⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5/5)

TW: Breast Cancer, Sick Parent

“Honestly you’re welcome to stay here, but you do know how thin these walls are, so if want to go from hearing horror movie characters screams to hearing your mother’s screams by all means stay…” 🤣😂🤣

“If it wasn’t for my parents, I would’ve thought soulmates were a lie.”

“You ever stand in a public space and feel like no one knows a single thing about you?”

“That’s what loneliness is…living in a world where no one really sees you.”

“You know what I like about that boy? What? Everything.” ❤️😍

“You’re a disgusting human being who’s raising a little bitch.”

“Don’t take his broken pieces and call them love.”

“You leave my sister alone you little bitch!”

“Just the thought of you heals me.”

I’m all over these Brittainy Cherry books lately, like where have you been all of my reading life!!? They are so relatable. This one was recommended for me after listening to her Elements Series. It started off with much love for Mister Rogers (who helped me with life more than anyone will ever know) and talks about grounding their teenager FROM their room. We have to do that with my son. Again, relatable.

Why is Grey so charming off the bat!?!

Why is Eleanor so darn likable!?

They promised to stay friends forever and to always be there for each other but when you live so far from each other that distance sets in and promises fall by the wayside.

Fast forward 15-16 years and Eleanor & Grey are no longer in touch…until they are, but something has changed with Grey…he’s a shell of his former self. Could the rekindle an old romance / friendship or is it better to leave it be and continue on? There are many complications in this story but it was so nice to see everything unfold.

Brittainy writes characters that you’ll fall in love with, wonderfully flawed people that are relatable and you’ll love to root for.

This story was so sad but will leave you with a HEA. So don’t fret, just dive write in.

𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗜𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘...

❤️‍🩹Wonderfully cringy parents
🪄Miserable parents
❤️‍🩹Solid relationship with grandparent ❤️‍🩹
🪄Cousin besties
❤️‍🩹Bookworm Rep
🪄2nd Chance Romance
❤️‍🩹Grumpy Sunshine
🪄HEA
❤️‍🩹 Standalone Novel (but you’ll wanna read more in the series trust me)

Oh my goodness, I knew I loved Cherry’s storytelling abilities, but I wasn’t prepared for how good this new title would be. I was immediately drawn to the memories of youth that the main characters have, and how those memories persist into the present day. The story is interesting and emotional, and it kept my attention throughout. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Brittainy C. Cherry always writes stories that tear me apart and stitch me back together, and Eleanor & Grey definitely did that. The teenage years were beautiful. Geez, these two kids finding light in each other while carrying heavy burdens. Those flashbacks were some of the sweetest and most genuine moments of the book.

Here's the thing, when the story shifts to adulthood, it gets complicated. Grey isn’t the same boy Eleanor loved. He’s colder, heavier, weighed down by grief. That part was powerful, but also awkward as a reader. It was hard to root for Eleanor when it was so clear that a big piece of Grey’s heart still belonged to his late wife. Some scenes, especially when he called Eleanor by her wife’s name, made me feel uncomfortable because it blurred the lines between moving forward and holding on. I wanted to love their romance without hesitation, but that lingering grief made it tough at times.

Eleanor, though, was incredible. She was patient, loving, and stronger than she realized. Sometimes I wished she had demanded more for herself instead of waiting for Grey to catch up, but I respected the way she loved him even through the mess.

Overall, this is a story about love after loss, and it doesn’t sugarcoat how messy or painful that can be. Even if parts of it made me uncomfortable, it also made me cry and smile in equal measure. A heartfelt, emotional read that I’ll remember.

A beautiful second-chance romance that tugged at my heart. Greyson East isn’t the same boy she once loved, but their history and undeniable connection make this story so emotional and hopeful. I couldn’t stop rooting for them.

I cant even with this one!!! I am a huge fan of Brittainy Cherry & always read her books as soon as they are released…. but I feel like none of them compare to this one!!!! Literally my best book of the year so far! The scene with Eleanor & her mom at the beach had me sobbing!! Once you start this book, dont plan on getting anything else done for the day until it is finished! Now I need Landon & Shay’s story ASAP!!!!

*Thank you to the Publisher, Brittainy Cherry and Netgalley for providing me with an E-ARC of "Eleanor & Grey" in exchange for an honest review.*

I love Brittainy Cherry's books and I think she is SEVERELY underrated. She just writes so good angst romances and "Eleanor and Grey" was a perfect example. I loved this. The cover is gorgeous as well!

Eleanor & Grey was a fantastic story of friendship, heartbreak, growth, family, healing, second chances, love and more. This story pulled at my heartstrings from beginning to end but I absolutely loved it, and all of the struggles were worth it in the end and made everything even more meaningful. This story did not disappoint and I'm looking forward to reading more books from this author. This is a story I will be recommending to my romance book loving family and friends.

This was a first from this author for me, but it won’t be the last. This book was exceptional. I had all of the feels. The authors writing style is top notch and pulled me in from the start. Absolutely loved this one!

This is such an amazing book! So many feelings reading this story. Beautiful storytelling and great writing.

Brittainy Cherry does a fantastic job in writing this type of book, I really enjoyed the way the characters and world were presented and developed. It was everything that I wanted in a opening chapter to the Chances world and was glad it was everything that I was looking for and am excited for more in this world.

This was the perfect mix of tragic emotion and a second chance at friends to lovers romance. I loved Ellie and Greyson so much and felt drawn into their grief, love and the ways they have coped with loss.

I loved how both MC's are shown as coping in very different ways while still having the extreme feelings that come from such big losses. Grey is detached in a way that feels like defeat and drowning. Eleanor is nice and still very bubbly and warm even within her grief.

Have the tissues ready because this one will gut you and then slowly put you back together ❤️

Second chance romance is a favorite trope of mine so I was super interested in reading once I had read the synopsis. Greyson helps Eleanor through the toughest time in her life in high school and years later when they are reunited can she return the favor? Greyson has been recently widowed after a car accident and the boy that Eleanor once no seems to have died in that car crash. Eleanor has come back into Greyson’s life as the nanny to his two daughters. This book was super emotional and deals a lot with grief. I loved getting to see Eleanor break down the walls that this family has built up do to the trauma that they have experienced. This is a love story between Eleanor and Greyson but also the love story of a family coming together. This was the first book I read by this author, but certainly won’t be the last.

Thank you to NetGalley and LYX for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This story completely stole my heart. It’s a beautiful, emotional journey about love, loss, hope, and the kind of family that holds you together when life falls apart. I fell in love with Eleanor and Grey from the very beginning, back when they were just teenagers and loved watching how their stories unfolded over the years. The characters felt so real, their pain and growth so raw, and I was completely pulled into their world. It was truly an unforgettable read that I’ll be thinking about for a long time.

Thank you to Net Galley and LYX for the opportunity to read this arc!

Brittainy C. Cherry has a way of taking you on an emotional journey in all of her books and Eleanor & Grey was no exception. I devoured this book!

Eleanor and Grey met as teenagers and ended up going through some very heavy things for kids their age. We were treated to flashbacks of their relationship and how they stood by one another when they needed each other the most. It was no wonder why they became as close as they did.

The story then shifts to their adult years and things are wildly different. When Eleanor encounters Grey again, he is not the boy she knew before. He's hardened, he's cold and he's dealing with so much grief that he hasn't properly processed. Witnessing how Eleanor and Grey interacted when they first reentered one another's orbit was heartbreaking. If anyone could understand what Grey and his children were going through, it was Eleanor. The question becomes will Grey be able to begin to deal with his grief to connect again with his children, but also the others in his world.

Eleanor was such a wonderful person. She was strong, provided love to two young girls who needed it more than ever and also used the experiences she had been through to help them and their father. This book seemed very true to life and realistic in terms of how those who had been through these experiences was act.

I loved this book and it just showed why I enjoy Cherry's books so much!

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

I have loved almost every Brittany Cherry book I’ve read and this one does not disappoint. This brings love and loss together into a wonderful story.

This is a beautiful story of friendship, death, grief, love, family, and hope. When Eleanor's mother is dying of cancer she prepares Eleanor. Her death is still heartbreaking to Eleanor and her friend, Grey, is so supportive through the illness and the death. Being in high school and now living away, she tells him not to wait for her and enjoy his college days. Years later she interviews for a nanny position and is shocked to find out that Grey lost his wife and needs a nanny for his two children. His grief and his children's grief is overwhelming, and it is Eleanor who forces him to let her support the family. I love the way death is shown here and how we can grieve and still have enough love for others.

Loved this book! Such a heart-wrenching story of two people that went through hard losses but still found themselves back together in the end. I loved Eleanor and her introverted-ness. Grey had lost his light when his wife was tragically killed but Eleanor was able to help his family heal.

Eleanor & Grey by Brittainy C. Cherry tells the story of Eleanor, a shy bookworm in High School struggling with being an outcast, and her budding friendship with popular guy, Greyson. After a random chat at a party, Grey finds himself drawn to Ellie and they start hanging out. After finding out Ellie’s Mom is sick, Grey makes it his mission to bring some happiness into Ellie’s life.

Told in two parts - teens & adults, Eleanor & Grey was quite a surprise for me. I’ve never read a book by Brittainy C. Cherry, and if I had looked over her span of work prior, I might have thought this was just your average romance novel. But a typical fluffy smutty romance novel, this is not. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a couple spicy parts. But this book actually has a lot of substance, especially in Part 1.

I loved that the book didn’t just talk about the love blossoming between Ellie & Grey as teens in the past tense, it actually showed it. That made it all so much more real. Getting to watch their relationship grow was so beautiful. I did enjoy the entire book, but this was my favorite.

While some novels really focus on describing settings, etc Brittainy’s writing is very character-driven. I love that the she fleshes out Ellie & Grey so well that I felt like I know them. This truly is one of the best novels I read in a long time. The last few chapters were read with tears streaming down my face. Brittainy has a gift for capturing raw emotion and touching on tough challenges in life.

“You know those first few minutes after you’ve finished an amazing book? Those moments when you aren’t quite sure what to do with yourself? You simply sit there, staring at the last words, unsure how to move on with your life. How can it be over? How can those characters just fade to black? For you, the characters are still imprinted on your soul. Their actions, their dialogue still alive and strong in your mind. Your tears haven’t even dried, and you crave another fix.”

This quote by Ellie really conveys exactly how I felt! This was just a beautiful book overall and I’m so happy I had the opportunity to read it. I look forward to checking out more from this Author!

Many thanks to NetGalley & LYX Books for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review!