Dear diary,Once upon a time… thing she could rely on.
No one saw through her looking glass.
No one cared.
No one tried.
Until the villain presented himself as the hero in her life.
He took and took and took some more.
With no regret.
With no shame.
With no apology.
The page never turned.
Their story didn’t end.
Tomorrow never came.
His life of debauchery was their journey to nowhere.
She’d give anything to go back in time.
To walk where she had walked.
To see what she had seen.
One step.
One breath.
One day at a time.
Though in the end, “I love you” were just words.
That destroyed us inside.
more
4.5 ‘Broken Hearted’ Stars!
“Cash McGraw was my first crush. My first hero. The first guy to ever truly break my heart.”
This world that Robinson has spun pulls me in every single time. I’ve grown so close to all of the characters and their stories.
I have been wanting Cash and Journey’s story since I first read Monica with Choosing You. Their story is so heartbreaking and emotional.
Cash is where he always wanted to be but the choices that have led him to where he is now are painful and have left me with my heart in my throat.
“You were always cute as shit. But Christ, Junie. You’re the inspiration behind every love song.”
Journey. Little Miss Thang. Junie. His muse. We’ve watched her grow up and become the woman she is today and I can not wait to see her blossom.
I am desperately waiting for book two of this duet. Robinson has left me desperate and needing for more.
“One step. One breath. One day at a time. Though in the end, I love you were just words. That destroyed us inside.”
No one, and I mean no one, writes angst-filled books like the Queen of Angst, M. Robinson. She can literally tear your heart to shreds in all the best way for readers. I absolutely loved and devoured From the First Verse. I could not stop reading and will be waiting very impatiently for the next book!
We have seen bits and pieces about Cash McGraw in previous books and well we just had to have his story. What drove him to be the man he is today and what is it about Journey? Well let me tell you, we learn that and so much more. It is an emotional story that will captivate you from start to finish. It was raw, heartbreaking and just an absolutely amazing read. I cannot wait for the next book.
Read and reviewed for Sultry Sirens Book Blog
Happy reading!
The book gave me the chills. From the raw feelings that cash experiences to the sweetest girl in journey. This book is just that- it’s wonderful. It brings an entire family of characters with their built in humor and sarcasm and above all- their unadulterated love for one another. And from the first chapter- TRIPLETS?! Lol! Inside joke among all the VIPs and Monica! Love it!!! I cannot wait for the conclusion to this book!
M. Robinson is determined to kill me repeatedly with heartbreak and angst. From the First Verse is the latest proof of her wickedly genius writing. Cash McGraw played with the strings of my heart with cruel ease. Journey Pierce has my heart in her sweet and sassy hands. And their story ripped my heart out.
I have a weakness for broken bad boys. And Cash McGraw, Rockstar extraordinaire fits the bill a little too much perfectly. Misunderstood and not loved by his father. He was a mass of negative energy. Anger. Desperation. Hate. Music is his passion. His salvation. Journey Pierce was one of the first girl who shared his love for music. When she was a baby. A flood of heartaching and bruising events later, he left everyone behind. Now he is a rockstar. His band Life of Debauchery is living upto it’s name. They are famous, careless and arrogant. They spend their lives in unapologetically hedonistic haze. Sex. Drug. Troubles.Inside Cash is empty. Till Journey Pierce stumbles into his life again. She wants nothing to do with him after he broke every single promise. But inside, she bleeds for the man with black soul and golden voice.
The core strength of this story is the emotions. The undiluted, powerful and breathtaking emotions. M. Robinson literally turn misery into gold. She dragged me to the deepest and darkest hell. And it felt like heaven. I couldn’t breathe under the impact of every tormenting, heartaching and devastating emotions of Cash McGraw. I wanted to slap him and hit him for his stupid sacrifices and raw self deprecation. I wanted to hug him and heal his jagged scars! I am under spell of this ruined man completely. The evolution of Journey from a sweet and adorable girl to a woman with fierce loyalty and never ending compassion is astonishing. Their chemistry is like fire and every heated interaction pours gasoline to it. I cannot wait to see the explosion in next book.
The love story in From the First Verse by M. Robinson is crazy, chaotic and messed up in the best possible way. My heart is shattered into pieces and still I beg for more soul deep feelings.
Received ARC for honest review
“Knowing now nothing could have prepared me for this moment. His eyes. His expression. His downright intense demeanor. They were all eating me alive.”
Oh Cash McGraw….what a wounded, beautiful, broken soul he is. Riddled with regrets, haunted by his past, and running from his pain… Not since Crave Me have I felt a similar foreboding heart ache quite like Cash and Journey. I know by what I inhaled in this book, the tumultuous journey awaits in Part 2. Both wistful, and dark…you are let in on what led to the crushing heartbreak of a beautiful soul…I absolutely cannot wait to see how it all ends…I thank the Author for providing a copy to review!!
“I was blinded by her. Consumed by her. Wrecked by her.”
~~~Erika, Book Haven Book Blog
5 Debauchery Stars!!
WOW!! Ma. Robinson has outdone herself with Cash MotherF***in’ McGraw and Journey Pierce’s story.
My heart physically hurts for Cash. This is a man that has grown up with so much going on inside his heart and head. It’s not easy being a Good Ol’ Boys kid especially when Dylan McGraw is your dad. It’s either black or white according to Cash’s dad and there’s no in between. But Cash is every color of the rainbow with the beauty of his songs and the emotions he invokes when he’s singing.
We hear the pain he feels when his feelings are put to music. His ability to tell a story in song rivals that of his song hero Johnny Cash. All he wants to do is prove to his Dad and all the naysayers is that he’s more than what they think they see when they look at him.
And one of the people that sees exactly what he’s trying to tell the world is Journey Pierce. She’s Jackson’s baby sister and the connection she has with Cash starts when she’s a little baby shaking her diapered butt to his singing. Little Miss Thang as he likes to call her worships everything about Cash and he adores her. I loved how he adores this beautiful girl. We see so much of the love he’s capable of giving when these two are together. He’s her most favorite person in the world. She understands how and why music drives his life….
“Music is what feelings sound like.”
But their world cataclysmically changes one day and oh the pain tore through my body. In one fell swoop Cash’s plans to become a rock star begin sooner than expected but he’s ready or at least he thinks he is to chase that elusive star so he’s outta Oak Island for good leaving behind his best friend Harley and Little Miss Thang who doesn’t really understand why but believes the promises she’s told.
This book moves us through several years as we see Cash Motherf****in’ McGraw become a household name. But at what price? He’s severely disappointed so many people who love him and when they see each other again no one and I mean no one is the same as when they last met.
This first book has left my heart and every emotion possible broken and tattered. I can feel how much Cash wants to prove himself not only to the world and to the man he worships but who doesn’t see him and all his layers. And when Journey reconnects with Cash and his band Life of Debauchery several years later what she thought she felt for him isn’t even close to reality.
I have a lot of unanswered questions all that revolve around Cash, Little Miss Thang and where their palpable sizzling chemistry will take them. Will Oak Island be in their plans? Can having this beautiful girl back in his life give him the calm he so desperately is looking for when he’s doing all the things that we envision a rock star does because nobody has the audacity to tell him no? Will he finally get the acceptance of the one man he both loves and hates? These are just a few of my questions and I’m not really sure how I’m supposed to wait to get my answers because just like Journey I want mo-mo-mo!!!
#fromthefirstverse #lifeofdebaucheryduet #mrobinson #goodol’kids #cashandjourney #cashfuckin’mcgraw #sheshisjune #littlemissthang #mo-mo-mo
One of the best books of the year!
I’ve sat here gathering my thoughts on just what I should say about this outstanding read. I honestly don’t know that I can come up with the words that would even do this justice. I am absolutely in love with this.
We all know Cash. Wondered about him. Loved him. Hated him. With all the different feelings for this man, nothing will get you ready for this story. Several times I had to set it down just so I could cry. This man…..this beautiful man will break your heart, maybe I am to emotional because I cried half way through this incredible book. The next one can’t come fast enough. I will definitely read this many times over. I love Cash McGraw!
*Review by Michelle
One of the best books of the year!
I’ve sat here gathering my thoughts on just what I should say about this outstanding read. I honestly don’t know that I can come up with the words that would even do this justice. I am absolutely in love with this.
We all know Cash. Wondered about him. Loved him. Hated him. With all the different feelings for this man, nothing will get you ready for this story. Several times I had to set it down just so I could cry. This man…..this beautiful man will break your heart, maybe I am to emotional because I cried half way through this incredible book. The next one can’t come fast enough. I will definitely read this many times over. I love Cash McGraw!
5 Stars
No one, and I mean no one, can bring a broken hero to his knees like M Robinson. I have been awaiting Cash’s story since reading Harley and Jackson’s, wondering how in the world M could redeem him. But, as always, I see the light at the end of the tunnel.
The first half of this story brings the back story of where Cash finds himself today and my heart hurt for the man. I admit that Dylan McGraw is my favorite Good Ol’ Boy, so knowing he has a rocky relationship with his son just killed me. Cash McGraw has always known his place in the world and has stopped at nothing to get there. He wanted to prove to everyone he was meant for the spotlight with a guitar in his hands. He definitely does, but the costs are high. Sex, drugs, rock and roll and a lifetime of guilt are weighing on him.
From the First Verse is real, raw, and emotionally riveting. When the one person that always calmed him and shared his love for music comes crashing back into his life, he knows he can’t give her up. Can Journey help heal all the wounds this man’s soul weeps, or will he bring her down with him? I can’t wait for Til’ the Last Lyric to find out what happens.
Angela – Alphas Do It Better Book Blog
Oh Cash, My heart broke for him. He wanted something that seems like it should be so easy to get but just like real life it doesn’t always work that way. The connection he had with Journey was instant and completely adorable when they were young and as adults it was a whole different kind of intense possessive hotness. I can’t wait for the rest of their story
Diving into a book knowing damn well it’s going to ruin you emotionally, that alone gives it 5 stars. I bow down to my Queen of Angst who has again left me biting my nails and needing book 2 ASAP. I love for a good cliffhanger and she never fails to give it to me.
I went into this book thinking I can’t stand Cash and his attitude, but to my surprise it was Dylan( his father) that left me disappointed and not liking him very much.
To think this story has just begun has me worried for my heart.
From the First Verse is an emotional ride right from the start and cannot wait for book 2 Til the Last Lyric gets here!
Holy Heartache! Monica sure knows how to rip your heart out. From The First Verse was raw, gritty and absolutely stunning! So many emotions in such a short time. I could not stop the tears, and the way it ended…be prepared!
If you have read other books by Monica, you get glimpses of Cash and I have to say he wasn’t my favorite person. I loved his down to earth personality when he was younger but what he did (I won’t give it away) was a deal breaker for me. But leave it to Monica to completely throw me for a loop and give his side. Let’s say, I’m still not 100% on Cash’s side but man, I’m getting there!
I have loved Journey since the beginning (she is another one that you see in other books) and even though I wasn’t a complete Cash fan, I wanted them to be together
They don’t call her the Queen of Angst for no reason!! I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us in Till The Last Lyric!
I didn’t expect anything from this book and I dove in absolutely blind. I was so surprised to meet a world again, one I’ve met before. One that set my soul on fire. And oh dear, did this book light me up. The writing and the characters are spellbinding and stunning. It’s angsty, it’s emotional, it’s heavy. It’s an emotional roller-coaster par excellence! And it just prepared us for the things to come… I know the second book will kill me. I think Cash is just my next favorite broken rockstar!
From the First Verse is everything and so much more!
As always this author rips my heart out with her words. I knew this was going to be an addictive story from the previous duet Love Hurts. But I don’t think I was prepared for the lonely tortured soul of Cash McGraw. I just can’t help feeling that a lot more heartache is about to follow.
Cash Mcgraw was hiding from a world of pain, running from a past he wanted to forget. Drowning himself in chicks, booze, drugs. Truly living the life he always dreamed for himself, now he has everything he ever wanted he realises how empty his life actually is. He is spiralling out of control and he can’t stop himself… I haven’t felt this tortured over a character in such a long time and M Robinson’s skill and binding our hearts in knots is second to none. My heart almost stopped when a piece of his past collided with his present… Journey their story is one that reset my heart…
Finishing on a massive cliffhanger, this book will play out in my head until I get closure!
My Rating: ****
Type:Duet Series. Book 1
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Rock star Romance
Narration: Dual POV
Primary Characters: Cash & Journey (Junie)
Source: Courtesy of Author/ Publisher – ARC
Blurb: https://www.amazon.com/First-Verse-Life-Debauchery-Duet-ebook/dp/B0841CKSXX
I voluntarily read an ARC of this book in exchange for honest review.
This is my first book by M. Robinson, definitely it won’t be the last. After I started this book, I got curious and checked, I got to know we have separate book for Dylan and Adien and Pierces. Honestly, I didn’t know there was actually a singer existed with name “Johnny Cash and his wife’s name was June”. I have never heard of his songs till date, but this book definitely made me intrigued enough to listen to his songs.
“Music is what feelings sound like”
Most of this book is told from Cash’s POV. The first half of this story is past scenes of his life. Its about his parents, friendship and a baby girl whom he will babysit. We see from the very beginning how music was running through him and was begging to get out in the world. He is determined to make a name of his own. He will be clear from the beginning that he wants to make a name of his own in music industry and doesn’t want to follow in his father’s footsteps. Cash proved his point and succeeded to be someone in the music industry, but he made so many mistakes throughout the way and self-destructed his life.
“Everything I was afraid of growing up, I’ve become.” -Mairilyn Manson
Journey – One day I’m gonna be grown just like you, and you are gonna be all mine
Cash – One day when you’re grown just like me, Journey, I’m gonna be old
Journey – Then you’ll be old and all mine
Now Cash is popular in music Industry as Rock God and leading almost a lonely life for himself. As the name of his band suggests he is living a life of debauchery. Now his bandmates are his new family. If you are curious where Journey fits in all this, she is the baby girl from his hometown whom he used to baby sit. It’s an age gap romance. I don’t know how to tell about Journey because even though she is essential part of story, her play in this as a woman is not highlighted much. Her role as child, how she was an integral part of Cash makes sense, but as women, I wanted more. He needs to make amends with the people that meant something great in his life and he needs Junie in his life to help him on that.
“Wanting to be some one else is waste of your time – Kurt Cobain”
“The best revenge is to live on and prove yourself”
Plot moved fast. It was well written in terms of Cash. I m definitely intrigued by several secondary characters especially Harley and Jackson. I m rating it low because I had more expectations from Journey. Hopefully we will see more of her in next book and hope Cash redeems himself. Totally loved Beck, Jude and Stinxx and their banter. I’m hoping to see them more in next book. Till the “Last Lyric” is released i m planning to listen to Johnny Cash for the first time. Go ahead pick it and enjoy for yourself.
Cash! Cash! Cash!! I have been waiting for his story, and I knew I was going to be in for something that would gut me, this is a M. Robinson book after all, but I wasn’t at all ready for this. From the First Verse just punched me in the chest and and stomach and chest again.
I won’t lie, Cash is broody and crass and so dang stubborn that most of the time it is hard to root for him. But he’s also lost and broken and searching for something. Trying to make his dream come true on his own terms. To make his family proud.The moment he broke wrecked me. I had to put the book down and give my heart a chance to recover. But the hits didn’t stop. Pain on top of suffering on top of sacrifice. It became a downward spiral of self loathing, booze, late nights and pushing the limits.
When a blast from his painful past shows back up, it knocks him off his axis. Brings out all of his protective instincts. Makes him smile. He doesn’t know what to do about little Journey Pierce now that she isn’t so little anymore. I loved that she didn’t back down to Cash. Didn’t give into his demands. His yelling. She stood her ground and made her point loud and clear.
But when his biggest regret comes calling, it send Cash spiraling all over again. The longing the desperation the need for something solid to hold on to, it jumped off the page and I could feel the pain and regret in my own pulse. And that ending…WHAT?!? I can’t wait to see where things for Journey and Cash go next.
Oh my heart!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE Cash and Journey the bond these two form from the start was just BEAUTIFUL!!! There is so much raw emotion written through these pages that will have you in all your feels! My
heart broke for Journey my heart broke for Cash that phone call had me in tears that cliffhanger left me SPEECHLESS!!! I can’t wait to see where Monica takes their Journey. I know I will definitely be needing a box of tissues.
I am speechless with a torn heart, mind reeling and emotions just raw. Monica Robinson has written one of her best works to date in this first book and of course — packed with the angst in her style. Cash is the character you love to hate and how I want him to redeem himself and the journey you are on with him and Journey will leave you breathless. The descriptions of the characters truly brings them to life at a level very few authors can do and make you feel like they are living and breathing right there with you. Oh book two I need you!!!!!
I have been not so anxiously waiting for First Verse. I was so ready to get my hands on Cash’s story and let me tell you it did not disappoint. When we first met him in the Love Hurts duet and I was not a huge fan. After reading this book I am Cash McGraw fan even more.
We get a lot of Cash’s POV in this story and some flashbacks. We finally get a look into his life and my heart broke for him. I now understand more why he made the decisions he has. I cannot wait for the conclusion to this duet.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review for Stephanie’s Book Reports.
Dear Diary,
Once upon a time…
There was a girl with long golden hair who had the bluest, truest eyes that turned white when she cried. She lived in a kingdom far, far, away in a tower made of stone, but her mind was made of glass that she kept sharp as knives. Where her memories hid behind her darkest doubts. Her deepest thoughts. Her diary became the only thing she could rely on. No on saw through her looking glass. No one cared. No on tried.Until the villain present himself as the hero in her life He took and took and took some more. With no regret. With no shame.With no apology. The page never turned. Their story din’t end. Tomorrow never came. His life of Debauchery was their journey to nowhere. She’d give anything to go back in time. To walk where she had walked. To see what she had seen. One stop. On breath. On day at a time. Though in the end “l love you”were just words.
I didn’t really read the description of this book before I dove in to read it. I am going to warn you know that when you star this book you are not going to want to put it down. We have me Cash and Haley and Journey in other books. We know or you will know that Harley is married to quarterback and little Journey is shaking it all over to town. But the story focusing mainly on Cash though high school to the years of quitting to running away and living on the streets not knowing where he would eat that night to his fame and how his life is then. Though do believe you we=ill learn new as about Cash as you watch him grow and become the rock star that it is not all cut out out be like you l believe. I fell so in love with Cash is why all the girls loved him though. I want you guys to be as shocked as I was about something so I don’t want to give the story away. But you will love everyone in this book. You will cringe at things because awww Cash why, you will laugh you will be so shocked you cry and you will close this book going give me more more more!!! I loved it and would give it more than five stars if I could!!!