Review: The Wreckage of Us by Brittainy C. Cherry

Brittainy C. Cherry
Publication date: September 8, 2020
Series: NA
Genres: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Format: Kindle
Source: Purchased
3.25 Stars

I know I should stay away from Ian Parker.

But when my drug-dealing stepdad kicks me out, I have nowhere to go. Squatting in an abandoned shed on Ian’s grandpa’s farm seems like as good a plan as any.

Ian finds me there, of course, and he insists on me moving into his spare room. I should say no, but the appeal of a roof and a warm bed is too much. Not to mention Ian’s brown eyes and strong arms.

We’re nothing alike, but the spark between us is undeniable. My life is finally looking up.

Until I call the cops on my stepdad and unintentionally get my pregnant mom arrested.

Now I have to sacrifice my dreams to take care of my mom’s baby. She’s the only family I have left. Meanwhile, Ian’s band is taking off; his dreams are coming true.

Ian is my one chance at love. I just hope he doesn’t become the one chance that got away.

Oh boy, my feelings are all over the place with this one. And I think my main issue is that I expected more because it was Brittainy Cherry. From anyone else this might have been okay. But knowing what Cherry is capable of left me confused as to what the heck happened. Honestly, if someone told me that there had been a mix-up and Brittainy Cherry didn’t actually write this one, I would think, “Yes! That explains everything!”

The story: Pretty good. Hazel needs to escape from home and her bottom-feeder, drug dealing stepfather. She finds refuge at the ranch that seems to be the only success story in the poverty-stricken small town. Big Paw and Holly offer a job, a place to stay, and the feeling of family she craves. While she initially butts heads with their grandson Ian, they eventually form a close bond as she helps him with songwriting duties for his band. While Ian’s band, The Wreckage, start to take off and find success, Hazel’s past keeps pulling her down and threatens her future.

The execution: *crickets* This is where the story fell flat for me. Because while the story was interesting enough, and had Cherry’s trademark drama and angst, it felt devoid of any emotion. I mean, I was told (a lot) how Hazel and Ian felt about one another but I can’t say I ever felt it. And the dialogue – oh my God, the dialogue. It was consistently stilted and cheesy and I kept thinking, who would say this, who talks like this? So many lines had me cringing at how unrealistic they sounded. Hence my questioning: is this really from Brittainy Cherry??

I will absolutely continue reading Brittainy Cherry, both her backlist and new releases, because I know what she’s capable of, but The Wreckage of Us surely did not showcase her abilities in the best way.


HAVE YOU READ THE WRECKAGE OF US?

25 comments

  1. I am shocked to hear the emotion was missing. Seems so odd from Cherry.

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    1. Right? I was so surprised and kept thinking, how can this be the Brittainy Cherry I know?

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  2. That's so disappointing that it didn't live up to the author's other works. :( Hate when that happens. Hope this will be the exception.

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    1. I hope so, too, Nick! Because she sure has impressed me in the past.

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  3. It is always such a disappointment when a favorite author doesn't deliver the goods, especially when you know what they're capable of.

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    1. So true, Ethan. Knowing what she is capable of made this one even more disappointing.

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  4. I enjoyed this one, but I totally get what you're saying. We have come to expect more from certain authors. I guess maybe blame it on the pandemic?

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    1. LOL Why not? The pandemic has screwed everything else up... why not authors and their output, too? :)

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  5. bummer. i am reading a series by jane blythe. normally her books rock my world, but, like you, i feel someone else could have wrote them, though i know they didn't.
    @ fundinmental

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    1. So strange, isn't it, Sherry? Hopefully it's just a blip for both of us and the next books will feel like they're from the authors we know and love.

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  6. I recently tried out Brittainy Cherry for the first time (The Mixtape) and had a lot of similar complaints. Cheesy and awkward dialogue with a lot of telling instead of showing. It made me really hesitant to pick up anything else by her.

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    1. Oh boy, The Mixtape is already on my TBR this month so now I'm wondering if I'll run into the same issues. Maybe I should stick with Cherry's backlist!

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    2. I'd be interested in hearing what you thought of it Tanya. I'd like to know if it was just me, lol.

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  7. I've been wanting to read Cherry for a bit now but I, for sure, will not start with this book.

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    1. Yeah, this is not the one I'd recommend for anyone wanting to try Cherry for the first time. The Air He Breathes is a much better bet.

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  8. Wow. Okay, well I had hesitated to pick this one up because I was worried the angst was going to be off the charts. I do hate "hearing" about how a couple feels for each other, though. I definitely want to see it play out instead. Bummer!

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    1. I was just so surprised at how at felt about this one. I kept thinking, but it's Brittainy Cherry! Her older ones were so much better so hopefully this one was just a blip.

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  9. I'm sorry to hear this book wasn't up to par with what you're used to getting from this author. That's always so disappointing. The story itself sounds really good but it seems like there should definitely be some emotion coming through.

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    1. Yes, and emotion is usually a trademark of Cherry, so that made it even more puzzling/disappointing.

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  10. Well Tanya I had the exact same feelings for that one! I am glad I was not the only one as I usually adore Brittainy's work and felt so guilty!!!

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  11. Great review of this one. I am a fan of this author but have yet to read this one here. It can be so disappointing when the execution just isn't done well like this. Hope your next Cherry read is a much more connecting experience.

    Hope you are well and have missed you.

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    1. I hope so, too, Renee! I think I'll go back to her backlist since I seem to love her older books more.

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  12. I'm sorry you were a little disappointed with this one. I know what you mean when you don't feel the emotions and are just TOLD how they feel. I hate that! Hopefully, her next book is better!

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    1. Thanks Cheryl. I was so surprised that this one just didn't feel like Cherry's other work. Better luck with the next one!

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