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Collide
Sometimes you have to shed the identity of who you think you should be to live your life. Sometimes that identity gets ripped right out from under you. Such is the story of Renee Cardone and Anna Maria Castrovinci, best friends since kindergarten. However, when they were fifteen, their friendship turned into something more. Even though their attraction felt genuine and pure, guilt from their Catholic upbringing hovered over them. Renee, intent on living a life acceptable to society, began to date Tom Del Fino, which broke Annie's heart. Renee and Tom married and built a respectable life together. They had a good marriage and two beautiful daughters. Then fate slapped them in the face and flipped Renee's life upside down.
219 pages, Paperback
First published June 14, 2010
885 people want to read
About the author
Maria V. Ciletti
10 books105 followersMaria V. Ciletti is a registered nurse working as a medical administrator in Niles, Ohio. Her new book, a self-help memoir titled, I Have to Leave You Now: A Survival Guide for Caregivers of Loved Ones with Alzheimer's Disease,is scheduled for release in September 2014 by Dragonfly Publications. Maria's first novel, The Choice, published by Harrignton Park Press, premiered May 1, 2007. Her subsequent romance novels, Clinical Distance (2009), Collide (2010) Entangled, (2011) as well as the sequel to The Choice and Clinical Distance, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? (2012)were published by Intaglio Publications. Maria also writes articles for practice management magazines. Her essay, The Softer Side of Medicine, has appeared in the April 2014 edition of Sinister Wisdom. She lives in Niles, Ohio with her partner, Rose."
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 15, 2015
Renee's life is set. She's married to Tom, has two girls, Lindsey and Sara, lives in the same town that she grew up in and has a good, solid life. Then, it all gets metaphorically blown to hell and flipped upside down and inside out. Most of the story takes place after that following Renee as she deals with everything that's thrown at her and her family. Some of it she deals with well, and some of it... not so well, but we the readers get to go on the whole crazy journey.
I liked the novel for the most part. This will probably come out wrong here (even though I've revised it a few times). But I really, really liked how flawed Renee was (i.e. more than once I wanted to slap her upside the head for some of the insensitive or stupid things she did or said). This-- not perfect-- part of the character made her seem very real. Sometimes in these romance/literature novels it's outside forces or whatever that gives the drama to the novel while the characters themselves are perfect in every way. And, that's not really how it works in real life, not to mention in those books the perfect characters can just get boring. Not quite knowing what was going to come out of Renee's mouth was definitely not boring.
I was also really surprised by one of the twists that happened. Totally didn't see it coming when I really should have, and that made the rest of the book exciting since I wasn't totally sure I know how the author would end the book.
I do have to comment that here and there in the narrative the prose seemed a bit square. But, then again there were other places that flowed so well that I could easily see it in my head.
Oh... and there was even a little fantasy in the narrative-- a full time job at a public library-- (sorry, bad joke. :))
All in all I liked the book. It was about an intense subject, but it was well done and there were some great light and funny parts in it too.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book from the author hoping that I would review and enjoy it, and, well, duh, it's a free book, of course I'm gonna read it an review it... (and enjoy it too) :)
I liked the novel for the most part. This will probably come out wrong here (even though I've revised it a few times). But I really, really liked how flawed Renee was (i.e. more than once I wanted to slap her upside the head for some of the insensitive or stupid things she did or said). This-- not perfect-- part of the character made her seem very real. Sometimes in these romance/literature novels it's outside forces or whatever that gives the drama to the novel while the characters themselves are perfect in every way. And, that's not really how it works in real life, not to mention in those books the perfect characters can just get boring. Not quite knowing what was going to come out of Renee's mouth was definitely not boring.
I was also really surprised by one of the twists that happened. Totally didn't see it coming when I really should have, and that made the rest of the book exciting since I wasn't totally sure I know how the author would end the book.
I do have to comment that here and there in the narrative the prose seemed a bit square. But, then again there were other places that flowed so well that I could easily see it in my head.
Oh... and there was even a little fantasy in the narrative-- a full time job at a public library-- (sorry, bad joke. :))
All in all I liked the book. It was about an intense subject, but it was well done and there were some great light and funny parts in it too.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book from the author hoping that I would review and enjoy it, and, well, duh, it's a free book, of course I'm gonna read it an review it... (and enjoy it too) :)
August 21, 2013
I recently received this book as part of the Goodreads First Reads. I have to admit that my expectations weren't very high because I have had a rather difficult time finding books about lesbians that I've actually enjoyed so I was pleasantly surprised with this one.
This book had me hooked within the first chapter because it could have been my own story. I understand exactly how Renee feels because I've been there. In fact, I'm still there now. The story of Renee, Annie and Tom is so similar to what I've imagined my future could be like that it's kind of scary. This book has caused me to look at myeslf more closely and to think if about if that is how I really want my story to be.
The reason I could only give this book four stars is because it was a little more graphic than I would have liked. I personally don't mind but I wish it had been a little less graphic because I would love to share this book with my mother and others in hopes that they might actually understand better but I hesitate to because of the couple of graphic scenes. Other than that, this book is fantastic. Definitely a must read for anyone looking for a lesbian romance!
This book had me hooked within the first chapter because it could have been my own story. I understand exactly how Renee feels because I've been there. In fact, I'm still there now. The story of Renee, Annie and Tom is so similar to what I've imagined my future could be like that it's kind of scary. This book has caused me to look at myeslf more closely and to think if about if that is how I really want my story to be.
The reason I could only give this book four stars is because it was a little more graphic than I would have liked. I personally don't mind but I wish it had been a little less graphic because I would love to share this book with my mother and others in hopes that they might actually understand better but I hesitate to because of the couple of graphic scenes. Other than that, this book is fantastic. Definitely a must read for anyone looking for a lesbian romance!
July 10, 2014
A pleasure to read; an encapturing story that addressed many real life issues about all the characters involved while providing a positive, moral backbone to the plot. I would especially recommend this book to anyone involved in a transitional period in life, Ciletti did a wonderful job capturing the confusion and typical fears and questions that occur in these situations. Great read!
Darcee Kraus
Mckinleyville, CA
http://www.etsy.com/shop/BlassGlass
Darcee Kraus
Mckinleyville, CA
http://www.etsy.com/shop/BlassGlass
February 1, 2014
I won a copy of COLLIDE through a Goodreads contest in exchange for my honest review.
Best friends since age 5, Renee and Annie begin a sexual relationship as teens. Besieged by catholic guilt, Renee begins dating Tom and marries him at nineteen, while Annie goes away to college and doesn't return. Twenty years later, Tom has died and Renee finds herself attracted to Dana who's also mourning the loss of her partner. Can Renee and her teenage daughters make a life with Dana, and whatever happened to Annie?
Finding good lesbian fiction, with the right amount of plot and romance is difficult, so I was excited when COLLIDE arrived in the mail. I like Maria Ciletti's easy, readable style of prose, and thought she did a great job making the dialogue flow realistically. I cared about Annie, Renee and Dana, though I would have liked seeing more depth to their personalities. I was surprised at some obsolete verbiage like "sexual preference". At times the pacing was slow, bogged down by extra scenes like an unnecessary car ride.
Bottom line, COLLIDE was interesting enough, but not a book I'll read again. I might check out other books by Ciletti at some point, if I can find them at bargain prices for my kindle.
Best friends since age 5, Renee and Annie begin a sexual relationship as teens. Besieged by catholic guilt, Renee begins dating Tom and marries him at nineteen, while Annie goes away to college and doesn't return. Twenty years later, Tom has died and Renee finds herself attracted to Dana who's also mourning the loss of her partner. Can Renee and her teenage daughters make a life with Dana, and whatever happened to Annie?
Finding good lesbian fiction, with the right amount of plot and romance is difficult, so I was excited when COLLIDE arrived in the mail. I like Maria Ciletti's easy, readable style of prose, and thought she did a great job making the dialogue flow realistically. I cared about Annie, Renee and Dana, though I would have liked seeing more depth to their personalities. I was surprised at some obsolete verbiage like "sexual preference". At times the pacing was slow, bogged down by extra scenes like an unnecessary car ride.
Bottom line, COLLIDE was interesting enough, but not a book I'll read again. I might check out other books by Ciletti at some point, if I can find them at bargain prices for my kindle.
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November 5, 2019I had a hard time putting it down.
May 15, 2012
Collide by Maria V. Ciletti is a story about 2 best friends who discover they have deeper feeling for each other than just friendship. Renee fearful of her families reactions and becoming an outcast turns away from her friendship with Anna and eventually marries Tom Del Fino. Tom dies and Renee leans on Dana, who also lost her partner a few years ago. With Tom's death, she must wrestle with the emotional turmoil denying her lesbian feelings have caused in her life.
Ciletti brings us this fictional story about the emotions one experiences when they discover they are gay and the effect it had on the family, friends and people around them. You can't help but feel for the characters internal struggles.
This copy was given to me by Goodreads First Reads and Maria Ciletti in exchange for an honest review.
Ciletti brings us this fictional story about the emotions one experiences when they discover they are gay and the effect it had on the family, friends and people around them. You can't help but feel for the characters internal struggles.
This copy was given to me by Goodreads First Reads and Maria Ciletti in exchange for an honest review.
June 13, 2012
Renee and Annie are best friends in high school, and behind closed doors more than friends. Annie is ready take the relationship to thenext level, but Renee is caught up in what other people would think. So she goes on living a normal life with a husband and kids. One day an unexpecting illness changes her life forever and puts her on a wholeother track and smack into Annie.
This book proves that the world is such a small world, and that fate works in mysterious ways. Some parts left me pleasantly surprised. All in all, it was great. I received this book in a giveaway, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes to read romance.
This book proves that the world is such a small world, and that fate works in mysterious ways. Some parts left me pleasantly surprised. All in all, it was great. I received this book in a giveaway, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes to read romance.
March 7, 2012
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. It's about two very close friends that separate after high school, one gets married and has two daughters, the other went to college and had a son. They finally find each other after one's husband dies and the other moves back to town with her son. This book deals with lesbianism and how people have different thoughts on the subject. I thought it was very well written and was very informative. I give this book 4 stars and would recommend it to others.
August 5, 2016
I won this book through the goodreads First Reads Contest.
The book arrived very quickly and I was very excited to read it. It met my expectations for being a captivating read and hooked me quickly. This book addresses real life issues and emotions and can easily trigger introspective evaluation for those who can relate to the characters. The dialogue is believable and their is enough momentum in the plot to keep readers engaged. Pacing varied, being a little slow at times, and I would have preferred a bit more depth to the characters. Overall, though, worth the read.
The book arrived very quickly and I was very excited to read it. It met my expectations for being a captivating read and hooked me quickly. This book addresses real life issues and emotions and can easily trigger introspective evaluation for those who can relate to the characters. The dialogue is believable and their is enough momentum in the plot to keep readers engaged. Pacing varied, being a little slow at times, and I would have preferred a bit more depth to the characters. Overall, though, worth the read.
August 6, 2014
Hmm, I'm honestly shocked by all of the glowing reviews for this book. Did I read the same thing? So much of this story is told in summary, without really "seeing" the characters naturally interact with each other or their chemistry develop. Instead the reader is just told there's chemistry. It's lazy writing. The characters aren't particularly inviting or interesting, and again their periods of growth and evolution fall flat due to the author's "stating" there has been a change versus seeing it evolve over the course of the story.
April 21, 2012
This is a very good book. it goes through teen lesbianism, the feeling of a lost loved one, and many other life changing experiences. i' not going to say any more because i don't want to spoil it for you.
August 12, 2013
Interesting story, but a bit unbelievable at times. I liked the evolution Renee went through.
*I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads*
*I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads*
September 17, 2017
I love the cycle of love that this story brings. It delves on fated love and supplies a romantic pathway...showing that at times there are those who create the pathways for love to flourish and that our fears are sometimes overhyped.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews