Drive (The Bittersweet Symphony Duet)

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 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.’

The Bittersweet Symphony Duet* - SPOILER It's 3:30AM and I've just finished Reverse the second book of this series. I could not put this book down with the anxiety to know that everything was going to be OK. Only in the last chapters of the book I could finally breathe with the realisation that this love story was going to have the ending that it deserved. The rollercoaster of emotions I felt reading this book has brought me to tears once again while writing this thank you. Listening to the playlist once again remembering every chapter and every struggle and victory. I have not felt such feelings for so long while reading a book, the music also had a very big role in this journey. Being a music lover myself the carefulness of every chapter being accompanied by song made this all so beautiful to witness. I would have to say that my favourite part would have to be chapter 19 - The elevator. The music accompanying this chapter totally shattered me, bringing us into their intimate world and all that they are feeling while listening to the music and saying everything with just a look in their eyes. The spice in this book was also a whole other level, so intimate and beautiful, you could feel the connection between the two main characters, so well done. The duet as a whole was 5 stars one book cannot be read without the other. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5

This book is absolutely amazing. Never read a writer that can make you fall in love with two men at the same time. Not a RH. Just a heartwarming/ heartbreakingly beautiful story. The book also arrived in perfect condition. Wrapped and dust free

Wow, I'm kind of lost for words and full to the brim of thoughts and emotions after finishing this incredible story - I can honestly say it's one of the best books I've ever read. The way it's written, the characters I have fallen in love with throughout - Stella, Reid and Nate as well as several side characters, the best friends Ben and Lexi, the way it intertwines with the music. We see and feel the love and passion, pain and hurt, tough decisions and the heartbreak and loss of all three as Stella learns to accept that to be ultimately happy, sometimes you have to let go of it all and trust yourself and your dreams. Stella's heart felt journey unfolds to her play list, the songs that mean so much, bringing back the memories of the key times that shaped her life, as she drives the long route home to the man who will always be waiting, no matter what. “I want you to know I respect your decision. I hate being the bigger man because that means I . . .” He exhaled. “Lose you. But you have to know I never wanted to see those tears. I’m done hurting you.” “I know.” “I love you, always, no matter what. You need to know that.” Reid or Nate, Nate or Reid? Two beautiful men who would love forever. The soulful, talented rock star who's had to overcome so many demons to become the man he wants to be and knows Stella deserves, or the hardworking gorgeous writer who also overcame so much and gave Stella so many of her dreams. What a journey!! I had my hopes even though I knew I would hurt for the man she left behind, but I never knew for sure how this would end, how the music would play out, until it did. My tears fell for the last few chapters, but it ended with tears and smiles combined as mine, Stella, Reid and Nate's heart was put lovingly back together. Absolutely fantastic Kate Stewart, if I could give more than 5 stars I would. This book is going to remain strongly in my thoughts for a very long time.

It's undoubtedly one of the best books I've ever read. We live the story, we hear the songs, we feel the passion, the hurt, and everything.

A wonderful story so beautifully written. Have a Box of tissues ready.