would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

well it wasnt the easy read that it was going to be ... some very heavy issues dealt with in this book, but on the whole it was a good read

I want to start off by thanking Bold Strokes Books, Inc., NetGalley, and Chelsey Lynford for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! :)

Oh gosh this book had me swooning!! It was so adorable!! The amount of sweetness and spice in this one was just fantastic. I have been looking for a book with this amount of cuteness and I’m so happy I got to read this one! Chloe and Quinn were so adorable. I loved how bold and honest Quinn was and i loved how sweet/shy Chloe was! But I also loved how each of them had their own struggles we got to learn about.. Quinn was faced with such unimaginable pain in this book that my heart broke for her. Chloe’s issues were also intense with her family and job that I also really felt for her.. but I loved how in the end the two of them really found their way with each other and took the time to restart and reflect with one another. It was extremely heartwarming❤️ I hope we get to know more about the other characters in this book in the near future if there will be more books!🫶🏻

4.5/5 lovely stars for Chloe and Quinn!🥺🫶🏻

Chloe: Ivy league educated, working for her family conglomerate, rule follower, constantly moving around following the life plan, and no interest in sticking around in this small-town once her job there is complete. Quinn: free-spirited troublemaker, always looking for a good time, avoiding anything serious, and has zero intention of leaving her delightful small ski town. The two meet randomly, hit it off immediately, and strike up a casual relationship with an expiration date. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to want to stay casual, and the two are forced to navigate a growing relationship, family expectations, and unresolved past traumas.

This was an exceptional novel, that exceeded my expectations. It delivered on my expectations of fun and steamy romance but also dove deep into more serious topics and emotions (in big and unexpected ways, with satisfying results!). This was not a simple and straightforward novel, but one that took its time to include longer and more complicated plotlines. There were excellent depictions of communication within a relationship, how to properly (and improperly) address serious issues, and of course lots of steamy scenes. I would absolutely recommend this novel.

Great Parts:
-NO annoying tropes. No grand gesture, no silly miscommunications, and I wouldn’t call what happened a typical 3rd act breakup in the slightest.
-The writing was very well done. The way things were phrased particularly was enjoyable, as well as the use of foreshadowing. The writing was witty and entertaining in its own right, aside from the content.
-The communication between these characters, especially at the start! Explicit conversations about consent, sobriety, STD’s, “confirm you are single”, etc., that is not always/often included in similar novels. This was simply refreshing and is a good example of proper and responsible sexual behavior.
-The ongoing communication between the characters, through the entire novel, was also great. They had a lot of issues and hurdles and didn’t always act in the best ways, however overall, this novel did an excellent job of showing the characters actively addressing their issues and working through them together. This is what relationships are actually like/about. Lots of novels show very unrealistic representations of relationships and problem solving (which is fine, its fiction) so its great to see communication like this in a novel. After the amount of work these characters put into their relationship, the payoff at the end was that much more satisfying.
-This was a multi-faceted novel that included a lot. There were steamy sex scenes, cute romance and lots of fun, but also a deep analysis of trauma, anxiety, and more serious issues. The emotions evoked spanned the entire range.
-I liked how the conflict went back and forth between the characters. It was dynamic. Throughout the novel the MC’s changed the roles that they played in their relationship and their relationship struggles.
-I always appreciate when a character who has issues actually goes to therapy or seeks professional help. Its realistic and nice representation.

Nitpicks:
-The book cover/blurb did not remotely prepare the reader for what this novel was actually about. I was fine with it, but from the blurb and the cute cover I was expecting a fun and lighthearted novel. Some trigger warnings (or vague warnings even) might be nice.
-Sometimes the pacing and POV within a scene was a little strange and confusing. The setting would change between sentences without warning, things like that. I was always able to follow what was happening so it wasn’t too bad, but it was disorienting at times.
-Chloe….. at times I didn’t like her, and I wasn’t able to understand her point of view or actions. Its not great when you dislike a MC who you are supposed to like and be rooting for. I think in a few places things were just not explained well enough, such as why she felt so strongly that they couldn’t continue their relationship. Overall, she was good, but there were some instances where I had issues.


Just a note: this novel comes together as a complete piece that works well once its finished, in ways that you wouldn't expect from just reading the first chunk. I would encourage readers to finish the novel as you really wont be able to appreciate it if you DNF (as I can see from some other reviews).

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC in exchange for an honest review

DNF @ 26%

This book really just isn't working for me so I need to put it down. In this book, we follow two characters named Quinn and Chloe. One of them is a laid back snowboard instructor and the other is a more prim and proper business woman. I honestly couldn't tell you which of them is which because both characters read exactly the same to me. I had a really hard time distinguishing these two characters from one another. Everything that was happening in this book felt rushed and I felt like the writing was doing a lot more telling and not showing, which I did not enjoy. So sadly, this one is a DNF for me and I will not be continuing it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC copy of this book!

This was my first book by this author, but will not be my last. I enjoyed this book even if it wasn't exactly what I was expecting.

Quinn Kennedy is a snowboarder who is trying to find what she wants to do in life, but from the blurb, she's not exactly a snowboarder, she's an instructor who works at the resort who meets Chloe at a party and they hook up not expecting to see each other again.

Low and behold, Chloe is working at a branch of her family's business in town where Quinn lives. They start seeing each other casually, because as their lives are different, they can't work full time or can they. This entire book is basically them dating and not talking about their feelings which is frustrating. It does touch upon sensitive topics which would have been nice to get a heads up about. There wasn't a ton of plot to move the story forward, but I enjoyed the premise even though it could have been dug deeper in my opinion.

I liked the story, and the ending, but the epilogue was not cool and too random to make it good. Yes they are together and all, but the argument and etc didn't fit in.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, a lot of things didn’t work out for me, despite having an interesting Hallmark-esque premise. It was pretty much instalove and I’m not a fan of such. Second, the characters (both Chloe and Quinn) felt flat and one-dimensional. I didn’t get the chemistry between them. There’s a lot of telling and little showing, plus the narration was somewhat all over the place that it made it hard to follow the storyline and plot. One thing I did enjoy, ironically, was the spice, so props, I guess.

Crossing Bridges didn't quite work for me. The writing style is literal and repetitive, narrated to you exactly as it takes place, and the internal reflection is minimal. I prefer third-person POV to first, but there was no sense of flow, and it was hard to keep reading. The characters felt immature and simplistic. Chloe is a put-together business woman and Quinn is a snowboarder instructor who likes to have fun. It's a classic straightforward dynamic that seems common in lesbian romance novels; the immature, cheesy player and the serious, "adult" to balance them out. I didn't buy the chemistry or feel invested in them getting together and without caring particularly for either of them, it was difficult to get through.

This book isn't what I was expecting from the blurb, and that isn't a wholly bad thing. But, in trying to give enough focus to the "trying to keep things casual" part, the balance with the "a decision needs to be made when things come to a head" part feels off. The second part of the book feels much stronger of a story, and I liked how much we really got to dig into both Chloe and Quinn's backstories and personalities and how they found themselves where they were and why that couldn't continue, but it definitely isn't the sort of story I was expecting from the cover and the blurb.

I do also really appreciate that one of my qualms with the first half - that it feels like it's almost entirely just their hookups - becomes a plot point later, when they come back together and decide to take it slow.

I do have to say that the epilogue felt really out of the blue and weird - I know it was meant to show that they've found a way to disagree about their future and communicate, but it felt like way too big of an argument and discussion for a quick epilogue.

In the end, though, I did really like it, though I think it needed some warnings for the heavier topics (pretty vivid descriptions of panic attacks, past sexual trauma, depression, and institutionalization)

I like the idea of this book but not the execution. I was not able to finish it sadly. Third person POV can be hard to write, but the use of their names in basically every sentence was driving me nuts. I'm sad I didn't enjoy it because there is a lack of sapphic romance books. I think there is great potential for the story and if you're a fan of third person POV then you might enjoy this book.

Chloe, hot aunt, and Quinn, snowboard instructor, have a one night stand that neither expects to lead to anything.

So imagine Chloe's surprise when she meets Quinn again and learns she's a heiress and now running in Chloe's social circle.

Should they acknowledge the spark between them, or is it too risky?

First of all, this is a much more intense book that the description implies. Trigger warnings for rape, depression and family neglect. It's pretty good, but does somewhat feel rushed. Not sure if it got cut down for length, but there are bits that read as somewhat disjointed too.