Date of publication: November 10th, 2015
Publisher: self published
Synopis: Phoebe West has been head-over-heels in love with her brother’s best friend for as long as she can remember.
Not that he’s bothered to notice.
Despite several mortifying attempts at seduction and a decade’s worth of unrequited pining, nothing Phoebe does seems to make any impact on the man she’s obsessed over since her bra-stuffing days. She knows it’s time to let him go, though just the thought is nearly enough to shatter her…
Nathaniel “Nate” Knox has only ever seen Phoebe as one thing: forbidden.
There’s a darkness in Nate, the kind you can’t avoid after years working in special forces and private security. He’s no good for anyone — especially not someone as sweet as his best friend’s little sister. He knows he can’t have her. Not ever. Even if she makes him feel things he barely recognizes...
Some lines aren’t meant to be crossed.
When an unforeseeable series of events sends Phoebe stumbling headfirst into danger, there’s only one man who can protect her. Though, in his quest to save her life, he may just break her heart...
CROSS THE LINE is a full-length contemporary romance about a woman who can’t seem to walk away… and the man who’ll go to any length to keep her safe. Due to sparks flying, suspenseful moments, steamy scenes, and one sassy heroine, it is recommended to readers ages 17 and up.
What I Thought:
I am seriously at a loss of words to describe how amazing this book is. I'm not a newbie to Julie Johnson's fantastic story telling wizardry, but each time I'm astonished at how much my love for her writing grows. Her fifth book, Cross the Line is a fantastic amalgam of comedy, passion, and suspense that had me spell bound from the first page to the last. I didn't want the laughs and adventure to end.
Loving Phoebe is so easy. She's sassy and spirited. She loves deeply and unfailingly. I loved how she was with her friends and her attitude. I would want to be her best friend. She's witty too. One of my favorite things about her and this book was reading her thoughts on everything under the sun that could be found at the beginning of every chapter. It's like she could read my mind! Like I've said before Phoebe loves deeply. She's sensitive but strong. I really love how she rose to the challenges she was faced with in this book, whether it was dealing with her feelings for Nate/Knox or everything else that happened.
Trust me, it was no hardship loving Nate either. He stole Phoebe's heart from their very first meeting, and mine too. I like Phoebe, loved him in all his avatars whether as Nate, her brother's best friend, or as Knox, the hardened soldier who had secrets and storms in his eyes. Nate is honorable and driven. He has the same determination that Phoebe does, but he's using it to stay away from Phoebe for unknown reasons. Knox was open in his concern for Phoebe, but it was never quite clear if he had any romantic feelings for her.
The book is told entirely from Phoebe's point of view. While it does help maintain the air of mystery around Nate, it also hides what he's thinking and feeling. I must say in his defense, his actions certainly spoke loudly as to what was going on in the inside, even if they confused Phoebe to no end. I will also say the tension present between Phoebe and Nate was electrical. It was like they lit something in the other and when they finally stopped fighting their feelings, it was a magnificent conflagration. I can't tell you how much I wanted Phoebe and Nate to be together. I understood Nate's reasons as to why it could never be, but that didn't mean I didn't think they could and should be overcome.
I absolutely love how characters from the first Boston Love book, Not You It's Me, made an appearance. The two books are set in the same world but can be read as stand alone novels. I loved seeing Gemma and Chase again. It made me happy to see them so happy. I also loved seeing another Easter Egg Julie included, alluding to one of her other wonderful books, Erasing Faith. I also really loved seeing Phoebe and Gemma's friendship grow.
This book is truly a masterpiece. I can't tell you how many times I giggled, chucked, laughed, and even guffawed. There were some really tense moments too, where I was on edge and holding my breath because I was worried about what was happening in the story and eager to find out what would happen next. There were also moments where I had tears in my eyes as I experienced and lived what Phoebe and Nate were living. Truly, reading this book was a mental and physical experience. I can't say enough about how wonderful it was. Julie Johnson really outdid herself this time. While I hope there are more stories in the Boston Love series, I know regardless of Julie Johnson writes, I will be reading it.
Julie Johnson is a twenty-something Boston native suffering from an extreme case of Peter Pan Syndrome and an obsession with fictional characters. When she's not writing, Julie can most often be found daydreaming, drinking too much coffee, striving to conquer her Netflix queue, or stalking Goodreads for new books to add to her ever-growing TBR list. You can find Julie on Facebook, or contact her on her website www.juliejohnsonbooks.com. Sometimes, when she can figure out how Twitter works, she tweets from @AuthorJulie.
Loving Phoebe is so easy. She's sassy and spirited. She loves deeply and unfailingly. I loved how she was with her friends and her attitude. I would want to be her best friend. She's witty too. One of my favorite things about her and this book was reading her thoughts on everything under the sun that could be found at the beginning of every chapter. It's like she could read my mind! Like I've said before Phoebe loves deeply. She's sensitive but strong. I really love how she rose to the challenges she was faced with in this book, whether it was dealing with her feelings for Nate/Knox or everything else that happened.
Trust me, it was no hardship loving Nate either. He stole Phoebe's heart from their very first meeting, and mine too. I like Phoebe, loved him in all his avatars whether as Nate, her brother's best friend, or as Knox, the hardened soldier who had secrets and storms in his eyes. Nate is honorable and driven. He has the same determination that Phoebe does, but he's using it to stay away from Phoebe for unknown reasons. Knox was open in his concern for Phoebe, but it was never quite clear if he had any romantic feelings for her.
The book is told entirely from Phoebe's point of view. While it does help maintain the air of mystery around Nate, it also hides what he's thinking and feeling. I must say in his defense, his actions certainly spoke loudly as to what was going on in the inside, even if they confused Phoebe to no end. I will also say the tension present between Phoebe and Nate was electrical. It was like they lit something in the other and when they finally stopped fighting their feelings, it was a magnificent conflagration. I can't tell you how much I wanted Phoebe and Nate to be together. I understood Nate's reasons as to why it could never be, but that didn't mean I didn't think they could and should be overcome.
I absolutely love how characters from the first Boston Love book, Not You It's Me, made an appearance. The two books are set in the same world but can be read as stand alone novels. I loved seeing Gemma and Chase again. It made me happy to see them so happy. I also loved seeing another Easter Egg Julie included, alluding to one of her other wonderful books, Erasing Faith. I also really loved seeing Phoebe and Gemma's friendship grow.
This book is truly a masterpiece. I can't tell you how many times I giggled, chucked, laughed, and even guffawed. There were some really tense moments too, where I was on edge and holding my breath because I was worried about what was happening in the story and eager to find out what would happen next. There were also moments where I had tears in my eyes as I experienced and lived what Phoebe and Nate were living. Truly, reading this book was a mental and physical experience. I can't say enough about how wonderful it was. Julie Johnson really outdid herself this time. While I hope there are more stories in the Boston Love series, I know regardless of Julie Johnson writes, I will be reading it.
Purchase Links
About the Author
Julie Johnson is a twenty-something Boston native suffering from an extreme case of Peter Pan Syndrome and an obsession with fictional characters. When she's not writing, Julie can most often be found daydreaming, drinking too much coffee, striving to conquer her Netflix queue, or stalking Goodreads for new books to add to her ever-growing TBR list. You can find Julie on Facebook, or contact her on her website www.juliejohnsonbooks.com. Sometimes, when she can figure out how Twitter works, she tweets from @AuthorJulie.
Social Media Links for Julie
Website: http://juliejohnsonbooks.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorJulie
*Thank you to the publicist for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for them in any manner.*
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