Slow Burn (Driven #5)

by K. Bromberg (Goodreads Author)

From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Driven series.

One Night. That's all it was supposed to be.

Reeling from the sudden loss of her sister, Haddie Montgomery has sworn off relationships. All she wanted from Beckett Daniels was a sexy distraction to help her escape her pain for just a little while....There weren’t supposed to be any strings attached—so why can’t she shake the memory of that unforgettable night from her thoughts? Or the taste of his kiss from her lips?

No matter how hard Haddie tries to forget about him, Becks relentlessly tries to prove that she should start living for today. But she is determined to avoid romantic commitment, and she can always use her ex-boyfriend’s reappearance to help snuff out the slow burn within her that Becks has sparked....

Or will fate force her to realize that this kind of connection doesn’t come along very often and a chance at love is worth the risk?

ADD TO GOODREADS

BUY: AMAZON (KINDLE)

Source: eARC for Honest Review Courtesy of Penguin Group

Genre: Adult Contemporary

Part 5 in an ongoing series

My Slow Burn Review...

"Remember, Had. Time is precious. Waste it wisely."

Ok, after reading the first four books I could NOT wait for this book!!! I was so excited to read about Haddie and Becks but after this book I was sadly disappointed. This is one of those storylines that you will absolutely resonate with and love it or the complete opposite and not like it. If it weren't for me loving Beck it would have gotten a 1 star from me.

"Don't be sorry, Had. Never be sorry for needing me."

After reading the first four books for some reason the storyline of Had's sister having cancer seems lost to me. I recall her being mad at her sister but no where do I remember this tragic storyline. Anyways, here we have the once fun loving Haddie in the first three books that turns into a woman who's escaping and scared. To do this she lets know one in and pushes everyone away but uses sex to feel something.

And now Becks knows. He knows that perfect Haddie isn't so perfect. (who cares that she isn't perfect because newsflash Haddie NO ONE is perfect)

Haddie's mom is a breast cancer survivor but her sister didn't win that battle. After witnessing her sister's sickness and death, Haddie fears she has the same genes. So instead of finding out she pushes everyone away and always falls for the unattainable. After the wedding of Colton & Rylee she needs to feel, so she wrangles Beck into a one night stand with no strings. After this it changes their relationship where Beck wants more and Haddie wants to push him away because she wants to be a martyr and go at life alone in fear that if she gets sick she wouldn't want to put anyone through the tribulations of the disease and dying.

"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone, Had. I know you're scared, but push through it, You just might miss the opportunity to live again."

Haddie goes back and forth with want and pushing. To no strings, to we are , to we were no strings. What! I thought it was more than it wasn't and back and forth for the majority of the book. The reason why her choices didn't resonate with me is because I recently had a similar scare and I can't imagine going at that alone as I wanted my husband with me the whole journey, where Haddie takes the choices away from everyone for her martyrdom. I'm not sure if she was afraid that if she did give people a choice they would reject her or if she really was trying to protect them. All I know is that her choices made me angry through out the WHOLE book.

"Don't you think that's his decision to make? Why do you get to hold all the cards?" (exactly Haddie, who made you god in the decision making for others)

Thankfully Beck is awesome and loves wholeheartedly which makes Haddie get her head out her her martyr ass and see the potential of so much more.

"God, you stubborn, fucking woman. Quit being a martyr. What's best is you letting me make my own goddamn decisions and for you to stop lying to me so that I can."

"... All I know is that protecting someone from the truth is just another way of shutting them out."

God almost the WHOLE book is Haddie doing the martyr protection bullshit which got me so mad.

Who am I to try and control fate for us? (exactly Haddie, who are you to decide that)

Gah! I so wanted to like this book but when you are mad throughout most of the book it's hard to salvage to a great book for me. Like I said if it wasn't for Beck this would have been a DNF for me.

" ... It's okay to use my boy when you need strength. His back won't break if you do, but his heart just might break if you don't."

At the end of the book there is a bonus scene of when Beck and Haddie first meet. If this story was more of that dynamic I would have been all over this book, but sadly I didn't like the story or the heroine, which irks me because I loved Haddie in the first three books. For me Beck would get a 4 stars but for the story as a whole 1 to 2 frustrating stars! Even though I didn't like this particular story does NOT mean I won't continue with this author or this series. I loved the first 4 books and I will continue with the others as you can't have all winners, and like I said at the beginning others will LOVE this book but some will not.

1 - 2 Frustrating Thumbs up!