Crossing Hope
by Kimberly Kincaid
Synopsis:
Marley Rallston would rather be anywhere other than too-small-for-a-map-dot Millhaven, Virginia. But thanks to a heap of debt, what was supposed to be a quick trip to fulfill her mother’s dying wish has turned into an extended stay with the family she never knew she had and the father who never wanted her. To top it off, now she’s being forced to do community service with the town’s biggest bad boy, when all she wants to do is make enough cash to get out of Dodge? Life can’t get much worse.
The only thing Greyson Whittaker cares about is his family’s farm. He’ll do anything to keep Whittaker Hollow in the black, including live up to his rough, tough reputation by running the place by himself, no matter the cost. Mandatory community service with the daughter of their biggest rival is the last thing he wants or needs. But the more time Greyson and Marley spend together, the hotter their attraction burns, and the more the unlikely pair begins to realize that forbidden fruit just might taste the sweetest…
Review:
A fun read!
Marley and Greyson are great characters, and their story is a fitting way to wrap up the Cross Creek series. With Romeo and Juliet vibes, this is an enemies-to-lovers romance that hit a lot of my buttons: entertaining banter, a strong family element, cute animals, and food porn–this one has them all! (Must. Bake. Some. Peach. Cobbler. ASAP. Or pie. I’ll take either right now.) I loved watching Greyson as he tried to convince Marley that small town living wasn’t as bad as she thought, and seeing Marley as she showed him that he could be more than his bad reputation.
I really enjoyed Ms. Kincaid’s writing style–there were quite a few LOL moments along the way; Marley and Greyson’s inner dialogue was often especially hilarious. Though some of the ways minor plot points were resolved or explained felt a bit rushed (the origin of the family feud wasn’t terribly satisfying; Greyson’s dad’s coming around at the end felt a little too easy) it’s hard to argue with the outcome.
Though starting with this book might not be ideal–Marley’s brothers all play a part in her story, and it’s fun to see how far they’ve come–technically you could read this one without having read the others; you just wouldn’t get the same thrill from seeing everyone from the past books make their appearances here. (Confession time: I’ve only read this book and the one before it so far, and I did just fine. I am totally going back to read Eli and Hunter’s books, though!)
I can’t wait to see where Ms. Kincaid will take us next!
Rating: 4 stars / A-
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
