Please note that I received this book via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.

So I really liked this first book though I think that things got a bit too convoluted towards the end. I will definitely read the next book though because I like how Melinda Leigh set this up and I adored the characters of Bree and her partner from the Philadelphia police, Dana. I was okay about Mike (the other lead I guess you could say) but not that focused on him while reading this. 

"Cross Her Heart" starts with a bang. Bree Taggert grabs and hides her little sister Erin and and her baby brother Adam when their father starts hitting their mother. In one dark moment though both parents are lost to Bree. We fast forward decades later with Bree dealing with a stake-out with her partner Dana. We know that Bree lost her parents and due to that it has left her feeling shy about romantic relationships. She also doesn't have the closest relationship with her siblings either. When Bree gets a call that something has happened to her sister, she's thrown about the fallout and wants to do what's necessary to figure out who is behind it.

Leigh also shows us the third person POV of Matt Flynn. Matt is best friend's with Erin's husband, who has gone missing after Erin's murder. Matt previously worked as a K-9 unit with the sheriff's department before something happened that had him leaving. 

I really liked Bree. She is very good at her job and it shows in this when she starts investigating her sister's death. I also was relieved there wasn't any big romantic things with Matt in this first book. Obviously Leigh is setting it up this way, but to me this book read more thriller/suspense. Some authors I have found have a hard time balancing romantic suspense in their books. 

I thought the other characters like Dana were great and I look forward to reading more about the sheriff department characters and the town.

Cross Your Heart and Hope to Die (Emma Frost Book 4) by Willow Rose is a spooky story about a reunion of former classmates.

I gave it four stars because it kept me in suspense.

Link to purchase: https://www.amazon.com/Cross-Your-Heart-Hope-Frost-ebook/dp/B00HOURPDY

Ten years ago Lilly Dumont with the help of her best friends, Ty Benson and Daniel Hunter, faked her own death at 17 years old to get away from her Uncle Mark who had custody of her after her parents died.  He also had custody of trust fund and liked to make her life a living hell.  Ten years later she is living in New York City and doing ok for herself under her new name, Lacey Kinkaid.  When Hunter finds out that Lilly's uncle is going to declare her dead so he can get her trust fund, he let's Ty know and together they decide to find Lilly and let her know.

Ty, being a PI, has always kept tabs on Lilly.  He has always had a place for her deep in his heart and wished things had turned out differently.  Now Ty knows he has to go face his past and the girl he loved and lost.

Lacey's life in New York City was rough at first, but thanks to a wonderful lady, Lacey's has her own thriving business, Odd Jobs, where she and her staff perform odd jobs for people who need the help.  After a long day at work, imagine Lacey's surprise when a knock at her door is not her boyfriend, but the boy she has always loved, Ty!  All the old feelings came rushing back for both of them!

Ty explains to Lacey what he is doing there and she agrees to come back to Hawken's Cove to claim her inheritance and that is when the fun begins.  Uncle Mark is shocked to see her but he claims that he is a changed man and is happy she is alive.  Of course Lacey and Ty don't believe him.  When Lacey is told that she can't claim her trust fund until her birthday (in a month), Lacey decides to hang around Hawken's Cove until then.  During that time, Lacey has to deal with her boyfriend back in New York City who is still waiting on an answer to his marriage proposal; her feelings for Ty; her uncle, and the fact that someone is trying to kill her.

This story takes you on a fun mystery trying to find out who is wanting to kill Lacey, while taking you through all of the emotions that she goes through being back in touch with Ty.  I just loved these two characters, along with Hunter.  I cannot even begin to think how Lacey felt going through her life the way she did but the happy ending she eventually received was well worth it!  This was a fun re-release of a second chance romance.

Cross My Heart is a well rounded blend of storytelling. Phillips welcomes readers into a world as intriguing as it is heartbreaking. Ty and Lily are a love interrupted before it had even began. Desperation separated them before their feelings could ever be more. Ten years later fate finds a way to reunite them. Will the outcome be different this time around? Cross My Heart is a tale of friendship and family. For Ty, Hunter and Lily love is more than a feeling. It's a way of life.