Crossing Hearts is the first book in a new series by Kimberly Kincaid. I really enjoy Kimberly’s writing style and her characters. I haven’t had the opportunity to read many of her books, but she has been added to my TBR, so hopefully someday I’ll get a chance to get to them. Crossing Hearts is a second chance romance and of course there is quite a bit of tension between Hunter and Emerson, both sexual and otherwise. Their relationship didn’t end well after high school and Hunter has been holding on to bitterness about it since then, even though he never stopped loving Emerson.

Emerson had a pretty great reason for leaving town. Her reason for coming home was quite surprising. I could see why she’d want to keep her diagnosis a secret, although I’m surprised she waited so long to tell Hunter when they started to reconnect. I loved that there wasn’t a whole lot of drama in this book. It was great to watch Hunter and Emerson fine their way back to each other. They had both changed, but not so much that they weren’t still perfect for each other. I loved how Hunter’s family were so accepting to Emerson, welcoming her back into their world with open arms.

I loved the small town setting and the farming aspect of the book. The secondary characters were interesting and fun. I really enjoyed this book. It was sweet and sexy and heartwarming. I look forward to reading the other books in this series. I have a feeling I’m really going to enjoy Owen and Eli’s books. Eli has a secret that I can’t wait to find out about. And Owen is so dang serious, I can’t wait to see his world rocked. 

Arc provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review

Unfortunately, this book was a DNf for me.  I had a hard time connecting with the characters.

I loved Hunter and Emerson's story. Second chance love stories are one of my favorites and this one doesn't disappoint one bit. High school sweet hearts, one always wants to get a way from the small town everyone knows your business life. Emerson had big dreams to make come true. Hunter has a family farm to help run. 
 Tis book will make you laugh, love, heart stopping hope that their love makes it through the hard times. They are truly meant to be together. Hunter is a hot cowboy and Emerson is a fireball. 5 Stars of Awesome writing. Highly recommend to all. 
I received this book for a voluntary honest review.

Whoa! Awesome start to a new series! Hunter was wonderful and caring, and Emerson was the same, but hurting too (in multiple ways). I'm so glad they were able to see past their hurts to get their HEA. I can't wait to see Owen and Eli take their own falls!

Crossing Hearts is the first book in Kimberly Kincaid's Cross Creek series. I enjoyed this second chance romance immensely. There was just something about Hunter and Emerson that had you pulling for them from the very beginning. I enjoyed the secondary characters as well and can't wait to read the next book in this series.

This is a book that enjoyed, but didn't love. I enjoyed spending time with Emerson and Hunt and seeing them reconnect, but I struggled with making an emotional connection - especially with Emerson. 
Crossing Hearts is a good story about second chances, I just wish it had moved a little bit faster.

Book one, Crossing Hearts, in the Cross Creek series by Kimberly Kincaid brings a strong theme of healing both figuratively and literally.  When Hunter Cross reinjures the shoulder injury that ended his promising football career the last person he expected to see when he walked into physical therapy was his high school sweetheart who left him behind. Emerson Montgomery has moved on from her small town roots and established herself as a top sports physical therapist for a premier football team. Twelve years later part of his family’s farming business Hunter loves his life but seeing Emerson makes him question if something is missing, her.  Wrapping her head around her recent MS diagnosis the last thing Emerson needs is to deal with her unresolved feelings for Hunter or is it?

Ms. Kincaid’s down to earth interchanges between Hunter and Emerson were considerate and refreshing. A past that needed resolution paired with serious life developments that happened while her characters were apart and the resulting unraveling of tightly held information were made relatively easy by their steadfast love for each other.  That is not say that there were not emotional hiccups but how Hunter and Emerson handled them was kind, understanding and deeply romantic in a very real way.  Crossing Hearts was not about love conquering or even demonstrations of love’s strength but about love enabling this couple to handle whatever life threw at them good or bad. This writer did a great job at creating a small town feel with an interesting and diverse secondary cast that clearly have stories of their own to tell. Cross Creek is a series that definitely is worth investing your heart into.

While working on his farm with his brother Hunter falls and injures his shoulder. When he goes for PT imagine the shock when the girl who left him years ago is standing right in front of him.
Emerson gave ups big shot job to come back to her hometown not by choice but because she has a problem and is going to need help.
Hunter and Emerson start off slow as friends but slowly things heat up, however when her secret comes out how will he handle things and will her parents try to control the situation. 
Emerson is such a tough woman and getting back with Hunter can be healing for her. You will laugh ,cry and whatever other emotions you have will come out.  

** I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review **

This being my fifth book by this author, I was crossing my fingers and toes hoping I would enjoy Crossing Hearts as much as the last two I reviewed (Fearless and Skin Deep). Why was I nervous? Well, because the previous first two books I came across (Just One Taste and Reckless) just did not appeal to me. In my own words from my Reckless review:  “At 40%, I realized something else had kicked in…boredom. The author was taking too long/using too many words which kept the writing from being engaging.” And that, my fellow romance book loving friends, pretty much sums up my feelings for a large portion of Crossing Hearts. Throw in the fact this insecure, illogical, grown woman still has mommy and daddy issues to the point she’ll cut off her nose to spite her face, as the saying goes, to prove a needless point. Call it what you want, but I felt she was running from reality. Yeah, her parents may have set the bar too high, but relationship wise she apparently had previously set hers too low. Though he doesn’t make an appearance, I’m referring to her previous famous boyfriend who she knew would eventually leave her. Am I the only one wondering why she was with the guy to begin with?

Sure, I liked the hero and was glad he got the girl that got away. Honestly, though, if she hadn’t come back he would have been just fine. The farm was his life and he was kept too busy to really lament lack of a significant other. He would have eventually got around to marriage, because from the sounds of it, he was quite the catch. She had become a distant memory, folks.

Once the secret Emerson had foolishly thought she could hide was inevitably revealed, it all ended in a very predictable, all tied up in a bow conclusion, folks.

I’ve seen this writer weave a great romantic tale with engaging writing that flows, but this one came across as too predictable and not particularly memorable. Here’s to hoping others really enjoy it. It just wasn’t nearly as good as Skin Deep or Fearless, in my opinion. Not just from the writing standpoint, but likely because of the repetitiveness of the heroine’s parent drama and her illogical mindset. I would recommend it mostly for fans of steamy, second chance/small town romance themes who don't mind predictability and frustrating at times character conduct. 

Title: Crossing Hearts, Series: Cross Creek (Book 1), Author: Kimberly Kincaid, Pages: 342, stand-alone, farmer hero, physical therapist heroine with mommy & daddy issues, needs to deal with reality heroine, very steamy scenes begin after 50%, HEA, no cheating, no OW/OM drama, no love triangle, predictable, hiding a secret, sweet hero.

(This review is based on advanced reader copy provided via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased, fair review. No compensation was provided to this reviewer, nor is there any affiliation between the reviewer and author/publisher/NetGalley. It will be posted on Amazon, Goodreads, NetGalley, and Barnes & Noble.)

This is the first book in this series. This is a fantastic second chance love story. You are always guaranteed a fantastic story with this author. This book has amazing characters you just fall in love with them from the first page. I definitely cant wait to read more in this series and by this author in the future. 

Highly recommended
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book

Talk about story to get lost in this is it.  The reader will love Turing the pages to find out what happens.  The characters were great and you can relate to them.

4 stars

Crossing Hearts drew me in from the first page and held my interest until the last. 
The storyline was entertaining, the characters Emerson and Hunter were likable, and I loved watching them get their second chance at love. 

Overall, Crossing Hearts was a great read and a wonderful start to the Cross Creek series. 
I highly recommend it.

*Thank you to Montlake Romance via Netgalley for the advance copy.*

Crossing Hearts begins Kimberly Kincaid’s newest series Cross Creek with an amazing romance that will capture both your heart and your imagination. Most of us have at some point in our lives played the “what if…” game. Yet for Hunter and Emerson that question has the chance to be part of their future reality – depending on how things go.

Life has thrown Emerson for a tailspin of a loop. She had the job she loved, in a location she adored – she pretty much had it all, if not the right guy at her side. One diagnoses changed all of that. Realizing that she would no longer be able to keep the pace she’d been living and working at for much longer, Emerson did the last thing she ever intended to do. Go home. Home to parents who mapped out her life for her instead of letting her do what she wanted in life, and the boy who’d offered everything she’d ever need as long as it was a life lived in their small town. She’d loved the boy, but that wasn’t the life she intended to have so she left and made herself never look back. Right up until that choice was taken away from her by her own body’s actions.

The very last person Hunter would have expected to run into at the doctor’s office at physical therapy was Emerson. The one that got away, the girl who’d broken his young heart, the life he might have had if she’d stuck around. They may have been apart for about twelve years, but he knew this woman and she was hiding her reasons for returning home. Now he had to decide if he wanted to travel that road again, if a second chance would be worth the risk if she bolted again. Could he be foolish enough to give her the chance to break his heart again – he wasn’t sure he’d survive it again.

I enjoyed Crossing Hearts very much. As the first book in the series I expected some world building, introductions to the main and secondary characters – to me, that’s a given, but it felt natural, flowed with the story and wasn’t an information dump, which I’m always grateful for. This is a believable romance with real life consequences attached. Life isn’t always smooth, sometimes life has a powerful punch headed straight for us and there’s not a thing we can to change that. Since I live with someone who has their own life altering diagnoses, I know how easy it is to try to do something to help and it only turns out so much worse. So, perhaps I understood Hunter’s thinking a bit faster than Emerson could – but I got both of their reasons. I know it sucks, life is often so stupidly hard – but if you’re lucky enough to have the right person willing to stand with you through all the harsh stuff grab them tight and don’t let go.

I would definitely recommend this story and I’m looking forward to the rest of the series.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

3.5 Stars. Crossing Hearts is a sweet and charming small town romance with engaging characters and a second chance romance. 

Hunter Cross is a wonderful hero who can't help but capture your heart immediately. He loves working on his families farm with his two brothers and his dad and he loves his small town and everything about it. He's never wanted anything more except his high school girlfriend who he thought would be with him forever until she left breaking his heart. Emerson left the small town and Hunter behind and never came back. She went on to be a physical therapist to an NFL football team but when she was diagnosed with MS she had to leave her dream behind and return to her small town. 

Cross Creek was a charming small town with wonderful characters that I couldn't help loving and if I was ever going to live in a small town I'd want it to be like Cross Creek. The farming aspects were well integrated and interesting without being too much as was the information on MS. The pacing was done well and I liked that although Hunter and Emerson were attracted to each other from the beginning it took time for them to rebuild their trust in each other. What I did have a harder time with was Emerson's reason for leaving. Although I could somewhat understand it the fact that she kept it from Hunter didn't really ring true. I've never liked the "I did what was best for you" and made a decision affecting you without letting you know trope and I didn't like it in this book. I also wasn't crazy about Emerson's reaction to Hunter's "help" and her pushing him away again. Although I thought that the emotions and fear she was dealing with as she learned to accept her disease were incredibly well written. I just wish Hunter didn't have to do the groveling at the end since he was ultimately the one who was left not once but twice.

I loved the secondary characters and the conflict between Hunter's brothers grabbed me and held on. I can't wait to find out what that is all about and I look forward to reading the books about them.

I love an emotional, second chance at love story book.  And the magnificent Kimberly Kincaid knows how to write a book like this in spades.
Hunter grew up in a wonderful family, full of love and encouragement. His father always Hunter and his brothers know that he was proud of them.  Hunter was happy to stay on the family farm and run it with his family. 
Hunter and Emerson’s fell in love in high school, and the summer after graduation, Hunter asked Emerson to marry him.
Emerson was not so lucky with her family.  Her parents were always telling her she could do better.  They were never satisfied with her choices in life or her career.  They even picked her college.  So, when she left for college she decided she was NEVER coming back.  She broke Hunter’s heart when she told him she was leaving.
But fate has a way of working in LOVES favor.  Emerson is back, and fate has plans for these two.
I loved this book so much.  I could not put it down.  Ms. Kincaid had a way with her writing that draws the reader in so far that the next thing they know they have read the last word.
Thank you, Ms. Kincaid for the hours and hours of reading enjoyment you give to your readers.
I was gifted a copy of this wonderful book for my honest opinion, and for this I am eternally grateful.
Eli, Hunter’s brother, has a story and I cannot wait to see what it is.
Thank you for reading my review.

WOW! That is what comes to mind when I think of this amazing story. It is a beautiful second chance love story. But more than that, the writing, the characters.....amazing! I have loved Kimberly Kincaid since I was first introduced to her Pine Mountain series, and I can tell you that if the first book in the Cross Creek series is any indication, she has another hit on her hands. This is the story of Hunter and Emerson.

Hunter Cross wants nothing more than to work the family farm, see it prosper and live his dream. But when an old shoulder injury comes back to haunt him, so does a ghost from his past, in the form of the one girl that he loved as a boy, the one that broke his heart, and the one that he can't seem to forget, Emerson Montgomery.

Emerson is back in town, a physical therapist with a secret. If it gets out, her parents will look at her as a failure, so she tries to hide it from everyone, especially Hunter Cross, who can still read her like a book. When Emerson is called in to work with Hunter to get his shoulder back in shape, the sparks start flying.

As Emerson and Hunter spend more time together, and they start to open up to each other, Emerson will need to make a decision on how much trust she can put in Hunter. Because she doesn't want his pity, she wants the man, but secrets can keep these two apart if they don't learn to trust.

I loved the dynamic between Emerson and Hunter. I love that Hunter stayed with Emerson, was fighting for them, would not give up. It is a refreshing thing when you have a hero who is willing to step up and fight for love. Amazing, touching, sexy and spectacular, that is what this book is.

This is the first book in a new series by Kimberly Kincaid and I look forward to more about this wonderful Virginia town. The Cross family has a lot of story telling potential. Hunter is such a sweet hero! Emerson has had a turn of direction, due to unforeseen circumstance. I love her tough exterior and her determination. Hunter is just the guy she needs. They weren't ready when they were younger, but with age comes wisdom.

I love a second chance romance - and this is definitely is up my alley!! Looking so forward to more!

Loved this story and the touchy story of MS and how you need to deal with it the rest of your life. Perfectly paced with strong characters and great family values. Struggles to overcome in life and family and friends there to have your back.

✦Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Crossing Hearts (The Cross Creek Series Book 1) by Kimberly Kincaid http://wp.me/p3d0RZ-7NT
Publication Date: February 7, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated 5 Stars 

I loved this story. Emerson was someone I could relate to, and care about right away. Hunter? How can you not swoon over a bighearted, romantic and handsome man? He was the perfect person to help Emerson on her emotional journey. His family was so real, that I can only hope we hear more about them in later books. The writing was smooth and the story flowed nicely. I honestly couldn’t put it down, so I could see how things worked out. It wasn’t just a sexy little romance, it was a love story that warmed my heart.

*Review copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a big fan of Kimberly Kincaid's new series. I enjoy a good second chance story and this one is not one to miss. One of my favorite things is the characters. They are well developed and relatable. Sometimes one moment can change our lives forever, but it could also be leading us on the path we are meant to be on. Emerson is dealing with a life changing event that has her going in a new direction she didn't plan on going, but she may just get what she needs. My heart goes out to her because even though she is strong she's pushed to her limits. I really liked Hunter. He's great hero material and he deserves a HEA. I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series.