Of Heartbreak and Harmony

The Hometown Heartless

De: Brit Benson

Narrado por: Stella Hunter, Stephen Dexter

He burned me once.

This time, I won’t be the one consumed by the flames.

Torren King is rock-and-roll’s broodiest bachelor.
Mysterious, moody, and coveted by nearly everyone.
But to me, he’s just the sad boy who set fire to my heart,
then reduced me to ashes in the desert.

For four sweltering nights, I burned for him,
and he conquered my heart one whispered lyric at a time.
But on the fifth night, he shattered me in the way only a flawless rock god can:
irreparably, and with devastating finesse.

Four years later, the last place I expect to be is sitting before him,
reading through a contract with a pen poised in my fingertips.
A favor for a favor, he says.
A US tour and a fake relationship in exchange for the answer to all my problems.

I hate him. I hate that I need him.
And what I hate the most?
He doesn’t remember me. At all.

But despite the burning chemistry between us,
the rapidly blurring lines and the suffocating attraction,
He’s still the rock star who ruined me.
I refuse to let myself forget.

***

Of Heartbreak and Harmony is the second standalone in The Hometown Heartless series.

It has a guaranteed HEA.

It is not necessary to read Between Never and Forever before listening to Of Heartbreak and Harmony.

However, this book DOES contain spoilers for Between Never and Forever, and understanding of relationship dynamics and character backstories is enhanced by listening to Between Never and Forever first.

A full list of content warnings can be found on the author's website.

©2024 Brit Benson (P)2024 Brit Benson

Excellent

Another Hometown Heartless win! Callie and Torren were an excellent match and their storyline was interesting and engaging. I struggled a little bit more than the first in the series with the past-present switches. I kept asking myself “is this in the now or then?” (Yes, I realize chapter openings set the scene, but with long chapters I’d lose track). But overall, very much enjoyed.

🖤🖤🖤🖤

Of Heartbreak and Harmony is a delightful treat all on its own, but if you want a VIP pass to the character backstories and all those juicy relationship twists, dive into Between Never and Forever first—this story picks up a few months after its epilogue!

When Callie and Torren’s paths unexpectedly crash together, sparks fly, and he can’t help but be enchanted by her charm. So, when he needs a fake girlfriend, she’s the obvious choice! Even with a few unresolved feelings about him and his rockstar life, Callie can’t resist the siren call of joining them on tour for this PR stunt.

Oh, the tension and angst are off the charts! I loved the characters and how their romance simmered and bubbled over time. Plus, seeing all the members of The Hometown Heartless made my heart sing! I’m on the edge of my seat for Jonah’s story, which I bet will be a rollercoaster of emotions!

And let’s talk about the audiobook—oh boy! The duet-style narration is like a front-row seat to their emotional concert. I felt every exhilarating high and gut-wrenching low, thanks to the incredible performances by Stella Hunter and Stephen Dexter. Bravo!

LOVED

I wasn’t sure I would like Torrens story…but how could I doubt Brit Benson?? Unbelievable - I absolutely loved Callie and Torrens story. It was amazing to go along on the love story, watch their development and see them come together. I loved the witty humor of Glory and the depth the story gave you. If I could just listen to Brit Benson all the time, I would be happy.

Super Spicy, Angsty Rockstar Romance

✨ Of Heartbreak and Harmony ✨

YOU GUYSSSS!! I LOVE THIS SERIES!!! I was a little worried that Between Never and Forever would be impossible to follow up, but Of Heartbreak and Harmony said hold my beer babe, I got this!

Callie and Torren were magic together. It tore me up as they slowly pieced together their past and how everything went down but it was so rewarding as they figured out how to fix the hurt and pain and move forward. Going into their relationship, they were both so jaded and couldn't trust anyone. I loved watching their trust grow into something so solid. Also...this book was HOT. Like woah! All of this leads into a super exciting and suspenseful ending with an unexpected yet beautiful HEA!

✨ Rockstar
✨ Hookup
✨ Secret Identity
✨ Fake Dating
✨ Tattoo for Her
✨ Suspense

This book is an interconnected standalone within the Hometown Heartless series! It can totally be read alone, but why would you do that when both books are so amazing!?

📚 Book: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🎧 Audio: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥Spice Rating: ❤️‍🔥

🎧 𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼...
Stella Hunter and Stephen Dexter were AHHHMAZING! I loved them together so much and it was such a treat to listen to their voices in duet narration with a surprise singing performance by Juno Cooper and Zachary Webber. *swoon* This is a series where audio just makes an already spectacular book even better!

Thank you so much to Brit Benson and Must Love Audio for this gifted audiobook.

Spice Rating
🤍 clean romance
💗 closed door/ fade to black
❤️ sexual content (a few detailed scenes)
❤️‍🔥 explicit, play-by-play (major part of the plot)
🖤 graphic, more than vanilla

Perfection... Again! Brit blows me away every time

Book 2 of The Hometown Heartless series. You can read it alone if you want, it works, but it will have so much more impact if you've done BNAF first.

Torren F'king King & Calla Lily Sunrise James (aka Firebird), these two were such a fight and I loved every minute of it.

How does Brit Benson keep building these men? How does she craft these stories? Every single time I wonder what damage she is going to inflict on my soul this time. And I have a hard time guessing, I am always just along for the ride letting her words and story take me where it needs to go.

We have a split timeline in this book and every time I got to a chapter end were I was on the edge of my seat wanting desperately to know what happens next, the timeline shifts. It was edging and teasing in the best possible way. Brit wove magic into the perfect tipping points from past to present and back again. I kept driving forward through both stories, each one shedding light on the other, the motivations, the trauma, the passion. The past is a foundation, it helps outline the reasons for actions in the present. And it's revealed at a pace that pulled me into the flow rather than pushing me out of it.

The present is where you see the best version of Torren, the version you WANT to have on your book boyfriend list. He's considerate, he's generous, he's the right kind of possessive, and he wants to do the work (therapy Thursday! I can totally get behind it). When we get context for Past Torren's actions from Present Torren... you need it. It changes everything.

Present Callie is strong and guarded, Past Callie got burned and you can see it in present Callie's actions even if you don't have all the pieces at first. She's fighting for her family and can't afford to pass up this opportunity. She remembers, she's jaded and she's locked up because of it. The past has broken her enough that it takes a long time for the present to work it's way under her shields. Watching Callie let down her walls and be vulnerable in the present, go after what she wants and let herself WANT and DREAM, it's magical.

The audiobook is performed in duet by Stella Hunter and Stephen Dexter. This audiobook was perfection. The narrators brought in so much emotion to these characters. The emotional peaks grabbed me in the gut and produced visceral reactions from me. I was so engrossed in the performances that I was missing transit stops and having to actively hold my poker face in place. I cried at times, I blushed in others, it was a fantastic production. The epilogue is something special and really makes this rockstar romance a true musical experience.

My Heart!

What happens when you meet a super hot guys at a rock festival that your playing at?? You obviously give him your virginity… Callie and her band were just trying to make it work when Torren King walks into her life and what she thought completely ruined it before it even got started. This books was such an emotional roller coaster. You wanted to love Torren, but you also kind of hated him because of what he did to Callie, but when you hear his side of the story you realize he was heartbroken. Then when he takes care of Callie after her accident you know that this man loves her. I love Callie and Torren together! Go read this book if you haven’t!

Brit Benson is an EPIC storyteller !!

Brit Benson continues to absolutely amaze me with her storytelling. Naturally, I was obsessed with Torren in book one, so seeing him move on from Savannah and get his own HEA was so so exciting (and deserved!!). Torren and Callie met at a music festival five years ago. His memory of the festival is hazy, but Callie’s is crystal clear, and she’s still nursing the heartache. But now Torren is the one in need of help, and he asks Callie to be his fake girlfriend (you know, pr and all that jazz). Fake dating, rockstar, annnnnd some suspenseful drama = one hell of a story. Stephen and Stella SLAAAAAYED this audio (and it’s duet hello!!). Stephen’s emotion? Unmatched. Absolutely recommend both Hometown Heartless books (read in order to avoid spoiling the series for yourself!).

one you don't want to end

For me, this was one of those books that you just don't want to end. It draws you in, you become part of the world. From the spice, to the heartbreak to the amazing moments.
The audio for this was amazing. Stella was not new to me, she has always done phenomenal work. Stephen was new to me and i will definitely listen to him again. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in this series. It's so worth it

Incredible

This book was even better in audio. The performances by Stella and Stephen were spectacular. So much emotion, so much banter, and the music! I love this series so much!

What an emotional and thrilling read!

I love this series so much!

Of Heartbreak and Harmony is book 2 in the Hometown Heartless Series and follows Callie and Torren. This is such a unique spin on second chance yet also a slowburn with a lot of angst at the same time.

I loved watching Callie and Torren's relationship blossom and grow. They learned how to communicate with one another and get over things that had happened in their past. Brit Benson always delivers emotion in her books and this one was no different. Torren was so protective of Callie and would do anything to protect her. Torren has so much depth to him, much more than I would I have thought honestly.

Highly recommend on audio - there is a song at the end that is performed!
I am not sure I am ready for the heartbreak of Jonah's book.