After receiving a strange, but intriguing message, Megan Patterson never imagined her life would take a deadly turn. It’s all fun and games until her loved ones go missing and bodies begin turning up. Going to the police is useless, when faced against Russian mobsters and Mexican drug lords. From bad to worse, Megan can only rely on herself, and a new love interest to help her out of the game, before it’s too late.
This book turned out to be not quite what I expected but I'm not mad at it. First off, I didn't realize it took place in a small town near Toronto which is cool cause thats home for me too. Always nice to relate to that lol. But yeah. When I first read the summary I expected this to be a bit more thriller mystery than like... Crime action? Not quite the right words. Anyway, it kept me hooked.
There were a few times, more so near the beginning of the book that I felt were kind of like basic dialogue? More so not really nicely thought out conversations but it got much better as the book progressed. I was also not a fan of the insta love, which did happen, although was kind of redeemed when you realized a lot more had happened it was just a little hard to tell the time was passing as fast as it was. They still said they loved each other pretty much right away, but it was well earned. Their relationship actually showed progress as time went on.
One of the other things I really loved about this book was the representation! Polyamory and gay characters that I hadn't expected was a nice suprise to be added. I really liked the different perspectives in this book. Seeing other peoples sides to this whole crazy situation really helped progress the severity of it. Now there were some cheesy kind of things that I honestly doubt would every actually be possible but thats what made this crazy "crime action" story fun.
The ending thoooooough. I'm glad she didnt make everything tie up nicely in a happy little bow but... Still sad about what does happen.
Anyway! Over all it was a silly but serious read that I couldn't put down.
~ ~ ~ ~ I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review by Booktasters and the author.
This love story is also a mystery. It's hot all the necessary elements of both. You have excitement, adventure, and love scenes. And all are very well written.
Just drive opens with meghan and her mundane life, working at a grocery story along with her friend carrie and a grumpy boss. The story starts when she meets a boy called Damian on the road and her life takes a 360 degree turn which then leads to lot of events taking place in their lives.
I love how Meghan's character isn't just a regular girl, she loves driving cars or very good at racing them and the fact that she and her dad actually bond over a car that they build together, which i thought was cool.
The angle between Meghan and Damian and their car race kinda has this Fast and Furious feel to it. As they get stuck in a scam run by this guy called Boss who makes them do car stunts in exchange for money. Soon after it gets worse when they realize that they can't get out of it and only way is to obey the Boss.
It is interesting to see all the other characters in this story like Cole, Ian, Tyler, Breanna are siblings of Damian along with their parents and how they support each other through thick and thin. John, Bev, Mark, Luke and Ben being Meghan's family with a complicated family dynamic but when it comes to saving each other they come together as a family.
Finally when Meghan, Cole and Damian get to go to Mexico for the end game, the hardships they face and how they get out of it with the help of local Mexican's who were in same trouble because of the boss Carlos is a curious read. In retrospect, this book was a fun ride!
I got this amazing book by Sara Louisa and can't thank you enough for sharing it with me. This was only possible because of @BookTasters, thank you so much!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
When I first pulled this book out of its packaging I knew I was in for quite a read. Just Drive is a thick verse and printed at a trim and font which somewhat made me feel like I was actually reading a car manual, at points. While I think Just Drive has a solid premise and executes it capably, it does so over a long-winded fashion. The story is built between two families who come together through their son's and daughter (singular) falling in love together when the lovers become entagled in an illegal street-racing, grand theft auto, ethinic mafias, racism, taboo/sex-ring type of organization with apparently worldwide power. The families are large and laiden with bad backgrounds, so the plot feels pretty grounded with the events that transpire and how relationships are formed between them, and some of its best momemnts play out very emotionally.
However, in order for those scenes to excel, I had to push myself through grueling literal campfire exposition and certain scenes/character development that didn't need to be there, while instead the book could have kept more to its premise for a more cohesive story. There's a lot of arguing between the brothers, also more contraversial family stuff, and readers are subjected to some canadians vs native canadians (indians) racism (which I didn't really know was a thing) that makes sense, but in the meanntime what Just Drive lacks are the great planning scenes where the characters come together to lay out their heists and crimes. The formation of relationships plus delivery of exposition could go here, while still keeping readers attached to a plot that had the potential to be GTA on paper. Unfortunately, a significant amount of scenes diverge into BBQs and drunken sexery, while mafias run the characters lives and force them to steal cars at their trouble. The narrative starts to move thrillingly rapid here, however, the pace makes the bad-guys look incompetent and fight scenes appear always in the bag, which wasn't advantageous.
**Spoilers Follow ahead**
When the story escelates into Mexico, more planning IS shown, and Louisa puts together a final battle that packs an emotional punch as well. However, if the delivery had been structured better, Carlos could have been a much better villian and possibly leave open for a sequel. Just Drive is already a long read, but when it comes to crunch time and the final "mission impossible", the details aren't there for the readers to really have the full pay off of a better delivered ending.
Carlos is smart mob boss, has men, money, intellegence, but when facing his doom from Dam and Cole, he just chooses to sit idly by in his house to be murdered for his crimes? Doesn't he have any other land around? A helicopter to be shot down in by Oleg? Men amongst the people of Mexico who represent him and could snuff out a plot against him? When the convoy passes throught the USA/Mexican border (quite a loaded scene to imagine) the scene isn't there, because the book is already too long. Why did Sabrina need to be in the book, like at all? How many rape tourture scenes do we need to know that it is still occuring to the characters off page? There could have been more time spent with Baby here or getting technical with the specs and power of the cars being used to pull off the heists early on. Who is the inside man within Carlos' estate, and how is he turned to help Megan and Selena escape? How does Carlos not learn of this and execute him in front of Megan? How have international intellegence agencies not investigated this syndicate in the past/or how long has Carlos's operation really been running? Gun fights seem to last a lot longer without as many casualties as there should be, but molotov cocktails can be made with totally on the fly without any prior experiences or unintended explosive effects to deal with.
Louisa, I am happy that you killed the characters at the end that you did. I'm not a fan of goodreads scoring system, if I had the agency of a 10 points scale on my side, Just Drive would be a 7. That's why compared to the other books I've read so far this year, I am sticking to a 3.5, to hopefully inspire your development as a writer and encourage you to take your opportunity at reciprocity for myself with my release coming soon.
**Spoilers end**
All in all, Lousia, I believe you to be a skilled author, well on your way to a career of several works that could bring you renown, but it could take you a while longer to get there without more attention your plot structure based on the premise vs deeper character relations/backstories, which makes the narrative cumbersome. Best of luck
Oh my goodness, what a thriller! From fast cars to love triangles, to crazy kidnappings! For being the first novel Sara has written its quite amazing! Can’t wait to see what she writes next! Simply the bees knees! -Karen
The biology and the chemical structure of the human beings is very complex. You cannot understand it easily. This is what I thought when I was reading Just Drive written by Sara Louisa. This book is first of its kind that I've ever read. I enjoyed it. For its content. For its flow of words. For its adrenaline rush that I was filled with while I was reading it. For the relation that every character establishes with the reader. The story mainly revolves around two families, its family member and is about how far you can go to save your loved one. Will you go to save your daughter/your partner/your sister/your brother who is in the clutches of an unseen, unknown gang members in another country? And while you will decide to do so, some may never return back from the "mission impossible". Here every character is prime so I'll leave it to you, readers, to decide who you want to keep as main protagonist(s). You may find it a bit slow in the start but not after once you start getting familiar with every character. What I liked about this story the most is the bond that is shared among brothers, even though they're not biological, the bond between the lovers and the emotions. This story run high on emotions. When they finish their task, your heart would be beating as fast as the pounding heart of the character. When they would be lost in their tormented past that are engulfing them like fire, you will find yourself standing with them in this fire. At a point, you will be reading this novel as fast as you could in order to catch up the fast or even the gradual changing scenarios. Well, I was attached with every character & especially to someone who I lost in this story. It seemed personal. It maybe because I was not expecting to loose him. I'm still missing him. I usually make the characters of the story mine while reading any story. I really liked the fact that the author gave this story a definite end because it deserved after so many ups and downs. Thanks to the community that has given me the opportunity to read this book. I would've never picked this up if it hadn't come from this wonderful community. Believe me, you're going to enjoy it. Happy reading!
Just Drive grabs you from the second you start reading it. Hang on because it will have you on the edge of your seat until the end! This is the first book I read from this autor and let me tell you that I loved it! Such a good book with great characters that keeps you obsessed with every page since the first one. The ending of this book.. come on! I just didn´t expect it! Can´t wait for read other book from this great writer! Amazing job! definitely a must read!. 5/5 A fantastic story that has it all! Amazing read! If you are into romantic, on the edge of your seat thriller! This is a book for you!! Beautifully written and amazing story line. A real page turner!. I highly recommend it. I hope to read more Sara books
well it was quite a read. Set in our times, just amazing. A lot of family stuff goes on, there are many characters, and it feels like we are living with them, as it is written pretty thoroughly. Very easy to read and understand, and above all it's a happy ending. Felt good to read something with a happy ending after a while. Author has put so much effort in it, it's simple. Character evolve with time, honestly "blondie" was overused, made me cringe a little bit. Over all it's amazing, the title well thought of, words kept simple, and the plot marvelous.
I received a complementary copy of this book via Voracious Readers.
On the whole I enjoyed the book although it felt a little slow at times, making it feel that perhaps the story was a little too long. I liked the author’s writing style and the characters were interesting. The book has a bit of everything!
I have received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Megan is down on her luck! After catching her boyfriend cheating on her with her best friend, she quits law school and moves back in with her parents. But her life changes dramatically when she meets Damian and he gets her involved in the game. Which is all about driving!
As events escalate and the game becomes more dangerous and illegal, the players start to look for a way out. Especially when Megan's friend Carrie disappears. The only way seems to be one of the best twenty players and win a trip to Mexico.
Once there Megan is kidnapped. A rescue mission gets organized, consisting of Damian and his father and brothers, Megan's father and her brother, Army friends of Megan's father and the Russian Mafia!
The rescue mission succeeds, but sadly three members did not survive.
This is an intriguing plot, keeping the readers wondering about who is the Boss behind the game, and if their rescue mission will succeed.
As in most action novels, the heroine falls in love with the hero. But Just Drive incorporates a love triangle with a twist! Something that not all readers would enjoy.
I will recommend this book for readers that likes action novels with a realistic end.
I couldn't put this book down and haven't really read anything like this before. The mix between steamy romance, action, and mystery is so intriguing without over shading the overall story. this book was absolutely brilliant. The story was intense and sucked me in from the start for an incredible journey, full of twists and turns you won't see coming. The main character Megan Patterson is a strong-willed woman and have has a distinctive voice as do all the other characters. The author’s characters are well-developed with amazing qualities that make them very loveable and relatable. Synopsis: Intriguing and a good representation to the storyline. Title: Such a meaningful, emotive and fitting representation to storyline. Writing/Prose: Well-written, genuine, intense and beautiful. Plot: Engrossing, interesting, heartfelt, steady-paced, and entertaining. Ending: An open-ended ending that left me feeling hopeful and totally satisfied. Overall: The story is an intense ride, though an easy read it’s not for the faint of heart. I would highly recommend this novel!
This book was definitely beyond what I expected it to be. It has a gripping storyline and has interwoven a lot of relationships, both conventional and otherwise. There was not a boring moment, that I could think of.
This book is a lot more than what the cover tells you it is. The most attractive thing about most of the characters is that they are always hungry for adventure. I liked the book, though it could have been better if
(1) The parents' characters were portrayed a bit more realistically. (2) The transition of once possessive character of Damian into an accomodating one, when it comes to their relationship could have been gradual (3) The character of Cole could have been explored deeper. (4) Crossing borders with such ease, and that too with all the arms and ammunition, was a bit too hard to digest.
Overall, it was a nice and light read and I enjoyed it.
I thank Booktasters and Sara Louisa for sending the soft copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
'Just Drive' by Sara Louisa belongs to the thriller genre. In this action-packed crime-fiction the author also mixes the teenage romance and relationship drama. The story starts with random persons being introduced to each other in most unexpected ways and falling prey to the hidden traps, that builds an environment of suspense and thrill, and eventually ends in gunfights in a foreign land. Overall the author does a good job in maintaining a gripping storyline to keep the authors hooked, however, the pace of the story seems to be compromised at places to depict the love life of the characters, which seems not to be the integral part of the story and hence out of context. Nevertheless, this remains an interesting read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
One thing I have come to expect from Sara Louisa, is to never “expect” anything. Just Drive is no exception. Written in multiple POVs, (which I love about this author) every time I thought I just digested what happened, a new twist was thrown in. This book is completely unpredictable, fast paced and shocking. It is longer than a typical book I would normally read, but after reading Sara’s first two books, I couldn’t wait to read this one, and was not disappointed! Once again she has done an amazing job at creating a scene you feel like you’re in. You get to know the characters on so many different levels, especially since you are seeing them in all POVs. There are definitely some mind blowing moments that left me amazed.
Having read Sara louisa’s other books, I dived into this one with relish. Although, lol not being a driver at first I didn't relate to the characters as much as I would have liked. But! That soon changed. I loved it, a fast-paced and gritty thriller, with the added spice you get from an rh book. The suspense was killing me, I needed to finish the book and find out what happened. I did, and it brought a tear to my eye. I would thoroughly recommend this book, especially if your tastes run into the urban rh, with a fast-paced mafia twist. Brilliant book, and one I would thoroughly recommend. Well done Sara Louisa.
Just Drive is a book that has you gripped from the very first page. You just can't put it down! It is a book about love, about cars and it has all the action you'd expect of it.The adrenaline surge I had while reading this book was immense but I loved every bit of it. By the final part of it I was literally on the edge because this book refuses to bend to your will, it surprises you. An amazing read this one!! Thank you Sara and Booktasters for this one.
Well, this is the first book I have read by Sara Louisa. Well written. If you like to read a book that after the first chapter you are asking yourself where the story is going this is a book for you. I was asking myself that question almost after every chapter of this book. I did not know that it was going to end the way it did but really loved it. Had to take some time when finished to write this. You know a book is good when you have to take sometime before writing a review.
I loved this gripping thriller. I was totally immersed in this nerve wracking storyline. Megan has returned home in disgrace and is invited to join a harmless game, or so she thought. She quickly realizes that everything is not at it seems and she is playing for her life and that of her family and friends. I received this book for free and I am voluntarily leaving this review.
The book is some form of thriller. There is a lot of adrenaline involved and it keeps you on your feet. Megan is a character who many girls identify with. She has knowledge in cars and can drive...I think the most amazing part of this book was a girl who can do anything and an amazing love story involved ..
I enjoyed the prose What an amazing ride, from start to finish! Megan gets herself in deep, then falls deeper for love, over money. With twists and turns, from Canada to Mexico,it's one hell of a drive! Captivating and sucks you right in. Grab a cocktail and settle in for the ride of your life, and Just Drive! I truly loved it and can't wait for the next of Sara's adventures.
The storyline was very in depth and exciting. It was a whirlwind of a story and I enjoyed the read. The characters are beautifully written and very easy to fall in love with. As the longest book i've read in a while, the story had many twists and turns and had me on the edge of my seat a few times. I will definitely be reading more from this author.
This is a pulsating heart-pounding must-read. It's about the redeeming qualities of love. The consequences of one's actions and how they affect others. The will to survive and what you endure to survive. You will not be disappointed in reading this book.
Good📚:- Fascinated about new thinking amidst and slightly different attitude, live in dreaming something, always excited towards & interesting conversation but the story in regular mode like college time.Good book. So I recommend📚 to friends. Thank you!:)
Get ready to be surprised and entertained. The story is very realistic, full of the trials and problems many people face in life dealing with school and money problems, between choosing the right path and trying hard to please ones parents. It has a great cast with supporters who want to help. Maybe they all don’t realize how serious things are but they work together for the greater good. You can’t even imagine what kind of pain others have experienced until they heal and tell their stories. Many of those here are surviving in a real lifelike world. Christina