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Crash Into Me
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Expected 7 Jul 26Win a free print copy of this book!
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100 copies available
U.S. only
"Actor and author Robinne Lee delivers erotic suspense as glittery and sensuous as Tinsel Town itself." -TIME,/i>
Sizzling, seductive fiction from the bestselling author of The Idea of You, which was adapted to become Amazon Studios’ hit movie starting Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine.
When Cecilia Chen finds herself in an accident shortly after a move to Los Angeles, she’s shocked to recognize the swan-necked beauty in the other car as THE Anouk Ferrand. It’s been twenty years since she last encountered the enigmatic model on a photo shoot in Mexico. And it’s this chance second meeting that will upend Cecilia’s life.
In a complicated marriage to a French film director whose career—once seemingly so allied with Cecilia’s as a photographer—has catapulted beyond hers, and raising her children on the westside of Los Angeles, a toxic playground of privilege and power, Cecilia is forced to take stock of her emotional history. From an early love—a Connecticut establishment foil to Cecilia’s Jamaican immigrant upbringing—that she’d thought was true, to the many stages of life with her husband François, Cecilia questions where she truly fits in. Can the intensity of her explosive physical and emotional entanglement with Anouk finally give her the answer?
Sexy and emotionally involving, Crash Into Me is propulsive fiction from a writer who layers elegant prose, sharp emotional observations, and intense high stakes plotlines into her stories.
Sizzling, seductive fiction from the bestselling author of The Idea of You, which was adapted to become Amazon Studios’ hit movie starting Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine.
When Cecilia Chen finds herself in an accident shortly after a move to Los Angeles, she’s shocked to recognize the swan-necked beauty in the other car as THE Anouk Ferrand. It’s been twenty years since she last encountered the enigmatic model on a photo shoot in Mexico. And it’s this chance second meeting that will upend Cecilia’s life.
In a complicated marriage to a French film director whose career—once seemingly so allied with Cecilia’s as a photographer—has catapulted beyond hers, and raising her children on the westside of Los Angeles, a toxic playground of privilege and power, Cecilia is forced to take stock of her emotional history. From an early love—a Connecticut establishment foil to Cecilia’s Jamaican immigrant upbringing—that she’d thought was true, to the many stages of life with her husband François, Cecilia questions where she truly fits in. Can the intensity of her explosive physical and emotional entanglement with Anouk finally give her the answer?
Sexy and emotionally involving, Crash Into Me is propulsive fiction from a writer who layers elegant prose, sharp emotional observations, and intense high stakes plotlines into her stories.
384 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication July 7, 2026
11605 people want to read
About the author
Robinne Lee
2 books3,607 followersROBINNE LEE is an actor, writer and producer. A graduate of Yale University and Columbia Law School, Robinne was born and raised in Westchester County, New York. Robinne has numerous acting credits in both television and film, most notably opposite Will Smith in both Hitch and Seven Pounds. She recently completed shooting Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, playing Ros Bailey. Robinne currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children. The Idea of You is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
Want to read
October 16, 2025The way that The Idea of You has been living rent free in my head 😭😭 I will count down the days until Robinne Lee delivers another masterpiece
March 2, 2026
Much more than a romance: a searing look at identity and the 1%.
I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of Robinne Lee’s Crash Into Me (releasing 7.7.26), and my best advice is to go into this one blind. While I expected a standard romance about growth and change, Lee delivers something much more complex. At the heart of the story is the ill-fated, unexpected reunion between Cecilia Chen and Anouk Ferrand. After twenty years apart, a chance meeting forces them to confront a past they both swore to bury.
The romance is just the tip of the iceberg. We follow Cecilia, a Jamaican-Chinese immigrant who has spent two decades in France, as she relocates her family to the alien landscape of Los Angeles, while her husband Francois directs the next big Hollywood film.
Watching her navigate the Hollywood elite while grappling with American realities, such as gun culture, racial profiling, and the isolation of being the only Black woman in the room, was incredibly moving.
“To be a negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a state of rage almost all the time.”
The relationship between Francois and Cecilia is strained - there's a backstory that is complicated, unsure of itself, and on the brink of collapse. Cecilia is discovering who she is as a mother, wife, and in a talented career as a photographer. But what truly defines her? How important is it to be a woman of color who stands on her ground, and has to do it all?
"We don’t lose our beauty. It simply changes. this for the first time, wrinkles and all. I think about actresses who have been in the limelight for twenty, thirty, forty years—and my heart aches for them, a little. Because they’re constantly being compared to their younger selves.”
While this book takes place before a certain election occurs, it has a lot of resemblance to what is happening now. I learned a lot about the different cultures and races in the islands, colonization, and how we perceive the rich and constantly evolving people who have come from the islands around us.
"A series of portraits featuring mixes of West African and English and Scottish and Irish and German and Chinese and Indian and Syrian and Lebanese and Taino and Arawak.."
“We’re not safe here,” I say, my voice soft. “The way their politicians talk about immigrants, Fran . . . And these frightened, armed police . . . We’re not safe. Your kids are not safe.”
This is a propulsive, deep dive into complicated marriages, the weight of status, and finding love in the wreckage of the past. Robinne Lee is a master of her craft and I cannot wait to see what she does next!
Thank you St. Martin for the ARC! #CrashIntoMeNovel #RobinneLee #StMartinsPress
I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of Robinne Lee’s Crash Into Me (releasing 7.7.26), and my best advice is to go into this one blind. While I expected a standard romance about growth and change, Lee delivers something much more complex. At the heart of the story is the ill-fated, unexpected reunion between Cecilia Chen and Anouk Ferrand. After twenty years apart, a chance meeting forces them to confront a past they both swore to bury.
The romance is just the tip of the iceberg. We follow Cecilia, a Jamaican-Chinese immigrant who has spent two decades in France, as she relocates her family to the alien landscape of Los Angeles, while her husband Francois directs the next big Hollywood film.
Watching her navigate the Hollywood elite while grappling with American realities, such as gun culture, racial profiling, and the isolation of being the only Black woman in the room, was incredibly moving.
“To be a negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a state of rage almost all the time.”
The relationship between Francois and Cecilia is strained - there's a backstory that is complicated, unsure of itself, and on the brink of collapse. Cecilia is discovering who she is as a mother, wife, and in a talented career as a photographer. But what truly defines her? How important is it to be a woman of color who stands on her ground, and has to do it all?
"We don’t lose our beauty. It simply changes. this for the first time, wrinkles and all. I think about actresses who have been in the limelight for twenty, thirty, forty years—and my heart aches for them, a little. Because they’re constantly being compared to their younger selves.”
While this book takes place before a certain election occurs, it has a lot of resemblance to what is happening now. I learned a lot about the different cultures and races in the islands, colonization, and how we perceive the rich and constantly evolving people who have come from the islands around us.
"A series of portraits featuring mixes of West African and English and Scottish and Irish and German and Chinese and Indian and Syrian and Lebanese and Taino and Arawak.."
“We’re not safe here,” I say, my voice soft. “The way their politicians talk about immigrants, Fran . . . And these frightened, armed police . . . We’re not safe. Your kids are not safe.”
This is a propulsive, deep dive into complicated marriages, the weight of status, and finding love in the wreckage of the past. Robinne Lee is a master of her craft and I cannot wait to see what she does next!
Thank you St. Martin for the ARC! #CrashIntoMeNovel #RobinneLee #StMartinsPress
November 18, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 4 stars
As a long time fan of The Idea of You (OG Hayesolnut since 2018 👋) I could not wait to read Robinne's next book.
Crash Into Me has some similarities to TIOY in that the lead is a successful woman in the art world who has made a name for herself in a field traditionally dominated by men. But, there are many differences as well, such as the exploration of a sapphic romance and experiencing the life of a woman of color as told through a dual timeline.
Crash Into Me did not utterly shatter my heart like TIOY, but it did evoke a gamut of emotional responses that were deeply impactful.
Many thanks to Edelweiss and St. Martin's Press for the digital Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.
As a long time fan of The Idea of You (OG Hayesolnut since 2018 👋) I could not wait to read Robinne's next book.
Crash Into Me has some similarities to TIOY in that the lead is a successful woman in the art world who has made a name for herself in a field traditionally dominated by men. But, there are many differences as well, such as the exploration of a sapphic romance and experiencing the life of a woman of color as told through a dual timeline.
Crash Into Me did not utterly shatter my heart like TIOY, but it did evoke a gamut of emotional responses that were deeply impactful.
Many thanks to Edelweiss and St. Martin's Press for the digital Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.
Currently reading
October 15, 2025July?! 🥲
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Man, Robinne Lee can WRITE. She writes complex love stories for the girls, for the WOMEN. Because what Robinne knows, even though so many authors seem not to, is that life and love and indecision and messiness and growth doesn't stop in your 30's.
Yes, a sapphic affair is part of this story. But just a PART. It's so much more than that. Readers will most likely sensationalize this book but man, like I said it's so much more than that.
A deep analysis of aging, race, the state of America, beauty, parenthood, marriage, and self worth- this book contains multitudes and layers galore.
I appreciate a nuanced, gray area story and I held on tight- ignoring my inclination to say "HOW COULD SHE/HE ???" Instead i enjoyed the ride and Lee's beautiful prose. And I learned a lot along the way. Good stuff.
Yes, a sapphic affair is part of this story. But just a PART. It's so much more than that. Readers will most likely sensationalize this book but man, like I said it's so much more than that.
A deep analysis of aging, race, the state of America, beauty, parenthood, marriage, and self worth- this book contains multitudes and layers galore.
I appreciate a nuanced, gray area story and I held on tight- ignoring my inclination to say "HOW COULD SHE/HE ???" Instead i enjoyed the ride and Lee's beautiful prose. And I learned a lot along the way. Good stuff.
February 14, 2026
I have been looking forward to Robinne Lee’s next book since I finished The Idea of You years ago. Crash Into Me is filled with many similar themes— established and successful women, Paris, and the art world.
Crash Into Me is marketed as a romance— but it is much heavier. It has some darker themes (check trigger warnings) but the writing is beautiful. Robinne Lee has a way of writing and telling a story that is all immersive and had me feeling all the things!
Told in multiple storylines and across the world— if you’ve been missing Robinne Lee, this is well worth the wait. Just don’t go into Crash Into Me expecting the same romance. Highly recommend picking this up in July!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this book!
Crash Into Me is marketed as a romance— but it is much heavier. It has some darker themes (check trigger warnings) but the writing is beautiful. Robinne Lee has a way of writing and telling a story that is all immersive and had me feeling all the things!
Told in multiple storylines and across the world— if you’ve been missing Robinne Lee, this is well worth the wait. Just don’t go into Crash Into Me expecting the same romance. Highly recommend picking this up in July!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this book!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Robinne Lee and team for providing an ARC. The Idea of You was one of the first romance novels I ever read, so I was very excited to read more from the mind of Ms. Robinne Lee! I would not be the reader I am today were it not for TIOY.
I would not classify this book as a romance. It was, however, an intriguing look at marriage, motherhood, race/nationality, sexuality, aging, first loves, and how all of those aspects of one’s life can intersect. I found my interest level slowing down around 25% but I stuck with it and did end up devouring the ending. I have a LOT of questions about how the story ended, who ended up where, with whom, etc.
Overall, I would give this ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 if Goodreads would ever get with the times and allow half stars.
I would not classify this book as a romance. It was, however, an intriguing look at marriage, motherhood, race/nationality, sexuality, aging, first loves, and how all of those aspects of one’s life can intersect. I found my interest level slowing down around 25% but I stuck with it and did end up devouring the ending. I have a LOT of questions about how the story ended, who ended up where, with whom, etc.
Overall, I would give this ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 if Goodreads would ever get with the times and allow half stars.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
For fans of Robinne Lee's first novel, I think you'll once again love this one. Lee can craft a novel that reads effortlessly. There are romantic elements to this novel, however that's just one of the many layers. The discussions on race, socioeconomic status, identity, and beauty and how it shapes Cecilia's self perception is quite insightful, and often emotional to take in.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was an ARC
2.5 ⭐️ I struggled with this book and almost DNF'd. I chose to stick with it and did end up finding the story to be interesting toward the end, but it was a hike to get there. A lot of tough subject matter throughout.
2.5 ⭐️ I struggled with this book and almost DNF'd. I chose to stick with it and did end up finding the story to be interesting toward the end, but it was a hike to get there. A lot of tough subject matter throughout.
Want to read
December 22, 2025Robinne Lee’s next book on my birthday?!
GIMME GIMME PLZ! 😍
GIMME GIMME PLZ! 😍
February 22, 2026
Sophomore book not as great as the debut but still stunning. This is more than a love story it is about a woman finding herself.
March 6, 2026
I don’t know what just happened. I hated it, but I loved it. I need time to process.
Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the chance to read this early!
Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the chance to read this early!
Currently reading
March 11, 2026Publisher let us know that there was a read now widget on NetGalley today. So I picked it up.
February 24, 2026
Let me begin by saying that I’m proudly among the devoted fans of Robinne’s The Idea of You, and I’ve been eagerly awaiting whatever she decided to take on next. Crash Into Me, crafted with Robinne’s unique perspective as an actress, immerses us in a glamorous world of wealth and privilege while examining marriage and motherhood. At the same time, it explores the journey of finding personal fulfillment and happiness as a woman in today’s hyper-critical, youth obsessed culture.
Cecilia Chen, a successful photographer, is uprooted from her carefully chosen life in Paris to support her husband’s film career in Los Angeles. Her marriage is complicated, and she worries about raising her children amid the extreme wealth and privilege of L.A.’s Westside. Cecilia struggles to feel as though she belongs. But a chance encounter with Anouk Ferrand, a stunning former model with whom she shared a brief yet emotionally significant experience twenty years earlier - threatens to further complicate Cecilia’s life.
Sexy, and smart, Robinne’s writing is exquisite. And might I add, this author knows how to write a love scene!. Robinne will always be a must-read author for me.
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Cecilia Chen, a successful photographer, is uprooted from her carefully chosen life in Paris to support her husband’s film career in Los Angeles. Her marriage is complicated, and she worries about raising her children amid the extreme wealth and privilege of L.A.’s Westside. Cecilia struggles to feel as though she belongs. But a chance encounter with Anouk Ferrand, a stunning former model with whom she shared a brief yet emotionally significant experience twenty years earlier - threatens to further complicate Cecilia’s life.
Sexy, and smart, Robinne’s writing is exquisite. And might I add, this author knows how to write a love scene!. Robinne will always be a must-read author for me.
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews