You were, are, and always will be my favorite song.

Synopsis

When I first met Jasmine Greene, she came in as raindrops.I was the awkward musician, and she was the high school queen.
The only things we had in common were our music and our loneliness.Something in her eyes told me her smile wasn’t always the truth.
Something in her voice gave me a hope I always wished to find.
And in a flash, she was gone.

Years later, she was standing in front of me on a street in New Orleans.
She was different, but so was I. Life made us colder. Harder. Isolated.

Caged.

Even though we were different, the broken pieces of me recognized the sadness in her.
Now she was back, and I wouldn’t make the mistake of letting her go again.

When I first met Jasmine Greene, she came in as raindrops.
When we met again, I became her darkest storm.

GOODREADS  AMAZON

Review

“You were, are, and will always be my Jazz. You are every beat, every note, every bar. You are the lyrics, the harmony, and the melody. You were, are, and always will be my favorite song.”

4,5 stars

All along two thoughts were twirling in my head:

“Oh Elliott, no…” when he was pushed and pushed

“No Jasmine, please don’t do it. They won’t love you for this.”

They both tore my heart in tiny pieces, quietly, one piece at a time.

Poor, bullied and lonely Eli.

Elliott is the bullied boy with an unassuming appearance. He was skinny had glasses. The boy with the soft hazel eyes with a soul that shone so bright he had to bleed his feelings with his saxophone. When Eli played Jazz the world stopped spinning and the hearts would weep.

Jasmine was part of the “in crowd” and was groomed by her mother to become a star. She projected a confident aura but Jasmine was still lonely. Wanting to be loved by her mom she forgot her true calling every day. Jasmine was slowly dying inside. I loved her for really seeing Eli. Whatever her popularity she was never afraid to be seen with the bullied boy and show to everyone that he was her friend.

“He was a quiet guy and he mostly kept to himself. He was a skinny boy with beautiful caramel skin and hazel eyes. He never in the history of ever bothered anyone. He had braces, glasses, and nervous habits, like the shaky hands I always noticed. He was the easiest target for Todd: timid, kind, and lonely. I noticed the loneliness most, because I knew the distinct look. I’d been lonely my whole life, and Elliott’s stare mirrored my own.”

Brittainy C Cherry did not make it easy for me in this story. I was shocked by some choices Jasmine made. When you realize that you are judgmental this is not pretty to admit. If she would have been a boy I would only have had an amused smile. How fair is that? I liked Jasmine but did not always understand her. I loved her brave side when she fought for Eli. I understood that the choices she made came from the heart. But it was still bothering me.

Then a wonder happened: she rebelled!

Yes! At last!

From that moment on I was 120% team Jasmine.

She was gorgeous, caring, gifted, selfless and she loved Eli so much.

All is well then?

Well not exactly. I fell in love with Jasmine when Eli had changed so much that it was hard to still love him. He was really putting distances between him and others. Standoffish. All cold outside.

Everyone copes in his own way with drama but Elliott was stuck in his pain. He could not move on and I did not either. What happened was just horrible. Another shock factor of the story. Brittainy C Cherry went all in with this one sparing her characters no pain at all.

He just wanted to stay numb.

He did not deserve to feel anything good.

He’s been weak.

He is guilty.

…

Then began the long way to loving Eli back. Step by step, punch after punch, note by note.

I adored the love story. It was cute, touching, sweet, real. They both were really meant to be together. My eyes were often brimming with tears when I read some moving parts witnessing their shy but stong love blossom.

A few tears rolled down my cheeks. “I’m a little messed up.” “I know.” He nodded. “That’s why I like you.” He went back to staring out the window, and I kept staring at him. And there it was. So small, so tiny, so real. Love. It wasn’t love, but it was the beginning of it.

A personal note here: being a good parent. Brittainy C Cherry portrayed different parents in this story. Some were really bad like Jasmine’s mom. I hated her with a passion you have no idea!

Some wonderful like Eli’s mom or Ray. Ray is Jasmine’s dad in everything that count but blood.

“I love her because she gave me you. You may not be my blood, Snow White, but don’t for a second think that you are not my family. I stay for you. I’ll always stay for you.”

And you have Todd’s parents…

Brittainy showed that you can neglect a kid in many ways. What’s most important is not to give them designer bags but to love and listen to them. Without love and understanding kids are lost. It hit close to home as I’m currently going through some hard times with my son. Eighteen is not easy. You are not a kid anymore but you are not an adult either. Brittainy reminded me that whatever the outbursts, the tongue lashing or the frustration I have to listen to him. Show him I’m supporting and loving him. That’s how it’s done and that’s how we’ll win.

I cried, I swooned, I raged at life’s unfairness. In four words: I lived the story!

Now confession time: I loved it but still felt bereft. I would have loved reading more about their lives when separated. What happened every day. And yet I suspect these years were so dark, desperate and ugly that it’s probably better if I don’t know.

I would have loved another ending. Call me greedy all that you want but what happens with their music? Nothing more than that?

I know that’s me splitting hair as Brittainy C Cherry once more delivered a moving, heartbreaking and gorgeous romance story. It’s one tale of resilience and forgiveness you won’t want to miss!

“No woman can only fall in love with the music of jazz. She always quietly yearns for the musician behind the bars.”

Recommend it? Hell yes!!!

Have you read it yet? Do you love Brittainy C Cherry’s books?

Thanks for reading!

Sophie