Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book
Rate this book
Ex hacker Seth O’Leary enjoys the hell out of being part of an elite team of operatives known only as Phoenix. In fact, he’s pretty much made it his whole life. When things go horribly wrong with his deadbeat boyfriend, Seth is surprised to find help coming from an unexpected source. The man he’s secretly fantasized about for years finally takes notice. Asher Grayson, code name Frost, is everything that Seth wants in a man but the player is gun shy about relationships. What will it take to capture the man’s icy heart?

Phoenix operative, Frost, thought he had it all figured out. Scratch an itch with the newly single and hot Seth O’Leary and the craving would be over. Best laid plans and all that, Seth gets under his skin like nobody ever has and without warning Frost finds he can’t seem to walk away so easily. Which is completely out of character for him. He doesn’t ‘do’ relationships because of his past. So, the question remains, will he let long-ago events drive him away from the best thing that has ever happened to him?

Mix in tragic turn of events and ruthless acts of violence, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. With evil forces hell bent on destruction, the pair are on a collision course that leaves them reeling. Will Frost get a chance to step up and be the kind of man Seth can respect or will a madman end any chance for a happily ever after?

*Collide is book two in Reese Knightley’s Out for Justice series. To get the most out of the variety of characters and storyline you may want to first read Ricochet, book one.

Author trigger warning: Violence.

353 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 10, 2018

265 people are currently reading
396 people want to read

About the author

Reese Knightley

54 books587 followers
Reese Knightley spends her time creating stories from the characters rattling around in her head. Her love of reading mystery, action and adventure, and fantasy books led to her love of writing. Reese works as a full time writer. She loves to hear from her readers.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
840 (48%)
4 stars
612 (35%)
3 stars
241 (13%)
2 stars
40 (2%)
1 star
10 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
Profile Image for Gerbera_Reads.
1,683 reviews154 followers
November 12, 2018
I enjoyed this book as much as the first! It's a page turner! Apart from all the action and bullets flying both MCs are so freaking adorable and lovable despite Asher's nasty streak! I loved that Ms Knightley gave both men almost the same issue in their past and how differently they turned out because of it - one seeking love and the other rejecting it. This is friends to lovers story with suspenseful plot and unexpected twists.

Seth and Asher have wonderful chemistry but emotionally they struggle all through the book. It takes Asher aka Frost a long time to see that he needs love in his life, that he needs Seth in his life but the realization comes almost too late. Seth wants to love and to be loved but how to convince the man that he is falling for that it's not weakness, that love heals and does not destroy. There is a fair bit of angst between them while they try to figure out how or even if they can be together. I loved their banter, sometimes sweet and passionate moments between them.

The Phoenix team works hard to bring a dangerous international criminal and his organization down. Somehow it interconnects with the previous case and the whole team is in danger. It takes all their skills, cunning and bravery to cut the head of the snake and save one of their own. Traitors, thugs and buried secrets make for thrilling and entertaining read. Some people are not what they seem, some people betray the trust put in them but still in the end innocence and hope prevail. A wonderful book with well-developed characters, well-written plot and good editing. I highly recommend it!
Profile Image for Chris.
2,070 reviews
August 13, 2019
4.5 stars - this was intense and as action packed as book 1. I really loved the sweet side of Seth but was glad to see he had courage and strength as well. He was perfect for Frost who had serious relationship issues. I wasn’t impressed with his tantrum at the restaurant- for such an intelligent guy he was a dick. Really enjoying this series. Well written and highly engaging 😊
Profile Image for Cadiva.
3,994 reviews435 followers
February 17, 2024
Improving as they go along

3.5*

There were a few niggles with this one, some typos but nothing bad enough to disturb the flow of the narrative, and the time jumps with throwaway one line explanations were a bit too frequent.

Overall, though, the balance between the main suspense plot and the romance was very well done, definitely a highlight for me.

It did seem to take some seriously torturous routes to finally pin down the villains of the piece, and there did seem to be an almost bottomless pit of alphabet agencies to call in for back-up!

But Seth is a sweetheart and for some reason, he wanted Asher and, thankfully, Frost ditched his icy outlook on love and made things right.
Profile Image for SC.
810 reviews26 followers
June 11, 2023
It's a struggle

I find myself reading this series, even though I already know I'm not a fan of the author's style. I actually skimmed through a good chunk of this book too, much like I did the first one. What I get is.- it feels like she wants to.have this super elaborate, super cool, no one sees it coming kind of conflict, that can be carried.over.from book to book. However, it just does not.come together at all. The connections she tried to make.fall short. The conflict and how the characters relate to it, is simply not developed enough. There are the corny lines, scenes taken from movies, just a bunch of unoriginal stuff.

Then, there is the characters. Asher had a very different personality in the first book that did not follow him into this one. Seth was just meh, he was kind of lame in that whole "why doesn't he want me" way. I mean, take a hint. Which basically means the author tried to make him be all "I won't give up" but came.off as just needy. I did not feel any hint of connection between the two u too basically the very end. Asher was one giant jerk, and not really in an endearing way. Ugh, yeah, I mean it's a.2.5 star.book for me, I can't say I'll read the rest of the series.
Profile Image for Jennifer☠Pher☠.
2,970 reviews273 followers
April 4, 2022
I liked the first one better. There was just something about it. The romance in this one just felt off somehow.

I'm still into it and look forward to the next couple and the next mission.
Profile Image for Akame.
532 reviews6 followers
April 1, 2023
Ta część bardzo mi się podobała. Seth i Frost po prostu mnie uwiedli :) Seth pełen pozytywnych uczuć, nadziei i miłości i Forst, facet nie wierzący w uczucia, robiący skoki na jedną noc. Co zabawne, obydwaj panowie mieli bardzo podobną przeszłość, a jednak na każdego z nich wpłynęła ona inaczej. Seth marzy o stałym związku i nie boi się wyzwań, chce tego, czego nie miał w dzieciństwie. Forst uważa, że nie ma idealnych związków, życie pokazało mu na przykładzie rodziców, że w końcu zawsze ktoś zostanie zdradzony i samotny. Musiało się trochę wydarzyć aby w końcu otworzył się na Setha. Cieszę się, że sięgnęłam po kolejną część, zdecydowanie było warto :)
Profile Image for Antisocial Recluse.
2,711 reviews
June 10, 2019
Trying again. Maybe it was brain fog or a bad mood. Book 1 was good. The first book had promise but this one was such a struggle to get through. My prior comments stand and adding longer commentary about all I found wrong is pointless. Needs much, much better editing.

Too convoluted, too cluttered with numerous different action scenes, too many villains and characters with complicated connections and the romantic content lackluster and inconsistent.
Profile Image for Denise Smith.
13 reviews6 followers
Read
May 14, 2021
The ratings on this one sure are misleading.

I'm 2/3s of the way through, and for the past hour I think Seth should punch Asher in his F-in face!! Someone should. WTF!! The reasons he's an asshole don't even make sense. Seth can do better....who would want someone (who is even supposed to be a friend first) that is so rude, mean, and disrespectful.

This whole book is wrong.

Whatever Asher's issues are...there is still no excuse for his behavior. It's unacceptable. And Seth deserves a little punch in the face for not speaking up for himself (and not punching Asher in the face).

I'm still going to finish this book. I hope I am less disappointed and less frustrated when it's over.
Profile Image for Annika.
1,374 reviews94 followers
January 21, 2020
Audiobook review

This is the second book in the Out for Justice series. I do think that it can be read as a standalone if you haven’t read or listened to Ricochet yet, but you’d miss out on the introductions and backstory to the guys and team. And some of the bad guys.

Collide focuses on ex-hacker Seth and his Phoenix colleague Asher a.k.a. Frost. Seth is recently single after his former boyfriend kicked him to the kerb and took their stuff. Turning to Phoenix and work has always been his escape and is so once more, but unexpectedly, the guy he’s been lusting after for years lends him a shoulder and helping hand. The lust is mutual and it’s not long before neither man could keep the hands of the other. But the past has a tendency to catch up with them and a former foe is rearing its ugly head and the team has to race against time to save one of their own.

These stories aren’t procedurals or feel all that genuine or credible, and I don’t believe they are supposed to either. They play out more like an action movie, with lots of bad guys, flying bullets, violence and fast paced action. Pure entertainment beginning to end. And isn’t that a big part why we pick up these kinds of books – and books in general? We want to be entertained, to dream away from reality for a while, and Knightley sure gave us that with Collide.

It was easy from the start to like and fall for Seth. There was something about him that drew people to him, the listener included. It took longer to warm to Frost, aptly named by the way, and more than once during the listen I felt the urge to hit him over the head with something – and I’m not a violent person. He needed to get his head out of the sand in a big way. When they were together they were great, I just had an issue with Frost’s excuses and running.

Tristan James... I’m wondering if there’s anything I could tell you about his narration that you haven’t heard already? Probably not, I mean he’s consistent in his narration, and I don’t recall ever listening to a narration of this that wasn’t great. This one included. His pacing and pronunciation is on point, and the feelings he adds to the story enhances the listener experience.

Collide was a nice follow-up and a great adventure. I’m looking forward to see what else this author might bring.

A copy of this book was generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Profile Image for Santy.
1,258 reviews76 followers
February 26, 2023
Not the greatest.. but had some good parts

Asher/Frost and his hot and cold behaviour ticked me off for majority of this book.

Actually, it was a 2-star read till about 80% when things picked up... Oh and that A++ grovelling more than made up for the previous drag of the story.

Like I said about book 1, these books definitely need better editing but have sparks of what makes Reese Knightley's more recent books great so I'll be continuing with the series.
Profile Image for Tina.
492 reviews7 followers
December 18, 2018
I'm trying to find words here, but I am speechless!! so in love with this book!!!!
I can not figure out, who I want a book with next.. Wild, Storm or Fear, I want them ALL NOOOOW!

𝐻𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑘𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑜 𝑓𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑎𝑑𝑙𝑦, ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑙𝑦 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒. 𝐼𝑡 𝑡𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑝ℎ𝑦𝑠𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑡 ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑘𝑒𝑒𝑝 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑡 𝑡𝑜𝑔𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟. 𝐸𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑚 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑎 𝑓𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑎𝑤𝑘. 𝑅𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑠𝑖𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒, ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑖𝑡 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑎 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔. 𝑆𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑘 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑢𝑛𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑖𝑚. - 𝑭𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒕
Profile Image for Dan.
1,730 reviews50 followers
January 4, 2024
I think I liked it more than the first.
Profile Image for Erin.
172 reviews2 followers
August 26, 2019
So I really wanted to like this.... but just didn’t. Frost was super appealing in book one. I assumed I would like his story. Nope. The Relationship felt rushed. The criminal aspect was disjointed and too easily tied up. But Seth was my biggest problem. He seems like a very unlikely member of such an elite group of badasses. I thought he was the groups hacker but then this book introduces Reggie as the hacker so what’s Seth’s role cuz he doesn’t really bring much else from what I can tell. Speaking of the group how did they go from a nearly unknown government agency in the first book to literally everyone knowing who they are?!?!
I’m going to give the third book a try but if it’s anything like this one I won’t be finishing.
Profile Image for Jangler.
1,006 reviews7 followers
January 8, 2023
Okish

Personally I didn't think this was as good as the last book, it just didn't fire my imagination. I actually found parts of it to be quite boring and skipped some of it. There was just so much crammed into it that there was hardly any depth to it. Plus these amazing special operations guys seemed pretty inept and a bit childish to me.

Profile Image for CC.
237 reviews13 followers
November 9, 2022
Seth needed a clue, some self-esteem, and a backbone. Frost… I’d say he needed a kick in the ass, but he was honest from the start. He was an asshole, but an honest one. Seth was just a delusional teenager with a crush throughout this whole book.
10 reviews
November 10, 2018
Wow...just WOW! 5 Amazing Stars!!
Collide is just as intense and heartbreaking as Ricochet (Out for Justice, book 1). As well as introducing you to Phoenix; a secret group of operatives who work with other known agencies to bring down the worst of the worst of criminals, Ricochet is an exceptional debut book and you REALLY want to read Noah & Mac's story!!
Collide will keep you riveted from the prologue to the epilogue. This book has everything I love in a story, suspense, broken/tortured characters, and smokin' hot scenes!!! From the first chapter, I was totally invested in Asher & Seth's story.
Let me tell you, these men will make you go through a whole rollercoaster of emotions. Asher is an intense man who won’t let anyone in and even though Seth is broken too, he still puts himself out there desperately seeking love. Together they are on fire, alone they are lost. My heart broke for these men and what they went through.
Bravo Ms. Knightley for another glimpse into the men that make up Phoenix!! I can't wait for the next one. And let me just say....I want to take Austin and just smother him with hugs and kisses!!
Profile Image for Shannon.
2,163 reviews47 followers
October 24, 2020
Finally I got to the second book which is a continuation of the storyline in the first book but focused on a different couple. Seth was rescued as a teenager at the beginning of the book and years later his crush on Frost is alive and well. Frost is an interesting character. As his name suggests he's a bit icy with everyone until Seth finally wears him down. All is not peachy because of course he had to act like a total tool towards Seth and they had to save the world in between. You know, the usual. I love this series and all the characters. Lots of action and suspense thrown in there along with a fantastic love story. Can't wait to read the next one.
47 reviews1 follower
November 9, 2018
Absolutely awesome. With only Reese Knightleys second book Collide she has become one of my top authors to follow and read. Collide has everything from mystery, suspense, action, hero's, villian's, angst and surprises. Reese has so much going on in this book yet it all flows perfectly. I already loved Ricochet (book 1 Out For Justice) but she somehow managed to step it up even further for Collide. Such a talented author. I'm so excited for what is still to come. I'm not going to give any spoilers. Plus there is no way for me to pick bits out to share cause it is all so freaking amazing. I very highly recommend reading this. I have given it a 5 star plus plus plus plus plus.
Profile Image for JenMcJ.
2,608 reviews325 followers
November 13, 2018
3.5 stars rounded up. This sophomore effort almost lives up to the surprisingly good first book in the series. All the same strong writing and characterization is present and the story line again, mostly not impossible but not likely either plot that engaged me from the beginning. The immediate inter-agency cooperation is off in fantasy-land but I'm choosing to let that go. Where I really feel the author did a disservice to the characters and the book is by glossing over the injuries and recovery process for Seth. This was a great opportunity for Asher to show up and step up and we didn't get to see any of that. Because of this, it made the reticence of Seth to accept reconciliation efforts from Asher superficial and shallow.
Profile Image for Virginia Lee.
2,465 reviews36 followers
November 9, 2020
Frost or more

This is the 2nd book in the out for justice series. It just keeps getting better with the team . Frost doesn't believe that love is in the card for him. When the love he care for goes missing those tables are turned. Love the action pack and thrill of the chase. Do recommend that you read in order so you know who all the characters are. Highly recommend
Profile Image for Kim Stone.
1,549 reviews1 follower
November 23, 2018
New to me author. This is a mm contemporary story set in USA around a military type unit of men. This is book 2 in the series and I didn’t read book 1. I’ll read this author again.
Profile Image for Toni.
89 reviews3 followers
January 3, 2019
I enjoyed the main characters in the first book more than I did in Collide and because of that the issues with plot and writing and story were more obvious in this book. Some of the mistakes in the book are just weird and had me saying "that's not how this works, that's not how any of this works". The big mystery is not really a mystery and doesn't make much sense when explained and revealed. The main issue that caused serious angst between the two MC's didn't make any sense - how did Frost know that Seth was going to drop by unexpectedly to catch him? I like the characters and Phoenix in general - who wouldn't love an organization of badass beautiful people running around the world saving people and killing human traffickers? pretty great. But I'm not sure I'll continue with the series.
Profile Image for Claudia.
1,145 reviews
November 10, 2018
After an amazing debut with Ricochet, Reese Knightley outdid herself with Collide! This awesome book is even better than Ricochet!!!
Packed full with Action, adventure, suspense, romance, and a lot of hot mc's, this awesome, thrilling book will keep you hooked from page 1.
Seth and Frost are such an explosive couple... I got anxious, I cried, I had my heart in my throat during this AWESOME book... I fell hard for Asher and Seth... Can't wait for book 3 <3
Profile Image for AshPenny37 .
1,025 reviews5 followers
January 16, 2025
Well-paced action adventure with engaging characters and a decent plot. I'd recommend reading the series in order, but it *can* work as a standalone. There's a reasonable amount of angst in Collide and I really appreciate that issues aren't insta-resolved...makes the HEA all the sweeter and lends a feel of realism to the story.
715 reviews1 follower
February 25, 2022
2.5 Stars

Again disappointed in this book as the first book😞. Read other books by this author and the way he handled the storyline were really really good! This series so far is disappointing but I am going to try one more book and see if it may be me and not the author.🤔😁
Profile Image for Shawna.
64 reviews2 followers
June 27, 2022
Anyone else feel like they’ve been gaslit? I can’t even put my finger on it but so many times during this book I was left feeling like I’d missed some important information.

I do plan to read the next book because I’m invested in the characters, but I really hope it’s written better.
Profile Image for Tom.
303 reviews
September 15, 2022
DNF @ 16%
I did not enjoy this anywhere near as much as the first book, and I’m not sure why. The characters interested me in the first book, but not here being the focus. I put this down after starting it 11 days ago hoping it would have “improved” after a break, but it hadn’t
Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.