The immediate thing that drew me to the book was the fact it is a book where it focuses on women’s sports. In the sport romance genre, majority of the books focus on the man playing the sport, so it was definitely refreshing and awesome to see one from a women’s perspective. Our Protagonist had a very good character growth, at the beginning I found her stubbornness slightly annoying but it was clear throughout the book that she was growing. My only slight complaint was it took me a while to figure out how old the characters were, this was then cleared up later on. Overall this book is great for sport romance fans who love strong female protagonists

Thank you Avon for the ARC!

I loved the fresh take on sports romance. It being Lacrosse is why I signed up for this one. Also, forcing them to fake date as a way of forced proximity because they lure each other but are too stubborn to get over what happened.

This is my first read from Esha Patel and it was written well. The story was heartwarming and an easy read. Overall it was a 4 star book and if you love a fake dating, sports romance - you'll likely enjoy this book!

I was as invested in the championship and tornado subplots as i was the romance... and i was very invested in the romance! Enjoyed learning more about lacrosse, and this alternate world where a smaller sport is up there in the Big Leagues was fun.

✨2.75 - 3 stars✨

I enjoyed the emphasis on women’s sports and the conversations around lack of media attention and funding compared to men’s sports. I also enjoyed the exploration of May’s heritage as a POC character increases the stakes. Also the fact that the sport in question was lacrosse was a nice change from the usual sports that romance books focus on.

However, there was severe lack of character development with either of our main characters which I didn’t enjoy! As a result, I felt that I couldn’t connect to either of them leaving me feeling massively disconnected from the book.

Therefore, I could potentially see why people would enjoy this book (especially if you have enjoyed this author’s books in the past) but this just wasn’t for me sadly!

I received an ARC from the publishers in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

If you want a sports romance where women's sports takes centre stage, this book is perfect.

Manmayi (May) is a rising star in the women's lacrosse world, a long time rodeo rider and a solid foundation at her family's ranch. Back in high school she was close to CJ (Colt) but he left their hometown to play in the big leagues. Now he is back, injured, and getting in her way whilst she tries to make up for a bad previous season.

I loved the representation of a Mexican South Asian athlete and the cowgirl scenes. The chemistry built throughout the book and by the end, I was really rooting for them to get together. I do think the spark was missing at the start of the book, and some questions raised were not fully answered for me.

All in all, a very solid addition to any sports romance collection and a warm book, but not my favourite by Esha Patel.

𐙚 Sports Romance
𐙚 Second Chance
𐙚 Fake Dating

Cutesy sports romance packed with relatable characters, tension, and banter. Great if looking for something easy and engaging. Overall this was an enjoyable read.

Thanks for the egalley!

This was a good story with enough of the will they won't they to keep you hooked in whilst also rooting for the team to win!

4.5 stars⭐️

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the early copy of this book! I loved this book!!! I loved the plot of this book, the characters were amazing too! I loved the fake dating aspect of this book and this was a perfect Rom-com book!

First and foremost thank you for trusting me with this ARC read.

I will say lacrosse holds a special place in my heart. Having played a little bit and my high school best friends playing mens lacrosse it was great to see some spotlight on the sport. We truly need more lacrosse in the sports romance world , and I hope this is the start of that.

Colt & May were very relatable which I loved. It becomes such an easy read when you realize that there are many similarities between myself and the characters. I loved the dynamic between the two of them. The friends to enemies to lovers all over again is just a great trope and a little bit of spice wouldn't be terrible!

Jordan is the pinnacle of a best friend. She is such a great side character in Colt & May's story. JJ is too!

I hope we get to see Colt & May in New Haven in the MLL together! Can't wait to see this book on the shelfs!

Thank you so much for allowing me to read this early! I really enjoyed the banter between the two of them and thought it was a sweet read.

Thank you to the author and publisher for an ARC copy

So nice to see another sport highlighted in a romance. I loved the banter between May and Colt. I’d love to read more of their story!!

Cross My Heart by Esha Patel has my heart ❤️
It's a nice sports Romance that I have devoured and enjoyed a break from all the hockey and American football romances I've read lately. They do fake relationship right in the story. Amazing read. Couldn't put it down

Cross My Heart wasn't what I was expecting going in but in one of the best ways possible. Colt is deeply in love with May from the very start and we get to see her process their past and decide on their future. However, this books is also about more than just their relationship, it's about Lacrosse, women's sports, and making an active choice to follow your heart.

This books is very low spice compared to your average New Adult/Adult Romance. There is 1 scene of sexual content towards the end that is short, focused mainly on emotions, and can be skipped. This feels like a really good bridge between YA and Adult Romance. I also didn't feel like I was missing any chemistry in May and Colt's relationship without the spice. Everything felt very appropriate for the way their connection developed.

Cross My Heart is a Lacrosse Romance, not a romance with a lacrosse player. There is a lot of time spent discussing the sport and it is very central to the plot. If you like your sports romance to be light on the actual sport, this may not be for you.

The thing keeping me from giving Cross My Heart 5 stars is that it was hard to follow at times, particularly regarding the history between Colt and May. I never quite figured out the gaps in their ages (it often felt like 1 year but logically might have been 3 or 4 years). Because of some of these difficulties, it took me until about 60% of the way through the book to really be sold.

Overall, Cross My Heart feels like a true Sports Romance. A story about the love between the main character and their love of the game of Lacrosse. It was heartwarming but not overly emotional for me. I do recommend giving it a try when it releases on May 25th, if you are interested.

Really enjoyed this book! Some bits felt slightly drawn out BUT it didn't take away from the overall story for me. I loved the development of the characters and found myself wanting more books with some of the teammates as Main Characters (Rod for example!) Overall a great book and it's refreshing to see a sport that is so often overlooked

Loved this book, the lax story of lifelong crushes, and the diverse characters. It’s definitely more tame than the author’s F1 books and felt more like YA. They didn’t hook up until 70% in of the book and half was closed door. I still thought it was great and would give it 5 stars, but I found some areas that need addressing:

Was Colts injury in August or October? A subheading of how many months later would be helpful when he returns to OKC. At several points in the book he says back in August or back in October when referring to his injury. Or if he’s referencing different events please clarify.

Can May’s major be clarified when she first says she loves what she’s studying? I had no idea what instrumentation was and we don’t find out it’s a class that’s a part of her meteorology studies.

I think May was extremely hard on Colt for taking the opportunity for a better life on the East coast and another character needs to tell her that. It was also odd how she confided in Colt’s mom about the “old Colt.” When she ultimately chooses to follow her dreams in the end, can we find out what happens to the farm? Like have a convo with her parents saying it’s okay for her to pursue a career in lax?

At one point, May says she’s “ready to throw fists” when she sees Colt after a bad morning (Loc 827). I think this line should be removed because it so casually implies intimate partner violence, which is already overlooked as an issue facing teens and college students.

I think the book also kind of condones drinking before driving after the tornado and hookup scene where Colt had been drinking beer in both instances.

I read the ebook on my kindle and the formatting did not translate well. I wasn’t sure if the chapter titles were supposed to be puns with their names on one line or separate. For example: Y’all Had Your Moments May. I think having each chapter start on a new page with a little doodle under the name of a heart with lacrosse sticks would be cute.

May references her quincenera as being in middle school but it’s at age 15, so it’s high school (Loc 2841)

Here are all of the needed grammar/spelling corrections I found:

me, I have two n ow. (Loc 53)

my gaze st r a y. (Loc 299)

chanting.They're (Loc 661)

loved M a y. (Loc 1227)

right, thought. (Loc 1742, should be though)

hard.Well. (Loc 1822)

repeat 17 7 Mrs Bradley's (Loc 1831)

home in on (Loc 2001, should be hone)

'Man.What a prick.' (Loc 2146)

field.There (Loc 2162)

phone.Fuck.It's (Loc 2404)

with M a y. (Loc 2669)

regroup.Shit.They're (Loc 2946)

longer, hellish d a y. (Loc 3049)

It's everything you want in a romance. The tension, fake dating (which is one of my favorite tropes), and banter. Read it!!

This book was very cute! I love sports romance books and this one was just what I wanted in one. Everyone who loves sports romance books should read this!

Cute sports romance centring around two Lacrosse players. A nice easy read and good character development. Loved the the FMC was the captain of the team and a WOC. Would have maybe liked a bit more spice but nonetheless a good read. Finished in one sitting.

First
Thank you Netgalley for the arc! This is my opinion!

It was good but not great. I liked it but honestly the miscommunication trope needs to find its way out. This might sound weird but I don’t mind it. It can help move the plot but the problem is that it can’t be over stupid things.

I loved May. The plan thing that made me want this book a POC on the cover.

I loved that it was lacrosse. There is so much hockey and baseball. I love we see another sport

I’m not a big second chance romance person. I always think it didn’t work out the first time then there’s probably a reason but this worked out.

The book kept me entertained during my other reads. I did find myself putting it down to get read other stuff though.

I was really interested in reading this because sports romances involving lacrosse are not ones you see too often! I liked the premise of the second chance romance, and thought the writing was good and well researched! I enjoyed the dual POV aspect of the book. However, there were some parts I had trouble buying in to. I had a hard time with the head coach supporting a fake relationship between a player and a visiting coach, and pushing for it to turn real. Even with May and Colt being the same age and knowing each other previously, there is still a power dynamic there that is created by Colt being her coach. Their miscommunication issues were also a little too much for me at times, and also contributed to parts where I felt they lacked chemistry. Overall, there were things I liked about this book and things that made it a bit of a miss for me.