Down Shift (Driven #8) by K. Bromberg Series: Driven #8
Published by Signet on October 4th 2016
Pages: 416
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The New York Times bestselling Driven series continues with a standalone story about finding love where you least expect it…
Behind the wheel, racing champion Zander Donavan is at the top of his game. But after too much excess in his personal life, he’s forced to step away. He needs to accomplish something all on his own—outside of his famous father’s shadow.
Getty Caster is running away from the abuse that clouds her past. She thinks she’s found the perfect escape—until she discovers a stranger in the beachside cottage she’d been promised. He’s undeniably sexy, but she’s there to heal. Alone.
Before long though, fighting with each other turns into fighting their attraction. And giving into desire sets off a chain reaction that has their pasts colliding. With an unexpected love on the line, can they overcome the fallout to build a future?
I’m a fan of the Driven series by K. Bromberg, and Down Shift makes a nice addition.
You’ve got two strong main characters, each of whom are at a crossroads in their lives. Zander is forced to face his past and evaluate his priorities when his reckless behavior puts him dangerously close crashing and burning. Getty needs to find independence and confidence after escaping an abusive past.
I enjoyed the progression of their relationship from reluctant roommates to friends to lovers. Zander and Getty are so good together. Their similarities and patience make them well balanced and perfectly suited to help each other heal. Their sex life isn’t too shabby either.
I did have one issue. The cause of Zander’s meltdown seems extremely overblown and disproportionate to his behavior. I expected some major revelation, but his main issue is really nothing a conversation early on couldn’t resolve. It’s a weak link plot-wise in an otherwise engaging and romantic story.
I listened to the audiobook, and while there’s nothing wrong with Maxine Mitchell’s narration, I didn’t care for Joe Arden. He sounds breathy, and by breathy I mean I could hear him loudly inhale after every sentence. Once I noticed it, I couldn’t help but be distracted by it for the rest of the audio. Admittedly, I’m difficult to please when it comes to narrators so take my opinion for what it’s worth.
About K. Bromberg
New York Times Bestselling author K. Bromberg writes contemporary romance novels that contain a mixture of sweet, emotional, a whole lot of sexy, and a little bit of real. She likes to write strong heroines and damaged heroes who we love to hate but can’t help to love.
A mom of three, she plots her novels in between school runs and soccer practices, more often than not with her laptop in tow and her mind scattered in too many different directions.
Since publishing her first book on a whim in 2013, Kristy has sold over one and a half million copies of her books across eighteen different countries and has landed on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists over thirty times. Her Driven trilogy (Driven, Fueled, and Crashed) is currently being adapted for film by the streaming platform, Passionflix, with the first movie (Driven) out now.
With her imagination always in overdrive, she is currently scheming, plotting, and swooning over her latest hero. You can find out more about him or chat with Kristy on any of her social media accounts.
Great review, Angela!