Cherish Her

Ava Hayworth’s Cherish Her is the kind of contemporary romance that takes the cherishing in the title literally. The heroine is a single mom rebuilding after a marriage that wasn’t kind to her. The hero is the man who walks into her life and decides, fairly early, that he wants to spend the rest of his being good to her.

The absence of artificial conflict is part of the appeal. Hayworth doesn’t manufacture a third-act misunderstanding for its own sake. The tension comes from the heroine’s own work to trust again.

The heat is moderate. The emotional work is patient.

For readers who like the slower, gentler corner of contemporary romance, the kind Talia Hibbert or Lucy Score sometimes write, this lands well. Not for readers looking for high drama or villains. The book is happy with its quieter setting.