Unfortunately I had a really hard time reading this book.

First of all, the edition of this book didn’t work well with my kindle, whenever I locked the device between moments of reading, my kindle would freeze and begin to restart. This happened every time I read this book! And between each restart the book would go back to the first page. This was a big issue with the file and not my kindle as I tried to read other arcs and didn’t have this issue once.

Secondly, I did read 60% of the book and lost the want to carry on reading. The story was rather bland and the writing wasn’t of good quality. It often seemed like chapters were unfinished and lacked development. This isn’t something i would expect from an almost finished book, some heavy editing is required!

Overall I’d give this book a 2 stars at a push as there is a possibly good story line here but it hasn’t been developed enough.

This is her best book so far. I might be a little obsessed. Cole and May are adorable. He left her a long time ago and it really hurt her, understandably. Cole just doesn't entirely know what he's doing but he's always loved May. The fact that he had her picture taped in his locker even when they hadn't spoken in years, crazy. The two of them were fighting the tension between them so hard. I get it, they are going different places in life but they had to make it work. They are so in love and everyone around them knows it. I also did in fact cry when he made a lacrosse field for her.

I received an arc through netgalley.

I absolutely ate this book up I loved every minute of this anything Esha writes in adding straight to my tbr pile,

This is blends fake dating, college sports, and childhood rivals into a lively sports romance that spotlights women’s lacrosse and the media’s uneven treatment of female athletes. The story follows May, a driven college player, who reluctantly teams up with her childhood rival, pro star Colt Bradley, for a PR stunt.

The premise is compelling and socially relevant, especially in its attention to POC representation and the disparities in athletic recognition. However, the emotional development falls a bit short. May’s defensiveness and Colt’s charm don’t fully evolve beyond surface-level traits, and while their banter is fun, the romantic tension never quite hits the mark.

Still, fans of fake dating tropes and sports-centric stories will find Cross My Heart enjoyable, even if it doesn’t break new ground.

A very cute story with the cutest cover, but for some reason I didn't like it. I liked the sports aspect of this book and always love a good fake dating trope in general, but this one felt so unbelievable at times. The characters were uninteresting and came across as juvenile, and I found myself skimming a lot. Thanks Netgalley for the e-ARC!

Cross My Heart by Esha Patel is a fresh, empowering take on the sports romance genre that stands out in all the best ways. Instead of the usual hockey or football storyline, this one centers on women’s college lacrosse, and it’s about time! May Velasco is a driven, passionate athlete who’s worked hard for her scholarship, so when her childhood rival Colt Bradley shows up as the new trainer, things get tense fast. Add in a fake dating scheme to protect the team’s image, and the drama, and chemistry, really starts to build.
Cross My Heart is a feel-good, empowering romance with heart, humor, and just the right amount of drama. Perfect for fans of fake dating, sports stories, and characters who support each other on and off the field.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of Cross My Heart by Esha Patel

thanks to the author, publisher and netgalley for the copy 💕

sadly for me, even though this book seemed really up my street I just could never really get into the story nor really like the characters. it's my first lacrosse based book and I don't know a lot about the sport other than what's on teen wolf so that could have a play into how I feel

This is the second book that I’ve read by this author, and I feel like I walk away with the same feelings from her stories every time. They are slow to begin and dragged for the first start of the book and the last 2/3 of the book are pretty good. I really enjoyed the two main characters in this book as people, but their love story made me want to shake someone at many moments and not in a good way. I don’t know that I will continue reading books from this offer or in any of her series that I’ve started previously.

I really enjoyed Cross My Heart! It took me a little while to get into the story, but once I was in, I wanted to know how it would all play out.

Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes and I especially loved the focus on women in a typically male-dominated sports. It was interesting to feature what could be in the future.

May was a little harder to connect with and I don’t really love miscommunication in books so that took away from it for me. I also wish it was clearer in the description that this was a second chance romance.

I’ve never read a sports romance centered on lacrosse before, and it was fun to learn more about the sport along the way.


Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

Another hit book from Esha Patel. May and Colt have got it all. Tension, banter, and ongoing support and love. They are both learning and moving through life, trying to figure out what they want from it. Also, the fact that it’s a lax book is so different from most sports romance books on the market. Esha did so much research and brought in her own experiences to make sure it’s as accurate as possible, which I greatly enjoy.

I loved the fake dating element of this book because it gave them time to reconcile and for Colt to grovel. My gosh, THE GROVELING IS EVERYTHING. This is not simply a book where a FMC is burned in the past and accepts an apology easily, May makes him work for it. And It is everything.

This book has got it all. Please please do yourself a favor and read it.

Thank you Avon for this ARC!!

I really wanted to love this book as fate dating is one of my favourite tropes, I have previously enjoyed Esha’s writing and I was excited to read my first Lacrosse sports romance but it kinda missed the mark for me.

There were parts I enjoyed don’t get me wrong but certain aspects just didn’t seem believable to me even if I was to suspend reality. The miscommunication could have been cleared up with a few conversations and I was expecting a little bit more romantic tension between the main characters even if it is a YA novel.

2.5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for the arc - opinions my own.

I really wanted to like this book, but I don’t think it was for me to be honest. It seems everyone in the book holds a grudge against the MMC, Colt Bradley, for leaving the FMC, May Velasco, to go to university away from their small town and play professionally for lacrosse. The way they all kind of gaslight him into believing he made a terrible mistake by leaving their town isn’t justified and I just felt annoyed seeing May constantly bring it up in front of Colt. There are too many characters to keep track of that don’t seem to be fleshed out completely, and the story leans more towards the action of sports without being addictive or suspenseful enough to hold my interest. Although it’s clear they say that they feel attraction to each other up until the 41% mark where I stopped, I didn’t feel any chemistry or tension between them.

Mein Leseerlebnis

Mit dem Buch habe ich mich leider von den ersten Seiten an etwas schwer getan. Der Schreibstil wirkte auf mich eher einfach und die Stimmen der einzelnen Charaktere hoben sich nicht genug voneinander ab.

Im Buch spielt der Lacrosse-Sport eine große Rolle und die teils ausführlichen Szenen mit Details dazu, fand ich ehrlich gesagt nicht besonders interessant. Ich mag Sport eigentlich schon, aber Lacrosse spricht mich nicht an.

Aus Desinteresse habe ich den Liebesroman nach gut 10 Kapiteln abgebrochen. Die Geschichte hat mir leider nichts gegeben. Schade, der Klappentext hörte sich gut an.

Keine Bewertung, da abgebrochen.

Für wen?

Wer sports romances mit jungen Erwachsenen im College-Alter spannend findet, für den könnte der Roman einen Versuch wert sein. Schaut vor dem Lesen unbedingt in eine Leseprobe rein und achtet darauf, ob euch der Schreibstil überzeugen kann.

It was my first Lacrosse romance and it actually made me want to watch a Lacrosse game. I really enjoyed how we went through many games and practices. It was refreshing to read about a new sport and, for me, it was the perfect balance between sports and romance!

I gotta say I am a sucker for second chances and I did love May and Colt's story. I love how they got reunited and then "had to" fake date to help May's team. I was hit with Colt's longing from the very beginning. It took me a bit more time to feel anything on May's side, aside from a lot of resentment. She brought back the breakup story a bit too often in my opinion and it got me a bit frustrated at some point.

That being said, I didn't expect the country vibes and I was here for it!!! Who doesn't like a hot cowboy? Who knows how to line dance ? I know I do 🙋🏽‍♀️🙋🏽‍♀️ I had such a fun time with this book!

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion 🫶🏽

Cross my Heart by Esha Patel

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️

Expected release date - 22nd May 2025

Cross my Heart was a cute, wholesome read about 2 Lacrosse players, May and Colt, who reconnect in their small town by having to enter a fake dating situation.

This was a really interesting read as I have never seen a Lacrosse romance before but I was pleasantly surprised. I loved that we got to see the passion between both May and Colt for their sport and for the ones we love. I also really enjoyed that it had a little mix of the Twisters movie in too with Oklahoma being in the setting for this story.

The relationship between Colt and May progresses with them working through their feelings from the past as well as the future. I enjoyed the extra parts of May’s journey and how she has to deal with the small town farm element and the women’s sport being lower than men’s element. I enjoyed how Esha Patel wrote these subjects and gave them the insight that was needed.

Overall, Cross My Heart is a delightful read that will leave you rooting for the characters and their happily-ever-after. Perfect for fans of heartfelt romances and sports-themed stories!

cross my heart? erm no you took my heart.
this book is so beyond wonderful. it managed every romance novel readers wishes. and it did it with such brilliance i could not tell you how much i fell in love with this book.
sports romances are getting better and better.
May was so bold and strong. she was brave and didnt care showing how much she loves those she loves. she a lacrosse player and is finally getting to where she needs to be. but she needs this one last chance to go right because shes had a rough year of it. but someone then returns after leaving years ago. someone she tried to put behind her. that person is Colt and sadly hes here to help her,to should i say help the team. which yeh, means her.
whilst things start to get more intimate a mistaken picture in a bar sends the press wild. and everyone is overjoyed this is getting the team noticed.
and when May tried to get it shut down she finds herself being told to pretend. this is the press they need and she cant deny that. but can they play pretend. is that fair on them...or their hearts?
May and Colt are a beautiful pair to read about. and oh oh oh how i was rooting for them. they bring out all the best sides of eachother. they let eachother be seen just as they are by the other person. and thats ok. its more than ok. the way Colt cares for May is just glorious. and its not icky at all. it just feels real.
this is such a sunshine kind of book. and it brought so much light to my reading life. Esha has done herself proud with this one.

I suddenly have a desire to pick up a lacrosse stick and learn to play? I will always eat up a fake dating romance, and this delivered. All the forced proximity, fake longing glances, and genuine history and feelings between them made the building of their relationship authentic and a delight to read. Also, the small town/college sports/western romance aspects all colliding were so fun to see. More importantly to me, Patel delivers some really insightful commentary on the way women in sports are treated by comparison to men. While obviously it's lacrosse-centric commentary, it applies not just to other sports, but in the wide world. There were some structural changes it could benefit from, but overall Cross My Heart had both an adorable romance and important commentary and equality (in sports)! I loved it.

Thank you to Net Galley, Avon, and Esha Patel for the advance copy. I am leaving this honest review voluntarily, and all opinions remain my own.

Firstly, thank you so much for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!

This was my first book by Esha Patel and I really enjoyed it! Through hockey romances I’ve really gotten into sports romances and am enjoying broadening my horizons to new sports… lacrosse is a sport I don’t know much about but really enjoyed this book regardless and was able to follow along and understand what was happening. I found this to be a lighthearted, easy read and I really enjoyed it. I’m definitely excited to read more of Patel’s work in the future!

It was just fine. I found myself disinterested and unengaged for most of the book, but still enjoyed a few parts here and there. Lots of random jumps and seemingly missing plot points. May was reallllllly annoying. Grow up. Please.

Review also found on goodreads

This story gave me all the feels. The romance is playful and swoony but also so grounded, and the sports backdrop adds a gritty, determined energy I loved. Anyone who loves college romance with strong heroines, messy feelings, and that heart-fluttering realization that what’s fake might just be the realest thing of all is going to fall hard for this one. I know I did.