Cherish Hard is the spin-off from Nalini Singh's Rock Kiss series featuring Gabriel Bishop's rugby playing Kiwi brothers. It's a sexy, heart-warminig story filled with the trials, tribulations and victory of a true and abiding love.

I've been waiting for Cherish Hard for a long time, ever since I heard Ms Singh was planning a spin-off featuring Garbiel's brothers, because holy smokes, they are sexy. Cherish Hard does not disappoint and it is filled with classic Nalini Singh emotion and heart. Cherish Hard also takes place before Rock Hard so we meet a younger Gabriel but that's neither here nor there since he isn't the focus of the story.

The focus of the story is Sailor Bishop, Gabriel's younger brother and he is magnificent. While he's young, he's also ambitious and determined. He has a whole host of demons he needs to overcome from his youth and the loss of his father but in doing so, he also needs to find a place in his heart and his life for Isa. I loved watching Sailor fall in love and how important Isa was to him. The things he does as he courts her, shows her time and time again what she means to him, and the kind of man he is is truly breathtaking. Sailor is pure fantasy material because what real life man is as put together as he is even as he confronts his demons, exposes his secrets to Isa and works to put his relationship with her as the most important thing in his life.

"Some things a man knew. And Sailor knew Ísa was meant to be his. He also knew he was fighting a lifetime of pain inflicted on her by the very people who were meant to love her."

"Sailor knew he wasn’t a dream man. He was scarred inside in ways that didn’t show, was haunted by a childhood that had been softened by what had come after, but nothing could erase the anguish of the five-year-old child he’d once been. Nothing could wipe away the primal determination threaded through his psyche. He was no perfect Prince Charming. But he was a man who would love Ísa forever if she just gave him the chance. Because she was it for him. For now and always."

Isa and I did not get on to start with. In fact, at the beginning of the book I hated her. She did some things which drove me bonkers and fortunately for both me and her, Sailor called her on it and wouldn't let her run away because of her fears. Isa has seen a lot of neglect in her life and because of that she is fierce about loving and protecting her family. She puts all her feeling into making sure her brother and sister are loved and cared for while she longs for a love that transcends the mundane and ambition.

"“Family is everything to you, Ísa.”"

I grew to like Isa a lot because she is a fighter and she decides to fight for what she want and who she loves. While she had fears that gripped her, she determinedly walks over them and takes steps forward, taking chances with her heart even when is afraid. I admired her for that.

"She wanted to run down the hall to him, held back because showing him that much of herself was beyond frightening, but she’d made a promise. And Ísa Rain was no quitter. She ran."

I enjoyed Sailor and Isa's story. It is filled with endless emotion and poetry. Of course, it helps too that Ms Singh's writing is beautiful and reading it is effortless. I don't know whose book is next but I'm looking forward to it.

Isa Rain has not had many people to depend on in her whole life. Her parents are intensely driven to succeed in business and have ignored her much of her life. She decided to go the opposite direction and become a teacher. Her abilities could be used in her parents’ companies, but her heart is in teaching Literature.  She is the only family that is actually there to support her siblings. She wants a man to be there for her and love her. Isa does not want someone like her Father. Sailor Bishop’s early life was not great, but now he has an amazing family that supports, loves, and teases him. He has had a dream to have a big landscaping business and make it a success. Sailor’s worst nightmare would to act like his biological Father, whom he looks like. Hard work has gotten him some notice, but a big company contract would get him much more publicity and clients.

The second time that Isa and Sailor see each other there are instant sparks and the usually shy Isa makes the first move.  What may have started as just physical gets much more difficult when they spend more time together. Isa doesn’t think that Sailor could give her what she desperately needs. She needs to protect her heart so the handsome man does not cause her huge heartache. When they meet each other’s families, it is even harder to keep a distance. Will both of their dreams and ambitions get in the way of the relationship? Will one or both have to give up on their plans to keep the other?  

A very good continuation of the Bishop-Esera family that was started in Gabriel’s book “Rock Hard”. I liked Gabriel’s family from the start and I am glad the brothers get their story. Both of the characters deserved to have a special someone in their life.

Cherish Hard is the first book in the latest contemporary series that is a off shoot of Rock Hard from the Rock Kiss series. Cherish Hard features Sailor Bishop, who is the brother of our hero Gabriel. So I adored Rock Hard like honestly, one of my favorite contemporaries's that I have ever had the pleasure of reading. would be Gabriel's book which we are first introduced to this family of brothers and loving supportive parents. So to get more into Sailor was simply what I looked forward to the most in this book.

I will say first off, that it wasn't as impacting as Rock Hard was for me however, it was pretty impressive and Sailor is HOT and one of the best book boyfriends I have ever made in romance reading. There was just something raw and vibrant about his character. I love what a good person Sailor is, like really, he has such a great heart, he is hard working, has dreams, and knows the woman that he wants to marry and  how devoted he is to his dreams and family.

Our heroine didn't have the blessing of a traditional loving family. Her parents were more devoted to their career's than their daughter. Isa refuses to have a family the way her parents have been contented with. Isa is protective of her younger siblings and dedicates her life to making sure they never feel unwanted or unloved. Her mother is trying to push Isa into following into her footsteps because Isa is intelligent and very cunning when it comes to business but Isa has other dreams. She wants to write poetry and she wants to teach children and to have a family.

Our story sets off with a college party. Sailor is appeasing to his folks about going out to a party, not that he really wants to. But then he spies a young woman he would do anything to have, she is beauty and class and he is drawn to her in a way he has never felt before.

But then she is dumped by her boyfriend cruelly and then disappears. Now its been a few years later, and Isa is teaching her class. After class is done, she spies sex on a stick working on the grounds outside and this introvert lady, that doesn't do anything rash, goes out to talk to him and before she knows it kisses him. And thus begins a weird start off to a sexy relationship between Sailor and Isa. Isa isn't sure how she feels about Sailor especially when she learns that he witnessed her greatest humiliation in college and he is younger than her. So Isa does struggle with a inner struggle, but she is highly attracted to Sailor and she knows that he is a loyal man that she is falling hard for. But the real conflict of the story deals with Sailor and his dreams. He has to make a choice that may make him lose Isa if he chooses to work more than being with his family to build his dreams. 

This romance was sexy and heart felt and gives the reader ALL THE FEELS, I mean honestly these two can make you cry and make you laugh and everything in between. Cherish Hard is a stunning and a sexy page turner that makes you fell all good inside.

I just didn't know what to make of this book. It was fairly light-hearted and enjoyable, but nothing stuck out to me. Everything was just...meh (which is pretty sad considering I adore Singh's PNR). Something about Cherish Hard just didn't click for me. 

If I had to guess where most of my ambivalence comes from, it would be our heroine, Isa. She is a bit unrelatable. She's grown up with a difficult, absent, mother and a slew of step-fathers. At the beginning of the book we see her as a teacher, but then soon after she takes a summer job helping her mother with her company (as a VP). Isa takes care of her younger siblings and cares for pretty much everyone around her. I just couldn't feel a connection with her no matter how hard I tried.

The hero of the book, Sailor, is pretty darn amazing though. He's driven and sweet and just a tiny bit kinky. Pretty swoon-worthy honestly!

I wanted to love this book, but I just couldn't. Sadly I'm going to rate Cherish Hard at 3.5 stars.

I was lucky enough to get an arc via Netgalley for the book and I am soooo happy!
It is still very difficult to believe that Nalini has ventured into contemporary territory with such success. Of course, there are a few things tha she can't shake off her wirting, but that is fine by me. I was looking forward to seeing more of the Bishop-Esera clan and it was nice to spend time with them. I had missed them and didn't know about it.
Isla Rain is a small force of nature and I looked forward to reading her reations.
One thing that we do not see in Nalini's paranormal books, but I love in her contemporaries, are the chapter titles! They make me look forward to great things and excited to get on with reading!

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.

Isa Rain is a school teacher who was raised by parents who had no time for her.  Each of her parents (now divorced) run successful businesses and her mother, especially, would love to see her working in the corporate world.  Isa wants nothing to do with it.  She was neglected as a child and doesn’t want that for her children.  When she gets married she wants her husband to cherish her as much as she cherishes him.  She gets a wild hair one day and on her way out of the school decides to kiss the hot gardener she’d been ogling all afternoon.  She loves it, but she knows immediately that it’s a mistake.

Sailor Bishop is a man on a mission. He wants nothing more than to be a good person and have an incredibly successful landscaping business.  His family backs him in everything he does but he wants to do this himself without leaning on anyone.  When a hot redhead kisses him outside of  a job site he’s thrilled, but she soon disappears on him.  He can’t get her out of his mind after that.  When he finds out that she’s his contact for the corporate job he managed to secure he knows it’s fate – he just needs to talk Isa into believing it’s fate as well.  Isa, however, is not sure that with Sailor’s work hours they can make a lasting relationship, well, work.

This is a bit of a prequel to the Bishop family series.  This is book one in the Hard Play series about the Bishop brothers but we got Sailor’s brother Gabe’s book, Rock Hard, in the Rock Kiss series.  I loved Gabe and the Bishop family in that book so happy to read about them again in Cherish Hard.  The family is loving and wonderful and raised incredible men. Of course in this book Sailor’s brothers are in their teens but still good guys.

The relationship between Isa and Sailor was an odd one but it grew on me as the book went on.  Singh had me rooting for the pair and I was extremely satisfied with the end of the book.  This ended up being a great first book in a what seems like it will be a wonderful series.

Rating: 4 out of 5

This will post as a guest review on Book Binge.
http://bookbinge.com/

This was a really enjoyable story but one which I felt was saved by Sailor. I’m not sure what it was but I just couldn’t connect with Ísa. 

We first meet Ísa and Sailor at a college party when Ísa is cruelly spurned by her boyfriend. This rejection and the way it was handed down to her has affected Ísa ever since and has left her untrusting, especially of men. 

With her life trying to be controlled by her mother, Ísa decides that she wants to teach rather than enter the family business but with a complicated family set-up, and various siblings to take care of, plus a dysfunctional step-father, Ísa’s life is far from straightforward and when she has to bend to her mother’s will to protect her brother, Ísa’s life is once again thrown into the path of Sailor. 

Tasked to work together on a project for Ísa’s mother’s company, Ísa soon realises that Sailor may just be the man for her, even if he is younger than her. Sailor is funny, kind, protective, supportive and everything else Ísa needs in a man but fearful of their age difference, Ísa is convinced their relationship isn’t destined to be forever, but she hasn’t taken Sailor’s determination into account. 

The story around Ísa’s sister, Catie is lovely and especially when she too is brought into the arms of Sailor’s family. I’d love to see where the friendship between Danny and Catie ends up, despite their initial bickering. 

Overall, another good story in this extended series by Nalini Singh. Ísa’s family dynamics confused the life out of me though and seemed a little unnecessarily complicated. Thank goodness the Bishop’s are not quite as complicated!

Haven’t we met before…?

My reading mind (The Book Zone) feels like a Rolodex sometimes. Every book I start, I’m looking through my catalogue for similarities, triggers and a comfy place for my romantic heart to bloom. As soon as I started reading Cherish Hard my Rolodex was activated. This is kind of how it played out…

Nalini Singh, OK, what’s she got for me this time…
I’m expecting a strong, determined and loving hero…check
The heroine will have faced heartache and devastation…check
Ooh, we have Rugby again…check
Strong family values…check
Doesn’t make decisions solely on where his junk is pointing…check
Hero and heroine have brains…check
Work is important, but family comes first…check

WAIT…WAIT…WAIT…this is really familiar. Haven’t we met before? Isn’t this the first book in the series? Why do I feel like I know you already?

Yep, Sassy went in blind. Sassy has a bad habit of being utterly oblivious to stuff. Sassy had a very *DOH!!* moment at the end of the book when it was confirmed by the author that it was connected (siblings) to Rock Hard. Guess what Sassy couldn’t help but re-read after finishing Cherish Hard? (You would think that Sassy would have got that HARD connection…bloody idiot)

Anyways, I loved Cherish Hard. The storyline captured my attention from the very start. The characters are lovable and perfect for each other. It’s one of those stories where certain things or parts would normally have me squinting or scowling, but in this case, it WORKED. I loved that it was set at my next door neighbours place (New Zealand) and I recognised places and names I’ve visited and heard of.

So, I really loved it but the shining light and biggest heart shiver moment happened at the end when our hero put his priorities right without having to be told to. Quite refreshing not to have to witness screaming matches between the hero and heroine when he “does her wrong” or neglects her. I loved that quite a few of the men in this story were manly men who could love and show devotion to the special women in their life. It wasn’t wussy or weak, it was an exhilarating delight from a muscly and gorgeous man with a big heart. 

I’m a fan and I will definitely be back for more. Now, I’m going back to visit Gabe and Charlie as they Rock Hard.

Stacey is Sassy, received a complimentary copy of this story. The copy provided is not the final copy and may be subject to edits and changes.

Maybe it's me, but this one just didn't do it for me. I didn't like Isa because I feel like she was supposed to be sweet and shy, but seemed more of an insecure martyr. There was also a lot of internal hand wringing, which drove  me nuts. I have enjoyed other books by this author, but I really just couldn't connect to and get invested in this one.

Simply put another fantastic story by Ms. Singh. Can't get enough of her books!

Every single book friend I have is crazy about Nalini Singh, so I was beyond excited to get my hands on her latest release.  Unfortunately, I didn't connect with it at all.  I wanted to love it, but the love was too insta (which I didn't think was a problem with me, but I am finding that to be a repeated complaint lately, so perhaps my tastes have changed), and outside of a physical connection, I didn't really feel like the love story had progressed in the first half of the book.  Or maybe it's just that I didnt' feel connected to it.  I felt like there was a lot of telling, and less showing.  I would have liked more dialogue.  Snappy banter.  Something to pull me into their relationship and make me understand why they felt so strongly for each other.

In the end, it was with great sadness that I chose to DNF at 40%.  I may circle back around and try it again at some point.  It's possible I just wasn't in the right headspace for this book.  And I definitely will give Ms. Singh's other work a try.  This one just wasn't for me.

I struggled with this one simply because I could not for the life of me connect with the heroine, Isa. I tried so hard to like her. She comes off really sweet and sort of bashful, but her actions are completely different. I think her inner thoughts got to me a little bit too. Perhaps it's just me and I wasn't in to mood to read it at this particular time (sometimes I get romanced out), so I may consider re-reading it in the future. But for now, this was an okay book.

quick, enjoyable read. Read it in one sitting. Really loved Sailor...he was divine. I want him for my own. Isa was very relatable. Can't wait to read the next book in the series!!!!.

Nalini Singh has a way of writing men you'd love to take home! I loved getting the backstory on how Sailor and Isa became the happily married couple we saw in Gabrial's story (Rock Hard). This story was sweet, light, and funny. This is a very relatable story about family and fighting for happiness. The main couple communicates, has chemistry in spades, and delightful banter. I'm a sucker for Nalini Singh's paranormal series but she's converted me to her contemporary writing too! A very enjoyable read for me with all of the depth and emotion Nalini Singh is known for but without as much grit of her paranormal works. I can't wait to see the rest of the Bishop boys!
My advice buy this book when it comes out Nov 14 <3

**ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review**

I've adored Sailor Bishop ever since meeting him in brother Gabriel's Rock Hard. So happy to find Sailor's story is every bit as tender and sweet. I can hardly wait to meet the other Bishop/Esera boys.

Unlike most romance fans, I'm not familiar with Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling series. Rather, I'm a huge fan of her contemporary romances featuring gorgeous alpha guys who are not only smitten but so sweetly supportive of their loves. These are guys who fall fast, fall hard, and fall for good. While Isa may be torn by her personal insecurities and crazy family drama, Sailor knows she is "his redhead" and he goes after her with all of his strength and patience. Isa may be the poet, but Sailor's declarations to her in the end were the real poetry here. 

There is steam and sexual tension galore here, but the real story is Sailor and Isa opening up to each other and finding safe haven together. It was so great that their story lived up to the little sneak peek of their married life in Rock Hard. The author builds such interesting supporting characters - I hope we also get a look at Harlow and Catie in the future. 

4.5 stars

The story about fighting: for family, for love, for dreams and for happiness.

"Cherish Hard" is a history of Gabriel Bishop's (whom readers met in "Hard Rock") brother Sailor and his lovely spitfire, Ísalind. But it is also a story about family bonds that can sometimes tie you up and wound you in the most painful way.

The main heroine is a young woman, who is trying to give her siblings a childhood with a sense of family and support, that lacked in hers, and at the same time makes her dreams come true. She is a really strong person, one with the capacity to make sacrifices in the name of love. But she is also vulnerable and with bad experience when it comes to men. So you can guess that for Sailor winning her trust and heart is not going to be a piece of cake!

From all Nalini Singh's books, I think that "Cherish Hard" is the most focused on the subject of family. Sometimes Ísa and Sailor's story comes second, because in the foreground there are family issues. But anyway, the brilliant dialogues, funny moments and soul-stirring history of fighting for love make that book number one on every "to read" list!

We have five gorgeous men in Bishop-Esera family: the ruthless CEO Gabriel, the hunky gardener Sailor, the handsome single dad Jake and the charming rugby player Danny. Gabriel&Sailor had already found their HEA. So the story of which of the younger brothers will be next?

Nalini Singh has a new series people!! This is not a drill! And it’s so GOOD! You can’t go wrong with a Nalini book.

Cherish Hard is a spin-off of her Rock Hard series. This book is out in 2 weeks and you do not need to have read any of the Rock Hard books to read this one – it completely stands alone. Sailor is the brother of Gabriel, the rugby player – who was one of my favorites of that series. I fell into this book pretty hardcore. Which, wasn’t really shocking since it’s Nalini and I generally love everything she does and read everything she does. But her contemporaries are so different from her paranormals. I mean – there are definitely similarities. The world-building is here, there are solid side characters that I love, and obviously the romance is present but the differences are striking too. The combination of both make Nalini Singh my favorite author since she can switch so deftly.

Sailor and Isa cross paths in college for a brief time but it left a big impact on Sailor so when they meet again as adults he is bound and determined to connect for real this time. Sailor is ambitious and hard-working but also really loving of the family in his life. Isa was a fascinating character to me because she has an amazing business mind and is super practical but years to be more of a poet type. I absolutely loved to see these two interact not only with each other but with their families and in their companies. I felt like the romance here built at a great speed and the tension was exactly right – the arc of the book had me feeling a little anxious as to what was going to happen and when it was resolved I was ridiculously happy because I NEEDED these two to get their HEA.

This book is set before Gabriel’s – aka T-Rex’s – from the Rock Hard series. So at first the timeline confused me a bit. The families in this book are everything here and I love them all!! Isa’s siblings are perfection and the way her sister is written made me want her to grow up and have a whole book around her. Which is such a Nalini trait – there are so many characters in her paranormals that I am dying to see get their own books! The same could be said here for Isa’s friend (omg I need to know the FULL story on that just FYI) and Sailor’s hilarious brothers. Side characters can make or break a book and Nalini’s always just fill hers out so well.

I loved this book. I can’t wait for the next contemporary Hard Play novel! Or Psy/Changeling novel. Or Guild Hunter novel…Or really anything Nalini Singh wants to write. Because let’s face it, if she writes it, I’m reading it – and so should you!

Nalini Singh is always a good read and this book was no exception. I enjoyed this more down to earth contemporary, well in comparison to the rock stars. This is a fairly warm and cozy story. The main couple had some interesting hang ups and struggles to overcome as they dealt with both their pasts and futures. Sailor was adorable and his attention and interest in Isa made him really fun to read. The side store with the best friend and arranged marriage was very very interesting and I can't wait to read that book, possibly a short story?

I fell head over heels for Sailor Bishop and Ísa Rain. On paper these two look to be total opposites but are more alike than they even know. They are perfect for each other and I truly enjoyed watching them find each other. This book is everything good about a romance and will leave you with a smile.

Perfectly executed, sweet, light hearted and delightful.

I really enjoyed Cherish Hard. It was a wonderfully sweet, approachable and relatable novel.

For me what really stood out was Sailor Bishop. He shone like a beacon - OMG, he was sooooo amazing!!! Swoony, and just a real fantastic guy. I loved him. The way that he treated Ísa was wonderful.

Even so they met for such a short time years ago at a college party, the moment was imprinted on him. Sailor couldn't forget her, the red head that ran away from him. Now years later, he promised himself she would not run away again and that he would go to any length to ensure it.

Sailor was surprisingly possessive, not too overwhelming, just the right amount to call her his more often than not. I think my heart swooned every single time he called her HIS. Sailor's dedication towards his goals, family and now Ísa was admirable and something I personally love in a man.

The story on its own was very well plotted. I enjoyed the execution of the arc, but especially the resolving of the biggest looming arc. I was sooooo proud of them. That particular storyline could have easily turned cliche. Both characters were incredibly mature in dealing with the situation. It was a pleasure to see their trust in each other, and going after what they wanted the most.

This book was a wonderful respite. Sweet, light-hearted and heart-warming. Everything I needed in a book.

So if you like something delightfully charming, enchanting and a book that made me happy, don't hesitate in picking up this book. I can't wait to read the other books in this series.