Reviewed by Dee
TITLE: Cricket
AUTHOR: Barbara Dennis
PUBLISHER: Wicked Publishing
LENGTH: 140 Pages
RELEASE DATE: May 17, 2016
BLURB:
Now in her mid-forties, Cricket has found herself existing with the unexpected loss of her long-time lover Gerry. With the support of her circle of friends and the love of her Bernese Dog, Monkey, she continues to live, breathe, and hope for the emptiness to fade. Resigned to believing the hurt will stay, an unforeseen possibility of a new love interest breezes into her life through meeting new friends. Can Cricket lower her guard and allow another person into her heart, or will she push them away and forever struggle with the constant heartbreak? A touching story that portrays everyday struggles with unpredictable scenarios.
REVIEW:
First and foremost, I feel it’s worth mentioning this story has nothing to do with the sport cricket! And everything to do with a very engaging heroine, who goes by the name of Cricket. Thank goodness she was a likable character, as the story is told in first person and completely from her point-of-view.
I loved the fact the heroine was a mature character. Well the story starts with her as a teenager, an awkward one at that, and Jessie her tormentor. Things go bad during a softball game and Cricket ends up in hospital. The event has a huge impact on the story in ways I never could have predicted.
Fast forward thirty-years – not only does Jesse reappear in her life, full of remorse, but so does another woman from the fateful day at the softball pitch. Both of them touch Cricket’s heart, friendships are forged and Cricket has to decide if she can give her heart to another. All I can say is the story took off in a completely different direction than I anticipated, and one I adored.
I felt for all of these characters. Mar is the best friend everyone needs, and she had her own issues to deal with, having a menopausal wife made for some humor too. Monkey, the dog, who was simply adorable. The doggie weekends were a new thing to me, but would be fun for all I’m sure. Jessie, my heart broke for her, especially when she revealed she was a survivor of incest.
There was only one scene that turned my gut and that involved a boy whacking Cricket in the face. Although it’s explained it was an accident, he thought she was an attacker when she put her hand on his arm, or something like that. What bothered me was Cricket being teased about being slugged by a youth. I know this is fiction, but the way it was shrugged off and laughed at rubbed me the wrong way. Violence against women, or men, is not something to be condoned or laughed about.
The story also featured an intersex character who stole my heart, as did the compassion and non-judgment Cricket afforded her. Barbara did a fantastic job of explaining the condition without getting too technical and/or preachy.
Hell, Cricket was just an all around wonderful person. I loved her interaction with Maggie and when she opened up her house to the teenage girl who timed out of foster care.
If you’re looking for a great story that will tug it your heartstrings and keep you engaged from start to finish, you can’t go wrong by grabbing a copy of ‘Cricket’.
RATING: 
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