Famous Last Words

By: Claudia Burgoa

Narrated by: Jason Clarke, Stella Hunter

Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

USA Today bestselling author Claudia Burgoa pens a thrilling tale of hard losses and second chances. This angsty romance will destroy listeners' hearts and then put them back together again. Prepare to ugly cry like never before!

I shouldn’t be alive.

I should’ve died in that plane crash.

Instead, I survived.

Thrived, even.

After all, I’m a rock star and a billionaire.

There’s nothing I can’t buy.

Nothing, except peace.

And when it all comes crashing down around me…

The guilt.

The pain.

The sorrow.

That’s when she appears.

The one woman I’m not allowed to love.

I needed her to fill the void after everything was lost.

There she was, ready, and grieving too.

Both of us are broken, shattered people.

So why does she make my heart want to beat again?

I need a new reason to keep breathing.

And I think that reason—is her.

Famous Last Words is a story of pain, forgiveness, and the faint, lingering hope of rekindling a love that once meant everything.

©2024 Claudia Burgoa (P)2024 Claudia Burgoa

Healing

WOW! This book brings so much pain and heartbreak and then it turns it around to heal those that were left behind from a tragic accident.

Famous Last Words is a touching story of second chances and healing. The story follows the lives of Brahms, a famous rock star who has so much guilt that he is barely hanging on, and Seraphina, a therapist who has lost most of her family at whom she blames Brahms.

The timeline for this book shifts from present to past over the course of a decade, as both characters struggle to come to terms with the trauma of an accident that altered their lives forever. Seraphina is struggling to save her rehabilitation center while also struggling to keep a deeply buried secret that she fears could be exposed at any moment. When Brahm arrives for her help he only adds to her troubles as he seeks her help to recover from a recent accident but truthfully he needs her to heal his pain from guilt. Seraphina remains determined to keep her secret and save her beloved rehabilitation center. The characters are well-written and likable, and their struggles will make you feel all the emotions. They are both stubborn and determined and the back and forth between them was so well written.

Jason Clarke and Stella Hunter do an outstanding job in their performance in this book. They delivered the needed emotion and feeling and I was captivated by both of them from beginning to end.

AN ANGSTY, EMOTIONAL, ADDICTIVE SECOND-CHANCE

This is a slow-burn.. however, it’s a slow-burn in Hell because Seraphina hates the man she once loved above all others and is now being forced to work with to save her Center. She’s a gifted Physiotherapist with Titanium walls and a hardened heart for Brahms, the man who shattered it seven years ago. They were childhood friends before they became best friends.. they were sweethearts before they became lovers.. and they were dedicated soul-mates before they became victims on opposite sides of a tragedy. And Brahms had his story too.. because there’s tragedy and secrets written in the addictive chapters. A physically and mentally broken man, heartbroken and desperate to get forgiveness from the only woman he’s ever loved back - the woman whose heart was shattered at the worst possible time in her life. Is there a chance for them?

Worth a credit? Yes absolutely. Past and present chapters slowly unearthed the love that was precious in the past and then the ruins of their present, what they’d both lost and what they’d have to do to get their soulmate back. Doubts, angst, raw feelings, insecurities, scars, grief, revelations, forgiveness, understanding, growth, passions both deep and intense, love and the happily ever after was all expertly brought to life in duet-style acting by Jason and Erin who always deliver stellar five star moving performances. There was sweet and tender and filled with warmth too along the way as their eventual second-chance bloomed into so much more.

Famous Last Words was Phenomenal!

This has to be one of my favorite Claudia Burgoa books ever and I love all of her work. I read and listened to the audio and wow! Just wow! Seraphina and Brahm had me in an emotional chokehold until the very end. If you are a Claudia Burgoa fan like me, you know she writes emotionally gripping stories and I went into this knowing that, but I was so not ready (in the best way) for the journey she took us on with this couple.

The angst was angsting in Famous Last Words! The family secrets and lies that were told to protect Seraphina, and the blame that Brahm took in the process almost broke them to the point of no return.

Finally finding happiness in each other after suffering such a tragic loss on both side was supposed to be the start of their happily ever after, but their families had other plans and turned their backs on both of them. Not before tearing them apart first.

When they are put back in each other's lives, their emotional connection and pull to one another is tested. He wants her back. She wants him to pay for killing her family.

Can this couple be true to themselves and honest with eachother to break through the walls they've erected, or will the lies, betrayal, and tragedies of the past keep them apart? If his brothers have anything to do with it, they will get the HEA that they deserved a long time ago.

Stella Hunter and Jason Clarke brought the angst and emotion through these characters phenomenally and made me love this story and couple even more. I highly recommend reading and/or listening to this if you like emotional, second chance romance with family drama mixed in.

Excellent emotionally charged second chance!

~*~ Audiobook Review ~*~ I really enjoyed this slow-burn journey of healing and second changes. So many layers, so many lies, so much pain! It is an emotional rollercoaster with wonderful performances in duet by Jason Clarke and Stella Hunter. Seraphina and Braums have been through the ringer and both have a lot to lose, but oh so much to gain! Both are keeping secrets. The story is peeled back in layers through glimpses to the past as they try to navigate his complex and risky rehabilitation.

You can't go wrong with Stella and Jason! Claudia Burgoa is also a go-to author, so this combination delivers a solid 4.5 stars!!

Emotion roller coaster with amazing narration

If you love emotional roller coasters that will break your heart before putting you back together again look no further than Seraphina aka Sephy and Brahms journey in Famous Last Words. This couple have been through so much, the past is full of pain and heartbreak but it’s the secrets they are both keeping that could ruin any future they think they may have……. Jason Clarke and Stella Hunter did a wonderful job bringing this book to life. They were spot on with the emotion and the angst which in turn means their narration was exactly what this book needed. My heart broke as I watched Brahms struggle with trauma and addiction but it was always going to be hard to rekindle his relationship with Sephy. This quote from Brahms at the start says it all "Our souls had already kissed a thousand times, so even if our lips never met, I knew our hearts were tethered, bound by a love that was pure, deep, and transcendent. And that was enough." I cried and I held my breath as I listened to this raw and emotional journey. Ms Burgoa really knows how to deliver emotional, roller coasters and this is one of her best especially when she gives you an epilogue that makes it all right.

An Emotional Journey! Fantastic Story & Listen🎧

Oh Claudia Burgoa, what did you do to my heart? Breaking it into pieces before putting it back together again. This story drew me in like no other, grabbing my attention and captivating it the entire time and yes, tugged at my heartstrings the entire time, too. As if it was not heartbreaking enough that Seraphina lost her brother and sister in a plane crash, but then to learn the person responsible for the crash wrecks her even more. Then other news that stemmed out of that tragic event pours more salt into her wounded heart. Seraphina gave her heart to Brahms, her brother’s best friend and bandmate, but he crushed it and her. Brahms lost his best friend then and has had survivor’s guilt since and that is not the only guilt he suffers from, but from keeping secrets, secrets to protect Seraphina and her family. When Brahms is at his lowest, his brothers bring him to a unique rehabilitation facility, run by the only person who can really save him, Seraphina. She did not want to see him again, but the practice she built is hurting financially, and treating him may be the only way to save it. Brahms is in a bad way, both mentally and physically, but seeing Seraphina again lights a fire within him. Seraphina is still angry with him and his betrayal, and has no intention to forgive him or let him in again, but she has her own secrets, and despite her anger, she does still care about him. This beautifully written and plotted story is so much more than a second chance romance, it is a second chance at life, especially for Brahms and them as a couple and a family. Claudia Burgoa, thank you for another this wonderfully moving & emotional story. 

🎧📚🎧 Jason Clarke and Stella Hunter deliver an outstanding performance portraying these characters, humanizing them with their personality, giving each a voice that is fitting and is believable in every role they played. Clarke's portrayal of Brahms was amazing, capturing his despair and transforming him into who he was meant to be. Hunter was just as amazing as Seraphina, grasping all her strength and her determination, as well as her heartache. Both were fabulous performing the roles of the secondary characters, too. They set the perfect tone for the story, captured all the characters’ emotions and had you feeling them all. These entertaining storytellers are a pleasure to listen to and their performance enhances this already amazing story to another level. Thank you for another wonderful listen. 

Angsty, emotional story with amazing narration

Another angsty, amazing and wonderful book from Claudia. This is a second chance romance filled with secrets from the past, recovering, second chances and new beginnings. Claudia is the queen of angst and this book does not disappointed. I love her writing style and how she takes us from the present to the past. This takes us on a journey to understand what they’ve been through, the reason for their decisions and how they learn to forgive. Seraphina and Brahm have been through a lot together…and while apart. They are both strong, determined, but also a bit broken. Their journey back to one another, finding forgiveness and moving onto new beginning is beautiful. Jason Clarke and Stella Hunter deliver a phenomenal performance. Their voices are so smooth, amazing and delightful. They give the characters perfect emotion, voice and personality. A great listen!

Heartbreaking and heartwarming

This is a standalone which from memory we haven’t seen from Ms. Burgoa is quite a while. I knew that this book was going to be an emotional roller coaster of a read and I was correct.
This book tore me apart and had me heartbroken for Seraphina (Sephy) and Brahms at times. Told in the past and the present I will say at times I got a little confused but the underlying emotions in the past or the present was loss, pain, and heartache.
They have endured so much and yet there is a sliver of hope as Brahms recovers yet again from trauma and addiction. However, they both have secrets and when they are revealed it will send them both spiralling.
Can they both come to terms with the past and in doing so finally find the happiness that has alluded them? There was so much angst and heartbreak that I thought I couldn’t take anymore but Ms. Burgoa writes such strong characters that you cannot help but become invested.
The narration by Jason Clarke and Stella Hunter brought the characters to life for me. Not only are their voices pleasant to listen to but they did justice to the story that Ms. Burgoa wove. Their performances expressed the passion, love, heartache and angst that the characters experienced and their performances were believable and easy to relate too.

Loved this Angsty Second Chance Romance

I really enjoyed this second chance romance with all the angst and emotions you expect from a Claudia Burgoa novel. I can't say enough about the fantastic narration by Stella Hunter and Jason Clarke in bringing Seraphina and Brahms' story to life. These two are some of my favorites and after listening to this story, it's not hard to see why. They are able to convey the emotions necessary for this story that was full of secrets and the hope of healing from pasts traumas and struggles.

Seraphina's world was turned upside down years ago when she lost not only her sister, her brother and her father was seriously injured, she also lost the love of her life. When her past is thrown into her face and her work, she puts up a wall to keep the feelings out of it. She has lived her life on her own for the last few years and even though her facility is struggling, she is determined to bring it back to life. Too bad, her ex is the way to make that happen.

Brahams has been living with so much heartache for so long and his ways to numb the pain are only making his life worse. Now he needs some serious rehab and his brother has decided the best place to do this is at Seraphina's place. Brahams is hoping that this will be the way to rekindle the love that he and Seraphina shared but she isn't going to make this easy on him. He knows that he will have to finally tell her all the truths he has been hiding, which he knows could only push her further away.

This was a great second chance romance, with chapters from then and now to help the reader/listener to better understand the feelings for both Seraphina and Brahams. Even though this was a second chance romance, it was definitely a slow burn for these characters to find each other again. But in the end, it was well worth the angst and wait for them.

Emotional Journey 💕

OMG the book and the audio for Famous Last Words by Claudia Burgoa was amazing. It is a second-chance romance that will take you on an emotional journey that will leave you breathless. Seraphina and Brahms' journey is built on secrets from the past and in order to have a brighter future they have to come clean about the past. Will they get to their HEA?

The narrators, Stella Hunter and Jason Clarke, did a superb job in bringing this story to life. Every emotion was felt through the words as they were read. Overall, I absolutely loved this book. If you enjoy reading second-chance romances with a painful past, secrets, flasbacks, angst, steamy connections and banter, then then you will love reading this book!