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A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog

Review: ‘Cherish Hard’ by Nalini Singh

March 13, 2025

Review: 'Cherish Hard' by Nalini Singh

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Review: ‘Cherish Hard’ by Nalini Singh

Cherish Hard

by Nalini Singh
Series: Hard Play #1
Published by TKA Distribution on November 14, 2017
SubGenres: Contemporary Romance
Format: eBook
Pages: 374
Source: Library - Libby
Audience: 18+/Adult
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three-stars

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.


Cherish Hard is the first installment in Nalini Singh’s Hard Play series. This is much different from Nalini Singh’s Paranormal Romance series and it’s not my first Contemporary Romance book from Nalini. I’ve enjoyed every book I’ve read from Nalini, but this one just felt okay when reading/listening to it. 

The MMC, Sailor Bishop, has a landscaping business, and he comes off as a Cinnamon Roll Hero in the book. He has had feelings for the FMC since he first met her when he was younger. He never expects to run into her again, but now is his chance to make a good impression. The FMC, Isa Rain, is someone who craves love and a family one day, but she’s hesitant about being with someone after what happened the last time she dated. But she has the hots for the new landscaper, but she can’t risk her dreams and her future with him. 

It was a sweet story and had potential, but there wasn’t much that grabbed my attention like I’ve read from other books by Nalini Singh. I liked both characters, but there not memorable, like other characters Nalini has written. I did enjoy getting to know the secondary characters in the background of this one and will continue the series, but overall, this book only gets 3-stars from me.

If you enjoy low-angst stories with the following tropes: Workplace, Opposites Attract, then you may enjoy this book. 


What to Expect:
✔️Workplace Romance
✔️Age Gap (FMC older)
✔️Opposites Attract
✔️Instant Love


About Nalini Singh

I've been writing as long as I can remember and all of my stories always held a thread of romance (even when I was writing about a prince who could shoot lasers out of his eyes). I love creating unique characters, love giving them happy endings and I even love the voices in my head. There's no other job I would rather be doing. In September 2002, when I got the call that Silhouette Desire wanted to buy my first book, Desert Warrior, it was a dream come true. I hope to continue living the dream until I keel over of old age on my keyboard.

I was born in Fiji and raised in New Zealand. I also spent three years living and working in Japan, during which time I took the chance to travel around Asia. I’m back in New Zealand now, but I’m always plotting new trips. If you’d like to see some of my travel snapshots, have a look at the Travel Diary page (updated every month).

So far, I've worked as a lawyer, a librarian, a candy factory general hand, a bank temp and an English teacher and not necessarily in that order. Some might call that inconsistency but I call it grist for the writer's mill.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram


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FranJessca
FranJessca
Owner/Reviewer at A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog
I guess I should type a bio here. I'm FranJessca, or Fran for short. I'm the owner/reviewer behind A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog. I've been reading and reviewing books on my blog since leaving the Navy in 2011, and I will keep doing it as long as possible. My favorite genres will always be Romance & Fantasy, and I read every subgenre underneath those two genres. (Sorry, not a fan of nonfiction, so don't try to convince me to read it.)
My obsession with reading started over 30+ years ago when I went to my first Scholastic Book Fair and found R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. Later, I came across Anne Rice's novels at my public library when I was fourteen when my obsession with vampires started. I was the girl who preferred to be a vampire over a princess any day. My husband says I would leave him a heartbeat for a vampire that looked like Spike or Angel (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. (It's true, though, and he's accepted it.)
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