Emerson Montgomery had sworn she would never go back to her home town, Millhaven. Fate decided otherwise when she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, and everything fell apart: she lost her glamorous job, her boyfriend left her, and the only place where she could work as a physical therapist was back home. And to add insult to injury, her first patient, Hunter Cross, happens to be the man whose marriage proposal she refused in high school.

CROSSING HEARTS is a bit of a departure for Kimberly Kincaid, and the romance community should rejoice at her brave decision. I was a tad ambivalent regarding the book; although it sounded wonderfully interesting, so many things could go wrong, and it could have sunk in a sea of clichés. But Kincaid masterfully avoids all that. Emerson hides her condition from everyone, mostly her family, because they are so overbearing; she wants to lead a productive life, within the limitations of her health situation. The characters face problematic situations like adults. Whether those situations be the marriage that did not happen, Emerson's illness, Hunter's choice of profession. The romance is rekindled as I would expect: no endless bickering, but no instalust either, even though Emerson and Hunter's mutual attraction for each other never faded away. I felt everything took place in a very organic timeframe, which does not mean that the book is slow- paced.

Ms. Kincaid masterfully conveys the myriad emotions both character experience, and I felt every one of them. The romance is magnificent. Hunter is such a caring and understanding man, but not a wimp either, and it was easy to understand why Emerson wanted her MS hidden. Kimberly Kincaid is a fine writer, but CROSSING HEARTS shows deeper, more nuanced shades to her prose, the dialogues are impeccable, there are no weaknesses to the plot, and no lulls in the story. CROSSING HEARTS is one of the most compelling romances I have ever read, and I believe one of the most honest when it comes for a story about a character having a chronic illness or disability, because to me CROSSING HEARTS felt as if I were reading about real people, mostly because Emerson's condition is essential to the plot, and not a strategy to get the characters back together, or to provoke melodramatic, tearful episodes. The author has created such a vivid small town, and appealing characters, and I cannot wait to see what will happen in future installments of this new series. Honestly, the sky's the limit for what we can hope from Kimberly Kincaid in the future.

Book Summary

Hunter Cross has no regrets. Having left his football prospects behind the day he graduated high school, he’s happy to carry out his legacy on his family’s farm in the foothills of the Shenandoah. But when a shoulder injury puts him face-to-face with the high school sweetheart who abandoned town—and him—twelve years ago, Hunter’s simple life gets a lot more complicated.

Emerson Montgomery has secrets. Refusing to divulge why she left her job as a hotshot physical therapist for a pro football team, she struggles to readjust to life in the hometown she left behind. The more time she spends with Hunter, the more Emerson finds herself wanting to trust him with the diagnosis of MS that has turned her world upside down.

But revealing secrets comes with a price. Can Hunter and Emerson rekindle their past love? Or will the realities of the present—and the trust that goes with them—burn that bridge for good?