2017 Nominee for Best Contemporary Romance-GOODREADSNamed one of the Top 10 hottest romance reads of 2017 by Huffington Post and New York Daily News!Music . . . the heart’s greatest librarian.The average song is three and a half minutes long; those three and a half minutes could lead to a slow blink, a glimpse of the past, or catapult the soul into heart-shattering nostalgia.At the height of my … heart-shattering nostalgia.
At the height of my career, I had the life I wanted, the life I’d always envisioned. I’d found my tempo, my rhythm. Then I received a phone call that left me off key.
You see, my favorite songs had a way of playing simultaneously. I was in love with one man’s beats and another’s lyrics. But when it came to the soundtrack of a life, how could anyone choose a favorite song? So, to erase any doubt, I ditched my first-class ticket and decided to take a drive, fixed on the rearview.
Two days.
One playlist.
And the long road home to the man who was waiting for me.
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3.5
Not your typical HEA
Loving two men. Trying to make the best choices, be happy and true to yourself. Not what I expected but a Good read
LOVED this book!!!
Where do I even start? Drive is an astonishingly heartbreaking, grand love story. At the heart of this story is the power of music, and it is potently meaningful and lasting. I really don’t know what else to say except that I am so grateful that I took this drive with these characters. I promise you this story is like nothing you’ve read before and Kate’s exceptional writing will leave you reeling in the best possible way. More than 5 stars needed for this book!
WOW! I’m so glad I finally read Drive by Kate Stewart. I kept putting it off because I wasn’t in the head space to read a book that I knew had the possibility to destroy my heart, but the time had come and I INSANELY OBSESSED! This book is EVERYTHING. It’s written with heart, passion, and honest to god REAL FEELINGS. Love is messy, we all know that, and instead of making this love story easy like many on the market today, Kate Stewart wrote it as RAW and INTENSE as it needed to be. I cannot commend her enough for this. It’s not easy to bring to life a story that has the possibility to ruin its readers, but this is THAT kind of book and Kate NAILED IT. Am I surprised? No. Kate has been known to write books like this and I know if I need something that moves me then she’s the lady to go to. Honestly, if you haven’t read this one and you are a die hard romance fan then you need to get this book RIGHT NOW and read it. I’m so jealous of those who got to read it when it first came out because they experienced the book in all it’s glory much sooner than me BUT I am also glad I read it later because I needed a book that would awaken my soul and this one did it.
Some may wonder if this is a love triangle and I don’t think the answer is simple. Stella’s story is so unique that it’s hard to shelve her book as a love triangle, or non-love triangle. For all intents and purposes, there WAS war in her heart for two men and SHE DID have a boyfriend at the time. However, there wasn’t any cheating, there wasn’t any love loss between anyone, and there certainly wasn’t any major fight to the finish. This book is a love triangle for that purpose ONLY. However, if you look at it like I do then you’d probably say that the “triangle” is so small in comparison to what’s happening with everyone’s feelings that it doesn’t feel like an authentic triangle. It’s a little hard to explain so I suggest readers take my advice and just read the book for themselves.
If you enjoy epic love stories that rip out your heart and make you feel all the feels then this is the book for you. I don’t know if there are many romance readers out there that haven’t read this book but if you are one of them then you need to remedy that quick! You’re sorely missing out if you haven’t!
Oh MAN!! This story had me in the edge of my seat right up to the end! Calling this story an epic slow-burn doesn’t even begin to describe it.
The love triangle between Stella, Reid, and Nate had my heart soaring and my blood pumping! The absolutely genuine and real connection between Stella & Reid and Stella & Nate had me rooting for both relationships! The combustion with Stella and her men was absolutely divine!
One of my favorite parts about this story was how it happened in flashback. I loved the transitions from present to past- they kept my mind actively looking for clues for how the story would end, but I still couldn’t determine the outcome!
Love, love, LOVE this story and see it as a re-read!
If you are one of those people that marks their life with music, than this book is for you. I’m not a huge fan of the love-triangle trope, but Kate Stewart did it beautifully in this book.
Wow, when I read this book, my heart squeezed several times for our rising music reporter, heroine, Stella, “broken” drumming Hero, Reid and our newspaper editor Hero, Nate. Two heroes? I’ll come back to that. The story is told from Stella’s point of view and starts in the present, but the majority is told through flashbacks. Stella’s relationship with Reid can be summed up as angsty, and her relationship with Nate was what picket fenced-dreams are based on. She shares a passion for music with Reid, and a passion for writing with Nate. The author and Stella keep us guessing until the very end on whose promise for forever she chooses.
You guys! THIS story! These characters! O.M.G… I am WRECKED. In the words of Pat Benatar, love is a battlefield and Kate Stewart played tug-of-war with heart! I don’t even know how I survived it. From the prologue up until the very end, my stomach was in knots and my heart ached. It ached SO bad! This authors writing is flawless, so you are completely consumed by her words. They wrap around you, squeeze you tight, and make you feel ALL the emotions. I was a mess. A complete mess! I could not stop reading. I could not stop crying! I could not walk away from Stella. I read until 3am and then stayed awake with a happy, broken heart. Now, the morning after, I have the worst book hanger with puffy eyes and all. This book was EPIC. Beyond epic! Definitely a new favorite. I just can’t stop replaying it all over again in my head. This may be the first book I ever reread. That’s how much I loved having my heart ripped out! If there is one book you read this year, Drive is it! A phenomenal read. A MUST READ!
Review by Lys
Kate Stewart has now solidified her place as one of my favorite authors. I loved her Underdog series so much that I am now going through her library of past releases because I can’t get enough.
And I LOVED Drive. Like, loved it so much that I couldn’t put it down. The day was so gorgeous and sunny but I had my head in a book – kids ignored and leftovers were served because I had to finish it!
This book tugged at so many of my heart strings, sometimes to the point where I was like, “Come on Kate!” because this was a love triangle romance – GAH!!
Writing the prologue for Drive was genius. It totally hooked me and had me trying to guess the outcome of this love story at every turn.
The heroine of the story, Stella, lived and breathed music. Her goal in life was to follow the music and write for the likes of Rolling Stone magazine. As she’s embarking on her path to meet this goal, she ends up meeting two men – Reid, the musician and Nate the newspaper man.
Now I for one find love triangle romances tough reads because I know there’s going to be some serious pain involved unless of the lovers is clearly the wrong choice. It’s not so black and white in Drive which is what I loved about this story, but it’s also what had me completely tied in knots!
If you are a lover of music as Stella is, can you truly have one favorite song? Can more than one song touch your heart, making you fall in love with it? If not, then how can you truly love only one man?
“You tell me he’s a good man, fine. I say I can be the better man.”
“You still want the fairytale, but it’s mine to give you, and I can’t give it to you if you’re with the wrong fucking prince.”
GAH! This book!
I honestly wouldn’t know if it’d be an amazing blessing or a curse to love more than one person at the same time. Stewart makes me contemplate this constantly in this book. Did I envy Stella as she had two AMAZING men who loved her or did I feel so, so sorry for her and the difficult decision she ultimately had to make?
I will say though, there were 2 instances in the book that finally sold me on the outcome of the romance, making me believe that the best decision was made.
This book also gives you a look into the music industry and starving artists trying to make it. It delves into personal transformation, family relationships and soulmates. My one hang up? Reid totally deserved a better best friend – just saying!
I fell hard for all of these characters and my heart is still recovering from the ride. I’m late to the party in reading this book but Kate Stewart has become such a favorite author of mine. I just wish she’d write a book on Lexi and Ben to complete this saga!
A must read for all romance book readers, especially those who love romance books featuring rock stars and those with love triangles. I’m adding this to my best rock star romance book list!
Check out this review and all my romance book reviews and romance book lists on my book blog, She Reads Romance Books: http://www.shereadsromancebooks.com
I have read so many amazing comments about this book and I have been looking forward to reading it. I went in blind and I’m so glad I did!! I could not put it down! It was simply beautiful and raw. My heart was all over the place not knowing how it was going to end. Superb writing.
This is also the first book I have read from this author and it will not be the last!!
Thank you I absolutely adored Drive!!!
Sweet Baby Jesus! This book was amazing. I am in love with all the main characters as each and every one ripped my heart out at least once. Even now, hours after finishing my heart still aches and tears…all the tears. This is not my first Kate Stewart book nor will it be my last and in every book there have been big emotions and lots of feels along with well crafted storylines, back stories and all the anguish of the big changes life throws at us. Drive is no different. The connection of the music and the playlist both underscores the themes of each chapter as well as proving Stella’s point that the music is what brings us together and keeps us whole. Highly recommend this read!!!
This book has been sitting on my Kindle for a very long time and it went on sale this week so I thought it was about time to finally dive into it. Not reading the back cover first, I went in blind. This story is about the soundtrack of life. Stella’s life. I could identify with this story because music takes me back to most of my greatest memories throughout life. At first I felt it was slow but I stuck with it and it paid off with a great reward! Stella our heroine is taking a road trip and each sone brings her to important moments that lead her to where she is now. The kicker is, we wind know where that is until she reaches her destination.
Buckle up and hold on, because Stellas is in the driver’s seat and we are in for a great ride. I loved this story so much. It is so different from a traditionally written book!
Kate Stewart at her Finest right here!
Loved this story and all of it’s twisted turns that made this Drive Unforgettable!
Love my 11:11 wish came true!
HEA
“I got hurt.” – These three little words broke me.
I was challenged to read three books that had been on my TBR list for awhile. Drive had been sitting on my iPad for a long time, the paperback is sitting on my shelf…but I hadn’t found the time to actually read it. Two taps on the fore head for me…what was I thinking? Drive had me so engaged in the storyline that I was unable put it down, I began reading and continued until I turned the last page. I also enjoyed listening to the playlist.
My heart beats to the sound of music, it’s my lifeline, it grounds me, so much truth. Music can change how we are emotionally, it can lift our mood, energise us or sooth our souls. I unashamedly sing loudly and out of tune as I sit behind the steering wheel, driving down the highway to whatever awaits me. All of the thoughts running through my head suddenly begin to make sense with each mile left behind me.
Stella was living on her sisters couch, dumped, jobless and with dreams of being a journalist. She was tenacious in her job hunt, refused to take no for an answer and was given probability. All she had to do was prove she could write two pieces to get her once in a lifetime opportunity. Her sisters best friend Reid was too hot to ignore, she was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. Her sister warned her to stay away, but she didn’t listen.
Reid was a drummer in an aspiring garage band. He’d been playing for years, it was his salvation from a home life he’d rather forget. He was carrying a lot of heavy baggage and he knew he had nothing to offer someone like Stella. Reid tried avoiding her but she kept on chipping away at his walls. Paige warmed him to stay away from her sister, he knew he should but he didn’t.
Austin Speak was a music magazine, Nate Butler gave her the chance of a lifetime to fulfil her dreams. He’d been watching and waiting from the sidelines, he wished she saw him the way he saw her. Nate was patient and kind and showed her a world she didn’t know existed. With his focus firmly on a growing business he forgot about putting his most treasured possession first. It may of been too late when he realised that chinks were appearing in his relationship, he should of been paying attention, but lost focus on the prize.
The age old adage comes to mind “if you love someone, set them free”
This is the first book I’ve read by Kate Stewart and it absolutely will not be the last (which is a good thing seeing as I own her entire collection in paperback after meeting her at a book signing).
DRIVE is a story that revolves around music, even the chapter headings are songs. Music carries the story along from beginning to end – and what a story it is. I was transfixed from the first moment. I actually started listening to this on Audible Escape, but wasn’t finding enough time in the car so had to finish it with the written word.
There is a lot to unpack in this story. It is about people growing and changing and evolving. It is about first love and hard decisions that change our lives. It is about peace – peace in one’s self.
I would absolutely recommend this book and must now find out if Lexi gets her tale told also.
5 stars
Have you ever been on top of the world then crashed and burned a few seconds later? That is what happened to Stella. She just made a big break in her career when she hears some upsetting news. One of the great loves of her life just got married. Stella needed music, space, and fresh air to mourn the loss of that previous relationship. So instead of taking a stuffy plane back home, she throws her bags into a car and drives.
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 of places. Take any song from the Rolodex of your life, and you can pin it to a memory.
Stella drives home, with her life’s playlist blasting, to the man of her dreams. He waits for her at home, hurting, because he knows she is mourning the loss of him. While on this road trip, Stella takes us back to where it all began. We, the readers, get to see her struggle through adulthood. We get to see her follow her dreams. We also get to see her fall in love with two totally different men and then choose one. I promise you that your heart with ache and hurt every step mile along the way.
In love with two worthy kings, and I was queen of the damned.
This is my first book by the lovely Kate Stewart. I can already tell that her and I are going to get along just fine. She managed to combined all of my favorite things, and my most hated thing, in one book. And you know what? It was perfect. It was so good that I wish I could go back and read it for the first time again. I would put myself through all those emotions again because it was worth it. I adore new adult, angst, and epic love stories. This was all that and more…
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.
Love triangles aren’t my thing. I feel like some authors use this instead of coming up with an actual conflict. By the end of the story, I hate the heroine for dragging two hearts through the mud. Sometimes, I even hate the heroes just putting up with it for so long. Luckily, Kate isn’t one of those authors. She does a wonderful job of balancing the trio. I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to spoil anyone, but it was done beautifully.
Speaking of spoilers, I managed to beat temptation and not ruin the book for myself. Aren’t y’all proud of me? I recommend reading this book when you can actually devote time to finishing it. That was my biggest problem. I started this book at the wrong time. I was spending time with family, shopping for Christmas, and hosting holiday events at work. And I am not even joking – I thought about this book the entire time I was away from it. I needed to know what happened. I needed to know who was waiting for Stella at the end of her joyride. I NEEDED TO KNOW. But I overcame it. I made it to the end and I was happy!
Kate, I know that this is a standalone but I wouldn’t mind a book about Ben and Lexi.
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“Drive” has been in my tbr pile for a while now and I’m glad I finally picked it up. I really really really liked this story. It is kind of amazing to be honest.
This is the first book I’ve read by Kate Stewart and I will definitely read more because I absolutely love her writing style.
I don’t want to include to much in this review so I don’t spoil the book for you. I loved going into it blindly, without any idea how the story would evolve. It’s worth it, I promise.
An added bonus is that “Drive” is intertwined with a music playlist. I recommend you to listen to it while you read. Almost every chapter is connected to it’s own song. I absolutely loved how well the music set the mood throughout the whole book. It’s an experience you don’t want to miss out on.
I how I love those angsty rock stars. I liked the premise of the book that Stella was remembering her past using a playlist of the songs that helped create it. We all have songs that transport us straight back to a particular place and time, and each chapter highlights a song that sets the mood for the chapter. Clever. The sexytimez were pretty much glossed over; not a lot of detail. The book was more about the characters and their romance rather than the steamy bedroom bits. This isn’t just a romance. This is a novel. A really great one at that.
A total roller coaster that will make you want to laugh cry and scream all at once. Prepare for the ride.
I’m not sure I have enough words to describe this book! I’m completely blown away by the story. I’m heartbroken and overjoyed at the same time! Even if I could say I predicted the ending it was still amazingly wonderful!! If you like romantic suspense you MUST read this! I cannot wait to read it again and again and again!!!!