Title: Cherish Hard
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Hard Play #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Sport
Dates read: 22nd – 23rd December 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Nalini Singh
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: Still, she couldn’t stop second-guessing herself as Sailor led her out of the house through a side entrance that opened out into a small, manicured garden.
New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh kicks off her new Hard Play contemporary romance series with a sizzling story that’ll leave you smiling…
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.
I’ve been hanging to get to the Hard Play novels ever since I read Rock Hard. After all, Gabe is absolutely drool-worthy. And the brief glimpses you get into his family are absolutely brilliant… they’re such a beautifully, wonderfully close knit group that I can’t help but feel I would love to be a part of. Which left me grinning when I finally managed to get around to this novel.
Isa has such a sad little backstory. She’s most definitely the kind of girl that is searching for love and family. And, although she’s often described as a little shy, I loved her backbone and gumption throughout this. She may not be the most outgoing person, but she’s definitely able to stand up for the people that she loves. And, as Sailor quickly finds out for himself throughout their love story, she’s more than capable of standing up for herself.
I’ve not read very many stories in which the lead male is actually a few years younger than the woman he falls for. It’s not really such a well-known / accepted trope. Which meant that having Sailor a few years younger than Isa left me feeling very happy and content. I love storylines that feature couples who aren’t exactly within the normal limits that we place on society. And the age difference in this was pretty much negligible and reminded us all that you can find love no matter what your differences.
Isa and Sailor are a fantastic couple. Throughout this novel, they both decide to sacrifice things they didn’t think they would give up. They both grow together, and ultimately find a new, better version of happily ever after. Then, there’s the hints of Nayna and Raj’s relationship which are making me seriously keen to pick up Rebel Hard…
Earth and Skye 
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