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
I am sitting here trying to decide what to write in this review. This seems to be a problem for me as of late. It seems like the more I get engrossed in a book and love it the harder the review becomes.
This book played with all of my emotions. That is something Monica is really good at. At first my heart hurt so much for Cash. All he wanted was the one thing his father just couldn’t give him. I wonder if Dylan had given just an inch if things would have been different. Second I remember why I was so angry with him. There is nothing wrong with living your dreams, but at what cost. I truly believe Cash is just beginning to learn exactly what he has given up on. Then lastly I whole heartedly think Journey is Cash’s soul mate. She may have been young when everything happened, but that young lady has a 6th sense where he is concerned.
Lets not forget all the other emotions you will have while reading this book. Just remember to have an opened mind with the whole sex, drugs, and rock & roll mantra. I can not wait to see just how Cash and Journey’s story ends.
Oh my heart!
So Cash had A LOT of ground to make up from the last duet – which if you haven’t read the Love Hurts Duet – GO NOW!! This book will mean A LOT more after reading that one. M’s stories have lots of connections, but overall – this one connects to the previous duet the most.
This book made me cry, anguish over some of Cash’s decisions, cry for Journey who I absolutely love and really root for these two.
This book is a roller coaster of emotions which is par for the course with an M. Robinson book. This one was less angsty than the previous duet, but re-living some of those scenes from Cash’s perspective were just as anguish filled! And caused me to get mad at him all over again!
I’m still torn when it comes to Cash, but I want whatever is best for Journey…waiting for Book 2 to see what that is.
However, I think the cover model is SPOT ON for my image of Cash, so that’s a 5 star cover!
I voluntarily requested and read an advance reader copy.
First all I can say is WOW this book was phenomenal! Another masterpiece, this was Heartwrenching on a whole nother level. Cash is such a beautiful tortured soul this story will shred your heart and put it back together with such hope. It will leave you with a major cliffhanger and I’m already dying for the second book!
By Tiffany
Loooove this duet! Even the cover gives you all the feels! Dive in romance lovers – happy reading!
A beautiful love story from M. Robinson. Can’t wait for the second part! Highly recommended!
***ARC generously provided by author/publisher for an honest review.***
Storyline: 5 stars
Characters: 5 stars
Heat Factor: 5 stars
Overall Rating: 5 stars
From the First Verse is the first book in the new Life of Debauchery Duet by M Robinson.
This book centers on musician Cash McGraw and Journey Pierce and is sure to take you on one rockin’ emotional ride.
Cash has known Journey since she was born. Twelve years her senior, he watched her grow up until he left town to fulfill his Rockstar dreams. Since then life has been a blur for the Rockstar, one full of drugs, booze, and endless women.
This book is M Robinson at her best. She continues to captivate her readers with a gripping story that’ll put on your heartstrings. Her continuous deep attention to character development makes her characters so real and relatable.
This story will give readers a better understanding of who Cash is. What makes him tick. Why he is the way he is. It’s compelling and raw. It’ll bring all the feels.
I enjoyed seeing Journey as a young woman. She is strong in nature and in attitude. Of course, she has her own issues she’s dealing with, but this book does not delve into that and I predict we will get more in the next story.
This is a story that any M Robinson fan should read… as soon as possible.
5 stars!
From the First Verse. 5 stars
Again I am blown away and utterly speechless after M. Robinson’s story. I felt the gut punch from the first word. Emotionally strung out. Blissfully in a word zombie state. I reached the end totally unprepared for Cash and Journey and totally enamoured and swept away by them. This story is BIG. The impression it will leave cannot be measured. I urge everyone to buy this book, take a few days to read and reflect, because you are going to need to to recover (and keep lots of tissues on hand).
M. Robinson has provided yet another mind blowing plethora of captivation and stunning words to titillate the senses. And with the current condition of our world, it could not have come at a more perfect time. And the best thing is, there is more to come.
First Verse
(Sets up the theme of the song.)
Dang Miss M did you deliver.
My Heart. My Soul. My Vines. My Blood. My Body. Everything.
I give you all Miss M, because First Verse is your BEST to date. When I thought Love Hurts Duet is the Best and Most Anticipated of mine…you proved me wrong.
How? What? Why?
Yeah, YOU left me speechless and feeling RAW.
I felt it. I surely felt everything…I just don’t know how you do it but I’m in Awe on how beautifully pain-stakingly you delivery Cash and Journeys story. It’s like reading a biography of a rockstar that searching for something… that is LOVE and you’ll think with fame and money he have it all but NO. His only saviour is Journey. Does he know that? No, I don’t think so. He might find peace and awe with her. But will Journey be on time? Will she be enough?
What will Cash do?
Lost. Astray. Off track. Adrift.
All he wants…
Appreciation. Devotion. Passion. Solicitude.
Dear Journey… what are you going to do…to end this exquisites song you and Cash dancing to…your Last Lyric, Junie… show us what Love is.
All the emotions of the Rockstar! Ashley @ Carolina Chic’s Read
I could not wait for Cash McGraw’s story and M. Robinson did not disappoint. Cash is a lost soul that has been trying to find his way all his life. This first book give us all the background of how Cash has become the star he is today. There is one girl who had his heart from the moment she was born, and will she be able to help bring him home to fight the demons that have haunted him for so long. Journey shows up when you least expect and what she brings will bring Cash to his knees…..How will he react……The ending is not reaction I expected….I need the next book NOW!!!!
Wow what an emotional rollercoaster!!!
We first meet cash in the love hurts duet and I’ve got to say after everything he did I went into from the first verse not liking him very much at all…
Everything cash does revolves around music and nothing and no one will get in his way of living his dream and he doesn’t care who he hurts on his way. Hes an absolute train wreck waiting to crash…..until his past comes barreling back into the now……i cant wait for the concluding part of cash’s story I’ve got a feeling I’m going to end up loving him.
I read this book in one sitting once I started I needed to get to the end ,I love how every book that M Robinson gives us, the storyline is weaved perfectly so the timelines flow brilliantly ,this story is full of angst and some truly heartbreaking moments I’d definitely recommend.
This is the 1st part of this new series, and my word, the queen of angst has done it again! I was wary to read Cash’s story to begin with as he did not exactly redeem himself in previous stories, however, how wrong I was. Journey and Cash’s story broke my heart, as he is a broken soul whose story is haunting and an emotional roller coaster ride throughout. This is a beautifully written story which is filled with angst and is a heart-breaking all-consuming tale which had me totally captivated throughout this addictive page turner. I cannot wait to read the 2nd book, and I highly recommend for all. Once again you have the unique ability to have me 2nd guessing myself and let me tell you that you are the only author who does this, Bravo M!!
No words can describe how excited I was for this book. And let me tell you the hype building up to this release didn’t disappoint.
Monica always knows how to draw us in and leave us wanting more. With Cash and Journey’s story you’ll feel the raw emotions of how they got to where they are.
“Music is what feelings sound like.”
It was great to see Cash’s side of things that have happened in previous books. Cash and Journey’s story is far from over and I can’t wait to see how it unfolds more and ends in the next book.
Well done Monica, you definitely have another hit on your hands with Cash Fucking McGraw
Cash McGraw…Man or Myth? Is he a facade or the bad boy he portrays?
Cash has been on a downward spiral for most of his life. Music his only solace but a rift between he and his family. One that seems beyond repair. He left two women broken when he made his escape. Both loving and hating him at the same time.
Years have been good and bad for Cash. He has success and money just as he’d always dreamed about. But everything that his lifestyle has been alluded too seems true. Booze, drugs, and groupies are plentiful but he’s lonely in every way that matters.
The one girl he left behind that only knew the good in Cash is the one he must now face. Journey, his Junie. Only the little girl is now a beautiful and headstrong woman. He can’t deny her. He can’t forget her. He can’t anything without her. She deserves better, more. But he can’t let her go.
Cash was so destructive. But we know he’s felt so much resentment and hurt from his family. Then watching his best friend move on.
This story deals with an enormous amount of emotional baggage. A life lost and forgotten. Can Cash make amends? Is he worth saving? This story will gut you to your very core. It will make you think twice about walking out that door and never looking back.
I’m anxiously awaiting Book 2.
This story was such a great read! It was everything I expected and more. I simply can’t get enough of Cash McGraw. He is sexy and downright sinfully hot. I am so utterly in love with this story. I love how passionate Cash is with his music, he wanted to show his parents that he is going make it in the music business. Cash goes through a self-destructive path, when he made a decision, that hurt someone in his life, he loves very much. You get a better understanding why Cash is the way he is. The secondary characters are so awesome. It ends with a cliffhanger. There’s nothing better than a writer who can put you inside the character’s world.
I received an ARC and volunteered to leave a honest review.
With the style of the newsletter posts/teasers for M. Robinson’s, Life of Debauchery Duet, cloning media coverage of the band, Cash, and Journey, I couldn’t wait to read, book one, THE FIRST VERSE. I’ve read this book 3 times. And each time, I love it a little more.
It’s heartbreaking and hilarious at the same time. But also endearing and raw. It’s drugs, it’s sex, and it’s rock and roll. I am so invested in every single one of these characters. Even the hilarious band members. I cannot wait for next installment to see what comes of them.
On a final note, as an avid music lover, I really appreciate the small detail at the beginning of every chapter. It’s just such an awesome touch to an already heartfelt story.
This book…Oh my this book. This book is real and raw. It shows you the good times and the down right ugly of Cash McGraw. Him and Journey’s beginning was cute and super sweet but then reality set in and things got out of hand. There’s something about the bad boy that I love! Cash is one that has captured my heart! Sure he does some things I don’t approve of but that’s part of being a rock star I suppose. This story has the angst we truly love from M. Robinson. She has the ability to just pull you into the story and not let you go until the very end. I was hooked with this one and it was seriously hard to put down. I can’t wait to read the next book to see what happens next!
From the First Verse definitely has the good ol’ boy feel to it. It was an amazing experience to dive back in to the world of the good ol’ kids. While this is a standalone series, I really appreciated having read the other stories that intertwine with Cash’s story. I could not wait to dive into Cash’s head and understand things from his perspective. His love for music is soul deep and he has such a talent in his words and song-writing ability. Journey was one of my absolute favorite characters in Hated You Then/Love You Now. She has such a strong personality and has since she was a little girl. I love getting to see her grow up into the beautiful woman she has become. Their story has so much more to come and I can’t wait to see where it goes. M. Robinson’s ability to create these stories is astonishing. Dive in and enjoy!!!
wow from the first verse was amazing I loved cash and journey are so amazing together M. Robinson you had me hooked from the first page she has a way of crushing your heart and putting it back together and your emotions are all over the place she is still the queen of anguish
ARC Received for a honest review… as you may know it should know we met cash in the Love Hurts Duet. .. and as much as he totally pushed me off I just could not hate him and after reading From the First Verse…. Oh CASH CASH CASH…. oh how I you!!! Monica as I always say…
YOU HAVE COMPLETELY OUTDONE YOURSELF!!!
This book will bring ALL the tears so make sure the tissues are handy!!!!
Cash all though he may be Dylan F***ing McGraw’s boy he gives me the Austin (from crave me) feels… cash – wanting noting more then to be a rock god and had his dad approve… gets sucked down a very dark & dangerous path of self destruction…
Journey (aka our Junie) grew up loving Cash.. he was her first crush and love. And when he left her and his family to follow his dreams… and not return.. it left her crushed…
I looooove that our Queen gave us cash’s pov or a more in-depth part on the Harley/Baby part.. to understand why he did/said what he did. I need Till the Last Lyric like yesterday!!!!
Monica.. you never sease to amaze me… you are frigging amazing!!!!
“I’m going to show you what love is, Cash McGraw! You’ll see! I’m going to show you!”
My heart is still bleeding in the best possible way after reading From The First Verse. Cash McGraw has completely taken over my soul and I may love him more than his father, Dylan. The ride that M. Robinson took me on with Cash and Journey’s story has left me speechless and wanting so much more. The writing and the level of angst is positively breathtaking and this is definitely one of my top reads of 2020. Everyone needs to read this. Cash. Is. Life.