A stunning story of romance and suspense with amazing characters and fabulous start to a new series by Melinda Leigh. She is one amazing writer!!

My thanks to the Author publisher's and NetGalley for providing me with a Kindle version of this book to read and honestly review.
This is the first book I have read by this Author but it certainly won't be the last, in fact i have a few already in my to be read pile. An absolute quality read, well written character driven story with some cute animals thrown in for good measure. Engaging and entertaining from first to last page, with plenty of surprises along the way. In particular there is a shoot out that was so exciting and tense i found I was actually holding my breath. I look forward to reading more of brave clever fearless Bree.
Completely recommended.

I really enjoyed this, it was a strong start to a series. The characters are really loveable and I'm excited to see what happens.

Loved this book. Melinda Leigh is an auto read for me, and this was a great start to a new series. The series is darker than her Morgan Dane series, and I loved it.

I picked this book up at my local library. Somehow I didn’t get this book downloaded before it archived. Which was very sad. But, my local library came through for me to be able to read this!
I love the Bree Taggert series.
There isn’t much romance in this story though definitely lots of suspenseful mystery!
A action filled story that will keep you engaged throughout the book.

This book is everything you expect from Melinda Leigh, good concept story, characters and clever writing. I loved everything about it and how it explored the effects of grief.

When Bree was younger her parents died due to murder-suicide. Cue to the modern day, Bree is a homicide detective and when she receives a message from her sister, she rushes to her aid only to find her sister murdered. Looking after her sister’s children Bree copes as best she can and to help find who killed her sister

Highly atmospheric -- love the new series, the protagonist, the setting. Bree Taggert will get under your skin in a hurry and stay in your head. Melinda always delivers. Melinda was a guest on my show Crime & Wine for this release.

A promising start to a new police procedural series with a strong female lead. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you wanting more and the murderer's identity is skilfully handled so I didn't figure out who it was. There's plenty of action and I'll definitely want to read the next in the series.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

CROSS HER HEART
BY: MELINDA LEIGH

This is Melinda Leigh's first in the series of Bree investigating into her sister's death. "Cross Her Heart," has everything that I like and admire in a crime procedural. Bree's sister calls her saying that she needs help and Bree has to delve into visiting old family wounds. When Bree was young she told her siblings that she would keep them safe. Now someone has murdered her sister and memories come back of her father killing her mother and then committing suicide. While Bree is a Philadelphia homicide detective working to apprehend a murderer, she receives a voicemail from her younger sister Erin asking for help. Her partner Dana is supposed to be retiring in one months time. After back up is called Bree and Dana see that the criminal was caught. Then Bree tries calling Erin back and the calls go directly to Erin's voicemail. Bree drives the distance to check on her sister.

Matt is a K9 former Sheriff's deputy trained in the Sheriffs office, but he was passed over for the job of Sheriff. He goes to Justin's house to bring him to a Narcotics Anonymous meeting and when Justin doesn't answer Matt and his German Shepherd named Brody enter and discover Erin's dead body. Matt was shot in the back and his hand. The hand had been too badly affected with nerve damage and that was the hand that Matt had used to shoot his gun with. I thought that Matt was a likable character also the way he doesn't automatically suspect Justin because he is Erin's husband. Matt had attended Justin and Erin's wedding four years ago and it dawns on him why Bree looks so familiar. The two of them together make a great addition to this new series. Matt is filled with compassion towards Bree and her nephew and niece. Bree is a good character also in that right away she is concerned about her niece and nephew's welfare and I liked her very much, also.

The next morning Matt and Bree meet outside of the Sheriff's office and he attends Bree to the Medical Examiner's office. Bree had already checked in on her niece and nephew who were staying with her distracted artist brother's who lives in a converted barn. Bree notices that her brother's place is littered with pizza boxes and empty cans of Red Bull. The milk is sour but Bree fixes breakfast of eggs and cheese for her niece, nephew and brother encouraging them to eat. Later after making sure that her niece and nephew are okay Bree questions each of them asking if their stepfather was ever mean to them and they both say no. She asks if her sister and Justin ever fought and the kids said that it was mostly Erin who did the yelling. Both kids want to go home and are upset about their mother. After Matt accompanies Bree to the Medical Examiner's office she insists on having a moment with her dead sister. The Title is spot on and I thought that it was perfect for the name of this novel.

The characterization and plot were both expertly handled by this very talented Author. There are a lot of twists and turns, which is just how I love my murder mysteries. Bree is a strong female protagonist who also is a likable character. The murderer weighs in randomly so I still didn't figure out who did it, before the reveal. I would read more in this series. There shows promise of potential for a future romance, but I liked it without too much of it in this first book in this series, which isn't so new at this time. I would recommend to fans of crime procedural's and also fans of mysteries.
This is an excellent start to this series. It read quickly and the action made me want to keep reading without taking a break. This has become a new favorite series for me and I can't imagine anyone who reads this genre not loving this also. I am so glad that I noticed that I had missed this and it has led me to ponder how I could have missed this. I will be purchasing future books in this series and can't wait to read them. Melinda Leigh is a talented Author who knows how to write because this was able to keep me so engaged that I was sad when I finished it. I Loved it!

Publication Date: March 17, 2020

Thank you to Net Galley, Melinda Leigh and Montlake Romance for providing me with my undownloaded ARC for which I missed somehow and bought my own copy. All opinions are my own.

#CrossHerHeart #MelindaLeigh #MontlakeRomance #NetGalley

I’ve loved Melinda Leigh since the first book I read of hers. This one kept up that tradition! Great!

This story will grab your attention from the very beginning and holds on tight until the very end. I love the characters and how well developed they are and the relationships that grow or develop. The mystery was handled well and kept you guessing until the end. Though there is a spark of a possible romance between Bree and Matt, it is not over the top but just a nice hopeful future in store for them. I can’t wait for the next episode in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

4.5 stars

This was my first book by Melinda Leigh but it won't be the last. I really loved the characters in this book, especially Dana as Bree's best friend/partner. For a book with such a sad opening the development of the characters and outlook on grief, mourning and moving forward was uplifting.

I likes that the novel focused on the aftermath of the crimes and how this impacted on the children in both the present and the past.

I'm so happy this book is a series and will enjoy returning to these characters.

Bree Taggert was 8-years-old when she and her younger siblings survived the murder-suicide of her parents. After being sent away from her upstate New York hometown, she becomes a homicide detective in Philadelphia. When her sister leave her a desperate message, Bree rushes home, only to find out her sister has been murdered. Bree, now grief-stricken and left to care for her sister’s two children, decides to find her sister’s killer, and finds help in her estranged brother-in-law’s best friend, a former sheriff’s deputy.

Bree is a fascinating character because she has many, many layers to her personality. She has been through multiple traumas in her life leading up to her sister’s murder, and it’s really an amazing feat that she has been able to keep it together. Likewise, Matt, who becomes her partner, is also working through many things, and it’s interesting to see how they work together to really get through the investigation and the challenges it presents.

The mystery itself is really good, and there’s multiple suspects to ponder. That’s not really a surprise however, as Melinda Leigh is a great author with a talent for writing. She is able to craft multi-layered stories and characters that keep readers interested throughout the book. There’s not only the case itself, but the personal storylines that kept me turning pages and waiting to see how everything turned out.

I did guess the ending slightly before the big reveal, but I still really enjoyed the book. It was well done and the plot was fast moving and interesting. It’s a police procedural that feels more like a good drama or suspense book, not too heavy on the technical or the political side of things.

This is an immensely promising start to the series, and I highly recommend it.

Action packed and exhilarating, this novel is an absolute rollercoaster of a read. Be prepared to lose hours reading this because you wont want to put it down.

What a well written police procedural thriller.
This is filled with many twists and turns. The pacing is perfect. The writing is excellent.

A fast-paced well-written suspenseful novel, which keeps your attention from beginning to end. I am looking forward to reading the next book. Highly recommended.

What a wonderful start to a series. The suspense is on point and Leigh's ability to deliver a pulse-pounding read is spectacular. Bree Taggert is on her way to becoming one of my favorite protagonists.

Got a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Bree Taggert might be one of my new favorite series. I loved the book! The mystery, the build up, the family dynamic! This book got me hooked on other Melinda Leigh books.. this book made me fall down a rabbit hole and go on a Leigh binge and I don't regret it!

I am a huge fan of the author in general and was really excited to start this series. It doesn't disappoint! Bree is a great character, as was Matt. The plot was good too, full of twists and turns.
Looking forward to the next installment!

Bree Taggert and her younger siblings grew up in a house wracked by domestic violence. When she is eight years old, her father murders her mother and then commits suicide. More than two decades later, Bree is now a police detective but she returns to the town she grew up in when her sister, Erin, calls her begging for help. Bree arrives too late to help Erin but she vows to find Erin's killer, and teams up with a former police officer and K9 handler, Matt Flynn. Erin's husband, Justin, whom she was estranged from, is missing and there is evidence that he may have been in the house when Erin was killed. Has history repeated itself?

This was a very good read. The main character, Bree, is easy to empathise with, and there was thankfully little romance on the cards in this book, as I hate it when romance is forced too quickly. A slow burn is much better. Although I did twig on to who the murderer was (the character raises a couple of red flags from the first time that the reader meets them), I still enjoyed reading it, and I am quite happy to read further books in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Montlake Romance, for the opportunity to read an ARC.