Kate Stewart is one of my fave authors. I LOVED the Ravenhood trilogy (one of my top reads of 2020), The Underdogs series and Drive. Reverse is the sequel to Drive. You must read Drive first, there just isn’t anyway for Reverse to really make sense without knowing that story. I read Drive years ago and the gist is, there’s a major angsty love triangle between Reid, Stella and Nate. Stella is a budding music journalist, Reid is a budding rock star and Nate is a budding newspaper editor/owner. Stella truly loves them both. She goes on a long drive to think through her life and decisions, there’s a playlist as songs are an important part in her life. Every moment is tied to music. Stella makes a choice and marries that guy. Reverse is the story of their child and the other lover and his wife’s child.

This review contains spoilers. Read at your own risk. 

Ok…soooo…I also LOVED Reverse. Oh my…what a read. Easton is a rising rockstar. Natalie is a rising journalist. Sound familiar? Hmmm….

Natalie is working at her father’s paper and is helping to plan a 30th anniversary special celebrating the paper and her dad. In her research, she finds old emails from her dad and Stella. They’re very flirty, and she finds out that they were actually engaged. She’s stunned, confused, knows that her parents have a wonderful marriage and can’t reconcile the past, she wants to learn more. She concocts a scheme to interview Stella’s son, Easton. It works and they meet. He’s surly, very private and not at all excited about talking to a reporter. Natalie lies to him about what she knows, why she’s there. They’re both sarcastic, biting, do a lot of rage flirting and have sizzling chemistry.  

They really like each other. Think about one another constantly. But, due to their parents’ history, Natalie is worried that her dad will be devastated at her for going out with Easton. After a hot few days together, she leaves Easton. They’re both broken hearted and Easton eventually takes his band on the road touring with a surprise stop along the way to get Natalie.

I knew this was a romance. I know Kate Stewart’s twisty turns. And yet as I was reading, I still wasn’t sure there would be an HEA. I held my breath at moments. I looked away from my e-reader with watery eyes. I wanted to reach through the screen and strangle Natalie. I liked her. But…the drama she brought to her life, family and Easton was crazy. She wanted her dad to respect her decisions, she clearly was in love with Easton and at 23 years old, she needed to own it. Her dad was also a huge dick in this book. He along with Easton’s parents couldn’t get over their past to support their kids. They let Easton and Natalie’s relationship destroy them. So much so that the dads did the most awful embarrassing dad thing ever. Read it to find out. I would not speak to my father if he pulled that same stunt. 

Then we have Easton. Sigh… I’m a sucker for moody, flirty, ripped rock gods. He wanted Natalie no matter what. He didn’t care about the past, wasn’t worried about Natalie’s fears. I appreciated that. Maybe I’m selfish like Easton, but I’d choose me and who I loved, too. 

While Natalie had a very hard time 100% sharing herself with Easton, being open and articulating how she felt, Easton put to all out there. Bravo, Easton. Except for that one thing in Mexico late in the book…I’m still not sure what happened. I went on the author’s Facebook group to get some closure on that one thing, and she left it up for interpretation. Ugh! I want answers. 

The book has a song for almost every chapter. The e-reader links to each song. And the epilogue was epic!! Read Drive. Then, when your heart is ripped to bits at midnight after reading all day, finish it and one click Reverse. This duet is amazing. 

Grade A

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