• Starting from Here

  • Starting From, Book 3
  • By: Lane Hayes
  • Narrated by: Michael Dean
  • Length: 8 hrs and 23 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (76 ratings)

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Starting from Here  By  cover art

Starting from Here

By: Lane Hayes
Narrated by: Michael Dean
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Publisher's summary

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.

©2020 Lane Hayes (P)2020 Lane Hayes

What listeners say about Starting from Here

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A hot, second chance enemies to lovers!

This was a sweet, hot, enemies to lovers, second chance romance.
Declan and Tegan gave me all the feels and I absolutely loved them.
This was my favorite in the series by far.
Michael Dean delivered an impeccable audio delivery. His narration was apt for the characters voices and I absolutely enjoyed listening to this.

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3 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Good performance, a couple of characters surprised

The vocal performance is really good. Mr. Dean puts some great emotion into his performance every time. For having such a deep voice he has an amazing female voice as well.

So…I don’t think this can be read as a standalone. There is too much band history, too much history between characters, just too much story arc, I think. And I have to say, a couple of these characters surprised me.

Tegan for one. The minute details of the previous books escape me, but he pissed me off a bit at the beginning of this book. I thought he was being overly crappy to Declan. I could tell Declan honestly had feelings for Tegan…whether they were still of the romantic variety or just him missing his childhood best friend and Tegan absolutely treated him like dirt. He eventually stopped and admitted that he probably didn’t know him as well as he thought but it took a while for him to win me over.

Declan is portrayed as the nemesis in the previous books, but I really liked him in this one. He was manipulated and hurt by people he trusted. There was an absolute lack of and miscommunication on his part (of which I’m not a fan) but when he finally admitted how he felt about Tegan and they stripped away the BS, they were great together.

Justin is the other character that pissed me off. He was absolutely awful in this book and I don’t remember him being quite this bad. I really needed him to just…go away.

The epilogue was good but too quick for my liking, especially since it took until almost the end for these two to finally get past their relationship struggles. I’m hoping we’ll see more of them together in the future.

We meet a few new characters in the book – Declan’s band members – which could lead to future books in this series. I’d be interested in the story of a couple of them for sure.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Very good story

The story was good and the sex was hot. I wish that Lane Hayes would add in some voyeur scenarios and solo sex experiences.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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so so good

after my third time reading and first listening i can safely say this is truly a glorious book. the ending is exceptional like the feels will consume you. just so good.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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🎸Lets Rock!

Every stage of Declan and Tegan's relationship were proof these two had it bad for each other. As childhood friends they were together like glue. During their fallout, I hate you relationship, the reader knew it wasn't true. Then came we must fake it until we make it moment, these two were burning the pages with their desire for each other. And there wasn't anything fake about it. I'll tell you, this story ROCKS! Also, as always Mr. Dean rocked right along with Ms. Hayes creative story. I applaud them both. I highly recommend! Enjoy.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Friends to enemies to friends

This friends to enemies to friends to lovers story is interesting. We see the fake boyfriend thing become something much more. As a musician, I appreciated the trials of concert tours and the drive to be the best. Lane Hayes carries the story through and does it well, and Michael Dean remains one of my favorite narrators.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good story. Good narration.

As usual, I really enjoy the way Lane Hayes constructs characters. I want to get to know all of them better. I also appreciate the way Hayes takes the time to show multiple sides to a story. Simple situations can become complicated dramas when diverse personalities clash.

The narration was also enjoyable, and the narrator did a good job of constructing different voices for each character.

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Sooo good!

5 Stars!

First of all, OMFG, how hot is the cover for this book? Damn! I think it's my favorite of all of Lane's covers so far and she has some very hot ones. *fans self* 

Second, confession time, I haven't read/listened to the first two books in the series. I know, I know, bad Mari, and really, I was more than a bit confused until my friend Amy gave me the cliff notes version. So, don't be like me, and if you haven't read the first two books, go and do it before reading this one. You can thank me later. 

I really liked Declan right from the start. He seemed like such a fun, easygoing guy, but he had unexpected layers. Not only was he working hard to make it in the music business knowing he was down to his last chance with his new band, but he has been dealing with depression since his teen years and a not-so-great mother who didn't fully accept his bisexuality. Tegan was a bit harder for me to like. I don't know, perhaps it was my confusion over what had happened between them and the animosity he held against Declan. I will say this, though, my Kindle nearly burst in flames any time these two interacted, be it in anger, while faking being together (yeah, right, LOL) or later when they'd reconnected, their chemistry was nothing short of explosive. 

I loved the progression from enemies to lovers and being privy to how they met back when they were 4 years old and seeing Declan be so nice to Tegan's mom warmed my heart, as much as it did Tegan's. I think that was a big turning point for them. 

Michael Dean did a fantastic job as he always does. The voices, the characterization, and the way he consistently delivers a top-notch performance without going overboard just makes him one of my favorite narrators. 

All in all, definitely an audiobook you don't want to miss out on. Just read or better yet, listen to the first two books first and since book 4 is coming out in just under 2 weeks, this is the perfect time to catch up!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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5+-starred enemies-to-lovers audiobook!

Having listened to the first two audiobooks in the Starting From series, I more than appreciate the fact that Michael Dean has been able to add even the most subtle of nuances to make each of the voices of this cast of characters distinct, which I'm pretty sure is no easy task. He truly did bring both Declan and Tegan to life, and did a marvelous job narrating another wonderfully penned story from Lane Hayes. While not overly angsty, there was just enough angst to make me a happy, angst-addicted camper, and I liked the lightheartedness here. This wasn't a romantic comedy by any means, but Hayes always injects wit and bites of humor in her stories, the kind that entices a smile from her readers. Declan and Tegan's story had the sort of push and pull that leads to that delicious sense of anticipation I crave and look for in the enemies-to-lovers trope. The Starting From series has been a consistent source of aural delight, and I can't wait to see what Hayes and, presumably, Dean have after Starting from Here, which snags five-plus stars.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Can they overcome past hurts?

Tegan and Declan have a past, one that we have only been able to speculate about since the first book, STARTING FROM ZERO, where everything blew up between them but now we get the full story and what a story it is.

Declan is getting ready to release his debut album with his band Jealousy when his drummer breaks not one wrist but both of them which leaves him a bit of a pickle because he has a song that he wants on the album and no drummer. Charlie his band manager suggests asking Tegan the drummer of another band on the same label to step in and help out on the song....can these two leave the past in the past?

To be completely honest I wasn't sure if I would like Declan after the way he was portrayed previously but I really did like him and I loved him and Tegan together. Tegan's story really pulled at my heart strings because of everything he was currently going through with his family. Lane Hayes gives us a childhood best friends turned enemies which turns into a fake romance LOL I can keep going but in the end all that matters is that love prevails.

This can be read as a standalone but I would recommend reading STARTING FROM ZERO so you get the background story on what happened that caused a ton of friction between not only Tegan and Declan but also Justin (Bandmate and friend of Tegan's) as well. I listened to this on audiobook and Michael Dean did a great job bringing Deacon and Tegan's story to life with his narration, if you enjoy audio books this is the way to go!

Happy Reading!!!

**I have voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Audiobook Copy of this book for my Blog, Nadine's Obsessed with Books**

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