Blog Tour: The Mixtape: Brittainy Cherry
Brittainy Cherry
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Release Date July 1, 2021
Publisher: Montlake
Brittainy Cherry
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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?
Oliver Smith seemed to have it all. Superstar status with his twin brother and their music duo, fame, money, girlfriend, and supportive family. He is the more introverted, analytical, serious, and quiet one between the two of them. But still something was missing and he was not really happy. One night changes his life forever and sends him spiraling to darker depths that he cannot seem to pull himself out from. Suppressed emotions, anxiety, and grief swallow him whole and cause him to make poor choices and avoid life.
Emery is a single mom struggling to make ends meet. She is strong, but overwhelmed and drowning with limited support. She gave up her dreams to raise her daughter and feels guilty that things are so hard.
A chance meeting shakes up both of their lives. Emery is kind, caring, observant, and takes risks to ensure Oliver makes it out of a bad situation. But it helps turn things around and opens new doors for her as well.
This is a slow-burn, emotional, angsty, romance between two people that have been hurt and are drifting, but there is also sweetness and some humor too. It is about loss, trust, sharing, acceptance, forgiveness, and finding light in the darkness. These two were broken, but help glue each other back together. A resurgence of hope and purpose inspires them to find themselves, be there for each other, and begin to believe that happiness does exist. Music is such an important part of this story and I loved how it was used for communication, inspiration, and healing. The mixtape is the perfect title and theme.
Her daughter, Reese is a darling, precocious thing. She just made me smile in every scene. There were side characters that I liked and some I absolutely hated. Several added major drama while others added support. Both of these characters had issues and demons to tackle, but had so much love to give. My heart hurt for them, but I enjoyed seeing them begin to open up and find happier days. There were a couple of things I wanted to see fleshed out or addressed a bit more, but overall it was a truly beautiful story.
Emery is a single mom struggling to make ends meet. She is strong, but overwhelmed and drowning with limited support. She gave up her dreams to raise her daughter and feels guilty that things are so hard.
A chance meeting shakes up both of their lives. Emery is kind, caring, observant, and takes risks to ensure Oliver makes it out of a bad situation. But it helps turn things around and opens new doors for her as well.
This is a slow-burn, emotional, angsty, romance between two people that have been hurt and are drifting, but there is also sweetness and some humor too. It is about loss, trust, sharing, acceptance, forgiveness, and finding light in the darkness. These two were broken, but help glue each other back together. A resurgence of hope and purpose inspires them to find themselves, be there for each other, and begin to believe that happiness does exist. Music is such an important part of this story and I loved how it was used for communication, inspiration, and healing. The mixtape is the perfect title and theme.
Her daughter, Reese is a darling, precocious thing. She just made me smile in every scene. There were side characters that I liked and some I absolutely hated. Several added major drama while others added support. Both of these characters had issues and demons to tackle, but had so much love to give. My heart hurt for them, but I enjoyed seeing them begin to open up and find happier days. There were a couple of things I wanted to see fleshed out or addressed a bit more, but overall it was a truly beautiful story.
Sometimes the world didn’t make sense. No parent should’ve ever had to bury their own child. I couldn’t even imagine that kind of pain that raced through her heartbeats on a daily basis. If I could offer up only one set of prayers for the remainder of my life, it would be for the parents who had to say goodbye too early on to their own.
Those hearts would always beat a little slower in my mind.
“I’m so sorry, Michelle.”
“Thank you, sweetheart.” She reached out and patted my hand, and I knew it was because she needed a hand to hold. So, I wrapped both of mine around hers. “The mourning doesn’t get easier. It just get quieter. Some days, I still cannot get out of bed, but I’m blessed. Because Richard stays in bed with me and my quietness. Then, when it’s time for me to get up, he pulls me to my feet, and we dance. A piece of advice—find yourself a man who would dance with you even when your heart is broken.” Her eyes flashed with tears and she held my hands tighter. “You want to know a secret?”
“Yes.”
“I thought I was going to lose Oliver, too. He kept everyone so far away. So, when I flew out here, I prepared myself for the worst. I thought he’d be in a drunken slumber or, worse…so much worse. Last time I came a few weeks ago, he wasn’t doing too well. But this time? This time I came back and he’s smiling.”
“That’s so good.”
She smiled brightly up at me as tears freely danced down her cheekbones. “So thank you.”
“I didn’t do anything,” I swore.
“You’re the only difference in his life since I came back. Plus, there’s the way he looks at you when you’re not looking. Now, sweetheart, I don’t know what you did, but I’m almost positive that you helped bring my son back to life after he was holding death’s hand. Call it my mother’s intuition. So, thank you for helping him. Even if it’s just by being his friend.”
Now I was tearing up, and I pulled her into a tight hug. “You’re an amazing mother,” I whispered, and she began to cry harder.
“You have no clue how hard it is to believe that each day.”
I think all mothers thought that. The ones who doubted her mothering skills, were sometimes the ones who were trying their best day in and day out. I didn’t expect the conversation with Michelle to go the direction that it had, but I was glad it had taken that path, because it was clear we both had some healing corners of our heart that had to be touched that evening.
“Oh, don’t tell me you two are wine drunk and emotion,” Richard cut in, walking in our direction. “We were just picking out a song for two seconds and we turn around to find you both moping.”
“Oh hush, Richard. Can’t us girls have a moment every now and again?” Michelle remarked, standing to her feet.
“Yes, but for now, we dance to The Spinners, my lady.” Richard reached out for his wife and took her into his arms as they began swaying to the song, Could It Be I’m Falling In Love. Richard serenaded Michelle as she smiled and melted into him like a perfectly fit puzzle piece.
Oliver came to stand beside me as we both watched his parents fall more and more in love with one another.
“This was their wedding song,” Oliver mentioned. “Dad recorded it, and they danced to it for their first dance.”
“Oh my gosh, how sweet is that,” I swooned. True romance.
“They dance to it every single night. On the good days and bad days. Especially on the bad days.”
“They’re what I want my love to look like,” I confessed. Oliver gave me a tight smile but didn’t say anything. I shifted around for a minute before looking toward him once more. “Do you want to dance with me?”
Author Brittainy 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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