I was a little worried at first. This starts with a tragedy and some heavy subject manner, things I normally avoid but the characters were so real, I was hooked right away. Oliver is such a sympathetic character and Brittainy Cherry is a gifted writer who made me feel his pain. That concern for Oliver had me almost instantly and I couldn’t put this book down until the end.
Emery has her own problems, although hers are more bittersweet and not quite as dark. She’s a huge fan but her illusions are destroyed when she finds Oliver at rock bottom. She saves him from a media nightmare but protecting him cost Emery her job so Oliver hires her as a personal chef. They become friends, offering one another support and helping each other heal. It turns out that just being around Emery is really good for Oliver and he’s soon making real progress for the first time since losing Alex in the accident.
As we learned more about Emery’s family, it becomes clear her world is far darker than we could have imagined. Her strength and tenacity are humbling to Oliver. Inspired, he begins to take back control of his life and even finds it within himself to make music again, something he never expected to do again without Alex.
The characters are so real, it’s refreshing. I worried this story was a bit too dark at first but there’s a perfect mix of enough sorrow to paint a picture, but not so much as to taint the happy ending. There’s grief and pain but they bring growth and a love that shines so bright, it chases away all the darkness.
Being a music nut, I loved the way Oliver communicated with music, first with Alex and then with Emery, but I honestly loved everything about this story from the first page.
The Mixtape on Amazon
The Mixtape
by Brittainy Cherry
Standalone
Published 2021
Since the death of his twin brother, Oliver’s caught between pleasing his fans and finding himself. Emery finds him first.
Emery has never felt more alone. Raising her daughter is both her pleasure and her pain as she struggles to hold on to her job as a bartender and keep a roof over their heads. With no one to help them—no support system—any unexpected expense or late bill could turn their whole world upside down.
Reeling from the death of his twin brother and bandmate, rock star Oliver Smith is trying to drink his problems away. Apparently he isn’t very good at it; they follow him wherever he goes. Also in hot pursuit are the paparazzi, who catch Oliver at his lowest low.
He could have walked into any bar in California, but he walked into hers. Emery helps Oliver lose the crowd, and they find themselves alone: two people whose paths are marked with loss and pain. However, they hold an unshakable hope for healing. They find solace together, but can their love withstand the world?
