Landon & Shay – Part One: (The L&S Duet Book 1)

WOW!!!
BLOWN.AWAY!
Could NOT put this book down.
It’s been a long time since I have been up late into the night reading a book.

Landon is one of a kind. Yet, there are so many real people that struggle the same way as he does. And I love that these issues are brought out into the open. Brittainy just handled this so completely perfectly. I was really surprised by his integrity and tenderness given what we knew of him from Eleanor & Grey.

And Shay just goes to show you that what you see is not always what you get. People have struggles and you may never even know it. She was the perfect gal for Landon.

And the story…. Good lord, the twists. And there is so much more to come and I am here for it. Waiting patiently for Part 2 to arrive on my kindle. I just can’t recommend this emotional story enough.

To the author: Thank you for writing this book!

Therapy is having a good effect on the body or mind; contributing to a sense of well-being or administered or applied for reasons of health.

Reading for me has always been as writing, therapeutic. It has always been the place I would go to reconnect with myself or find my internal answers. Landon and Shay is one of the most analeptic books I have ever read.

I don’t think I can define Landon and Shay’s story as emotional, touching, moving or any of the many adjectives we have to describe how the words of others make us feel. I can only describe this book as real. Nothing is better than real. Because reality encompasses every emotional sense there is. You can’t explain it, you sometimes don’t understand it. But it’s there and you feel it. That’s what Brittainy did in Landon and Shay. She let me feel.

The brilliance that is Brittainy is present in every single word of this story. Her ability to mesh the words is incomprehensible. To give understanding to darkness so clearly, it brings it into the light. To heal the confusion within one’s mind.

There is humor in this book because even in the darkest times we find humor. There is love in this book because even in hard truths we find love. This is goodness in this book because even in the hardest of times we find goodness. But most importantly there is truth in this book because even in the midst of lies we find some truth.

If I had to give one sentence, one quote from this book to touch you the reader of this review it would be:

“How’s your heart?
“Still beating”

I, for one, am impatiently waiting on Landon and Shay Part 2.

Une fois de plus , je termine ma lecture d’un roman de Brittainy C Cherry les larmes aux yeux. Landon & Shay est une magnifique romance Young Adult qui nous fera ressentir de vives émotions. Nos personnages vont vivre des moments forts à un si jeune âge et je n’ai qu’une hâte : connaître la suite de leur histoire.

Landon Harrison est un personnage très complexe à saisir car il faudra aller au delà des apparences pour comprendre que l’image qu’il renvoie n’est pas un reflet de celui qu’il est vraiment. Personne n’a jamais pris le temps de voir derrière les apparences et déchiffrer ce qu’il cache au plus profond de lui même. Il va atteindre sa majorité et pourtant il reste hanté par les événements du passé. Sa structure familiale est très vacillante et le moindre faux pas pourrait le faire sombrer définitivement. Ses relations avec son père Ralph sont très tendues car il ne prend pas en considération les troubles de son fils. Pour lui , il est évident qu’il suivra sa voie et qu’il deviendra comme lui avocat mais ce n’est pas une orientation qui lui plaît. Le souci c’est qu’il n’a pas son mot à dire et qu’il est souvent très seul chez lui. Sa mère est très souvent en voyage pour son travail et pourtant il reste très proche d’elle. Ils partagent la même peine car ils ont vécu une perte qui a transformé ceux qu’ils étaient. En effet, la mort de Lance , il y a un an, a laissé de graves stigmates et des souffrances qui ne peuvent s’effacer. Landon était très proche de son oncle et on va comprendre au fil des pages qu’ils partageaient beaucoup de choses . Sa perte a creusé un trou béant dans la poitrine de notre héros et ce poids sera très lourd à porter.

Pourtant au lycée, peu de personnes sont capables de le toucher ou même de retenir son attention. Il pourra compter sur son meilleur ami Greyson qui sera toujours là pour l’épauler et qui le comprend comme personne d’autre. Il y aura aussi son ami Hank et sa copine Raine qui forme un couple qu’on ne peut qu’envier. A un si jeune âge, ils offrent une preuve que l’amour profond, les âmes sœurs ne sont pas qu’un mythe et on ne peut qu’y croire. Ils seront aussi à la leur manière très présents pour notre héros. Il y aura aussi Eric qui est un personnage que j’ai aussi aimé découvrir. Il est discret, il aura un petit impact sur l’intrigue mais il saura aussi être là pour Landon. Et bien entendu il y aura Shay qu’il connaît depuis des années et qu’il déteste cordialement. On va chercher à comprendre la raison de leur haine et on se demandera aussi comment ils vont bien pouvoir se lancer dans ce pari stupide entre eux. En effet, ils vont s’engager dans cette lutte pour faire en sorte que l’autre tombe amoureux de l’autre . On dit souvent que la frontière entre l’amour et la haine est très fine mais avec nos héros on va découvrir une nouvelle manière d’explorer cette thématique. Landon est sans conteste un personnage complexe mais tellement intéressant. Il a un image déplorable de lui même, il se voit comme le monstre qu’il n’est pas vraiment et on va souffrir à ses côtés.

Shay Gable semble être la jeune femme parfaite , bien sous tout rapport , qui vit une vie parfaite et épanouissante mais il se pourrait qu’elle soit bien plus habile que Landon pour cacher ses failles et ses souffrances. Sans le savoir ils partagent un point commun qui pourrait les rapprocher. Sa cellule familiale est loin d’être l’image parfaite qu’elle dégage. Son père Kurt est certes un pivot dans sa vie mais il sera aussi à l’origine de beaucoup de troubles et de souffrance. C’est un artiste qui a transmis cette passion et ce talent à sa fille et cela pourrait les rapprocher mais c’est un père difficile à déchiffrer . Le talent de la jeune femme est éclatant et elle propose déjà de magnifiques manuscrits à un si jeune âge. Elle est la cousine d’Eleanor que nous avions découvert dans Eleanor & Grey et elle aura toujours un regard critique et bienveillant sur le travail de notre héroïne. Elle va aussi auditionner cette année pour jouer dans Roméo & Juliette et elle sera aussi époustouflante. C’est une jeune femme lumineuse qui reste loin de tous les conflits mais qui ne supportent pas l’injustice.

Elle est entourée d’amies sincères telles que Raine ou Tracey mais c’est surtout sa grand mère Maria qui a une place de choix dans sa vie. Cette dernière sera comme un trait d’union entre nos deux héros car elle joue un rôle différent mais pourtant tellement important pour eux deux. Maria est celle qui tente de garder à flot le bateau pour qu’il ne sombre pas mais parfois elle devra redoubler d’efforts. C’est une femme plein d’empathie qui saura être une oreille attentive pour nos deux héros et j’ai adoré son côté attendrissant ou son empathie. Au lycée, Shay n’a pas de soucis particuliers et même les pics de Monica ne l’atteignent pas. Sa relation avec Landon est donc basée sur cette haine viscérale qu’ils ressentent l’un pour l’autre . Cependant , elle saura voir la tristesse de notre héros quand personne d’autre ne la verra et à leur manière ils vont s’engager dans une relation qui évoluera au fil des pages. Comme je le disais , elle est cette lumière qui va traverser les ténèbres de Landon et qui sera un personnage sur qui on pourra compter. On espère donc que d’autres personnes seront elles aussi là pour elle en cas de besoin.

Bref, ce premier tome est une magnifique histoire qui traitera de l’amour , de la haine, du désespoir, de la souffrance et de tout ce qui peut affaiblir ou faire souffrir des adolescents. Brittainy C Cherry a ce talent fou de nous faire découvrir des personnages qui vont nous prendre aux tripes et qu’on aura hâte de retrouver pour connaître le dénouement final.

If you look up grumpy-sunshine in a dictionary, you’ll simply find this book. Nothing more.

I read Eleanor & Grey by Brittainy C Cherry almost two years ago and honestly remember nothing about it, but decided to pick up this one on a whim anyway. For a high school romance, this story is DEEP. It’s brutal. Our two characters go through some major, major shit before they even turn eighteen. Trigger warning for drug use, suicide, and self harm.

This book made me experience a roller coaster of emotions. My chest ached, my heart broke, I was angry, happy, swooning, in love, and then my heart broke again. Brittainy wrote this story so well, and I can’t wait to dive into book 2 soon and see where Landon and Shay’s story takes us!

+5 stars!!!

I don’t even know how to start this review or what to say. This book surprised me in so many ways. Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes but not because it was a sad book. But because that book was beyond perfection. I know that in this world there are not perfect things but I can guarantee you that this book is perfect. All of it. All of its pages. Its words. Its characters. This book is perfect because this book is full of raw and real issues. Real characters. Raw and real emotions. Just fucking real. Everything about it.

My eyes are still wet because I’ve been crying this past hour. I could not think of a book that had affected me this bad. Since the beginning this book has been getting reactions from me like I was living inside the book and living it all with them. I think in some way… I was. I was witnessing the story of these two character: Landon & Shay. I was witnessing how their hatred for each other wasn’t hate at all. I was witnessing how their battles were a need for them to go through the day… at least for Landon it was. And I was witnessing how they passed from disliking each other’s guts to love each other completely. The good and the bad. The happiness and the sadness…

I’m failing to find words to describe this book because my English vocabulary is limited and also because it left me speechless. I cannot express my feelings correctly nor my emotions or how I feel throughout it all. I know that in Eleonor & Grey, I didn’t like Landon (or at least in the first pages) he was a big jerk and so full of himself. At least that’s what I thought. That same thought made me realized that we cannot judge a person without really knowing them. I didn’t even take a second to ask myself why he was in that way. Honestly I didn’t even think about him at all until we got to read about him again when they were all adults now and with career… with a life. I know that I thought “I want them to be together” when I read about Shay seeing Landon again in E&G. I know that I was curious about their story. And know I got to read them too.

If is there one thing that I’m sure this book taught me; is that you cannot judge someone without really getting inside their heads and see what they see. Live with they live. Hate what they hate. Love what they love. I don’t know if every character should be thought like this. If we should think more than one time about their behavior or why they are acting like this. I just know that you shouldn’t be mean towards someone, because you don’t know what kind of battle they’re fighting against.

“ ’ .
”

London & Shay was a book of learnings. Was a book of love. Of true love. One of those love that start in the most strangest way but ends up in the most lightest way because you know what you’re doing -even if it hurts- is for the best. For you and for the people you love. But mostly for you. It always has to be for yourself first.

“ ’ . . . ”

This book takes important issues that I think we all go through sometimes. Depression is something so hard and something that you shouldn’t look at like it was easy to get better from it. Landon was such a beautiful man, such a touching character. He was so complex but . Shay was the definition of a strong female character. She was an heroine herself. She was so freaking awesome and that kind of strength was something that I could definitely learn from her. They were perfect for each other. They are. And they will always be.

“ . . , ……. . …” , – , “ .”

The ending didn’t disappoint at all. It was the best ending for a story like this. I promise you this isn’t a normal cliffhanger. The ending is the most powerful and beautiful that one could have asked for. The ending teach you something so freaking important and I won’t say it because I know I won’t say it correctly nor do I have the words to say it but if you want me to give you an advice, that is:

Read this book. With an open mind and an open heart. Read this book not expecting anything but beauty… Raw beauty.

“ , , ’ . , ’ ”

This book definitely is my favorite one. I have a list of my favorite books but I don’t mean only this year but since I started reading. This book is that beautiful. That special. That unique. I just want to thank Brittainy for writing such an amazing story. For writing these broken characters that were meant for each other in every way. Thank you, thank you so much. With this book you say so many truths but the most beautiful one is that if we want to live, love, and be, we should always always start by healing and live and love and be with ourselves first.

Omg my heart.

Brittainy…you do it to me with every book of yours that I read. This one was no exception. My heart hurts with the amount of love I feel for Landon. He has to be one of the most beautiful, raw-est characters that I have ever read about. Shay is just THE person. She’s strong and funny and really an inspiration.

I honestly cannot wait to read more of Landon and Shay’s story. Your words as always have a way of breaking me apart and piecing me back together.

“Sometimes the strongest thing a person could ever do was fall apart. It took real strength to become that vulnerable.”

A poignant and emotional story. Landon and Shay are enemies who find that the emotions hate and love teeter on a fine line. Well written with a gripping storyline that will have you hooked from beginning to end. I can’t wait to dive into book 2!

Wow! This book was AMAZING! Landon and Shay have been enemies for as long as they can remember. But after making a bet, they really get to know each other. They come from very different backgrounds, but both have troubled home lives. I loved both of them. I also loved Shays grandma. What a wonderful lady. I had a hard time putting this book down because it was SO good and I always wanted to see what would happen next. It’s very well written and made me feel all of the emotions! I really need book two now!

Landon and Shay appear to be natural enemies in school until she overhears some bet and they make their own bet to make each other fall in love with them
This book deals with some dark subjects, depression, suicide, drugs and abandonment issues.
My heart broke for both characters- thank goodness for Mima
I like that it is a 2-part and that we didn’t have to wait long for part two.

5

Wow. Landon and Shay was… freaking fire!

I’m such a fan of Brittainy’s. I’ve read all of her books. The Air He Breathes is my all-time fave…

I know this book wasn’t planned to be made into a duet, but now I get why. Landon and Shay had to have their history thoroughly told without any shortcuts.

The first time I met Landon and Shay was when I read the book Eleanor and Grey. I had to scan through it again just to refresh my memory of them.

This an enemies to lovers story, which is my favorite trope. It’s angsty but not to the point of you feeling drained out at the end of the book…

The book is heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. the witty banter, the pacing, the characters… all of it were fascinating and exciting. I read it in one day because once you start, you wouldn’t wanna put it down.

It talks about real life struggles that people go through on a daily basis… the absentee parents, acting and lashing out… mental and emotional abuse… grief and depression… everything. It was relatable, you could find a small part of yourself in there somewhere.

I can’t wait to read part two. I’ve just checked the date and I can’t believe I had to wait ’til December to read the continuation… it’s bad for my anxious self, lol.

It’s definitely one of the best I’ve read this year!