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Review

6 “For Always” stars

I once loved a boy… And for a few breaths, a few whispers, and a few moments, I think he loved me, too.

There is a reason why I never hesitate to one-click anything written by Brittainy Cherry. There is a reason why I never hesitate to recommend her books to my closest friends. There is a reason why this story will stay with me forever. That reason? Brittainy Cherry is an incredible author who writes stories that draw me in and make me feel so many emotions that I don’t know what to do with myself. This is exactly how I am feeling after reading The Fire Between High & Lo.

This book depicts an absolutely gorgeous love story. It shows the importance of strong friendships and an even stronger love. The story leaves you with a warm heart, a smile on your face, and happy tears in your eyes. It was a difficult road to get to this point though. The trials the main characters had to go through had me holding my breath, fearing the pain that I knew would come. I felt sadness and anger. I felt demons take hold leaving me frustrated. My heart broke over and over. But I also felt giddiness and happiness. I felt pride and joy. And I felt love. I loved the characters. I loved the storyline. I loved the writing. I loved feeling all these emotions. I loved everything about this book. Brittainy once said about TFBH&L that she “told the story in [her] heart” and what a beautiful story it turned out to be. It moved me so completely and attached itself to my heart. Now that it is over, I’m not sure what to do.

The Fire Between High & Lo is a story that has a lot going on plot wise so I am not going to divulge everything. Instead, I will tell you just a bit about the story and the emotions I felt.

The story begins when Alyssa meets a boy. A broken boy with sad eyes. A quiet boy who has so many demands on his shoulders. A boy who has had a really terrible childhood. A boy who becomes her best friend.

To the outside world, they are seen as complete opposites. However, when you see into their souls, they are far from different. They had such a deep connection. Logan always picked Alyssa up when she was down and Alyssa always knew when Logan was fighting his demons and needed her most.

We were closer than I ever knew any people to ever be. He was a part of me in every way possible, our lives twining together as if we were one flame burning together in the dark of the night.
When he felt like crying, the tears always came from my eyes first.
When his heart wanted to break, mine shattered.

I absolutely loved Alyssa and Logan together. They had an amazing friendship that meant the world to them. They supported each other and were there for one another when things got tough.

We listened to each other’s darkness and we showed one another our light.

I loved when Alyssa and Logan revealed their true feelings for each other. It wasn’t prolonged and I loved that they were strong enough to let the other know. Once their feelings changed, they did something about it and didn’t drag their feet.

I kissed my best friend, and she kissed me back.
She kissed me like she meant it, and I kissed her like she meant the world.
She is.
She is my world.

This story is full of angst that left tears streaming down my face. My heart broke when their relationship deteriorated. It hurt my heart to see what Alyssa and Logan had endure to find their way back to each other. It was so hard to read but it was beautiful to see them learning how to be friends again, and watching them grow closer.

As it turned out, home wasn’t a certain place; home was a feeling from the ones for whom you cared most, a feeling of peace that calmed the wildfires of your soul.

Alyssa and Logan had a lot they needed to work though to get back to where they were romantically, and when they got through it all and came back together it was totally swoon worthy!

“I know that I can never be forgiven for what happened all those years ago, but I also know that I still love you. You’re still the fire that keeps me warm when life becomes cold. You’re still the voice that keeps the darkness at bay. You’re still the reason my heart beats. You’re still the air in my lungs. You’re still my greatest high. And I am still truly, madly, painfully in love with you. And I don’t think I’ll ever know how to stop.”

This couple touched my heart so deeply. I think they were perfect for each other. Their love was fierce and true and their loyalty unmeasurable.

“I want you. I want the scars. I want the burns. I want your mess. Your scars, your burns, your mess—that’s my heart. You are everything I ever wanted and everything I’ll ever need. Your hurt is my hurt. Your strength is my strength. Your heartbeats flow through mine. So no, I’m not going to opt out. I don’t want to run away because things are hard sometimes. I want you. All of you—the good, the bad, the pain, the anger. If you’re walking through hell, I’m holding your hand the whole way through. If the fires in our lives keep rising, we’ll burn as one. You’re it for me, Logan. Yesterday, today, tomorrow —I’m yours. You’re my eternal flame.”

I loved Alyssa. She was such a strong heroine. I loved how she stood by Logan through everything. She looked passed the things he felt ashamed of. She wasn’t a whiny and clingy character. She wasn’t unrealistic. She missed him but she still went after her dreams. She loved him but was strong enough to be just friends with him when he needed her most. She pushed her feelings aside to help him heal when her heart was still breaking.

I loved Logan. He was sweet, swoon worthy, and broken. My heart ached for him knowing the hard childhood he had and the demons he fought daily. I absolutely hated that he felt unworthy of Alyssa and that he carried so much on his shoulders. He had pressures placed on him that should never have been his to deal with. He loved so deeply but felt that he brought destruction to everyone around him.

Logan’s mom was horrible. It broke my heart when she would say hurtful things to him. But she had problems of her own that led her down the road she was on. She just couldn’t get to the point where she could choose another path.

Along with the romance, there were beautiful friendships in this story- not only between Alyssa and Logan, but between Logan and Kellan. I loved Kellan. He never gave up on Logan. He always believed in him and continued to support him through all the hard times. What a wonderful brother and friend he was to Logan.

The epilogue was perfect! It was a wonderful ending to a beautiful love story. I loved getting a glimpse into the future and I felt everything was wrapped up perfectly. This story will stay with me forever. A favorite of mine in 2016!

“For always, High?”
“For always, Lo.”

6 stars!

 

*ARC generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*

 

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