Cherish by Kris Bryant is an absolutely superb heart-tugging romance. I always expect great love stories from Ms. Bryant’s novels, and with this book, she has met and exceeded my expectations.

This is indeed a pure romance novel with lovely characters and a magnificent setting (Goda Beach).
We even have some of my favorite tropes with age-gap, small town, and even a hint or two of an ice queen in the tale. The story of how artist Josie Lockner and Olivia Mountclair fall in love will bring a smile to your lips and a tear to your eyes.
One of the best parts is getting to see characters I fell in love with in another book by this author; Brooke, Cassie and their son Noah Wellington from the author’s novel Temptation. They are important secondary characters in this book, and we even get to meet their young daughter, Ava.

I had a fantastic time reading this book. If you enjoy romantic novels, you don’t want to miss this one.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

This has been a story with a slight age gap between its protagonists, also a difference in social classes, although none of the above matters much in the course of the story.

Jossie is a talented graphic artist, focused mainly on painting, although she is reluctantly considering dedicating herself to graphic design due to the difficulties of making a name for herself in the art world. She is lucky enough to get an artist-residency in a quiet, upscale coastal town, which will allow her to dedicate herself to painting without worrying about anything else, living in a beach house within the Wellington residence. , her benefactors.

One of the neighbors is Olivia, a woman who has suffered a great loss that still torments her and makes her surly and unapproachable. But Josie from the first moment they casually meet, she feels a strong attraction and does not hesitate to cause chance encounters, not so chance, that will gradually dismantle Olivia's barriers towards others.

It has been a story that shows how the two women help each other, Josie making Olivia come out of her reverie and Olivia giving Josie confidence to believe in her potential as an artist. And it also shows how two women apparently at opposite poles can find common paths to follow together, without hidden agendas or other interests outside of feelings.

An artsy age gap love story between two women who find love when they weren't looking.

Josie, a new college graduate, lands an artist-in-residence opportunity in a beach town where she can focus on her art for a few months before going into the real world. There she meets one of her art idols, Olivia, who is as gorgeous as she is talented. But will Olivia's tragic history get in the way of a new happily ever after?

I think Josie came across as an optimistic college graduate ready to discover what life has to offer, and that was done really well. I don't think Josie and Olivia's relationship had much substance on page. There was a lot of telling about what they did together or what Josie felt but not a lot of showing their relationship actually develop. I loved the support from the Wellingtons; their friendship seemed absolutely on point. Overall, a good read.

It's sad, but also sweet and gentle... and hot! These two wonderful characters have burning chemistry and are so hot together.
But Josie must tread carefully to bring down Olivia's walls.
Walls built of loss and sorrow.
Josie sees so much of that hurt and sadness in Olivia's eyes.
She is a young aspiring artist and is awarded a summer artist-in-residence in the small beach town of Goda, Massachusetts with the Wellingtons.
This family is well known to all Kris Bryant fans.
I loved meeting Cassie and Brooke again.
Her story was the very first audiobook I ever heard and since then I've been addicted to sapphic romance audiobooks!
So compliments for this wonderful love story "Temptation" and the grandiose audiobook too!

The story of Josie and Olivia is slow-burn and interspersed with many heartbreaking moments!
It is touching and often sad and yet light and sunny, just like Josie herself is!
You will love and sympathize with Josie and Olivia and keep your fingers crossed for them. I'm sure!
Thanks to Kris Bryant and Bold Stroke Books for the ARC!

The dark will not change a vibrantly painted canvas; however, the viewer may need to find a different light source to appreciate its beauty.

I have emotional charley horses. Do I have a huge smile on my face due to the epilogue? Yes, though I need an ice pack for my bruises.

My eyeballs told my brain we had reached 80% of the book and to locate a seatbelt, but I was ill prepared for the gauntlet of feels. Next time, a neck brace for the emotional whiplash, a helmet to keep my thoughts and shouts inside my head, and a bullet proof vest may be needed to shield my heart from the tumult. Possibly some antacids to calm my protesting nerve-filled stomach too. I am exhausted.

What a spectacular read.

The love scenes blazed like a heatwave, the laughter and joy of newness stoked the flames, and 80% of the book you will reminiscence and revel in the beauty of happiness. After that, the writing goes not only for the carotid, but both the anterior and exterior jugular as well. It's arterial spray and it's bloody brilliant.

If you've experienced when life forces you down a path you were not prepared for, you will find their journey cathartic. The universality of life and its lemons may unearth those suppressed sour moments- this book? It will help you add the sugar and the vodka to ease it down. Cheers to a wonderful read

A Masterpiece

As an artist, Josie gets an opportunity to do a residency in Goda. Her host family, The Wellingtons, next door neighbour turns out to be Olivia Monteclair, who is also an artist. Olivia relishes her peace, and after enduring trauma that completely changed her life never expected, Josie’s bright and happy demeanour to affect her so greatly, but they only have the summer.

Truly beautiful and heartfelt romance about taking a second chance on love. Artistic in story and in nature of the way it was written, so simple and eloquent, creating imagery that left me picturing the scenic beach town, the stunning artwork, and the lovely kind people. What makes this story, is the simplistic nature of every chapter and moment, it flowed, artistically between one moment to the next, slowly building the connection and relationship between Josie and Olivia to the point you could easily forget at the beginning they were strangers. They were just so well suited and each brought something out in the other.

Josie almost gave Olivia a permissions she’d been unconsciously seeking to be happy and smile again, and Olivia returned to Josie the allowance to believe and chase a dream. Everything about the story was perfect and had my heart melting. Noah, who was the son of the Wellingtons, was so infectious and really helped Josie settle in, especially for those few classes of Olivia’s they both attended. His sweet nature, and the encouragement of his family, were just the support both Josie and Olivia needed.

I fell completely in love with story and cannot wait to read it again and again. It’s truly fantastic, a simple summer romance, with a lot of good feelings.

3 stars. Josie Lockner lands a big artist in-residence at a beach town in RI. Josie cannot wait to paint all the scenery and landscapes and just has all summer to work on her art. She is very interested in the neighbor, Olivia Monteclair, The neighbor owns an art gallery and is very mysterious and Josie wants to just get to know her better. Josie cannot help but keep getting involved in the things Olivia does and see where it can go from there.

This book has characters from another novel, the Wellingtons who are hosting Josie, it was nice to see them show up again. I enjoyed this book, but it was not amazing. I liked the throwback to characters from another book, but I am not sure I 100% liked the story. I did not like the age gap between the characters, but was not surprising. I am. not sure I would recommend this book unless you like the author. I am not sure it is a good recommend this book

Absolutely loved this book. So simple and so beautiful at the same time. The book is told in first person, from Josie’s point of view and that works wonderfully well, especially with Olivia’s baggage. The characters have great chemistry and the sex if off the charts. It was a wonderful surprise to find characters from temptation who have an important role in the book too. I will cherish this one.

It's like picking a favorite child, but I have to say that of all of Kris Bryant's five-star books, and that's every one of them by the way, Temptation is my favorite. Cassie and Brook, with her curt head nods, are one of my all-time favorite couples.

So imagine my surprise to read Cherish. Often times books are written in the same character "universe" but don't involve those characters. Brook, Cassie, and Noah are all over this book, and I couldn't be happier. Although Cherish could be classified as age gap, rich/poor, melting the ice queen, and slow burn, nothing feels tropey at all.

I've never been to coastal Massachusetts, but I could totally envision the town and especially the short distance between the Wellingtons' home and Olivia's. The setting on the ocean instantly makes the gorgeous cover make complete sense.

Cherish may not be "light summer reading", but it sure is perfect summer reading.

Kris Bryant has written a heartwarming age-gap romance set in the idyllic Cape Cod town of Goda, Mass. The story is told through Josie's first-person point of view, which works really well for this story. Bryant is a master at writing in the first person; she doesn't disappoint here. Readers have access to all of Josie's thoughts, feelings, and emotions, and we learn about Olivia through Josie's eyes. This helps to maintain an air of mystery surrounding Olivia.

The town of Goda is beautifully described as I could easily visualize the bustling town and the waves crashing on the shore. I love it when a setting is so integral to a story that it becomes another character.

Olivia's tragic past is absolutely heartbreaking and when she meets the sweet and charismatic Josie, she is thrown for a loop. I love how Josie is able to put cracks in Olvia's walls and get Olivia to share stories without Olivia even realizing it.

Catching up with Brooke and Cassie Wellington from Bryant's book, Temptation is another highlight for me.

Cherish by Kris Bryant is a beautiful age-gap romance with dynamic main characters and set in a beautiful small town. It's about overcoming tragedy, leaning into vulnerability, and letting someone in. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!

This is a delightful age gap romance and had me enthralled from the very beginning. Josie, a young newly graduated artist has the whole summer to ply her craft in a small beachside community before seeking employment. She wants to remain focused on her painting of the surrounding landscape however upon meeting Olivia, a mysterious older woman who lives next door her focus shifts to portraits and to Olivia.

Beautifully written, amusing , steamy and has a captivating cast of characters, Cherish is a story of new beginnings that will pull at your heart strings. I really enjoyed this story and highly recommend it.

This is a story about Josie Lockner who is twenty 23 and a recent art school graduate. She lands an internship with the Wellington foundation at a small Cape Cod town. Brook and Cassie Wellington are a very wealthy couple who are down to earth folks who have two great kids. Their son Noah was my favorite character in the book.

Olivia Montclair is a widow with a tragic past. She’s very depressed and lives a quiet lonely life. She owns an art gallery in the small town. Olivia lives nest door to the Wellingtons and meets Josie one evening on the beach.

I loved the cover of the book and the background story of an artist trying to earn a living with her talent. Josie was a fun character and seemed mature for her age. Olivia was an ice queen with very little personality in my view. I could not relate to her at all.. And I felt bad for Josie getting involved with her. Josie deserved better.

I’ve enjoyed Bryant’s books and I liked this one too except for Olivia, she was a wet blanket for a nice beach story.

ARC received from Net Galley for an honest and voluntary review.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read and review "Cherish" by Kris Bryant.

This is a beautifully written, emotional sapphic love story between two well-drawn characters with lots of oohs, ah’s and angst. Friends who rally with good intentions and appropriate actions. And then there is the emotional journey(s)….. Lots of heartfelt emotion in “Cherish” that comes from within, which permeates the page and a crowd pleasing ending. Ah….
Loved it. 5*

Kris Bryant hits a homerun again! I absolutely adored the characters in this story. It's always fun to watch the way Kris Bryant develops her characters. They are relatable and their inner dialogue is always cute and comical. I instantly found myself rooting for the two main characters, and I know you will enjoy watching their story unfold. No one writes a kiss scene better than Ms. Bryant! 10/10, highly recommend

3.5/4. Ah! One of my favorite Kris Bryant books is “Temptation”. Even though this is a standalone, the Wellingtons are prominent side characters in this story. This story mirrors strong themes that are present in Temptation. I enjoyed this age gap romance but thought it was rushed in the end. Also, the first time the main characters were intimate, it seemed so random—I thought the main character was dreaming. I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

OMG, this book is literally one of the best I've read so far this year, and that's A LOT of books. Why have I never heard of this author???

I don't know if this book hit me so hard because I 1000% resonated with Olivia and her history, but this book was beautifully written. The sexual tension between young Josie and and an older woman who has gone through so much in her life was chef's-kiss for me. Everything about this book was gorgeous. The beach setting, the fun times and the heartbreak, the character development for both main characters, the descriptions of art and the feelings invoked by it. Exquisite perfection. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

An age gap romance between two artists who go through an emotional turmoil before finding their way towards each other.
We get a cameo appearance of another previously known couple - Brook and Cassie from Bryant's Temptation novel, still going strong and with an additional family member.
I wish this was a double POV novel. Josie’s raw passion for life, love and art were refreshing and balanced out the more serious issues but I was much more interested in Olivia's struggle to overcome her devastating loss, grief and the guilt of her newfound happiness.
Although I missed the spark between the two women, this was still an enjoyable summer read.
Also, the cover is gorgeous.

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another absolutely great story from Kris Bryant. She has a way of making you fall in love with her characters and wishing you could book a one way ticket into their lives. Cherish is a touching story about finding your way in life, immens heartbreak and opening to love and all its possibilities again.

I received an advance review copy for free from Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Josie has just finished her art degree. As a uniquely talented painter she secured a summer residency in the coastal town of Goda. This can mean an invaluable start to her career as an artist. What she doesn’t know is that she will get much more than she bargained for. While walking on the beach at night she meets a remarkable woman. A woman that’s intriguing and absolutely gorgeous but also snooty and distant. What a surprise it is to learn that Olivia is actually one of her very favorite artists. As she keeps running into Olivia (most of the time in purpose) Josie chips away at the thick, brick walls surrounding her heart and sneaks her way in. Will she be able to leave unscathed at the end of the summer?

I absolutely adored this story! Its heartbreaking vulnerability makes you want to weep. Josie is a remarkable young, talented woman. The way she has patience with getting to know the real Olivia and has space in her heart to let her deal with her tragic past is admirable. The story is written from Josie’s point of view but through her eyes you get to see how she chips away at the layers and layers of old paint that covers Olivia’s heart until a true connection is formed. A connection that runs so deep it will warm your heart and wraps around you like a comforting blanket.

I loved getting another glimpse in the lives of Brook and Cassie, the main characters of Bryant’s book Temptation. They were the ones granting Josie the residency and are an important part of the story. To read how happy they are together and to see their son Noah connect with Josie as an awesome young man and through art is amazing.

Kris Bryant’s writing has a way of transporting you into the minds and hearts of her characters. It reads like a warm hug. This is another prime example of her incredible talent!

Please do yourself a favor and get lost on the beaches of Goda and in the lives of these amazing characters. I, for one, can’t promise I won’t dive back into this wonderful, wonderful story again immediately!

The first 15% didn’t grab me. I found the couple (not the mains,) a bit perfect. I’m assuming their story is a separate novel, but don’t believe I’ve read it. The acknowledgments tell us the author went through their worst time around the time of writing this book. That, coupled with the ability to use words to paint a picture of the aftermath of great grief has informed one of the mains. I could feel her heaviness. Perhaps that is why a main secondary couple seems so bright and unnaturally perfect to me?
The actual mains have met but although we are aware of perhaps attraction from one, there was no, for me reading it, spark.
However, just after this, there is a tiny plot twist and suddenly I’m seeing the flash of a spark. I like the way they have a common endeavour. It is also interesting the professional admiration from afar being gradually replaced by getting to know mixed with a bit of instatraction. Definitely more interested after the first 15%.
I didn’t love one of the mains and felt she was a bit pushy, I did however enjoy the book after my initial ambivalent start.

Bryant never disappoints. This was well written and engaging from the very beginning. I don't usually like age gaps, but just like with Temptation, Bryant does it flawlessly.

Olivia is closed off and hidden behind walls after tragedy struck years ago. She's a well known artist and owns her own gallery.

Josie just graduated from art school and scored an artist in residence with the Wellingtons. She is the complete opposite of Olivia, but it helps bring Olivia out of her self imposed isolation.

It was great to see the Wellingtons again as I loved that book and catch up with their lives.

It took some time for Josie to break down some of Olivia's walls and Josie was persistent, but to Olivia age was a huge factor and wouldn't agree to label anything they did as a way to protect herself.

I loved the chemistry between them that jumped off the pages and the sex scenes were well written. It was a very enjoyable read that I highly recommend to all.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.