Behind the Bars, the first beautiful and emotional standalone in the all-new Music Street Series from Brittainy C. Cherry is available NOW!
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, she was the darkest storm.
Christy's Review:
5+ stars!!!!
“No woman can only fall in love with the music of jazz. She always quietly yearns for the musician behind the bars.”
Jasmine Greene is the daughter of a traveling musician and a mom-ager. Her dad, Ray, is fantastic, but her mom is always trying to get her to be someone she’s not. Jasmine loves music and soul is what speaks to her. According to her mother, Jasmine needs to sing pop to be successful. For the first time in a long time, Jasmine has a home. New Orleans becomes home for them, as Ray has a long-term gig. While in New Orleans, she meets Elliot.
Elliot is a sweet, shy, and quiet boy. He’s one of those too skinny and a bit nerdy high schoolers. But when Jasmine hears him play his saxophone, he becomes someone else. His music is everything. Jasmine and Elliot forge an unlikely friendship that becomes more with time. Elliot holds the key to Jasmine’s heart and nothing could ever break them apart. Until Jasmine’s mother decides to uproot her entire life. While Jasmine is gone, the unthinkable happens to Elliot and they go years without seeing each other or speaking.
Finally, Jasmine comes home. Home to New Orleans, to Ray, and maybe even to that shy boy she’s been in love with since she was a teen.
Whenever I thought of home, I didn’t think of a place, I thought of people. The ones who shaped us into the people we were meant to become. The ones who loved us with our scars, and told us those scars were beautiful. The ones who allowed us to make mistakes, and still loved us fully.
Elliot and Jasmine are both so different as adults. I won’t get into their second chance love story, but gah! It’s stunning. I felt their pain, their struggle, and their love completely. I adore these characters so much. Elliot is one of the best characters Brittainy has ever written. He’s so complex. And, as always, there are a few side characters that completely steal the show. TJ is incredible, and Ray. Oh Ray. I can’t even tell you how much I loved this man!!!
Elliot and Jasmine’s love was strong. Strong enough to withstand the strongest of storms. Strong enough to fight the hardest of battles. And strong enough to conquer all the hardships they face along the way. It’s not without a fight, but these two are made to be. Their connection is that strong. You can feel it- it’s palpable.
36 highlights. 36. I’m a reader who usually highlights a few of my favorite quotes while I’m reading, maybe 5-10, 15 if I really loved the book. But 36… that only happens with a Cherry book. There are so many quotes that spoke to my heart. So many moments filled with pain, hope, and love, that I needed to save on my kindle so I could go back and re-read them when I needed them. This story and these words are so special to me.
“One can’t truly heal if they pretend the cracks don’t exist.”
Behind the Bars is one of those books that will touch your heart and soul. It will make you feel, make you cry, and by the end, completely warm your heart. THIS is the reason Brittainy is my favorite author. She always makes me cry, but by the end, always always leaves my heart happy and healed. Read this book for the love, for the heart, and for the music. It’s a book that needs to be read and I give it all the stars!
Excerpt:
By the way, what happened to Todd’s nose?” I asked.
“I broke it,” Elliott said matter-of-factly.
“What? How? Why?”
He shrugged before turning to look out the window. “He called you a bad name.”
“What was it?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Eli,” I started.
He turned my way and locked his hazel eyes with my browns. “Jazz…” He shook his head. “It wasn’t true.”
I swallowed hard, a big part of me certain Todd’s words held some form of truth.
Elliott saw it in me—my fear. He kept shaking his head and whispered, “I don’t feel sorry for you. Sometimes you look at me like you think I feel sorry for you, and I want you to know I don’t. I think you’re perfect the way you are.”
I quietly laughed at him repeating the words I’d told him earlier. 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.
I knew I was young, and I knew it was stupid, but in that moment, I began to fall in love with the quiet boy who quietly cared for me. The boy who was scared and still strong. The boy who stood up for me when he was surrounded by reasons not to do such a thing. I hadn’t known much about love. I hadn’t known how it looked, felt, or tasted. I hadn’t known how it moved, how it flowed, but I knew my heart was tight and currently skipping a few beats. I understood the goose bumps covering my arms. I knew this stuttering boy who was sometimes so scared was someone worth loving. He was worth being the first one I gave my heart to.
I knew Elliott Adams was love.
And I was falling into him so fast.
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About the Author:
Hi! I'm Brittainy! Join me as we travel through my mind as a Romance Author. This includes such things as my random thoughts, tricks, tips, things I'm learning, things I'm re-learning, things I'm forgetting, and my weird ways of crafting stories.
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Twitter: @BrittainyCherry
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