A childhood accident left Emmaline vulnerable to disturbing
fugue states that last only minutes, but feel like an
eternity. The blackouts are unsettling but manageable…until
she meets Johnny Dellasandro. The reclusive painter gained
notoriety in the ’70s for his debauched lifestyle and
raunchy art films. His naked body has achieved cult status,
especially in Emm’s mind— she’s obsessed with the man, who’s
grown even sexier with age. Today Johnny shuns the spotlight
and Emm in particular...until she falls into a fugue on his
doorstep.
In that moment she’s transported back thirty years, crashing
a party at Johnny’s place in his wild-man heyday— the night
is a blur of flesh and heat that lingers on her skin long
after she’s woken to the present.
It happens again and again, each time-slip another
mind-blowing orgy, and soon Emm can’t stop, though every
episode leaves her weaker and weaker. She’s frightened by
what’s happening to her, but she’s even more terrified of
losing this portal to the Johnny she wants so badly. The one
who wants her, too, and takes her—
every chance he gets.
When I read "mind-blowing orgies" in the 70's, I assumed Collide contained some element of sexual adventure. So I was surprised to find that the story had much more in common with a traditional male/female romance. COLLIDE is a well-written and fascinating tale of the relationship that develops between Emm and Johnny on two levels. In present day, he is the older artist and former B-movie star who catches her attention. In the fugue states she falls into as a result of a childhood brain injury, he is the you young, passionate, and lost Johnny of the movies. I really liked Emm and Johnny together, past and future. I enjoyed to "time travel" element and the uncertainty about what was really happening to Emm. The story had strong erotic elements, though orgies were only implied ;-) (Maria Munoz 12:31pm May 29, 2011)