Loving Our Collision: A Sweet and Clean Romantic Comedy

by Madelyn Smith

Holly needs a husband. Mateo wants a wife. Can their marriage of convenience survive the collision of their two very different worlds?

Full blurb coming soon!

Genres: Romance, Marriage Of Convenience, Clean Romance, Christian, Christian Fiction, Contemporary

297 pages, Paperback

Published January 30, 2025

About the author

Madelyn Smith is a happy wife and mom by day and a reader and writer by night. After years of reading fantasy and romance books she felt inspired to start writing in 2023. Madelyn loves to read clean and closed-door romance and fantasy books, so she decided to write them too. With Christian elements in her books, her writing will be perfect for those who want a swoony romance, with a divine perspective.
When writing she likes to snack on pretzels and marshmallows, water, and any chocolate her husband surprises her with. Not to mention hostess donuts. Bring on all the hostess donuts.
During her day she can be found interacting on Bookstagram, playing legos and play-pretend with her two toddlers, or enjoying serving in her congregation as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Madelyn loves God, and gives all glory to Him who inspired her whole reading and writing journey.
If you're interested in what Madelyn is reading check out her review page on Instagram: @thesqueakycleanreader
For book updates check out her author page: @madelynsmithauthor on Instagram.

Reviews

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another masterpiece by Madelyn Smith!
Loving Our Collision has my favorite trope (marriage or convenience) but it’s approached in such a fresh and heartfelt way, it’s unlike any other marriage of convenience story I’ve ever read!

The Christian themes are beautifully interwoven through the plot as Mateo and Holly fall for each other.

Readers can expect:
Marriage of convenience
Small town and California settings
And my favorite…
A pet cow.

[Rachel Luke Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored Winning My Queen and could not wait for Loving Our Collision after meeting Holly and Mateo in book 1.

Madelyn smashed this one out of the park! I could not put this book down once I started reading and finished it way too fast! The chemistry, pacing, plot, kiss scenes, Christian aspects, depth of characters...it is ALL there and top notch.

Sometimes it can be hard to get the marriage of convenience right because though we know it is fiction there has to be real reasons for someone to even think to go that route. And this one felt very plausible and real.

I loved Mateo so much for his up beat attitude, his protective instincts, and the way he was constantly bringing Holly's self esteem up. When his mom told him to "woo Holly" he sure did deliver!

Holly was so relatable and I loved watching her arc in this book. She truly was able to embrace her uniqueness and stand up for herself. I loved the moments when Mateo would let her stand on her own two feet, but at the same time be there if she were to falter.

If you want a romcom full of moments to make you swoon, self reflect, ponder God, giggle, and just feel all the feels this will be the one for you!

Dual 1st Person POV
Level 2 *Non Descriptive Longer Kisses*
Zero Swearing

[The Squeaky Clean Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the faith elements
I love the funny moments
I love that Mateo is half-El Salvadorian
I love the chapter titles
I love the slow burn to the real kiss
I love that it's JUST KISSES

I love it all

[Megan | Reads Alotl Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I stumble over nothing as we walk my body overwhelmed by the feeling of his hand.”
Things I Loved:
Marriage of Convenience (MOC)
He Falls First
Princess Bride ♥️
Treating her like a princess
Dual POV
She’s Worth It
Farm Boy
Strong Woman
Sweet Guy
Teasing/Banter
Found Family
Showing her that all of her is perfect!
“You’re right. But Holly, you’re worth it. You’re worth protecting and keeping safe. I promise marrying me won’t be something you regret.”

Marriage of Convenience is one of my favorite tropes and Madelyn did it so well! I already loved Mateo from Winning My Queen. His fun, prankster personality is wonderful and reminded me of myself. Mateo has liked Holly from the very beginning and he tries so hard to get her to see him, but is also equally patient with her.

“I will have the records note. It is very hard to be married to a woman you are practically in love with, and for her not to return your affections.”

Holly is a powerhouse and even though she doesn’t feel worthy of love, (dumb parents) Mateo knows that she is. When she gets set up with other men and is treated awful or expected to give more than she should, Mateo agrees to a MOC. It requires both of them to change their lives a little bit and discover more about themselves, but Mateo was the most swoony and sweet guy ever.

“Our different worlds collided with our marriage, but I’m loving our collision.”

You should read Winning My Queen first, it makes this book better! This one had more Christian themes and looking to Christ to help make your life better and be able to forgive. It was just the right amount!

“In Mateo’s arms, I feel safe and treasured. I feel important, like I matter, and he’s doing this for me because he wants to, not out of some obligation.”

Thank you for the copy Madelyn! This is my honest opinion.

[Brittney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been so excited for Holly and Mateo’s story since finishing Winning My Queen last year! And it was such a perfect story for them! I enjoyed some old characters and returning to Bolt! I love a good marriage of convenience and this one totally fits the bill! And of course, I love the snack list at the beginning of the book, one of my favorite parts! Some other things I loved:
- Chocolate frosties
- Woodworking
- Pupusas 🤤
- Beach conversations
- Orchard dancing
- Faith elements
So looking forward to the next book as well as my next pupusa!

[Holly (IG Hollys_Book_Musings) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You're right. But Holly, you're worth it. You're worth protecting and keeping safe. I promise marrying me won't be something you regret."

Loving our Collision by Madelyn Smith

I said with Madelyn's debut novel "how is this a debut novel?", and now with this one, how is this only her second full-length novel? It was so good! Better than just good, it is definitely going on my favorites list for the year. The author is incredibly talented for being a new author.
Mateo's and Holly's story is full of faith and seeking His help, love and helping to see one's worth, and lots of emotions! Their story was a beautiful journey to go on!
When Holly proposes the idea of a marriage of convenience to Mateo, her brother's best friend, Mateo agrees.
What she didn't realize was the beautiful journey God was placing her on toward finding true love and self-worth. There was so much healing found between the pages of this book. So much growth by both of the characters. And Madelyn did a beautiful job at conveying all of the intended messages she hoped to convey in this one. She also did an amazing job at addressing particular topics like mental health, toxic parental and work relationships, etc. Her characters feel real because they have real struggles. I don't usually love a contemporary marriage of convenience, but Madelyn did a particularly exceptional job with that, making it believable and probable.
Mateo is so perfect for Holly. He treats her with so much respect and adoration and helps her in her journey toward healing. He prays to God for guidance and helps her to find God more fully in her life. But I also liked that he wasn't pushy about it. He guided her toward it, but let her make her own decisions and find her own bravery in moments she needed to.
I can't end this review without mentioning the amazing side characters the author writes into her stories.
Hudson-the fictional grandfather you never knew you needed!
Mamma T and Stanley-"adopted" parents who help Holly so much
Mateo's family-I love how they just embrace Holly and make her one of their own.
I'm excited for Cruz's story next. It sounds like it will be amazing and I love the title that we get a sneak peak of from the bonus epilogue.
I really loved this one and won't be able to recommend it enough. I promise you won't regret it!

Favorite Parts:
Marriage of Convenience
Protective MMC
Garden scene
Thoughtful gestures
Banter
Princess Bride references
Woodworking lessons
Mateo’s farmboy accent
Pranks
His proposal

Content Warnings:
Language: none
Romance: stalker, passionate kissing 
Violence/gore: assault (mentioned)
Substance Use: alcoholics (mentioned and discussed), drinking and side characters are drunk in one scene
Prejudices: none
Religious Content: Christian elements: prayer, church attendance, belief in God, scripture study
Other: anxiety rep, on-page panic attacks, character mentions attending therapy, body shaming (discussed)

Thank you to the Author for the review copy. All thoughts are my own.

[Nikki Piper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving Our Collision was AMAZING!!

I loved so many things about this no spice, marriage of convenience rom-com! As I read, I was laughing out loud, swooning and cheering on Holly and Mateo. Oh, and craving a Frosty from Wendy’s and papusas!

Some of my favorite things:
🥨 MATEO, yep just him, all of him
🥨 First frosty
🥨 Chapter titles that slay
🥨 He takes care of her
🥨 Visit to Bolt
🥨 Momma T moment
🥨 Swoony kisses
🥨 Mental health rep - normalizing therapy
🥨 Healing from past trauma
🥨 Hair moment
🥨 Moments with WMQ characters

In my opinion, don’t wait to read this one! If you haven’t read Winning My Queen, the first book in the Bolts of Love series, it is also SO GOOD!

I received a digital advanced copy for my honest review. All thoughts are my own.

[Angela - Enjoy Life With Me Podcast · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cried and squealed, had my heart hurt and kicked my feet. The fact that you get all the feels is amazing with how therapeutic this book is, great advice like every other page.

Plus, it's real. Not every woman is a size 2 (I sure am not!) and I appreciate reading real and the struggles that go with it.

Content:
Style - Dual POV, Contemporary RomCom (Brothers Best Friend & Marriage of Convenience)
Intimacy - Moderate (lots of kisses, hugs, and touching)
Language - None
Violence - None
Potential Triggers - stalking, inappropriate touches on bad dates, blackmailing, terrible alcoholic parents

[Hannah Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love when a book makes me cry happy tears, and this one did exactly that🥹 Also, it's no-spice😆

I read the first book in this series, Winning my Queen, last summer when it was first released. I instantly fell in love with Madelyn's characters, small town and stories! Loving Our Collision brings you back to some of the characters you were introduced to in the first book.

Holly and Mateo's love story is absolutely beautfiul! It starts when Holly runs into some trouble and asks her brother's best friend to enter into a marriage of convenience. She has no plan's to fall for him but little does she know he's been falling for her for a while🤭 Reading how their relationship grew into something so meaningfull has me hoping for something like that one day☺️

One moment had me laughing, another swooning and giggling, and another crying happy tears. That sounds like the perfect book to me😂 I also really appreciated the representation of anxiety. As someone who has experienced anxiety my whole life, reading how Mateo helped Holly work through hers was so amazing.🥰 I wish I could truly express how much I loved this book, but sometimes putting that into writing is so hard. If you want a book that makes you laugh, swoon and cry, this one is perfect! Almost forgot to mention, all the Princess Bride quotes were perfect👌

Thank you Madelyn for writing such a touching book! You're absolutely amazing and I can't wait to read more of your books!❤️

[Ursi Engebretsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this sweet romcom!!! I've been looking forward to it ever since I finished Winning My Queen, and I was delighted to be able to read an ARC copy of the book. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint!!! Mateo and Holly--whom I grew to like tremendously in the first book--are adorable together. The mutual pining, as they both realize how much they care for each other even though their marriage started out as a marriage-of-convenience, is just so good. The story is cute and hilarious and swoony all at once. I often shy away from marriage of convenience stories because even the no-spice ones can get too steamy for me, but I trusted Madelyn to keep it clean--and she provided the perfect amount of emotion and sparks flying without ever making me uncomfortable!

Some of my favorite things:

🐄 All the Princess Bride references
🐄 The food descriptions--Madelyn is the queen of making me hungry while I'm reading! I really want to try pupusas now, and I agree that pretzels and Nutella are definitely a food group!
🐄 Mateo and Holly both standing up for each other 🥰
🐄 The fantastic side characters I grew to love in Book 1
🐄 The most perfect kiss scene ever (I won't spoil it 😁)
🐄 Mateo showing Holly about woodworking
🐄 So much more!!!

I was ecstatic to learn there will be a Book 3 in this series, and I can't wait for it! This book deserves a galaxy of stars, and I love it so much!!!

[Shannon Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gotta say I love this author’s style. The combination of silly, sweet, and spiritual is just *chef’s kiss*

The characters feel so real at times, especially Holly as she struggles with her severe anxiety. The visceral physical and mental reactions she deals with hit home especially hard (in a good way). And the MC Mateo is just the most cinnamon rolls cinnamon roll to ever cinnamon roll. I dare say he’s perfect because even in his imperfection he’s incredibly endearing and had me opting for him from page one!

Kisses and snuggles only. No swearing. No graphic anything. Heavy mental illness and childhood trauma discussed and experienced (in a very tasteful way that enables the reader to relate better to the characters). Stalker figure involved in the story. Christian-focused romance.

[Shayla Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

“We are all broken. We are all imperfect. That doesn’t mean we aren’t worth loving.”

~If Holly marries her brother’s best friend it’ll solve her problems. Unless she makes new ones by falling for Mateo, knowing their relationship has an end date…

“You’re not what I expected, farm boy, but I’ll keep you around.”
“As you wish.” I place a kiss on the crown of her head.

-Loving Our Collision is not only a sweet and clean, kisses only romance. It’s also book two in the delightful heartwarming Bolts of Love series. While it can be read alone, please enjoy the whole series! Worth it!💯

-Loving Our Collision, is delightfully filled with sweet swoony and tender moments. It is infused with delightful humor, and also has valuable and important life lessons weaved lovingly throughout. This is a story that beautifully and gracefully addresses the representation of anxiety, a character dealing with harassment, and addressing breaking cycles of trauma. I thoroughly loved how this story was full of Faith and dear characters and their journey of seeking help, love, and one’s one true worth. Within this story, there is great humor, love, and healing for characters that have real life and relatable struggles. Watching them make choices, and finding the bravery to stand for what’s right, and to hold on true happiness was endearing. The emphasis on wanting something more with faith and the reminder of God and prayer in the everyday and in marriage shines in this story, without feeling forced. Along with the theme of forgiveness, there is also a wonderful reminder of wanting to be loved and cherished no matter how you look. To be seen, and loved no matter what shines beautifully in this story, worth reading!🙌🏻📚🩷

“You are beautiful all day, every day. You don’t need to lose weight. You don’t need to change. You are gorgeous. You just are.”

-Content: attempted assault, stalker, alcohol.

“You’ll always have me.”

-I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

“You’re what I didn’t know I needed.”

#lovingourcollision
#allaboutthebestreads

[Kendal Sheldon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book is fantastic! I have never enjoyed a marriage of convenience as much as I enjoyed this one. Mateo is the SWEETEST man and the way he treats Holly will make your heart just melt. If you love Princess Bride vibes then you’ll definitely love the way Holly calls him “farm boy” and he will answer “as you wish” every time she requests something. This is probably going on my list for top favorite books in 2025! If you haven’t read a book by Madelyn, I highly recommend you move her up on your TBR. She has quickly become an auto-read author for me. 🥰

“𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐’𝘮 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯.”

FMC: Holly - multimillionaire, social media manager for her movie star brother
MMC: Mateo - farmer, Holly’s brother’s best friend

What you’ll find:
💍 Marriage of convenience
🤩 Brother’s best friend
💘 He falls first
🛍️ Clothes shopping
🍦 Wendy’s Chocolate Frosty
💃 Red carpet events
🥪 “lunch laddie”
👑 Princess Bride references
🐄 Farm boy
🌆 City girl
🏝️ Beach date
🪵 Wood working
✝️ Faith themes
🏡 Found family

“𝘐’𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥. 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘰𝘳 𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯.”

📚: Book 2 of 3 - “Bolts of Love” series
🔹: Best enjoyed in order, but could be read as a standalone.
📖: 326 pages
🌶️: kissing only, Level 2
🤬: none, alternative cursing = names of weeds
⚠️: manipulative parents, stalker, blackmail

‼️Warning: You WILL crave a Wendy’s Chocolate Frosty while reading this book. I may have consumed at least one while reading this book. 🤭

**Thank you, Madelyn, for having me on your ARC team for this book. This review was my honest opinion.

[Madeline K · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨Loving Our Collision by Madelyn Smith is book 2 of The Bolts of Love series. It was beautifully written and absolutely captivating. Madelyn did it again! She wrote an amazing book with Christian aspects all while being a swoony rom-com. In this story, you encounter an FMC with a mental illness and anxiety, and an MMC that talks her through it, encourages her, and helps her see her worth.

✨Holly is the younger sister of Alex Kingston. She lives in California and works in Public Relations for actors. Mateo is from Bolt, Oregon, and works on his family’s farm. They decide to get married for both of their convenience, and they end up falling in love.

✨This book is a clean, sweet romantic comedy that will have you literally laughing out loud. It includes a bunch of Princess Bride quotes. As far as language, it is clean. The only cursing is weed names. I highly recommend this book.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holly and Mateo

Holly is a public relations and social media manager questioning her life choices. She’s tired of schmoozing self-entitled stars. After an unfortunate series of dates she happens to run into her brother’s best friend, Mateo, on the red carpet during an event. Mateo quickly notices that Holly is in need of assistance. The two soon find themselves in a marriage of convenience to save Holly from a persistent man who thinks he can control Holly. Mateo leaps at the chance to keep his meddling mother from trying to set him up with every eligible woman in town. The two embark on a marriage that pulls them both out of their comfort zones.

Will their marriage remain fake? Can Holly move forward from her past?

This is by far the SWEETEST romance I have read. Elements of faith are woven throughout this story so beautifully. I loved the family dynamics between Mateo and his family. If you are looking for a book where the MC makes you swoon at nearly every turn of the page, you need to pick this one up. Mateo is the best supportive partner, knowing when to step in and when to are back to allow Holly to grow and feel loved. I cannot stop thinking about this story. ❤️

CW:
Mental Health
Harassment

Thank you Madelyn for the ARC!

[Bri · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book is absolute perfection! Madelyn Smith has done it again with the most adorable story. Holly & Mateo’s love story truly melted my heart. This book mixed deep topics, romance, and laughter so well!! I also LOVE that she titled each chapter!!! That shows how each chapter really connected with the author and gave us something to be excited about! It’s this little details that make the book perfect in every way.

This book does mention anxiety, panic attacks, therapy, child abandonment, & alcohol addiction. So, if any of those may be triggering to you then I suggest praying about this book before diving in!

This book is also faith filled (Christian faith). I adore that aspect of this book as it reminds me of the importance of God in our everyday lives and in our marriages. ☺️🩷

Mateo is the definition of “if he wanted to he would” and Holly is the definition of “beautiful girl who found God”. 📖

Main Tropes:

🍒 kisses only
🎥 California x Oregon
🍒 farm boy x PR manager
🎥 two worlds colliding
🍒 healing from trauma
🎥 marriage of convenience
🍒 he saves her
🎥 Faith themes

CW: stalker

Follow me on bookstagram for more bookish content @brisbooksandbackpacks 📖🩷

[Natscleanreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my heart, this book is good!

Oh my heart ❤️! Princess Bride references, protect-my-wife vibes, marriage of convenience, references to and on page prayer, God, Jesus Christ, Church, and you have the best recipe for a great romcom!

This is Madelyn's second book in the Bolts of Love series. It is so well written.

There are no swears, no alcohol, and level 2 kisses only. Dual POV. Quotes a few scriptures.

[Mary Kate Missiaen · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️ Love Story

I loved loved loved reading loving our collision. I adore a marriage of convenience, and Madelyn wrote this one so well.
I loved that there were Christian and biblical themes, I loved that everything was closed door AND I loved that the boundaries and characters felt real. Well, not Mateo, he is a fantasy for sure, but Holly was relatable. Highly recommend this book for a sweet, quick read.

[Kaci Bonar · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you think about the idea of MOC (marriage of convenience), is it usually the MMC or FMC who initiates it!?  For the most part, I feel like it’s the MMC but in this book, that’s not the case. 

Holly Kingston is on a very awkward and very public setup; she could really use a hero.  Say no more as Mateo, her brother’s best friend happened to turn up and saved her from Jorge, at least for the night!  However, Jorge didn’t like the sting of rejection and forces her hand into asking Mateo for his hand in marriage- which he agrees to.  One of the things I love most about Holly in this story is while she lives amongst the elite, she is still true to herself, anxiety and all.  She doesn’t like her curves and doesn’t feel like she’s good enough for her new husband but with his help and God’s, things evolve!

Mateo Rivera-Watson thinks it’s his lucky day when his secret crush asks him to marry her!  Although he is uprooted from the orchard life he knows, the man rises to the occasion.  Mateo allows Holly to show him the ropes and how to rock the red carpet!  He shows her that clothes, including Walmart jeans, don’t define a person, but their heart does!  While Mateo occasionally has a short fall, he is ever faithful and constant which is something his wife needs the most! 

One thing that’s apparent is that these two really needed each other and just because!  I love seeing their character evolvement from the first time they met in the first book to the last word in this one!  This pairing is not just one to cheer for but to celebrate!  The side characters only enhanced my love for this book and can’t wait to see where the next book will take us!  Job well done Madelyn Smith! 

[jennie.and.books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute story!

Two worlds colliding love story
Modern marriage of convenience
Brother's best friend
Protective and building each other up
Clean love story

So many great and inspiring messages and overall just heart feel good read!

[Cherilyn (Cherwhatyouread) · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s hard to find the words to describe just how much I loved this story!! Holly and Mateo were perfect for each other. They just needed some forced proximity to help them fall in love faster, aka marriage of convenience. Mateo was so swoony and so willing to do whatever Holly needed. Holly’s anxiety played a big part in the story, and I loved how Mateo helped her manage it.

Favorite Quotes:
My heart plummets at the thought of Holly being engaged. But I tell myself to calm down because I don’t have all the details yet. “Well, who’s the lucky man?” There’s a pause on the other line. “That’s what I’m calling about. I kind of said I was engaged to… you.”

“Holly, you’re my fiancée. It’s too late. You’ve already got my single card and you’ve shredded it. Let me do this for you, you stubbornly independent woman.”

How do you thank your knight in shining armor? How do you tell him how grateful you are for taking a chance and changing his life for a damsel in distress?

I made sure the gold was real for both of our rings because one day I’ll replace her fake diamonds with real ones.

[Courtnie ~ courtniemustreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love finding a book in which you can feel the author’s passion within the pages of the book. Where you know from just reading it that a lot of love and hard work was pored into the book. This is how I felt reading Loving Our Collision.

It was funny at some points and serious at others. I love how the author portrayed someone who struggles with anxiety and how to treat someone with a mental illness with respect and love. I loved how sweet this marriage of convenience was and how the story was about the characters growth and the romance just played a part in that.

I loved the Christian elements in this story and I could feel God’s love for me as I read this book. I loved how the author used religion without shoving it down your throat.

This was a beautifully written story! It made me laugh and cry. It was relatable to me and my life experiences while being something new and different. I adored this book and am so honored to have been able to read a ARC copy.

[thearaluenlibrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

You guys this book was absolutely amazing! I fell in love with the small town of Bolt and its sweet characters last year in Winning My Queen and was so excited to learn there was going to be another book in the series. This book definitely didn’t disappoint. I fell in love with Mateo in Winning My Queen and was so excited to get more of him and Holly as well in this book. Also MOC is my favorite trope so that made it even better!! What to say about this book… There were so many amazing parts of it but the parts that stuck out to me the most was the faith spoken throughout the pages and Holly’s character arc. As a Christian it is so hard to find good wholesome books that also promote faith and prayer throughout the story without feeling forced, and Madelyn did this perfectly and that is one of the reasons I will continue to read her books no matter what!

With Holly I saw so much of myself in her. A girl that just wants to be loved and cherished no matter her circumstances, figure, looks, or anything else. Getting to see Mateo love her no matter what just really warmed my spirit and made me want for a relationship just like that.

There is so much more I could say about this amazing book but I think everyone should just read it for themselves. Thank you so much Madelyn for allowing me to be apart of your ARC team and experience this amazing book!
Be sure to check out Loving Our Collision when it releases January 30th!

[Clean readers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating 4.4 ✨

Genre : Romance

Trope: Marriage of Convince

Content: Clean 🧼


Sweet addition to the series! I’m looking forward to more from Madelyn.
The first book in this series will always have my heart, but this was so cute. 🥰

From a protective fake husband, who wish for nothing more than her love. To a fake wife who is starting to realize that all that she has may not be everything.

Give this book a chance if you love protective MMC, marriage of convenience, life changes, and you fell in love with the first book. You won’t be disappointed!

Content:
-Kiss only
-No swear words
-Stalking/threatening/ harassment

*Received this as an ARC. All opinions and thoughts are my own.*

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a read this was. I received this as an ARC as I have Madelyn Smith's other books and I am on board with anything she writes. She continues to impress and delight readers and fans of this genre and passersby like myself. It was a breeze to read through as the author is brilliant at pacing her novels at a pace that is great for all readers.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, perhaps more than its predecessor. Its predecessor, Winning My Queen, was a fairly straightforward retelling of the Pixar film, Cars. This book, whilst having those characters that were similar to that film, shares almost nothing with Cars 2, other than the main characters have similar names to Mater and Holly Shiftwell in that movie.

It goes in a separate direction than you would expect. Holly is a deeply relatable character, whose struggles I found immensely relatable with her struggles with parental abuse, anxiety and body issues. I was rooting for her throughout this whole book.

Mateo was a good co-protagonist as he is striving to be the best he can when feeling he'll never be enough for Holly.

One pro of this book is the food. Madelyn Smith knows how to make you thirsty and hungry for food. I wanted to eat a pupusa so much after reading about them.

There's some great emotional moments in this book. Stuff that made my heart race and got me a little misty eyed.

If you like romantic comedies or even if you don't, I'd recommend this one. Madelyn Smith is an author whose star is starting to shine. Check out this book so you can catch it.

[Isabelle Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

PHENOMENAL!! This book was absolutely amazing and so so cute! What a wonderful book to start out the year!
It is a must read and I am so honored I got to read this one early!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given an ARC of this book for review.

If you love all the cute and adorable feels you get from a Hallmark movie then you will absolutely love this book!
It’s sweet and charming and funny.

I love Mateo. He’s so funny and cheeky but with the pranks he pulls I’m glad he’s not my brother 😆
But I love him and I love how much he loves Holly.

It was fun to spend time with them and see the relationship grow.

[Alisha Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite of this series so far. This take on a marriage of convenience was for a totally different reason than most I have read but it gave the story so much more depth. Since most of the book takes place in LA, we really get to see the dark side of celebrities and the elite along with how dealing with them can shape a person. I loved seeing Mateo come alongside Holly as she deals with anxiety and trauma. I loved the faith element and how both characters sought the Lord’s guidance in the hardest times. After the bonus epilogue, I am excited for the next book that will be coming out in the series.

[Kyra Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

a sweet marriage of convenience

I‘m such a sucker for this trope! But this was even better than most of those because the two knew and liked each other beforehand. Now, did I have to suspend my disbelief over why she decided to actually get married to him and somehow thought that he didn’t like her that way? Yeah, a little bit. But it was still a fun and enjoyable read! Definitely the type of book I would read when I‘m in a fun chick-flick mood. I will definitely be recommending it to my family/friends.

[Brittney (booksta.britt) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving Our Collision by @madelynsmithauthor
Bolts of Love Book 2

Mateo + Holly

You guys!! I loved this book! It had all my favorite tropes - he falls first, brother’s best friend, and MOC! Mateo is the biggest golden retriever 🥹 Holly is rich & has everything she could ever want but she has a problem. She calls Mateo and of course he is more than happy to help 😉 This one had so many adorable moments & Mateo sure knows how to take care of Holly with all of her struggles. I highly recommend grabbing this book!

Quotes
•Our different worlds collided with our marriage, but I’m loving our collision.
•As we kiss, I become sure of one thing: Holly is my home.
•“You’re gorgeous, Holly. You slayed in this dress, kickin’ butts and takin’ names. I’m so proud of you.”

Content
Kissing only
No foul language
Strained parent relationship
Anxiety struggles
Assault (off page mentions)