4.5 stars -- OK, based on my own personal preferences, I should not have liked this book. I am so not a fan of really descriptive writing (not sure why, just isn't me) -- and Cranberry Hush was mondo descriptive. I'm not a fan of flashbacks usually, find them confusing -- and Cranberry Hush is all about flashbacks. So when I say this book is really good, understand that I do that even in spite of the fact that it shouldn't be the book for me. There was just something about the descriptions that *fit* you know...like, in knowing Vince, it made sense to see and feel and hear from his perspective. It added elements to the book that I think most writers aim for but fail (hence why I usually don't like descriptiveness). And the flashbacks were done in such a way that they *fit* too. At first it caught me out, but once I figured out the pattern, it was really easy to follow and it didn't take me forever to figure out when we were in a flashback b/c it usually related to something happening in the present. Thus, it made sense to flashback...each piece just added more to the puzzle. And quite honestly, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about Vince...he's hard to relate to, b/c sometimes you just want to smack him. But yet again, that didn't deter from the book, but kind of made the book what it was. He was flawed. He was a seriously unique character. I never really thought about the logistics of being Bi and how that could colour your world view at times. And everything resolved in just the right way where it was believable, and realistic, and he grew and changed in a way that was appropriate (not fast enough for me, but that's real life right??). So yeah, highly recommend this book.