I’m a big fan of celeb-normie romances - a romance between a celebrity and non-celebrity - they’re all pretty much an automatic add to my TBR pile. The Bittersweet Symphony duet by Kate Stewart consists of two books - Drive and Reverse. Both are very hyped in the celeb-normie romance genre, so it was only a matter of time before I got to them.

These books are both available in paperback, but if you’re a Kindle Unlimited subscriber (KU) you can find them as part of your subscription.

Drive by Kate Stewart

I have deeply conflicted feelings about this book. On one hand, this book is like one giant Instagram caption by someone who is trying to be profound, and on the other hand,it is so damn addictive I read it in a day.

The clues are right there in the description - any book description that reads like vaguebooking is almost guaranteed to have a style of writing that isn’t exactly literary. If you can’t explain the premise of your book in like 3 sentences, that’s saying something. But do not fear, I will give you the premise - this is a love triangle between a fledgling music journalist, a drummer on the precipice of stardom, and the editor of a start-up indie publication. It is told almost entirely in flashbacks from the POV of the main female character, and each chapter of the flashback has a corresponding song (that is helpfully curated in a Spotify playlist).

It’s full of angst, yearning, a lot of on-page sex, and unhealthy relationships that we’ve almost all had at some point in our lives. And that’s what kept me really engaged and turning the pages. I could not get enough, and even when I figured out who she would end up with, I was very intrigued by how they got there. So I get why this book is so highly reviewed, but also be prepared for some very long, almost non-sensical sentences that may make you want to roll your eyes very hard.

Overall grade: 4 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

(props to a story that’s so compelling I couldn’t stop)

REVERSE by KATE STEWART

Some time passed between the writing of DRive and Reverse, and you can tell how much Kate Stewart has grown as an author. The writing is crisper, the character development more thoughtful - overall, this is a much better book than Drive, while keeping all the angst and yearning, and on-page sex, but without the unhealthy relationships. This story is set in the future, and features Easton Crowne, an up-and-coming musician and son of Reid Crowne (from Book 1) and Natalie Butler, daughter of Nate Butler (also from Book 1). It’s got a little bit of a Romeo and Juliet doomed romance vibe, but it is a true romance, so certain promises are upheld. You do need to read these in order.

I flew through this book in less than 24 hours - it is THAT addictive.

OVERALL GRADE: 5 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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