I received an eARC of this book via the Tuskan Publishing and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a cute, quick read! I loved the grumpy/ sunshine pairing and slow burn rolled into one. It’s a dual POV with short chapters. It was easy to get sucked in!

High school may have been three years ago, but Claire Ackerman and Aiden Lewis know each other more than they’re willing to admit. Their past created a tie between them that neither thought they’d have to acknowledge again, and when Claire unknowingly storms into the bar Aiden frequents in their hometown of Beacon, New York, they’re both thrown off by the sudden reunion.
A lot has changed since high school.
Aiden is shut off from the world, and Claire has just had the rug ripped out from under hers. But even though he finds her a little uptight, and she finds him a little rude, the pair end up on a train to Florida together regardless. Claire gets on board as a way to celebrate her newfound independence, and Aiden joins because, even though he swore he’d never go back to Florida after what happened, he’s worried about the girl from high school that he could never fully forget.
The two have a plan, and they have rules, but things don’t turn out how they expect.
Because rules are made to be broken.
And even the boldest of lines are meant to be crossed.
I'm a big fan of the slow burn type romances and this one was great. The way the author wrote the book makes you as the reader be drawn into the story more. I liked it a lot and I definitely recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

This is a charming, wholesome, emotional, and add some little spice book, then voila.. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT! It has dual POVs with short chapters, that will make you can't stop turning the pages--and I finished this in one day because how engaging and easy to read this book is!

I absolutely loved this book. It hooked me and kept me turning pages until I was done. Finished it in two days! The character development was strong, and the premise was unique enough that it didn't feel like anything else I've read.

You know that book you read between heavy books or series? This is the one.

Aiden is just sitting at the bar, drinking his beer when Claire shows up. And they knew each other in high school, but they felt like pretending they don't know each other. Only, that doesn't work out since they end up on a train to Florida together.

Claire has just found out her boyfriend was cheating on her. Well, ex-boyfriend now. She just feels like doing something spontaneous and Aiden can let her do it alone. Aiden has time on his hands since he is a workaholic that got put on vacation against his will.

Oh, Aiden, do you have to be cute while also being grumpy? Yes, because I ate it up. This reads quite fast, partially because it takes place over a weekend.

Definitely grumpy sunshine, a trip to the beach, a great group of friends, and some ex-drama.

Three years after graduation, Claire and Aiden bump into each other at a bar in their NY hometown.

Claire has just had the unthinkable happen and she’s running away. Aiden, worried about Claire, accompanies her on a spontaneous train ride to Florida, a place he despises.

Crossing the Line felt like Spring Break in a book! The beach, hanging out, making new friends, drinking and having some fun. There was also miscommunication which isn’t my favorite trope but it’s also real life sometimes. Aiden and Claire are both young and it shows. It’s not a bad thing, it’s life at 21/22!

Overall, I really liked the book. 4/4⭐️ It was a quick easy read which I enjoyed. I would love to see a book written about some of the side characters.

Thank you to @netgalley and @heathergarvinbooks for providing me the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Crossing the Line is available now.

#netgalley #crossingtheline #bookkreview #bookreader #bookrecommendations #reading #pawsandreadathon2023

I thought this book was very cute!! In the beginning, I was hesitant I didn’t feel like the characters really had any chemistry with each other but then about a quarter of the way through the book really started to pick up. You could tell their relationship was getting stronger as the book went on. I did wish some of the chapters were a little longer at time. It didn’t feel necessary to split up 4 sentences into multiple chapters.

I read this book in one day. I could not put it down. I loved the story line and the characters from the very first page. The attraction between Aiden and Claire is evident and I loved the slow burn!

Overall I loved this story. I loved Aiden and Claire. I am a sucker for the grumpy/sunshine trope and this one made me love it even more. I liked seeing how their pasts and the present brought these two together. I hated that Aiden went and kissed his ex after one misunderstanding with Claire, like if I were Claire I would have not taken that lightly. But I did enjoy the ending and the short chapters of this read. I am super grateful for short chapters because it makes the book seem fast paced, and I can stay interested longer personally.

Thank you for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Even though the theme is frequently utilized in romance books, I felt this was fantastic. Even though the theme is frequently utilized in romance books, I felt this was fantastic. The characters were entertaining and simple to like! This narrative had me completely engrossed! This wasn't limited to a single genre or rely on overly elaborate plots, which I thought was incredibly admirable. The personalities and their various dynamics all appealed to me greatly.

This is a story about two people, Claire and Aiden who used to had a special connection when they were younger .They accidentally met again after a few years and and ended up travelling to a different state together. They agreed on a set of rules but couldn't help crossing the line and falling in love. It's a cute read that had me flipping the pages and falling in love too. Aiden is just a swoon-worthy kind of guy but he did something I never thought he'd do to Claire towards the climax. I just thought it was out of character. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book and would love to read more from the same author.

I received an ARC copy of this book via the Publisher and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When your life comes crashing down around you, nine times out of ten, your first thought is I need a drink. While Claire's mind didn't immediately go there when she walked in on her boyfriend of over two years cuddled up with another woman, the bar is where she ends up. She hoped to be able to drown out the pain that comes with finding out her boyfriend had been cheating on her, alone but fate has a funny way of showing up. This time, fate decided to bring back an old flame but not even a real flame. The two shared lab together but barely spoke except for one night a year later when Claire was hiding from her parents.

Claire felt a spark that night. One that she pushed to the back of her mind thinking she was crazy because after that, Aiden Lewis avoided her, even though she had his sweatshirt. It was like she didn't exist anymore to him. Not that she existed much in the first place but she still couldn't believe after that night, Aiden was able to shut her out completely. If only she knew what was going on inside of Aiden's head.

Aiden has had a rough year. After getting completely destroyed last year, Aiden returned to the hell that was his hometown of Beacon. Here he spends his nights and days numb to everything. One night stands or even a FWB situation does nothing. He feels nothing. That is until Claire stumbles into that bar and makes him feel things he swore he would never feel again. It all started when she decided to take a trip to Florida in the middle of the night by herself. One look at her, and he knows he can't let her go alone. Even if that means going back to the place that fucked him over. Weirdly, he will do anything to make sure Claire makes it safe to Florida and then they will go their separate ways. Or at least, that was Aiden's plan.

Rule One: No Flirting with each other.

Rule Two: No Running Away.

This very sweet friends to enemies (ehhh in the loosest terms) to lovers will warm your heart. Though the book is very long, I wouldn't have wanted it without the dual POVs. I appreciated it so much. Especially on Aiden's trip back to New York (no spoilers). I felt as though both Aiden and Claire were very relatable. They both had great character development and were easy to cheer for. While I did enjoy the book, it just didn't give me that OH MY GOSH feeling. It was still good. Very sweet and I enjoyed it. But to me, it was just missing a wow factor. Something that put it above the rest. If you are looking for an easy, romance read, look no further. I would be willing to read more of Heather Gavin's books for sure. She's a great writer and I look forward to any future books she writes.

this was a super cute story and I loved reading it. it was a super quick read, and was light and fluffy without being too much. i loved seeing claire and aiden's relationship develop, but there was a bit too much drama, and it felt like the story was being dragged out. also, i loved the grumpy x sunshine pairing, and the slow-burn romance, even though it was too slow at times.

It was a very enjoyable and cute read! I adore second chances in romance, especially when the couple is reunited after a long separation. The story's short chapters made it easy for me to get hooked into it.

Both characters developed well throughout the book, but I wish we were given more chance to get to know the main characters personally and more moments of them in high school! The third act breakup due to a major miscommunication was definitely not my favorite, they're an adorable couple but well... I'm not really a big fan of Aiden and you'll know why when you read it.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for giving me this ARC in exchange of an honest review!

"...Seeing you happy makes me happy."

This was actually a pretty interesting book about self-growth and learning to love oneself again. Claire has just found out that her boyfriend of two years has been cheating on her, and the same night, storms into a bar in her hometown. The last thing she expected was to run into her high school crush, Aiden. Aiden's been shutting out the world and healing pains of his own. When he sees Claire, aka the girl from high school who he shared a moment with but was too coward to move forward with, he knows those feelings have not completely disappeared. When he finds out Claire is going through a breakup, he suggests doing something completely spontaneous. So what happens? Claire decides to head to Florida in the middle of the night, and Aiden tags along even though a part of him feels he shouldn't. As the two head to Florida, Claire learns more about Aiden as she meets his friends there, and learns why he escaped Florida to begin with, and came back to his hometown. As the two spend more time together, they delve into their moment from high school, and as the truth comes out, Aiden and Claire cannot resist the chemistry between them. But are they ready to date after all they've been through in their personal lives? What I loved about this book is not only the connection between Aiden and Claire, but we also see a lot of growth in Claire as she takes this spontaneous trip. She learns to see life through a more positive perspective, and realizes that it's better to take it all day-by-day. THIS IS THE IDEAL BOOK TO READ ABOUT NEW BEGINNINGS AND STARTING FRESH. I also love romances between college-aged kids. I feel like we need more of that.

I loved every moment of this. There weren’t any dull, boring moments whatsoever. I really enjoyed this book and read it in one sitting! There was so much attraction between Claire and Aiden what made it easy to read.
The close friend group was a fun addition and I would love to read more about the side characters in another book.

irst of all, thank you to NetGalley and Tuskan Publishing for this ebook in exchange for an honest review!

/!\ This review may contain some spoilers

Crossing the Line is a standalone written by Heather Garvin, in which we follow Claire and Aiden, two former schoolmates as they meet again in a bar in the state of New York and decide to go to Florida on a whim.

I have to admit, this is my first Heather Garvin book and I read it in one go in less than three hours on a Monday night, so that is a really good point and it might make me want to read more of her books. The story is easy to understand and to read, and you flip the pages until you realise that there are no more pages to turn, which leaves you with a very good feeling that you weren't bored during reading. The chapters are really short and make you feel like this is a fast-paced book, when in reality all the events take place in less than a week.

I loved seeing the characters' development throughout the story and learning to know them, even though I feel like learning a little bit more about them wouldn't hurt. This book is definitely more character-driven than plot-driven, so that's one thing to be aware of when reading this book. To me, there were downsides to this book, like the cheating and miscommunication, and the third-act break up, but those are just things I dislike in a novel so please don't take that into consideration if you either like or love those tropes. And I loved other tropes such as the slow burn (with one spicy scene), the second chance romance and the grumpy/sunshine pairing.

Would definitely recommend!

Additional info:
X Contemporary romance standalone
X Slow burn, second chance, cheating and grumpy/sunshine trope
X First and dual POV (Claire and Aiden)

"Claire, haven't you heard? You're my next great adventure."

Crossing the Line is told from both Claire's and Aiden's perspectives. The pair went to high school together but haven't seen each other in a few years. But when college student, Claire finds her boyfriend cheating on her, she runs into the first open bar, where she reconnects with Aiden.

When she spontaneously tells him she needs a break and is going to get the train from New York to Florida, chivalrous Aiden decides she can't go alone so he comes along for the ride. Neither is looking for a relationship, but they inevitably grow closer even when outside forces push them apart.

So, let's start with what I did like. Firstly, I liked the premise and I also liked the characters. I mean, Aiden was a tattooed grump, say less! It was also a fast-paced book with short chapters.

However, overall it felt very surface-level. I needed more from the characters: more chemistry, more depth and more of an emotional connection to believe their relationship. The timeline and the rushed progression of their "relationship" felt unrealistic. I'm also never a fan of miscommunication so that part of the book annoyed me.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Slow burn at it's finiest. This book was a good read. And one i feel like everyone needs to give a go.

The premise of how the characters met and the journey they went on was one of the best parts of this book.

A second chance romance with an unexpected trip? 100% Cheff's kiss for me. This was such a refreshing reading! It was adventorous, funny and so easy to read.

Claire and Aiden are such lovable characters and the dual POV made it even easier to get to know them. I loved the fact that the reason why they've bonded in the past was kept as a mistery until around halfway through the book.

I swear that it was almost perfect but the misscommunication in the third act was slowly killing me and the only thing I wanted was for them to just fix it. Totally understandable but still hurt my feelings 😅

Thanks so much NetGalley and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.