When We Collide

By: A. L. Jackson

Narrated by: J. Paul Guimont

Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

From the best-selling author of Pulled and Take This Regret comes a gripping new tale of loss and love.

William has spent six years running from his past and the last eight months trying to rid his mind of the dreams that increasingly haunt his nights. Trapped in a world of false ambitions and feigned affections, William knows he's reached a breaking point and something's going to give. Maggie had lived her entire life without hope until one man showed her what it meant to be loved. He'd been her light in a lifetime of darkness. Six years ago, that darkness stole him away. Without him, she's surrendered herself to an existence she doesn't know how to escape. When the family William left behind is struck by tragedy, he is called back to the one place he's sworn to never return to again. In a moment that will change his life forever, William comes face to face with the girl who, with one look, captured his heart. He is unable to ignore the buried desires and the hope for the future they'd once believed they'd have. Now William is ready to fight to take back what had been stolen from him six years before. But he never imagined what that fight might cost him. A. L. Jackson gives you an intimate look into the lives of a family bound by an unseen connection in this contemporary romance with a supernatural twist.

©2012 A.L. Jackson (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Just a Few Things that Woukd Make it Better

It was a very emotional story.
I love A. L Jacksons stories that are always full of angst, struggle, love, friendship and suspense.
Although Me Guimont did an admirable job with this story I think having the female character narrated by a woman would have made the story easier to listen to. I don't mind when a male narrator has bits and pieces of the female characters POV but when there are full monoluges and this story has 2 distinct POV throughout I find it more enjoyable to hear male and female voices. That's the one thing I'd change in this version of this emotional story.

Tender

Sweet, tortured love story. This was not one of my favorite AL books, but glad I listened to the entire book.

Probably a better read

Well, it started out pretty good. Man leaves his roots in MS for the excitement of LA; has a live-in girl he really can't stand but she's got influence in the company he works for. Hasn't been home in 6 years because someone broke his heart. Is called home for a family tragedy and sees 'the girl'. Told in the Points of View of both the male/female leads (William and Maggie) AND in retrospect (6 years back and present time), it is the struggle of these two to come to grips with how they got together in the first place as college aged young adults, the events that tore them apart, and the agonizing issues that continued to keep them apart when William returned 6 years later. There is a 'bad guy' involved who seems to perpetuate Maggie's life of pain and who is determined to keep her at all costs. Any more detail and you'd be spoiled. The story is a good one but my goodness, such angst and sadness on the part of both main characters almost broke me...not my heart but my patience. I found myself getting frustrated with the almost constant sadness and grief and crying and angst and on and on and on.

That being said, following the end of the book, there is a brief narrative discussion the rampant issue that is domestic violence and abuse against women. So, kudos to Ms Jackson for tackling it and offering numbers of support groups that help.

Now, to the main reason this book (for me, anyway) should have probably been read. Mr. Guimot had a wonderful delivery most of the book BUT his Mississippi voice was so reminiscent of Forrest Gump, I could hardly listen without hearing "RUN, FORREST, RUN!" Or when Forrest asked Jenny in that halting ALABAMA voice "Will you marry me?" I can criticize this because I am from and live in Mississippi and he did not nail our sound. And don't even get me started on his 'Maggie'...she sounded like such a hick, it was hard to muster any enthusiasm for her character. I struggled as it was since all she did was cry and plead and beg and hide, so the added insult of sounding like she fell off the turnip truck did my focus little good. The sound of the 'bad guy Troy' was a pretty good rendition of a badass southern boy. Most everyone else....not. Oddly enough, when reading the first person (and not dialogue), Mr. Guimot was terrific but once he vocalized that MS 'sound', all the steam went out of my attention.

So, listen with this in mind and you will find a tale of redemption...but be prepared to walk through a lot of pain to get there.

Amazing! I loved this book! It's an absolute must!

Amazing! I loved this book! It's an absolute must! I felt so deeply for these characters and what they went thru. the author paints a very vivid picture, better than an movie.

Amazed at how much I loved it

Oh, my AL Jackson! This is so good! I fell in love with Will. You did something so different with how you had the reader fall for him. It wasn;t that he was the alpha bad a** that most male povs give you, no, it was that you gave him more depth and more feeling than any other man I have ever read or heard narrated. Lovely, amazing, brilliant job!!

When they Collide!!!

What did you love best about When We Collide?

I liked the fact that there were two point of views. It might have been a little better if there were two narrators, but still good.

What did you like best about this story?

The love that the two main characters had for each other, even after being apart for so many years.

What about J. Paul Guimont’s performance did you like?

I thought he was just ok.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Light at the end of the tunnel

Any additional comments?

Very good book. It's not a make you feel good book. It deals with real life tragedies that happen way too often. It's very sad and at times made me feel very sick. I'm glad there are books out there like this for others that go through abuse or know someone that is going through it.

Darkly emotional, powerful, heart-wrenching

A beautiful story woven with characters whose voices will resonate for days after you've finishing it. When We Collide is a heart-wrenching tale of love lost, redemption, courage, strength and resilience. It builds and builds until it ignites into a gut wrenching and emotional ending that is heartbreaking and satisfying all at the same time. William instantly falls in love with Maggie, who comes from a less than desirable family life. But he can't help himself...when he see's an opportunity to get to know her, he takes it and their love blossoms. Insecurities and self-doubt being what they are, twist the logic of young Maggie and soon has her making a decision that leads her down the path she desperately wanted to get away from. The pain and regret in When We Collide is palpable, as well as the suffering. This book highlights the gut-wrenching horrors of abuse, second chances, building the strength to stand up for yourself and for your loved ones, and of the healing strength of love. Once again, the phenomenally talented AL Jackson brings us a gorgeously written, emotionally charged love story!

Okay they regret

Seriously he constantly berates himself for walking away and she always moaning and complaining that she made a bad choice Got it don't need to repeat it in every other page

Disappointing

I have enjoyed A.L. Jackson's books in the last but this was a huge disappointment. Weak relationship and the narration was horrible!! His child's voice was a joke and brought me right out of the story.

Disappointing

Oh how I hate to write a negative review and I love A.L. Jackson’s books but I couldn’t get through this one. The narration is terrible. It’s monotone and the Mississippi accents are horrendous. We don’t talk like that in Mississippi. I may try to read it instead of listen to it. This was the only released book of hers I had not read yet. If this is your first, go read her others.