Where We Started

Stone Riders MC, Book 1

By: Ashley Muñoz

Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo, Bradley Ford

Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

Usually watching a notorious biker club mourn the loss of their beloved president would be a dangerous choice. Ten out of ten do not recommend. Unless, of course, you're family.

I didn't really consider myself part of my father's legacy...until I found out what he left behind in his will: property, ten acres to be exact, which included the headquarters for his beloved motorcycle club. I had no idea that accepting the terms of my inheritance would thrust me into a battle with the new club president, Wesley Ryan. He's unfathomably handsome, menacing, and formidable in every way. But his derision toward me only makes me cling that much tighter to my birthright. That is, it did until he decides to play dirty.

Wes doesn't just taunt me by bringing up our past, he wants us to go all the way back to where we started. Back to when we were nine and I was just the girl next door who snuck into his treehouse. Back to when he'd fight the boys who made me cry. Back to when he first kissed me and stole my heart. I have to remember Wes wants to claim my father's property, not me. I walked away once. I just have to prove I'm strong enough to do it again.

©2023 Ashley Muñoz (P)2024 Dreamscape Media

Amazing start for this new MC series! 🤩

This was so good!! A really great start to the series! 💕

Had so many good tropes that blended so well together. MC, second chance, first love, he falls first, small town, forced proximity, and even some suspense!

I was fuming at Wes for the first half of this, cause he was so callous to Callie, I was fighting not to throat punch him lol. But with the flashbacks to the past, you get a better understanding of everything that happened and why he is the way he is. After the halfway mark, I was just rooting for them to get back together. Wes was SO devoted to Callie, and there’s something that you find out later on about how devoted he was that makes you fall more in love with him.

I loved the flashbacks to the past, because you get to see how their love formed and why everything happened when it did. It makes their reunion that much sweeter, knowing everything that they’ve been through. Together and apart.

I loved the side characters and can make some guesses about who might be getting a book. 🤭 Namely, Killian and Laura. I hope they do! I know that their story would be so good.

I also listened to the audiobook for this as well as reading it on my kindle, and I thought the audiobook performance was so good! Lauren played Callie extremely well, and so did Bradley for Wes’s character. They’re both new to me narrators who I think performed their roles perfectly! Highly recommend! 💕

A MC romance I'm excited to continue reading

Usually, attending the funeral of a well-known biker club's president would be risky. Unless, of course, you are family. Callie never saw herself as part of her father's legacy until she discovered what he had left for her in his will. A property of ten acres, including the headquarters of his beloved motorcycle club. Unaware that accepting her inheritance would lead her into a conflict with the new club president, Wesley Ryan. Wesley, with his striking looks and intimidating presence, challenged Callie, pushing her to give up her rightful place as the club's princess even tighter. However, things took a turn when he resorted to underhanded tactics. Wesley not only teased her about their past but also wanted to revisit their shared history. Back to when they were children, and Callie was the girl next door who snuck into his treehouse. Back to when he defended her against bullies. Back to their first kiss and the moment he stole her heart. Callie needed to remind herself that Wes was after her father's property, not her. She once walked away, now she must demonstrate her strength by doing it again.

"We’re bound, her and I. In this life, and even in the next. She will haunt me for eternity, and when the devil tries to pry my soul from her grasp, he’ll realize there’s nothing to claim because it’s hers."

I am wildly picky about MC romances that I read and this one ticked all of the boxes for me. This was my first book by Ashley Munoz and she did not disappoint. I am very excited for the next book release and to dive deeper into her backlist because I really enjoyed her writing and the character dynamics that she set up in this book. I'm invested in finding out what happens with the Stone Riders now especially knowing who the main characters are in book two.

I thought it was super unique that the story was not only told in dual pov but it also had a bit of dual timelines playing out. Callie's chapters were mostly in the present, moving forward as the story progressed but Wesley's chapters started off when they first met and continued on through all sorts of milestones in their relationship until they met up in the present-day timeline. It sounds like it could potentially be confusing or weird but Ashley wrote it in such a way that it was literally perfection and I'm glad we got to see that sort of story pan out - especially with the obstacles that these two have to overcome throughout the plot.

Callie was a loveable lead. She wanted nothing to do with the club and seeing her reactions and how she handled basically being thrown back into the fray without fully being immersed was so fun to read. Her frustration could be felt while you're reading it. There were so many times where I agreed with her out loud whenever she would get into it with Wes, so she's definitely the kind of character that you just want to be in their corner rooting for them.

Wesley aka Wes, was so interesting. The first POVs we really get are Callie's so the way we're set up to meet him is such a fun way to push forward the story because she is very strong-willed in her feelings. I mean, there is a whole lot of history there between them and because we're getting her POV initially I think it allows us to go through the journey of changing our thoughts towards him as Callie changes and grows as well. I'm also just a major sucker for nice guys named Wes on motorcycles.

I highly recommend this one, especially if you're a Giana Darling / The Fallen Men MC series fan because I think you'll have a great time with this one as well. The audiobook is fantastic as well and I think the narrators both did a wonderful job bringing these characters to life!

- friends to enemies to lovers
- biker princess fmc
- boy next door turned biker mmc
- close proximity
- second chance
- mc romance
- small town
- burn the world down for her
- he falls first and hard

Great book

This was a really great book. I never got bored with the story line. Love loved loved, I will definitely listen to it again sometime

Nice surprise

I devoured this story with no breaks.

I do agree with Callie leaving because it really did feel like he left first. I did struggle with how Wes acted at first. I know she broke his heart and he didn't want to get used to her beinf around but still this was the love of his life!

I'm interested in finding out what happened between Killian and Laura.

Mystery

I just love a little mystery with my romance! This book did the trick! Loved the whole story and a good plot twist is always welcomed.

One of my favorite books!!! 💜 💙

OMG!! I just loved this book!! I can not express how much I love Callie and Wes. This was a book that I could not put down. My heart was absolutely torn apart and put back together. Days later, and Callie and Wes are still in my heart. This is one of my favorite books of all time now. It is a great second chance love story. It was great to see their love grow from childhood to adulthood with a big bump in the road. At least they finally got their HEA. I can not recommend this book enough. I can’t wait for the rest of the series.

I felt the love they had for each other

It was intense and emotional. Their love was deep, and on a level I’ve rarely felt in a book based on fiction. Even though I was frustrated with their lack of communication at times, this author is to be commended for her writing. Honestly, I didn’t even pay attention to grammar. It could have been bad, it could have been great, the story was that good. This is a MC book, but I felt deeply reading this book. The only con: I do wish there was less sex and profanity.

I like this MC

I was new to Ashley and to the narrators.
It was a different story line from other MC’s that I’ve read. But I really like it.
I will definitely check out more of her book and other books from the narrators too.