Cricket

Cricket #1

by Anna Martin

Henry Richardson, originaire de New York, a besoin de changer d'air. Son copain vient de le plaquer et son affaire a ete victime de l'economie. Mais est-ce une bonne raison pour sauter dans le premier avion apres un coup de fil surprise ?

La promesse d'une nouvelle opportunite conduit Henry loin de sa ville natale jusqu'a un minuscule patelin dans la campagne anglaise, ou son arriere-grand-mere veut lui leguer un enorme manoir. En organisateur de mariages experimente, il voit l'interet de renover cette batisse en ruines et de l'utiliser pour accueillir des evenements. Tout ce dont il a besoin, c'est de trouver des entreprises locales afin de lui fournir le necessaire.

C'est ainsi qu'Henry rencontre Ryan Burgess, le proprietaire timide mais travailleur d'une ferme biologique. L'etincelle entre eux crepite lentement a mesure qu'avancent les travaux de la maison, mais Ryan reste profondement terre dans son placard et refuse d'en sortir. Et c'est finalement avec le cricket que quelque chose s'amorce, un sport pour lequel Henry, ancien joueur de baseball, semble etonnamment doue. Pour lui, le cricket aide a combler le fosse entre l'Angleterre et New York, mais a moins que Ryan trouve un moyen de concilier sa sexualite et sa peur, leur relation n'a aucune chance de fonctionner."

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Romance, Sports, Gay, LGBT, Fiction

264 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 30, 2013

About the author

Anna Martin is from a picturesque seaside village in the south west of England. After spending most of her childhood making up stories, she studied English Literature at university before attempting to turn her hand as a professional writer.

Apart from being physically dependent on her laptop, she is enthusiastic about writing and producing local grassroots theatre (especially at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where she can be found every summer), travelling, learning to play the ukulele, and Ben & Jerry’s New York Super Fudge Chunk.

Although her most recent work is in the LGBT romance genre, in the past Anna has worked on a variety of different projects including short stories, drabbles, flash fiction, fan fiction, plays for both children and adults, and poetry. She has written novels in the Teen or Young Adult genre, Romance and Fantasy novels.

Anna is, by her own admission, almost unhealthily obsessed with books. The library she has amassed is both large and diverse; "My favourite books," she says, "are 'The Moonstone' by Wilkie Collins, 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee and 'Oryx and Crake' by Margaret Atwood." She also owns multiple copies of Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park books and re-reads the Harry Potter novels with almost startling regularity.

Anna claims her entire career is due to the love, support, pre-reading and creative ass-kicking provided by her closest friend Jennifer. Jennifer refuses to accept any responsibility for anything Anna has written.

Reviews

[Sun · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Ok...so I finally got back around to finishing this book (I never DNF anything and so, I dug my heels and and went for it). I do want it to be known that I literally fell asleep EVERY single time I went back to read this. I'd turn the page, begin, and wake up awhile later wondering if I had progressed in the story. Now, it might just have been that I was particularly tired this week. But, it also might just have been that...

this book was so BORING!

I think the author was well-intentioned...create a story that is sweet, gentle, a gradual, slow-build to the love story....the kind of books that Julie Bozza does best, actually. The problem for me was that I just didn't connect to the MC's enough to want to invest the time and patience to grow with them. I didn't feel invited to get to know them, actually. Like someone was telling me the story 3rd hand instead of me feeling right there IN the story.

I love all things British...especially in my books...and having an old, stately manor, a local pub, a farm, gloomy weather...all those things were kinda charming. The main disappointment though, is that this book is called "Cricket", the blurb talks about cricket, and you get maybe 3 scenes that actually have anything related to cricket.

Confused, I am.

I think some people might like this book. I just don't have the patience for it and thus do not recommend it. Better books out there that are similar but didn't put me to sleep...

[SheReadsALot · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Hearts On Fire Review

3.75 STARS--Slow and steady wins the race?

This question I asked myself over and over while reading Anna Martin’s “Cricket”. In this day and age where a good chunk of MM reigns insta-love and PWP supreme, can a slow burner champion to tell an excellent tale? There are complaints from both sides:

A) No one wants to read slow romances where you have to wait for the romance to build give me monster cocks waiting to plow the next willing bum. Hurry up and bend over!

Or

B) Those fast paced romances are too intense. No one would really meet and get married the same day. Impossible. Anyone knows a solid relationship takes time to build. Hello reality table of one.

I ride the fence with this argument and have felt that way many a book. Sometimes the quiet stories leave a deep punch to the gut. Sometimes those wild, steamy reads can cause third degree burns. I enjoy both and can appreciate either tone especially when written well.

“Cricket” is actually a good book. It didn't quietly sucker punch me though. I had minor issues (I’ll get to them later). Overall, Anna Martin delivered a mostly solid read: interesting enough main characters, really great secondary characters, a beautiful background of Cheddar, Somerset, England and a good story.

Should it be read? Of course!

By everyone? No.

I think this book would be better appreciated by those who want a drama-free, angst-free, kink-free (there’s sex but 100% vanilla), quietly sweet read where you get as much background as you do an actual romance. Also you must actually like your romance at a snail’s pace. Is the payoff worth it? At the end, I really dug Henry and Ryan’s relationship. So if you can stand this, you will get enjoyment from this read. I have read this author’s work before, “Tattoos & Teacups” which I hate to compare to because they are totally separate stories but the quiet, slow burn tone is what I enjoyed in that book. And I did again in this book, though I think T&T is a better read.

Henry is 29, an unemployed NYC wedding/event planner who just inherited an estate from a sick great grandmother. The catch? The estate is in England; his great grandmother is still alive and has some rules that come along with Stretton House. Henry relocates because he’s leaving some bad times back in the states, so what would a look hurt. In England he finds a regal yet feisty great grandmother whom he has never met, a lovely young lawyer Shenal and the quiet little town of Cheddar. Henry decides to retry his business with the use of the Stretton House. His modus operandi? Get the local businesses to help his business as a way to ingratiate his Yank/gay/Jewish/outsider self and drum up business.

One of the businesses he seeks out is the local organic farmer and its hunky owner, Ryan, also the same age. Ryan is friendly, unassuming and willing to help. And as the two men become closer, Henry develops feelings towards the farmer who is still in the closet, has never been with a man (it’s been years since his divorce from his wife) and has the Grindr app but hasn’t put it to good use.

Henry is not looking for a trip back in the closet. He has rules and anything with Ryan would break them. But there’s something about Ryan that pulls him. And both men become closer friends, talking and learning one another’s secrets (don’t worry there aren’t many or any that are shocking). They gently fall in love while just living their normal lives. I even had a few chuckles at parts which is a step in the right direction. No annoying exes, no fights, no unexplainable MANTEARS (there were brief appearances but they are excused) and no bitchy female characters! The main relationship builds with a strong foundation. But though I enjoyed this story mostly, I have some quibbles.

Minor issues:

- A pet peeve of mine happened, switching main character’s features. Ryan was introduced as having brown eyes, then later in the story it is an icy blue and in the last third they went back to brown. Which one is it? Maybe this was an issue with my copy?

- I nodded off. You saw I mentioned earlier I ride the fence with pacing preferences…well this one was slow and all the tea references and quiet rambles put me in a cozy mood. I napped while reading. But when I woke up, I still wanted to read the story.

- The hunky ginger contractor that Henry developed a quiet lust for–nothing came back with that. He’s introduced, we get a scene or two of Henry’s thoughts on the man and then he disappeared. What’s up with that? Was he gay or not?

- Also the biggest ‘struggle’ was Ryan’s "coming out" to the town, etc. There were no reactions added from basically anyone other than family and friends.

What I enjoyed:

- Ryan and Henry. I enjoyed their friendship into couple. Each hug, small smooch, touching, embraces and all the non-sexual advances they made towards one another – it was nice.

- The average/smaller than average cock. Henry’s the owner of one and it was a nice touch I thought. Not everyone is packing in the man meat department. So in the numerous reads of gargantuan pricks, a normal one makes an appearance. It was also nice.

- Cricket . The sport (or any sport for that matter) is not my favorite. My hobby of choice is reading (go figure) so these sports romances can get bogged down with sports terms and I usually gloss over it unless cute players are mentioned. So happy “Cricket” wasn’t a super heavy sports romance. In fact it’s just a romance where the main characters participate in a recreational cricket league, team, band, set, school whatever they are called.

- Secondary characters – TWO THUMBS UP BABY! I loved Shenal, the 23 year old Indian lawyer she was cool and not a stereotype. The vicar was cool too. (And I actually wouldn’t have minded a little more of those two romance – I was rooting for them the entire time) And Mrs. Nell Richardson, what a dear old lady who acted her age (with definite spunk) and didn’t play the fool to make the story progress (I hate when the elderly/kids are used out of context)

Good story, a sweet but not diabetic read with a soft surprise towards the end. I bought Ryan and Henry’s coupledom which usually is the key factor for any romance for me. Back to my original question, does slow and steady win the race? Mostly with a few minor hiccups.

[Heller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow slow burn romance.

This was a beautifully written story but be prepared for a slow moving story. Henry is a New Yorker who comes to England to meet his great-grandmother for the first time and take over the family house as an inheritance. He comes to know the local people and rents a room from a local farmer, Ryan, who becomes a friend and later so much more.

I love the cover and the title but cricket doesn't really factor here in more than a cursory way. Granted, I could actually follow a cricket game now and understand it but I was hoping for it to be focused on more considering how it's showcased.

The countryside and the characters are lovingly drawn here. There are a few plot points that are glossed over or dropped though: the contractor crush that just gets dropped and the fact that at the end Ryan never has to meet with the people that Henry does to clarify certain things

I do love Anna Martin's writing though. It's gorgeous but plot-wise you need to be in the mood for something that has a relationship that moves very quietly.

[Sid]

DNF! No rating.

Being a cricket-lover, I was soo excited for this!!

Sigh ... Read this till about 18% and stopped. The writing was good but the story was progressing too slow for my taste. Over-descriptiveness and some useless scenes made it rather boring.

[Mandapanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is like a gentle walk down a beautiful English country lane. Lots of gorgeous stuff to look at on the way.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Anna Martin’s Tattoos & Teacups. I was looking forward to loving Cricket as well. It didn’t happen quite as easily as I had expected. It was difficult to get in to the story. The first third or so seemed to move very slowly. The reason I gave Cricket four out of five stars is because the rest of the book was quite enjoyable.

Henry Richardson has lived in New York City his whole life. He knows his paternal Grandfather emigrated from England but is unaware of any family still located there. Henry receives an ominous summons to his lawyer’s office in the middle of the day. He finds out that he does, indeed still have family in England. In the form of ninety-one year old Annabell (Nell) Richardson. She is his Great-Grandmother and a very wealthy woman. Henry was named after his father and his grandfather. Nell is his Grandfather’s mother.

Nell knows she is dying. She has moved to an assisted living facility. There remains, however, the matter of Stretton House. It has been the family home for generations. No one has lived there since it was used as a hospital during WWII, but Nell does not want to see it crumble to the ground. She chooses Henry, because he is named after her son, to leave the mansion to prior to her death. She is entrusting that he will restore it to its former glory.

Having been a wedding planner in New York, Henry sees the perfect wedding venue in the mansion and begins restoration. He wants to us as much local labor and as many local suppliers as possible. This is how he meets Ryan Burgess.

Ryan is a local farmer. He supplies many local businesses as well as his sister’s pub with their produce and eggs. He was married at a young age to a high school sweetheart, divorced soon after and hasn’t dated since. His ex-wife told him that he is gay. Ryan doesn’t necessarily believe her and doesn’t explore the possibility.

As Henry & Ryan become close friends, Ryan invites Henry to move in to the remodeled attic of his farmhouse. Ryan lives there alone and Henry is paying to stay at a local bed & breakfast. As work on the mansion progresses, so does the relationship between Henry and Ryan. Anna Martin takes us on a deliciously slow journey of exploration of the feelings the two men are developing. Once they acknowledge the attraction, they agree to take it very slowly since Ryan doesn’t know what will happen to his business if he comes out.

Their journey is like the swan ride at an amusement park. Slowly gliding through the smooth water around them, in and out of the light (although there is no real dark place for them) until it eventually reaches the pre-destined placid ending.

The title Cricket refers to the game cricket. Ryan talks Henry into joining the local cricket team. Although Henry knows nothing about the game, under Ryan’s hands (pun intended), he becomes quite an accomplished player.

There is a small dip in their glide to happiness that I won’t ruin for you, but it makes for a very romantic and grand gesture on Ryan’s part.

There are many layers to this love story. Henry falls in love with Ryan, we expect that. He also falls in love with Stretton House, with Nell. He embraces his new country and village. He falls in love with Ryan’s sister and her family. It seems that every aspect of his new life is not what he expected, but exactly what is right for him.

I kept waiting for the shoe to drop, for the calamity that normally occurs in romance novels. For the mean ex or poorly received coming out that most often leads to a separation of sorts for our Mcs so that they can be brought back together in a mass of clinging limbs, clashing tongues and teeth and professions of undying love. It never happened. Ms. Martin’s swan ride was so smooth, it was over before I knew it. That is what makes Cricket a four star read. That’s why we go on the swan ride at the fair, for a relaxing journey with no hidden surprises. A journey that we know will end right where we expect it to. It’s comforting, warm and very welcome. I highly recommend this book.

[Julie Bozza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taking this in order, the first obvious thing to say is that I LOVE the cover! Just gorgeous. I was sold as soon as I saw it.

The next thing to say is that I LOVED the prologue. It was short, snappy, charming and funny, and set up the story nicely. And this is coming from someone who intensely distrusts and dislikes prologues - though, yes, I seem to recall I've written one myself! Every now and then a prologue comes along that shows me how it should be done. :-)

And then we are into a lovely long story about Henry and the manor house he's renovating on behalf of his great-grandmother Nell. Henry is out, though he's suffered for it. He meets Ryan, who is not only closeted but confused. The chemistry they share is strong enough that Henry needs to not only reconsider his reluctance to get involved with a man who hardly even knows what he wants, but also needs to find the patience to let things develop at a pace that Ryan can cope with.

Which is where the cricket comes in. Like other reviewers here, I was expecting the game of cricket to feature more in this novel, and I was a little disappointed that it didn't. The scenes that were there were very well written, and displayed a real feel for the game.

However! I think the game also works perfectly well as a metaphor for Henry and Ryan's slowly developing relationship. I mean, this is a game that, in its 'traditional' form, might take five long days of play and still not end in a result. Such is very much what Henry faces when deciding to commit himself to seeing things through with Ryan: a long slow, hopefully steady match, which may or may not result in a win. But commit he does. Whether that was the right decision, I'll leave for you to decide. ;-)

Recommended for anyone who enjoys English tales told at an English pace. Like me!

[LiveYourLife BuyTheBook · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

...I absolutely adored Ryan! Often a closeted character leads to an angst filled read, but that was not the case in this book. The author managed to capture his confusion and vulnerability quite beautifully. Henry is the exact opposite – he knows who he is. He knows what he is. And he makes no apologies. He does, however, have some rules – rules he abides by to save his heart from being broken again – one of these applies directly to Ryan – Henry doesn’t date guys in the closet. So as you can see … something has to give.

I thought the slow development of their relationship from friends to lovers was written really well. As is the case with a lot of British authors – the story is filled with very long and descriptive passages, a writing style I am not that fond of, to be honest. I tend to skim over huge blocks of text. But for some reason it seemed to work in this book – maybe the gentle rolling story suited the feel of the quiet little village. I’m not sure. All I do know is that I liked it! A lot! So go. Buy the Book!

Read Barb's full review at Live Your Life, Buy The Book

[Katharina · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

I loved this story!! Really loved it! Anna Martin is no stranger to me - I really liked her Tattoos & Teacups - but since a few of the reviews about this book I've read beforehand weren't extremely complimentary I started this rather cautiously. And was really really really positively surprised.

First of all, I have to agree with those reviews that there isn't a lot going on here. If you look for action, for adrenaline-provoking excitement, you'll have to go somewhere else. A GR friend of mind called it a "gentle walk down a beautiful English country lane" in her review (MandyM's review) and I one hundred percent agree. It's a beautiful description for a beautiful book.

When Henry comes to England to look at the manor house his great-grandmother (that he didn't know about until then) wants to pass on to him, he doesn't know what to expect. And what he gets certainly wouldn't have fit any expectation had he had any. His great-grandmother is ill, but she's formidable and she knows exactly what she wants: that someone takes on the task to save her beloved old manor house instead of tearing it down. Time hasn't been too kind to the old building, but it's still brimming with potential and Henry sees that. As much as he sees that he can take on a real task here, something that suits him and means something for him, his family, and this tiny village he landed in. And so he does.

Meeting Ryan, the owner of a local organic farm, and his sister Stella, owner of the local pub, proves to be a real stroke of good luck. In them, especially in Ryan, he finds real friends, people he can trust and rely on and the development of Henry's and Ryan's relationship is just lovely to watch. Again, there is nothing exciting about it per se, but just something so gentle and true and real that I fell in love with both of them myself.

There are quite a few obstacles in the way, not the least of which is Henry's expiring visa, but they'll just have to find a way to overcome them, 'cause a will is there for sure.

For me, the biggest mystery so far is still why the story is called Cricket. I mean, sure, it plays a role in the book, but not until you're maybe half way in and even then not a very big one. It might me that the way Henry fits into the village is metaphorically reflected in his role in the cricket team, but it still seems a bit strange to me. Other than that, I want to stress that this is not a perfect book. There are parts that definitely could have been shortened, others that could have been more emphasised as far as I am concerned. Sometimes it was almost a little bit too quiet, even for me.

But the thing is, I love these quiet, gentle books with their relaxed pace and their enjoyment in the simple beauty of everyday life. And this story fits that bill perfectly. I adored it while reading and I adore it still, a month later.

[Anke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps more like 4.5 stars?
Although it took me quite some time to finish - I loved reading every minute of it. It was a slow burning story and therefore very much believable, and yes, very English:)
I love the writing of this woman!

[Chris, the Dalek King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the fact that there isn't all that much Cricket in a book called Cricket, I found this a very good story. Very calm and sedate, but Henry and Ryan are well worth the reread. A nice comfort read, and one I've indulged in more than once.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5

Henry is summoned to England to inherit a house from a great-grandmother he doesn’t know he has. He’s in a transitional period anyway, so it’s a good time to get out of New York and explore his options. The house hidden in the countryside is actually on an estate and the house is beyond anything he imagined. It’s a gorgeous manor. Unfortunately, it’s in a terrible state of disrepair. Henry instantly sees the potential of the home as both a historical monument as well as a wedding venue, but the restoration is going to be a challenge. With the help of his great-grandmother and a few friends living in the small village, he decides to take it on.

One of his first contacts within the village is a local organic farmer named Ryan. The only term coming to mind when I think of Ryan is “good ol’ boy” and I mean that is only the most positive of ways. He is everyone’s friend, he’s always willing to help, he’s a great guy, and he’s humble. After a rocky start, Ryan befriends Henry and decides to help him make the necessary connections to get the project off the ground.

Ryan quickly becomes Henry’s new best friend. They’re both having less than platonic urges, but decide to keep their distance until Ryan is ready for more. Ryan being attracted to Henry isn’t a surprise to him, but entering into a relationship with Henry forces Ryan to reevaluate himself. They live in a closely knit community where keeping secrets is next to impossible. Ryan has to be certain he wants to do this because any change in their relationship is going to become public knowledge very quickly. Henry understands what Ryan is working through and lets him set the pace, even if it is glacial.

Ryan and Henry have what I can only call a slow-burn romance. I wouldn’t say that Ryan is in the closet, at least in the beginning. I’m not even sure Ryan realizes there is a closet at first. It’s more like he has never tried to define himself. He knows he wants to fall in love, have kids, and then happily go about his simple life with his family. He has always assumed the person he fell in love with would be female.

The best aspect of the book, by far, is the characters. They are so genuine and believable. I felt as though I could head over to the English countryside and find them happily going about their lives. They’re good people, and I truly enjoyed getting to know them. Cricket is a well-written, angst-free, romance. I’ve mentioned a couple times that Henry and Ryan have a slow-burn romance moving at glacial speed. The biggest issue I see is that the slow pace may become boring for some readers. You definitely have to be in the mood for calm, comfortable, and heartwarming when you pick up this book. If that’s what you’re looking for, you’re going to enjoy Cricket.

[Serena Yates · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting book. It took me a while to get used to the slow pace, and I admit to wondering about it – until revelation hit me. This is cricket we're talking about. Of course a book that remains true to the game and what it means to the British people will be slow! Have you ever watched a game of cricket? One that goes on for days? Well, I have and I only managed half a day, but I did get the point of it. It is supposed to be slow, since, as a British friend explained to me, it is meant to be "enjoyed sitting in a lawn chair on a hot summer's afternoon, smelling the fresh-cut grass, and drinking iced cocktails". As soon as I realized that, I slowed right down and enjoyed the leisurely stroll through Henry and Ryan's beautiful romance.


Please find my full review of the second edition on Rainbow Book Reviews.

[Misty · Rating 4 out of 5]

** 4.5 Stars **

Delightful and sweet, just what I needed! I love Ms. Martin descriptive writing.

[Serena Yates · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting book. It took me a while to get used to the slow pace, and I admit to wondering about it – until revelation hit me. This is cricket we're talking about. Of course a book that remains true to the game and what it means to the British people will be slow! Have you ever watched a game of cricket? One that goes on for days? Well, I have and I only managed half a day, but I did get the point of it. It is supposed to be slow, since, as a British friend explained to me, it is meant to be "enjoyed sitting in a lawn chair on a hot summer's afternoon, smelling the fresh-cut grass, and drinking iced cocktails". As soon as I realized that, I slowed right down and enjoyed the leisurely stroll through Henry and Ryan's beautiful romance.


Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

[Lizva · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this-it’s a kind of immersive slow-moving book, focused on the characters. That’s my catnip as a reader. Still, this was a little clunky, there were a lot of parts to it that felt unnecessary. Henry the mc is inheriting a massive home. Yet the renovations it needs are pretty minor. His dad wasn’t even aware that his grandmother was still alive, and despite only having one child and being wealthy the grandmother had never visited her son. This kind of thing when it’s just there in a story bothers me. So I’ll try more by this author, but this was only a 3 star romance for me. I did like the romance itself, a sweet slow burn that felt realistic.

[multitaskingmomma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blog Post: http://headouttheoven.blogspot.com/20...

My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

New York native Henry Richardson needs a change. His boyfriend just dumped him, and his business has fallen victim to the economy. But is jumping on a plane after a surprise phone call taking things too far?
The promise of a new opportunity drags Henry away from the city to a tiny village in the English countryside and an enormous manor house his great-grandmother wants to bequeath him. As an experienced wedding planner, he sees the potential in renovating the dilapidated building and using it for events. All he needs is to find some local businesses to provide the essentials.
That’s how Henry meets Ryan Burgess, the shy but hardworking owner of an organic farm. The spark between them sizzles slowly while work on the house continues, but Ryan is deeply in the closet and unwilling to take the last step. They finally find something that clicks in cricket, something that Henry, a former amateur baseball player, is surprisingly good at. For him, cricket helps bridge the gap between England and New York—but unless Ryan can find something to span the divide between his sexuality and his fear, their relationship doesn’t stand a chance.

I have to admit that once in a while I do tend to fall back on fluffy reads to while the time away. Typically, however, I go for the more lengthy novels and I look for those with great plot and character developments. No matter if it is mystery, thriller, paranormal, fantasy, erotic or contemporary/historical romance.This is honestly the first time I have read Anna Martin. I had heard of her, seen the reviews on her other books like Tatoos and Teacups, but never read any of them. For some reason, when I saw the cover and blurb of Cricket, I was intrigued by the premise of an American moving all the way to a tiny village somewhere in England and (knowing this is a romance and not a sporty book despite the title) getting to stay. I was curious as to how this was going to play out. I was hoping this would not be a tale like Romancing The Cricket.

Cricket is a novel, through and through. This is no fluff, this is no novella in the guise of a longer book, and best of all, it was done in such a way that brought images of Somerset to mind to the point that I found myself mentally immersed in this English countryside, their ways and manner of speaking (and drinking, and smoking, and eating). This book reminds me of a book I once read, Castlemore by Charles Mackinnon. The scenery is written in the same manner, the mannerisms of the people were similar, however, the unfolding of events was much faster in that book while Cricket takes us on a more leisurely tour of Henry's life as the "new bloke" in a tiny, but not so teeny, weeny village where all that was American in him slowly got leached and bleached out. Anna Martin's style of writing had the ability to make me visualize the unfolding and development of events. In particular, the incident with the pig. Reading through that short scene got me giggling and snorting. Although the STDs in the beginning of the book should have hinted me on her humour.

As I said before, this is a great English country-side novel about a man and a man who slowly get to know each other, become great friends, play a Cricket game or two, and finally fall in love. And although this is an MM romance I thank the writer and the publishers for not turning this into a hum-drum, erotic-guised commercial book. Instead, we get a quality story written in English, not slanged or pruned. It was almost gently written, if you get my meaning, and it hit just right spot for me which resulted to my loving, dreaming and laughing.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice read, kinda long and drawn out.

[Sucajo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was in love with this book from beginning to end. I can often be frustrated by slow burn books and find myself bored while waiting for the romance to get going but the pace of this book was perfect. I never found myself impatient or felt that things were prolonged just to frustrate the reader. The relationship between Henry and Ryan felt real and incredibly special. There was no insta-love instead there was the gentle development of a lasting relationship. I enjoyed watching Henry come to terms with living in another country and could sympathise with his confusion over the differences between the UK and the USA. I was disappointed when I turned the last page of this story not because I was dissatified in any way but because I was sad to say goodbye to Henry and Ryan.

[Tia Fielding · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit that I read a very early, very incomplete version of Cricket when Anna was still writing it.

It was back then when I fell in love with everything about this story. Now, after I've read the final product, I love it even more.

Yes, it's very slow, but have you ever watched British TV? Read other books by Brits that are loyal to the Britishness of their art? Maybe being an European and a Finn gives me an edge here. Apparently we get the Brits really well.

It may not be your typical M/M romance book, but hell, did you actually expect that from Anna?

Now can I have my own Brit and my HEA? Please?

[Shelba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't judge this book by it's cover (or title). While cricket does play a small role in this book, the focus is on the relationship between Henry and Ryan. It was a nice slow burn, though I didn't really feel any real affinity towards any of the characters. It was no surprise how the book concluded, and I can't really say I was a fan of it, but overall it was a nice read.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing here was just lovely, of course. Anna Martin certainly has a way with words. The meandering storyline was paced a little too slowly to build excitement, but both MCs were adorable and lovable and I just wanted to give both of them big squishy hugs.

[Elci · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet read that taught me that a fry up is indeed not a stir fry (beef broccoli).

Reread March '14. Still as sweet.

[Aginor · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a book with the title 'Cricket', A blurb mentioning Cricket as a gateway to a relationship and a cover illustrating (Who would've guessed) Cricket, there is suprisingly little involved of the actual game. I believe I counted 2 Cricket games and both were skipped. There was much more details about the renovating of the house.

That aside, I loved the romance. It was slow and steady. No awful awkwardness or forced drama. Simply sweet and nice. Despite the foreboding blurb, the 'closet' wasn't exactly what I expected. It was more a 'Coming-of-age' sort of story. I had more of an impression, that he simply never found anyone to enjoy a relationship with, so there was never a reason to mention his sexuality.

What bothered me about the book, aside from the overly detailed bits about the house, were some odd parts where the story skipped some things. At times I felt like, as if I was missing some sort of previous conversation, a context. No amount of backtracing shed any light to my confuse. It happed a few times sometimes at key points of the story. Didn't like that at all.

Would love to read about a second book.

[JD Crittendon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The House, the Goats & the Love!

New Yorker, Henry Richardson travels to England to accept an unexpected inheritance and develops a relationship with handsome but not out Ryan Burgess. This is very good storytelling, an interesting premise, and likable MCs. There is light angst, light but substantial sexy times. No twenty pages of sexy times after every other paragraph of the storyline, here. I also liked the descriptions of the countryside, the storyline of the restoration, and the co-characters.
Although, I thought that Henry was presented as two different personalities. In the first half of the book, he came across as the same as Ryan, masculine. In the second half, he comes across as more fabulous, effeminate. It seemed a marked difference. I wonder if that was the author’s intent. (I could have read this wrong, of course). Anywho, this is the second book I’ve read by Anna Martin and I like her style. A Good Read!

[Kristīne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, so I got as far as the middle of the book, well, technically, my kindle said 45%, but y'know close enough.

I want to be said that there was not a sight of anybody playing cricket in the first part of the book (and tbh I felt let down), except for that one conversation where Henry was talked into being a part of local cricket team or smth. I'm bit hazy on the details already bc I've been reading this book since last year.

It started off well and it was engaging to a point where it just kind of bored me and I couldn't for the life of me read more than five pages at a time. I can't really say what it was because the characterizations and the writing is good.

so yeah. not for me.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost Perfect

It is a well written storyline, for the most part. Good character development and an interesting and diverse supporting cast and yet, something just did not quite jell. The emotional incidents between Henry and Ryan all left me feeling a bit lost or left out. I never felt that the emotional words on the page during the scene matched the emotions expressed by the MCs. Something was missing in the information communicated to this reader and the result was not what the author was trying to display.
The story ends softly, with a promising ending and a hope for a HEA.

[Amneris Cesare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite all bad reviews this book has, I started it thinking "oh, well, I'm going to drop it soon" and on the contrary I became so engrossed I read it all way through the night. It was a slow burning love story but more than that, it was a process of growing into a new life, a sort of formation story. I loved the way the MC's growth proceeded together with the house restoration, and all the comprimary characters rounded him fitting perfectly altogether. I was sad when it finished. I felt comfortable with all of them and with places, houses, pubs and farms, protagonists of this romance book as well.

[Rissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 really.

It really dragged there in the beginning...and you can tell because it took me a while to read it. I didn't have any motivation, lol.

At first, I was confused because of the Scott talk - where did he go? LOL

Then, I didn't even see Ryan - I was all, maybe Paul?

And then, it started getting interesting and then BAM. Did not see that ending coming, the visa thing came out of nowhere. LOL

Then it was good and just as it was getting good, it was the end. :)

[Fredicka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes I forget how much I love Anna Martin books. There is just something about her writing that I find to be unique and comforting. Reading her books are like walking hand and hand down a calm beach. She has a way of including big trauma filled situations without making it forced. She allows her characters to come together naturally over time.
I love how Henry and Ryan are able to build their relationship and find comfort in each other.