Cassie Griffin always believed she could have it all —a successful career, a loving marriage, and someday, a family. As Cassie inches closer to achieving her dreams, the pressure becomes unbearable, until a near-miss accident shakes her to her core. Readers who enjoy journeys of self-discovery and second-chance romances will devour A Collision with Love by Tricia T. LaRochelle, an all-new standalone, contemporary romance.
Cassie Griffin has always believed she could have it all—a successful career, a loving marriage, and someday, a family. But as she inches closer to becoming senior partner at her law firm, the pressure to start a family with her husband, Daniel, begins to weigh heavily on her shoulders. Daniel is ready to dive into parenthood, while Cassie feels the clock ticking on her dreams of professional success.
When a near-miss accident shakes Cassie to her core, the cracks in her marriage deepen. Torn between her ambitions and the love of her life, Cassie is forced to confront the possibility that achieving one dream may mean losing another.
Set in the bustling heart of Richmond, Virginia, A Collision with Love is a poignant story of the delicate balance between career and family, and the difficult choices that come with pursuing your dreams. As Cassie’s world teeters on the brink, she must decide what truly matters—and whether it’s possible to have it all without losing everything.
Excerpt
Copyright 2025, Tricia T. LaRochelle
I moved to the edge of the loveseat. “I need to get back to work.”
His long, wavy hair pulled back into ponytail, Daniel placed both hands against his head in exasperation. “No fucking way are you rushing back to work.” He glared at me, his eyes filled with outrage and fear. “Are you trying to kill yourself?”
Tears threatened to spill, my throat thick with anguish. “But Isabella—”
“I don’t give a flying fuck what Isabella told you or wants.” He grabbed my shoulders as though to jar me. “Look, I love you, but I refuse to watch you kill yourself for that place. You’ve given them seven-and-a-half years of your life. And what have they done to show their appreciation? Your office is a closet. You’re still working around the clock. And all they can do is dangle senior partner in front of your face, so you’ll keep busting your ass for them.” He tightened his jaw, his eyes glassing over as emotion battled against his anger.
I could see it. He cared so much it hurt.
I dropped my face into my hands. “I don’t know what to do. I need to finish this job for her. After that, I can come help you.” I felt like a child and about as powerless as one. “Please, Daniel. I need to make senior partner. Then everything will be good again. I can take care of us.”
He released his grip on me, his forearms rested on his thighs. “Cassie. It’s not your responsibility to take care of us. We can do that together. Why do you put this solely on your shoulders? Don’t you see? Life is passing you by. When are you going wake up? How long are you gonna wait for that promotion that may never come? They announced the partnership a year ago. It’s bullshit.” He wrapped his arms around my shoulders, pulling me close.
And that was when I lost it. Tears ran down my cheeks as though the dam had broken. And it had. I wept for this trap of an existence I had confined myself to. I wept for the constant struggle that refused to relent. And I wept for the uncertainty of what was to come.
My intentions were pure. I only wanted what was best for both of us.
My mother’s voice rang in my ears. “You are the only one of us, Cass boo, who finished college. And we never thought we’d have a lawyer for a daughter. Your father and I are so proud of you.” Her eyes, a paler shade of green than mine, grew distant. “I wish I had . . .” Pursing her lips, she stopped herself from revealing something that had obviously weighed heavily on her heart. Suddenly, she reset herself, her shoulders back and her resolve strong. “Promise me you will never compromise your principals or your ambition for anyone. You deserve to follow your dreams. All the way to the end of that rainbow.” She had pulled me into her embrace, the scent of rose petals lingering on her skin from her perfume. “Just remember. No one can make your dreams come true but you.” It was the only time she’d ever said this to me. And it was the only time she had to.
Oh, Mom. Why does everything have to be so hard?
About Tricia T. LaRochelle
Since she was a little girl, award-winning author Tricia T. LaRochelle has been obsessed with tragic love stories. No beach reads for her. Bring on the grit with a double side of turmoil. She likes to feel the character’s anguish as they fight to overcome obstacles to be together. Growing up in central Vermont, she has seen her share of tragedy but remains a hopeful romantic. She now lives in central Virginia, where she continues to foster the possibilities of how love can conquer all.
Flickering Heart, part of her Sara Browne series, won a Gold Medal in the 2023 Readers’ Favorite Contest for New Adult and was a first-place winner in the 2022 Incipere Awards for romance. Revive received an Honorable Mention in the 2022 Incipere Awards for romance in the same series. Her stand-alone contemporary, Sun in My Heart, won second place in the 2024 Bookfest Awards for Romance-Contemporary Romance-New Adult and a Bronze Medal in the 2024 Readers’ Favorite Contest for New Adult Fiction. Her next installment in the Sara Browne Series, Bleeding Heart – A Holiday Romance launches December, 3rd 2024.
Subscribe to her newsletter at tricialarochelle.com and receive updates and opportunities to win prizes or follow her on X, Threads, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or Pinterest.
Follow: Website | Facebook | TikTok | Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads |Goodreads | Pinterest | Newsletter
Pepper Winters is a NYT and USA Today International Bestseller. She wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero, the better, and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex… her books have sex.
onceuponabookblog.com 