Of Heartbreak and Harmony

The Hometown Heartless

By: Brit Benson

Narrated by: Stella Hunter, Stephen Dexter

Length: 13 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

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

Unforgettable story and narration!

This PHENOMENAL story is narrated in duet by Stella Hunter and Stephen Dexter. These two perfectly embodied Callie and Torren, and their performance elevated this captivating story to unimaginable heights. Their chemistry was palpable, and they highlighted every intense and emotionally charged moment while effectively conveying the pain, anger, and longing for our star crossed lovers.

Stella and Stephen captured all the angst, banter, tears, and steam and left no crumbs behind. They added so much grit, heart, and disposition to their deliverance that I could FEEL the absolute highs and the gut-wrenching lows when it came to Callie and Torren. So much so that it took my breath away. And once I finished, I immediately pressed play again.

Stella truly resonated Callie’s spunky and vibrant personality but also her hate and undeniable attraction toward Torren. She exuded emotion after emotion with so much compassion and brought every single feeling off the page with her indisputable talent. Stella truly out did herself with this performance, and it will forever leave a lasting impression on me.

Stephen, holy smokes! He was perfect for capturing our moody, mysterious, somber, misunderstood bassist. His voice added a richness to the many layers of Torren that left my heart swooning but also breaking. Chapter 35?!?! Make sure to have water and a fan on standby. But chapter 40?!?! Have tissues ready to go because you can really hear the pain, fear, and desperation in his voice.

And the Epilogue with the music and singing had me crying happy tears! It was a wonderful added bonus!

So what I’m trying to say with this very long review is that you NEED this audiobook in your life! It was an infinity star listen for me and one I will replay time and time again. And don’t forget to grab the extended epilogue from Brit’s website. You don’t want to miss it!

Callie & Toren

This is the second book in a series and I was totally fine reading it on its own. The author always delivers on the emotional front, she writes some of the best angst and longing and this was no exception. It’s a great balance of complex emotions and steam, one chapter in particular had me sweating 🥵 Both narrators were fantastic, Callie has a big personality and Stella Hunter was perfect! Stephen Dexter was Toren, I can’t imagine hearing him any other way!

Torren & Callie!!!

Brit Benson has a brilliant talent for shattering my heart and slowly stitching it back together. The Hometown Heartless are back with all their drama and heart! Of Heartbreak and Harmony was a captivating read; I was feral for more each time I had to set it down. Brit’s storytelling spikes and receedes in intensity like a musical composition. The crescendo hits on page one, leaving readers’ hearts pounding as Brit unravels the heart-wrenching love story.

So imagine my delight when I got to re-live this amazing book in audio! Not only that, but two of my very favorite, ride or die narrators bringing Torren and Callie to life?! This audiobook was an instant hell yes for me. Stella Hunter and Stephen Dexter brought Brit’s magic off the page in spectacular form! This was a top-shelf audiobook from start to finish. Stella and Stephen embodied each character and made each gut punch and dazzling moment of this love story come to life flawlessly.

amazingggg

if there's one thing you should know about me, it's that i never shut up about a @britbensonwritesbooks book 🤭

i read this a few months ago and it made me feel all feels, but experiencing it on audio made all those feels come back again but x100. stella hunter and stephen dexter did such a phenomenal job bringing callie and torren to life. i loved hearing all my favorite scenes.

i highly recommend this audio if you're in the mood for a spicy, angsty, rockstar romance and also the first book in the series, between never and forever!

Be prepared to have all the feels

Ever read a book and just know you also need to listen to the audiobook? That was me with Of Heartbreak and Harmony. I recently learned I absolutely LOVE duet narration. The two narrators were on point for this book. They both did great with various character voices throughout.

This book is the kind you'll devour. Both reading and listening have had me hooked. I even delayed finishing the book both times just so I could avoid the inevitable book hangover. Gotta say, totally worth it! Do you need to read book 1 of the series, Between Never and Forever, before this book? No but I'd highly recommend it.

I'll try not to add any spoilers in my review.

+++Some highlights +++
A dog named after the lead character
Rockstar romance
Sharing (if you know you know!) but only once
He has a tattoo of her
Cameo of character from another series
Chapters 16 and 34 (habanero spice)

The story takes place in the past and present. In the past, Callie and Torren first met while their respective bands were playing at ArtFusion. Torren is in an on again off again toxic relationship with Savannah Loveless (Sav), lead singer for The Hometown Heartless. After one of their explosive arguments, Torren sees Callie standing in the area, having witnessed the event.

The following day, Torren finds Callie in a beer tent. She's dressed as a phoenix. He ends up nicknaming her Firebird because of the getup. After they've talked for a few minutes she finds out he wants to make sure she won't talk to the paparazzi about what she saw earlier, which she'd never do. He invites her to meet him the next night in the art tent where he paints her into a human flame. He takes a picture with her phone and texts it to himself. Then he deletes the text thread leaving her without his number. When Callie realizes this, she's hurt. They end up hooking up later but then through lack of communication and making assumptions, they go their separate ways.

In the present day, Callie is working at a convenience store and a motel to help make ends meet. She loathes The Hometown Heartless. One day while at the pier with her sister Glory Bell and her dog Torren King the dog runs away so Callie chases him, shouting his name. Guess who's at the pier? The real Torren King! When Torren and Callie start talking, Callie can tell Torren has no recollection of meeting her in the past. They part their ways but not before the media takes pictures.

Weeks later, Torren is notified of a stalker of Sav. The stalker is not a fan of the relationship (real or not) between Torren and Sav. Sav is in a relationship that hasn't hit the media yet so Torren suggests he get a fake girlfriend for PR purposes. Since Callie was linked to him in the media recently, he chooses to ask her. Callie agrees to help but she's still upset that Torren doesn't remember her. She only agrees because the price is right for her.

As they start to spend time together on the road, Torren starts to remember random things from the past before the full memories return. They start to form a relationship when more secrets are revealed.

Oh, and did Dr. Jesse Hernandez (from the Better Love series) make a cameo in chapter 42? Why yes, yes he sure did!

If you read this whole review, get to reading or listening to the book. You will not regret it.

Loved it!!!

I couldn’t wait for this book to come out and was even more excited it had an audiobook!!! It was well worth the wait!!! Loved Torren and Callie!!🩷

Brit Benson is an EPIC storyteller !!

Brit Benson continues to absolutely amaze me with her storytelling. Naturally, I was obsessed with Torren in book one, so seeing him move on from Savannah and get his own HEA was so so exciting (and deserved!!). Torren and Callie met at a music festival five years ago. His memory of the festival is hazy, but Callie’s is crystal clear, and she’s still nursing the heartache. But now Torren is the one in need of help, and he asks Callie to be his fake girlfriend (you know, pr and all that jazz). Fake dating, rockstar, annnnnd some suspenseful drama = one hell of a story. Stephen and Stella SLAAAAAYED this audio (and it’s duet hello!!). Stephen’s emotion? Unmatched. Absolutely recommend both Hometown Heartless books (read in order to avoid spoiling the series for yourself!).

one you don't want to end

For me, this was one of those books that you just don't want to end. It draws you in, you become part of the world. From the spice, to the heartbreak to the amazing moments.
The audio for this was amazing. Stella was not new to me, she has always done phenomenal work. Stephen was new to me and i will definitely listen to him again. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in this series. It's so worth it

What an emotional and thrilling read!

I love this series so much!

Of Heartbreak and Harmony is book 2 in the Hometown Heartless Series and follows Callie and Torren. This is such a unique spin on second chance yet also a slowburn with a lot of angst at the same time.

I loved watching Callie and Torren's relationship blossom and grow. They learned how to communicate with one another and get over things that had happened in their past. Brit Benson always delivers emotion in her books and this one was no different. Torren was so protective of Callie and would do anything to protect her. Torren has so much depth to him, much more than I would I have thought honestly.

Highly recommend on audio - there is a song at the end that is performed!
I am not sure I am ready for the heartbreak of Jonah's book.

Such a great story

Brit Benson never disappoints. This was a reread for me and it was even better on audio. The narrators really brought the story to life. This was steamy and angsty and just so so good. You can read it as a standalone but I would read book one too (it’s just as good!)