Reviewer: Lori Graham
Title: Colliding Forces
Author: Constance O’Day-Flannery
Publisher: A Tor Book, Published by Tom Doherty Associates
ISBN: 0-765-35102-1
Release Date: October 2005
Genre/Sub-genre: Paranormal Romance
Year/Setting: Contemporary, Philadelphia
Overall rating: 4.25
Sexual content rating: Sensual/Mild Sexual
Constance's Website:
www.constanceodayflannery.com
Deborah Stark is the evening anchor of a major television station in Philadelphia. Because of this, she isn’t given to flights of fancy. What she is given to is making a name for her and overcoming her childhood. Never again is she going to live in such a way people can taunt her. She is trying desperately to run away from her past to a place of security. The only down side on her horizon is her best, and really only friend, Maggie, has just gotten married. At the wedding, she meets Marcus Bocelli (who Maggie has warned her to stay away from) and after a brief night of forgetting her ambitions, Deborah wonders a bit about the future. This wondering is intensified when she receives word her mother has died and she realizes how alone she is in the world. Marcus is there for her during her grief, which surprises them both.
After trying to get back into the swing of normal life, Deborah is approached by one of the reporter/researchers for the station. Tom has stumbled onto a story the management of the station want him to stay away from. However, the more he is told to stay away, the more evidence falls into his lap. Initially, Deborah doesn’t buy into Tom’s conspiracy theories. That is until a "freak" (or was it) accident happens to Tom. Can she solve this dilemma and can she discover who Marcus really is and where he fits in her life?
Constance creates an incredible story of suspense, romance, thrills, spills and more. The scenes she fashions are vivid and close to reality. The characters have quite a bit of depth but are yet personal. The discussions of shape shifters and the foundation they work for are lifelike and have you thinking of the people around you in real life. The plot gives rise to real thoughts of conspiracy in today’s world. Quite a few people throw the term around but how often do we find out just how real it is. The plot line sure makes you wonder about it.
Deborah’s struggles in Colliding Forces are obstacles which we can all relate to. Having to overcome whatever was difficult from our childhood or early adulthood gets more difficult with each passing year. Having to adjust our goals for life takes great perseverance and strength especially when dealing with strong emotions such as grief.
I would highly recommend reading this book. The only thing I struggled with in Colliding Forces was the ending. I know most of the time we go into a book thinking the storyline will end with everything neatly tied up in a bow and we can take a deep sigh and know all is well with the world. While I don’t expect this scenario with every book, this particular story left a little bit too much unexplained or hanging at the end. I guess the good side is your mind can work overtime coming up with transitions all on its own and lets your imagination work with it. Colliding Forces is very well done over all and Constance O’Day-Flannery shows great talent as a writer.
Lori
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