A tragic car accident changes Lisa’s life forever. Just not in the way she thinks. She believes it has left her scarred, infertile, and doomed to be childless and alone. But she keeps crossing paths with the green-eyed boy who pulled her from the wreck. Is it fate?

Meanwhile, James’s dream of being a surgeon was dashed after a skiing accident. He changes his planned career and falls in love with the beautiful and accomplished Jessica, even though he can’t forget the blue-eyed girl who waited with him for the rescue crew. When a tragic incident robs him of his new family, he believes he can’t bear to start anew. Or can he?

This is a slightly unusual romance, in that the two main characters don’t actually “meet” till almost halfway through the book. Their lives keep intertwining without them realizing it, and they think they are on the path to pursuing completely different goals and partners than the ones they are actually meant to end up with. The tension is mainly generated, not by the opposites-attract cliche you often encounter in romance novels, but by their random encounters in the first part of the book, and then their inner demons in the second half of the book. The problem is not that they have a fiery love-hate connection, but that they’re both overwhelmed with starting their careers, and they both feel too damaged to be part of a meaningful relationship after what’s happened to them, even though they’re obviously soul mates. Many romance fans will likely enjoy it, but should be aware that it’s a bit different from the standard plot.

“Lives Collide” straddles the line between romance and contemporary fiction/women’s fiction, and it’s a good, entertaining read. Although the plot is heavily reliant on coincidence, it works here, and many of the problems Lisa and James face, such as flaky partners, uncertainty about their futures, and the difficulty of carving out any time for a relationship or family while trying to get started in highly demanding professions, will resonant with many readers, especially those in their 20s and 30s. Definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for a romance story that’s a bit different.

Buy links: Barnes and Noble, Amazon