bumping into each other in a bar then jumping on a train to Florida with someone you just about remember from high school is how these two begin their relationship and they are electric! The chemistry is almost immediate and their fun on their train journey is so cute that I was immediately routing for them to have their HEA.
When they do have something going on in Florida and the inevitable speed bump / breakup happens is probably my only reason for not giving it a 5 star.... I am just not sure it quite felt like it was in keeping with who each of the characters were.
Such a fun and thrilling read and had such an immediate impact on me to really cheer on this couple that I had to read it all in one sitting to see their happy ending.

haven’t you heard that this book is so freaking good!! This book is a fast read about two people from the same small town who met accidentally at the bar and end up going on a trip to Florida rogue that changes their life. I loved the banter that Claire and Aiden had throughout the book, but also probably due to the grumpy x sunshine trope vibes going on. The book genuinely goes by really fast but like not in a pace where you are like wtf why is all this stuff happening at once but like wtf how can i read this faster it’s so good.

Claire and Aiden are honestly so cute. I wish they touched upon the whole high school deal a bit more than just mentioning it a few times and the quick flashback scene, but that’s just me being picky. Claire is honestly just too cute, I love her. Some bias stems from the fact that i relate to her a bit more than a should, but nonetheless she such a sweet person which truly shines through the book. Aiden definitely is the “I hate everyone but you” kinda guy and I loved the way he was written because typically I dislike this trope. However the way that Garvin is able to write him be protective, grumpy, and funny makes the trope so much more enjoyable. The two of them together honestly are just too cute especially with the “havent you heard” game. I absolutely enjoyed being able to read about them learning more about each other throughout their trip. It felt as if I was like a third person on the trip which I personally really enjoyed. Additionally, another trope that is hit or miss with me that the book briefly touches on is found family, specifically within Aiden’s friends in Florida. I do wish they touched upon the topic a bit more towards the end but it was 100% alluded to so that’s not too shabby.

Rating 4.5/5

Crossing the Line tells the story of Claire and Aiden, their unexpected trip to Florida, and their recovery from their breakup. Claire found out her boyfriend cheated on her. Claire ran into her schoolmate Aiden, whom she met after 3 years. She decided to go on a trip to Florida after Aiden’s suggestions.

The book was written in dual POVs. Claire was a sunshine character. Aiden was a grumpy one.

They both broke up with their partners for the same reason: cheating. But the way they tried to overcome the circumstances was different. Claire, on the one hand, wanted to go on a trip, which she couldn’t do because of her ex-boyfriend, before going back to New York again to continue to live her life. Aiden, on the other hand, moved to New York and cut off everything he had in Florida except for his few friends.

I liked Claire and Aiden's character development. They both overcame their internal struggle and started opening up to each other.

The thing I didn’t like was the miscommunication throughout the book. As well as Aiden jumping directly to the conclusion, without trying to talk to Claire.

The book was fast-paced with short chapters and a slow-burn romance. The writing was simple. The sunny Florida setting was fun.

For slow-burn romances with grumpy × sunshine tropes readers, this is worth reading

cute, quick romance. Great for fans of character driven novels with a slow burn romance. Bit predictable, and the main characters' self doubt is occasionally off-putting. But it'll make someone looking for a single sitting love story quite satisfied.

I really enjoyed this book! I loved Aiden and Claire’s story. Chapter 64 broke me! I do wish the story had been a little deeper. But it was still enjoyable!

ARC REVIEW
Crossing the Line by Heather Garvin

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A fun NA romance about second chances.

☀️ Claire just caught her boyfriend of two years cheating on her. What better way to cope than to take a train to sunny Florida. Only she’s not alone. Her former high school classmate, Aiden is along for the ride.

This was an unexpected page turner for me. Here’s what I loved.

☀️ the concept and setting. I really liked the idea of having Claire hop on a train to find some peace. The Florida setting was fun and I loved seeing how she interacted with Aiden’s friends. They felt like a tight knit group.

☀️ Claire and Aiden’s journey. Having these two get to know each other again on the train and then see them fall for each other was perfect. They were both wounded in different ways and seeing them heal together just worked.

☀️ The short chapters with different POVs. It was a quick read because of the chapter lengths—perfect for a quick reading break during my day! I also liked seeing both of their POVs!

All in all, this was a really good NA romance that had a lot of angst and heart to it.

Spice level: 🔥🔥

Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC book in exchange for an honest review.

Release: 12/6

Crossing the line is a cute romance about a long trip by train, two school mates who met years after graduating and break-ups’ wounds not fully healed.

I really liked this book and I would have given it 5 stars if it wasn’t for the “plot twist” (if we may call it that way) being based on misunderstanding. It wasn’t the characters or the writing style, which I liked by the way, but this tiny bit of plot that doesn’t meet my standards.

So, if you like this kind of twists and a romance with a little bit of spice, I think this book is perfect for you.

Thank you Netgalley and Tuscan Publishing LLC for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Okay, I really liked this book. 4.5 ⭐️
The whole book takes place over a few days and the way the chapters were set up made it feel more intimate. It switched from Claire to Aiden mid “scene” so we really got to see what they both were thinking as the conversations were happening. It felt different than most dual pov and I really enjoyed it. It had a very realistic feel to it. Their cell phones being mentioned a few times, scrolling or picking them up or whatever, added to the realness. Because if I’m on a train with someone I haven’t seen since high school I’m definitely scrolling on my phone if there’s an awkward silence lol.
I didn’t love the way Aiden acted during the miscommunication. But again, he’s 21 and it was realistic. He wasn’t some super swoony romance hero with a ton of over the top love declarations. He was real and sweet even if he fumbled his way through it a bit. He and Claire both grew over the span of the book and the tension between them was perfect.
Part of me wishes we could have gotten some more details on the characters childhood but again, this book took place over a matter of days so that wouldn’t really have worked into the timeline.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was such a cute grumpy x sunshine story! Heather Garvin did an amazing job at creating fun, witty, and relatable characters. I really enjoyed the dual POV and short chapters. (Chapter 79 had me cackling out loud.) This book had my emotions all over the place. I thought this story was so well-written.

Our two main characters, Claire and Aiden, went to high school together where they have a somewhat complicated tie between them. They run into each other at a bar 3 years later, and that’s when their adventure begins. The slow burn is *chefs kiss* and the spice level was perfect. I loved all of the side characters, especially Violet. I’d love to get more books about them.

I rated this 4/5 stars. I was a little disappointed with their high school “moment” once it was revealed, and I was disappointed with the way Aiden handled the miscommunication towards the end of the story. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and it helped get me out of a reading slump.

If you like grumpy x sunshine, slow burn, and second chance romances, this is a must read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tuskan Publishing for the ARC to read and review.

I enjoyed having a faster paced book for once. It was very cute and I truly did enjoyed it. I also really liked Claire

This was such a quick read for me! The short chapters kept it pretty fast paced and it only really took place over 4 days, which made it quite a whirlwind romance but still also believable. There was something heartwarming about it and I loved the backstory to the two MCs ❤️

Firstly, thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read. This ARC in exchange for an honest review. Crossing The line was such a great read.it was truly the perfect book to get me out of my reading slump. The development of Claire and Aidens relationship was done so beautifully. I appreciated how the author had the characters be mature in the ways they resolved (most) of their conflicts. The childhood enemies to lovers trope was done so well!! All in all, if you’re looking for a cute romcom to get you out of a slump, this is the book for you!

1.5 ⭐️

I feel so bad saying this, but I did not like this. I don’t think that it is necessarily a “bad book”, but I definitely do not think that it is the book for me. Crossing the Line follows two former classmates and acquaintances, who accidentally bump into each other in a bar in their hometown three years after high school. Claire is running to Florida in an attempt to escape an ex-boyfriend, and Aiden impulsively decides to join. I thought that the plot of this book sounded interesting and I was super excited to read it, but unfortunately, I found the execution pretty disappointing. For one, I reallyyy disliked the main characters. Well, mostly Aiden. I was not rooting for him at all. I found him to be annoying, arrogant, and excessively crude. I also didn’t like how much we were in the characters’ heads. I’m already not a fan of first-person pov, but for some reason this book bothered me more than normal. And lastly it featured two of my least favorite things: miscommunication trope and an easily avoidable third-act breakup. The one redeeming quality for me was that it was a very easy read with quick chapters and I felt like I flew through it pretty fast.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Tuscan Publishing for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

I Loved Crossing the line. I really liked that Aiden wasn’t made to be saccharinely good to be true, I liked Clare and thought her and Aiden were a good team.

It was quite a steamy read, but done in a good way; I loved the story and is one I would recommend.

Short, sweet and to the point! I enjoyed the crap out of this book and read it in a day.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Claire and Aiden were two great characters. They’ve known each other since high school and are thrown back together in their small NY town.
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Throw in a random trip to the Sunshine State and what more can you ask for 😝 would recommend picking this one up when it comes out.
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🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

This book was pretty cute! I enjoyed the sort of "second chance romance" vibe that was being given off in this book. There's something about reconnecting with "the one" years later and not realizing they were meant for you, but finding out upon your reunion is a great trope for me. The spontaneity of the novel was fitting, making it a great rom com, and I loved reading about the night our two MCs shared in their past that made them special to each other.

What made it three stars for me, was honestly just the fact that the characters were so YOUNG. For some reason, in my head, the way they were portrayed, they should have been older.

All-in-all, this was an enjoyable read, and next time I see a novel by Garvin, I will pick it up for sure!

This was a quick read and I really enjoyed the short dual POV chapters. The writing style was clean and the characters were interesting.

A cute, fun, romance book that I found very addictive!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book. My feedback is honest.

Sometimes the best in life happens when you’re living the worst.

Claire Ackerman enters a bar after finding that her boyfriend was cheating on her. She made the two-hour trip from New York to the town she lived to be with him for nothing and now needs a drink or a hole to hide. Because she’s clearly having an amazing day, one of the few people present is Aiden Lewis, her high-school crush. Now she can’t even cry or get drunk at ease because someone there knows who she is.

They start talking and… get on a train to Florida! Claire decides to do whatever she feels like doing, and that is going to the beach. So, she decides to go to Florida. Since she’ll go alone, by night, Aiden goes with her for her safety. Is a train ride enough to get them close again? What will happen when they get off the train?

I enjoyed so much reading this book! It’s original and the characters and naturally flawed. They are impulsive and do stupid things but they have history and feel real. There was nothing in this story that felt forced. The stupid parts were just because the characters were simply being stupid.

I wanted to know more about Em and Ethan. They seem to be such a nice couple! Em is very intuitive, friendly, and helpful, which made me like her.

Garret is so self-centered I was hoping Claire would throw a coffee on him. Or give him a mirror so he would go away happy. No need to wish bad things on people. Maybe one day he would understand the metaphor…

Once you lose trust in someone is very difficult to get it back. But some people are special enough to try…

4.5*

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC copy of this book to read and review. All of these thoughts are my own!

I really love Aiden and Claire. I love the grump/cheerful couple trope. I love how protective and jealous Aiden is of Claire. I also love that he doesn’t let her run from her problem. I do think however that neither of them were ready or even mature enough for a relationship will how quickly they jump the gun on each other thinking the other is cheating. This would have been perfect instead of great, if the whole “I thought you were cheating” wasn’t in the book.

Over all I do think this is a cute little read. I’ll be buying an actual copy because I really did enjoy this book.

4 stars!

Wow. wow. wow. I absolutely devoured this book. As soon as I started reading this book I knew I would love it. I think the author done an absolutely incredible job writing these characters as I absolutely fell in love with them! From the second I met Aiden in the bar I fell in love with him, he had the classic grumpy sunshine attitude that I am OBSESSED with and I found him hilarious, there was also a lot of depth to this character which I really appreciate the author delving into. And Claire she was EVERYTHING she had it soo rough in the beginning but throughout the book I feel like she really grew from her past experiences and developed into this strong loveable character that I will never be able to forget. The plot of this book had me absolutely hooked from the get go and I could not stop reading until I had finished the book and now I want more! I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who needs a light hearted fast paced and enjoyable read!