Driven, By K. Bromberg

Summary

The twists and turns of K Bromberg’s novel, Driven, only get more involved as you read on in the series. We meet innocent, good-girl Rylee Thomas running an auction for a charity that she not only works for, but also pours her heart and soul into. She gets stuck in a closet and is “rescued” by bad-boy racing champion Colton Donavan. When there is an instant attraction, he wants to pursue it, and she turns him down flat. He works his way into both her social and work life until she can’t deny their attraction anymore. However both of them have secrets and traumas they are working to get over, and these issues keep resurfacing, limiting their relationship, keeping them from a happily-ever-after. This first book ends on a cliffhanger that will have you reaching instantly for the second one.

Evaluation

This short novel had me flipping pages as fast as I could devour words. K. Bromberg does an amazing job of giving just the right hints as she develops characters. The depth of both characters was balanced by how well they complemented each other. Riley’s selfless, giving nature against Colton’s selfish, taking personality. The plot moved quickly from the instant they met. Although the conflict starts out simply being good girl versus bad boy, eventually the reader realizes both characters are haunted by traumatic events that don’t allow them to love themselves fully. This is the true driving conflict, throughout most of the series. There were no holes or questionable events in the story as far as I could tell, however I’m not a race car driver or charity manager.

The style was simple to read, yet vividly descriptive. Bromberg didn’t overkill the details but did a skillful job of giving just the right ones at just the perfect moment. Her use of internal monologue and email and dialogue are masterful and help build sexual tension and character depth. Riley’s follow-the-rules attitude is emphasized through her internal questioning of her own actions. Sexual emails and dialogue prior to Riley and Colton actually having sex heighten the suspense and anticipation.

The content and issues within this novel and series are extremely controversial. The idea of an alpha, dominant male, sexual abuse, drug use, drinking, dealing with grief, homosexuality, and more are touched on through various events, flashbacks, and characters. I hit every emotion on the radar throughout the reading of this series. This first novel focuses on sexual tension and fighting feelings, while giving glimpses of some of the bigger issues to come to light. If these topics make you uncomfortable, I would take this series off of your list. If you like fast-paced, racy, dramatic stories, this one’s perfect!

Similar/Related Readings

Fueled (Book 2) by K. Bromberg

Crashed (Book 3) by K. Bromberg

Raced (The Colton Point of View Collection) by K. Bromberg

Aced (Book 5) by K. Bromberg