*Thanks to Montlake Romance + NetGalley for the ARC!*

So per usual, I didn't remember the blurb by the time that I read the book, and I went into this having no idea what to expect. Not knowing that it's intended as the first book in a series, I was left with lots of questions and also felt things moved a little too slowly in some regards (like <spoiler>Matt and Bree's relationship).</spoiler> BUT, now with the perspective of knowing there are more stories coming, it feels totally appropriate.

Overall, I like Melinda Leigh and I'll definitely be picking up the next book! I'm especially interested in seeing what happens after <spoiler>Bree and Dana move in with the kids and settle into that new life.</spoiler>

Trigger warning: the beginning of the book has an abuse scene between adults that was super challenging to read.

Bestselling author Melinda Leigh introduces readers to Detective Bree Taggert in Cross Her Heart, the first book in her new series of romantic suspense novels.  It’s an excellent start, a solid, intriguing and well-paced mystery that introduces and starts fleshing out the central characters and the relationships between them at the same time as it presents a mystery that is very personal for Bree, whose tragic past is brought abruptly back to her in the worst possible way.

The book opens on a harrowing scene taking place at eight-year-old Bree’s home in Grey’s Hollow in upstate New York.  She is desperate to protect her younger siblings – Erin and baby Adam – from their violent, abusive father, as he rages at and beats their mother. Bree has managed to call the police and to keep herself and her brother and sister safe, although when the police arrive, it’s too late for their mother – and their father then turns the gun he used to shoot her on himself.

While Adam and Erin were taken in and brought up by their grandmother, Bree, who was something of a handful, was brought up by a stern cousin in Philadelphia. Looking back, Bree can see that their childhood separation has had a negative effect on their adult relationship; they’re not close, and although Erin continues to live in Grey’s Hollow, Bree has rarely been able to get past her issues to visit there, so Erin and her two kids visit Philly once a year instead.  When we meet Bree again, she- now a homicide detective with the Philadelphia PD - and her soon-to-retire partner, Dana Romano,  have just chased down a suspect when Bree picks up a panicked message from Erin saying she’s in trouble, but when she calls back, only gets voicemail.  Worried because Erin is the head down, go to work, raise her kids sort who’s never in trouble, and still unable to contact her, Bree heads to Grey ‘s Hollow – and her fears for Erin only ratchet up when she arrives at her sister’s house to see two sheriff’s department vehicles parked outside.  Something is very, very wrong.

Erin has been killed, and the chief deputy explains that their main suspect is her estranged husband, Justin, who is currently missing.  Erin’s body was found by Justin’s friend, Matt Flynn, a former sheriff’s investigator and K-9 handler, who was at the house to collect Justin to take him to his Narcotics Anonymous meeting.  Drugs were the cause of Justin and Erin’s split; he became addicted to pain meds following a car accident, and she didn’t want him around her kids while he was using.  But they were still seeing each other and intended to work things out, and Justin has been trying, with Matt’s help and support, to get clean.

Matt left the sheriff’s department three years earlier after he was shot in his right hand and, due to nerve damage, is no longer able to fire a weapon.  Matt is sure Justin isn’t responsible for Erin’s death and is concerned for his safety;  he’s also not completely confident that the sheriff’s department, which is short on personnel following  the dismissal of the former sheriff and other officers for corruption, is going to pursue the investigation properly – or that the corruption has been completely eradicated.

Chief Deputy Todd Harvey knows that Bree and Matt aren’t going to sit quietly by while his department investigates, so he makes a deal with them; he won’t try to stop them, but wants to be kept informed of what they find out and will share information with them in return.

As I’d expect from Melinda Leigh, the mystery is well-put together, with plenty of twists and turns and gradually building tension and suspense as Bree and Matt work together to find Justin and identify Erin’s killer.  Alongside the mystery we get the gradual unveiling of Bree’s character, a smart, competent, resilient yet flawed individual who is suddenly faced with a shedload of new responsibilities she’d never thought to have, two grieving children she doesn’t know all that well and her own grief and guilt at not keeping her sister safe as she’d vowed to do so many years ago.  I enjoyed the focus on the family as Bree slowly absorbs the fact that her life is never going to be the same;  Morgan Dane, in the author’s previous series, had a strong family unit which rounded her out and grounded her as a character, and I was pleased there’s to be something similar happening here.

I liked Matt, who is being set up as Bree’s future love interest.  He’s a good guy; dependable and supportive, he clearly cares a lot for Justin, and comes to care for and respect Bree and her abilities as an investigator.  There’s the merest frisson of attraction between them at this stage, but fingers crossed that will develop as the series progresses. Dana is a great addition to the family unit; Bree’s closest friend and work-partner, she’s about to retire from the force and goes to Grey’s Hollow to deliver Bree’s cat Vader (!) and to help out while Bree decides what she’s going to do next.

Cross Her Heart is an entertaining story featuring attractive and engaging leads and a supporting cast I look forward to getting to know in future books.  I enjoyed the balance between plot-  and character- driven elements in the story, and my one real complaint is that the identity of the villain came as something of a surprise, but not in a good way.  This character was present in one scene (apart from the few short chapters told anonymously from his PoV) and was mentioned only a few times, so when he was revealed to be the killer it didn’t feel organic or as though the clues had really been leading to that point.

In spite of that, however, I enjoyed the book and would certainly recommend it to fans of the author or to anyone looking to try her work for the first time.

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Melinda Leigh has done it again!!!! I couldn't put this book down from beginning to end the suspense had me so enraptured that I couldn't put it down from beginning to end. I was so happy to see this is a new series because the way she brings these characters to life is extraordinary. I was so involved after the first 10% I felt like was right there going through this with them.

Thank you Netgalley for this book in exchange for an honest review.

Melinda Leigh has an engaging writing style which keeps your attention from the very first page, even before the plot itself is holding you captive and, as expected, this book did not disappoint.
The female protagonist is a homicide detective unofficially investigating the murder of her sister with the help of an ex-policeman whose best friend is the main suspect. This offers a slight twist on the usual police procedural novel as well as an unusual collaboration between the two, since they have different reasons for wanting to identify the perpetrator. Unlike many books in this genre, the attraction between the two protagonists is not the focus of the book and it remains subtle and low-key.
Great plot, strong female lead, good character development and a few unexpected twists along the way.

Cross Her Heart was the quickest read ever. The writing was amazing as always and the plot was engaging, if a bit convoluted. The first chapter was so so so sad and Leigh perfectly translated that kind of horror to the page as well as the tension that followed with Erin’s mystery. The focus of the novel was very much in the investigation, but there was still a flicker of romance at the end.

This was a pretty good setup for the series. Bree was very well developed as a character and her POV was engrossing. Matt’s perspective was very distinct from hers, but I didn’t feel like he was as well developed. We got to know Bree and her struggles in a more developed and fleshed out way than Matt.

The mystery was pretty good, for the most part. I really loved how it slowly developed and how all the pieces were presented. The search for Justin and Bree and Matt trying to work together was very well written. I couldn’t figure out which way the story was going to go which kept me glued to the book.

The conclusion did leave a bit to be desired, though? I was caught very much off guard about who the murderer was, but mostly because I didn’t really find there was enough build up for it. I really didn’t buy their motives and how they were presented nor did I buy the way they got caught or how they went about committing the crime. It didn’t really work for me. Bree did end the novel in a rather interesting position, though, so I’m curious about the next installment!

In the first book in the new Bree Taggert series, a homicide detective’s violent family history repeats itself in this novel of murder, secrets, and retribution. For more than twenty-five years, Philadelphia homicide detective Bree Taggert has tucked away the nightmarish childhood memories of her parents’ murder-suicide. That is until her younger sister, Erin, is killed in a crime that echoes that tragic night: innocent witnesses and a stormy marriage that ended in gunfire. There’s just one chilling difference. Erin’s husband, Justin, has vanished. Bree knows how explosive the line between love and hate can be, yet the evidence against her troubled brother-in-law isn’t adding up. Teaming up with Justin’s old friend, former sheriff’s investigator and K-9 handler Matt Flynn, Bree vows to uncover the secrets of her sister’s life and death, as she promised Erin’s children. But as her investigation unfolds, the danger hits close to home. Once again, Bree’s family is caught in a death grip. And this time, it could be fatal for her.

This is a great start to a new series; I can’t wait to see what happens next in Bree’s life. There is so much more to learn about all the characters and it will be very interesting to see where Ms. Leigh takes this series. And I so have a dog crush on both Brody and Ladybug, such sweeties in completely different ways!

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

What a fantastic start to a new series! Full of tangled webs and a homecoming. I’m so excited for more books about Bree. Her history is tragic and sad and seems like a very complex character.

Great book received as an ARC from netgalley. Melinda Leigh never disappoints, this is the first in a new series so introduced to a new character and a new town. The story is well paced with lots of baddies so you are kept guessing until the end. Looking forward to more in this series.

I have not read a book by Melinda Leigh before so I did not know what to expect. I will say that the thrill and suspense is there but I'm not sure how this is a romantic suspense. I did not pick up on any romance whatsoever. I actually found skipping many pages to get through the book so it's possible I missed it between to the main characters. Unfortunately this just wasn't cutting it for me.

*I received this book in exchange for an honest review.*

The past appears to repeat itself…

This is the first book in the Bree Taggert series that can be read as a stand-alone.

The beginning of this story is gripping, it opens to tragic moments in the history of a very brave eight-year-old girl who calls 911 for help and then desperately tries to and manages to save herself and her siblings, no child should have those memories to carry into the future. This reader was left wanting to know how she fared which this book shows us as we move twenty-five years forward in her life.

Along with her younger sister and brother, Philadelphia homicide detective Bree Taggert survived the murder-suicide of their parents, an event that would forever define the lives of the survivors. A phone call from her sister sends her running home to an upstate New York town to find that the past appears to be repeating itself, her sister killed supposedly by her husband who has since vanished. With a niece and nephew to care for she seeks to track down the murderer of her sister and she has the help of Matt Flynn, her brother-in-law’s best friend, and retired sheriff’s investigator. Though all the evidence is pointing at the husband, something does not feel right to either one of them, facts don’t add up.

Bree is an intriguing character, traumatized as a child, and still dealing with episodes of panic, she’s learned to function in life by compartmentalizing when necessary to do what needs to be done but the emotional blows of the present just keep coming and it dredges up the past that has never truly been buried. The author has given us a smart, strong heroine with relatable flaws capable of much growth.

This was a fast-paced, suspenseful murder mystery, and the possible suspects that emerge keep the reader guessing as to who is the villainous voice that we are privy to. There are many facets to the storyline which had numerous twists, it goes off on tangents that later converge seamlessly. Like the main protagonist, the supporting characters had depth. I look forward to the next book in this series.

An advanced reading copy was obtained from the publisher via NetGalley.

Good story, Started off strong and maintained a good pace. The "killer"" was a bit of a surprise. Well written

This was quite the thriller! It was engaging and full of twists! I could not stop reading once I started reading it! I definitely recommend to any fans of suspenseful thrillers!

A great start to Bree Taggert. Secrets and deception, sometimes to find the truth you will need to uncover what others have buried. An engrossing thriller that had me glued, and one I definitely recommend. I look forward to reading what comes next

An excellent beginning to a new series by Melinda Leigh. As always, Ms Leigh does not disappoint. Bree Taggert is a whipsmart character you’ll grow to admire and love.
The Taggert family is mired in trauma. When Bree is a child, she is present when her father murders her mother, then turns the gun on himself. This isn’t her first brush with violence, growing up in a household with an abusive man.
As an adult she chooses to become a police detective, saving lives.
Now her sister is in trouble and she must go back to Greys Hollow, where it all began.

If you love romantic suspense, you will love Melinda Leigh. This is her seventh series, I think, and she’s definitely a solid and consistent author and always delivers.

Cross Her Heart is book one of a new series and is loosely connected to her Scarlet Falls and Morgan Dane series. I was so excited to meet this new character, Bree Taggert, a homicide detective in Phillidelphia and jump into the sad, dark murder that brought her back to her hometown after so many years away.

Bree Taggert is precisely the kind of heroine I love to read about in romantic suspense novels, she is not dumb but smart, strong, and competent. She didn’t let a hard childhood hold her back. She grew up, became a police officer, and is a productive member of society. She did, however, stay away from her hometown because of the bad memories they invoked. But she comes home when her sister reaches out, unfortunately, she arrives too late and Erin is dead. Bree is relentless in hunting down the killer while also trying to support her sister’s children.

It’s a great book one for a series and promises to be just as well written and addictive as Melinda’s other works. I was able to immediately connect with Bree, she’s a very sympathetic character but very resilient and empathetic - you root for her right from the start.

Matt Flynn, Bree’s possible love interest, balances Bree out and there is huge potential for the romance between them. A lot of secondary characters were also introduced – a brother, former partner, niece, nephew, etc that I am looking forward to having them more fleshed out as the story continues. The murder in this book is done very well - although I did end up guessing who the killer was shortly after they were introduced to us. But the journey to solve it engages you, it's a rollercoaster of angst, frustration, and sadness for the characters, as they work the case and you feel it all right along with them.

I find there are some similarities in this series and the Morgan Dane series. Morgan is a widow who has live-in help who is part of the family to help with the children and has stalwart Grandpa to lean on. Here Bree becomes a single guardian, acquires live-in help in the form of her former partner/like family, and has a rich brother to lean on for financial help. But I suppose if the formula is not broken, don’t fix it.

I am very much looking forward to book two (See Her Die) in the series coming out this September!

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Cross Her Heart by Melinda Leigh that I read and reviewed.
This book was the first book in the new Bree Taggert series by Leigh. It was a pretty good book that started off with the emotional punch with the murder of Bree’s younger sister. This brought Bree back to her hometown to face old demons and try to find a killer.
For a new series this was an interesting way to start. It also opened up a few doors for upcoming books to go through. I look forward to see where Bree and the rest of the characters will go.
As for this book it was a really good introduction to the series. Bree seems to be one of those kick butt female characters that has a few imperfections that makes her understandable. This story was fast moving with a number of suspects that I am sure we will see again.
Cross her hear gets four out of five stars from me.

A powerful new start to this series by Ms. Leigh. Bree Taggert, homicide detective in Philadelphia, had an abusive childhood. She feared her father and her parents fought constantly leading to her father killing her mother then taking his own life. She was the protector for her younger sister and brother and is stunned to learn that her sister, Erin, has been murdered. Is this history repeating itself? Bree returns to Grey Hollow, N.Y. and with the help of former sheriff’s deputy Matthew Flynn will search for her sister’s killer. Even though the town holds such painful memories for Bree, can she remain there for the sake of Erin’s two children? What will she do when the children’s absentee father returns to seek custody? I look forward to the next book in this exciting series! I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

I'm a total addict when it comes to mystery/thriller novels, so I can be super picky. This was a solid 4 stars! Maybe even a 4.5.

The mystery wasn't a gasping moment, but it was delivered perfectly. Every chapter gave just enough to keep you wanting more

Cross Her Heart is Melinda Leigh’s new book from her Bree Taggert series. I’m a big fan of Leigh’s books and I was really looking forward to start this new series after finishing Morgan Danes. It’s well written and has a good plot to keep you engaged. Totally understandable that seen as this is a new book in a new series, that the characters will have to been presented to us. Still that make the story a bit slower and took away from the thrilling action pack book we are costume to get from Leigh.

Cross Her Heart is the story of Bree Taggert. A homicide detective that suffer a traumatic event in her childhood along her siblings. Years later she is force to come back home to discover that life and her past are repeating itself.

The mystery was pretty great and well developed making you question many people and guessing who was the actual killer. I was not expecting that ending and reveal, which was a plus for me. I love been completely cut off guard and have a bomb drop to me but still I felt like there weren’t enough motives for this killer to be THE KILLER. That took away from me actually loving this book.

Overall it was a good start to a new series and I do want to continue reading more about Bree.

***I voluntarily read and review an advance copy of this book provided by Netgalley. #netgalley #crossherheart #melindaleigh

Cross Her Heart by Melinda Leigh is the first installment of her new Bree Taggert series. As always, Melinda does not disappoint. The book is well written and interesting. I can't wait to see where this series goes.