REVERSE (The Bittersweet Symphony Duet #2) by KATE STEWART

 ‘There are high stakes to truly loving another human being, and you have to hand your heart to them with all the trust you have without knowing the outcome.’

5 Stars and more! What an epic book! We can finally breathe! We’re speechless after finishing our favourite book of the year! They say if you can’t find the perfect book, go and write one yourself. Well, we don’t have that talent, but it was as though Kate Stewart reached into our hearts and wrote the book we so desperately wanted to read!

‘A rock star he may now be, but for me, he was first a man who reached in with a gentle soul and discovered some of my veiled truths before forcing me to acknowledge parts of who I am – and what I want. A man who made me feel important at a time when I questioned my direction and everything else, I thought I knew. A man who has since freed me to be that woman, all the while addicting me to new needs.’

Reverse is the book we wished for after devouring Drive back in 2017. We couldn’t get Nate out of our heads and have always wondered how he fared. To say we were thrilled when we heard this book was in the works is an understatement. Reverse soon became one of our most anticipated books for 2022. However, we could NEVER have envisaged the high-octane emotion served up in Reverse. Nor the path in which Kate Stewart would lead us. Our hearts were tossed about as Easton and Natalie’s powerhouse love story was laid bare for all to see and feel. And FEEL we did. Every! Single! Word!

‘Being with Easton in any capacity is like trying to cling to a shooting star, and somewhere inside, I know that if I don’t relish this time with him, I’ll miss it as he burns his brightest.’

‘Proper’ Rock Star romances are so hard to come by, yes there are many to choose from, but few capture the true essence of the rock star theme. The music, the thrill of the stage, the excitement, the electricity, the suffering that bleeds into the rock stars’ lyrics, the bone-crushing all in love – for the music and the characters. Kate Stewart is a master at it. First in Drive, and now in Reverse. This author delivers the lifeblood of music and passion that reverberated into every part of our souls.

‘Every song has a memory; every song has the ability to make or break your heart, shut down the heart, and open the eyes. But I’m afraid if you look at a thing long enough; it loses all of its meaning. And your own life while it’s happening to you never has any atmosphere until it’s a memory. Andy Warhol. ‘

Reverse exceeded our expectations in a multitude of ways. A complicated, painful, yet beautiful love story for the ages. Big accolades to Kate Stewart for the intricate way in which she brought this story to life. To write the next generation and to have it unfold the way she did was brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!

“Sometimes love, no matter how real it feels and is, isn’t always the right love, and you don’t figure that part out until you’ve lost it and put some time between your feelings and reality.”

Reverse is a homage to music, love, pain, soulmates, and family, and it’s a beautiful homage to Drive, the complicated love story that was Reid and Stella, and the utter heartbreak that was Nate. Anyone with a heart would have felt for Nate in Drive, and reliving his feelings from 30 years earlier, in Reverse opened up all the old wounds. It really hit our hearts. Will history repeat itself?

‘This love story is ours and ours alone.’

Relationships on all levels are at the forefront in Reverse. Band members, friendships, parents/children, music, partners – each relationship is under the microscope. Elliot Easton Crowne and Natalie Butler loved with the same ferocity as they fought. The passion was palpable.

‘I can now say that I loved a woman with every fiber of my being, heart, and soul, and always will.’

Easton Crowne. What a man! We haven’t fallen so hard for a book boyfriend in years! This man could caress and flay with the delivery of a song! The only child of a talented music writer, Stella, and rock star father, Reid, Easton has been shielded from the spotlight all his life. He’s a mystery to many, and we swooned so hard over this guy! He was honest to a fault and wore his heart on his sleeve. Easton is a phenomenal talent on the cusp of greatness. With music in his veins, and a mammoth legacy to live up to, Easton vows to be in charge of his own destiny and has contempt for the media.

‘More than anything, I want to cling to his star as it burns the brightest—if only to be with him for a little longer. If what Easton said is true, and we live in echoes of defining moments, I want to remain in this one for as long as I possibly can.’

Natalie Butler knows her path, she’s worked her arse off to take over her Dad Nate’s, paper, ‘Austin Speak’, and is a force to be reckoned with. Natalie has no idea the Pandora Box she’s opened when she stumbles across some old very personal emails – love letters – from 30 years earlier between her dad and Stella.  It’s a revelation that leads her to the intensely beautiful Easton Crown – and a path that will see her live her own tumultuous love story. And what a love story it was!

“Please, let me go,” I whisper.
“I don’t think I can.”

We couldn’t begin to do justice to this book. You have to read it yourselves! It would be impossible to capture the depth of emotion, the angst, and the complexity of this incredible love story. We were emotionally drained throughout while experiencing the warring between Easton and Natalie, their deep love, and their heartache from the fallout as that love came to fruition. The way in which Kate Stewart crafted this story was magnificent. The heartbreak, the longing, the pain – it was all so raw – and, ahem, hot!! The music in each chapter provides an intensity that touches the soul! Now, we have more songs to cry our eyes out to besides Drive by the Cars!

“This isn’t a game,” I whisper hoarsely.
“No, it’s not. You punched a hole in my goddamned chest in Seattle, only to leave me in the dark to try and figure out how to fill it.”

The epilogue was sublime. We couldn’t have asked for more! We can’t say enough about this extraordinary duet. We’re still speechless! We want to start again and experience it once more! If you love angsty rock star romances chock full of emotion and passion..READ THIS DUET NOW!

‘Love is purpose, belonging, and the very definition of living.’