#Bookreview – Life is Like a Bowl of Cherries: Sometimes Bitter, Sometimes Sweet by Sally Cronin

What Amazon says

Life is Like a Bowl of Cherries: Sometimes Bitter, Sometimes Sweet is a collection of short stories with scattered poetry, reflecting the complexities of life, love and loss.

The stories in the collection dip into the lives of men and women who are faced with an ‘event’ that is challenging and in some cases life changing.

Even something as straightforward as grocery shopping online can be frustrating, and a DNA test produces surprise results, the past reaches out to embrace the present, and a gardening assistant is an unlikely grief counsellor. Romance is not always for the faint-hearted and you are never too old for love. Random acts of kindness have far reaching consequences and some people discover they are on a lucky streak. There are those watching over us who wish us well, and those in our lives who wish us harm.

My review

Sally Cronin has a sharp eye for the joys, miseries, hopes, aspirations, of humanity, as well as their weaknesses and she wraps these observations up into stories that touch the full spectrum of the reader’s emotions.

Who would not understand the frustration of a shopper who, having agreed to a healthy eating programme but fallen off the wagon, is thwarted in her attempts to purchase longed for goodies by an Artificial Intelligence purchasing system that forces shoppers to stick to their confirmed eating programme and disallows the purchase of said goodies. You can read about this shopper’s reaction in The Weekly Shopping.

The author reveals the delight of finding unexpected and previously unknown family connections through a sophisticated and interconnected DNA AI tracking system. Read DNA to find out more.

The Wedding Day was one of my favourite stories and explored the dual concepts of a spirit trapped on earth and seeking closure and a daughter who has grown up fatherless and knows very little about his life. A delightfully satisfying read.

The Nanny is a beautiful tale about the strong attachment that exists between a person and man’s best friend and this tale is contrasted by an emotion rendition of a couple’s journey to acceptance and healing following the death of their baby, in utero.

The final story I will mention in this review is Friday Night which explores the themes of disappointment in love and finding the right person in one exciting and emotional story.

There are other beautiful stories and various lovely poems in this collection which I shall leave readers to discover for themselves. A truly beautiful collection.

Purchase Life is Like a Bowl of Cherries: Sometimes Bitter, Sometimes Sweet by Sally Cronin

Sally Cronin

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Amazon UK

About Sally Cronin

I have been a storyteller most of my life (my mother called them fibs!). Poetry, song lyrics and short stories were left behind when work and life intruded, but that all changed in 1996. My first book Size Matters was a health and weight loss book based on my own experiences of losing 70kilo. I have written another thirteen books since then on health and also fiction, including five collections of short stories. My latest book is a collection of verse and speculative short stories titled Life is Like a Bowl of Cherries: Sometimes Bitter, Sometimes Sweet

I am an indie author and proud to be one. My greatest pleasure comes from those readers who enjoy my take on health, characters and twisted endings… and of course come back for more.

As a writer I know how important it is to have help in marketing books.. as important as my own promotion is, I believe it is important to support others. I offer a number of FREE promotional opportunities on my blog and linked to my social media. If you are an author who would like to be promoted to a new audience of dedicated readers, please contact me via my blog. All it will cost you is a few minutes of your time. Look forward to hearing from you.

My blog is https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com
And for more information on my books listed here at Amazon please visit
https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/my-books/

Published by robbiesinspiration

Robbie and Michael Cheadle are co-authors of the Sir Chocolate series of books. We both like to write and bake.

137 thoughts on “#Bookreview – Life is Like a Bowl of Cherries: Sometimes Bitter, Sometimes Sweet by Sally Cronin”

      1. Me too, Robbie! She has the writing gene, like you. As one of your slowest reader i am honoured. Weather? We are back in Siberia. Lol On Sunday we should go to +11 (C). I am sure the temperature on your site is a little bit higher. 😉 Stay well, and enjoy the weekend! Michael

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Hi Michael, oh yes, our temperatures in winter are about 23 degrees Celsius during the day. I am not a fan of very cold weather. My blood is to thin. Have a lovely day, Michael.

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      1. Its really a gem, but honestly i dont know which of your books is not wonderful. Enjoy your Friday afternoon, Sally! Just watching a documentation on official German TV, about Scotland. Right! Germany is rolling the drums for Scotlands way back to the EU. :-))

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  13. Hi Robbie, I greatly enjoy reading Sally’s blog and her kind, support in the writing community. My initial question is whether the stories are fiction or nonfiction? As I read further, I see how the stories are fiction, yet Sally shares her wisdom and observations. Thank you for sharing a wonderful review, Robbie. I am reading many good things about this book. Definitely, on my TBR list.🙂

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  16. So fabulous to see Sally’s new book here – I loved it, and what a great review. I think The Wedding Day was one of my favourite stories too. But they were all wonderful! Toni x

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      1. I’m working on the end matter of the children’s book this weekend. All the illustration came in last week. I’m done inserting the text. One more proofreading and it’ll be ready to send it for the formatting.

        Are you working another book? 💖

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  21. This is a book I MUST read. I’ve enjoyed Life’s Rich Tapestry, so I know Sally’s writing style. She is so supportive of other writers, so I want to reciprocate. Thanks for this insightful and positive review, Robbie!

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    1. Hi Marian, lovely to see you. Sally is a wonderful supporter of all of us, very kind and generous. This book is lovely, as are all of her books that I’ve read. She is very insightful about people and relationships.

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  25. I am currently reading “21 Lessons for the 21st Century” which explains how much AI and algorithms are going to change humanki d one way or the other. It’s good to write stories about the pros and cons even though it might not have been intended as that. Looks like my reading list is growing even more. Thanks for the review 🙋‍♀️🐝

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  26. Robbie, a thoughtful and insightful review of Sally’s short story collection. I think these must be the most tricky of books to review but you do so wonderfully. Capturing some of the stories, sharing their depth, magic! Sally has an extraordinary skill in seeing into the heart of humans and sharing her creative gift with us. One on my Kindle and I look forward to reading it soon.

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    1. Thank you, Annika, I’m glad you enjoyed my review. I like reading short stories and have read some excellent books of short stories including yours. Sally has an amazing ability to understand people and their emotions.

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  27. Pingback: Smorgasbord Blog Magazine Weekly Round Up..- February 28th – March 6th – Pretty Woman, Shortstories, Poetry, Book Reviews, Food and Funnies. | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

  31. I’ve read many of Sally’s books. This one hit me like few others (Sam, of course, is my all-time favorite). The stories are uplifting, positive, with the hard-working people I love. Your review is excellent–you say what I felt.

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    1. Hi Jacqui, I am glad you enjoyed my review. I have read all of Sally’s book. They are very impactful and yet easy reads. Your book is near the top of my kindle and I plan to read it next month. I am looking forward to it.

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