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!

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!

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.

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

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.

Duet, and have tissues ready!

Audible took it to a whole different level, I don't know how Brit does it, but she chooses the best narrators for her stories! Every chapter was amazing, you could feel Torren confused initially not being able to pinpoint Callie, then when he could, the jealousy he felt, you could feel Callie and her pain, her lust her heart. Listen my heart was shattered then put right back together, Brit writes or puts out in audible and it's an automatic click for me, even without knowing what it is about. Do yourself and listen to this duet audio, you seriously won't be disappointed even for one second. The spice was spicing once it got there, this is a well worth slow burn

Astounding!

"Let me play your bass notes..." 
 never thought that these words by Torren Effing King would touch me so deeply. We met Torren before and I confess I wasn't impressed. He was in a very toxic relationship with his bandmate, Savannah Loveless, of The Hometown Heartless, but we get to see a whole new side of the handsome and charismatic rockstar. 
This story goes back and forth in time in a span of four years. There's a stalker situation going on involving the band and Torren needs to make it publicly clear that he's moved on and is in a relationship with someone other than Savannah. 
Enter Callie, whom he met in the funniest of meet cutes involving a dog, also named Torren King. Well, he thinks it's the first time they met, but she's oddly familiar. When the paps mistake her for his new love interest, an idea pops into his mind - she'll pose as his girlfriend and keep the stalker away. But he'll remember that he did indeed meet Callie before... and he will never want her to leave.
I was floored by Between Never and Forever and I thought nothing could beat that story. I was wrong. I devoured this audiobook in one sitting and I loved every single minute of it. 
Narrated duet style by Stella Hunter and Stephen Dexter, this one is a joy to listen to. Stella shines as Callie (as a young, starry-eyed fan and as the jaded fake girlfriend) and Stephen Dexter will melt your ears with his incredible performance. And there is music! Kudos to Juno Cooper and Zachary Webber for the perfect words and music for Firebird. AMAZING. 
You don't have to listen to book 1 but if you do, you have a better understanding of Torren and the expletive used between his first and last names change meaning from ”*insert bad word here* to "swoon worthy". Trust me. You'll love to be caught in the mess that is The Hometown Heartless. I can't wait for Jonas's story!
Oh, and "sharing is caring"...If you know you know... ;) 

Let me play your bass notes, Firebird.

Thank you, Brit Benson, for this book. Thank you, Stephen Dexter and Stella Hunter. You helped me live Torren and Callie’s love. Not many duets are perfect. This one really felt like it.

The Hometown Heartless attracts all sorts of crazies. Due to one of those, Torren needs a fake girlfriend who can draw their attention elsewhere.
It should be fine with Callie, especially since she can’t stand him and needs the money, but with their past… It's complicated.

The first time they met was four years ago at a music festival. There was something different between them even then. But he broke her heart, and if she lets him close, he’ll do it again. Especially since he doesn’t remember her.
So it has to be fake. Except it doesn’t feel like it, especially when they finally explore the connection that’s always been there.

Stephen Dexter is Torren in every way. In the way Torren falls for Callie and how he’s wanted her for so long, in his protective streak, his support, his reassurance even—especially—when things go sour. His fear broke me.
Stella brings Callie to light. The heartbroken girl who lost everything but still rolled with the punches to help her family. Her insecurities, her jealousy, her unawareness of what they are and where they stand.

Callie’s initial hate of Torren and his longing for her are much more obvious in audio. I fell in love with them all over again. With their story and its twists and turns, with how much they want and how hot they burn for each other, with the steamy scenes that incinerated my earbuds. With their pain, desperation, and finally happiness.

These two narrators brought tears to my eyes when they showed me Torren and Callie won’t allow themselves to be kept apart again. Whatever comes, they can lean on each other and come back stronger every time. “Let me play your bass notes,” had me crying. IYKYK.

Nothing about their love story is common. They have the kind of love that brings light into the darkness. The kind people write songs about.
And the song they wrote... it's perfect.

Beautiful and Emotional Ride

This story had me locked in from the start. A rockstar, second chance romance with all the feels? Yes, thank you, more please.

I was not prepared for how much I would love this story. Callie and Torren's delicious slow-burn, second-chance romance is so good. The tension, angst, and undeniable chemistry between them are palpable. There is no shortage of steam in this story. Callie and Torren are electric together. There were ups and downs, and some of their actions were rage-inducing, but I loved the development of their relationship. Torren’s redemption arc and how hard he fell for Callie have me obsessed. They were always going to be each other's endgame, and I couldn't help but root for them. I felt so many emotions while reading this story. Callie and Torren's romance is definitely an emotional ride. My heart was shattered into pieces and then put back together. I am still recovering. This book is perfect, and I can't wait for what's next.

Narration:
Stella Hunter and Steven Dexter perform this audiobook in duet-style narration. This duo absolutely nailed it. Stella and Steven were the perfect voices for Callie and Torren and expertly portrayed the essence of each character. They brought emotion, tension, angst, and heat. This audiobook had an amazing flow, and the narrators complemented each other well. Stella and Steven's performances enhanced my experience with the story. As an added bonus, the audiobook includes original music and lyrics by Juno Cooper and Zachary Webber. I highly recommend reading the book and listening to the audiobook in tandem.