THIS BOOKS IS AN AMAZING BOOK, IT HAS 90
CHAPTHER + EPILOGUE I KNOW ITS SEEMS A LOT BUT IT WAS REALLYSHORT FOR ME, BECAUSE IT HAS SHORT CHAPTHERS !!!! IATE THIS BOOKS CLAIRE AND AIDEN ARE SO CUTE AND I WISH I COULD READ MORE OF THE, I DIDNT WANT THE HOOK TO END BECAUSE I WAS SO INVESTED. THE BOOKS IS AMZINGLY WRITTEN HEATHER IS AN AMAZING WRITER CANT WAIT TO READ MORE BOOKS BY HER! PRE ORDER THIS BOOK IT COMES OUT ON DECEMBER 6TH YOU SHOULD ALL READ IT, IT IS SO CUTE AND FLUFFY

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher.

This is the first book I have read by Heather Garvin, and I enjoyed her writing style and the way she broke up POV with the chapters. I also loved the frequency of jumping back and forth between the characters without having to rehash interactions as some authors do when the chapters become too long-winded.

This is a 3/5 star book, but I can't bring myself to give it more than three stars.
Let me explain why.

Claire recently reeling from an event that has turned her life upside down gets tipsy and makes a dangerous traveling decision. Aiden, a seemingly random man in the bar with some light history in high school with Clair feels compelled to join her on her journey (okay?). As the story progresses you learn why he feels compelled to do what some random old acquaintance from a high school would not do.

As the story unfolds you get to join Claire on her journey of self-actualization and self-realization while Aiden overcomes his own personal problems.

This is where I can't bring myself to go three stars or higher. The "romantic" budding relationship that gets swung for a loop with the classic "miscommunication" trope comes off as toxic. I, like any romance reader, love a good miscommunication that leads her gut-dropping, heart-wrenching, and reaching for a Kleenex because you think this is the one romance that doesn't end happily ever after. This story had me mentally shouting RUN GIRL - IT'S NOT WORTH IT!

The way they talk to one another, the way they treat each other, *cringe*. It just was not for me.
I absolutely LOVED everything else about this book, I even inhaled it in a single day - but I just couldn't get over how I was left with this bad taste that even the epilogue couldn't wash away.

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing for sharing this ARC with me.

I really enjoyed the book. It is a quick and fun read that was really quite heart warming. The premise and the cover really caught my attention... I’m a sucker for the cute covers. I thought Claire was a great FMC and Aiden was a good character overall but he could be quite insufferable at times. I loved the dual POV and seeing the relationship grow from both POVs. I do wish there was a little more back story to flesh out both Claire and Aiden especially in their younger days. Overall it was a super fun read.

I knew before I got this book that I will adore it. And that's  exactly what happened. Love love love Claire and Aiden.
If you ask me what this book about, I would probably said about life, our choices, past mistakes and faith. Yeah, that's all you need to know. It's new adult, +18, but it's more than that. I can't say anything without spoilers, but if you like when people talk, really talk, you should like this one

This book is fast-paced, super quick and easy to read but jam packed with ups and downs all good romances need. I read this in a few hours as I didn’t want to put it down without continuing Claire and Aiden’s story.

**★ Arc Review ★**

**Rating:**
3⭐

**》》The Plot《《**
Bottom line: If you want to have a journey that predominantly only features two major characters, you NEED to make them likeable (or at the very least, interesting). Claire was fine (actually liked her), but the fact that Aiden was insufferable for the first 20% of the book and then all of a sudden balanced out to a more normal level of standoffishness was so jarring.

One noticable positive was that I like how this author handles sex scenes, classy and sexy but didn’t drag on forever being needlessly descrptive, it was actually very well balanced.

One prevalent downside (especially given it wasn’t written 20 years ago) is the misogyny: it would normally be okay if it’s introduced in the context of being explicitly disavowed, but there’s so many instances of putting down other girls to make Claire be ‘special’ or for Aiden to say Em is cool only because she’s like ‘one of the guys’. He also puts down the way all other girls act, the way they sleep around, the way they act when drinking, etc. but oh god ofc Claire doesn’t act that way because she’s ‘better than those other girls’…not cute. It got better throughout but those slips here and there gave me the ick.

Thankfully, the misunderstandings (though there were quite a few) weren’t overly drawn out or egregious, and nothing was left unsaid for like 20 chapters as the frustrated reader screams at the page telling them to just talk to eachother, which was a huge plus. Em was a great voice of reason so I’m glad she was in the story to stop things from getting too derailed. Normally I’d hate this kind of misunderstanding that could EASILY be solved by just talking, but given that these are two very vulnerable people who are hurting and who have trust issues, it was very believable and didn’t break immersion. Well done on that front, towed the line nicely.

The ONLY other thing that drove me crazy is rhe fact that his friends never found out Sam cheated on him, I hate when we know something other characters don’t and then never find out. I needed closure! But that’s just a personal pet hate.

**》》Characters and Relationships《《**
I like Claire quite a lot as the FL, but Aiden….this man and I need to talk.

I grew to like him more throughout but boy was it touch and go there for a while. Below is some commentary as I read the first quarter of the book:
-Oh god, it’s a little too on the nose with the whole ‘I don’t have a heart’ thing (pg. 10). “trying to see something in me that isn’t there” *barf* He gave me major Hardin from After vibes…the horror

-He is so needlessly rude to Jasmine in the first few pages and NOT in an endearing way, in an ‘I’m actually an asshole’ way.

-Chapter 3 - “I can’t stand it when girls cry. It’s messy and loud, and it makes me feel weird”…bro you’re so lame for that...

-Chapter 5 - “I’m a guy. Trust me when I say you look way too fuckable in that dress to travel alone”….BROOO c’mon give me SOMETHING to work with i beg you

-Chapter 6 - “…even assholes like me don’t want to see a sad puppy.” Ugh he’s so incessant with the “I’m an asshole” thing it’s way too on the nose. Subtlety anyone?

-Chapter 10 - this is just sad, Claire is literally bottling up any feelings of happiness she has just because she knows Aiden will squash it, he makes her question if she talks too much and feel bad about herself, not a good look.

-Chapter 11 - okay I officially hate him. I was warming up to him a little as he was dropping some of the bullshit act bit he just mentally berated the train staff for doing his job (checking tickets) and crammed the ticket into his hand so he would get lost. nothing more unattractive than a guy who disrespects service workers.

-He’s such a pig. Playing the ‘Claire isn't like other girls’ card and essentially slut shaming Jasmine. Also he pigeon-holes Claire, as apparently one look at her tells you she expects more from guys than a hook up so why ruin a girl like her when you can just fuck someone like Jasmine, so immensely rude.

After the 25% mark things got better (a lot better) but this man had me rolling my eyes every two seconds before that, it was touch-and-go for a while there.

**》》Conclusion《《**
Overall, the first 20% had me ready to rate this 1 or 2 stars because Aiden was so infuriating and unlikeable, but once they FINALLY got to Florida I found myself turning the pages effortlessly and came to enjoy it quite a bit. I always liked Claire (and the Florida friends) and Aiden did end up growing on me, but he still left a bad taste in my mouth at times. Without the first 20% souring the story I’d be willing to give this 4 stars but gotta settle on 3 because of that (I was very close to DNFing because of it, which is rare for me). Glad I pushed through because the remaining 75% had me eating the story up!

*Thank you to Netgalley and The Publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!*

𝘊𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘦 follows Clair Ackerman and Aiden Lewis as they have an impromptu high school reunion in their hometown bar. While neither of them are prepared for meeting the other, especially after what went down their senior year, they can't deny the pull they feel. And after grappling with recent incidents, they both hail a train to Florida to clear off their minds but what happens when lines get crossed and sparks burn too bright to diminish.

- ~ -

I think the first thing that comes to mind regarding this story is that we were forewarned that the characters are both a bit rude and standoff-ish and the whole plot rides on this trait heavily.

Other than that, I enjoyed the plot but do wish we had more time with the characters and get to know them better over time but unfortunately it's a bit of an insta-romance and got over pretty soon.

My favourite bits, though, were the short chapters which maintained the pace and simultaneously kept the storyline very addictive.

- ~ -

3.23 / 5✩

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘛𝘶𝘴𝘬𝘢𝘯 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘓𝘓𝘊 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘐 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 & 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

“Crossing the Line” is about Claire who just found out she’s been cheated on going on an adventure with the sexy grumpy Aiden who she knew in high school. Along the way they find out more about themselves and each other. It was a fun ride.


I loved this story. I loved the banter between Aiden and Claire, and the angst! 🫠 This book was such a great read! And you know I’m a sucker for a grumpy/sunshine!

Review:
🐙🐙🐙🐙🐙
🌶


Favorite Quote :

“Don’t tease me, Claire. I promise you’ll lose that game.” 🫠🫠

This book was really cute! I found myself wanting to get back to the book throughout my work day. I really liked Claire and Aiden. The miscommunication trope is not my favorite, but overall the book was really enjoyable with likable characters. The grumpy/sunshine trope is one of my favorites! I enjoyed the other characters and would be interested in reading their stories, too!

This was an easy read about two former classmates who meet up years after high school and spontaneously go on an adventure to Florida.

Their relationship was cute and steamy. Claire is a fun character who’s been treated terribly by her previous boyfriend. Aiden is closed off and still harbouring trust issues from his previous relationship. As they get to know each other, their walls start to come down and they develop real feelings.

I liked it, but didn’t love it. The third act breakup was unnecessary and had my least favourite tropes - miscommunication and cheating. I liked Aiden up until that point and then he couldn’t be redeemed for me. Claire deserved better.

thank you to netgalley for the arc in return for an honest review!

The book was nice, it just didn't blow me away. For starters, it is divided into ninety chapters (NINETY), which feels incredibly daunting. Lucky me, most chapters are two pages and more than a few are one page or even half of one. At times it did feel a bit cheap and unoriginal. Why have the ninety chapters if so many remain underutilised?

Other than that the book feels very instalove-y (despite the perceived length) and I don't think it ever earns the romance it displays. The jealously is unnecessary, the pining nonexistent. Also the third-act break-up (because, yes, there is one) is so ridiculously forced and just childish that it took me out of the book. It can't even be called miscommunication because this man, called Aiden by the way, takes such a massive leap, he deserved a fucking gold medal at the Olympics. The fact she (Claire) even forgives him, never mind the span of time in which she does it, is absurd. <spoiler> he fucks you after knowing you a week, disappears and you find him canoodling with his ex-girlfriend? And you take him back?? abhorrently down behaviour. GET. UP. </spoiler>

What the book does have going for it is a fast pace (it's like a fucking bullet train), short chapters and at times such dramatic twists and turns that you can't help but continue on to watch the trainwreck.

Overall, would I recommend it? Not likely. But it was a perfectly fine read, so crossing the line gets my romance book three star standard rating (also a million thanks to Heather for ACTUALLY writing romance. my last book burned the fuck out of me).

I loved this- short fast paced chapters meant that I couldn’t put it down.

I loved Claire and Aidens’ relationship- their history, their chemistry and their angst. Great character development - you feel like you got to understand them as characters and it wasn’t just superficial.

3.75 ⭐️

Special thanks to NetGalley and Tuskan Publishing got providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Claire finds out her long distance boyfriend has been cheating on her during a surprise visit to see him and whilst finding the closest bar to start drinking, she runs into her high school crush, Aiden. Sparks fly when he joins her on an impromptu train ride to St. Pete, FL.

This book was more heartwarming than I was expecting! The back story of how Claire and Aiden met was a little heartbreaking, but set their characters as those that had their trust broken early on. It was going well until the dreaded miscommunication trope (*whyy*) and wrapped up too quickly after that, but honestly they are v cute.

#SecondChance

I received a free #eARC of Crossing the Line by @heathergarvinbooks in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley.

This is the first book I've read by Heather Garvin, and I'm so glad I stumbled across her as an author. If you're looking for low 🌶 level but a good plot, then this is the book for you. Not to mention our main man is a grump.

Together, they end up on a spontaneous, cross-country train to Florida after Claire finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her. If you've ever wanted to fly (or ride off) on a spontaneous trip to feel better, then you'll connect with Claire. And if you love reading about grumpy hotties, then you'll love Aiden.

Now, I don't love the trope about miscommunication, but I know that it's a very real occurrence in many people's lives, and I've become less irritated by it when the author has the two people act like adults in the aftermath. And that is just what Heather Garvin does. Plus who wouldn't want a man to make a gesture like Aiden? It's low-key, but also says a whole lot about him and his feelings.

Overall, I gave Crossing the Line ⭐⭐⭐⭐. I loved the dual POV and that the chapters were short. I felt like I was flying through the book, and probably was, because the shorter chapters let me know that I'd find out the other person's POV soon!

3.5 stars

I thought I was in a reading slump after not wanting to pick up my physical book very much so decided to give this one a try and I'm glad I did. I binge read the book in a couple of hours!

The 2 MCs, Claire & Aiden, were a lot of fun to follow. I really liked that we got both of their POVs, and how similar but different they were. Both characters developed well throughout the book, especially Claire. However, the miscommunication trope is least favorite of mine. The ending was great, but the epilogue felt unnecessary.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author & Tuskan Publishing LLC for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

i received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. all thoughts and opinions are my own.

this was such a nice and easy read. i actually loved that the chapters were so short (hello short attention span) and the dual POV was perfect for getting to know both Claire and Aiden.

usually i’m not a fan of romance books where the romance happens over a short space of time. i think in this book it happens over the period of a week and surprisingly it worked for me. i was actually hooked by the slow burn of them getting together, which is why it didn’t necessarily feel like an insta-love situation.

the miscommunication at the end was a bit of a miss for me, but then there’d have been no last minute drama without it so i guess it wasn’t so bad.

overall, i did really enjoy this book and would absolutely recommend.

This book was super cute! It was the perfect blend of plot and spice.

I fell in love with Claire and Aiden from the very beginning. They are both people that went through a tough childhood and a rough breakup. Aiden doesn’t want a relationship anymore and is fine with casual hookups, and Claire just ended a relationship after being cheated on. Neither of them is in the headspace to date, but their chemistry is undeniable.

Aiden is one of my new favorite book boyfriends. He got on a train for Claire. A girl he kinda knew from his childhood but didn’t really know. Just because he knew she was struggling and he couldn’t stand for her to be alone for that long.

Wonderful writing and characters!!

This was unfortunately not it for me.

The romance was were insta-love and I felt like I didn't know the characters. The conflict at the end was the worst case of miscommunication and it just didn't do it for me. JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER!

This book is very forgettable and in two days I won't remember the names of the main characters. This could have been a hit as the plot intrigued me, but the execution just wasn't what I wanted.

It was a pleasant surprise and I am glad I had the chance to read it. I loved how sweet it was and genuinely squealed at times!

I’m glad that this book crossed the line between NetGalley and my Kindle because this is actually a good read. It was not another book I would have felt lazy finishing just for the sake of giving a review.

This is an easy, slow burn, second chance romance. This book shows that we all move on differently from a bad relationship. That not all of us need a long period of time being single time before jumping into a new one.

It’s such a quick read because chapters are very short. I don’t know about you, but Aiden is grumpy, but he gave me butterflies. I like the spicy parts and their chemistry.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tuskan Publishing LLC for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.