Title: The Wreckage of Us
Author: Brittainy Cherry
Genre: Romance
Tropes: Small Town, Enemies to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Musician, Rockstar
Edition/Pages: Paperback, 368 Pages
Goodreads page

I received an ARC copy of this from the author via Social Butterfly PR in exchange for an honest review

Summary

Hazel Stone is determined to make something of her life. When she’s kicked out by her drug-dealing step father, she finds herself hiding in a shed at the one place she feels safe – the Parker family farm. When Ian Parker, the town player and her least favorite fan, finds her hiding spot, she thinks she will lose both her job and safety net. But instead Ian shocks her and offers her his spare bedroom. 

As Ian and Hazel spend more time together, they discover they may have been quick to judge one another. And they might not hate each other quite as much as they thought.

Overview

➸ POV: 1st Person, Hazel & Ian’s POV

➸ Hazel Stone: 18, Abusive drug-dealing step-father, Trying to get back on her feet after being kicked out, Dresses in all black, Caring & driven

➸ Ian Parker: 21, Musician/Lead singer of The Wreckage, Works on the ranch owned by his grandfather, Abandoned by parents, Self-proclaimed asshole, Cold & Closed off, Town player

➸ Content Warnings: Drug Abuse, Abuse, Blackmail, Grief (often dealt with in unhealthy ways), Unhealthy Pregnancy (+ scenes in the NICU), Alcohol Abuse, Prison + Arrest of a parent

My Thoughts

Brittainy Cherry never ceases to pull on my heartstrings. Her books are so beautifully written and heartfelt and this was absolutely no exception. This small town and character pulled me and held me captive the entire way through this. 

This book deals with a lot of heavy topics – especially abuse and addiction. But from all these terrible things, this book unravels one the most beautiful and heartwarming romances. I loved how this story used these dark themes to highlight hope, family, and love. 

The characters in here were so well written and developed. Everyone was so flawed and broken but real and relatable. I love that Brittainy Cherry writes her characters in a way that allows you to fall in love with them right along with the story. Ian was definitely a piece of work at the beginning, but by getting chapters from his POV you really got to see inside his head. And I slowly fell in love with him alongside Hazel.

Hazel and Ian’s romance was honestly everything I love. I loved that they developed a friendship first because grounded their strong feelings in something other than physical attraction. The connection between these two characters was so electric and palpable that I was dying for them together by the time it actually happened. They gave me all the dang butterflies.

One of the best things about this story was the side characters. Brittainy Cherry blew it away with these characters and I’m desperate for more. I would sacrifice a limb for books for the other band members!! Everyone felt so real and alive – you could tell that every character was fully developed despite them not being the lead. 

Overall this was another book by this author that completely captured my heart. I always know going into one of Brittainy Cherry’s books that I’m going to go through it emotionally. She makes the stacks feel so high and so real that I question how these 2 could possibly make it work. I love this small town and would love more time with this world and characters!

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