Moonlight Drive relies upon a seemingly implausible premise: Nick, a rock star, doesn’t recognize the person who provided the pivotal, years-long emotional connection in their early teens. The new band “groupie” was really Nick's dearest friend in his (recent) teens. She once went by the name Dani and now goes by Daniela--another reason it doesn't feel like it would be an enormous stretch for Nick to make the jump to identifying her. Daniela soon lives on the bus, is invited to share rooms with the band, and tantalizes the star--all without being recognized by the soulmate of her youth.

Nick engages in outrageously destructive, hurtful behaviors. Exploring this brokenness could have been intriguing, but I found his character frustrating and off-putting. He absurdly feels he deserves congratulations for the small measures that he considers restraint (in one example that felt staggering, he receives oral sex from a stranger with his soulmate sitting next to him rather than having sex with the woman, and he seems to feel this is a sacrifice).

The relationship at the heart of Moonlight Drive just didn't hold up for me. There were some steamy moments, but the sexiness often felt violent, the racy talk didn’t land for me and at times felt jarring and aggressive, and most importantly, to me, the characters' emotional connection didn’t feel real. A minor note: the first line of the book seemed meant to shock but was so abrupt that it felt too pushed and forced, and I started off irritated with the situation I'd been thrust into with Dani from the get-go.

A style note: there are many instances of interrupted speech--so much so that sometimes I wasn’t even sure what the characters were getting at--and frequent instances of what felt like unrealistically intuitive mind-reading as characters pieced together what they imagined the other to be trying to express. This felt unnecessarily confusing.

I was puzzled as to why the "secret" that Nick, a professional musician, played piano and wrote songs would be considered too sensitive or personal to be made known. This felt forced and a little silly. I also wasn't clear as to how his broken, consistently self-destructive drug- and alcohol-fueled implosions allowed him to feel irresistible, even to the most grounded characters. Even solid mentor Jim inexplicably says to Dani about Nick's appeal, "Keep spending time with him, on him, you're gonna fall in love."

The specter of Nick's addiction overshadows much of the story, and this element felt tragic and compelling. Hadley's descriptions of the clothing styles of the musicians of the era were entertaining and a highlight. But much of this felt too convenient and unrealistic for me, and reactions frequently didn’t seem to follow from events.

I received a prepublication digital edition of this book through NetGalley and Chameleon Media Productions.

Nick and Dani were childhood sweethearts, but everything changed when Nick moved away suddenly. Shortly after Dani runs away from home, she joins Moonlight Drive's 1985 tour as a groupie of sorts. She's got music in her soul and with Nick now a mega rockstar bassist with Moonlight Drive, she's in. Only Nick doesn't recognize her… and she can't believe what he's turned into. He's now Nicki Quick and he's out for his next high, whether it's sex, drugs, alcohol, or notoriety. When he discovers who she really is, it's the end of the tour. Over the next decade or so, they dance and weave in and out of each other's lives. Their connection, their love, their music bind them together. Can Nick kick the addictions and be the man Dani needs him to be or will he crash and burn, breaking Dani's heart forever?

Get ready, readers, for Moonlight Drive is your next addiction. I hadn't read more than a few pages and was hooked, like a junkie craving her next fix. Moonlight Drive is a heartbreaking story of first loves, making it in the music industry, the lure of addiction, betrayal, pain, jealousy, groupies, following your dreams, and so much more. A.R. Hadley takes us backstage to see what really happens behind the scenes of a mega rock band. Every detail is intricately described so that the reader really feels like they are experiencing what Dani and Nick are going through. On so many levels, Moonlight Drive is a tragic love story. A.R. Hadley's writing will leave you an emotional wreck. It's brilliant and very addictive to read. If you're a fan of hard rock/metal music, you'll love Moonlight Drive. If you're a fan of 80s music and idolize certain long-haired rock stars, pick up Moonlight Drive. It's certainly one of the best books I've read this year. I can't wait to read more from A.R. Hadley. Highly recommend!

My Rating: 5++ stars

Moonlight Drive is for everyone that grew up loving music from the 80's!! Nick and Dani met as young children and were there for each other no matter what. Years later Dani shows up backstage at a Moonlight Drive concert where Nicki is the bass player. He doesn't even recognize her! This novel spans years of both good times and really bad times as these two connect again. It has everything in it that you think of when you remember the great rock bands from the 80's - sex, drugs and of course - rock and roll! I read it in less than two days and just loved it! Highly recommend!!!!

This is the book you have been waiting for! It is a second chance, friends to lovers romance. Dani and Nicki's journey is not a simple one, this is not a light hearted book. IT is real and raw and will make you laugh, cry and piss you off all within a few chapters of each other. It makes you root for their happily ever after while wondering if they will be able to hold on to each to work out everything. THey are two broken souls that will help mend each other but in the end a hea does prevail. But the journey that is the best part! Its alot of fun, sex and rock and roll!

“Love doesn’t bend to conditions or understand like”

“Once upon a time, a boy promised a girl he would find her, but right now, it seemed that man didn’t know how to find anything...least of all himself.”
Dani and Nick are true soulmates, they have looked out for each other as children from broken homes. Nick promises to make it big with his music and come back to rescue her.
Years later she joined his tour, only he doesn’t recognize her.... this book jumped forward and backwards in time, Nick is now Nicki a world famous rockstar with all the groupies, alcohol and drugs that go along with that.
A heartbreaking love story that grabs hold of you from
Beginning to end. I couldn’t put this book down and while this is the first book I have read by this author it won’t be the last !