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Bowl Full Of Cherries (2014)

by Raine O'Tierney(Favorite Author)

4.05 of 5 Votes: 1

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Dreamspinner Press

review 1: I recently saw that a GR friend gave this 5 stars and mentioned in his review that everyone should have a "Rell" in their life so I decided I could use a good read. What I consider a good read is a book that captures my attention and keeps it. This book did not do that. I felt like the book tried too hard to be too many things. There was so much going on. I don't necessarily find reading about going to Toys R Us and cleaning out the garage engrossing.Long story short, too many characters, too many issues, not enough of an emotional connection for me. I did not enjoy this at all. I even skimmed the ending.
review 2: FourStarsI was given this in return for an honest review by Inked Rainbow Reads.This story had a little of everything; first love, first time, bully... moreing, sex, and happy endings. It was written with realistic events and a lot of sympathy and understanding for its characters.The author had me feeling bad for Crowley and yet feelings of happiness as things start to work out for him. I didn't care for Crowleys mother, no one should treat their child that way, regardless. I liked that Rell and Tyler's cousin helped Crowley see what a beautiful person he really was.Rell and Tyler were twins in the story and were as different as two people could be, they each played a role in Crowley becoming more confident about himself.I really liked this story it was easy to read and flowed well. The ending was perfect, just teased you enough to want to read the next book.SherryFiveStarsI was given this in return for an honest review by Inked Rainbow Reads.This is the second of Ms. O'Tierney's books I've reviewed. I chose this because I love her style and figured I would enjoy it. I honestly didn't think she'd be able to top the last one I read, but I was mistaken. This is definitely one of the best books I've read. I spent the whole book alternating between laughing and tearing up.I have nothing negative to say about the book, and I fear my review simply won't do it justice. The writing is fantastic--polished and well-crafted as well as technically excellent. The story flows smoothly and takes just the right pace.Now for all the things I adored. I was in love with these characters from the first page. Crowley is so utterly relatable. From his self-consciousness to the little things he does, we get a picture of what young adulthood is like in the wake of childhood bullying. I was not personally triggered by anything, but some elements of Crowley's feelings and behaviors might affect other readers more deeply with regard to his experiences of fat-shaming and the way he treats himself as a result.I loved Rell, too, and his sharp assessments of his family. He struck me as a people-watcher, a keen observer of everyone and everything. His relationship with his siblings felt realistic to me, and I thought it was interesting that he and Tyler were often at odds with each other. He comments that Tyler must be more than his stereotype, but Rell doesn't care to dig deeper. Yet somehow, we're left with the hope that he eventually will. He also isn't unaware of his own troubles, and he goes from dismissing them to accepting his need for change.That was another thing I liked--the relationship between Crowley and Rell is never about "saving" each other. Rell never perceives himself as the one who will fix all Crowley's self-hatred, and Crowley never sees himself as the one to rescue Rell from his bad habits. Yet through loving each other, they're both able to see themselves as worthy of becoming who they were meant to be.As far as their relationship, I want to offer a heart-felt thank you to Ms. O'Tierney for not shying away from writing genuinely bisexual characters. Crowley refers once to Rell as possibly bi, though Rell never specifically identifies that way. I imagine that's because being in love with another man is new for him, and he hasn't processed it in any other way than "I love this person." I appreciate how he doesn't ever suggest his relationships with women were meaningless, and he isn't suddenly gay. Tyler suggests he's playing "gay for you" with Crowley, and I love that he went there because it's a common trope. However, that's clearly not what Rell is doing or feeling, and I expect Tyler's not ready to confront his own sexuality and is taking it out on his twin. There are hints about it all through the book, so I don't think I'm off-base saying that, and the end is left open for more exploration of Tyler's experiences.I have to confess, I was surprised by the overt sensuality. I think that's because the last book I read by Ms. O'Tierney was YA, so I suppose I was expecting more "fade to black." That's not a bad thing, just an observation. The sex fit well into the story and didn't seem gratuitous to me. It was the right kind of steamy without being too much.Finally, what I love most about this book is that although at its core it's a sweet romance between two young men, there is a realness to it that reflects things so many of us have thought or felt. It's as though Ms. O'Tierney has offered us a mirror, holding it up and saying, "Look without shame at how beautiful you are, even with all your perceived flaws."I wish I could give this more than five stars, but I'm limited, so it gets all 5 from me along with a promise to tell as many people as I can about this book.Amy less

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