I have to say, I was expecting something entirely different from this novel as it's under the "humor" section and.. well.. Some parts might have been funny, but overall I didn't really get the humorous vibe I was going for? So, yup, a bit disappointing on that part.

I think the book also missed some pages. I think, if there’d be a little more pages, the author would’ve had more opportunity regarding character development for example which I found to be a bit lacking now.

But the book did also have some elements that I really enjoyed. The story-line in general was really fun and enjoyable to read. The writing was easy to loose myself in, which is definitely a plus and despite missing some depth here and there regarding the character development, I really liked reading about these characters.

The romance part of the book was well written and in beautiful balance with the rest of the book I think.

So conclusion: It was an okay read. I had some remarks on it but there were also quite some enjoyable feats so that balances each other out a bit I guess haha. Would I recommend this book? Yes, because I believe that you should give this book a shot and find out for yourself what you’ll think of it. Because it was okay to me, doesn’t mean it can’t be more to you for example.

<em>Dinosaurs & Cherry Stems</em> is a very quick and short read, written in first person and told by a middle-aged woman struggling to find love after her second divorce.

I have to say, I was expecting something entirely different from this novel as it's under the "humor" section and.. well.. Some parts might have been funny, but overall I didn't really get the humorous vibe I was going for? So, yup, a bit disappointing on that part.

I also didn't feel as if Cindy's actually a middle-aged woman. The shortness of this novel probably has something to do with that as it doesn't give an author a lot of wiggling room to flesh out characters. Cindy simply felt very flat and at times very childish too. Me being 26, that.. might say something? I don't know.

I definitely liked the first part of this novel best though, because Cindy then tells us all about the weirdos and perverts she encountered on dating sites and ended up meeting in person. Definitely loved those stories!
After that, her romance had more of a "rushed" feel to it and you knew where it was going to end. Add in the childish moments, out of the blue events and too abrupt "plot twists".. You end up with an okay read for a Sunday afternoon.

I enjoyed it, but definitely wasn't blown away and expected to laugh way more than I did.

2.5 / 5!

I would highly recommend this as a genuinely satisfying read; light hearted but realistic giving you a true reflection on how life can be at different times in your life. The authors sense of humour and irony shines through with a health dose of reality thrown in.

I received an ARC of this from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Initially, this short novel seemed really promising. There were some hilarious chapters about Cindy, a recent divorcee in her 50's re-entering the dating game. Each chapter was about a different man and dating experience.; I have to admit that some of these were very familiar. Then, just before giving up on online dating, she finds Jay. Unlike the brief synopsis of the book, I don't believe that he accidently just emailed her, she actually did seek hi out and click on his profile. But anyways, details, details.
Their whole relationship started off ok for me, and then I just found myself rolling my eyes and shaking my head, The dialogue between the two of them was just a bit over the top, too cutesy and a bit irritating. I also found that it started to read like a dating how to guide.
I finished it, but I didn't like it the more I read it. I wouldn't really recommend it but at the same time I didn't give it the lowest rating because it did entertain me at the beginning.

Great story but little humor

I read this book because it was promoted as humor, but I didn’t find much of it funny. In addition, I don’t generally like romance stories, so I should not have liked this book, but I did. Susan Ricci is a talented writer who created a warm, touching story of midlife romance. My one quibble was that near the end, it read more like an advice book than a novel. Aside from that, it was excellent.

I loved this book, it was very funny at times but also heartfelt. I really liked the style of writing - very easy to read. Loved the character descriptions and nick-names. Would like to read another book by Susan Ricci.
9 out of 10 from me!

4 1/2 stars out of 5Dinosaurs and Cherry Stems is a laugh out loud funny easy to read story.

This is a must read book!!

Susan Jean Ricci is able to create a laugh out loud story with fund dialogue, a protagonist that will have readers loving and a hate to love or is it love to hate characters.

Cindy shows the world what it is like to date online and the humor you need when the crazy happens.

Dinosaurs and Cherry Stems is the perfect read for anyone going though a divorce not to mention if you just need to laugh.



This story from what I have heard from friends is a very honest look at dating after 40.



Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of Susan Jean Ricci Dinosaurs and Cherry Stems.

Dinosaurs & Cherry Stems is a great start to this series. A quirky, humorous contemporary romance with fabulous characters and a wonderfully refreshing storyline. I look forward to exploring more by this author and this series