When the Storm Breaks

Lost Stars, Book 2

By: Emery Rose

Narrated by: Austin Stone, C.J. Bloom

Length: 12 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

Our worlds never should have collided, but it seemed our paths were always destined to cross.

Brody McCallister was only supposed to be a means to an end. My golden ticket to get me closer to what I really needed - a way to make peace with what I’d done when I was 18, dirt poor, and left to fend for myself.

I only had six weeks in the middle of a hectic world tour to do it. So the last thing I needed was to fall for a cocky cowboy. A walking contradiction with a charming grin, a dirty mouth, and a gift for healing wild and broken things.

His life was in Texas. Mine was on the road. He guarded his privacy fiercely. I was constantly hounded by paparazzi. Everyone warned me it could never work, that ultimately I’d be forced to choose - my music career or him. I didn’t listen. I fell for him anyway. Hook, line, and proverbial sinker.

But Brody was hiding secrets. And when the storm finally broke, it destroyed everything in its wake...including us.

©2021 Emery Rose (P)2021 Podium Audio

Save a horse, ride a cowboy!

“𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆 𝒘𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆. 𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒘𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒉𝒐𝒘, 𝒘𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕, 𝒇𝒍𝒂𝒘𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓’𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅𝒔 𝒂 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆.”

This is the second book in the Lost Stars series. This can be read as a standalone, but forewarning this book has spoilers for the first book in this series, so I do highly recommend reading When the Stars Fall first. This story follows Brody and Shiloh, and their journey is so heartbreaking yet beautiful at the same time. Their pasts are filled with regrets and broken hearts. They believe they’re unworthy and unlovable. But what they never could have expected is they were the solace to each other’s storms.

Brody is a single father to the most adorable six-year-old, Noah. He owns a ranch where he works day in and day out as a horse wrangler. He’s quiet, reserved, broody, and tends to keep to himself. Everything was smooth sailing in his life until Shiloh stumbled upon his ranch, looking for some R&R for the next six weeks. But she’s holding onto a secret for the true reason she’s back in Texas.

Shiloh has overcome a lot through her life. From her heartbreaking childhood to her troubled teenage years to skyrocketing to fandom. From a very young age, Shiloh has always dreamed of becoming a famous rockstar, and she sacrifices so much to get there. Years later, the band falls apart. She breaks out on her own and thrives. But is it truly what she wants?

The chemistry between Brody and Shiloh was palpable from the start. The flirting, banter, and sizzling tension had me devouring this audiobook. Neither of them was planning on anything more than a no strings attached fling, but the harder they fought, the harder they fell. This story flowed so naturally and easily. Watching them let go and reveal their pain and pasts was heartbreaking but heart rendering at the same time. These two complete opposites were meant to be. If you’re looking for a book full of angst, passion, steam, twist and turns, secrets, cowboys, rockstars, small-town vibes, and the cutest little boy, then look no further. Make sure to add this one to your TBR!

This audio took me a minute to get into with the narrators speaking with heavy southern accents, but as I kept listening, I felt that the story wouldn’t have been depicted as well without it. This was my first time listening to Adam Stone, and I absolutely loved his Texan drawl. He was the perfect person to portray our broody cowboy through and through. His kid’s voice for Noah was superb, and I was rather impressed with his female voice as well. The deep and rich timbre on top of the velvety and smooth cadence left me needing to find a cowboy of my own. I also noticed Adam doesn’t have a lot of audiobooks out there, and that needs to be remedied ASAP!

This was my first time hearing CJ Bloom, and she did a wonderful job as well with her accent work. I could feel how CJ truly embodies Shiloh with her performance. I could hear the heartbreak when finding out why she was really in Texas, the fears of leaving everything behind, yet the joy from her time with Brody and Noah. She had me smiling with her kid’s voice, and I was thoroughly impressed with her male’s voice. I will definitely be keeping my ears out for more of her work!

Perfection!!! ❤️❤️❤️

I absolutely love this series! The McCallister boys are swoon worthy and make me want to pack up my things and move to Texas to find a cowboy!! I will definitely be reading more by this author. Both narrators knock it out of the park but Austin Stone is perfection and just may be my new favourite male narrator!!

Love love love

She knocked it out of the park again. These McAllister boys are absolutely spectacular.

Great read

Such a great story. I absolutely love the lost stars series! The narration was great and the writing was even better. I love how the main characters are always good at heart, but multifaceted and human.Totally worth the credit.

Just the best!

No words! This was one of the best audible purchases I’ve ever made. I don’t know which was better the book or the narrators. I could listen to Austin Stone read the back of a Tide box and love it!

When the storm breaks

Love this book. It didn’t make me cry like that last one but still touched me. I only have one complaint. I went to see all the audible books Austin Stones has narrated, which are def way to few, and I found that I have listened to them all. Please have him narrate more books. He has become a favorite. Maybe the favorite.

Loved loved loved

Loved the story and characters and Austin and C.J. were the perfect combination. I finished I a day on a road trip and immediately downloaded the next book.

Too far fetched?

This book didn’t compare to the depth of the first book. Brody’s character had so much potential and the foundation to make this a mind blowing romance novel was there, but the author didn’t nail it with the whole clash of worlds between rock star and rural cowboy. I don’t want to say it was too far fetched because that’s what’s fun about this genre, but the author didn’t pull it off. Also, there was a shallow understanding of the animal rights issues brought up in the book that made me cringe, i.e. animals being captured for zoos (?), a TEXAN being affronted when someone suggests hunting as a service in Texas (?). If you want an animal activist hippie from Austin then just write that book. But that person probably wouldn’t be a f***ing hot cowboy with a short temper searching for a fight. Can some a rural person get it together and write a good book, please?