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Collision Damage
Jonas would probably have more going for him if he had something other than a high school GED and didn’t have to work two jobs. He spends his off days alone or at his friend Nicky’s, drinking beer and occasionally playing board games.
Then he meets Harper, who is trans, owns a used bookstore/hobby shop, and unfortunately shares an apartment with his ex-boyfriend. Despite Jonas’s initial impression, Harper turns out to be kind and patient. As they spend more time together, Jonas’s feelings for Harper evolve into something deeper than friendship, despite life being messy and unexpected.
Collision Damage is a m/m adult romance. Full content/trigger warnings are available in the front matter.
Then he meets Harper, who is trans, owns a used bookstore/hobby shop, and unfortunately shares an apartment with his ex-boyfriend. Despite Jonas’s initial impression, Harper turns out to be kind and patient. As they spend more time together, Jonas’s feelings for Harper evolve into something deeper than friendship, despite life being messy and unexpected.
Collision Damage is a m/m adult romance. Full content/trigger warnings are available in the front matter.
- GenresRomanceLGBTM M Romance
105 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 16, 2021
1 person is currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Elle Porter
8 books63 followersElle Porter (he/they) writes queer speculative romance. As a self-proclaimed cozy monsterfucker, they enjoy reading and writing stories both strange and sensual with a garnish of feelings.
You can find them on Bluesky and Instagram or visit their website for more of their works.
You can find them on Bluesky and Instagram or visit their website for more of their works.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 21, 2023
I just re-read this trans M/M romance and liked it even better the second time. Jonas, our MC, describes himself as "caught between adolescene and responsibility" at thirty-two, because after getting his GED he's worked low-wage jobs, has very little stability, and is basically drifting through life. (He clearly has some kind of learning disability, though it appears he was never diagnosed.) The guy who seems to be his one good friend, Nicky, introduces him to Harper, a trans man who owns a board game & comic shop, and the two are drawn to each other.
What I like about it: The author taking such care of both MCs, who are both in difficult circumstances. The fact that they get close relatively fast, but it feels real. The sheer number of distinct stages of that getting close that the author manages to pull off in a novella-length story. Jonas making his character for the RPG they play, and really getting into it, so adorable!
I'm normally very skeptical of romances where a boss-employee relationship exists, and Harper does end up hiring Jonas fairly early in the story, but to be honest Jonas's employment & financial situation is so precarious that I can't fault having him get that job (due to Harper trusting Nicky's judgment) as a solution. In my brain, Jonas and Harper end up running the shop together as partners down the road and I love that for them.
CW: past emotionally abusive relationship bleeding over into the present, an incident of totally inadvertent deadnaming
p.s. One of the other (few) reviews here on GR mentioned copyediting issues, and I wonder if the book was updated after they read it? I normally have a keen eye for those things, but all that I noticed was a couple of lie/lay errors (common in books because English is ridiculous with those two words) and "vice" for "vise" once.
What I like about it: The author taking such care of both MCs, who are both in difficult circumstances. The fact that they get close relatively fast, but it feels real. The sheer number of distinct stages of that getting close that the author manages to pull off in a novella-length story. Jonas making his character for the RPG they play, and really getting into it, so adorable!
I'm normally very skeptical of romances where a boss-employee relationship exists, and Harper does end up hiring Jonas fairly early in the story, but to be honest Jonas's employment & financial situation is so precarious that I can't fault having him get that job (due to Harper trusting Nicky's judgment) as a solution. In my brain, Jonas and Harper end up running the shop together as partners down the road and I love that for them.
CW: past emotionally abusive relationship bleeding over into the present, an incident of totally inadvertent deadnaming
p.s. One of the other (few) reviews here on GR mentioned copyediting issues, and I wonder if the book was updated after they read it? I normally have a keen eye for those things, but all that I noticed was a couple of lie/lay errors (common in books because English is ridiculous with those two words) and "vice" for "vise" once.
February 12, 2022
Collision Damage is a wonderful introduction into the world of romance and offers plenty of emotional highs and lows but with an ending that is both satisfying and heartwarming, but most importantly, well-deserved.
In the short amount of time you have with the characters of any novella it's important for the story to dive in quickly, which this book does really well. I fell in love with these characters from page one.
Elle Porter is an excellent writer and I highly recommend looking into more of their work.
In the short amount of time you have with the characters of any novella it's important for the story to dive in quickly, which this book does really well. I fell in love with these characters from page one.
Elle Porter is an excellent writer and I highly recommend looking into more of their work.
February 18, 2022
New author to me, liked this novella (needed better copyediting though). Tender to the characters without minimizing their hurts. I can see trying others in the future, but dark speculative (their previous works) is not my jam.
June 6, 2022
slice of life vibe
This story was very spare but also very poignant. The MCs are pretty great together, both have pretty low self-esteem. Their relationship really give them a secure place to start building confidence.
This story was very spare but also very poignant. The MCs are pretty great together, both have pretty low self-esteem. Their relationship really give them a secure place to start building confidence.
January 20, 2025
Unexpected delight of a lovely little read. I found this through a friend’s review and it sounded quirky and romantic, and guess what? It was. I enjoyed it a lot. It’s a friends-of-friends to lovers, gamers, trans rep, eventual boss-employee dynamic (but different bc they’re peers/similar age—felt unique).
This had a slice of life feel, with MC Jonas starting of his day being let go from his day job but still having to go to his night shift at Waffle House, and meeting Harper, who comes in with Jonas’s bestie and seems to...not like Jonas very much. But why?
Turns out Harper and Jonas will be in each other’s vicinity a lot, because Harper leads the role-playing game Jonas’s friend loves to play. And Harper’s obnoxious ex will be hanging around too, mucking up the growing connection between Jonas and Harper. But. Jonas needs a day job, and Harper needs help at the gaming store he owns...and some growing friendships and connections won’t be denied. Having Harper as his new boss could be awkward, but, for these two, it’s just...not.
I enjoyed the dynamic between Jonas and Harper. Jonas feels a bit lost, he’s got reading challenges and feels a bit less-than for not graduating high school and having “only” his GED. Something about Harper makes him comfortable and piques his interest, and they form a connection with friends and more-than-friends chemistry. It was sweet with some steamy times.
The ex creates some OM drama, uninvited but great for tension, but don’t worry, this one’s entirely safe for me and Jonas and Harper handle it like champs. In fact it speeds things up between them to a rather unlikely scenario that somehow still felt right for them. Overall it could read a little insta-love-ish for some, but, to me the relationship didn’t feel overly rushed.
They never discuss Harper being trans, which, they don’t have to, but, seemed odd, I wasn’t sure if Jonas even knew? TW for a dead-name incident (not by Jonas, by a secondary character), though it wasn’t malicious, just ignorant and soon resolved.
HFN that feels HEA, sweet and sexy romance. Trans rep, stranger to boss-employee to lovers. No others/cheating/any OM action, just good OM conflict/drama from the ex. Recommended.
This had a slice of life feel, with MC Jonas starting of his day being let go from his day job but still having to go to his night shift at Waffle House, and meeting Harper, who comes in with Jonas’s bestie and seems to...not like Jonas very much. But why?
Turns out Harper and Jonas will be in each other’s vicinity a lot, because Harper leads the role-playing game Jonas’s friend loves to play. And Harper’s obnoxious ex will be hanging around too, mucking up the growing connection between Jonas and Harper. But. Jonas needs a day job, and Harper needs help at the gaming store he owns...and some growing friendships and connections won’t be denied. Having Harper as his new boss could be awkward, but, for these two, it’s just...not.
I enjoyed the dynamic between Jonas and Harper. Jonas feels a bit lost, he’s got reading challenges and feels a bit less-than for not graduating high school and having “only” his GED. Something about Harper makes him comfortable and piques his interest, and they form a connection with friends and more-than-friends chemistry. It was sweet with some steamy times.
The ex creates some OM drama, uninvited but great for tension, but don’t worry, this one’s entirely safe for me and Jonas and Harper handle it like champs. In fact it speeds things up between them to a rather unlikely scenario that somehow still felt right for them. Overall it could read a little insta-love-ish for some, but, to me the relationship didn’t feel overly rushed.
They never discuss Harper being trans, which, they don’t have to, but, seemed odd, I wasn’t sure if Jonas even knew? TW for a dead-name incident (not by Jonas, by a secondary character), though it wasn’t malicious, just ignorant and soon resolved.
HFN that feels HEA, sweet and sexy romance. Trans rep, stranger to boss-employee to lovers. No others/cheating/any OM action, just good OM conflict/drama from the ex. Recommended.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews