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The Cranberry Hush

Review 70
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Title: The Cranberry Hush
Author: Ben Monopoli
Cover Artist: Jake Monopoli
Publisher: Self-published ebook
Buy Link: Amazon
Genre:  Contemporary M/M
Length: Novel
Rating: 5 stars out of 5

A guest review by Leslie

In a nutshell: A beautifully written story with a unique, but realistic twist on coming-of-age and gay-for-you.

The Blurb:

Vince Dandro might be going through the quietest quarter-life crisis of all time. He lives alone, works at a comic book shop, and has a crush on his coworker he can’t seem to act on. His life is just fine, but only just fine. Everything changes when Vince’s long-lost friend Griff shows up at his house in the middle of a blizzard. They were roommates in college, so close back then that Griff’s girlfriend called them “lifebuddies”—but Vince’s love for Griff ended the friendship, he thought, forever. They haven’t spoken in years. Why has Griff shown up again? And, more importantly, can Vince handle his return?

Vince and Griff are two twentysomethings struggling to find their places in the world and in each other’s lives. This is a story of friendship and love, both unrequited and requited, and learning how to fly through the post-college void, where sometimes the only sound you can hear is The Cranberry Hush.

The Review:

I love discovering self-published gems and this is my latest great find. It’s a wonderful story and beautifully written. I buzzed through it in one day and in the days since have been savoring favorite passages.  Anyone who follows my reviews knows that “instant re-read” is the highest compliment I can pay a book.

I am going to keep this review short and to the point because I really don’t want to give too much away. This is one of those stories that is about discovery so part of the reading experience is having information revealed in real-time with the characters. I want other readers to have the same pleasure of not knowing that I did.

The story is told from Vince’s first person POV and evolves over the course of a week with flashbacks to his college years with Griff. They need to sort out what was between them and more importantly, what went wrong—and see if they can fix it. There’s not a lot of action although there are a few funny scenes. Mostly it’s poignant and nostalgic—in short, the type of story I love.

Vince and Griff and a third main character, Zane, are very well drawn. They are complex characters with very real emotions that even I, a woman old enough to be their mother, could relate to. I will admit that I have a twentysomething son who seems to be struggling with his own “post-college void” so in that respect, the story was very personal to me. Even so, I remember those years immediately after college and the challenge of trying to find my way in life and the world. I could definitely empathize with Vince and Griff.

Monopoli’s writing is lovely. This is one of those books that every word feels right. His descriptions are creative and authentic and bring the characters, locales (Cape Cod and Boston), and settings (Vince’s house, the comic book shop where he works) vividly to life. Griffin has synesthesia and feels his emotions in colors which made the entire story feel tinged with color. It was a writing device that was very well done. For anyone who is curious, that’s where the title comes from, too.

As for sex and all that? There’s not too much. This is much more of a love story. The characters talk about sex but actual on-page action is pretty sparse which frankly, I think was another pitch-perfect decision by the author.

All in all, this was a wonderful book and it is a pleasure to recommend it. Because it is self-published, it has only limited availability at the moment (Amazon in Kindle format; Barnes and Noble as an epub). I did write the author and asked if he plans to make other formats (PDF and HTML) available. At the moment he said no, but he is open to exploring other options. Keep in mind that you can download Kindle and Nook apps for other devices (iPad, smartphones, PCs) so even if you don’t have an ereader, you still should be able to access this book. Trust me, even if it takes a little effort, it will be worth it in the end!

 

 

 

 

Author

Leslie

http://www.bcpinepress.com

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70 comments

  • I got this book last week but haven’t read it yet. So glad to hear my instincts were spot on because I thought it sounded amazing! Thanks for an awesome review, Leslie! At $2.99, and a review like this, I think it’s a smart investment!! 💡

    • Hi JW,

      There is a Kindle version at Amazon and the Nook version, which is an epub, at Barnes and Noble. I have links in the review. I don’t know if the B&N Nook epub format works on other devices that read epubs. Maybe someone else can clarify? Also, as I said in the review, there are Kindle and Nook apps for other devices (PCs, smartphones, iPads). I hope one of these options works for you!

      L

      • Sorry about asking something you already answered. After I determined I was interested in the book, I stopped reading the review. I don’t like to read reviews of books I definitely plan to read. (But I come back to it later to see if I agree & read the discussion in the comments.) I usually only read a review if it’s about a book I’m on the fence with. My iPad is on its way right now so I’ll get the Kindle version for that. Thanks.

  • Leslie

    When you wrote me about this book last week you were so enthusiastic I bought it immediately and finished it in a couple of days, which for me is a record because this is a long novel. 🙂 For $2.99 this is a steal.

    I echo everything you said in the review and I have been recommending it to everyone (even though I got the name wrong initially). 😮 Many readers are asking about availability in other formats and I told them they can download the Kindle verson and get the free desktop app which will allow them to read the book on their computer.

    Great rec. Leslie.

    • Thanks, Wave. Yes, it is a nice, meaty novel that kept me happily entertained for many hours on a rainy Sunday afternoon! It is a great value at the per word/price. LOL.

      L

  • Yeah definitely worth a bump up on my TBR list, I also love discovering self published gems even though I am cautious, because there is so much self published crap :). Thanks Leslie.

    • I do wade through a fair amount of “lumps of coal” before I find a diamond (like this one) but when I do, I am thrilled and want to share the news with everyone! I hope you enjoy this as much as I did, Sirius.

      L

    • Yes, Val, wonderful descriptions of the Cape (Harwich, Orleans and P-town in particular) and Boston. Being a New Englander myself, I really loved that part. The synethesia dimension was great, too, and very well done.

      L

  • I’m currently reading this on Kindle’s desktop version and enjoying it a lot. (Thanks for withholding spoilers, Leslie!) The lack of explicit sex doesn’t bother me in the least. In fact, any work that focuses on character interaction and development is a refreshing change in our genre, and I truly hope more stories like this come along.

    And, yes, the price makes it a bargain.

    • It is a refreshing change and I agree, I could read stories like this by the boatload. In fact, KZ, in many ways it reminds me of some of your stories that I particularly enjoyed (The Prayer Waltz comes immediately to mind).

      I am glad you are enjoying it!

      L

  • “…learning how to fly through the post-college void…”? I think I NEED to read this book. I feel like I’ll never get out of that period and I need some encouragement. This sounds like an amazing story and I’m very excited to read it. Thank you for telling us about this book Leslie 🙂

  • Ah, you’ve made a believer out of me. I saw this book, but didn’t bother to look more into it. Now I’m off to buy. Thanks.

  • I was looking at this the other day – it looked good, but I just wasn’t sure. I think your review has tipped it over into my cart – thanks!

  • Great review, Leslie. I saw this book on amazon the other day, but not knowing anything about the author, wasn’t sure about it. Then eatlier today I noticed a bunch of people on GR had added it and it had bumped up to the first page of best selling GLBT books on amazon, so I figured it must’ve been reviewed on Wave’s site today. And sure enough it was.

    You’ve definitely convinced me. Off to buy it now.

  • I just got this book today before reading your review. I’m glad to see my impulse buying paid off. I just read a story where there was a sex scene every few pages, and they went on & on & on for pages after that, so this one seems like it will be a nice change of pace–an actual story. Thanks for the review Leslie.

  • I just read this this week and LOVED IT. I wanted to immediately re-read it! For a self-published story, this is an amazing gem. It lacks all of the problems many published books have been teeming with lately: editing, proofing, cliches, and poor writing. I read it between a re-read of GhostTV and Amy Lane’s marvelous newest, The Locker Room and it not only held it’s own (a very tough feat) but stood out.

    I loved the characters and the story and loved how much happened without much happening. I think Griff is one of my favorite characters ever. Great review of an excellent story.

    • I also had the re-read impulse, which turned into a many times re-read. This was a great story and I was thrilled to discover it and have the chance to review it here and introduce others.

      As for Griff, I agree, he’s a great character. I wish I could say more or discuss but I really don’t want to spoiler the story for others!

      L

  • Leslie, thanks for the review – you sold another copy! Thanks also for the easy peasy Amazon link. Looking forward to reading this and commenting.

  • I give up. I tried to buy this over at Barnes and Noble and got rejected due to geographical area and they charge USD1 on my CC. 😯

    If someone willing to buy on my behalf (mobi is fine)I dont mind paying with Paypal.

  • Ooh!

    My NookColor recommended this to me the other day when I was shopping, so I took a chance and bought it. Now I cannot wait to start reading it! Great review!

    Oh, and FYI…in case anyone is interested…I went to the Kindle page and looked at the file. Usually when you scroll down to the “product details” and see “Simultaneous Device Usage = Unlimited” it usually means that it is not a DRM protected Kindle version, and you can convert to a different file type using Calibre. I have done this when Barnes and Noble does not have a version for NookColor but Amazon does. So, if you need PDF, LIT, etc, it’s worth a try. 🙂

  • Thank you for finding this book and recommending it. I bought it immediately on the strength of your review, and loved it! It is original, funny yet moving, unpredictable, and well-written. I look forward to more from this author! (Interestingly – given that it is self-published – I didn’t spot any of the editing howlers which mar most ebooks from established publishers.)

    • Hi HJ,

      Yes, this was clearly a carefully written and edited book. Nice to have that since as you say, there are so many editing howlers out there…

      L

  • Thanks for the review! Like so many others, I just bought the book based on the review. I wonder what sort of sales spike he may have now! 😀

  • Just dropping a line to let you know that I bought a copy over at Barnes and Noble based solely on your review.

    I really liked that you didn’t oversell/overhyped this book. Call me a weirdo, but oftentimes I tend to be skeptical (if not downright annoyed) by reviews who are nothing other than OMG, THIS BOOK IS FANTASTIC!

    Anyhoo, I also have to admit that the low sex quotient you mentioned in your review was part of what got me spending my hard-earned $$$ on “The Cranberry Hush”.

    • Thank you, Luce! I do try to find the right balance between gushy fangirl and super-objective reviewer…LOL

      L

  • I’ve just finished reading this, and I have some questions, but I don’t want to spoil the ending for anyone. Is there some way I can chat about this here? Should I write a big heading SPOILERS! and hope people who haven’t read the book will avoid my comment?

    • I like that idea. I just read it yesterday and would love to discuss it a bit. But, yeah, hard to do when so many key points are potential spoilers.

      Leslie, thanks again for the recommendation, I loved it!

  • This book was so good. Thank you so much for the recommendation. And thanks for not spoiling it!

    • Hi Amy,

      So glad you enjoyed it! And yes, this is definitely a “discover as you read” story.

      L

  • Thank you SO much for this recommendation! I read voraciously and look to trusted reviewers for my next fix. You’re definitely on the “trust” list after reading this one. The ending twist was just so amazing and true-to-life! Lovelovelove it!

    • Hi Cris,

      Glad to know I am on your trusted list! And yes, I agree, the ending was amazing and PERFECT.

      L

  • WoW, I’ll be the gushy commenter saying OMG Fantastic!!

    Thanks, Leslie for plowing through coal to find gems for us to enjoy! This was a wonderful book. I read it while nursing my flu.

    Congratulations to the author for a terrific story!

  • What a beautiful, poignant story. The author had me feeling heartbroken and joyful at the same time. A very fresh and insightful view of life and love told with wonderful characters. Looking forward to more from this author.

  • Wonderful review! I’ve been considering grabbing this for myself, and after reading your review, I would most definitely buy it now without any hesitation.

  • Just finished re-reading The Cranberrry Hush (still great and you’re right about finding more to love about it the second time) and am about to start Mr. Monopoli’s new (or newer) book The Painting of Porcupine City. I’d be very interested in your opinion of this one as well, Leslie.

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