Brittainy C. Cherry – Eleanor & Grey – ARC Review + Excerpt

Képtalálat a következőre: „ELEANOR & GREY blogtour”

Eleanor & Grey, an all-new beautiful and emotional standalone from Brittainy C. Cherry is available now!

Synopsis

Greyson East left his mark on me.

As the young girl who first fell for him, I didn’t know much about life. I did know about his smiles, though, and his laughs, and the strange way my stomach flipped when he was near.

Life was perfect…until it wasn’t, and when we were forced to go our separate ways, I held on to our memories, let go of my first crush, and wished for the day I’d find him again.

When my wish came true, it was nothing like I imagined.

I couldn’t have known when I took the nanny position that it would be his children I looked after, that my new boss would be that boy I used to know, that boy who was now a man—a cold, lonely, detached man.

The smile and laugh I had loved so much were gone, now distant memories. Every part of him was covered in a fresh pain.

When he realized who I was, he made me promise to do my job and my job only.

He made me promise not to try to get to know him, not to recall the memories I’d treasured all this time.

But, sometimes, I saw the boy I’d once known in his stormy eyes. I saw the Greyson who smiled and laughed, who had stolen a young girl’s heart, and there was no doubt in my mind that this boy was worth fighting for.

I was given a second chance with the one who’d left his mark on me. All I hoped was that somehow I’d leave a mark on his soul, too.

*ARC kindly provided by the Author in exchange for an honest review*

Véleményem a könyvről

Brittainy C. Cherry ismét gondoskodott róla, hogy olvasás közben nem egyszer könnyek között találjam magam. A ‘második esély’ történetek egyébként is az egyik kedvenc műfajom, de őszintén nem voltam rá felkészülve, hogy ez a könyv mennyire elrabolja majd a szívemet. Habár ez egy romantikus történet, én úgy gondolom, hogy leginkább mégsem a szerelemről, sokkal inkább barátságról, családról, gyászról és gyógyulásról szól. Gyönyörű volt.

Greyson East akkor bukkant fel Eleanor Gable életében, amikor a lánynak a legnagyobb szüksége volt rá. Végzős gimnazisták voltak, amikor Ellie egy borzasztóan nehéz időszakon ment keresztül. Grey ott volt mellette a legfájdalmasabb pillanatokban, ő volt a lány legnagyobb támasza, az igaz barátja, majd egy picit annál is több… Azonban közös idejük hirtelen a végéhez ér, és sok-sok évre elveszítik egymást. Évek múlva a sors újra egymás útjába tereli őket, azonban ez alkalommal a szerepek felcserélődnek, és Grey az, akinek szüksége van egy horgonyra a legnagyobb vihar közepén…

Nagyon megszerettem a szereplőket, mindketten jól megformált, sokrétű karakterek voltak. A szívem majd megszakadt értük, és igazán tetszett a kontraszt, amit az írónő a történet első és második felében szereplő Grey között festett. A szerző stílusa ez alkalommal is kiemelkedő volt. Imádtam az összes Harry Potter utalást, és az első pillanattól kezdve tudtam azonosulni Ellie-vel, mert kicsit vicces módon akárcsak ő, én is egy kötelező gimis buliban olvastam az ötödik Harry Pottert, amikor 2003-ban végre megjelent. 🙂 [Egészen konkrétan emlékszem, hogy pont Mikuláskor jelent meg, és az osztálybuli alatt kisurrantam olvasni a folyosóra, ahol régi épület révén a hatalmas beugró ablakpárkányok mindig szuper helyet biztosítottak az olvasásra. :)]

Újdonsült anyukaként úgy érzem, hogy valahogy sokkal mélyebb érzelmeket tudott belőlem előcsalogatni ez a történet, és nem egy alkalommal alig láttam a könnyeimtől. Talán az utolsó jelenet már egy picit túl sok volt nekem, de ennek ellenére is minden pillanatát imádtam ennek a gyönyörű történetnek, és ismét egy új kedvecet avattam vele. Kedves Brittainy C. Cherry: Kérlek, „még több ilyet.”

My Review in English

Brittainy C. Cherry touched my heart deeply once again and I found myself with tears in my eyes several times during my read. Second chance romances are one of my top favorite sub-genre so I was sure that I will love this story but I wasn’t prepared for how much this story would steal my heart. Although this is a romance novel, I think it’s not really about love and relationships. I think it’s more about friendship, family, grief and healing. It was beautiful.

Greyson East showed up in Eleanor Gable’s life when she desperately needed it. They were seniors in high school when Ellie went through a terribly hard time. Grey was with her in the hardest moments, he was her rock and her true friend, then a little bit more… But their time together was cut short and they lost each other for a long time. After several years their paths cross again, but this time the roles are reversed since Grey is the one, who needs an anchor during the greatest storm…

I loved the characters so much! They both were well-developed and layered. My heart broke for Grey and Ellie and I truly loved the contrast between the Grey in the first half of the story and the man in the second half. The writing style was exceptional and flawless as always.  I loved all the Harry Potter references and it’s funny but I could instantly identify with Ellie since I also read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix at a high school party on the release day back in 2003. 🙂

As a new mom it feels like this story was able to bring out even more emotions from me and several times I just couldn’t stop my tears. Maybe the last scene was a little too much for my liking but I still loved every second of this beautiful story, and I found a new favorite once again. Dear Brittainy C. Cherry: Please, „more of that”.

My Favorite Quotes From the Book

“But just because two people are meant to be together, doesn’t mean it has to happen right this second. Sometimes the best love stories are about those who waited.”

“We were still broken, and cracked, and growing and learning. We were mistakes and perfection, flowing streams and hurricanes.”

“Everything I knew about life, I learned from Harry Potter. I called him the greatest teacher of life lessons, and I swore up and down that he’d saved my life countless times. When I was upset, I wrote spells to turn people into rats, slugs, or toads.”

“I found gratitude in the little things, because that’s what Mom taught me to do. Appreciate all the small moments, because at the end of the day, those were the ones that counted the most.”

“He was him, and I was me, and we were us.”

“I love you. I love everything about you, even the parts that you think are too sad to be loved. I think those parts are the most beautiful.”

“It was sad that so many people went throughout life without knowing they were filled with magic.”

“I’m a Gryffindor,” he remarked, waving a book. 
I cocked an eyebrow, and tugged on the bottom of my cardigan. “What?” 
“I said I’m a Gryffindor. I’m pretty sure, at least. It was a tossup between that and Ravenclaw, but then I read some articles online and I’m pretty sure I’m Gryffindor.” 
“You read Harry Potter?” 
He nodded. “Yup. Sorry it took me so long to get back to you, but these are long.” 
“You…” My heart pounded against my rib cage. “You read all of the books?” 
“All five, and now I’m counting down the days until the next one releases.” 
Same, Grey, same. 
“Why did you read them all?” 
“So we’d have something in common. Plus, I wanted you to form a stupid, unrealistic crush on me that goes against everything you stand for.”

5- Dragonfly – Stars

 

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2FTOiSy

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Excerpt

Eleanor

Thirty-two years old

Greyson’s assistant, Allison, finished giving me a tour of the house. “Okay, I think that’s everything. I’m going to head out now, but go ahead and make yourself comfortable. Get used to the property. Mr. East knows you’re here today, so don’t feel like you aren’t allowed to wander around a bit. If you need anything, my cell number is on the contact list in the book, or you can email me. If nothing comes up, I hope your first day goes well. Claire will be with you Monday to make sure the transition goes smoothly.”

I must have looked terrified because as Allison grabbed her coat and purse to leave, she gave me a light squeeze on the shoulder.

“You’re going to be fine, Eleanor. Mind over matter. You got this. Let’s touch base later in the week so I can check in on how things are going.”

“Sounds great. Thanks, Allison.”

After she left, I took a deep breath and flipped through a few pages in the binder. Then, I did a once-through of the house, familiarizing myself with whose room was where. There was something so unsettling about the quietness of Greyson’s home. It was so dark with an odd gloomy feeling attached to it, haunting almost. I didn’t mean dark as in the lighting situation, rather it was the energy level. There was such a heaviness in the space.

The place felt like a house, not a home.

If I hadn’t known any better, I wouldn’t have believed a family lived there at all.

It felt so abandoned, almost like a memory frozen in time.

That might’ve just been my own thoughts, thought, due to knowing about the tragedy that had taken place in the lives of the individuals who lived there. With the number of books I’d read, it wasn’t inaccurate to say my mind wandered toward the dramatics.

I walked back into the kitchen, flipping through the binder, completely taken aback by the girls’ schedules. Between school, swim lessons, karate, piano lessons, physical therapy, and grief counseling, I wasn’t sure how they found the time to live a little.

“Eleanor.”

I leaped out of my skin at the sound of my name and turned to see Greyson standing behind me with an empty glass in his hand. He was dressed in a suit and tie, which was so strange to me.

Who wore a suit and tie in their own home?

I hardly wore pants when I was home alone.

“Oh, Greyson, hi. Sorry I’m still here. Allison was just giving me a tour, and she said it was okay to look around a bit more.”

“She made me aware.”

Wow. He had responded immediately, unlike the first time I saw him. I called that progress.

I smiled at him, but he didn’t smile back, and that felt like the oddest thing in the world. The old Greyson had been full of smiles.

“It’s a beautiful home,” I stated, unsure what else to talk about. “It’s massive. I swear, it’s like ten times the size of my place.” He blankly stared my way as I shifted from foot to foot. “I love the décor,” I blurted out, and I hated myself the second the words left my lips. Just walk away, Eleanor. Don’t be awkward. “Those throw pillows in your living room are to die for. Where did you get them?”

“The interior designer chose everything,” he replied dryly.

“Oh, right, of course. My interior designer is normally the clearance section at T.J. Maxx,” I joked. “Or on special occasions, Target.”

He didn’t laugh, probably because I wasn’t funny.

I wondered when was the last time he’d laughed.

Did he ever find anything funny anymore?

We kept staring at one another in the most uncomfortable silence, though I didn’t feel as if I could pull myself away from it. I probably stared at him too long, but how could I not? I’d gone fifteen-some years without looking at him. It was understandable that I wouldn’t be able to turn away quickly.

The awkwardness of it all finally came to a halt when Greyson cleared his throat.

“Eleanor?”

“Yes?”

“I came for water.”

“Oh?” I stared at him like an idiot, wide-eyed like a deer in headlights, waiting for his next words. I stood still as if he were going to expand on his interest in water. Was he offering me a drink? Were we going to sip water and catch up on things? Was I finally going to be able to ask him how he’d become the CEO of his father’s company at such a young age? What had happened to his father?

His stare narrowed, and his lips turned down in a displeased fashion. He nodded once.

“Hmm?” I asked.

He nodded more aggressively this time, gesturing past me.

I glanced behind me and realized I was standing right in front of the refrigerator, blocking the water dispenser. I stepped to the side, mentally beating myself up.

Idiot.

“Oh, right, of course. Well, I think I’m done here, so I’ll see myself out,” I stated, scrambling to grab my binder. “Have a good afternoon.”

He didn’t reply, but that wasn’t shocking. I was quickly learning that this new Greyson didn’t have nearly as much to say as the old one.

 

Képtalálat a következőre: „ELEANOR & GREY blogtour”

About Brittainy

 

Author Brittainy C. 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.

 

Connect with Brittainy

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https://bcherrybooks.com

 

 

 

 

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