was kind of bland, but Aaron's sounded interesting in the sample. (An arrogant prick falling in love with someone he despises just because of the poor guy's job, forced to be an adult and a parent to his younger siblings at 15, and ultimately finding some sort of happiness? Bring it on!) Unfortunately, that wasn't really explored either. All I was left with was a big, "sticky, comey mess".

And should I mention how messy the writing itself it? Because it is.

What I got from this book:
 1) Gay guys can't stop for five minutes before having sex again.
 2) I learned who Goldfrapp and Billy Strayhorn are, so I can't be too mad at Mitchell.



Just don't expect me to read another book from this series. :)

Next time: Something that isn't such a FUCKING CHORE.