Princess of Country Music. America’s sweetheart. Survivor of the scrutiny that comes with it all.
Hannah 'Harmony' Stewart has lived most of her adult life in the spotlight. It hasn’t always been easy. One heartbreak almost ruined her. Some days it’s hard to keep a smile on her face and stay positive, but there are a lot of people counting on her to keep it together. Just when it seems like she’s at the pinnacle of her career, her life takes a turn. She meets a man who challenges everything she knows about herself and makes her question if the life she’s living is for her or for the Nashville machine.
Heavy Metal’s bad boy. Hair trigger temper. Struggling to deal with pressure of the industry.
Garrett 'Reaper' Thompson is tired. Touring and keeping up appearances with his band “Black Friday” is beginning to wear him out. He’s ready for a change, ready for something different. When he meets Hannah at an awards show, he knows that she’s the one, he knows that he can’t live without her.
The problem?
Their own insecurities, their fans, her ex-boyfriend, and the media themselves. Can they look past it all and come through on the other side? For their story – this is only the beginning.
I received an ARC copy in return for my honest review
Ok Laramie Briscoe fans, this book will definitely be a shocker for your but in a good way. This book is very different from the Heaven Hill series. I read the book in one setting not being able to put it down. (sorry family for ignoring my motherly duties)
Only the Beginning is a story of love, healing, angst, laughter and tears. Garrett “Reaper” Thompson is the lead singer in the rock band “Black Friday.” Harmony “Hannah” Stewart is country music’s princess. They meet by chance and that is all she wrote. But it is Only the Beginning of their roller coaster relationship. Let me just say I LOVED GARRETT! He could be my man any day. Hannah has emotional baggage. Garrett patiently helps her through her trust issues and stands by his woman. The sex in the book is very tastefully done and leaves plenty to your imagination. Its nice for a change of pace, don’t get me wrong I love a steamy scene but the scenes in this book fit the story. I love the relationship between Garrett and his folks. The humorous banter between Garrett and his Mom was a nice added touch. The secondary characters Jared “Train”, Shell – Hannah’s assistant, Bradley “Raven” and Chris “Nightmare” all were perfect additions to the book. I am looking forward to Jared and Shell’s story and maybe Bradley and Stacey’s story. (wink-wink).
As with Laramie’s other books there is a heavy subject matter that is covered and this book happens to be domestic violence. As usual she handles the subject well and makes you feel the emotions of the character in-depth. The characters in this book feel very real. You feel what they do and see what they do. With each new book that Laramie writes they just keep getting better and better. Several points in the book I wanted to throw my kindle at the wall because Hannah had me wanting to throttle her. Angst galore (curse words here) This is good writing to be able to provoke my emotions in this manner. I had to take some antacids to calm the burning in my stomach. I hate it when I torcher myself this way. But it was well worth it.
You will not be disappointed in Only the Beginning. I will be recommending it to everyone. This books title should be an indicator that this is Only the Beginning of the story or series. It has a somewhat HEA (resolving of some issues) but the story will be continued in future books. I am happy about this because I need the nice little bow and you do not get that in this book, but soon I know. Laramie Briscoe is one of my favorite authors and I know she will continue to dazzle me. Thanks Laramie!!!
A rockstar and a country sensation? Totally interesting!
The story revolves around two artists who seemed to be tired of it all. They just want life to go on and for something diffdrent to come. Lucky for them, they got each other. They met each other in a surprisingly normal way.
This story is like a slow build up. It's like I'm watching a real couple get know each other and take things slow and serious. It was refreshing. The social media played a big role in this story, so I guess it's also a big plus since it's timely.
I have no problems with the plot. It's just the characters that made me feel confused. I couldn't understand why Harmony just couldn't let go of her insecurities. I also couldn't understand why Reaper is a contradiction. He isn't like the typical rockstar who takes charge on everything. He's like the melow type. Hmmm.. anyway, maybe it's just me being iffy about it. However, Ashton is the biggest mystery. I mean, for the whole book, he was the yeah-I'm-an-asshole guy and then that scene happened near the end of the book wherein . What gives? It was a weird turn of events.
Anyhoo, I was still entertained. Still a good read.
DNF at 22%. Not sure if I wasn't interested in reading this right now, or if it really is as bad as I thought. I had such high hopes for it after looking at the reviews and the high rating. I am definitely a fan of country music and having celebrities in the story but this one I just couldn't get through.
First off the writing was so juvenile. these are supposed to be 24 and 29 year old characters and her emotions flipped like a light switch (ex. "I guess I am destined to be alone because 1 relationship didn't work out.....oh wait he really likes me, maybe we'll get married") like WTF?! I just found that I could have been reading about 16 and 18 year olds.
Secondly I didn't like how it wasn't really from any perspective, there is a lot of she did this, he did that. Sometimes it was difficult to figure out who was thinking what. I am not opposed to books from the 3rd person, some are actually my favourite, but this one pulled nothing from me and I thought it could have been more clear.
I don't have anything to say about the plot or story as I barely got into it, but I knew I wouldn't be able to finish. Maybe I wouldn't have been bothered by this writing style if I was more "in the mood" but I really was looking forward to it, and it definitely let me down.
It was cute and sugary sweet for a rockstar read but it did make me smile a few times.
A Rock star and a good girl country singer who doesn't even cuss, an odd combination but it turned out Reaper was just as much as a softie too despite his rocker name, he is a mummy's boy, and a good guy.
Hannah was a little too soft for my liking, she struggled with sticking up for herself, blaming it on a past relationship. Some parts of this story were a little unbelievable especially when she doesn't even talk about what she went through with her ex or go into detail. There are other bits that left me a little dumbfounded especially with her ex near the end. I became detached from the female character along the way too but in summary...
Only The Beginning is a sweet romance within the music industry and fame setting, so you get the highs and lows of going on tour and all that goes with it while the couple is trying to build on a new relationship.
Hardly any angst or hotness which is my normal go-to kind of read but it was a good read with likable characters.
Only The Beginning is a contemporary romance and book one of the Rockin’ Country series.
These books are music themed and this is the story of the romance between country singer Harmony Stewart and Garrett 'Reaper' Thompson, the leader of a rock band. At opposite ends of the music spectrum they seem like an unlikely match, but both understand the strains being on the road, and their connection blossoms quickly.
With romance around the corner Harmony has to work through her insecurities while Reaper’s temper may be too much for the couple. Can country meet rock and make a match? Will the fans approve of them getting together?
I enjoyed this story, the music scene was a setting that I don’t often choose to read about. There were some good secondary characters who will also have their own stories in following books.
This is the first book that I read from this writer. So I didn’t know what to expect from the story. But I was intrigued when I discovered from the blurb that the story was about a country female singer and a heavy metal bad boy, because that sounded like an interesting combination to me! I discovered soon that this is also a very sweet new adult story. Yes, Garrett ‘Reaper’ is a bad boy (who like to curse) but for the most part this is just a sweet story. You get both POV’s and I liked that. If you’re looking for a hot, steamy story with lots of sex scenes than this story isn’t for you. Yes, there are some sexy times in it but nothing very explicit. The focus of the story is mostly on the two main characters (Hannah and Garrett). It tells us how it is to be famous, how it is when you’re touring all the time, about loneliness and looking for love. But it’s also about learning to trust again in yourself and in love after having experience a bad relationship in the past. I found it fascinating that even after all her years in the music world. Hannah still had an innocent and even naïve part left in her. It was totally opposite of Garrett, who was older and more realistic and intense. I loved the relationship between the two of them. There are of course also other characters in the book, like Hannah best friend Shell and Garrett’s band mates and family. ‘Only the beginning’ is a good, nice story.
(There were a few writing mistakes in the story but nothing very disturbing.)
The cover of this book needs to be changed. It does not do this story justice. I was hesitant to read it, but ended up falling in love with Hannah and Reaper (love his stage name). Really great read.
I received an ARC copy in return for my honest review!
This line from the book had me snorting I was laughing so hard!! " That is one sexy car," Shell breathed. "Your birth control is up to date, right?"
If you are a fan of Laramie's Heaven Hill series you will love this book! I could not put it down and I am rating it with a 5 out of 5 stars!!
Hannah " Harmony" Stewart is a country music star that is going through a hard time after realizing how much she let her asshole EX change her. She is super sweet and I love the relationship that she has with her best friend Shell because it reminds me of my relationship with my best friend. These two girls will have you cracking up.
During an award show she finally gets to meet Heavy Metal's bad boy Garrett " Reaper" Thompson whom she thinks is cute. If you need a visual for Garrett look up a picture of Matt Shadows from Avenged Sevenfold lol because that is how I picture him. Garrett is super sweet and they hit it off.
The journey for them is not easy. Hannah has some issues from the stuff that her EX pulled and Garrett has some anger issues. When you add that with a long distance relationship due to touring it is bound to cause some drama.
Only the Beginning is a story about learning to love again and helping each other overcome obstacles. There are plenty of laughs and some serious moments. I will be eagerly awaiting the next book in the story to see if Garrett and Hannah can make it in the long run. This book comes out April 6th 2014 so make sure you one click it! You won't be disappointed!
I love to try reading new books and I had high hopes for this author as she had been recommended to me by other book friends.
Her writing style is so juvenile. The characters seemed like they were teenagers! There were some serious themes going on in the book but I felt that they were touched too lightly. Just as something was going wrong in the next chapter it would magically all be okay again! Completely unbelievable. I finished the story because I hoped it would get better and I read the novella and the second book too. Again I was disappointed. Also the story seems to skip if not read in the correct order! I didn’t even know that you had to read the novella before book 2.
I end the book with them leaving the airport together after finishing their tours and then suddenly the first chapter of book 2 they’re married? Like wtf. Too all over the place and too juvenile. Take the bad things seriously and don’t make light out of them or fix them too quickly! Otherwise the story becomes boring and stale.
I want to try this author again but with another series but based on this series of books, I wouldn’t recommend her to any of my book friends
For regular readers of Laramie Briscoe, you know she can weave danger, mystery, and steamy scenes together like a champ in the Heaven Hill Series. What I love about Only the Beginning is that is completely different from those books. I actually read this one right after reading the latest HH book, and it was a great way of coming down from such an emotional ride in that book.
This book is about two celebrities who meet by chance and just spark right away. I've always been fascinated by how celebrities deal with all the gossip and untruths from the press and this book is a great peek into that world. I liked that even though they were both completely different musically, that just didn't even come into play. It was their own emotional issues they had to deal with. There are some very emotional depths in this book. There is one scene where I literally cried real tears. I don't do that often but I did it here.
For those who love the Heaven Hill books, this is completely different from that, but if you're in the mood for something a bit lighter and not as dark, it's a great read!
I've read a few of Laramie Briscoe's Heaven Hill series and enjoyed them. But this book, this book I LOVED! I loved the way that even though the two main characters were celebrities they still had real life every day issues. It made them very real and easy to relate to.
Garrett is a foul mouth, bad boy with hair trigger temper and a big heart, he's hella sexy! Hannah's star is on the rise in the country music industry. She's America's Sweetheart and afraid of the backlash she's going to receive from not only her fans but Garrett's as well. They have a lot in common but at the same time their lives are worlds apart. Can these two opposites make it work in a world where their lives are under a microscope at all times?
This book was so fun and easy to read. The story flowed very well and kept me truly interested. The love scenes were a little more tame than what I'm used to reading, but once you read the book and get to know Hannah they fit well with the story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it for any romance lover looking for a fun romance.
I am fortunate enough to have gotten to read this early and now I have to wait until July to spend more time with Garrett? This isnt fair. I love Laramie's writing but this is by far my favorite and not just because my name is in it. The story felt very real, like they were people I could know, aside from being rock stars. I paced myself on reading it at first and then I just couldn't make myself stop. I love that Laramie always includes a message important to today's society. I will be a fan for a long time to come. I just don't want to wait four months to hang with my peeps.
Great start to a new series! I love the Heaven Hill series so I knew I would no doubt love this one as well. I love how honest and real Garrett and Hannah are together. I can't wait to read more about them. I also hope we get to see more of Shell and the Black Fridays!!
If you like Laramie Briscoe's other books you must read this one!
Ms. Briscoe has already made me a fan with the Heaven Hill series! This new series has made me an even bigger fan! I love her writing and she just draws me in to her characters! This story is awesome! I love Reaper and Harmony!! Cannot wait for the next book! This is a must read!
This story had so much potential but I don't think it was realised... I also really struggled with the changing POV - his, hers, her best friend, his best friend, his mother. Don't get me wrong; I love varied POV, but when it is very distinct who's head we are in at the time. When you are left wondering who is doing the 'thinking' it isn't so much fun.
I saw all the 5 star reviews, and I'm wondering if my kindle version is different than the others?
He said, she said. She posts to Instagram, then he does. Garret's character doesn't grow at all-he has a temper and Hannah should simply accept that. Hannah's character zigzags, not growing as such (the ending proves that, though some might find it romantic).
Also, I sincerely doubt that the best way to help a woman who's experienced physical and emotional abuse is to scream at her to let it go. The one saving grace is the online hotline for abuse in the author's note.
Oh, and let's not forget the numerous typos.
You know what wasn't mentioned at all? Music. They don't hum, sing, play, practice, write songs, nothing.
Standalone. 3rd person all knowing pov. No onscreen graphic violence (mentioned mildly in passing, one brawl between men also in passing). Steamy.
This is the story of two musicians. Hannah (stage name Harmony) who is a country singer and Garett (stage name Reaper) who is in a heavy metal band named Black Friday. Initially one of the big turn offs for me on this book is in the prior to the two main characters meeting the guys in this badass band described Harmony as “cute”. To me it just didn’t fit the rocker image. “Hot” “Fine” sexy” any of these I could see being used over “cute” Half way thought the story I thought the main conflict would be the characters insecurities. I was really happy that there ended up being more. Not that I condone violence and definitely not abuse, but I do think it makes for a much better story than insecurities and miscommunication. The book definitely got more interesting towards the end and I can’t wait to read the next book!
This is book 1 of 5 in the Rockin’ Country Series! It evolves in the music industry. Garrett and Hannah are music stars also know as Reaper of the Black Friday rock band and Harmony the Nashville country singer. When they accidentally meet, sparks fly, strong chemistry is felt and their lives are about to change in a way they never saw coming. Sensitive issues like abuse both physically and emotionally and low self esteem are portrayed in Hannah and anger issues, drugs and alcohol, groupies, are portrayed in Garret’s . Together, they become a very powerful couple, their love for each other is a priority and it’s just the beginning. This authors writing has you hooked from the beginning!
This book was okay. I purchased the boxset and in order to find out how things will continue to work for Hannah "Harmony" and Garrett "Reaper" you have to continue the series. Even though I have the boxset and this book was an okay read for me, it didn't leave me wanting to start the next book right away. I enjoyed the characters well enough but the story seemed to flow slow at times. I may finish this boxset in the future, but for now I will take a break from it. Would I recommend it? Sure. Just because it wasn't a great read for me doesn't mean it won't be for you. This was a sweet country, rockstar romance read with a little bit of ex drama thrown in there.
I picked this up as an Amazon freebie, and the promise of an opposites attract bad boy rocker and innocent country sweetheart had me diving right in. I really loved Hannah and Garrett as they worked through getting to know each other and deciding to take a chance on a real relationship despite the challenges and pitfalls in their line of work. It has been a long time since I have read a third person POV and that took a lot of getting used to I have to admit. Their story left off in a good place with more to come, and I will take that leap one day when time allows. For now, I love what I have read and I am good with stopping here.
Only The Beginning is the first book in the Rockin' Country series by Laramie Briscoe. I actually read this book years ago when it first came out, but back then I wasn't doing reviews consistently, so I thought I'd re-read it, because I knew I had loved it back then, but my memories didn't do it justice! Laramie Briscoe is such an amazing writer and storyteller! This one was full of angst and drama, which I absolutely love, so it was right up my alley. This whole series is highly recommended with more than five stars!
He’s a rocker & she’s a country princess, Reaper of Black Friday and Harmony Stewart. An unlikely couple that meet at an awards show and are attracted to each other and decide to give it a go, despite the issues of their differences and an ex that tries to interfere. Laramie Briscoe has such an amazing story with Reaper & Harmony, you feel like you are part of it with them. I can’t wait to read the rest of their ongoing story!!
Hannah is a soft, warm, talented country music artist, that meets hard rocker Garrett, but appearances can be deceiving. While Hannah seems born a tender-hearted girl, Garrett soon learns it’s a situational disposition. When her future meets her past, it’s not in retrospect, it’s with an iron fist. A moving, hot, heartwarming romance about two people destined to be together no matter what obstacles seem to find their way to them.