Cherish Hard
Author: Nalini Singh
Reviewer: Jen
Rating: B-
What I’m Talking About:
Seven years ago, Sailor witnessed a beautiful girl being dumped by her jerk boyfriend, but she ran out before he could get her name. He was enchanted by her beauty right then. Present day… Sailor works hard to get his fledgling landscaping company off the ground. He’s taken by surprise when he sees the woman who has been haunting his dreams for seven years. He’s even more shocked when he discovers they will be working together, closely.
Ísa is working to provide a stable home base for her siblings because her “Dragon” mother spends her focus and energy on her business empire. Ísa’s mother manipulates her into working for the family company for the summer where she is to oversee the development of a new business venture, and the sexy landscaper who is integral to the designs.
Overall, I liked Cherish Hard. I found the second half of the book highly entertaining and enjoyed Sailor and Ísa’s romance. However, the first half of the book didn’t flow smoothly for me. There were starts and stops. The pace was slow, and I didn’t feel a strong connection to the characters or storyline. I felt the story was going in too many directions – with Ísa’s own life (which is crazy), her best friend, the ex, her teaching job, her mom… It was hard to keep it straight. Plus Ísa was SOOOO wishy washy about her desires and feelings. It was hard to get behind her when I never was certain which direction she was going.
The second half was MUCH better than the first half. It almost felt like two different books. Overall, the story worked much better – Ísa and Sailor spent time talking to one another, time together. We got to see their friendship blossom. There was genuine emotion and a much streamlined story. I loved the pair together and how they wanted to fight for each other.
In the end, I enjoyed reading Cherish Hard and continue to look forward to more books set in this wonderful world. I’m guessing the next books will take place several years ahead, as at this point, Sailor’s brothers are too young for their own HEAs. (This book should be considered a prequel to Rock Hard, Rock Kiss series #2). Now that the world is set, I have a feeling the series will only get better from here.
My Rating: B- Liked It, but I had a few small issues
About the Book:
Sailor Bishop has only one goal for his future – to create a successful landscaping business. No distractions allowed. Then he comes face-to-face and lips-to-lips with a woman who blushes like an innocent… and kisses like pure sin.
Ísa Rain craves a man who will cherish her, aches to create a loving family of her own. Trading steamy kisses with a hot gardener in a parking lot? Not the way to true love. Then a deal with the devil (aka her CEO-mother) makes Ísa a corporate VP for the summer. Her main task? Working closely with a certain hot gardener.
And Sailor Bishop has wickedness on his mind.
As Ísa starts to fall for a man who makes her want to throttle and pounce on him at the same time, she knows she has to choose – play it safe and steady, or risk all her dreams and hope Sailor doesn’t destroy her heart.
Release Date: November 14, 2017
Publisher: self-published
Series: Hard Play #1 (spin-off from Rock Kiss series)
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format(s): paperback (372 pages), e-book, audiobook
Book Source: NetGalley
Purchase Info:
Amazon