“Everyone’s churning ocean is fueled by a different type of storm.” 

 To say that Driven Fandom has been anxiously waiting for Zander's story since its announcement will be the understatement of the year. Zander had cemented himself as a favourite character since his introduction and to see that quiet and timid boy all grown up, having a thriving career and falling in love was such a wholesome experience.

Told in dual POV, Down Shift had me hooked from the get-go. Zander and Getty are both complex characters and they both bring more than their fair share of their past to the table, and with that, the depth in their characters and how they evolved was one of my favourite moments. It will be a shame if I don't mention my absolute favourite moment and it was every interaction between Zander and Colton. The emotion and the understanding that Colton had for his son, left me more in love with him.

Down Shift is a slow burn, friends-first-lovers-later arch and it was the perfect read for me. I definitely recommend it to anyone who loved the Driven Series and any of the contemporary romance readers who love reading about characters that pull through the trying times and end up as the best version of themselves.


4.5 Stars!

Downshift is an adult contemporary romance by author K. Bromberg. Though downshift is technically the eighth book in the Driven series, it is actually a Driven Standalone Spin-Offs. There are a few of these spin offs, and these books can be read on their own, out of order, and with or without having read the Driven Series. They are totally unconnected and complete standalones, which is a good thing because I have not yet read the Driven series. I enjoyed Down Shift. It was a solidly good romance.

In Downshift, we meet our main character Getty and Zander. Zander is a race car driver with a lot of baggage. Getty and Zander have plenty of angst when they first meet. While I did enjoy the two of them, their whole romance felt a little generic for me. There was nothing special, no extra pizzaz or interest. It followed a very tried and true path of angst, drama, attraction, conflict, conflict resolution, happily ever after. Not to say that I don't love that formula, but nothing stood out as extra special while I was reading.

That being said, I think a lot of readers will really enjoy Down Shift. The romance is hot and the characters are very enjoyable. This was a good read for me, but it didn't blow my socks off.

This is the first novel by Bromberg I've read. I'm not sure how that's possible, but there it is. I got through about 8 chapters and wasn't connecting with the story. I want to see what happens with these two, but it feels like it's moving really slow. I'm going to set it aside and come back to it at a later date. I have a feeling this is a case of "it's not you, it's me". I think I'm just in the mood for something else.

REVIEWED BY SUNNY

I have so much love for the Driven series, and I was thrilled to read Zander's story; however. I was very disappointed in his character early on. He was going through a lot of issues and was very hard to take early on in the book. Thankfully, as he started to sort his life back out, things evened out for him and I grew to love him again. Part of the reason he got back in my good graces was due to his involvement with an unintentional roommate named Getty. She clearly had issues too, and I enjoyed how her character evolved based on her background and desire to change directions in her life.

Zander and Getty were early enemies and thankfully turned into beautiful lovers. Their love story was heart-wrenching and well-written as are all in this series!

This is Zander in true form when his past comes back to haunt him he starts spiraling downhill. He leaves his family on a bad note to go and figure his life out.
Getty has finally escaped and is making it on her home. She gets the shock of her life when there is some strange guy in her bathroom.
After the initial confusion Zander and Getty heal each other. There are many bumps along the way, however they can work through them. As long as the to do list is there whey will stay, Getty is worried what would happen after the "to do list" is completed. This book pulled me right in.


** I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

http://vivien-olvasokuckoja.blogspot.hu/2016/10/down-shift-by-k-bromberg-blog-tour.html

It's been a while since I read my last K. Bromberg novel, and after reading Down Shift I can only kick myself for leaving it so long. It's said absence makes the heart grow fonder and Bromberg certainly delievers on that adage. I found it such an enjoyable read, you'll be hard pressed to keep me away from her upcoming novels in the series.

What a marvelous story. Once I started, I couldn’t seem to put it down. Zander and Getty had me intrigued right from the beginning. They were easy to relate to, and I felt as though I could connect with them.

I felt this book was very well written, and the characters had depth, which is one of the things I enjoy most about books.

To be honest, I'm a little Colton'd out. I know this goes against popular opinion, but the Driven series started to feel like the same thing over and over again. After book six, Sweet Ache, I wasn't sure I wanted to continue on anymore. I decided to try Down Shift because I loved the young Zander in the first few books and wanted to see how she would write his character as an adult. I'm so glad I gave this book a chance! I think it perfectly displays how K. Bromberg has grown as a writer and gives me hope that her new standalone Sweet Cheeks will flourish.

"I can’t get you out of my goddamn head.”

We start the story with Zander and Colton fighting. I have to admit as soon as I saw Colton's name I rolled my eyes. I wanted a book that could hold its own, not a book that's successful because popular characters keep popping up. Luckily after the prologue we see very little of Colton or Rylee. Zander runs away from his problems to a tiny seaside town. There he's promised to renovate a friend's cottage in return for a place to hideout. Except when he shows up there's already someone living there - Getty.

“But first this.” He leans down and kisses me with reverence before pulling back. “First, we take it slow.”

Getty is running away from her own problems and they're a little more severe than Zander's issues (which btw I didn't really understand why he was so insanely upset about the box but then again I've never been told I'm the reason my mother died). Getty's father basically whored her out to make a business deal. Her husband and her father are abysmal people, I'm talking serious assholes. In the few scenes we see them it was hard not to try and scratch their eyes out through my Kindle.

I think one of the reasons I loved this book is because Zander and Getty spend so much time alone. Now that sounds weird but hear me out. One of the reasons I came to dislike the Driven series is because everytime the girls got together it was like a scene from a stereotypical sorority house - omg, lol, boys are dumb, girls rule boys drool, giggle - it got old really fast. We also don't get the bro squad with the boys will be boys, damn I love pussy attitude. It forced the storyline to focus on Zander and Getty, two people getting to know each other while dealing with their own demons without a lot of the outside world creeping in. It was fabulous and I loved it.

Of all the kisses we’ve ever shared, this one by far is the sweetest. It’s an I don’t care who is watching—I’m going to take my sweet time with you type of kiss. His hands are possessive on my cheeks and our tongues dance together like we have all the time in the world.

As the story goes own we do get tiny glimpses of the old Driven characters, it was annoying but there were so few scenes it didn't take away from the story. I'm glad I took a chance on Down Shift and I think it's the perfect transition novel into Bromberg's new standalone Sweet Cheeks. Here's to bigger and better things as Bromberg continues to evolve as a writer!

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. For me, because I couldn’t. Your heart only sees the good in everyone right now. I know that won’t last forever. Love is incredibly powerful when it’s right.

Live wildly. Not recklessly. Follow paths that wander. Take roads that are fast. Chase your dreams. Race into your future and forget about your past.

I had high expectations going into Downshift. Zander was a beloved character from the Driven series. I was worried this book wouldn’t live up to the hype and I couldn’t imagine a story that would drag me in like Colton and Rylee. But Kristy knew exactly what she was doing with Zander and Getty. The prologue alone gutted me. The emotion poured off the pages as Zander and Colton had an extremely tense encounter. Hateful words were exchanged and my beloved Colton was in pain all because of Zander.

Zander lashes out at Colton (his adopted dad) and doesn’t feel like he can explain why. He distances himself from his mom (Rylee), Colton and his siblings. You feel the pain bleed off the page for this family. But every individual has a path to healing their deepest scars and Zander needed the space to sort his out. Getty just happens to be where Colton runs too and they have to find a way to make their new living arrangement work.

Kristy Bromberg is superb at writing broken characters who fight to move beyond their past demons. Getty is no different. Her past is riddled with bumps and bruises and she has suffered greatly at the hands of her own family and ex-husband. She is just learning to stand on her own, trust herself and most importantly trust others.

Getty and Zander’s romance is a friends to lovers story. It is a slow build where the two of them dance around each other. They spend time together, have little intimate moments and realize that there is definitely more between them. After Driven, we all wanted Zander’s story and K. Bromberg delivered. Down Shift is an incredible, emotional story with plenty of heat and romance. This is a definite must read. t Bromberg continues to surprise with this strikingly mature and deeply-felt romance! Although Zander is the son of Colton Donavan from the Drivenseries, this book can absolutely stand on its own. Down Shift is an incredibly sexy and emotional story. Zander and Getty’s book reminds me why I love reading contemporary romance. A definite must-read!