A Homecoming to Cherish

The lighthearted if underdeveloped fifth entry in Riviera’s Cherish series (after A Christmas Puppy to Cherish) follows single mother Nora Lancaster as she takes her teenage daughter on a monthlong trip to her “sleepy little” hometown, Cherish. Nora returns to help the ailing owner of the inn that was formerly run by her parents, and her first task is to help out at the inn’s restaurant. She waits on Julian Wilson, a businessman with a “well-defined jaw” and “handsome features” who is in town to scout a new location for a high-end restaurant chain. After an evening of flirty banter, Julian convinces Nora to go on a date with him, but Nora remains wary of getting close, knowing she’ll soon leave town and that Julian’s new restaurant could put the inn’s out of business. As they continue to see each other, Julian reintroduces Nora to the Christian faith she’d left behind when she moved out of Cherish as a teenager. When things become more serious between Nora and Julian, she must decide if she should prolong her stay indefinitely. Readers will root for Nora and Julian, but the quick pace and overall brevity make the romance feel rushed, and the dialogue can be clunky (“As a child, I went [to church] happily and willingly. However, when I reached my teens, I dug in my heels and refused”). This doesn’t quite stick the landing. (Self-published)