There were some gaps in plot for this romance and I could’ve done with a glossary for lacrosse terms!
Overall it was enjoyable and fun and it was a nice change of sport for this very popular sub genre.
I’m not even sure I can really call it a romance as even the fake dating element was more about the inner turmoil of “hidden feelings”.
Cross My Heart was as much a love letter to the sport as it was for these two main characters falling for each other.

I received this book as an ARC and provide an honest review

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for the e-ARC of this book.

I really liked this book! I have read a number of sports themed romances, but lacrosse was definitely a new one for me!

I loved FMC May's character and how the relationship between her and the MMC Colt developed over the course of the story.

I also really liked the more complex and involved parts of the book, and how cultural celebrations and customs were reflected throughout this book, I felt it added a layer of depth to the story and made the characters come to life even more!

The trope of second chance romances is one of my favourites and I feel the story was told we'll. The only small note I would make is that in some parts the story felt predictable and too inkeeping with the tropes.

I would definitely recommend this book to friends and would love to read more from Esha Patel!

Thank you Netgalley and Esha Patel for letting me read this book for an honest review.

This was a cute rom com read, it look me a few attempts to get fully into this book, I think that it was just a sport romance that I wasn’t used to reading. But once I did I enjoyed it 😊

I did enjoy this book, it did take me a few tries to get into it but I did finish, it did feel a little flat for me, something was missing but overall i did like it!

Following the story of two childhood lovers with a trope of faking dating. I do think the main FMC did have a lot going for her, she was funny, tough but also stuck in this past life with the MMC, I am not normally a second chance romance reader and this did remind me why I struggle with this reading trope. This story is following both of them learning to let go of the past and being able to move forward to see if this is actually something real.

I liked some of the side characters and the sports element but overall this book did feel like it was missing something but it could just be as I struggle with second chance romance, if you want to follow a story of a MMC who is a bit of a tormented soul and a FMC who doesn't understand how to let go of the past but does try to remember that not everything is so black and white (with the help of her friends, family and her bestie). I would recommend this book.

I rated this book a 3/5 stars

Thank you Netgalley and Esha Patel for letting me read this book for an honest review.

Honestly for me this was just a really average fake dating sport romance. I felt like the book expected you to know everything about lacrosse and didn’t explain any of the things they were talking about so I was left doing a lot of googling in between my reading to understand what was being talked about. I also didn’t really get some of the ways the MMC’s family were reacting to his life choices. To an extent I understood why May felt the way she did about everything that happened but some of it really just did not make sense to me. I also just felt like there were a lot of times where we would just get a quick recap of things occurring instead of getting to be a part of the moment so I struggled to fully feel the connection between May and Colt. Overall I think this was a fine read but not my favourite.

🌟: 4.5
This rom-com made my little lacrosse loving heart so happy!

So yes, let me start by saying that, as a high school lacrosse player, I am HEAVILY biased because I wish there were more lax romances out there. I loved how much the sport was featured throughout the book, and I was just as invested in the team’s journey to the championship as I was in the romance. Playing lacrosse in high school, I am all too familiar with how neglected the sport can be, so I liked seeing May and Colt use their ruse to draw attention to the team.

I am a total sucker for fake dating, so I enjoyed how May and Colt’s relationship developed. Colt was such a sweetheart. He has a lot to apologize for when it comes to their past, but it’s clear how in love he is with May from page one, which I LOVE. I liked how May was given space to be angry with and hate Cole, but also has friends around her to talk through her developing feelings toward him.

Between the angst, the drama, the hard-won games, and the swoon-worthy yet rocky love story, I was hooked on this book from start to finish (and I was even shedding a bit of a TEAR at the end?!?!), and I would absolutely recommend!

Looooooooove the diverse characters. I know exactly nothing about lacrosse so those parts went over my head. Also wasn't a huge fan of the second chance. But it was a fun quick read.

i’m not sure this was really for me, it’s not a sport I know / am into so that side of it didn’t really interest me. I also didn’t feel any sort of connection to the characters so I just felt very uninterested and unconnected to this book.

It was an easy light read inbetween other books though, I know Esha has an F1 romance which I might give a try!

Adorable, I love sports romances and this hit the spot and scratched the itch in my brain, I also love seeing diverse characters in books and we need more of them!!!

Thank you to Net Galley and Avon Books UK and of course the author for the chance to read this book.

My first romance with Lacrosse as the sport. I never seen one till i seen this posted and was extremely intrigued by it. I love the trope fake dating and second chance romance.
May a big lover of lacrosse being on the field and a strong badass. Colt sure he made mistakes but you just grew to care for the character. The way they are with each other just makes you invested in this couple just to see how this slow burn romance between these 2 go on to being more. I would read again.

Really enjoyed the lacrosse backdrop - Patel normally writes novels in an F1 backdrop, so a little different. But still really good and a lot of fun. May and Colt have history, he broke her heart and returns to help with coaching May's team. They end up fake dating and whilst you know it will end up being the real deal, still thoroughly enjoyable. Thanks to Net galley for the advanced copy.

4⭐️ | 1.5🌶️

I was so lucky to get my hands on an ARC of Cross My Heart from the fabulous Esha Patel, and she’s done it again! As a die-hard fan of her F1 romances (nothing beats a high-speed love story), this was my first time reading a lacrosse romance… and while my heart still belongs to the track, this one had me flipping pages faster than a pit stop!

Lacrosse might not be my usual sport of choice, but it was such a refreshing backdrop. The way the game scenes were written had my adrenaline pumping, I genuinely felt like I was on the field with them, eyes on the goal, holding my breath to see how it would play out. I wasn’t expecting boots, barns, and that small-town charm, but it added so much heart to the story.

Now let’s talk about May Velasco. Strong, loyal, stubborn in the best way, and absolutely sunshine in cleats. Colt? Total grump with a soft, gooey center…my favorite kind. The way he’s down bad for her, how he always calls her “May Velasco” in his head like her full name is a prayer? Yeah, I melted.

Fake dating? Check. Second chance romance? Check. Grumpy x sunshine? Double check. Esha weaved my favorite tropes together with heart, heat, and a whole lot of swoon.

Cross My Heart is the kind of book that scores high on charm, feels, swoony romance and a sprinkle of cowboy magic ✨

this book was good, but nothing spectacular. I think if I understood lacrosse better I would have enjoyed this more but a lot of the terms just flew over my head. I enjoyed the fake dating, it wasn’t the most believable but it was still a good time.

Second chance romance between former best friends and throw in lacrosse! When your forever crush/best friend abandons you without so much as a word, you tend to hold a grudge. When CJ "Colt" Bradley returns home to help May Velasco's lacrosse training... she wants no part of it. She hasn't heard from him in years and he completely broke hr heart. Colt is here to make amends, he is here to get his friend back... but when they are photographed together and it encourages press for the women's lacrosse team, May and Colt agree to fake date to keep the team happy. But spending all that time together means facing what went wrong in their relationship in the first place. This book was not great, I just couldn't see the romance between these two characters and didn't feel the chemistry at all. The book felt so slow paced and I found myself constantly putting this book down to read something else and come back. I just didn't find myself rooting for these two characters to get together and I honestly didn't care by the end. Sadly this one wasn't the second chance romance for me but if you like that and want a book with a lacrosse romance in it, I would definitely say try it.

Release Date: May 22, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Avon Books UK | Avon for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I personally just didn’t vibe with it at all. The writing is very juvenile (more like high school rather than people in their early 20s). And I honestly found May just very very annoying. This whole fake relationship was SO unneeded too. And it’s SO unrealistic for the coach to even encourage a relationship between a player and someone on the staff. Beyond ridiculous. Why is everyone so mad at Colt for going away? May literally acts like her and colt were in a long term relationship and he just left when they literally were just friends who didn’t tell each other how they felt. What does she want from him? He literally had a dream and pursued it and everyone is mad at him? Okay so he didn’t contact as much as he should have (he is a guy) but what did they do to try and keep the relationship too? Absolutely nothing. Beyond infuriating. Jordan is literally the most level headed character in the book and I love her. I also kinda wish that May would stick to one name for Colt. One second she calls him Colt the next it’s CJ. Have some consistency. I just felt that May and Colt lacked any chemistry and I didn’t think they should have ended up together. Overall disappointed as I was excited to read a different type of sports romance

This was such a wonderful and enjoyable read.
If you’re into sports romance, Cross My Heart by Esha Patel is definitely one to check out.
This was a wonderfully written romance story.
I absolutely loved these characters and really enjoyed getting to know them.
A sweet, fun and engaging read!

Yessss! Just yes! This book was just..everything.

Big thank you to the Avon Books UK and the author for the ARC via NetGalley!

Second Chance romance, fake dating AND It’s a sports romance, oh man YES I loved every second! I especially loved that it was a different sport than the usual romance’s we get, I LOVED hearing about all things lacrosse.

May is full of anger and sadness over the heartache she endured over a guy she once loved. She’s a big lover of lacrosse and it shows, she’s an absolute powerhouse on the field and a badass babe! She’s strong, loyal and feisty especially when it comes to a certain someone.

Colt, oh he melted my heart. He’s made mistakes and he owns up to them. He’s a true golden retriever hero. He’s kind, he’s caring but he doesn’t know how to handle some of the bigger feelings but when he does…gah swoony!

Watching these two grow and develop throughout the book has been one of my favourite things, to see them go from the sadness they both felt to the happiness they both deserve, I’m in awe. It was worth all the heart ache that some parts brought.

This author brought us two fantastic characters with a bunch of wonderful side characters who I would LOVE to get to know more about in the future. I had fun exploring the world of lacrosse, reading about the Holi celebrations and everything in between.

Cross my Heart is a second chance sports romance. It’s a book filled with fun and a touch of heart ache. It’s cute, it’s addictive and it’s one you’ll definitely want to read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Such an amazingly cute small town second chance romance with rivalry tension and an adorable MMC 🥹

🥍 Fake dating
🩷 Childhood Friends
🥍 Sports romance
🩷 Women in sport
🥍 Hate to Love
🩷 Small Town
🥍 One bed
🩷 Second Chance
🥍 Interracial Romance
🩷 Slow Burn

MayColt forever 🩷

Colt is such a damn cutie. He gives off major golden retriever energy and you cannot help but love him even through his faults!

May’s sass had me laughing so much. She is soo damn stubborn and loves so deeply that you cannot help but love her. She is strong and determined and through all the setbacks she does not falter. She is selfless and determined to path the way for the women in sport! We all need a May in our lives!🥹

Esha’s writing is so much fun to read. She expresses so much through the characters adding real struggles on both sides in a lighthearted and genuine way. The writing style makes it so easy to say one more chapter at 1am making it addictive and have you smiling so wildly at the characters and their interactions.

I will forever have so much love for Esha. She is an amazing person to get to know both through her writing and through our conversations. I really hope one of these days we get to meet 🩷

Thank you so so much to Esha and Avon for the ARC and a finished copy of this book. I am forever grateful 🩷

🩷 I’m going to need 5 working days to recover from the Acknowledgments 😭

Thank you so much to Esha Patel, Netgalley and Avon Books for sending me a digital arc of this book.

I got arcs of Esha's other two books, formula 1 romances, and absolutely fell in love with her as an author and as a person. To say I was excited to get an arc of her newest book is an understatement.
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I was a bit skeptical going into this one because, lacrosse? Really? It seemed like such a random sport to pick. But I trust her and was obviously going to read anything she came out with.
And I was pleasantly surprised.

I really loved our main characters May and Colt, seeing their relationship go from childhood friends to sort of rivals to fake dating and exploring their feelings throughout the whole process. There's a lot of miscommunication but I didn't mind it as the support these two had for eachother was so good.
Also, strong independent women chasing their dreams? Yes please!!
｡

I have to admit that I liked her formula 1 romances more but I think that's just because I've recently become a fan of the sport.

So if you're a sport romance lover I'd highly recommend you give this author a go.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the advance copy of this book to review. This was a quick read and I really enjoyed how it brought light upon the sport of lacrosse. I found Colt moved very quickly and his feelings seemed unbelievable at times. It wasn’t a slow burn like most relationships in books, especially when one of them made a mistake. Instead, he jumped right in and was honest with his feelings and I personally would have liked a little more time to learn more about both characters before jumping in. Overall, the book was very predictable without many surprises. I found the writing didn’t hook me or paint a picture like other books. The book itself was a good one time read if you wanted a different type of sports romance books, instead of the traditional hockey or football.