This is the first book in a new series by Kimberly Kincaid and it is a really good start. The cross family farm is run by three brothers and their dad in a small town in Northern Virginia. Hunter is the middle son and this story centers around him. It is a second chance love and although if you have read very many romance books, the themes are familiar, but feel fresh as told by Ms. Kincaid. The romance had a better than usual spin as there are strong subject matters discussed in this book which are not taken lightly. I really appreciated her sensitivity to these issues, both medically and with the struggles of small time farming. A good strong start and I am looking forward to reading more about this family. I think both other brothers have stories to tell. Thanks as always for allowing me to read this book for an honest review.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆
A second chance at romance without the usual recriminations and hard feelings, which is unique in and of itself.

Both Hunter and Emerson have regrets about the past, but they do not let those cloud their current friendship. Hunter knows that Emerson is being less than truthful with him about something, but he doesn't stew about it or make it a big issue. When Emerson finally trusts him enough to tell him, he is overjoyed that that the trust they once shared is back.

I truly enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more about the Cross family.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the first in a new series, and I can say that I am looking forward to reading more. The scene is set for this story, but with enough detail of the place and the people to imagine where future interest could lie.

Hunter is a good man, who chose to be selfless back when he and Emerson first got together, and continues in that vein with his family now. So when he needs Emerson to get him back to fitness, he starts to question just how strong he can be in the face of the one who got away.

Emerson has been leading a glamorous life as a PT to a leading sports team, and dating a player. However, her life has been turned upside down, and she has broken her promise to herself to never return to her hometown. Not only does Hunter live there, but also her overbearing and disappointed parents. As the reader sees her settle back in, but still keep her secrets, the inevitability of problems ahead is obvious, but are revealed in a really good way.

The chemistry between these two is like an intense, slow burn. Because we get both sides of the story, it smoulders almost immediately, but is fueled over the whole of Hunter's recovery. As they get to understand each other better, the whole story needs to come out before they can really move forward – and we definitely want them to!

Crossing Hearts is the first book in Kimberly Kincaid's newest series Cross Creek. Its a small town romance and it's probably safe to say that the series revolves around three brothers and their beautiful farm in the Shenandoah Valley, Cross Creek.

Crossing Heart is a second chance romance but its a little bit more than that as well. Readers are introduced to Hunter and Emmerson, high school sweethearts so very much in love until one had to leave and the other stayed with a broken heart. Now twelve years later their path crosses again, this time around both have established fulfilling lives until one returns with more than success dodging their heels.

I really love the tone and voice of this book, the plot is simple and yet still complex with characters that appear very real to me. The events surrounding them seems poised for drama but its the way these two characters interact that will keep readers glued to the page. You can't help but root for them and you definitely know that they will have their HEA. The farm as backdrop is just vividly described you can't help but suddenly crave for small town living and fresh produce. These is the charm of this book it just comes alive.

Crossing Hearts is a promising start to what can be another hit series for Ms. Kincaid.

This book is so good I wish I could give it more than 5 stars! Hunter Cross and Emerson Montgomery were high school sweethearts who broke up when Emerson went away to college but now she is back in town and surprise Hunter walks into her physical therapy office after hurting his shoulder. Emerson is back and working with Doc Sanders as a PT and Hunter is her first patient. Four weeks of therapy is just what the doctor ordered. Not only does this bring them closer but it isn't long before their friendship starts up and the undeniable chemistry flares. Too soon, though, the secret Emerson is keeping that brought her back to town comes out between them. Will that bring them closer or keep them apart? This second chance romance hits all the spots and had me laughing and crying and turning pages almost faster than I could read to the bottom of the page because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. I recommend this one and can hardly wait for the next in the series!

**Received an ARC for review from the publisher via NetGalley**

This is the first book I have read by this author and I have to say I was really impressed. Between the character build and the history between the characters, I was fully engaged throughout this story. The little twists and turns made it just that more amazing. I am looking forward to reading more from this author!

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

3.75 Hearts I enjoyed this story. The reason I gave it 3.75 instead of 4 is there are just so many with the second chance at love storyline that it gets to be the same over and over. Now that being said this story was really good.

When Emerson comes home it is not because it is where she wants to be but because she is sick and even though she doesn’t tell her family she still needs to be home. Hunter is a good guy who, of course, never got over his first love. I have to say the sex scenes are worth reading.

The biggest problem was the illness. It just seemed to only be relevant when it was part of the plot and not other times. Meaning she can barely function at one point but can have the hot sex scenes I just talked about and let’s not even discuss the other physical activities she does without mention of hurting but having to push on, etc.

I think the story is good and worth the read.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Life throws a lot of curve balls and these two have seen their share. A sweet romance, where lost loves find their way back to each other because of difficult situations. Enjoyed this book a lot, and want to see more from the series!

Pretty good romance with high school sweethearts finding one another again. Kincaid has a breezy writing style that pulls you in and keeps you reading. Loved the idea of the Shenandoah setting and look forward to more books in this series which are set there. My only quibble- and it of course goes to the heart of this novel- is that it just didn't make sense to me that Emerson would keep her MS a secret- or think that she could or should keep it a secret for long. It's not something to be ashamed of. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I just love small town romances and Kimberly Kincaid does them right!!

Hunter Cross and his family have owned Cross Creek Farm for years and years. He can t imagine doing anything else. But when he reinjures his shoulder and has been assigned paperwork instead he is determined to get back as quick as possible. Only he never expected his physical therapy to throw him face to face with Emerson Montgomery. Now more beautiful than he remembered. The girl who left him heartbroken and behind all those years ago.

Emerson had her life planned. Never wanting to return to her hometown, or the overbearing parents she has. But life takes a turn and she ends up home with no explanation why. And her first patient is none other than Hunter Cross, the boy she left behind. And boy has time done him good!

Things heat up pretty quick between these two. They pick up where they left off with only a little hesitation. But secrets and old hurts are hard to overcome. And with them there are a bountiful supply. When things come to a crashing halt will a betrayal be the end of them forever? Can they ever trust their heart to the other?? Can't wait for more of this family!!

While there were some touching moments, I couldn't connect with the story or the characters.

Crossing Hearts by Kimberly Kincaid.....5 Beautiful Country Stars!! What a great start in the Cross Creek Series. Hunter and Emerson were high school sweethearts, things happen and they break up. Emerson goes back to her hometown 12 years later sees Hunter and the sparks are still there. This book will hit all the emotion buttons, it is full of heart, love, secrets, drama and great characters. Kimberly Kincaid has done it again, her book are always the best and this one is no different. I am so excited for this series I am ready for the next book. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley.

Hunter is a small town family farmer. He has lived his whole life in this town working on the family farm with his dad and two brothers. He can’t imagine doing anything else or living anywhere else. Even though they have their differences, they are a close family.

Emerson grew up in this small town as well. Her dad is a well known surgeon and her mom the typical wealthy socialite, supporting her husband, serving on the board of the hospital her husband works in, volunteering at various charities, etc. They were hard on Emerson, expecting her to follow in her dad’s footsteps. When Emerson decided to become a PT instead, they were disappointed. She struck out on her own, leaving her parents and her boyfriend, Hunter, behind.

Twelve years later, Emerson is back in town, leaving behind a lucrative career and famous boyfriend, to work in the town’s doctor’s office part time. She has been diagnosed with MS, but doesn’t want anyone to know.

Hunter is shocked to see Emerson when Doc Sanders leads him back to the new PT in her office. Anxious to get back to work, he agrees to do just what she says. Hunter knows something is off with Emerson but she denies it. As they spend time together, barriers are broken down and Emerson opens up about her disease. Their journey back to each other was very realistic and heart warming.

Hunter is also playing mediator/referee between his two brothers. (Can’t wait to find out what’s going on between Eli and Owen.) Emerson is playing the avoidance dance with her parents.

What a great start to a new series. I am looking forward to more from this small town. I hope to see the continuing story of Hunter and Emerson as well.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley.

Hunter and Emerson are old flames having parted ways after high school. She chose to go halfway across country for school. He chose to stay and work the family farm. Now she is back and Hunter needs to rehab a shoulder injuy. Great thing she has set up a one woman shop in the back of the town GP doctor. During the time of Hunter's therapy they grow closer. She finally opens up about the burden she is carrying that brought her full circle back home.
This was a great read just the right spice of life and family. Look forward to reading more by this author.
ARC provided by net galley for a honest read.

Crossing Hearts is book one in the Cross Creek series by Kimberly Kincaid. This is such a wonderful story of getting a second chance at love. And the setting is in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

Emerson Montgomery never planned to return to the small town of Millhaven where she grew up. But circumstances in her life chose otherwise. She’s been gone twelve years and had a lucrative job she loved as a physical therapist for a pro-football team. But after receiving the life altering news that she had Multiple Sclerosis, she couldn’t withstand the busy life required to do her job. So she went back to her home town to start a small practice there. She is keeping her medical diagnosis secret. No one knows. How could she expect people to depend on her for their health if her own was failing her?

Emerson knew that she would eventually have to see her high school sweetheart, Hunter Cross. But she never thought it would be as a patient. And then there he was, standing in her shop with a look of shock on his face. Twelve long years and all she had to do was look at him and her stomach filled immediately with butterflies. Yep, it was still there even after all this time.

Hunter loves his life living and working on Cross Creek Farm with his two brothers and his dad. He loves the farm, the community, and the small town life. It’s all he’s ever wanted. Except for his high school sweetheart. He thought she was it for him, that she was his forever. But when they finished high school, she left, breaking his heart, until now. She’s back.

Hunter and Emerson slowly get reacquainted and it doesn’t take long for those old feelings to reignite. But what does take time is for trust to grow again. Hunter has no idea why Emerson came back. And both of them can’t help but to wonder, “What if?” What if she’d stayed? Would they be married now with a bunch of kids? Would they be happy?

As Emerson gets more and more comfortable with Hunter, she opens up more and finally reveals why she had to leave all those years ago. Why she had no choice. And eventually, she reveals her biggest secret of all, her health issues. But she feels in her heart and soul that she can trust Hunter with her secret. That she can let him in, let him help her.

“Emerson realized that when she was in Hunter’s arms, she didn’t just feel normal. For the first time she could remember, she felt whole.”

First of all, I wanted to say that I recently moved to the country. And I spent the morning outside preparing for what will soon be my very first springtime vegetable garden at our new house. It was a complete coincidence that I just read this book. Hunter lives on a working farm and there is much talk about their fabulous fresh produce they grow. It made me so excited to get started growing things myself. Isn’t it funny how things like that work sometimes?!

Emerson craved the closeness that a family can provide and she found that in Hunter’s family. She got involved with some of their projects and loved feeling like she belonged, that she was accepted, that she mattered. I loved Hunter’s family. His brother, Eli, was a character. And there is definitely a story there between Eli and the oldest brother, Owen. I look forward to finding out more about that. I also loved Emerson’s friend, Daisy. I hope we get more of her in the future as well.

This was a beautiful, heartwarming book with plenty of steamy sexy times and plenty of sigh worthy moments. Both Emerson and Hunter warmed my heart and I can’t wait to read more about this family and Cross Creek Farm.

After receiving a devastating diagnosis Emerson Montgomery has decided to leave the life that she has created for herself behind, and return home in hopes of creating a quieter life where she can learn to adjust to her life altering condition. But returning home also means facing the man she left behind, she loved him with all her heart, but she had big plans for herself and his choice to settle down on his families farm in Shenandoah wasn't something she wanted, so she said goodbye and never looked back. She knew coming home and facing all she left behind would be hard, especially being armed with her life changing secret, but once she is face to face with the man that once held her heart she feels the full gravity of it. She can sense the lingering anger and disappointment, but she can also feel the sparks they once shared making an re-appearance and it scares her... she wants to give in to them, but the minute he learns her secret she is sure he'll leave, and she is certain her heart can't handle losing him again.

Hunter Cross watched the woman he loved walk out of his life years ago, taking his heart along with her, and it still stings everyday, so much so, that he hasn't put a lot of effort of traveling down that path again. He just can't bring himself to let anyone in again, Emerson did a number on him and his heart and doesn't have it in him to go another round. But his world gets turned upside down when he makes a trip to the doctor's office for his bum shoulder, and comes face to face with the woman who stole his heart years ago...and she is even more gorgeous than he remembered. And so damn tempting, but he can't give into the temptation...his heart can't withstand another round with her!

From the moment I cracked this book open, I knew I had discovered something truly special, barely three sentences into the story and I immediately felt a connection to the characters, and felt myself being drawn into Hunter and Emerson's world. When Hunter wandered onto the page I knew he was going to leave a mark and definitely a character that would stay with me long after the story was over. There was just something about him that struck a cord with me, he was sweet when he needed to be, strong when Emerson needed someone to lean on, and the fact that he was a former hometown football hero definitely scored a few points with me too! This story spoke volumes to me, it opened my eyes, stirred my emotions, and left my heart overflowing... definitely one of my favorites from Ms. Kincaid to date!!

Highly recommend you give this one a try, Ms. Kincaid's endearing characters are sure to find a way into your heart and leave you inspired!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this title.

Hunter Cross and Emerson Montgomery were hot and heavy by the end of their senior year of high school. So much so that Hunter proposed but Montgomery said no and moved on to date a high profile NFL athlete that she met while working in Las Vegas as the physical therapist for his team. Fast forward 12 years and she's returned with vague reasons as to why. Guess who the first person she ran into? Good 'ole Hunter.

The premise of the book sounds so cheesy and some parts of the books are so easy to see ahead of time. However, Kimberly Kincaid is such an AMAZING author. It's been a long time since I was caught up in not just what the author was trying to tell me but more so in HOW she was doing it. She's magic with words, just magic. There were more than a few passages that I highlighted. The characters evolved wonderfully, and while the story was expectedly predictable, I was so caught up in it that I wanted to go to their Watermelon Festival.

Warning....this book does have some rather sexually explicit scenes. Having read the Fifty Shades of Grey, this one was much hotter for me (guess S & M isn't my cup of tea) Most romance books have scenes like this and they all tend to be alike, these ones make you want a drink and cigarette after.

I'm so excited to see that this appears to be the first in a series and I can't wait for the next one to come out.

I received this book free of charge from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review, thank you!

4 1/2 Stars! This is the first book that I have read by this author ... and it won't be my last!

Hunter and Emerson were high school sweethearts, but after graduation Emerson leaves for college in the big city and breaks Hunter's heart. Emerson goes on to be a Physical Therapist with a NFL team, while Hunter stays on the family farm to work the land with his father and brothers. After 12 years, Emerson comes back to their hometown and opens here own PT practice and slow her life down. But when she sees Hunter, it's like no time has passed and the love they had for one another is still there. This is a sweet romance with lots of steam added.

I can't wait to see what happens with Owen and Eli ... why are they at each other's throats all the time and who are their love interests or is it the same girl?

I received an ARC copy from Montlake Romance through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

Crossing Hearts is book one of the Cross Creek series and although it starts a series, it is a stand alone book with no cliffhanger. One of my favorite things when I'm reading is when I finish a book and immediately scramble to the author's website to see if/when a second book of the series is going to be released. That's exactly what I did when I got to the end of this book because I loved the Cross family and I really *need* to know more about them. I know this book is just releasing, but I am already anxiously awaiting the second one.

When I started this book, I hadn't read any spoilers so I had no idea why Emerson had returned to Milltown and was absolutely floored when I read her reason. I have never read this particular plot line in this genre before and despite the fact that most romance authors would gloss over an issue like this one, using it as just another plot device meant to add drama, Ms. Kincaid never did that. She showed the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of this 'issue' instead of making light of it. I'm being vague here on purpose to avoid spoilers, but this is a beautiful story about a real life issue and absolute, unconditional love.

Hunter Cross is exactly the kind of hero that I love to read about. He's classy and kind, he's a salt of the earth blue collar kind of guy who is happy with his small town life. He loves his family, loves his simple life, and he doesn't need to be a swaggering jerk to prove that he's a man. He's absolutely on my list of 'book boyfriends' now.

Emerson was also incredibly likable from the start – even though we know that she broke Hunter's heart a decade before. Learning about why she's struggling in life was gut-wrenching, as was 'watching' her hide her new reality from the people who love her. Her interactions with Hunter and his family were heart-warming and sweet, and (slight spoiler to end of paragraph) I loved that his family accepted her without question despite the years apart.

I was so invested in the characters in this book – ALL of the characters – that I couldn't put this book down until I finished it. I didn't go on Facebook or check my email or watch TV, I literally was sucked into this one from the start. It annoyed me to have to go to sleep for the night before I had finished it. The Cross family was intriguing, and I cannot wait for Owen and Eli's books so that we can find out exactly what's going on there. (Especially since I already have an Eli theory and I am dying to know if it is correct or not.)

If you like romance novels that make you think and feel while falling in love with the characters, you should definitely read Crossing Hearts.

I requested and was granted an ARC of this book from NetGalley. I was under no obligation to write a review - I wrote this review and pre-ordered the book because I enjoyed it very much.

Unfortunately the book was not for me, no review was publicly posted on Amazon, B&N, Goodreads or Twitter etc, so no ratings were affected in relation to it.

Loved Hunter and Emerson and this book will definitely be one of my favorites for 2017 and will be reread.

Emerson had to leave after high school, so that she could get away from the pressure her parents were putting her under, but did she really want to leave Hunter behind. Forward to 12 years later when Hunter walks into the Physical Therapist office and she is his doctor. Emerson finally opens up to Hunter about most things, but there is still one BIG secret that she is keeping, because she thinks if anybody finds out what is wrong that they will only think that she is broken beyond repair, especially her parents.

Hunter knows that something just isn't right with Emerson. She's always tired, with dark circles under her eyes, but she always says she is fine and tries to hid everything. Finally, she doesn't have a choice but to open up to Hunter and tell him what is going on with her. He doe's everything that he can to help her, but finally he goes to far and she tells him to leave. Loved their journey and the proof that some people will love you regardless and will stand by you through anything.