Title: The Mixtape
Author: Brittainy C. Cherry
Genre: Romance
Published On: July 1, 2021
Publisher: Montlake
Source: digital (Amazon First Reads)
Pages: 333
Synopsis:
CW: Death, Depression, Mental and Physical Abuse, Mention of Rape
Since the death of his twin brother, Oliver’s caught between pleasing his fans and finding himself. Emery finds him first.
Emery has never felt more alone. Raising her daughter is both her pleasure and her pain as she struggles to hold on to her job as a bartender and keep a roof over their heads. With no one to help them—no support system—any unexpected expense or late bill could turn their whole world upside down.
Reeling from the death of his twin brother and bandmate, rock star Oliver Smith is trying to drink his problems away. Apparently he isn’t very good at it; they follow him wherever he goes. Also in hot pursuit are the paparazzi, who catch Oliver at his lowest low.
He could have walked into any bar in California, but he walked into hers. Emery helps Oliver lose the crowd, and they find themselves alone: two people whose paths are marked with loss and pain. However, they hold an unshakable hope for healing. They find solace together, but can their love withstand the world?
My thoughts
(Spoiler free)
When I saw The Mixtape as one of my Amazon First Reads selections, I chose it right away. It’s a romance about music, and you all know how much I love that combination. It also didn’t hurt that it had glowing reviews. But The Mixtape was kind of a mixed bag for me. I’m just going to jump right in with what worked for me and what didn’t work for me.
“Every person in this world has a mixtape of sorts, a collection of tracks that defines their lives. Each memory is a song, and they all come together to create a masterpiece.”
Brittainy C. Cherry, The Mixtape
What worked:
The main characters, Emery and Oliver, were fleshed-out and layered, and I felt like I knew who they were.
Emery’s daughter Reese was adorable and funny and a great addition to the story.
The mental health representation was on point. It felt real and heart-breaking. And Emery’s neighbor/therapist was the therapist everyone hurting should have. She was supportive and gave great advice.
I loved Oliver’s parents and their romance. They are every couple’s goals.
I enjoyed all the songs and artists referenced and the way they were tied into the story.
What didn’t work:
The antagonists in the story were a little too over the top for me. They were almost like stereotypes, with no redeeming qualities, which is plausible but came across as unbelievable. While Oliver’s parents were perfect, Emery’s parents were the complete opposite. More of a gray area would have given the story more depth.
At about the 60% point, it started to feel like the book became overly descriptive, telling more than showing. Especially with the romance.
This is probably just my own bias but the love scenes didn’t seem to flow naturally from one scene to the next. They were jarring, taking me out of the story.
And finally, there were too many epilogues. I don’t know if any epilogues were even necessary.
But all of my dislikes are things that could have been fixed, so there is quality within the pages.
From what I’ve read from other reviewers who didn’t necessarily love this one, they did love Cherry’s previous books, so I would definitely pick up another book by the author.
Rating (3.25 stars):
About the Author
A Song For A Book
The Mixtape includes mentions of many songs and artists. I found a Spotify playlist the author shared and I’ve included it below, but the song I’ve chosen to spotlight is a song mentioned in the book that’s not present on the author’s playlist. And when I found a version of the song that included a duet, it was too perfect. “You are the Reason” by Calum Scott (with Leona Lewis) is an emotional ballad that captures the intense connection between the book’s romantic leads.
There goes my heart beating
‘Cause you are the reason
I’m losing my sleep
Please come back now
And there goes my mind racing
And you are the reason
That I’m still breathing
I’m hopeless now
I’d climb every mountain
And swim every ocean
Just to be with you
And fix what I’ve broken
Oh, ’cause I need you to see
That you are the reason
Have you read The Mixtape? Did you add it to your tbr? Let know in the comments!
Happy Wandering!
Glad there was a mix of what you liked with what you didn’t. Probably not one for me, but I might take a look at her other books. I absolutely loved You Are the Reason. Great post, Dedra.
Yes, there were definitely good things about it, and I would love to read more from her. It’s a gorgeous song, isn’t it? I’d never heard it before. 🙂
I don’t listen to a lot of music, but I really liked this one, yes it is gorgeous and I enjoyed the video as well.
Oh no, that sounds really disappointing! I’ve seen a lot of glowing reviews about this one and I have it on my Kindle waiting to be read, too. I really dislike when there are multiple epilogues (what’s the point!) and I get frustrated when there’s more telling than showing because it makes me feel so disconnected to the story. I think I’ll still read this but will go in with lower expectations. Great review 🙂
I think that’s a great idea, Dini! If I would have gone into it with lower expectations, I probably wouldn’t have been so disappointed. I think it was all those glowing reviews that had my hopes set so high. 😉
I liked this one, but would say it was weak coming from Cherry. She’s a fabulous author. I would recommend the Elements series to start with from her. Any of the books. They are all standalones, so can be read in any order. They’re AMAZING.
Oh thanks, Deanna! I definitely would like to read more from her. Now I have a place to start. 🙂
I’ve come to realize that I really prefer Cherry’s earlier work. I’ve totally loved several of her earlier books, but the last few newer ones just have not worked for me as well. Which makes me sad because her writing can be so beautiful! I agree with Deanna (ANovelGlimpse) that her Elements series is a much better representation of her best.
I love the song you shared! So gorgeous!
Tanya, thank you for letting me know you agree with Deanna! Cherry has many other books and it’s hard to know where to start. The Elements series sounds like a good place. 🙂
You make a good point: a good antagonist is HARD to write. Getting the perfect blend of bad enough without being a stereotype can be tricky.
Yes! I want my bad guys to have layers! 😉