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.

Titles in the Hard Play series include:  Cherish Hard – Rock Hard (published before Cherish Hard but takes place after, it’s Rock Kiss series #2 as well) –

Title:  Cherish Hard
Series:  Play Hard #1
Author:  Nalini Singh
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Published:  November 14, 2017
Publisher:  The Knight Agency
My Rating:  4.5 stars

I love when authors are able to give me the best of different genre in their book lists.  While many readers may know of Nalini Singh from her Paranormal Romance series, I’ve also known her work on the Contemporary Romance side as well.  So for me, the best of two worlds that I absolutely love.  If you’ve read Ms Singh’s Rock Kiss series then you already are aware of the Bishop brothers.  Although Cherish Hard takes place a few years before Rock Hard and begins a brand new series, there is a connection between the two.

Sailor is a man who knows what he wants and isn’t afraid of the hard work needed to reach a goal whether it’s business or personal.  Right now he’s determined to get his landscaping business off the ground and successful.  What he didn’t count on was running into the elusive woman who captured his attention some time ago and then disappeared.  Isa is a woman who knows the ups and downs of being able to do or have anything she desires.  She believes in hard work, and not getting anything for nothing.  What she’s looking for now is family not business.  She’s seen how business can consume a person, and what she wants most is a man to love her for herself and a family of her own.  When these two meet again the sparks fly enough to ignite a passion that could make or break either of them… but together they could be magic.

While there is an age difference between Sailor and Isa that’s not what drives the story, it’s more of an indication of them being in different places in life and whether they can find a mutual ground to build on.  I really liked this couple.  Isa is smart, sassy, knows her own worth and isn’t afraid of the hard choices even though she’d much rather not have to make them, like most of us.  Sailor is charming, a bit possessive and certain that he and Isa have a future, but getting to agree on that future is at times an issue.  Their romance will be a bumpy road at times.  Yet these two people have the common sense to talk to each other, to be adults and work on the things that need working on instead of ignoring them as if they’ll disappear overnight.  I liked them individually and they were simply amazing together.  I’m hoping that we get glimpses of their future together in the later books in this series.  I happen to be a reader who loves to run into couples and get a look at how they’re dong – much like keeping in touch with old friends.

So, now I have an uncontrollable desire to dig out my Rock Kiss books and do a re-read… yeah that’s probably in my near future.  I absolutely loved Cherish Hard and I will be keeping an eye out for the rest of this series.  I’d recommend this story to any Romance reader who enjoys a well told story, likable characters, realistic situations and some pretty amazing secondary characters as well.  Indulge yourself and enjoy.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Available for the Kindle