Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: Starting From Here
SERIES: Starting From #3
AUTHOR: Lane Hayes
NARRATOR: Michael Dean
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 8 hrs and 23 mins
RELEASE DATE: October 23, 2020
BLURB:
Two bands, one goal, and a second chance….
Declan:
Everything is finally going well. I have a new band, a new label, and a debut album coming out. And then my drummer breaks his wrists. Just my luck. I need a quick replacement to record one more song, but my options are limited, and of course, the obvious candidate hates my guts. Okay, so I may have given him a few reasons over the years, but isn’t there an expiration date on holding a grudge?
Tegan:
I don’t trust Declan McNamara. Sure, he’s talented, smart, and has more sex appeal than any one person should be allowed. And yeah, he may be a rock star in the making, but beware – he’s trouble. However, our new record label’s survival may depend on a truce and extreme measures…of the fake boyfriend variety. If it’s our best shot at the big time, I’m willing to set the past aside and start over…here and now.
Starting from Here is a M/M bisexual romance rock and roll style…rival bands, fake boyfriends, and a second chance at a new love story. Each book in the Starting From series can be listened to as a stand-alone.
REVIEW:
Starting From Here is Book 3 in the Starting From Series. The story focuses on Declan and Tegan, childhood best friends, later turned enemies due to a scandal that caused their band to break up, Dec to be ostracized, and Tegan to scapegoat Dec instead of taking responsibility for his own part in the mess. Now in rival bands under the same fledgling record label, they are uncomfortably sharing studio space and touring together. Dec finds himself alone and lonely but resigned, because even though he is liked by his Jealousy bandmates, he’s not really friends with them, and he’s hated by Tegan and his Zero band members. Dec would like to make peace but no one else seems to be game, so he and Tegan perpetuate their hate for each other … that is until they don’t.
Hate and love are two sides of the same coin and nowhere is that more evident than with Dec and Tegan. This enemies-to-lovers, second chance romance tracks Dec and Tegan’s journey from childhood BFFs to two adult talented musicians torn apart by scandal and misunderstanding. But it doesn’t stop there. Their scandal-induced hate for each other is laced with grudging attraction, which leads them to hate sex, which turns into f*ck buddies and then morphs into friends with benefits as Dec and Tegan start to reconnect with each other and remember all the reasons why they were inseparable as kids. In the ultimate irony, in order to generate buzz for their label, they are asked to become fake boyfriends to convince the fans of a tie between the two bands. In actuality, Dec and Tegan become real boyfriends but have to pretend they’re really fake boyfriends because of the expected fallout from the band, who still hate Dec and blame him for everything that happened before. It’s definitely a unique and twisty turn of events that puts them in a no win situation. All they can do is hope to reach a point where they can get a do-over on their relationship where they can wipe the slate clean and start again from there.
This book has it all: lots of humor, hot sex (including some amazing “hate” sex scenes), likeable MCs who form a loveable couple, and a HEA, all packaged in sharp writing, complex dialogue and great character development. The plot moves at a good pace, focuses on the right events for just the right amount of time and detail, and has some twists and turns – nothing jarring, but enough to keep you engaged and eager to turn the page. Don’t worry if you haven’t read the other books in the series first. This is a standalone and you can definitely start reading from here.
An added bonus to this already terrific story is a fabulous narrator who brings it to life. Michael Dean provides his exceptional narration to the audio for Starting From Here. He is one of my favorite narrators for a number of reasons, but the one that is showcased best here is his how he translates the dynamics and mood of the story into his narrating style. These are strong characters with an aggressive tone especially in the early parts of the book and in the steamy scenes. His narration has an aggressive undertone to it that perfectly matches and helps drive that feeling through the events of the book and the dialogue. It’s a very active, energetic delivery with punchy words, enthusiasm and emphasis. Add to that his typical on point diction, pacing and intonation and you have a next level audiobook. I highly recommend reading this book, but you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you don’t listen to it too.
RATING: 
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