Cherish by Tere Michaels
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really liked this quick novella and return to Matt and Evan. Michaels is really at her best when writing in this series and I’m always happy to revisit the characters no matter what. This particular novella is light and doesn’t necessarily advance the relationship much but I’m not complaining. It’s a wonderful look at two favorite men and their chaotic, crazy family. The writing is top notch as always and the ending gives a hint that there might be more similar revisits in the future.
This time Matt and Evan are hosting thanksgiving at their house. All the kids will be there, including Miranda and her new boyfriend along with the boyfriend’s parents. Helena, Evan’s partner, and her boyfriend, Shane, will also be there for the festivities. With Miranda hating Matt and causing drama everywhere, this isn’t quite the low key meal everyone expected.
The story is a very straight forward revisit to the characters. It shows them struggling with the holiday and all the various children and people and drama. Matt and Evan don’t really grow or change as a result of the circumstances or actions but they’re shown as very happy and stable together. It’s exactly what I expect from a holiday story from an already happy couple, an outside source of tension that forces the two to work together to solve the problem. I was hoping to see Matt and Evan advance more sexually. I can’t remember if they ever actually had anal sex in the previous book or if one day in the future that will ever happen. I do like seeing how a couple can be intimate regardless.
Evan’s kids are major characters in this and I liked them all. Obviously the story is slanted in Katie’s favor and against Miranda but I think the writing did a good job of balancing and showing a variety of different personalities among the entire convoluted group. No one is perfect and no one is evil. Instead there are typical miscommunications, fights, and problems amid lots of food and coffee. I particularly like the emotions the writing evoked, the warmth of the family and love between Matt and Evan with the crispness of the cool weather.
On the whole this really works well as a nice interlude featuring the couple but it’s not necessarily a must read for fans. It’s definitely an enjoyable read though and one I can recommend. I’m interested to see what else this author comes up with and the ending offers numerous possibilities.
three am 