Down Shift (A Driven Novel)

"Everyone's churning ocean is fueled by a different type of storm." HOLY GOD!!! This book has me gasping at the very first chapter - what an intense introduction to Zander’s life (hint - an interaction between Zander and his father Colton). It was the perfect set up for the rest of an incredible novel. I am a huge fan of K. Bromberg and I expect nothing less from her – a gorgeous, emotional love story of Zander and Getty. This book took my breath away from beginning until the end. You DO NOT want to miss this guys. This book is a standalone but if you follow the Driven series you know that Zander was adopted when he was quite young. Zander had a very unfortunate childhood in an abusive household. He went to an orphanage and eventually was adopted by the great race car driver Colton and his beautiful wife Rylee. Now at the age of 26, Zander himself is a popular race driver well on his way to greatness. But Zander’s life quickly spirals out of control when a mysterious box from his deceased mother arrived at his door steps. Zander cannot deal with what he had found out about his past. He dives into reckless drinking – as a result loses his family and his career. A few months later, Zander moves to a small island, attempting to clear his mind and right his wrongs in order to redeem himself and win back his life. There he meets Getty. Getty is running away from an abusive past. She wants to start fresh, rebuild her life and for the first time be independent of everyone. The last thing she needs is a sexy, moody, complicated, arrogant Zander for a roommate. The first meeting had me rolling on the floor laughing so hard I might have peed my pants. It was seriously hilarious. The two were forced to live together and so the journey begins… "I can't knowingly walk you into my storm without showing you where the lighthouse is so you have a way out before you even begin." The relationship between Zander and Getty is complicated. Zander is stubborn and infuriating but with a such kind heart. Getty is such a sweetheart, beautiful but broken and scarred seemingly beyond repair. They hate each other at first. Neither are looking for a relationship but slowly they become friends and eventually can’t fight the attraction they have for each other. What I love most is how the relationship progresses. Love does not come easy for either of them. The two main characters are so broken, flawed, and full of demons. They have suffered so much turmoil and heart break in their lives that it is difficult to open their hearts and trust someone new. They have to fight for each other every step of the way and I think that’s what makes their love strong, real, and everlasting. This book is everything you could ask for – fun, laugh out loud moments, sexy, angsty, heart- warming and absolutely well-written. From the very beginning the writing captivated me right away and did not stop until I finished. Most people wonder how I can say I read a book in one sitting … but let me tell you, once I find a book that has me at the first chapter I will have no problem staying up all night. Down Shift is THAT book!!! Captivating, fun, adorable characters, emotional, steamy - all balled up in unquestionably fantastic writing. What an AMAZING READ! "Just jump" guys! ONE-CLICK this one – you will not be disappointed. PS: I would like to quickly mention that I love Colton in Driven but I absolutely ADORE the older version of him in this book - wise, caring, and full of love and tender for the people closest to him. I think that make him sexier than ever! I have to go back and do a reread :) I received this ARC from NG in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to the author and publisher.

My very first K. Bromberg book has left me completely astounded. These characters, their stories, their development over the course of the book is enthralling and beautiful, truly the epitome of romance. The main characters in this book are phenomenal, wonderful, and some of my favorites. Zander is troubled by his past, and the book opens with him losing control, and the reader's heart breaks for the turmoil he is in. But at his core, he is kind and compassionate and gentle. His care of Getty throughout the book gives the reader no choice but to fall in love with him, too. Getty stole the show for me. Her strength, her determination, and the fortitude this character possesses is unreal. By the end of this book, K. Bromberg has created a character that encapsulates everything I love in a heroine, and to watch her growth as a character is rewarding. These characters will pull at your heartstrings from page one. Both Zander and Getty are running, from different pasts, but running nonetheless. From the beginning, the characterization created by the author has the reader empathizing with the plight of the characters and wanting them to heal, to chase away their demons, and to be happy. This plot will have you sitting at the edge of your seat with its perfectly blended suspense and romance. Knowing some inevitable plot developments will occur does not in any way detract from the story. It only added to my anticipation. I waited with baited breathe for the confrontations, and even though these confrontations lead to intense scenes that not only develop the story but also the characters and their relationship, their romance still takes center stage. Their story and their relationship becomes a prime example of what love can do: heal, nurture, strengthen, and empower. I am officially a K. Bromberg fan! This story was moving and beautiful, and the resounding themes of this book spoke to me. I loved every single minute of this book, and I cannot wait to devour her next publication. ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

I hadn't read anything by K. Bromberg before this but I still got lucky with getting my hands on this one! After reading this, I promptly went and bought three more books from Bromberg (knowing very well that my TBR is already 7 miles) because I couldn't stop myself! This book in one sentence: A story of two broken hearts that fit together perfectly that I'd read again any day! I'm not exactly sure what I was expecting going into this one! I saw this one around a lot on Instagram and such and rest assure, I definitely finished this one as fast as I could read it! Life has been very busy for me lately and every time I'm turning around there's so much to do and then even more to do! With that said, I read this one as often as I could and every single time I picked it up I got lost in the story! There's just this trance that Bromberg put me in with this one and there's so many reasons why! The characters were my favorite part! I loved them both so much and they were both so interestingly unique. Both Zander and Getty had a past and their pasts have shaped them into who they were. By chance, they both end up staying at a mutual friend's guest house and neither of them are all too happy about being stuck together at first. Neither of them expect it but as time went on, walls came down for both of them and their chemistry was undeniable. Both of them were fighting their own demons but after a while, they stop fighting each other and came together in ways they never imagined! Because I enjoyed the characters so much, I enjoyed the story immensely!! It was very smooth and steady and overall completely enjoyable! I like for my stories to develop slowly and to fall in love everything as it unravels and this story did just that! I was hooked from the jump and as I kept reading I only wanted more. Everything came full circle and eventually I wasn't able to read fast enough!! This story was definitely an emotional rollercoaster and also a whirlwind. It was incredibly steamy, swoon worthy, and hearteye inducing! Many people have said that Zander is a loved character within the Driven series and this book has obviously made me want to start this series from the beginning! With that said, this book is a complete standalone and is a great start for me into this series! This is definitely one people should pick up!

DOWN SHIFT will knock the socks off of you !!!!!! "His love roared louder than the demons" OMG!!!!!!! I will try to be coherent here since I literally just finished the book and my mind is still racing all over the place. Bravo!! K. Bromberg for keeping to your excellent standard of story telling. Never do you falter!! Your books have become my water !!! Zander is the adoptive son of Colton and Rylee Donovan. He is the child we grew to love in the Driven Series books 1-3. He is now an adult and races cars along side Colton. With the pain of his childhood coming back to haunt him, Zander's anger pushes him to make some bad decisions. Being wisely told it is time for the caution flag, he decides it is time be alone and figure out what is making him spin out of control. "Everyone's churning ocean is fueled by a different type of storm." Getty has lived her life under someone's thumb. Finally breaking free from the control of a cold father and a loveless marriage , Getty is trying to find a way to take her life back. Small steps at a time... until she meets Zander. . Will he teach her how to JUMP? " Without knowing anything else about him, I already know he'd be worth the hurt" As always Kristy Bromberg's characters come to life and get into your soul. They are so real , so raw and so damn loveable. Getty has become my hero, She is so full of fear yet she faces it and takes leaps of faith that only a super hero would understand. Zander challenges her and yet handles her with such beautiful finesse that you can forget he has his own demons to slay. Zander is such a wonderful mixture of Colton and Rylee, sensitive and sweet but rough and no nonsense. Perfection!! "Thank you for making me want to be found again." Together Getty and Zander become each other's reason to move forward. They are each other's water, but what happens when it is time to move forward? They came together by mistake but is staying together a bigger mistake? Can Zander mend the fences (or decks) he broke along his path of destruction? When Zander returns to the racing circuit will Getty's new found strength be questioned by her trust issues? Will they continue to jump together ?? Epilogues are a funny thing...you cannot wait to see into these fabulous character's future but then you know it means the end is near. DAMN. A Kristy Bromberg book does this thing to you that makes you so confused. You race through the pages because they are so awesome but then you throw on the brakes knowing if you go too fast the race will end too soon. I hate the epilogue and freaking adore it...see .... crazy !!! SO now I am off to my therapist to discuss this issue...thanks Kristy !!! PS... Those worried there won't be enough Colton and Rylee in this book...tsk tsk!! You will love the conversations they have with Zander through laughter and tears...all I am saying is ...just jump !!!

K. Bromberg is literary genius! I will still stand by that I will read ANYTHING that she puts on paper, because I know that I will never be disappointed...side note, I need everyone to listen to Tamia "Me" while they are reading this book, because that is Getty's theme song..okay on to the review... Zander has grown up right before my eyes, taking some of Colton's personalities and and insecurites, but totally becoming his own man. I loved that their was a blend of his past to help us understand him in this future. Zander was easily liked and loved and I was rooting for him in the beginning. The scenes with him and Colton made my heart race, but I could distinctly hear their voices, this little boy as a grown man that wanted his acceptance and this much more open Colton that loved fiercely. I loved how open they were with each other and I loved that Zander was able to just love without being tainted from him past. Zander's demons came hard and fast and I just knew he was going to really mess things up, especially when he lashed out, but then Getty showed up. I really liked Getty and I believe that she represented what we don't think about often...that there are bigger demons than physical abuse, but emotional abuse leaves scars that attack your soul and they are the hardest to heal. You get in a persons mind and make them believe something about themselves...those are demons. It was so good to see her come out of her shell...when her past showed up, I was righteously angry, but I was so happy she fought. At about 85%, I wasn't sure how Getty was going to respond, it started to make me think about that "QUACK" incident and I was like "oh s***", but it was quickly resolved. This story was perfect, I have no word, I'm happy that Bromberg gave us this story and it was SOOO good seeing everyone. Rylee and Colton, Shane, even Ace had an appearance. I loved it all. Definitely a top favorite and probably will get re-read. Bromberg does a wonderful job at invoking a range of emotions and this one touch close to home and I loved every minute of it....literary genius I tell you 5++++++STARS!!!!

Down Shift (Driven #8) by K Bromberg 5 stars!!! “…the invisible scars are the ones that cut the deepest and stay with you the longest.” To say that Zander’s book was highly anticipated would be a huge understatement, I was itching to read this one. Zander had stolen my heart throughout the Driven series as a child but now as a man he could certainly hold his own and stand on his own two feet. Throughout the series we have had little snippets of what he went through as a child and now as his past comes back to haunt him he has got another battle to fight once again. “Blood. Scissors. Band-Aids. But first, self-preservation.” Zander is now following in Colton’s footsteps and is now “The Golden Boy” of Indy, it seems he is a natural and is flying through the ranks when something from his past causes him to spiral into a pit of despair and self-destruction. His drunken antics, unreliability and a showdown with Colton causes him to seemingly lose everything that he has worked so hard for. Underneath the guilt, hurt and pain though is a man with a heart of gold and a propensity to love like no other. Needing solace and a time for reflection to work through his demons Zander ends up on an island, but definitely got more than he bargained for. “I just need a minute…” Getty is a woman on the run from her past. A past of affluence and social standing and a pawn in her father’s mission to grease palms, merge companies and monopolise the industry in which he was already a success. This merger of “assets” caused nothing but pain and anguish for Getty and finally enough was enough. Getty found her back bone and her fight for freedom meant that she had to hide to avoid any chance of being found and dragged back to a life that would have destroyed her. Her new life on an island, quiet, off the grid and under the radar was working well, until she got a roommate she never wanted nor liked. “He doesn’t think she’s a disaster. In fact, she’s quite the opposite. She’s beautifully scarred, gorgeously flawed, irresistibly captivating.” With an unconventional first meet Zander and Getty don’t exactly have the best start and we definitely have a little hate in the first instance. But Zander has charm and even though Getty is one tough nut to crack even she isn’t impervious to Zander’s beguiling ways. “And that your kiss tastes like an aged whiskey: something I want to sip slowly, feel on my lips, savor on my tongue, and take my time with before I get drunk on it.” These two were two halves of a whole, two broken souls with heartache in common. K Bromberg delivered once again with her trademark emotive writing as she masterfully draws you into Zander and Getty’s lives, through the pain of their past, their unlikely friendship and that eventual realisation that “more” isn’t that bad and something they both richly deserved. “Love. Love fiercely. Love purely. Love blindly if you want, but never let love turn black. If it turns black, walk away and never look back.” This book had everything, off the charts chemistry, fantastic dialogue, enough heat to combust a kindle, some spine tingling swoon worthy moments but most of all it was heart felt, it was honest and it was stunningly beautiful. For those that have read this series in its entirety we have seen Colton’s own metamorphosis but Colton as a father will never get old. Colton’s scenes with his own father in the past has brought me to tears and now in role reversal with Zander the tears fell freely once again. Once again K Bromberg delivered, an unputdownable read with many smiles and laughs, just an all-round feel good read. “Just remember, more hearts break from words left unspoken than from saying too much.”

I think Downshift by K. Bromberg may be one of my favorite books in the Driven series since the first few books in the series. It features Colton and Riley's adopted son Zander Donovan. Zander was the troubled boy that touched Colton and Riley's hearts. They both did everything in their power to protect, nurture, and love this very damaged little boy. Zander is a grown man now with a promising career in racing until his past comes back to haunt him. As an adult he can realistically see the facts of his childhood life and put them in perspective. But the little boy still lives within his soul, the little boy who experienced a nightmare of a life and lost everything. That little boy never got answers to the whys and hows. Now that the truths are blatantly clear and in black & white, he doesn't know how to handle these truths. Rather than leaning on those who love him unconditionally, he withdraws into himself and begins a downward spiral. He's lost his place on the racing team, his reputation is on the line, and his out of control behavior is beyond repair. Colton Donovan has made a final decision in Zander's life, he has let him go. He's exercising hard love so that Zander can find the truths within his soul and finally have complete peace in his life. It is a hard journey for all of the family but very necessary. Zander will finally have the peace he desperately needs and realize that family comes from the heart and not by blood. Zander left the racing world and holed up in a small coastal New England town. In exchange for rent, he is doing repairs on the property. Rather than finding a rundown cottage, he finds an unexpected quirky roommate that has more damage in her soul than he does. Getty Caster fled an abusive, controlling marriage. Her entire life has been dictated by her extremely wealthy father and her hand chosen wealthy husband. Not only did they break Getty as a person, they also broke her spirit. She left her world behind and is determined to find herself. Together Zander and Getty find their inner peace and become the people they need to be. The bonus was finding a love that happens once in a lifetime. K. Bromberg delivered another winning romance,

Wow! When I read this book I didn't expect for it to be so emotional but it really was. Zander Donavan is the adopted son of Rylee and Colton Donavan and now he's all grown up! Zander is a race car driver just like his dad and is currently at the top of the standings. Too bad the life Zander is leading is getting in the way along with the guilt he has been carrying around for years. After a confrontation with Colton, which leads to being fired, Zander decides he needs to be on his own to sort some things out and takes off without telling anyone where he is going. Zander heads to Smitty's beach house to spend some time alone to deal with all his stuff. Imagine his surprise when a cute female comes walking in on him as he is just getting out of the shower. She is also buck naked! This scene was priceless! Anytime I see a mini-blind wand from now on I'll be laughing! Zander calls Smitty and realized that Smitty and his wife, Darcy both told different people they could stay there. Darcy won't be home for a few days so Zander will just have to deal with the situation. Enter Getty Caster. Getty has been staying at this house for the past 3 months after running from an abusive marriage. Getty came from a wealthy family but was tired of being told what she was allowed and not allowed to do. Zander and Getty both have things from their past that they are hiding from each other. I loved how these two decided to live in the same place and how they slowly broke down the other's walls. As Zander and Getty go through their journey to get over their pasts, they develop quite a friendship, which eventually leads to more. Both of these characters are so strong, yet so flawed because of their pasts but together they manage to move forward. I just adored the happy ending...it was perfect. Overall, this was a wonderful, emotional story with such great, developed characters. If you are an easy crier, keep the tissues close!