I didn't think that the combo of a southern romance + rockstar romance would be this good but this book was freaking amazing. There is just something about BCC's words that make me fall in love with any world and character she writes.

Ian and Hazel were perfect. I loved their story so much. How they went from strangers to roomates to friends to the most special person in their lives. It was all so sweet. I loved how Hazel helped Ian with his music and that's how they bonded and fell in love in those moments. It was legit a dream to read those scenes of them together like all the under the stars scenes as well. SWOON. I completely feel in love with these two and their journey.

Although both their pasts are tragic and still bring them turmoil in the present and give us some emotional scenes, The Wreckage of Us isn't as gutting or angsty as BCC other books. There are ton of laugh out loud moments which I really enjoyed. This book was just the perfect read for me. A beautiful story about first love and reaching your dreams wrapped up in a pretty package.

I loved the band and I'm hoping this isn't the last we've seen of them. The Wreckage boys each deserve their own book.

Well my girl Brittainy did it again. She really knows how to slay with her words. Like wow. Still alittle speechless over the book to be honest.

Hazel, you beautiful broken girl. Wow, like her story hit me. Hit me hard.

“For the first time in my life, I felt as if someone had really been able to see my scars, and still tag them as beautiful.”

Ian. Gah. You were this lost soul. Unsure about purpose.

“I hoped she heard my heartbeats, and I hoped she knew they were beating for her.”

Hazel and Ian together made everything else fade away. And I got so lost in their love story I never wanted it to end.

“I promise.”
“What does a promise from a boy like you mean to a girl like me, Ian Parker?” “Everything,” I confessed. “It means everything.”

I can’t end this review without mentioning my very favorite character. Big Paw. He had me crying. His actions. I can’t, if I start thinking of him I’ll cry. I loved this man. And I would be mad if I got a novella of him and his wife.

Thanks for the arc social butterfly and montlake

Once again, Ms. Cherry proved to be an extraordinaire writer with her ability to write emotional stories with perfect balance of story background and great character development.

I love that although Hazel find Ian physically hot, the story wasn't insta-lust. Instead, both started out as enemies exchanging sarcastic remarks until eventually, they fell in love.

What I love about Ms. Cherry, is her ability to write stories that had you flipping pages after pages, eager to know what'll happen next, while leaving you satisfied once the story ends.

A must read.

The Wreckage of Us is a standalone new adult music influenced/small town romance. It's opposites attract, slowburn, slight enemies to friends to lovers romances with some drama, angst and a whole lot of cuteness.

Hazel is young, sassy, funny, quarded, emotionally mature & expressive. She is caring, selfless, slightly naive at times and tends to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders. Her upbringing and family background was depressive & heartbreaking at times but I love how determined she was to do better and create a future for her and her sister. I really loved her even though she could be frustrating at times.

Ian started off as a typical playboy and it took me longer to warm up to his character but I really ended up loving him the more we got to know him. He had trust issues and emotional baggage from his childhood and was not at all interested in starting up a relationship but the more he got to know Hazel the deeper he cared for her and his feelings to towards her felt genuine.

Their story had so many adorable moments and I loved their sweet & funny banter. The shift between indifference to friends was probably some of my favourite parts of the story. Some of the humor came off a little cheesy to me and even though I love books that have a good mix of humor and angst I felt like this book could've used a little more emotion in certain areas and a little less drama as I felt the story had a little bit too much outside drama to the point where I was like 'come on can't anything go right for these two'. There were a lot of outside forces as well as circumstances trying to tear each of them down but for the most part they did not give up. There were parts of the story that felt longer than necessary but ultimately I really enjoyed this book.

With her signature beautiful and emotional storytelling, The Wreckage of Us is an unforgettable love story!

“Our love song isn’t over. We’re just getting to the chorus, and I’m going to sing for you, for us, until forever.”

I absolutely loved the journey this book took me on! My heart was an emotional wreck while reading, I felt EVERYTHING! From pain, anger and heartache to joy, laughter and happiness, it is such a beautiful small town romance story that I will definitely not forget it. Ian and Hazel never had it easy, but fighting for their love just made me fall even more in love with their story. And not only is the story a hate to love romance, it is also the story of the incredible and unbreakable bond of family love, the families we are born into and the ones we choose. Big Paw absolutely stole my heart along with Grams, anyone would be lucky to have them in their corner.

“You’re kind of my compass. I don’t want to lose myself in this world. You’re my roadmap home.”

Ian and Hazel are both stuck in Eres, Nebraska, a town soiled by drugs, both having negative experiences with the terrible ways substance abuse can destroy families. Music and lyrics seem to be the one thing that might be able to save them both. Hazel has expressed herself through words for as long as she can remember and Ian uses his music to just feel something. With his band The Wreckage trying to make their big break into the music scene, they need that special something to boost them to the top. And Hazel is just the thing Ian’s heart was missing, her soul spoke the words that had been missing and gave passion to his songs. A beautiful friendship turns into a passionate love affair, both experiencing a sexual connection they didn’t know was possible. Together they find forgiveness, redemption and love, proving even through sorrow there is always a way of healing broken hearts.

“Confession—you are my sun, my moon, and my stars. Confession, whatever’s hurting you, we can fix together. Confession—I’m never going to give up on this.”

I will say that I was excited and scared at the same time because well IT'S BRITTAINY C. CHERRY y'all! She's a master tugging at every emotion and having me go from laughing out load to banshee crying within seconds.

Hazel's attitude towards the life she was given was so beautiful that it taught me a lesson to look at the positive in the negative situation I've been given. Despite her lot in life being so negative and sad she choose to look at the positive and run with it and that mean having to deal with Ian- a very spoiled rich guy. What she didn't realize was that Ian had secrets and fears that made his outer exterior look like that but deep down inside he was another person. Hazel's kindness and sincerity was so amazing that I think it rubbed off on Ian. Oh and the banter between them had me laughing
and getting the stink eye from my co worker. When they both finally see the "real" person in each other well all bets are off and I could not have been more excited.

This book checked all my boxes:
Funny ☑ - Sweet ☑ - Emotional☑ - Sexy☑ - Semi-Banshee crying☑
Inspirational☑ - Top 5, 2020 Read☑

Be ready for Ian and Hazel and be prepared to read without any interruptions because you'll want to know how their story ends! Can't wait for what Brittainy will grace us with.

3.5-4 stars

This started a little slow for me as I had a hard time wrapping my mind around Ian's fairly quick change of heart towards Hazel. In getting to know Hazel and feeling her all round good person vibe I was finally convinced it was possible. Once I got over that I enjoyed this emotional and sweet journey with these two characters. There was a bit more sweetness and some slight cheesiness (way too many "darlings" for my tastes) than I typically read but the characters were pure of heart and there was this overall positive message kinda floating over the entire story and I could just get behind it.

Relatively low angst for a rockstar book. Very mild enemies to lovers.

{...}
Hazel foi uma personagem que logo de cara eu amei, ela é uma garota forte e mesmo que essa força tenha surgido das dificuldades da vida, ela ainda usa dessa força para ajudar outras pessoas.

Ian diferente da Hazel não me agradou logo de cara, nos 5 primeiros capítulos eu quis bater nele, mas não demorou muitos outros para eu amá-lo. Ian assim como Hazel é um homem que já passou por muitas coisas e por causas dela ele tem medos e evita se abrir para muitas pessoas.

Brittainy dessa vez não me fez odiar diversas pessoas da cidade, muito pelo contrário, eu adorei muitos dos personagens secundários e a forma que eles ajudavam uns aos outros.

Assim como os outros livros da Brittainy foi impossível eu não gostar, pode até ter um detalhe aqui ou ali que não me agrade, mas ainda assim é Britt! Ela sempre traz uma história com tramas importantes e lindas histórias de amor.

***I received an ebook copy from the publisher at no cost***

I finished this book a few days ago and I'm still grappling with the book hangover it gave me.

Hazel is in a bad situation and needs to find a way out. She's desperate when she approaches Big Paw and asks for a job working on his ranch. Even though she has no experience, Big Paw takes a chance on Hazel and gives her a job. Enter Ian Parker, Big Paw's grandson who oversees the ranch. Ian isn't happy about Hazel being there. He's quick to cast her aside based on her gothic appearance. Ian is also the frontman for The Wreckage, a rock band that's captured the hearts of their small town—and the attention of people around the country, thanks to social media.

I love this story. I knew after the first chapter I was going to adore the characters, and I did. The ranch crew is a family, and (most of them) welcomed Hazel with open arms. She fell right into place there, like everything was a puzzle beforehand and she was the missing piece that made it complete. I loved the banter and the camaraderie that Cherry created with this group. Hazel is a fantastic female lead. She's gone through a lot of stuff for being as young as she is, and those experiences have made her strong and resilient. She has a big heart and is a genuinely good person. She cares so much about the people in her life and has empathy for those around her. It was easy to relate to her because she's so real. I wanted nothing but the best for her from the minute she went to Big Paw to ask him for the job.

Ian is amazing. At first glance, he's nothing but a good looking, arrogant rockstar-in-the-making. (The kind of book boyfriend I swoon over, lol.) But there's a LOT beneath the surface when it comes to Ian. He's got a pretty sad history himself and he's built this huge, thick wall to keep himself from getting hurt. Behind that wall is this man who's caring, compassionate, brilliant with music, and who feels emotions deeply. He has been added to my Top Book Boyfriends of 2020 list.

It was beautiful to watch Hazel and Ian's story unfold. Them ore time the two spent together, the better they got to know one another and realized they weren't so different from each other after all. These two characters brought out the best in one another and it just felt like things were right when they were with each other.

There's a lot more to this story than romance. There's angst, but not an overwhelming amount of it. Family ties (or lack of) and family secrets play a big role in the book. And then there's The Wreckage, the local rocker boys who are destined to become famous musicians. Cherry brings small town USA to life with her writing, including the underbelly of the town, which everyone knows exists but nobody really seems to have done much about in the past. This book has all the elements of a great story: strong, well-developed characters, a unique plot, and writing that draws the reader in and immerses him/her in the story.

I hope that we get to revisit these characters again in a future book. I'm already thinking about when I can start this one over and read it again, because I loved it so much.

Five stars to this novel!

The Wreckage of Us is heartbreaking in its portrayal of the children of addicts. If you have any experience with drug addiction in your family, you will have such empathy for Hazel. However, you will also understand Ian quite a bit too. It shows how complex and emotional the trickle effect of drug addition can be.

Ian and Hazel live in a VERY poor town. Ian is the grandson of the only person in town who has had any success at all and now he and his band are starting to gain traction and become a social media presence. Hazel has been kicked out of her home and is desperate for work. She gets a job working on Ian's grandfather's ranch and Ian is merciless towards her.

Ian prejudges Hazel and treats her horribly which makes it easy to want to hate Ian, but you can't because you see that he is reacting to his own pain. But, he is still a gross manwhore. It is an emotional journey for both him and Hazel and you get swept up in it. I was hesitant to read the book because of the drug addiction of the family, but it's beautifully done.

The Wreckage of Us is the kind of book I tend to avoid-emotional, cry inducing-but I am glad to have read it. I think the story is beautiful and powerful. You won't want to stop reading at any point, so be sure to have a chunk of time set aside for The Wreckage of Us.

I just finished reading The Wreckage of Us by Brittainy C. Cherry and I must say I haven't wrapped my mind around it yet. And trust me this is odd, because I'm always so certain about what I feel when I read her books. Don't get me wrong though. I loved it! It's just that I feel like I've missed something I guess.

I will try to put my feelings to paper and see if I can understand what happened between this book and myself.

To begin with, the plot is amazing. It tells the story of an eighteen year old girl, Hazel Stone (I love this name btw), born and raised in Eres, Nebraska, that struggles to find a way to leave the miserable life her mother and stepfather has put her into. Her goal is to find a job to save up enough money so she can rescue her pregnant mother from the messy world she's been living since she got involved with the main drug dealer in town, Charlie Riley. One of the last things Hazel wants is to see her mom and the baby suffering in his abusive hands. Since they live in a really small town, finding a job isn't that easy so Hazel is determined to get a position to work at the centerpiece ranch of the town. To sum things up, she gets the job at Eres Ranch, even though everyone doubts she will handle the hard work, and that's when we are introduced to Ian Parker (I call him my cool Nebraska guy), the grumpy and sexy guy who is supposed to show her around the place.

Like Hazel, Ian is a lonely person. He's passion is to create music for his band, The Wreckage, and again, like her, he's looking forward to finding his way out of that town. Besides his bandmates and grandparents, he has nobody left. His parents had chosen their addiction over him, and for that Ian built a wall that no one seems to be able to trespass.

As time goes on Ian has to put away the hatred he feels toward Hazel, and accept the fact that she's the kind of person you can't stay away from. Her kindness and strength, her empathy and determination is everything he needs to have that very brick wall around his heart broken.

Moving on a little, besides the lead couple, we are also introduced to very nice, intense and funny characters. That's one of the things I need to highlight here. Even with their tough background stories, the author managed to give them all a sparkle of joy too. My favorite character in this book is without a doubt Big Paw. He's the perfect example for what I just said. Hazel is a very good example too.

Also, if there were an Oscars' category for best book title of the year, The Wreckage of Us would be a nominee for sure.

Now that you could get a general glimpse of what I thought about this book, it's hard to explain why I still feel like there was something missing. As I said, the plot is amazing and the only thing that makes sense in this brain of mine that loves drama drama drama drama is that I was expecting a hundred percent drama regarding a few situations in the book like Charlie getting caught so easily at second time, for instance.

Anyhow I will stop right here because I don't want to give too much away. Just go grab this book as soon as possible. I promise you'll love it.

Just to end this in the best way possible, I couldn't forget to mention just in order to have it registered that I agree with you, My Cool Nebraska Guy. Home is not a place.

Brittainy’s work first grabbed me by the balls with The Air He Breathes, and I haven’t stopped since. While I’ve always thought she was an amazing writer, her growth is very evident in Wreckage Of Us. I felt that raw painful emotion she was feeling as she poured the words out of her soul and on to paper. This book was incredible. I did not stop once I started. If I could give a million stars, I would.

After I read a Brittany Cherry book, I always proclaim that it is my favorite, but I seem to repeat that statement every book!! I can’t tell you how much I loved this book!!
Brittany Cherry never ceases to amaze me with her unique characters and beautiful writing. She puts her heart and soul into her storytelling and you can literally feel it.
An enemies to lovers story packed full of heart and passion. From chapter one to the incredible epilogue this story captivated my complete attention. Along with loving the main characters the secondary characters were amazing they all strengthen the story.
I have stated this in several reviews this year, this is one of the best books I’ve read this year, 2020 authors have published some great ones!!

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

When you decide to read a Brittainy C. Cherry story, you make an oath. You accept that you have signed a passport to a journey, one filled with angst and sometimes heartbreak. You know, however, at the end of your journey you will have learned some lessons about life, and you will find an eventual peace for the characters. The final destination becomes a treasure because your arduous, emotional trial brings about an ending worth the battle for your heart. The Wreckage of Us continues on in the Brittainy C. Cherry tradition. However, the surprise for me came through her development of her hero, Ian, and her heroine, Hazel.

I’m used to Cherry’s brand of angsty romance, and I willingly sign myself up to read her delicious stories. At some point, I feel this overwhelming sense of rightness even in the midst of her characters’ troubles. Cherry just has this way about taking you on a journey of epic proportions with a finale that leaves you feeling complete albeit a little battered too. And isn’t that the way of good romance? Shouldn’t you feel as though your emotions have pulled you through a battle? What is different about Cherry’s newest book, The Wreckage of Us, is the humor of it. Yes, I said humor in a Cherry romance. It all begins with Hazel and Ian’s meet-cute. It’s been a while since I’ve read a meet-cute between the hero and heroine of a story that both makes me gasp and chuckle at the same time. As these two navigate their time together, Cherry writes these moments of both gravity and levity for Hazel and Ian. As the reader, you know Hazel’s background, and you can’t help but love to hate Ian because he doesn’t. Instead, he makes himself unlikable for the first part of the story. Hazel and Ian’s volleys, however, become the life of this romance, and it’s also its foreplay.

What should you know most about Hazel and Ian? This is a slow burn romance. Yes, there is clear chemistry between them; Cherry crafts it brilliantly. Even when you dislike Ian’s ire towards Hazel, you know that he is clearly fated for her. These two who seem so different are actually more alike than you first realize. All of their initial struggles become the tinder for their eventual fire. When my favorite character of the story, Big Paw, finally intercedes and knocks the rocks around in Ian’s head, he undertakes one of the biggest transformations. In doing so, Cherry begins the building of an epic romance. It’s here where Cherry’s message becomes clear: in order to love big, you must feel first.

Over and over again, Cherry hits you with Hazel’s struggles. Interestingly enough, she keeps Hazel and Ian fairly intact which seems out of character for Cherry’s brand. However, it feels necessary given the complications of Hazel’s life. Besides Big Paw and Grams, Hazel is also one of my favorites. What tends to be true for angsty romances is an author’s insistence on levying painful moments on the heroine. This is indeed the case for Cherry’s Hazel. Wave after wave of trouble seeks to sink her; however, once she realizes the people in her life can keep her from drowning (another important message of this story), her path becomes easier, thankfully. Even more, Cherry infuses her with an internal strength beyond any of the other characters in the story. As a woman, we need to read characterizations of women like Hazel. It’s an intimation that we have more power than we oftentimes allow ourselves. Hazel illustrates this time and time again in Cherry’s romance.

There are so many moments of beauty in Brittainy C. Cherry’s The Wreckage of Us. Over and over again, you wonder if you will make it out to the other side, basking in the happy ending of Hazel and Ian. Yet, it’s Grams’s words that stick with you: “Just have a little bit of faith.” Sure enough, after embracing the journey of Hazel and Ian, you reach their happy ending and realize that it feels like life, that sometimes there are dark moments, but there is always a light at the end if you “just have a little bit of faith.”

j'ai adoré le contexte, les personnages, la façon dont ils gèrent chaque instant et vont vivre leur bonheur et leur malheur intensément. Impossible de le lâcher avant de voir comment les choses se terminent, j'ai très souvent eu une boule au ventre en découvrant ce qu'ils ont traversé et ce qu'ils vont avoir à traverser et je dois dire que j'ai aimé les voir tomber amoureux, vivre ces moments hors du commun, les voir commettre des erreurs, les voir aller à fond dans leurs rêves et les voir se battre pour les gens qu'ils aiment. Rien n'est évident hormis une chose, l'amour qu'ils se portent et qui les pousse vers l'avant ! Une magnifique histoire de rédemption, de rêves, d'espoir et d'amour !

An opposites attract romance brimming with angst and sexual tension. I LOVE Brittainy's stories so much, always unique and shows you a different way of looking at things and this was an absolute delight to read.

A bad boy, cowboy and rockstar in one package, in a enemies to lovers romance? What is there not to love?
With the amazing writing that Brittainy is know for, this book is an emotional tale of family, sacrifices, fighting for your dreams and how love in all forms can always win. With parents destroyed by drugs, grandparents that you want for yourself and friends that always have your back, this book is a journey of discovery for our main characters of who they can and want to be in life. Yes, it is a love story, but not only in the romantic form. I'm always in love with Brittainy books in this one was no different.

Oh my goodness this book was so good. I'm going to have a tough time controlling myself and not gushing about this book from start to finish. You ever pick up a book and just know you're going to fall in love? The Wreckage of Us was that book for me. I knew from page one and a half. No lie. I fell in love Hazel right away and Ian while rough around the edges was the kind of guy you want to fall for in real life.

Hazel has had a rough life and she can't seem to catch a break. Her mother is a pregnant drug addict who is living with the biggest drug dealer in their town. Her on again off again boyfriend is said drug dealers nephew and all Hazel wants now that she's out of school is to get out of town. To do that she needs a job. After begging she gets a job at the ranch and starts immediately butting heads with Ian Parker, the town rockstar and grandson of the ranch owner.

Ian has a grudge against Hazel from the get-go and their relationship doesn't start off the best. After finding Hazel living in their shed when her step-dad kicks her out, he begins to realize that Hazel is more than what she seems.

Okay, so this is a long book and I don't want to spoil anything by going further into the story so I'm just going to start raining down praise upon this book.

Hazel was just the best. She has a rough exterior and a gooey center. She's been through a lot but still believes there's good in the world. All she wants to do is be there for her unborn sister and drug addict mom. When she starts working at the ranch she begins to find a new family and I loved reading about her slow change from sarcastic and guarded teenager to a loving and caring young woman.

Ian lost his parents to drugs and blamed Hazel for being related to the town drug dealer. All Ian wants is to play music with his band The Wreckage and get out of their small town. When he meets Hazels he challenges him on becoming better and I loved that for him. He's definitely one of those tortured artists souls that you can't just help but love.

I loved seeing the slow progression of their relationship. If there's anything I love more than dual pov stories, it's the slow build of romance over time. The Wreckage of Us delivers in spades. There's sexual tension, friendship, and sexy sexy times. You want nothing more than for Hazel and Ian to end up together, but the build-up is so worth it.

The Wreckage of Us is a must-read. I LOVED IT. Start to finish perfection and Brittainy Cherry is now on my authors I simply must-read list. Go grab your copy.

4.5 'Until forever' Stars!
ARC provided by the the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Wreckage of Us has been such a delightful surprise. I’ve always heard amazing things about Brittainy C. Cherry but never had the chance to read any of her books. So yes, this was my first book from hers and now I can assure you this will not be my last. Thank you Montlake for giving me the opportunity to love this book and fall for Brittainy’s writing, it was such an amazing read. Angst, emotions, sexual tension and so much love. This is what The Wreckage of Us is all about.

So, this is Brittany Cherry’s new standalone romance and it tells the story of Hazel Stone and Ian Parker. Hazel is going through a lot, her mother is living with an abusive drug lord, and she is pregnant and addicted to the life Charlie is giving her. Enter Ian Parker. He is gorgeous, the grandson of the man who has given Hazel a new job and a rude young man, especially when it comes to her. But there is more to it and a beautiful connection starts growing. What will happen when Ian’s band (The Wreckage) takes off and he has to leave the ones he loves? What will happen with Hazel and her situation with her mother and Charlie? It’s not an easy ride but absolutely worth it.

Never in a million years had I thought it would be Ian Parker who saved me during some of the hardest days of my life.

What a nice surprise I had with this book! I mean, I am always a bit cautious when it comes to new-to-me authors and I wasn’t sure what I would get but I am so glad I decided to give The Wreckage of Us a go. Brittany’s writing is outstanding and it kept me completely gripped to the story from start to finish. She creates these wonderful and loving relationships between the whole crew of characters and she makes you fall in love with them to the core. I loved Hazel, Ian, Big Paw and Holly, James, Marcus and Eric, Rosie. I just loved this family feel the whole novel has and how it develops together with the love story and the band’s new fame.

“What does a promise from a boy like you mean to a girl like me, Ian Parker?”
“Everything,” I confessed. “It means everything.”

But now let’s focus on Ian and Hazel. Gah, these two! I loved how Brittainy developed their hate/friendship, how they get to know each other, how they peel the layers and find so much more than what they were expecting. They love each other so much and it shows. Their beautiful connection and chemistry is on every word in this book. And it’s not all hearts and flowers for them. It gets difficult and heartbreaking but their love for each other and their family is stronger than anything else. I just loved seeing this couple grow and fall in love.

This woman controls my heartbeats. Every love lyric I sing each night is made for her. Every melody chases her heartbeat, and every chorus begs for her love.

Therefore, I am rating The Wreckage of Us with 4.5 STARS because this love story consumed me completely and I was all over it. I loved the premise of it and Brittainy definitely delivered. I fallen in love with this couple and these crew of characters and I wish we could get more (can we get love stories for all the members of The Wreckage, pretty pleeeeeeeease?). If you are in the mood for an opposites attract angsty romance, you should check this one out for sure!

Perfect perfect perfect!!!!! What a wonderful book of true love... family love.... my heart is full!!

Ian and Hazel have such a connection even with a rough start. This book gives all the feels of family and friendship and being there for each other.

Watching Ian grow throughout the book was so well written. And Hazel- I just loved her character and complexity of her.

Brittainy Cherry knows how to give readers an incredible story to fall in love with love!