★ 03/01/2021
Cherry (The Wreckage of Us) dazzles with this deeply felt friends-to-lovers contemporary. After rock star Alex Smith—one-half of dynamic duo Alex & Oliver—dies in a car accident, his twin brother and musical counterpart, Oliver, spirals into a drunken depression culminating in a missed comeback show and a melee at a dive bar. Struggling single mom Emery Taylor is working as a bartender to support her sassy five-year-old daughter—but when her longtime favorite musician incites a brawl in her bar, it costs her the gig. To make amends, Oliver hires Emery as his personal chef, infuriating his nightmarish live-in girlfriend, Cam Jones. Alex and Emery slowly but surely grow closer, but even after Cam is out of the picture, their road to love is strewn with devastating bombshells, including revelations of rape and reckonings with parental abuse. With its uncommon depth, Cherry’s story will elicit tears in some places, laughter in others. A stellar cast—especially supportive therapist Abigail and Oliver’s compassionate and happily married parents—underpin the emotional love story. Readers will be hooked. Agent: Flavia Viotti, Bookcase Literay. (July)
06/01/2021
The roller-coaster relationship between a grief-stricken musician and a single mother forms the beating heart of this far-fetched but emotionally satisfying romance. Oliver Smith is spiraling downhill after the death of his twin brother and bandmate. Then he meets Emery, a single mother who is estranged from her parents and sister and is trying to raise her young daughter on her own. As the relationship between Oliver and Emery grows closer, tragedies from the past are uncovered, but together the pair begin to find the strength they need to move forward. The book has an extraneous subplot or two, but Cherry (The Gravity of Us) weaves a compelling tale with complex, likable main characters who bring out the best in each other. The only real flaw is a cartoonishly evil ex-girlfriend, but she appears infrequently enough that it doesn't ruin the read. VERDICT Some readers may balk at the wish fulfillment plot, where a favorite musician falls madly in love with his biggest fan; it feels a little over-the-top. However, romance readers who crave drama, trauma, and tears on the road to a happily-ever-after will devour this book.—Jenny Kobiela-Mondor, Eckhart P.L., IN
2021-03-31
A musician and a single mother battle their inner demons.
Oliver Smith and his twin, Alex, were world-famous pop stars until six months ago, when Alex was killed in a car accident. Oliver self-medicates with alcohol and can't find solace in music because it reminds him of his brother. Nevertheless, he agrees to a solo performance after being pressured by his selfish girlfriend to resume his career. He flees the concert venue in a panic and ends up at a dive bar where single mother Emery Taylor works as a server. Emery is estranged from her conservative, religious parents and is struggling to make ends meet, having dropped out of culinary school after her daughter, Reese, was born five years ago. Emery is star-struck when she recognizes Oliver but is quickly disappointed by his rudeness and hard drinking. Oliver’s scuffle with the crowd in the bar is posted to social media, and the paparazzi arrive. Unable to leave her idol in such a condition, Emery decides to take him home since her daughter is safe overnight with a neighbor. Deeply intoxicated, Oliver vomits all over her car, pees in her houseplant, and passes out. When Oliver learns the incident caused Emery to lose her job, he’s ashamed and decides to hire her as his personal chef. After this rough beginning, the book meanders through Emery’s life as a single mother and the return of her domineering, unsupportive family. The romance is a barely-there afterthought, as the novel focuses instead on Oliver and Emery forgiving themselves for past mistakes and trying to heal. Although Cherry might have been aiming for an angst-y, emotional romance, weak characterization and plotting don't provide enough fuel to keep readers invested.
A blend of romance and the personal journey misses its mark.
An Amazon Best Book of the Month: Romance
“Cherry dazzles with this deeply felt friends-to-lovers contemporary…with its uncommon depth, Cherry’s story will elicit tears in some places, laughter in others. A stellar cast…Readers will be hooked.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Romance readers who crave drama, trauma, and tears on the road to a happily-ever-after will devour this book.” —Library Journal
“Brittainy Cherry’s The Mixtape is a rockstar romance with a whole lot of heart.” —POPSUGAR
“I loved every single thing about this book. It is beautiful, heartbreaking, full of heart, and hopeful. Expect to laugh, cry, and want to create your own mixtape.” —Living My Best Book Life
