So, I hate that I can't give this book five stars, because it really was stupendous... Up until the end. Another reviewer said this and I wholeheartedly agree (so thank you to Sheri (whoever she is)). "I really liked Cate, up until about 95%, when she made a revelation I did not understand and could not relate to. I won’t spoil what happened, but I didn’t like what happened at the end, or how quickly/easily the issue resolved itself." Up until that revelation, I saw things going in a good direction, and I loved how Owen and Cate worked together to make things beneficial for all. I realize that not all couples arrive at the same HEA for them, but this is one ending that I just don't understand.

I received an ARC in return for an honest review. Let me tell you, this book has it all. So much heart, family, small town, and the most important, hot guys! I grew up in a small town/farming community and Kimberly nailed it. It brought me back home. I've been a huge fan of this series since the first one came out. This series is unique and equally fun. In the previous two books, Owen comes across as kind of the grouchy, serious brother. I wasn't sure how the author would write him. No fear, he was just as delicious and lovable as his brothers. There's a fun twist near the end. The only thing I have to say is, don't stop now. Bring on Marley's story!!!

This story belongs to Owen Cross, the oldest of the Cross brothers and the one who has put his body and soul into making Cross Creek , the family farm, a successful enterprise . He follows his heart and his mother’s words prior to her death. Those words being that farm and family and their legacy were the most important things in life.
While waitressing at the cafe, widow Cate McAllister hears he needs a bookkeeper and she offers her services. Her home is close to being foreclosed and the debts left by her husband are closing down on her so this job might be her salvation.
As the story progresses , we find out more about Cate’s child and husband , killed in an accident, as well as her outlet, baking.
Owen and Cate had a shaky beginning, but as they forge a friendship, a deeper relationship also develops.
I found that Owen was instrumental in helping Cate deal with her insecurities and talents.
Aside from the basic plot, the author reminds us that family, in whatever shape or form we get it, is important.
That the definition of family is different for everyone and that their are times that even the definition we had given to family, might not be the one we will want in the end.
All that said, for me, Cate was ok, but not my favorite character. In her constant quest for always being honest, she never divulged a crucial part of herself. But such is life .
Ms Kincaid gives us an engaging plot, complex characters, heartbreaking as well as heartwarming moments, and of course , romance.
Wonder if Marley will have a story in the future or if this will be the end of the series. Only time will tell.
I was gifted this copy by Netgalley. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

Crossing Promises is about building a legacy when the odds are stacked against success. What begins as a means to an end becomes a complication that Owen and Cate never counted on. His life is the land that he nurtures and the family that keeps him sane. Her priorities are moving past grief and debt to find happiness again. Simple is what they both want, but the heart has a way of shaking things up in the most surprising of ways. Kimberly Kincaid is a master at creating a reason to smile. Her stories proved that as long as there's faith, the heart will help a lost soul find it's way home.

Crossing Promises is book three in the Cross Creek Series. I enjoyed this book but would have liked more of an ending. Crossing Promises is Owen and Cates story, Owen is the eldest of the Cross brothers and his story is full of passion, emotion and the tight bond of the of this family we have come to love. I will be recommending this book and series to readers

Kimberly Kincaid just gets better and better.
I love the Cross Creek stories for their portrayal of that down home, farm and family lifestyle that built America. It's sweet and sexy and sometimes heart wrenching. Watching Cate learn to live again after the loss of her husband and daughter and grow into the woman she's always dreamed she could be is as heartwarming as her relationship with Owen is hot. For fans of the series, Tobias, Eli and Scarlett and Hunter and Emerson all play a significant role in the story and offer up a few surprises.
At the same time, half-sister Marley, the big reveal from the last book in the series, slowly begins to find her place in the family of Cross men.
Crossing Promises gave me everything I look for in a story: strong but vulnerable characters, smart and sassy banter, steamy romance, a thought provoking look at family and what that means, and even a few tears.

I love Cross Creek & all 3 brothers. I've been looking forward to Owen's story & it did not disappoint.

Owen, being the oldest has always been serious about the family farm. He is all about family & the farm. He has a habit of putting his foot in his mouth often but tends to re-think what he says. He loves growing the different produce that they sell to local restaurants and at the farmer's market and enjoys the good days on the farm as well as the bad days as well.

Cate is the perfect partner for Owen, though they started out as friends & workers when he offered her a job on the farm. Cate is desperate for another job after she discovers how much debt her late husband left her in. She is sassy and doesn't let Owen get away with things & keeps him on his toes which is what he needs.

I also loved catching up with Hunter & Emerson as well as Eli & Scarlett.

**4-4.5 stars** Oh how I loved this book! This book features Owen Cross, the oldest of three brothers who run Cross Creek Farms along with their father. This is Owen’s legacy and he couldn’t imagine doing anything else other than taking care of the farm. But lately he’s been feeling like there’s something missing. His brothers have found love, but he’s never given himself time to find it for himself. But that all changes when Cate McAllister comes into his life.

Cate lost her husband daughter in a tragic car accident 3 years ago. Everyone in town treats her differently since then and she just wants everyone to see her as a regular person. She’s been working two jobs to support herself after she learned her husband had put them in major debt. Owen ends up hiring her to help clean up the mess of paperwork and bookkeeping for the farm.

Cate never sees herself getting close to someone again, but the more time her and Owen spend together, those lines are starting to blur. Owen is understanding, supportive and honest and even with his gruff personality, he gets her. Owen can see a future with Cate and a part of his family. Now if he can just get her to see that she deserves to be happy and have love in her life…

Crossing Promises is full of heat, heartfelt and emotional moments and a few surprises. A great addition to this series! I love the family bond between the Cross family too!

**I received an ARC from the author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

I love the Cross Creek series and I’ve really been looking forward to Owen’s story! Well it certainly did not disappoint! I am super happy with how everything went down. I think Cate is perfect for Owen and vice versa. Owen’s faith in her is what finally allows Cate to embrace what she is meant to do. Cate herself is what finally helps Owen pull his foot out of his mouth and go for something more in his life. He is finally able to see that he hasn’t been looking at his future clearly. Flirty, sweet and emotional, this book tugged at my heart. They do have a few hurdles to overcome but what they have found in each other is strong enough to do just that. I love that Hunter, Emerson, Eli and Scarlett are all in this book too! And Marley too of course. I just love this story!

I received an ARC of this book from the author through Netgalley.

I have loved the Cross Creek Series since book 1 and Crossing Promises by Kimberly Kincaid is a wonderful addition to this amazing series.. There have been twists and turns along with way for the Cross family, but what a ride they have been on. If you have not read the other books in the series, that is ok, each book can be read stand alone, but i would suggest reading the books in order so that you understand the dynamic of the famiy. This is the story of Cate and Owen.

Owen Cross is the oldest of the Cross brother, the one who will carry on the family legacy of farm and family. He loves nothing more that to farm, raise cattle, and work in the greenhouse. Farm and family are everything to Owen, and he would not trade that in for anything. The one thing that he struggles with is the bookkeeping, he needs to hire someone and fast. When Cate McAllister offers to help him out, he jumps at the chance. But being so close the sexy, widow might be his downfall.

Cate McAllister lost her husband and daughter in a car accident more than 3 years ago. Left with a mountain of debit and mountain of guilt, Cate is tired of being looked at with pity and sadness. She wants to be treated like a normal person. When she jumps at the chance to work for Owen Cross, she is surprised that he takes her up on the offer. The problem, she has the hots for him, and that could make that relationship phobic Cate run for the hills.

As Cate and Owen give into the attraction that is sparking around them, what starts as a no strings thing turns into something far more. But when Owen pushes for everything from Cate, and Cate drops a bombshell confession, Owen will need to decide for himself, what he really wants, and in his head and heart, what farm and family really mean to him.

I love how Owen and Cate open up to each other. I love that Owen is patient with Cate, allowing her to voice her fears and open up about her past. I love how Cate sees Owen for who is really is. I love that Owen and Cate encourage and support each other, and in the end, they get the greatest gift of all, a love that will sustain them through the years ahead. An amazing addition to this amazing series.

WOW!! I'm having a book hangover! Eli and Cate's story is real with real life troubles. Beautiful and heartbreaking all in one! I laughed, I cried, I fell in love!

I’ve always been interested in Kimberly Kincaid’s ‘Cross Creek’ series, for its 3 brothers so wildly different that it was almost a guarantee you’d get very different stories out of them. ‘Crossing Promises’ is Owen Cross’s story— the pain-in-the-arse grump, the responsible brother, the long-suffering (and not too silent) chump and it wasn’t hard to develop a soft spot for the own who bore things on his shoulders and carried on for everyone else because he needed to.

Unfortunately, this particular book disappointed me more than the rest in the series, more so because I was looking forward to Owen’s story. But my dislike stemmed from my inability to get on with this pairing, with a ‘heroine’ I found more annoying than sympathetic and one who looked as though she needed to be treated with kid-gloves lest her sensibilities be offended.

As work partners, Cate and Owen were fabulous. Their synchronised way of running Cross Creek was a marvel to behold and for most part, it was enjoyable to see Owen happy and settled. I empathised with Cate from the start, seeing her struggle with the memories and as well as with how she found it hard to get back on her feet.

But ultimately, Cate wasn’t a protagonist I could get on board with at all. While I understood how she wanted to move on with her life as her own person, I never quite got past the idea that she remained fragile as glass, turning to frenzied baking as a way to deal with her unsettled state of mind. That she also kept something fairly monumental from Owen until the end put her straight in the ‘stupid’ category for me and I thought that the fault could be roundly laid at Cate’s door for that. To use children (or the lack of them) a method to ‘rein’ someone in or as a way of shaping a particular lifestyle however, is an idea I absolutely despised and while I hated how it’d been done to Cate, I hated it even more when she’d unconsciously held it over Owen later without even realising it.

The definition of the family/family legacy (and the issue of children) was made out to be a problematic one here and that eventually, did become an issue here for me as well. What I didn’t like was Cate's lack of compromise at the end with the conflict that came up—both Owen and Cate were entitled to their own wishes—but I was fairly unhappy with the rushed ending that had Owen bending backwards for Cate who essentially, used the bitter lessons from her past against Owen.

For Cate not giving Owen’s view on family any consideration at all killed it for me and while picking sides isn’t exactly that I want to do in a romance, and the ending of ‘Crossing Promises’ somehow did that for me. In fact, I thought the story ended in a way (with Owen’s grovelling that really felt like forced repentance after a talk with Marley) that never suggested Cate had merely thought about what she’d wanted, then selfishly held those up to Owen as a checklist to see if he would be with her in spite of it.

I definitely wished I could have given this a better rating because I’ve always liked Kincaid’s writing. But because I could barely tolerate Cate as someone for Owen, 'Crossing Promises' simply went south too unexpectedly for me.

Such a fantastic addition to a phenomenal series!! Cate and Owen have a slow build chemistry that is combustible. Cate is Sassy (yes, capital S). She is honest with everyone, especially herself. Owen, my grumpy farmer, is direct, to the point of being rude. The things that come out of this man's mouth! These two have you rooting for them from the first chapter! I loved everything about this book, especially it's surprising conclusion. And we get to catch up with Hunter, Emerson, Eli, and Scarlett. This book can totally be read as a stand-a-lone but read the whole series!! It's so good!

Love the Cross family and the working of Cross Creek Farm. Owen has always been one of my favorites and I was excited for his story. His complete devotion to family and farm is honorable and makes him an amazing man you can't help but love. Throw in Cate McAllister into the fare and you have a slow building but hot nonetheless love story.

Cate is the widow who has lost not only her husband in a fatal car accident, but her daughter as well. I know she is to have suffered a terrible loss but something about Cate I couldn't warm up to. Maybe it was that I was so enamored over Owen that I couldn't see anyone worthy of such an honorable man.

Still, I loved the two together and the combining of talents to once again make Cross Creek Farms successfull. I am excited to see what is going to happen next with the sister's story.

I loved this book. Owen and Cate are perfect for each other. Owen is the oldest and his farm is his birthright and legacy. He works tirelessly to make is succeed, but he's got no other interests than the farm. Cate has had tragedy in her life and everyone thinks she is "poor Cate". She's in over her head financially and she's struggling to fix the overflowing costs. She can't follow her dreams. Owen offers her a job to help with the farm and she grabs it and is spectacular at it. Owen slowly brings her out of her own shadow and she starts to bloom, so does their relationship. There are big issues, and I mean big. Ms. Kincaid does a wonderful job of them trying to work it out. The character's grow and you, as the reader, grow right along with them. The writer's descriptions of the food and the processes in both baking and farm life are impressive.

I would recommend this book to new and current reader's of Ms. Kincaid's. I received this advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Owen sometimes puts his foot in his mouth, “not that you don’t look, uh. Fine like that. All I meant was, you don’t have to get dressed up. Jeans are okay.” Owen sometimes has to readjust his thoughts and himself, "adjusting his jeans to make sure his appearance was one hundred percent socially acceptable, he forced himself to think of cow manure and tractor sludge..." Cate is a blunt, feisty thing, “I’m sorry, have we met?” she asked, coming to a stop at the island. “I had almost three hours to kill and all I could think about was ***. Of course, I needed to bake something. Anyway, since you’re so intent on feeding me, I’m really just returning the favor.” I really liked this book, I think this is my favorite out of the series I loved Owen and Cate.

This is the third book in the Cross Creek series and I think I’ve found my favorite brother, Owen Cross. He’s the eldest, devoted to family and farm and the hardest to crack emotionally.

Owen works from dawn to dark and as exhausted as he is, he loves it. His brother Eli left the farm to pursue his career as a journalist with his girlfriend a photographer. Hunter lives and works on the farm, is engaged to be married to Emerson, the love of his life. Emerson was diagnosed with MS and as devoted as Hunter is to the farm, his first priority is Emerson. There’s big plans coming up for the farm, with an addition of a storefront to sell produce along with their weekly farmers market sales. The only bad thing Owen finds is his time spent doing dreaded paperwork. Neither Hunter or Owen want to deal with it, but it’s vital.

Cate McAllister is a young widow who lost her husband and child in a car accident. If that wasn’t enough to tear her apart, her husband left her deeply in debt. She works two jobs trying to pay bills, and is about to lose her home. She hates that the whole town treats her as fragile glass. She’s tired of it. The only thing keeping her going is her love of baking. It keeps her sane. When Owen mentions looking for a full time bookkeeper, she jumps at the chance. Until she sees the mess their financial records are. Cate feels like she stepped into chaos. But she isn’t giving up, Cate is going to prove she’s a woman who can take care of herself.

When Cate not only tackles the chaos, but adds more efficient ways to handle it, Owen realizes there is a whole lot more to Cate than he thought. He starts looking at her like the talented, beautiful woman she is and wants more. There are a lot of bumps in the road for them, Owen’s stubbornness and Cate’s secrets make things difficult, but the building romance is beautiful.

This can be read as a stand alone, but the first two in the series are equally enjoyable.
Thank you to the publisher and author for allowing me to review.
Pat Fordyce
This will be reviewed on 2/26/18 at the below link