Driven (Driven Trilogy, #1)

by K. Bromberg

[Cocktails and Books]

4.5 Stars

This book was one wild ride. I haven't read a book, in a long time, where I loved and hated both characters at various times during the story. Rylee and Colton separately are a mess, but together it was at times disastrous and other times very, very special.

We spent a lot of time in Rylee's head. And to be honest, it got a bit depressing. I could understand her being emotionally broken. I could even understand her finding herself physically drawn to Colton and unwilling to fight the attraction. What I couldn't understand was a woman with a psychology and social work background letting herself fall into the emotional back and forth she was in with Colton.

Colton's demons made him poison and he was most definitely poison for her, because she wouldn't fit into his mold. Just when I thought she might have finally had enough of an emotional slap from him, she went right back to him again. Rylee's actions, when it came to Colton, often had me very angry with her and not being very sympathetic when she kept going back for more.

That doesn't mean I didn't like Colton. He obviously has some pretty huge emotional issues, but none of those issues came out in this first book, which makes it really hard to have much empathy for Colton. But there are times when the sweet, lovable Colton does exist. Any interaction Colton has with the boys at Rylee's home warms my heart. You could tell he had such a connection with the boys. He went out of this way to make them feel special and wanted and it was obvious that was something he has been missing until he was adopted.

The ending is one of those dreaded cliffhanger endings...and it's a pretty harsh one. Thankfully, we don't have to wait too long to get the next book (in August), because I'm dying to find out just how Colton is going to redeem himself after the way DRIVEN ends.