For Wrath and Redemption (The Hometown Heartless)

De: Brit Benson

Narrado por: Mollie Stark, Jason Clarke

This temptation is my punishment.

His redemption is my penance. Jonah Hendrix is the bad boy of the music industry.

As lead guitarist of The Hometown Heartless, negative press follows him like a scorned lover.

And even his fans fuel the flames of his torched reputation.

Despite his permanent residence in the media, he’s never been on my radar.

Not until my boss comes to me with a proposition:

Join The Hometown Heartless on tour to redeem Jonah in the public eye, and finally get the promotion I’ve been working toward.

I’m not a PR specialist, and it’s not my career ambition, but I’m determined to see this job through.

As long as I treat the surly rock star like a brand, I’ll succeed in rehabbing his reputation and survive the tour with my sanity intact.

The problem?

Jonah and I have more in common than either of us realized.

And that desire for connection?

It’s proving to be irresistible.

FWAR is Jonah's book.

It is the third standalone in The Hometown Heartless series and contains a crossover character from The Next Life series.

This book DOES contain spoilers for The Next Life duet and The Hometown Heartless series.

While it is not necessary to listen to any of the previous books, listening to them will enhance your appreciation of this story as well as provide a better understanding of the depth of the character dynamics, personalities, and backstories.

For clarification, FWAR takes place chronologically as the next story in both The Hometown Heartless series and The Next Life series.

Title, Cover, and Blurb reveal in January.

©2025 Brit Benson Books (P)2025 Brit Benson Books

Amazing!

This series has me in a chokehold. Every installment delivers, but this one? It owns me. The story? Gripping. The narration? Flawless. Mollie and Jason’s chemistry crackles through every line; sharp, emotional, and so real it hurts (in the best way).

That scene. You know the one, where he sends the pic to rile her up? I lost count of how many times I hit rewind. Mollie’s sass, her fire, her delivery? Iconic. Jason matched her beat for beat. Their banter was pure gold, and their performances? Straight-up chef’s kiss.

Jason Clarke & Mollie Stark duet narration

I'd like to say this was my first narration with Mollie and she did amazing! She brought Claire alive and made you feel what Claire was feeling, I was in tears & could relate with Claire with some of my own experiences.
I've listened to quite a bit of Jason's narrations. He always knocks it out of the park. He had me in tears in the prologue...the freaking prologue!! 😂 that wasn't the first or last time. All I'm going to say is Chapter 23 🫠 iykyk 😏

100% will listen to Jason Clarke again, duh 🤗
100% will be keeping an eye out for more of Mollie's narrations 🥰

Hurt people, hurt people

How can I possibly find words to describe For Wrath and Redemption? But I'm going to try.

Brit introduced us to Claire Davis in the Next Life Duet, she became the villain in Macon & Lennons love story for so many but I've had a soft spot. The saying "hurt people hurt people" is the overarching theme as Brit slowly unravels Claire's layers.

Jonah Hendrix has been waiting in the wings for his moment with the Hometown Heartless crew. I think it's safe to say the prologue will destroy you. And slowly Brit starts to put pieces back together, until she rips you apart again, and again and again. And I loved every single second of it.

Claire is determined to do the job she was hired for, making Jonah Hendrix a media darling. And the way Claire sets to work, she knows what she is doing. Jonah on the other hand is resistant (shocking) and takes some serious time to get on board.

The way these two see into each other's darkest places is beautiful, terrifying and beyond what either can comprehend or handle.

Mollie and Jason tackled every single word and elevated this story in a way I didn't know was possible...mostly because it was perfect when I read the ebook.

Redemption

If you met Claire back in the Next Life duet, this is a must listen

Angsty and Addicting

"We're two disasters, he and I. Two broken, damaged people who've made so many mistakes"

Brit Benson could write a bunch of random words on a napkin, and I would rush to read it, but I admit I was nervous about starting this book. For anyone who has read the Next Life or Hometown Heartless books, you know these two characters haven't made the best first impressions. I knew this book would be frustrating and emotional, and I was also a little hesitant to give Claire a chance (ifykyk). But I trusted Brit and I am so unbelievably happy I did.

This story is raw and angsty and written so beautifully. The emotions that are pulled from these characters are palpable, from heartbreak to happiness and (literally) everything in between. From the outside, Jonah is the troubled bad boy who doesn't give a f**k, but on this inside? He's broken and lonely and just wants to be loved. And as much as I didn't want to admit it, Claire is the best thing that could have happened to him. I truly don't think either of these characters could fit with anyone else, and their fractured pieces fit seamlessly together. Do I love her now? No. But I understand her a little more, and if you have ever heard me talk about this character knowing that I can say that shows just how incredible of a writer Brit Benson is. She created literal magic with this story and I was blown away by how much I loved it.

I went back and listened to the audio after finishing the ebook, and I couldn't have asked for better narrators. Jason Clark, as always, was exceptional as Jonah, seamlessly bouncing between his different moods and emotions. Mollie Stark is a new to me narrator and I absolutely loved her portrayal of Claire. She brought out the sass and sensitive in equal measure, and together these two were absolutely perfect for the story.

Amazing audiobook

✨Book Rec✨
For Wrath and Redemption by Brit Benson
Can be stand-alone

1st person dual POV
Spice: 2/3🔥

I don’t even think I am able to put into words how much I loved this. This book hit me in every single one of the feels. What a roller coaster. I laughed, I cried, and at one point I yelled at Brit for putting me through all this turmoil. This book is beautiful in every way and anyone who doesn’t read it is severely missing out. It is cast PERFECTLY.

What you’ll find:
- he’s a famous rockstar
- she’s his new PR manager who is also dating his dad
- forced proximity
- addiction
- check triggers

Jonah & Claire

Y’ALL. This book. This BOOK. I am absolutely wrecked in the best way possible. It has taken me WEEKS to come up with words that are worthy of this book! If I had to bet on the best book of the year, this would be it. The emotions? Raw. The characters? Messy, flawed, and so painfully real. The journey? A storm of wrath, heartbreak, and redemption that completely consumed me. I knew if anyone could make me love a character I once hated, it would be Brit Benson. But Claire? I was shocked by how much I ended up rooting for her.

Claire was hired to be Jonah’s “babysitter”, helping keep him on the right path until the end of the tour. That was supposed to be it. But what neither of them expected? The undeniable pull between them. They had every reason to stay away, yet in the wreckage of their pasts, they found something real. They saw each other. And watching them fight for something they never thought they deserved? Breathtaking. (Even if Jonah fought it every step of the way.)

This book is devastatingly beautiful, with writing that cuts deep and heals all at once. This story was one heck of a rollercoaster. It was an angsty, emotional journey. With characters who hurt and heal together, and a love story that feels like redemption itself.

And if you want to intensify the entire experience, do yourself a favor and grab the audio. Jason Clarke and Mollie Stark were absolutely brilliant with their performance. I don’t know what mesmerized me more: Jason’s delivery of Jonah’s rage, heartbreak, and sweet, slow fall into love or the way Mollie completely transformed one of the most hated characters into someone so vulnerable and real. And those snarky lines? Absolute perfection.

So good!!

I have been waiting for this book…let me tell you I was not disappointed! If I could give it more than five stars I would!!! I wasn’t sure if I ever thought Claire would be a redeemable character, but I fell in love with her and Jonah. They were exactly what each other needed in a partner. They could understand each other in a way that others couldn’t. This book was a rollercoaster of a ride. You will definitely feel all the feels. I was hooked immediately and couldn’t put it down! I was so happy that I had the audio so I didn’t have to! If you are an audio lover you will love this one. I think I felt all the emotions that much more because of the narration. The narrators did an amazing job bringing this story to life. It was a true one sit read/listen for me. This is one of those books that I didn’t want to end. I was so attached to the characters it was sad to let them go. To say I loved this book is an understatement!! I absolutely recommend this one! I do highly recommend reading The Next Life duet and the other books in The Hometown Heartless series before this one. As there will be spoilers if you don’t. Also this book does deal with heavy topics. Make sure to check content warnings if needed.

So far the best by Brit.

These was the best Listen I heard in a Long While. It’s got A Little bit of everything. The Angst, Angst. The Relatives, The Band Mates, Close Friends, Young To Older Relationship, Related, Addiction, Asshole Parents, And i think you don’t want anymore information. Just a great listen! Actually you should listen to it instead of reading it. It’s just that Good!👍

Jonah!!

I think this book is my favorite of the series. Jonah was always the mysterious one of the Heartbreak Heartless and his story with Claire was intense and very sexy. Such a good series!