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Dare With Me #1
Crash Into You
A swoon-worthy romance from USA Today Bestselling Author J.H. Croix!
A hotshot pilot and a Southern princess looking for a fresh start collide in the wilds of Alaska.
The first time I met Daphne involved three things: a cute skirt, a bear, and mud. Lots of mud.
Daphne is everything I don’t need, and she makes me crazy in all the wrong ways. This princess does not belong in the wilderness. Or, so I think. But then, thought is hard to come by around Daphne.
Between flying tourists all over Alaska’s skies, hotshot firefighting on the side, raising my sixteen year old sister who has enough attitude to run the world, and fending off demons from my days in the military, I don’t have time for women.
But time’s been laughing at me ever since Daphne showed up. I can’t get her out of my mind, and my control has fled the building. Oh, and I’m her boss.
One night, just one night, I let things go too far. Now, all bets are off.
Daphne & Flynn’s story is perfect for readers who love small town romance, military heroes, sassy heroines, opposites attract, workplace/boss romance, slow burn, emotional romance with a dash of angst, plenty of steam and swoon, and a grumpy hero with a protective streak as big as Alaska.
*A full-length, standalone romance.
A hotshot pilot and a Southern princess looking for a fresh start collide in the wilds of Alaska.
The first time I met Daphne involved three things: a cute skirt, a bear, and mud. Lots of mud.
Daphne is everything I don’t need, and she makes me crazy in all the wrong ways. This princess does not belong in the wilderness. Or, so I think. But then, thought is hard to come by around Daphne.
Between flying tourists all over Alaska’s skies, hotshot firefighting on the side, raising my sixteen year old sister who has enough attitude to run the world, and fending off demons from my days in the military, I don’t have time for women.
But time’s been laughing at me ever since Daphne showed up. I can’t get her out of my mind, and my control has fled the building. Oh, and I’m her boss.
One night, just one night, I let things go too far. Now, all bets are off.
Daphne & Flynn’s story is perfect for readers who love small town romance, military heroes, sassy heroines, opposites attract, workplace/boss romance, slow burn, emotional romance with a dash of angst, plenty of steam and swoon, and a grumpy hero with a protective streak as big as Alaska.
*A full-length, standalone romance.
284 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 13, 2020
538 people are currently reading
3943 people want to read
About the author
J.H. Croix
205 books1,496 followersUSA Today Bestselling Author J. H. Croix lives in a small town in the historical farmlands of Maine with her husband and two spoiled dogs. Croix writes steamy contemporary romance with strong independent women and rugged alpha men who aren't afraid to show some emotion. Her love for quirky small-towns and the characters that inhabit them shines through in her writing. Take a walk on the wild side of romance with her bestselling novels!
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October 8, 2025
R A T I N G: 3 stars to Crash Into You ★ ★ ★
'I kept thinking that the more I was with Flynn—physically, that was—the intensity would start to lighten. As if somehow the novelty of this fiercely erotic and intimate connection with him would wear off. If anything, it seemed to keep growing in depth. We had a once-in-a-lifetime kind of chemistry'.
In this opposites attract romance by J.H. Croix, strait-laced Daphne Bell is well practiced in the preparation of presenting appearances. It's when a double-barreled backhand strips the poise and polish from her little family unit that she becomes defenseless to the truth: when catastrophe canopies the perfect life, the only person who'll fight in her corner is herself. It's when life lifts the buffer that she faces who really matters. A small spoiler; she can’t even count that number on one hand.
Needing space, a change in habitat and to throw herself into a different life, one she can almost believe isn't hers in a worlds-apart mountain-scape, it's off from the overfamiliar city life of Atlanta to the cold wilds of Alaska. The dust might have settled, the casket closed, hearts bled and the damage done but with change always comes the clumsiness of never knowing where you belong or where one is expected to go next. It's after suffering cruel grief that hits straight at the heart that you never quite know how it can break winds with same altitude again.
When the handsome and traditionally stoic resort owner, Flynn Walker, finds a well-groomed southern princess stranded on an open road at night, covered in mud and in touching distance with her first brush with wildlife, he's curious and he's interested. If his insta-lust is anything to go by, this has to be a case of attraction. But he's a busy man who runs an expedition business, pilots tours and parents a stubborn teenager. Flynn might own an adventure resort but falling in love is not the adventure he saw taking flight.
What I can say about Crash Into You is it'd be easy to believe a real life neighbour could trade places with any one of the characters in this soothe-your-heart romance. Daphne and Flynn's arcs are penned with realistic affairs and I could imagine any run-of-the-mill passerby transplanted in their lives and within their shoes. Daphne has been through something that most mother's would dub a true nightmare and Flynn is the dependable, military-hardened head of his family. Having abandoned the Air Force to play parent to his younger siblings when death had stolen their mother from them, he’s the definition of a working man and a workaholic. J.H. Croix writes her love interests in Crash Into You with emotional tenable and reliability. There’s a mature flavour that befits both our leads and the story persona really well while the character conflicts and family dramas are original to the characterisation.
I have more than a handful of J.H. Croix novels accumulated on my Kindle app with a gluttonous sum of the unread. What started with cover-lust, an appeal for the premise and (after skimming some reviews), mainly positive endorsements, I didn't have any qualms about adding this to my soon to be 'read' list. Crash Into You begins with a meet-lust and develops through a 'will they, won't they' slow burn thereafter - my favourite kind, but while the air is thick with both sexual and emotional tensity, it’s the former that glows and the latter that seems to fold in on itself. Individually, Daphne and Flynn have an emotional resilience despite guarding and internalising their feelings, but together they don’t share the emotive poignancy. Even more so, the romance lacked development, and something else that makes a romantic pairing a little bit special.
They both spend a lot of time staggering from their mutual attraction, wanting more, deciding against it, crossing paths, avoiding it, taking a small leap, backing off, having steamy brushes and then eschewing the attraction altogether. They have a riotous, fierce and always-intense physical chemistry, that's where the pull factor temps any adoring romance reader, and I'm never one to deny an immunity to it. While I appreciate the redundant drama, the angst was just so; it’s more internal than it is verbal, more mellow than it is pressing because these two don’t really use conversation to seal potential feelings between them.
Hands down, they have the sort of sexual chemistry that can’t be questioned. Since they spend most of the book in a skin-deep relationship without any spoken allegiance to each other, it’s hard to reconcile their relationship even though we might feel the tenderness, desire and the bashfulness; not when they exclusively bare through internal rumination instead of actual conversation. It’s through an intermediary (Flynn’s sister) that they find out about each others’ backstories. That opening could have afforded them the perfect opportunity to share some emotional intimacy rather than to typically sidestep the obvious; to be given a chance to share those things on their own terms.
The story engages the promise of some adventure, romantic and otherwise. That’s what I was looking forward to the most with Crash Into You. It's all a big perk: an adventure resort, a swoony pilot that gives flight tours of the surrounding panorama, tourist attractions, a new place to discover and entertain Daphne, gorgeous land for Flynn and Daphne to enjoy an outing or two together. Alaska might be low key but any location can stage a romance Flynn’s life is realistically arranged as being the busy life it is so I understand the lack of free time on his part. But the concept (to me) implied some on-page activity; the author makes a point of wanting Daphne to experience a taste of a different life while emotionally stabilising herself in this new place…
Most of the exploring, however, isn’t on-page or more clearly is in short supply. Daphne has such spirit and is open to the new challenge but seems to mostly meander and go back and forth with her passionate feelings for Flynn when I thought she might really consider what she wanted. Whether it be opening up another restaurant or thinking about who she can be outside of what she has been made into by her conservative family. I would have especially loved to see her on some of the outdoor excursions the resort apparently accommodates but this all comes second to hearing about it. She instead unceremoniously becomes Flynn’s employee. Living in each other's pockets literally grants them immediate access to do anything, but though they burn slow and hot, I found that their romance was mildly to passably developed.
While all of the above was true for me, I did enjoy my first J.H. Croix romance. It might have lost traction for me along the way but the story still fosters that small-town every day draw as far as a good time-passing romance elapses. I love books that can down-scale unneeded conflict without a worry that there’s not enough of it while tailor-making a narrative fit to endow Daphne and Flynn's real needs, and that's what this book achieves. Daphne is a stable force for someone who has endured pain and carries a lot of internalised doubt. I have such an admiration for her fight to test herself after death and betrayal. She was remarkably open to see this aim to journey to Alaska through. It’s in those moments where she stumbles into a ditch, finds herself in close quarters with Alaska’s fauna and is always scratched and scuffed up by the land that endears her, if only because she’d be a tamer version of me if roles were reversed.
Crash Into You was perhaps more uneventful in direct appeal to my romantic leanings because there wasn’t much I found myself getting excited about, and i need that connection to lock, seal and fasten my intrigue in place. If you’re a keen fan of high-chemistry, humid, heartwarming romance with a few likeable characters, family tension and a story with less plot movement/development, easy on the romantic and more aligned with inner contemplation, you’ll love Crash Into You. If you also - like myself - have a marshmallow heart for a stoic male lead who occasionally breaks into a devastating half smile, crash yourself into Crash Into You.
C O N T E N T W A R N I N G: Swearing and sex scenes. Mentions a past heart attack and deals with the death/grief of losing a child through brain cancer.
E X T R A _T H O U G H T S:
1) Flynn's life is packed and fully mobile, he's always busy with some task to complete, duty to perform or family debacle to settle. We understand that he has a tough background but his military past doesn't really come into the story. He doesn’t discuss any of it with Daphne either. There are also some parts to the story that seem irrelevant; Flynn is said to be a sometimes-firefighter, but he doesn’t do any active firefighting within the span of the book. It’s a case of 'if it is mentioned, I’d really like to see it.'
2) Surprisingly, the developments in this story were few and the relationships Daphne forms with side characters are sort of willed into the picture. I remember Flynn commenting that ‘the guys are all protective of her’ but I can count one conversation Daphne has with only one of Flynn’s pilot buddies through the entire book. So I failed to understand how that level of intimacy developed without seeing any relationship building.
3) The repetitive meditations and internal narration is particularly exhausting, especially when this approach affects the pace and disrupts the romantic development.
4) The ending is also rather abrupt and I’m not sure how I felt about the double-jump epilogue.
5) This is my final point, but likely the most important. I struggle with representation that spotlights a devastating betrayal of a former partner, because such storylines often neglect the heroine's sense of justice and importance In favour of a convenient conclusion that 'does the right thing because it's the right thing to do'. Women are such enduring forces, but that doesn't always mean we should be upheld to saintly, righteous ways of handling our deepest pains and our most painful wounds. I think we need to offer heroines the space to express how they feel without the need to mollify those they have been deeply hurt by. We're allowed to feel what we feel, express it with authenticity, and never should we feel the need to overlook how wronged we were for those who have wronged us. Forgiveness is great, if a heroine feels in a position to forgive out of her own healing. Women are typically held to such impossible standards, and fiction is where I look to see that female voices are heard, seen and respected. It falls deeply into the intergenerational stigma of self abandonment, and I find myself too often feeling that literature doesn't respectively honour the sense of a heroine's need and healing by more or less offering forgiveness for a terrible tragedy that took so much from her. I would have harboured a great deal of respect for the story had her ex partner not have been involved in the way that he was. I would have been much more interested in the ways the heroine empowered and liberated herself through a new life, had she placed herself and her current place of emotional well-being being before offering said neglectful partner any level of support. I don't at all feel that he deserved that effort from her.
------------------------------------------
Visit my blog for more reviews: V.L. Book Reviews
T W I T T E R: @VicariousHearts
I N S T A G R A M: @Vicarious.Hearts
------------------------------------------
'I kept thinking that the more I was with Flynn—physically, that was—the intensity would start to lighten. As if somehow the novelty of this fiercely erotic and intimate connection with him would wear off. If anything, it seemed to keep growing in depth. We had a once-in-a-lifetime kind of chemistry'.
In this opposites attract romance by J.H. Croix, strait-laced Daphne Bell is well practiced in the preparation of presenting appearances. It's when a double-barreled backhand strips the poise and polish from her little family unit that she becomes defenseless to the truth: when catastrophe canopies the perfect life, the only person who'll fight in her corner is herself. It's when life lifts the buffer that she faces who really matters. A small spoiler; she can’t even count that number on one hand.
Needing space, a change in habitat and to throw herself into a different life, one she can almost believe isn't hers in a worlds-apart mountain-scape, it's off from the overfamiliar city life of Atlanta to the cold wilds of Alaska. The dust might have settled, the casket closed, hearts bled and the damage done but with change always comes the clumsiness of never knowing where you belong or where one is expected to go next. It's after suffering cruel grief that hits straight at the heart that you never quite know how it can break winds with same altitude again.
When the handsome and traditionally stoic resort owner, Flynn Walker, finds a well-groomed southern princess stranded on an open road at night, covered in mud and in touching distance with her first brush with wildlife, he's curious and he's interested. If his insta-lust is anything to go by, this has to be a case of attraction. But he's a busy man who runs an expedition business, pilots tours and parents a stubborn teenager. Flynn might own an adventure resort but falling in love is not the adventure he saw taking flight.
What I can say about Crash Into You is it'd be easy to believe a real life neighbour could trade places with any one of the characters in this soothe-your-heart romance. Daphne and Flynn's arcs are penned with realistic affairs and I could imagine any run-of-the-mill passerby transplanted in their lives and within their shoes. Daphne has been through something that most mother's would dub a true nightmare and Flynn is the dependable, military-hardened head of his family. Having abandoned the Air Force to play parent to his younger siblings when death had stolen their mother from them, he’s the definition of a working man and a workaholic. J.H. Croix writes her love interests in Crash Into You with emotional tenable and reliability. There’s a mature flavour that befits both our leads and the story persona really well while the character conflicts and family dramas are original to the characterisation.
I have more than a handful of J.H. Croix novels accumulated on my Kindle app with a gluttonous sum of the unread. What started with cover-lust, an appeal for the premise and (after skimming some reviews), mainly positive endorsements, I didn't have any qualms about adding this to my soon to be 'read' list. Crash Into You begins with a meet-lust and develops through a 'will they, won't they' slow burn thereafter - my favourite kind, but while the air is thick with both sexual and emotional tensity, it’s the former that glows and the latter that seems to fold in on itself. Individually, Daphne and Flynn have an emotional resilience despite guarding and internalising their feelings, but together they don’t share the emotive poignancy. Even more so, the romance lacked development, and something else that makes a romantic pairing a little bit special.
They both spend a lot of time staggering from their mutual attraction, wanting more, deciding against it, crossing paths, avoiding it, taking a small leap, backing off, having steamy brushes and then eschewing the attraction altogether. They have a riotous, fierce and always-intense physical chemistry, that's where the pull factor temps any adoring romance reader, and I'm never one to deny an immunity to it. While I appreciate the redundant drama, the angst was just so; it’s more internal than it is verbal, more mellow than it is pressing because these two don’t really use conversation to seal potential feelings between them.
Hands down, they have the sort of sexual chemistry that can’t be questioned. Since they spend most of the book in a skin-deep relationship without any spoken allegiance to each other, it’s hard to reconcile their relationship even though we might feel the tenderness, desire and the bashfulness; not when they exclusively bare through internal rumination instead of actual conversation. It’s through an intermediary (Flynn’s sister) that they find out about each others’ backstories. That opening could have afforded them the perfect opportunity to share some emotional intimacy rather than to typically sidestep the obvious; to be given a chance to share those things on their own terms.
The story engages the promise of some adventure, romantic and otherwise. That’s what I was looking forward to the most with Crash Into You. It's all a big perk: an adventure resort, a swoony pilot that gives flight tours of the surrounding panorama, tourist attractions, a new place to discover and entertain Daphne, gorgeous land for Flynn and Daphne to enjoy an outing or two together. Alaska might be low key but any location can stage a romance Flynn’s life is realistically arranged as being the busy life it is so I understand the lack of free time on his part. But the concept (to me) implied some on-page activity; the author makes a point of wanting Daphne to experience a taste of a different life while emotionally stabilising herself in this new place…
Most of the exploring, however, isn’t on-page or more clearly is in short supply. Daphne has such spirit and is open to the new challenge but seems to mostly meander and go back and forth with her passionate feelings for Flynn when I thought she might really consider what she wanted. Whether it be opening up another restaurant or thinking about who she can be outside of what she has been made into by her conservative family. I would have especially loved to see her on some of the outdoor excursions the resort apparently accommodates but this all comes second to hearing about it. She instead unceremoniously becomes Flynn’s employee. Living in each other's pockets literally grants them immediate access to do anything, but though they burn slow and hot, I found that their romance was mildly to passably developed.
While all of the above was true for me, I did enjoy my first J.H. Croix romance. It might have lost traction for me along the way but the story still fosters that small-town every day draw as far as a good time-passing romance elapses. I love books that can down-scale unneeded conflict without a worry that there’s not enough of it while tailor-making a narrative fit to endow Daphne and Flynn's real needs, and that's what this book achieves. Daphne is a stable force for someone who has endured pain and carries a lot of internalised doubt. I have such an admiration for her fight to test herself after death and betrayal. She was remarkably open to see this aim to journey to Alaska through. It’s in those moments where she stumbles into a ditch, finds herself in close quarters with Alaska’s fauna and is always scratched and scuffed up by the land that endears her, if only because she’d be a tamer version of me if roles were reversed.
Crash Into You was perhaps more uneventful in direct appeal to my romantic leanings because there wasn’t much I found myself getting excited about, and i need that connection to lock, seal and fasten my intrigue in place. If you’re a keen fan of high-chemistry, humid, heartwarming romance with a few likeable characters, family tension and a story with less plot movement/development, easy on the romantic and more aligned with inner contemplation, you’ll love Crash Into You. If you also - like myself - have a marshmallow heart for a stoic male lead who occasionally breaks into a devastating half smile, crash yourself into Crash Into You.
C O N T E N T W A R N I N G: Swearing and sex scenes. Mentions a past heart attack and deals with the death/grief of losing a child through brain cancer.
E X T R A _T H O U G H T S:
1) Flynn's life is packed and fully mobile, he's always busy with some task to complete, duty to perform or family debacle to settle. We understand that he has a tough background but his military past doesn't really come into the story. He doesn’t discuss any of it with Daphne either. There are also some parts to the story that seem irrelevant; Flynn is said to be a sometimes-firefighter, but he doesn’t do any active firefighting within the span of the book. It’s a case of 'if it is mentioned, I’d really like to see it.'
2) Surprisingly, the developments in this story were few and the relationships Daphne forms with side characters are sort of willed into the picture. I remember Flynn commenting that ‘the guys are all protective of her’ but I can count one conversation Daphne has with only one of Flynn’s pilot buddies through the entire book. So I failed to understand how that level of intimacy developed without seeing any relationship building.
3) The repetitive meditations and internal narration is particularly exhausting, especially when this approach affects the pace and disrupts the romantic development.
4) The ending is also rather abrupt and I’m not sure how I felt about the double-jump epilogue.
5) This is my final point, but likely the most important. I struggle with representation that spotlights a devastating betrayal of a former partner, because such storylines often neglect the heroine's sense of justice and importance In favour of a convenient conclusion that 'does the right thing because it's the right thing to do'. Women are such enduring forces, but that doesn't always mean we should be upheld to saintly, righteous ways of handling our deepest pains and our most painful wounds. I think we need to offer heroines the space to express how they feel without the need to mollify those they have been deeply hurt by. We're allowed to feel what we feel, express it with authenticity, and never should we feel the need to overlook how wronged we were for those who have wronged us. Forgiveness is great, if a heroine feels in a position to forgive out of her own healing. Women are typically held to such impossible standards, and fiction is where I look to see that female voices are heard, seen and respected. It falls deeply into the intergenerational stigma of self abandonment, and I find myself too often feeling that literature doesn't respectively honour the sense of a heroine's need and healing by more or less offering forgiveness for a terrible tragedy that took so much from her. I would have harboured a great deal of respect for the story had her ex partner not have been involved in the way that he was. I would have been much more interested in the ways the heroine empowered and liberated herself through a new life, had she placed herself and her current place of emotional well-being being before offering said neglectful partner any level of support. I don't at all feel that he deserved that effort from her.
------------------------------------------
Visit my blog for more reviews: V.L. Book Reviews
T W I T T E R: @VicariousHearts
I N S T A G R A M: @Vicarious.Hearts
------------------------------------------
October 21, 2020
I blame The wild series by K.A Tucker for making me choose books that have the words “Alaska”and “Pilot” in the same sentence.
Ever since The wild series, I have subconsciously picked books that have give me similar vibes to The Wild. I know, I know..I shouldn’t compare them and I admit, I may have done a lot of that lately especially with this book. But half way, I stopped. Yes I did.
Crash Into You by J.H. Croix is really romantic and has wonderful sweet and swoony moments. In fact, I wasn’t really prepared for how heartfelt I felt reading Crash Into you.
I love the scene when they met the first time. I also loved the chemistry between Flynn and Daphne…hello kitchen scene. It’s angsty and I loved the sexual tension between them.
Looking forward to reading more from this author.
Ever since The wild series, I have subconsciously picked books that have give me similar vibes to The Wild. I know, I know..I shouldn’t compare them and I admit, I may have done a lot of that lately especially with this book. But half way, I stopped. Yes I did.
Crash Into You by J.H. Croix is really romantic and has wonderful sweet and swoony moments. In fact, I wasn’t really prepared for how heartfelt I felt reading Crash Into you.
I love the scene when they met the first time. I also loved the chemistry between Flynn and Daphne…hello kitchen scene. It’s angsty and I loved the sexual tension between them.
Looking forward to reading more from this author.
October 18, 2022
idk how to feel. it was just all romance and i guess i didn’t like it but i did like it!? also i wanna read the rest of the series and i wanna read the other characters books so maybe that’ll happen one day when i remmeber this book hopefully
October 9, 2020
NEW TO ME AUTHOR
Check out my full review & teaser on my BLOG -> CLICK HERE
May 4, 2021
3.5 New Beginnings Stars
* * * 1/2 Spoiler Free-It's FREE!!!
Today the question is where is the last new frontier for people looking to make a change. During the infancy of this world, there was always the need to venture out...to find a place to start over...or the drive to see where ever you were, this place was not where you could be yourself.
One of the new places where people are venturing to is Alaska. It has that lure of being thought of as a place not fully discovered. A place where maybe someone can find peace because there isn't so much going on there like other places.
This idea came to me while reading Crash Into You, the first entry of the Dare With Me Series. We have Daphne who has experienced what no mother should, cancer stealing the life of her baby boy. Then to add insult to injury, not only is her husband cheating on her but is doing it with her "Friend".
Now with the husband being her ex, all she keeps hearing from her privileged, society parents is how she needs to bring this man back into her life, as The Family doesn't do divorce, it isn't seemly.
The anniversary of her boy's death is coming and Daphne happens on seeing a resort in Alaska. The need to escape and maybe regroup, she decides a month away from Atlanta and everything is the answer.
Flynn is in a position he never really wanted. He loved his family but coming back home, now being the one to take care of his siblings and leaving the Airforce was not his life plan. With his mother passing, that is the life plan. Create an adventure business, keep the resort in the black and take care of his siblings. This is what is first and foremost in his mind, not having a personal life or any type of relationship.
Flynn spies Daphne from the air, seeing this woman stuck and a possible bear coming her way. Flynn rescues her, observing her style, grace, and how out of place she is. She is staying at his resort and ya know...they are going to be crossing paths galore.
This story has more to it than two people having chemistry and sexy times. There is a look at pain from both characters and the groundwork for more entries for the series. Yay Alaska.
Crash Into You (Dare With Me #1)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Evers & Afters (Dare With Me #2)
Back To Her (Dare With Me #2.5)
Come To Me (Dare With Me #3)
Back To Us (Dare With Me #4)
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
* * * 1/2 Spoiler Free-It's FREE!!!
Today the question is where is the last new frontier for people looking to make a change. During the infancy of this world, there was always the need to venture out...to find a place to start over...or the drive to see where ever you were, this place was not where you could be yourself.
One of the new places where people are venturing to is Alaska. It has that lure of being thought of as a place not fully discovered. A place where maybe someone can find peace because there isn't so much going on there like other places.
This idea came to me while reading Crash Into You, the first entry of the Dare With Me Series. We have Daphne who has experienced what no mother should, cancer stealing the life of her baby boy. Then to add insult to injury, not only is her husband cheating on her but is doing it with her "Friend".
Now with the husband being her ex, all she keeps hearing from her privileged, society parents is how she needs to bring this man back into her life, as The Family doesn't do divorce, it isn't seemly.
The anniversary of her boy's death is coming and Daphne happens on seeing a resort in Alaska. The need to escape and maybe regroup, she decides a month away from Atlanta and everything is the answer.
Flynn is in a position he never really wanted. He loved his family but coming back home, now being the one to take care of his siblings and leaving the Airforce was not his life plan. With his mother passing, that is the life plan. Create an adventure business, keep the resort in the black and take care of his siblings. This is what is first and foremost in his mind, not having a personal life or any type of relationship.
Flynn spies Daphne from the air, seeing this woman stuck and a possible bear coming her way. Flynn rescues her, observing her style, grace, and how out of place she is. She is staying at his resort and ya know...they are going to be crossing paths galore.
This story has more to it than two people having chemistry and sexy times. There is a look at pain from both characters and the groundwork for more entries for the series. Yay Alaska.
Crash Into You (Dare With Me #1) https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Evers & Afters (Dare With Me #2) Back To Her (Dare With Me #2.5) Come To Me (Dare With Me #3) Back To Us (Dare With Me #4) For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
April 21, 2025
I’ve read a few of J.H. Croix’s books and usually really enjoy them but this one just didn’t hit the mark for me. We were over halfway through (like, 55% in!) and the main characters had barely interacted. So much of the book was internal monologue and backstory that any real chemistry between them felt… non-existent.
Don’t get me wrong the setting was stunning, and the story had all the right ingredients to be something special. But it was missing that spark. That oomph. That thing that makes you kick your feet and giggle into your Kindle. You know?
That said, Cat? Absolute sassy queen. She was the highlight, hands down.
Overall, I’d say this one’s a 2.5, maaaybe a 3 on a generous day. If you’re new to J.H. Croix, I’d start with some of her other books before diving into this one.
Don’t get me wrong the setting was stunning, and the story had all the right ingredients to be something special. But it was missing that spark. That oomph. That thing that makes you kick your feet and giggle into your Kindle. You know?
That said, Cat? Absolute sassy queen. She was the highlight, hands down.
Overall, I’d say this one’s a 2.5, maaaybe a 3 on a generous day. If you’re new to J.H. Croix, I’d start with some of her other books before diving into this one.
October 9, 2020
I don't know why but I'm fascinated by stories set in Alaska. So even if this is a new to me author I went with it. Daphne came to Alaska on a whim and well to escape the troubles of her past, start again. She didn't expect Flynn who owns the resort she's staying. Both of them opposites from the start, especially coming from two different places.
Flynn flies planes and has his resort he's pretty much a workaholic. Daphne was lost and unsure but she was resilient being in a new place. There was a lot bantering at the start but the attraction can't be denied. All that uncertainty that they didn't want something turned into a constant want. Daphne settles into a routine in Alaska and is well liked by the family and friends.
Flynn needed to acknowledge his feelings for her and she's definitely fallen for him despite her previous marriage problems. I like the secondary characters they are all interesting and the next book features one of them. The ending was a bit predictable but it was sweet. This was a good first impression from the author.
Flynn flies planes and has his resort he's pretty much a workaholic. Daphne was lost and unsure but she was resilient being in a new place. There was a lot bantering at the start but the attraction can't be denied. All that uncertainty that they didn't want something turned into a constant want. Daphne settles into a routine in Alaska and is well liked by the family and friends.
Flynn needed to acknowledge his feelings for her and she's definitely fallen for him despite her previous marriage problems. I like the secondary characters they are all interesting and the next book features one of them. The ending was a bit predictable but it was sweet. This was a good first impression from the author.
July 29, 2025
An ex-military pilot who owns a B&B in a small Alaska town falls for a divorced chef from Atlanta
Daphne, a 28-year-old pastry chef, flees Georgia for the farthest edge of continental USA after the death of her four-year-old son from an incurable brain tumor. She ends up at a rustic B&B outside a colorful small town in Alaska called Diamond Creek. She crosses paths with Flynn, a 32-year-old ex-military pilot who owns the B&B and a flight tour business, while also raising his teenage sister after their parents’ deaths.
Flynn is a handsome, ripped workaholic with zero interest in commitment. His life is a steady rotation of flying tourists, maintaining his planes, firefighting on the side, and having no-strings sex with willing local and visiting women…until Daphne shows up. Despite thinking she’s a pampered princess who won’t last five minutes in the wilds of Alaska, he’s immediately enthralled by her vulnerability, compassionate nature, and physical beauty.
Daphne, meanwhile, has barely thought about sex since discovering her ex-husband was cheating on her with her best friend while their son was dying. Her sense of herself as a sensual being was obliterated, and she’s stunned by her powerful attraction to gorgeous Flynn.
Daphne becomes Flynn’s temporary chef after he loses his current cook, and her insomnia from grief means she’s constantly working unpaid overtime and conveniently available for uninhibited lovemaking with Flynn late at night. Meanwhile, his undeniable track record as a dedicated family man quietly underscores that he would be a good long-term partner, even though neither of them openly chases that goal.
My biggest stumbling block to fully enjoying this novel was that neither Daphne nor Flynn has an active story goal. Daphne is running away from Georgia, not toward a dream of her own. Flynn has no longing, no restlessness with his comfortably active life, until lust and proximity to Daphne allow romance to fall literally into his lap. Basically, theirs is a “fling to forever” propinquity affair, driven forward, as any real-world, ordinary romance might be, by mutual attraction and shared grief. The romantic conflict here is what Jennifer Crusie calls a passive, "negative motivation": both Daphne and Flynn are convinced they don’t want a serious relationship, so the only obstacle to overcome on the road to their HEA is changing their minds. Without a stronger external plot to push them together or tear them apart, there’s very little in the way of entertaining romantic conflict. This plot reminds me why, over forty years ago, so many authors of short contemporary romance began expanding into single-title novels in which the central love story is amplified by a suspense or action-adventure subplot. This adds external pressure and urgency, which juices up the self-indulgent ramblings of internal resistance to a permanent commitment.
The story also gives several melodramatic family subplots ridiculously tidy resolutions: Daphne’s mother flips from a narcissistic tyrant to semi-understanding in the space of a single conversation, her passive father abruptly decides to cut ties with Daphne’s cheating ex, and that same ex goes from combative to weepy after one short phone call. Daphne not only easily forgives him for what, until this moment, has been a central trauma of this story, but also offers to be available by phone anytime he needs emotional hand-holding. Ugh!!
Many current-day romance readers heartily resent a “third-act breakup,” even though a Dark Period, when all seems lost, has been a standard part of popular storytelling for thousands of years. Clearly, this author has paid strong attention to that complaint. Instead of an authentic Dark Period, there’s a temporary separation, when Daphne flies home to Georgia to tie up loose ends, with every intention of shortly returning to Alaska. Flynn assumes Daphne is gone for good, with zero intention of chasing after her. Meanwhile, Daphne is placidly assuring herself she’ll be just fine if things don’t work out with Flynn. This approach drastically cuts down on drama and passion, relegating their romance to a tension-free, “what the hey, who cares either way” affair.
This novel was a pleasant diversion, but it is not a book I’ll reread. I much prefer this author’s other Alaskan romances, set in the same nearby small town of Diamond Creek, in her Frontier Lodge series.
Daphne, a 28-year-old pastry chef, flees Georgia for the farthest edge of continental USA after the death of her four-year-old son from an incurable brain tumor. She ends up at a rustic B&B outside a colorful small town in Alaska called Diamond Creek. She crosses paths with Flynn, a 32-year-old ex-military pilot who owns the B&B and a flight tour business, while also raising his teenage sister after their parents’ deaths.
Flynn is a handsome, ripped workaholic with zero interest in commitment. His life is a steady rotation of flying tourists, maintaining his planes, firefighting on the side, and having no-strings sex with willing local and visiting women…until Daphne shows up. Despite thinking she’s a pampered princess who won’t last five minutes in the wilds of Alaska, he’s immediately enthralled by her vulnerability, compassionate nature, and physical beauty.
Daphne, meanwhile, has barely thought about sex since discovering her ex-husband was cheating on her with her best friend while their son was dying. Her sense of herself as a sensual being was obliterated, and she’s stunned by her powerful attraction to gorgeous Flynn.
Daphne becomes Flynn’s temporary chef after he loses his current cook, and her insomnia from grief means she’s constantly working unpaid overtime and conveniently available for uninhibited lovemaking with Flynn late at night. Meanwhile, his undeniable track record as a dedicated family man quietly underscores that he would be a good long-term partner, even though neither of them openly chases that goal.
My biggest stumbling block to fully enjoying this novel was that neither Daphne nor Flynn has an active story goal. Daphne is running away from Georgia, not toward a dream of her own. Flynn has no longing, no restlessness with his comfortably active life, until lust and proximity to Daphne allow romance to fall literally into his lap. Basically, theirs is a “fling to forever” propinquity affair, driven forward, as any real-world, ordinary romance might be, by mutual attraction and shared grief. The romantic conflict here is what Jennifer Crusie calls a passive, "negative motivation": both Daphne and Flynn are convinced they don’t want a serious relationship, so the only obstacle to overcome on the road to their HEA is changing their minds. Without a stronger external plot to push them together or tear them apart, there’s very little in the way of entertaining romantic conflict. This plot reminds me why, over forty years ago, so many authors of short contemporary romance began expanding into single-title novels in which the central love story is amplified by a suspense or action-adventure subplot. This adds external pressure and urgency, which juices up the self-indulgent ramblings of internal resistance to a permanent commitment.
The story also gives several melodramatic family subplots ridiculously tidy resolutions: Daphne’s mother flips from a narcissistic tyrant to semi-understanding in the space of a single conversation, her passive father abruptly decides to cut ties with Daphne’s cheating ex, and that same ex goes from combative to weepy after one short phone call. Daphne not only easily forgives him for what, until this moment, has been a central trauma of this story, but also offers to be available by phone anytime he needs emotional hand-holding. Ugh!!
Many current-day romance readers heartily resent a “third-act breakup,” even though a Dark Period, when all seems lost, has been a standard part of popular storytelling for thousands of years. Clearly, this author has paid strong attention to that complaint. Instead of an authentic Dark Period, there’s a temporary separation, when Daphne flies home to Georgia to tie up loose ends, with every intention of shortly returning to Alaska. Flynn assumes Daphne is gone for good, with zero intention of chasing after her. Meanwhile, Daphne is placidly assuring herself she’ll be just fine if things don’t work out with Flynn. This approach drastically cuts down on drama and passion, relegating their romance to a tension-free, “what the hey, who cares either way” affair.
This novel was a pleasant diversion, but it is not a book I’ll reread. I much prefer this author’s other Alaskan romances, set in the same nearby small town of Diamond Creek, in her Frontier Lodge series.
May 30, 2021
Perfectly Swoonworthy
I had a blast reading this story, because the characters were just all so extremely likable. There was just enough personal drama, tension and plot progression. But none of it took away from the romance, the flirtation, and just the overall great chemistry between the characters. This is my first time reading a book written by this author, and I can definitely say that I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
I had a blast reading this story, because the characters were just all so extremely likable. There was just enough personal drama, tension and plot progression. But none of it took away from the romance, the flirtation, and just the overall great chemistry between the characters. This is my first time reading a book written by this author, and I can definitely say that I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
December 9, 2023
Holy, hot kitchen counter sex.
That's it. That's the book review.
Okay, I guess I'll expound a little.
Daphne has suffered a tremendous loss and decides to get away from her life in Atlanta for a month and focus on her own healing. So she goes to the exact opposite of the Southern heat...Alaska. While there she is a fish out of water and everyone can tell, especially ex-Air Force pilot and grumpy lodge owner Flynn.
I loved Daphne and her raw vulnerability, her honesty, and her determination to make her life better. And Flynn is extra swoony. He's hard-working, protective, and loyal. I love the friendships he has with the other men who work for him.
These two are sexual chemistry for daaayyyssss. Prepare your panties accordingly.
I love J.H. Croix books and this one is shooting to the top of my favorites list! I highly recommend CRASH INTO YOU to my fellow Smut Lovers!!
That's it. That's the book review.
Okay, I guess I'll expound a little.
Daphne has suffered a tremendous loss and decides to get away from her life in Atlanta for a month and focus on her own healing. So she goes to the exact opposite of the Southern heat...Alaska. While there she is a fish out of water and everyone can tell, especially ex-Air Force pilot and grumpy lodge owner Flynn.
I loved Daphne and her raw vulnerability, her honesty, and her determination to make her life better. And Flynn is extra swoony. He's hard-working, protective, and loyal. I love the friendships he has with the other men who work for him.
These two are sexual chemistry for daaayyyssss. Prepare your panties accordingly.
I love J.H. Croix books and this one is shooting to the top of my favorites list! I highly recommend CRASH INTO YOU to my fellow Smut Lovers!!
December 26, 2021
3.5 stars
Crash Into You is a contemporary romance set in Alaska.
Daphne has booked a one month holiday in a small town resort; she needs time to heal after the death of her child and the break-up of her marriage.
Flynn works all hours so that his siblings can go to college; he runs the resort and flies tourists around Alaska on site-seeing tours. It’s a hard life and he’s often grumpy if things go wrong. But his latest guest has caught his eye and for once he has something else to think about other than working.
When Flynn’s cook walk out, Daphne steps in with her bakery experience. Now she just has to work out how she feels about Flynn.
This is a quick easy read. A bit light on story depth, but the setting is great and there are some hot sexy relationships.
Crash Into You is a contemporary romance set in Alaska.
Daphne has booked a one month holiday in a small town resort; she needs time to heal after the death of her child and the break-up of her marriage.
Flynn works all hours so that his siblings can go to college; he runs the resort and flies tourists around Alaska on site-seeing tours. It’s a hard life and he’s often grumpy if things go wrong. But his latest guest has caught his eye and for once he has something else to think about other than working.
When Flynn’s cook walk out, Daphne steps in with her bakery experience. Now she just has to work out how she feels about Flynn.
This is a quick easy read. A bit light on story depth, but the setting is great and there are some hot sexy relationships.
October 12, 2020
A long time ago, I fell in love with Diamond Creek, Alaska back when Marley met Gage at the last Frontier Lodge. JH Croix has created a village full of characters that you love, built on family and friendship and Crash Into You is no exception.
Flynn and Daphne have a super smoldering, slow burning chemistry from the very start. Daphne is independent, and keeps her cards close, while Flynn is focused on growing his adventure business.
The chemistry in this book builds and just when you think you can’t handle it anymore, it combusts. There’s so much more than just chemistry though. There’s old hurts and heartbreaks and navigating new dynamics, but it’s so worth it.
~Lauren💜
Flynn and Daphne have a super smoldering, slow burning chemistry from the very start. Daphne is independent, and keeps her cards close, while Flynn is focused on growing his adventure business.
The chemistry in this book builds and just when you think you can’t handle it anymore, it combusts. There’s so much more than just chemistry though. There’s old hurts and heartbreaks and navigating new dynamics, but it’s so worth it.
~Lauren💜
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October 11, 2020
Daphne heads to Alaska to escape after the previous year and a half of her life. Flynn runs an adventure resort in Alaska and has experienced his own struggles in life. Daphne and Flynn meet when he has to rescue her from the side of the road. They didn’t get off on the right foot, however, there was a connection between them.
I felt for Daphne. She experienced a lot of loss, pain and heartbreak in such a short amount of time, yet she keeps going. She keeps fighting and moving on with her life despite the heartache. Flynn also has experienced a lot, after the loss of his mother he quickly had to leave his military life and take care of his younger siblings and treading that line as brother and parent.
I loved the chemistry between Daphne and Flynn. They both truly needed each other to heal and to find happiness. Their souls needed each other to heal. I loved seeing everything progress for them. They started off thinking they didn’t like each other, however, things quickly start to shift and everything becomes more.
Crash Into You is a beautiful story that will have you falling in love right along with Daphne and Flynn.
I felt for Daphne. She experienced a lot of loss, pain and heartbreak in such a short amount of time, yet she keeps going. She keeps fighting and moving on with her life despite the heartache. Flynn also has experienced a lot, after the loss of his mother he quickly had to leave his military life and take care of his younger siblings and treading that line as brother and parent.
I loved the chemistry between Daphne and Flynn. They both truly needed each other to heal and to find happiness. Their souls needed each other to heal. I loved seeing everything progress for them. They started off thinking they didn’t like each other, however, things quickly start to shift and everything becomes more.
Crash Into You is a beautiful story that will have you falling in love right along with Daphne and Flynn.
October 13, 2020
I received an ARC for an honest review.
Awe!! So sweet and swoony! Crash Into You was the first book in J.H.’s Dare With Me Series. It was an amazing story of finding love after loss.
Daphne was only going through the motions of life after facing one tragedy after another. She needed a change of scenery so taking a month off to experience Alaska was her way of trying to heal. She didn’t exactly have a plan but getting lost and almost eaten by a bear was definitely not on it!! When a handsome stranger came to her rescue would she find more than she bargained for?
Flynn had a lot on his plate - running a business, raising his siblings, and trying to let go of his past. He didn’t have room to fall in love but when he found Daphne stuck on the side of the road, he couldn’t get her out of his mind. Their time together only intensified his feelings but would their time together have an end? Could he figure out how to get her to stay?
Oh my heart!! Daphne’s story brought me to tears, I was a mess. I loved how Flynn stood by her side as she started to live again. They were absolutely amazing together! I can’t wait to dive back into this series!!
Awe!! So sweet and swoony! Crash Into You was the first book in J.H.’s Dare With Me Series. It was an amazing story of finding love after loss.
Daphne was only going through the motions of life after facing one tragedy after another. She needed a change of scenery so taking a month off to experience Alaska was her way of trying to heal. She didn’t exactly have a plan but getting lost and almost eaten by a bear was definitely not on it!! When a handsome stranger came to her rescue would she find more than she bargained for?
Flynn had a lot on his plate - running a business, raising his siblings, and trying to let go of his past. He didn’t have room to fall in love but when he found Daphne stuck on the side of the road, he couldn’t get her out of his mind. Their time together only intensified his feelings but would their time together have an end? Could he figure out how to get her to stay?
Oh my heart!! Daphne’s story brought me to tears, I was a mess. I loved how Flynn stood by her side as she started to live again. They were absolutely amazing together! I can’t wait to dive back into this series!!
October 15, 2020
I've never read anything by the author, but now I'm not going to miss any of her books anymore. This is so good! My heart broke for Daphne, what she's been through. Now she's in Alaska to move on with her life. There she met Flynn who's very broody, cranky, and a workaholic. They kind of find a rhythm to be in the presence of each other and unknowingly he helped her move on with her life.
This is a very heartwarming story
This is a very heartwarming story
December 11, 2023
The couple: Flynn and Daphne
Romance trope: opposites attract, life after tragedy
Series: Dare With Me
Length: 256 pages
Plot: Daphne has set up a visit to a resort in Alaska for a month. She's recovering from and needs some breathing room from her parents, her ex-husband, and all the memories. She meets the sexy but grumpy owner of the resort and even though each of them is closed off and struggling in their own ways, they can't deny the attraction between them.
Commentary: I love this author. I always think of Alaska as another character in her stories because the descriptions of the landscapes are so vivid. And a retreat in Alaska was just what Daphne needed. Honestly, I cried more than I thought I would. Poor Daphne was so strong when it wasn't fair that she had to be. The way she coped and would pull herself back from the emotions that threatened to overwhelm her was breathtakingly sad and I couldn't help but feel that she deserved Flynn more than anyone had ever deserved a romance hero before.
Next book in the series: Evers & Afters
Romance trope: opposites attract, life after tragedy
Series: Dare With Me
Length: 256 pages
Plot: Daphne has set up a visit to a resort in Alaska for a month. She's recovering from and needs some breathing room from her parents, her ex-husband, and all the memories. She meets the sexy but grumpy owner of the resort and even though each of them is closed off and struggling in their own ways, they can't deny the attraction between them.
Commentary: I love this author. I always think of Alaska as another character in her stories because the descriptions of the landscapes are so vivid. And a retreat in Alaska was just what Daphne needed. Honestly, I cried more than I thought I would. Poor Daphne was so strong when it wasn't fair that she had to be. The way she coped and would pull herself back from the emotions that threatened to overwhelm her was breathtakingly sad and I couldn't help but feel that she deserved Flynn more than anyone had ever deserved a romance hero before.
Next book in the series: Evers & Afters
October 17, 2020
It seems I’m a sucker for a book set in Alaska.
I wanted to read this because a book about pilots set in Alaska? I’m all there for that. I thought this was going to a little easy read and I got so much more.
Daphne drops her life in Atlanta and heads to a resort in Alaska she saw on an advert, planning to spend a few weeks there. She needs space and time to heal her broken heart. After being rescued by a grumpy Alaskan pilot/resort owner Daphne finds way more than she bargained for in Alaska.
Despite how she arrived in Diamond Creek - stranded in a ditch at the side of the road - Daphne wasn’t helpless, and I really admired this about her. She had unbelievable strength. She’d been through so much trauma and I really enjoyed how open she was about it and willing to share her story.
Despite the blurb concentrating on Flynn’s ability to fly planes there was so much more to him. He was a complete family man who was trying to juggle his family’s resort, his plane business while still doing the best by and taking care of his siblings. I loved his immediate connection with Daphne and their banter but also his protective nature. Their relationship developed so organically and it was lovely to see the healing affect it had on both of them.
I wanted to read this because a book about pilots set in Alaska? I’m all there for that. I thought this was going to a little easy read and I got so much more.
Daphne drops her life in Atlanta and heads to a resort in Alaska she saw on an advert, planning to spend a few weeks there. She needs space and time to heal her broken heart. After being rescued by a grumpy Alaskan pilot/resort owner Daphne finds way more than she bargained for in Alaska.
Despite how she arrived in Diamond Creek - stranded in a ditch at the side of the road - Daphne wasn’t helpless, and I really admired this about her. She had unbelievable strength. She’d been through so much trauma and I really enjoyed how open she was about it and willing to share her story.
Despite the blurb concentrating on Flynn’s ability to fly planes there was so much more to him. He was a complete family man who was trying to juggle his family’s resort, his plane business while still doing the best by and taking care of his siblings. I loved his immediate connection with Daphne and their banter but also his protective nature. Their relationship developed so organically and it was lovely to see the healing affect it had on both of them.
October 13, 2020
I don't think I have ever read a JH Croix book and holy cow! I was missing out! This was a slow burn, sexy story that had me aching to turn pages. I loved Daphne and Flynn, and I loved the secondary characters and hope we get to see more of them!
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July 28, 2025
This was...fine. A perfectly quaint, quick little read. I picked it up because I've got a soft spot for stories set in Alaska. But while it's a pretty backdrop, this story could have been set anywhere and nothing about it would have had to change. That's sort of how I feel about the entire book, if I'm honest. Nothing was offensive, but nothing was memorable, either.
I've got notes - mostly niggling little things I complained about:
1. This woman ruins her clothes more times than is normal. Mud. Wine. Scraping it up in the woods. Coffee stains. Flour. I didn't know this was a pet peeve of mine, but I've come across a few books where authors write this sort of detail - making their FMC's (it's usually ALWAYS the FMCs!) slobs or clumsy or generally covered in filth and...just WHY. It's nasty. Just stop it. It doesn't make them relatable, it makes them gross.
2. I think Croix managed to use every single cringy sex word that's ever been invented. Mound, channel, sheath, folds, 'hot button of need'🤮
2.5. There's also a LOT of spice in this very short book. To the point that when the couple first get together about 40% of the way through the book, their relationship becomes just about sex. They don't spend a lot of time doing anything ELSE.
3. There's quite a lot of telling and not showing - with these very short books it's to be expected, I suppose. But when you're trying to build relationships having a character say "oh yeah my sister really likes you, she thinks of you as a mother" doesn't mean much when you don't SHOW that to me.
3.5-a. Likewise - we're told countless times that Flynn is grumpy. But we never actually SEE him be grumpy. Sure, he's sometimes a little short with Daphne, but I'd never call him an asshole to her. This is partly because we don't really get to see them interact outside of the bedroom for more than a few fleeting seconds at a time.
3.5-b. We're also told that Flynn is ex-military. It's a part of the book's blurb, even. But outside of it being mentioned once or twice, it's not at all a big aspect of the book. There's no PTSD, no military training that would have been relevant (other than him flying but even that's glossed over), he's not overly strict or regimented in his life...nothing. He could have been a rodeo clown before coming back to Alaska to run his family's resort and nothing about this book would have changed.
4. There's a lot of time-jumping going on. Something will happen and then at the beginning of the next chapter you'll get "3 weeks later" or "several days ago" or "a few nights before". At once, this makes the quick pacing of the book technically okay - because the two people aren't just screwing each other then confessing their love within only a few hours of meeting one another. On the other hand, I feel like we're missing massive opportunities for the two to spend time together doing things that would SHOW us the growing attraction and relationship. They don't date. They don't flirt. They don't do ANYTHING except think about how hot the other is in their minds and occasionally get teased by the secondary characters about how it's so obvious they're into each other.
5. I don't love that Daphne tells Nora about her cheating ex and her son's death only for Nora to turn around and tell Flynn (and then EVERYBODY ELSE). I don't love that the conversation that should have been had between lovers is glossed over and abbreviated because we've already heard it in detail when Daphne confesses it to another woman. She brushes off the fact that Nora blabbed her personal information to Flynn when I don't think she should have. That sort of stuff is insanely hurtful and personal, and if it were me, I'd be pissed off that Nora couldn't keep her trap shut. It's not like she knew her brother and Daphne were close or even attracted to each other - so for her to tell Daphne's BOSS all of this hyper-painful stuff is crossing a line. This is honestly the BIGGEST issue I had in this story - and it's such a small part of the book.
6. This last point is nitpicky as hell, but the male narrator attempts to do Daphne's southern accent and it's all wrong. Daphne's from Atlanta, Georgia if we're going by where her family is located. But the male narrator's version of the 'southern drawl' is clearly a Charleston tidewater accent. This may not seem like a huge deal, but as someone who's born and bred in this area - it's a bit like reading about an Irishman but the narrator gives them a Scottish brogue. It was jarring.
-
A lot of these issues are MINOR in the extreme. Things that, were the book longer, I likely wouldn't even feel the need to mention. I did enjoy this book - as I said, nothing was overly offensive. Don't take this 2 stars as a bad rating. I'm not mad at this book at all. But I wasn't gripped either.
I've got notes - mostly niggling little things I complained about:
1. This woman ruins her clothes more times than is normal. Mud. Wine. Scraping it up in the woods. Coffee stains. Flour. I didn't know this was a pet peeve of mine, but I've come across a few books where authors write this sort of detail - making their FMC's (it's usually ALWAYS the FMCs!) slobs or clumsy or generally covered in filth and...just WHY. It's nasty. Just stop it. It doesn't make them relatable, it makes them gross.
2. I think Croix managed to use every single cringy sex word that's ever been invented. Mound, channel, sheath, folds, 'hot button of need'🤮
2.5. There's also a LOT of spice in this very short book. To the point that when the couple first get together about 40% of the way through the book, their relationship becomes just about sex. They don't spend a lot of time doing anything ELSE.
3. There's quite a lot of telling and not showing - with these very short books it's to be expected, I suppose. But when you're trying to build relationships having a character say "oh yeah my sister really likes you, she thinks of you as a mother" doesn't mean much when you don't SHOW that to me.
3.5-a. Likewise - we're told countless times that Flynn is grumpy. But we never actually SEE him be grumpy. Sure, he's sometimes a little short with Daphne, but I'd never call him an asshole to her. This is partly because we don't really get to see them interact outside of the bedroom for more than a few fleeting seconds at a time.
3.5-b. We're also told that Flynn is ex-military. It's a part of the book's blurb, even. But outside of it being mentioned once or twice, it's not at all a big aspect of the book. There's no PTSD, no military training that would have been relevant (other than him flying but even that's glossed over), he's not overly strict or regimented in his life...nothing. He could have been a rodeo clown before coming back to Alaska to run his family's resort and nothing about this book would have changed.
4. There's a lot of time-jumping going on. Something will happen and then at the beginning of the next chapter you'll get "3 weeks later" or "several days ago" or "a few nights before". At once, this makes the quick pacing of the book technically okay - because the two people aren't just screwing each other then confessing their love within only a few hours of meeting one another. On the other hand, I feel like we're missing massive opportunities for the two to spend time together doing things that would SHOW us the growing attraction and relationship. They don't date. They don't flirt. They don't do ANYTHING except think about how hot the other is in their minds and occasionally get teased by the secondary characters about how it's so obvious they're into each other.
5. I don't love that Daphne tells Nora about her cheating ex and her son's death only for Nora to turn around and tell Flynn (and then EVERYBODY ELSE). I don't love that the conversation that should have been had between lovers is glossed over and abbreviated because we've already heard it in detail when Daphne confesses it to another woman. She brushes off the fact that Nora blabbed her personal information to Flynn when I don't think she should have. That sort of stuff is insanely hurtful and personal, and if it were me, I'd be pissed off that Nora couldn't keep her trap shut. It's not like she knew her brother and Daphne were close or even attracted to each other - so for her to tell Daphne's BOSS all of this hyper-painful stuff is crossing a line. This is honestly the BIGGEST issue I had in this story - and it's such a small part of the book.
6. This last point is nitpicky as hell, but the male narrator attempts to do Daphne's southern accent and it's all wrong. Daphne's from Atlanta, Georgia if we're going by where her family is located. But the male narrator's version of the 'southern drawl' is clearly a Charleston tidewater accent. This may not seem like a huge deal, but as someone who's born and bred in this area - it's a bit like reading about an Irishman but the narrator gives them a Scottish brogue. It was jarring.
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A lot of these issues are MINOR in the extreme. Things that, were the book longer, I likely wouldn't even feel the need to mention. I did enjoy this book - as I said, nothing was overly offensive. Don't take this 2 stars as a bad rating. I'm not mad at this book at all. But I wasn't gripped either.
October 10, 2020
Two souls never needed each other as much as Daphne and Flynn needed each other. This emotional fish out of water romance was just what my soul needed.
Daphne is a southern princess escapes the demands of her life after losing her son to brain cancer and during her son’s death. To make matters worse she finds out her husband has cheated on her with her so called friend. Her ex-husband is employed by the investment firm her father owns. Daphne thinks a month in Alaska as she approaches the year anniversary of her life falling apart might be just the thing to escape the pressures of home and find herself again with in the grief and heartache.
Flynn has been playing the rescuer forever. Former ex Airforce piolet returns home to care for his siblings when his mother passes way. Flynn is one of the hardest more success drive characters we have met in a while. He is doing everything he can to make his Alaskan Adventure company profitable in order to provide education for his young siblings.
The meet cute between Flynn and Daphne is typical but still funny. Daphne is tuck on the side of the road headed to the resort when Flynn sees her from the air as he is landing and comes to her rescues. There is a bear and everything! Proximity plays a huge part in this story line. They keep getting thrown together since she's staying at his resort. He's trying to be everything to everyone.
The book is well written and overflowing with emotion. Tissues will be needed! Their chemistry was off the charts and there is some steam while they both find their place. This was a solid 4 read. Some typical expected trope responses in the story take away the freshness to the story. But overall I really enjoyed it and encourage others to check it out!
Daphne is a southern princess escapes the demands of her life after losing her son to brain cancer and during her son’s death. To make matters worse she finds out her husband has cheated on her with her so called friend. Her ex-husband is employed by the investment firm her father owns. Daphne thinks a month in Alaska as she approaches the year anniversary of her life falling apart might be just the thing to escape the pressures of home and find herself again with in the grief and heartache.
Flynn has been playing the rescuer forever. Former ex Airforce piolet returns home to care for his siblings when his mother passes way. Flynn is one of the hardest more success drive characters we have met in a while. He is doing everything he can to make his Alaskan Adventure company profitable in order to provide education for his young siblings.
The meet cute between Flynn and Daphne is typical but still funny. Daphne is tuck on the side of the road headed to the resort when Flynn sees her from the air as he is landing and comes to her rescues. There is a bear and everything! Proximity plays a huge part in this story line. They keep getting thrown together since she's staying at his resort. He's trying to be everything to everyone.
The book is well written and overflowing with emotion. Tissues will be needed! Their chemistry was off the charts and there is some steam while they both find their place. This was a solid 4 read. Some typical expected trope responses in the story take away the freshness to the story. But overall I really enjoyed it and encourage others to check it out!
October 3, 2020
You'll love Daphne and Flynn's story. It's heart warming that fate brings two struggling souls together. Daphne is a Southerner who is grieving the loss of her son from brain cancer and a divorce. Thinking a month in Alaska might be just the thing to mend her broken heart. Flynn rescues her off the side of the road and can't seem to get her off his mind. They keep getting thrown together since she's staying at his resort. He's trying to be everything to everyone. Since his parents death he is raising his sisters and fighting PTSD from his military time. The book is well written and overflowing with emotion, Grab a tissue because you might need it. Their chemistry was off the charts and there is some steam while they heal their broken hearts. A good read that I read as a free arc via Bad Boy Update and voluntarily chose to write a review.
in-collection-already
November 2, 202111/02/21 currently free in Just a Taste
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https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09J1KYPPF/
boxsethttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B09J1KYPPF/
April 21, 2022
Cheesey, cute, fun light read!
Read
June 7, 2021At 35% I was still wondering when the book was going to get started. Daphne and Flynn hardly ever interacted, and nothing happened. I skimmed the rest of the book, and I’m not sorry.
October 12, 2020
I was not expecting Daphne’s tragic past to break my heart and make me cry. But for goodness sake she’s amazing, strong, smart, and I love her! Flynn is grumpy and doesn’t have time for things and people that aren’t part of running his business and taking care of his siblings. So when Daphne shows up and throws his world off kilter, he’s left trying to focus but can’t shake her. I love the chemistry and attraction these 2 have, but they’re cautious and respectful. For Daphne, what was supposed to be a one month trip turns out to be so much more. This story was just what I needed! It was sweet, sexy, emotional and captivating! I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 13, 2020
Take one hot shot pilot who's raising his siblings, and one Southern princess grieving the loss of her son; add in tragedy, heartache, lots of emotions, instant attraction, suspense, off-the-charts chemistry, twists and turns, and a HEA, and you get a well written and heartwarming romance story.
I volunteered to review an advance reader copy of this book.
I volunteered to review an advance reader copy of this book.
October 6, 2020
Believable, Relatable and Swoon-Worthy!!
I always feel good when I finish a J.H Croix Story. I adored these characters, and wanted so hard for their connection to work out.
Flynn left the Air Force when his mother died to raise his three younger half-siblings. Running an adventure lodge and flying with old military teammates. His focus is on work, raising his siblings and making sure they have money for college.
Daphne has had multiple emotional hits. She lost a son, a cheating ex-husband, and someone who professed to be her friend. Her parents are pushing her to reconcile as ex-husband as he is a big part of the family business. Fed up, she decides to spend a month in Alaska.
It is apparent she does not belong in the “wilderness”. Yet she doesn’t back down from anything or anyone, and befriends all who are around her. A ray of sunshine despite the ordeal she has suffered.
I literally could not put this one down. The secondary characters are fabulous also – and I look forward to getting their stories in future stories.
**I am voluntarily leaving my honest review of this book**
I always feel good when I finish a J.H Croix Story. I adored these characters, and wanted so hard for their connection to work out.
Flynn left the Air Force when his mother died to raise his three younger half-siblings. Running an adventure lodge and flying with old military teammates. His focus is on work, raising his siblings and making sure they have money for college.
Daphne has had multiple emotional hits. She lost a son, a cheating ex-husband, and someone who professed to be her friend. Her parents are pushing her to reconcile as ex-husband as he is a big part of the family business. Fed up, she decides to spend a month in Alaska.
It is apparent she does not belong in the “wilderness”. Yet she doesn’t back down from anything or anyone, and befriends all who are around her. A ray of sunshine despite the ordeal she has suffered.
I literally could not put this one down. The secondary characters are fabulous also – and I look forward to getting their stories in future stories.
**I am voluntarily leaving my honest review of this book**
October 20, 2020
Crash into You is a swoon-worthy story about finding love after loss.
Daphne has experienced a lot of loss in a very short time and is finally taking some time for herself to try and heal. Flynn is taking life one day at a time trying to run a business, take care of his siblings and let go of his past. From the minute they lay eyes on each other it's an instant attraction which, because of their pasts and their lives, try to deny their attraction to each other but there is no denying the chemistry they share.
A great start to a new series from J.H. Croix. I was invested in the story right from page one. My heart literally broke in two for Daphne. Tissues are needed for this story. Flynn and Daphne help each other heal which makes the slow burn totally worth the wait. I loved getting to know Flynn, Daphne and the side characters and can not wait for the next book in this series.
*ARC generously provided in exchange for my honest review*
Daphne has experienced a lot of loss in a very short time and is finally taking some time for herself to try and heal. Flynn is taking life one day at a time trying to run a business, take care of his siblings and let go of his past. From the minute they lay eyes on each other it's an instant attraction which, because of their pasts and their lives, try to deny their attraction to each other but there is no denying the chemistry they share.
A great start to a new series from J.H. Croix. I was invested in the story right from page one. My heart literally broke in two for Daphne. Tissues are needed for this story. Flynn and Daphne help each other heal which makes the slow burn totally worth the wait. I loved getting to know Flynn, Daphne and the side characters and can not wait for the next book in this series.
*ARC generously provided in exchange for my honest review*
October 13, 2020
Crash Into You by J H Croix takes us back to Alaska with the romance of Flynn and Daphne. Quite a romance it is. They meet after Flynn spies Daphne from the air: he is flying his plane; she is standing beside her rented SUV, stuck in the mud. Flynn runs a small resort and takes care of his brother and two sisters. They are mostly adults now, except for the sixteen-year-old, Cat, who is a hand full, as sixteen-year-olds tend to be. His mother had died several years ago with a half finished lodge house and three teenagers needing to go to college. Flynn had left the air force, no questions asked, as assumed the responsibility. Now he had a going concern as well as several airplanes and air force buddies flying them and flightseeing tours as well as flying supplies in and around Alaska. Daphne had left home to figure out her next step in life, away from parents who had their own agenda. She had had her heart broken twice: once by the death of her little boy from cancer; the other time from her cheating husband. She had the money and the time, and Alaska was as far away as she could get.
The reasons I love JH Croix books are numerous: love the setting, Alaska; love the subtle way she brings her lovers together, with real story telling and compelling backgrounds and legitimate emotion; Just enough sex to make it interesting, yet not consume the story; true love. Crash Into You is a fine example of her writing as well as the genre: plenty of story, plenty of romance, plenty of hot sex. She slides inclusion of past characters in smoothly and who doesn't love to revisit the past? Crash Into You made me feel good, which is why I read. I count this another success in a growing portfolio of successes. With so much family and Flynn's air force buddies, there are plenty of characters for an enticing series. I recommend it.
I was invited to read a free ARC of Crash Into You by the author. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own.
The reasons I love JH Croix books are numerous: love the setting, Alaska; love the subtle way she brings her lovers together, with real story telling and compelling backgrounds and legitimate emotion; Just enough sex to make it interesting, yet not consume the story; true love. Crash Into You is a fine example of her writing as well as the genre: plenty of story, plenty of romance, plenty of hot sex. She slides inclusion of past characters in smoothly and who doesn't love to revisit the past? Crash Into You made me feel good, which is why I read. I count this another success in a growing portfolio of successes. With so much family and Flynn's air force buddies, there are plenty of characters for an enticing series. I recommend it.
I was invited to read a free ARC of Crash Into You by the author. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own.
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