Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Mixtape by Brittainy C. Cherry

14 reviews

readwithharley_'s review against another edition

emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol and Drug abuse

Minor: Rape, Pregnancy, Grief, and Sexual assault

greylandreviews's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

It's been too long since my last Brittainy Cherry book. This was good but I just wished Emery and Oliver's relationship didn't go past friends. Their romantic relationship seemed kinda out of place for me. I will be leaving trigger warnings because this book has them in spades. The zealot religious parents were triggering me so bad.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Death, Grief, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Rape and Gaslighting

Minor: Eating disorder, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

chelseamayxxx's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

OMG this is one of the best romance books I have read. The characters were so likeable and so relatable as they went though hard hitting moments which made me feel so many emotions for them there was only one character I didn’t like as she really irritated me. The story is so well told and told In such a way you believe ever single word. The author really took her time to make this book such a loveable book. There were some tears whilst reading this book and the start of the book hit me in my emotions as I didn’t expect it to start like that but it shaped how the story was going and the ending made me so happy. The plot of the book is well told and written. This author did a fantastic job with this book xxx

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Alcoholism, Grief, Child death, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Rape, Car accident, Alcohol, and Emotional abuse

amichelle515's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Alcoholism

lifeofmavsgirl's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful sad

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Death, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Grief, Emotional abuse, and Rape

chloelj27's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Death, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Car accident, Grief, and Mental illness

Moderate: Cursing, Pregnancy, Bullying, and Sexual content

daif's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Alcohol, Car accident, and Sexual violence

imthatstephanie's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I LOVED this book so much! Oliver and Emery had me feeling all of my feelings just ALL over the place. 

Woof. There is a lot to unpack in this story. Grief and loss, generational and family trauma, sexual assault, child abuse, mental health issues, etc. Oliver and Emery are separately struggling with the circumstances in their lives, and as fate (and romance) has it, their paths converge in this beautiful story about learning to listen to and support one another through different struggles. Emery has so much grace and patience, and Oliver needs someone to help him find the light inside himself. Emery needs to feel like she has someone on her side, and Oliver discovers he wants to be that someone. In the process, these two become friends (and more). The way they grow to love and support one another made my heart swell. 

There were several times I cried during this book. For as many times as we are given examples of beautiful lasting love, we are shown hate and hurt, and man...I just needed this to all work out. As someone who has a never-ending list of favorite songs, I appreciated the way music played into the storyline. This is a book I will happily recommend! 

Happy Reading! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Grief, and Mental illness

Moderate: Bullying and Child abuse

Minor: Sexual assault and Rape

cait's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Bullying, Car accident, Grief, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Death, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

risseandshine's review against another edition

emotional inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Oliver Smith is deeply lost in grief after the tragic death of his singing partner and twin brother. One drunken night in a bar, he bumps into Emery, a bartender who has struggles of her own. Despite the immeasurable joy of being a single mom to an adorable little girl, luck doesn't seem to be on her side when it comes to making ends meet. It doesn't help that she has a family who utterly fails at being her support system. When she sees Oliver and offers to save him from a crowd, she has no idea he’s about to do the same for her.

This book tapped into every single emotion in existence and drowned me in each of them. It made me happy, sad, angry, hopeful, hopeless, and literally any other word that can be felt. 

Oliver as a hero was swoon worthy yet that wasn’t all that he was. I really felt his character’s struggle to find himself after the loss of his twin. I loved seeing him rise up and regain hope as he fell in love with Emery. He also gained bonus points in my heart after seeing his adorable dynamic with Emery’s daughter Reese! Emery, on the other hand, was such a powerhouse. The way she stood up for herself and her daughter was incredible. I loved watching her unmatched strength shine yet she had this tender side when it comes to Reese and Oliver.

The romance showcased in this book dug deep into my soul. It’s anchored in healing and realizing that life is a collection of ups and downs and experiencing the downs doesn’t necessarily negate the ups. It isn’t only a love story between two people; it’s also about family and finding people around you who are willing to lift you up after you fall and make you fall in love with life once again 

The only reason why I didn’t give this a full five stars is because I felt that the plotline with antagonists came with loose ends. I wasn’t all too satisfied with how their relationship with the hero and heroine wrapped up; I honestly think the catharsis could have been a lot stronger in that respect.

All in all, this was another strong one from Brittainy Cherry! If you’re looking for a solid love story between a musician and a single mom laced with family drama, go check this book out!

tw: death of a loved one, car accident, grief, gaslighting, child abandonment

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Car accident, Grief, and Gaslighting