Drive (The Bittersweet Symphony Duet)

OMG, this book. I don’t even know where to begin. I finished this book yesterday and I am still a jumble of emotions and I can’t stop thinking about it! Kate Stewart completely owned me with this book. Her writing is flawless, her characters are unforgettable, and her story is captivating and masterfully told. It’s such an incredible read, and I absolutely loved it! I’m admitting upfront that I was slightly terrified diving into this book because I knew it was an angsty love triangle story, and I usually avoid those. But with the announcement of a follow-up, second-general novel, Repeat, I knew it was time, and I just happened to be in the mood for a book like this, and God, I was so ready for it! Stella has just nailed the biggest win of her career, and she’s riding the well-deserved high when she receives a phone call with surprising news. It rocks her - big time - and she decides that rather than take her booked flight back home, she’ll drive, giving her some time to think. Over the course of Stella’s road trip, she thinks back on her life, and we see her story from when she moved to Texas as a passionate young music lover who is just starting out in her career, desperate to experience all the music that Austin has to offer, and become a music journalist. We follow Stella over the years as she follows her dream, finds her place, and meets two amazing men who both have a huge impact on her life. We get not one, but two love stories in this book as we watch Stella experience life, love, relationships, and above all, the music that is a part of her soul. It’s heartwrenching, dramatic and emotional, but it’s also witty, sexy and so entertaining. I adored Stella, I loved her journey, I love her passion for music and, like her, I fell completely for the two men in her life. Reid and Nate… *dreamy sigh*. Both very different men, but both right for Stella in their own ways. They love her so much, they teach her so much about herself and her relationships with both men are fun intense, passionate and full of chemistry. She, and I, fell completely for both of them, and I had no idea how it was all going to unfold, and no idea how I even wanted it to unfold, but it’s so clever as we experience her journey with her, not knowing until the very end how her story ends, and who she finds her happy ending with. Her story is real and raw, and I felt everything along with her. I laughed, I swooned, I celebrated, I fell in love and my heart broke and I cried multiple times. It’s real life, and there are hard moments, but Stella’s journey is truly beautiful and profound, and played out exactly the way it needed to. Along the way, we get to listen to Stella’s playlist from the past, and I strongly encourage you to pause your reading and listen to some of these songs, because it adds so much to the experience. I’ve been singing ‘Drive’ in my head non-stop since I finished this book, and I don’t think I’ll ever listen to it the same way again. So. Many. Feels now attached to it, and I love how certain songs take me right back to the feelings I had while reading particular scenes in this book. This is truly a wonderful reading experience. It’s one of those books you wish you could read for the first time all over again just to have that sense of wonder and anticipation again. I knew from the very beginning that it was going to be something special, and it absolutely was. This book is going down as an all-time favourite, I absolutely adored it. 6 massive stars! Note – I listened to this as an audiobook, narrated by Ava Erickson, and she does an incredible job with it. She brings Stella to life and tells the story with so much emotion, I definitely recommend listening to this one.

Drive is an emotional rollercoaster, raw, romantic, and unforgettable. Stella’s journey of love, music, and self-discovery is powerful and beautifully written. With perfectly timed angst, heart-stopping romance, and a love triangle that will tear you in two, this story grabs hold and doesn’t let go. Reid and Nate both left their mark, but it’s Stella who truly shines. A breathtaking, music-laced love story that will leave your heart aching in the best way.

‘Love doesn’t die, even when you stop feeding it. There is no expiration date on the ache of missing someone you shared your heart, life and body with.’ We didn’t come up for air, not even once, whilst we read Drive, it was absolutely everything we love in a rock star romance. The music element was superb and so passionately written with the chapter songs being spot on for drawing out every heartfelt emotion from us. This book became the air we breathed for every second, minute and hour we spent with it. It left us with achy exhausted hearts upon finishing, as if we’d run a marathon of emotions with hurdles thrown in to test our strength and emotional stamina. An epic slow burn romance of grand proportion which highlighted the inner most rawness found in humanity suffused in music. It was extraordinary, vividly astounding and so intensely passionate we feel as if our souls have been forever touched by Kate Stewart. There’s no doubt; this is our all-time favourite Kate Stewart book, her heart is unquestionably entwined in the pages; we felt its beat pounding as we read reaching an almighty crescendo. ‘I sometimes wished I had a foggy memory. That I couldn’t remember the details, the dates, the story. It was both my gift and my curse. And music was my navigation. I had followed the music my whole life. My guidance, my protection, my ammunition….music was loyal and stayed with me, my constant, my comfort and at times my enabler.’ Now, we have read copious rock star romances yet can only count on one hand those that stand out for nailing both the musical aspect as well as the romance, which is what we look for in this much loved genre. It’s usually one or the other that supersedes, rarely both. However, Drive managed to excel at both. The music and its poignancy, the struggling artist to stardom, the fragile romance in a fickle world of uncertainty and personal tragedies. It was all there. But not only was this aspect of Drive perfection, so were the all-encompassing characters. ‘I used to think I was cursed for having fallen in love with two men. But, in hindsight, I realized what a gift it was. They were my lovers, my teachers, my best friends, and I would love them both until I took my last breath.’ It is not often you find such depth and character growth in a standalone novel, however this Author had us believing in every single character, their back story, their hope, their dreams and the truth in their hearts. We felt and truly saw the turning of years in their actions, behaviours and emotions. The maturity and sustained love that grew in strength. ‘Heartache has the most annoying sound. It’s an echo. An echo of heartbeats stuck on a loop.’ Drive is a difficult read emotionally yet it’s also full of humour, heat and intense frustration. It’s a love story, a love story that had us agonising because such an all-encompassing love can come more than once but the truest soul mate kind of love is the most wondrous of them all. We fell in love with Stella, we watched her, followed her as she went through the years growing into a beautiful butterfly through soul searching self-discovery. She always had a joie de vivre with a dash of naivety, even under dire circumstances, yet she had an abundance of hope. She knew what she wanted, she knew the greatness in store for the people she loved. She lived life glass half full. Her passion being music, finding new talent and bringing that talent to the people through her writing. “I never forgot you, Stella. Not you, not us, not any of it.” Our hearts embraced Stella as we lived her journey alongside her whilst her heart fell in love with two very different but amazing self-sacrificing men in their own right, two men who stole our hearts too. Only one tortured and troubled man stole a piece of her soul as well as her heart, never to give it back. This is where we proclaim Drive to be an epic music love story; because it truly was. One where tears were shed for everyone involved, shivers were felt and hearts were broken and subsequently mended. It was a truly magnificent experience which pulls no punches and we loved every phenomenal moment of it. ‘Because music is the heart’s greatest librarian. A few notes had the ability to transport me back in time, and to the most painful places. Take any song from the Rolodex of your life and you can pin it to a memory. It translates, resonates, and there it will remain.’ We urge you to pick this book up and as you read, listen to the chapter songs. Your emotions will already be heightened from this Authors magnificent words alone –however- with the music they become overwhelmingly alive and take your heart and soul to a whole new unique and incredible place. Mind your hearts because you’re sure to lose them to Stella, Reid and Nate. ‘Look up, Stella.’

This soul crushing, heart stopping, mind blowing love story that took over my entire world for 18 hours yet will live on with me for all of my days. I already know that there is NOTHING that I can say in this review that will do this book or the characters justice! These characters and their story will embed itself into your soul right from the start. You will be helpless, you won't be able to stop the smile from reaching your face. Stella Emerson was a beautiful soul, a force to be reckoned with and I'll swear until the end of my days that every single thing she touched turned to gold. She had me in tears both from laughter and heartbreak but her free spirit and intense dedication to love will always be how I remember her. I won't talk about the guys because dang it Kate...how did you make me fall in love with two men in the span of 385 pages? Only thing I'll say is I couldn't even hate either of them...I think that's why it hurt so bad. In my mind, heart and soul there was no villain. I have so much to say and at the same time I don't know what to say that will convey how devastatingly brilliant this book was. Drive has been on my TBR for over two years!!!! I was 100% sure that I was going to read it, so confident that I bought the paperback last year! I've read so many of Kate's books both before and during that time but this one I kept sliding to the side because to be honest, I was scared. If you follow me at all you know I live for emotional books but I'd been told by many that this book was going to wreck my world. THEY WERE RIGHT!! But I really do regret waiting so long to read it! If I could go back, knowing then what I know now I wouldn't have hesitated for even a split second. I would have binged this book so fast! THE PLAYLIST!!! I LOVE BOOK PLAYLISTS! When done right, they are just a fantastic companion to a great book. Listening to the Drive playlist in between reading the book doesn't just complete it, but also turned this into an extraordinary reading experience!!! One that is so memorable that years from now I'll be driving... listening to music and one of THOSE SONGS will come on....then everything will just play back right inside my mind. I know I'll be utterly helpless to the emotions that accompany the memories that Kate Stewart has stitched to these songs! And when that day comes...every time it happens; I am absolutely positive that I'll end up in tears because at this moment I can't ever imagine a time when their pain and love won't still feel fresh! But then I'll smile because at the end of the day it'll remind me of one of the most beautiful love stories and some of the most incredible characters I've ever read! My recommendation is to not leave 2021 (or whatever year it currently is) with this book on your TBR or unread. I've read a lot of KS books and this is the 4th book that THIS author has on my FOREVER FAVORITES shelf. That shelf is a very exclusive list that I am very particular about what goes on it! Only the unforgettable and most beautiful stories go on that shelf. If you've never read Kate Stewart, go do it now!! I am telling you now, Kate is an absolute treasure in this book world and she is an author that you absolutely do NOT want to sleep on!

Drive by Kate Stewart 5 stars!!! “You have to wait one minute past desperation...” To be honest, 5 stars is not enough for this book. Out of the thousands and thousands of books I have read I have two all-time favourites that I recommend to anyone who will listen. These two books have been on that list for a long time with no stand out books that have deserved to match them…until now. I have read this book three times already, three times this book has destroyed me and each time of reading, despite knowing what is coming, it hurt just as much as the first. That is testament to this authors innate ability to master emotion. With a Kate Stewart read you experience everything, she immerses you into the lives of her characters so naturally and absolutely that when they hurt, you hurt. You take her characters into your heart and soul, you live and breathe their love, their pain, their highs and their lows, they smile you smile, they love you love. I experienced this like life itself, it felt real, and despite the many highs, the lows hurt like a beetch. “You can’t go beating up everyone that pisses you off. Use your words, I promise you they are much better weapons. But be careful with them because bruises heal.” For me, this was one of those EPIC reads. One of those reads that you will remember for a lifetime, a book that I will read time and time again and one that will never age. I know I am harping on about the tears I spilled, but for me, emotion is everything. I am an emotional reader, I have to live and breathe a book to truly connect with the characters and when a book truly destroys me, the way that this book did, it deserves ALL the PRAISE. I am trying to convey just how special this book was. This book is one of my unicorns, I am now the proud owner of three. “Even in hindsight, with all your mistakes disappearing in the distance, the things you got right are right alongside them. I’d made the mistake in only looking for the hurt…” Drive is an epic journey of self-discovery, life lessons, love lessons and everything else in between. Music plays a huge part in this book, for all the characters, and if you experience this book the interactive way, by clicking on the music link on each chapter heading you will only fall deeper into the Kate Stewart abyss and truly experience this book heart, mind, body and soul. The balance and flow of this book was PERFECT. Angst in spades, but more importantly heat and passion, laughs, a lot of love and that all-encompassing emotion. “Welcome to adulthood…It effing sucks here.” This book was captivating from start to finish as you live Stella’s life as she tries to find her place in the world. We start in the present but Kate Stewart soon takes us back to how Stella, became Stella. Stella was a journalist and her specialty was music. Her father in particular had born her love of music and music was her blood, her life line, her de-stress, her true love. Stella wasn’t Stella without her music. Along her travels, making her mark and discovering new talent we also follow Stella’s love life which is full of highs and lows and this is where Kate Stewart comes into her own. Kate Stewart always writes fantastic hero’s and with Drive there is more than one to choose from and I dare anybody not to fall in love with them both. This is not a love triangle per se, there is no cheating, just one heck of an all-encompassing love story, that will have your heart beating a mile minute, the tears plentiful and the highs far outweighing the lows. “When it came to the men in my life, my emotions were my kryptonite, and so was my indecision.” Stella was an amazing heroine, it is rare for me to love a heroine as much as the hero but with Stella she wore her heart on her sleeve, she was an open book, opinionated, sassy but vulnerable with her charming personality a mask for the naïve and fearful woman underneath. As this book progresses though you witness Stella’s metamorphosis to the strong, independent, yet still extremely lovable woman she becomes. Her journey was tough and hard fought, there were no winners and losers, Kate Stewart brought this book to a close perfectly. “Because music is the heart’s greatest librarian. A few notes had the ability to transport me back in time, and to the most painful places.” As I said above, this is more than a book, it is an experience, like a movie that you are watching in glorious technicolour. It will infuriate you, it will make you laugh, it will make you cry, but at the end, even though you will be physically and emotionally exhausted you can only look back in stunned silence and wonder what the hell you had just read. This is by far my favourite Kate Stewart book. This author truly outdid herself with one hell of a memorable book, one that as I said before I will read time and time again. This is a slow burn, as Kate Stewart sets the scene, but once this book comes into its own around the 40% mark there is no going back. Captivating and unputdownable this is definitely a book you should read with a glass of wine, a huge bar of chocolate and a box of Kleenex, especially if you are a soft sap like me. “Money used to be the whole effing problem and now it can’t solve anything.” I could harp on about this book forever, but then it will just be boring, so all I am going to say is READ IT. Experience this as the author intended, go in blind and live, breathe and feel this book, it is truly AMAZING!! “I used to think I was cursed for having fallen in love with two men. But, in hindsight, I realized what a gift it was. They were my lovers, my teachers, my best friends, and I would love them both until I took my last breath.”

SO, the Ravenhood series is my all-time favorite. No series comes close to the emotional roller coaster, nor to the amount of time (months) to get over the heartbreak and eventual joy of it. So, I am coming to Drive with a sense of love for its author. It was a solid 4 stars for me. I can see places where it could almost have been similar to Ravenhood, but got a little disjointed before achieving it. I feel like this book was instrumental in laying the foundation for future series that are more fleshed out. Again, overall very enjoyable, and I am immediately going into Reverse next.

Reviewed by Sharon Thérèse Seeing that Drive had been highly recommended to me by my book buddies, I succumbed to one-clicking and to be quite honest, had no regrets whatsoever. But more important, they knew this standalone novel would get me out of the horrendous book slump I was in. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I must confess that I had no wish to put pen to paper! What. A. Shocker! Now then; there are two reasons. Firstly, I don’t do rock star romances. I have in the past and as they’ve never grabbed me, I truly didn’t know what to expect from this one. Secondly, I just wanted to sit back and enjoy the book and make no notes. Saying that, I couldn’t help but highlight more than one heart-wrenching passage. The beginning of this book was a cruel tease to put it mildly, and having been previously warned to brace myself, to put my big girl panties on, helped little. This complex love story is executed in such a way that it was like going on an unforeseen journey overflowing with emotions...Thoughtfully played out on the author’s part, her canny narrative kept me on tenterhooks throughout the book which in itself, is highly commendable and get this, literally knocked me for six! “I want you in a million different ways, but when you look at me like that, all I can think of is one.” Stella is my perfect heroine. So damn sassy, so loud-mouthed, nosey and so blinkin’ unpretentious—whose ambitions were to become a music journalist, managed to weave her very being under my skin at the drop of a hat. She made me gasp, cry and shout out aloud explicits that weren’t actually due... You have to get to know this gal knocking on 20ish to appreciate her stance and even when the tough gets going, her positive attitude reflects on how strong she is, her ‘drive’. “I can’t believe you’re giving up. If you could only for one second, see what I see. Just believe in me,” I wasn’t the only one to battle alongside Reid, a struggling but brilliant drummer. His bestie who was too close to home for my liking, happens to be Stella’s older sister and only she and another true friend really knew what he was going through. Consequently, Paige’s protective actions had such a devastating effect that I could have bashed her on the head with my Kindle. Of course, the cat isn’t let out of the bag until well into the story which made the constant angst unbearable. ‘I existed before Reid, lived through loving him, and was left to exist again while knowing what living felt like.’ However unfair true love can be, both Nate and Reid showed me that if you fight enough for it, it is in your grasp. Love is enough for healing, it’s enough waiting for, it’s irrational and difficult to control. Also, the past influences when it catches up, memories are hard to live with and can too easily break up a relationship. My feeling were totally divided...if I wanted Nate to win Stella’s undying affection, I thought Reid deserved her just as much. All these points are extremely well conveyed...not always logical as is in the ways of the heart, but made me see our feelings are indeed on par with the opposite sex. I adored Nate’s patience. Winning Stella over was like listening to a game of verbal foreplay, their tooing and froing a pleasure to read. Never mincing words, Nate new what he wanted from word go. Then again, however detached Reid seemed to be, Stella’s encouragement silently brought out the best in him. So how on earth this gorgeous gal get herself into such a love-pickle is for you guys to find out! ‘What was it about a woman’s psyche that refuses to let us ignore the old aches, the ancient pains, and the memories of the men we bind ourselves to?’ Flipping the pages at a ridiculous speed didn’t sate my need to find out would happen, what was on the cards for these three beautiful people. I was even tempted to take a peek at the ending. Thank goodness I didn’t cave in and kept on reading! Reid I had to learn to love, Nate I fell madly for since he could do no wrong. I loved the story's timespan and the spot on secondary character development didn't just transport me into their lives, each and everyone of them drove home the influence music has on us. Stella’s bestie’s always in the foreground even when there are miles between them, the band and family members with all their traits, were essential to the making of an unforgettable read. I was bowled over by the interactive playlist that you just have to listen to. The author’s taste in music is fabulously eclectic...loved how she melded the songs into the scenes! What more can I say without spoiling this second chance romance for you! Ms Stewart, thank you for swaying my opinion regarding rock star romances. BRAVO!

****Quote Spoilers**** Rating 10/5 🔥🔥/5 "It was always the music that hurt me most. It did the most damage." I decided to do a reread in honor of Reverse coming out next week, and damn I wasn’t prepared to be wrecked all over again. Seldom do I find books that resonate with the deepest parts of my soul. Where the connection is all-consuming enough that it completely takes over my life. Every time I have read this story, it has been everything that I needed. There were times when I needed the rawness of heartbreak. Other times, I needed to believe in genuine love. No matter what it was, this story always delivered; it’s one of my comfort reads. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Kate Stewart can do no wrong in my eyes. I’ve never had an author have such a strong chokehold on my mental stability as the Queen herself. I absolutely love her writing style. "If I’m not what you need, then go find it. I bared myself to you, and you didn’t have the decency to fall in love with me. I probably will hate you. I fell for you, scared, but I did it anyway. " When I say this story annihilated my will to live lol I mean that. I have read this book a few times now, and I also have the audio version, and every time I read it, it chips at my heart. The story is complete perfection. It’s raw and beautiful. It may not be the story you want, but it’s the story you NEED. I wanted so badly to be team Nate! In any logical setting, he is the clear choice. He has flaws, of course, but he’s almost perfection. However, love isn’t logical. It’s complicated and rash and often misguided. In the same breath, Reid isn’t the obvious and right choice, but then he also is. Reid is everything you want but shouldn’t. He’s passion and fire. He is the wish you make that doesn’t always come true, but when and if it does, it’s explosive. It’s not always everything you wished it would be, but it’s everything you need. "Reid?" "Yes, Grenade?" It was another blow to the chest, but I could still feel his smile. "Tell me that life magically starts to happen." "One minute past desperation, baby." I promise. I’m living proof. "Believe me, Stella. " "Okay." "I love you," he whispered before he hung up. Despite wanting Reid and Stella to end up together, I will never stop wanting the best for Nate. He will always deserve better! He was willing to give Stella the world, but unfortunately, he was just a little too late. The story starts with Nate getting married, and truly, all I can hope is that his new love story is all-consuming. He deserves the world. "I want to split a paper with you over breakfast. I want to find out what your favorite movie is. I want to know everything about you, and despite my best efforts, you’ve given me less than shit. I want you in a million different ways, but when you look at me like that, all I can think of is one. " I went into this story blind and I am so grateful I did. Although I wouldn’t say I always gravitate to the love triangle trope, but this one is written beautifully. It makes your heart break in the best way. I will never not recommend this book. Please give it a read. You will fall head over heels for these characters! "I couldn’t make promises then, Stella. I had nothing—less than nothing—and inside I felt like I was constantly on the spin cycle. I couldn’t stop spiraling. I couldn’t tell you this then. You were scared enough just starting out, and I was so damn desperate.”