Review and Excerpt Tour: Landon & Shay: Part Two: Brittainy C. Cherry
Landon & Shay Part Two
Brittainy C. Cherry
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Releases December 4, 2019
Once upon a time, I fell in love with a boy.
A beautiful, broken boy who had his own world of struggles.
People warned me against our love, but I didn't listen.
We looked weak, young, and foolish.
Dangerously in love.
We didn't care.
In order to keep our hearts protected from the opinions of others, we became each other’s secret.
We shared stolen moments. Tender touches. Secretive embraces.
It was our twisted love story, and it worked for us up until our lives changed forever.
The boy I loved became Hollywood’s newest golden boy.
His career blossomed as mine stalled.
He found massive success as I discovered multiple failures.
He made something of himself, while my dreams never came true.
We moved into different realms where our pieces no longer fit together.
In the fairy tales, love conquered all.
In reality, love was the main reason empires began to fall.
I always knew Landon belonged in my story.
He was my beginning, middle, and end.
The only problem? I wasn’t certain I still belonged in his.
*Book Two of the Landon & Shay Duet.*
I could not wait to get back to Landon and Shay and to get more in their present since book one focused on their past. I was a bit surprised to see that a big chunk of book two still focused on the past, but it revolved around new events and was also important to their story. Their love story was tumultuous, passionate, and angsty. Not only the parts in high school, but the years after leading up the present reunion.
Landon's struggles are not something that can be fixed overnight. He has good times and bad times. Even though he finds success in his career, he still deals with his demons every day. And even though they fight to keep it going long distance and give it a good effort, Landon's darkness continues to put a shadow and strain on his own life and he sometimes cannot find his way out.
Shay has a big understanding heart and does her best, but she also has been disappointed and hurt. Eventually, it comes to a point where she has to practice some self-preservation. But while he is living his dreams, she has been left in suspended animation.
It is the story of soul mates pulled apart by distance, time, circumstances, and pain. Sometimes their worlds collide, but then they are pulled apart again.
But now they are back in the same town and have grown and matured over the years. Landon is on a mission to get Shay back into his life or at least make amends. Shay has a hard wall around her heart, trust issues, and fear of rejection. He is now Hollywood's golden boy and she is still stuck in limbo with unrealized dreams. She thinks he is living his best life and he just left her in his rearview mirror, but she does not know everything. He finds it easy to put on a mask for everyone but her. And he has kept her close to his heart and mind for years, but never told her.
Is now finally their time to bare their secrets again and refocus on that connection that brought them together so long ago? Or is there too much pain and scarring to overcome?
This is an emotional, angsty, and sometimes frustrating, second chance love story told in dual points of view. It deals with hard topics and there are no quick fixes. It is a complex journey of self-discovery for the characters. I think the author did a good job dealing with the subjects of depression and anxiety and how it affects relationships and self-worth. Landon's journey is especially touching as he has so much work to do on himself and has to find ways to keep his focus and avoid triggers. I adored him. And Shay tries hard to be his biggest support, but she also needs to take care of herself.
Even though this book still dealt with more of the past, and their present was maybe half the book, it was all new and relevant to the development of their relationship and their issues. I was thrilled that the author added an epilogue to their story to see glimpses of the future.
I truly loved these characters and their soul-felt connection that could not really be broken completely despite mistakes, miscommunication, heartbreak, time, and distance. It was always there under the surface just waiting for the right time and for them to be willing to take a risk. This one brings all the feels...it's intense, moving, and heartbreaking, but also witty, passionate, and romantic. I was totally invested in them and did not want to put it down.
I enjoyed more with Eleanor, Grey, Karla, Raine and Hank from the previous books. They all have history and truly care about each other. I would love for her to revisit this world again and bring us Grey's daughter, Karla's story as she matures more.
Shay
“Oh my gosh, tell us everything.” Raine beamed as she sat across from Landon at the dining room table with her chin on her hands in amazement. “Tell me everything about being famous.”
That privacy I thought Landon and I would get?
Not going to happen with Raine living in the same place as me. She was so giddy seeing her best friend, and I couldn’t blame her. I was just as excited—even more so than her.
Landon looked so good, so grown-up.
He had facial hair that was groomed to perfection, and he smelled like sex appeal and honey. Since he’d arrived, I hadn’t allowed myself to be far from his side.
I sat in the chair next to him, and he hadn’t removed his hand from my thigh, massaging it up and down.
“I’m not famous.” Landon chuckled, giving Raine a smile. “I honestly don’t know what’s been happening to me, or why it’s been happening to me, but I feel like I’ll one day wake up and it will all be a dream.”
“You know what I hate?” Raine asked, crinkling her nose up.
“What’s that?” Landon replied.
“When really famous people claim they aren’t famous. That’s like when rich kids are like ‘Oh, I’m not rich, my parents are.’ Like, shut up, Susan. You can’t say you’re not rich while driving your Mercedes Benz wearing your Gucci shoes. That’s not how that works.”
I chuckled at my dramatic friend. “She is right, though. You are famous, Landon. The world has seen your tushy in boxer briefs. That’s the top layer of fame.”
“And what a cute little tushy-wushy it is,” Raine mocked, leaning over to pinch his cheeks. “I’m a proud big sister.”
“For the millionth time, I’m older than you, Raine,” Landon remarked.
“By age, not by maturity.” She darted her eyes back and forth between the two of us. Then her stare moved to Landon’s hand caressing my upper thigh. “Is this about to get a little PG-13? Should I leave?”
“You should probably leave,” I joked.
She nodded in agreement. “Okay, well, don’t make plans tomorrow night, Landon. We’re going to have everyone over for a reunion. Now, go do whatever it is you’re planning to do, you two lovebirds—but remember, these walls are thin, and my bedroom is right next door to Shay’s.”
I laughed. “I know, and I’m reminded of how thin the walls are every time Hank stays the night.”
She gave me a smile and a wink. “We broke the headboard the other night.”
Landon jumped in. “And I think that falls into the realm of too much information. I don’t want to think about Hank and you banging and breaking headboards. You are like a big sister to me, after all.”
Raine walked around and patted him on the back. “You’re old enough to know that your sister gets laid, Landon—at least four times a week in many different positions.”
“Raine,” Landon groaned, slapping his hand to his face. “Too much information.”
“I bet you won’t think it’s too much information when Shay breaks out some of the moves from the Kama Sutra book I gave her. Good night, kiddos.”
She hurried off, and Landon was staring at me with a highly arched eyebrow.
“What?” I asked.
“What’s this about a Kama Sutra book?” His lips curved up into a wicked grin.
I rolled my eyes. “It’s nothing. Raine is just a sex-driven girl. She said she and Hank needed to spice things up after being together so long.”
“I like spice. Spice is my favorite thing. What are some of the names of the moves in the book? What are we trying tonight?”
I felt my face heating up from the idea of it all. “None.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Oh crap. You’ve really read this book, haven’t you?”
“What? No. Not at all.”
He smirked and pointed a finger. “You have one on the tip of your tongue. I can tell. Do share.”
“Well…” I pulled the collar of my shirt between my lips and shrugged. “There is this thing called the butterfly.”
The way his eyes smiled along with his lips made my cheeks heat even more. He rose to his feet. “Come on, let’s go. I’m going to butterfly the hell out of you.”
Landon & Shay Part One
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Kim's 4 star review
Shay Gable hated my guts, and I hated hers, too.
We went out of our way to avoid one another at all times. When she came my direction, I went the other. When we locked eyes, she’d turn and walk away.
All of that changed the day I was presented with a challenge. It started out as a stupid bet: make Shay fall in love with me before I fell in love with her first.
That was an easy bet for me to win.
I didn’t love, I hardly liked.
Yet slowly the game started to shift. Shay made me crave things I never knew I wanted.
Love.
Happiness.
Her.
The closer we grew, the more she challenged my darkness, and the parts I kept locked away.
The hurts.
The pains.
The truth.
The game between us became too real, our feelings intermixed, and the risks of hurting one another grew higher.
But you know what they say...
All’s fair in the game of love and war—especially the heartbreaks.
(Book one in the L&S Duet)
This is a standalone duet but Landon and Shay were first introduced in Eleanor & Grey.
Eleanor & Grey
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Kim's 5.5 star review
Greyson East left his mark on me.
As the young girl who first fell for him, I didn’t know much about life. I did know about his smiles, though, and his laughs, and the strange way my stomach flipped when he was near.
Life was perfect…until it wasn’t, and when we were forced to go our separate ways, I held on to our memories, let go of my first crush, and wished for the day I’d find him again.
When my wish came true, it was nothing like I imagined.
I couldn’t have known when I took the nanny position that it would be his children I looked after, that my new boss would be that boy I used to know, that boy who was now a man—a cold, lonely, detached man.
The smile and laugh I had loved so much were gone, now distant memories. Every part of him was covered in a fresh pain.
When he realized who I was, he made me promise to do my job and my job only.
He made me promise not to try to get to know him, not to recall the memories I’d treasured all this time.
But, sometimes, I saw the boy I’d once known in his stormy eyes. I saw the Greyson who smiled and laughed, who had stolen a young girl’s heart, and there was no doubt in my mind that this boy was worth fighting for.
I was given a second chance with the one who’d left his mark on me. All I hoped was that somehow I’d leave a mark on his soul, too.
When he realized who I was, he made me promise to do my job and my job only.
He made me promise not to try to get to know him, not to recall the memories I’d treasured all this time.
But, sometimes, I saw the boy I’d once known in his stormy eyes. I saw the Greyson who smiled and laughed, who had stolen a young girl’s heart, and there was no doubt in my mind that this boy was worth fighting for.
I was given a second chance with the one who’d left his mark on me. All I hoped was that somehow I’d leave a mark on his soul, too.
**Eleanor & Grey is a complete Standalone novel**
Brittainy C. Cherry
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Author Brittainy C. Cherry is an Amazon #1 bestselling author.
She has been in love with words since the day she took her first breath. She graduated from Carroll University with a Bachelors Degree in Theatre Arts and a minor in Creative Writing.
Her novels have been published in 18+ countries around the world. Brittainy lives in Brookfield, Wisconsin with her fur babies.
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