This was DELICIOUS! i thought the tension was built really well and i was hooked from the start. each of the characters had a very fleshed out personality and story. Thank you for the arc!

The cover of the book instantly drew me to this one, and I love a good forbidden relationship - this time between student (graduate) and teacher. After meeting a stranger on the anniversary of her sister's death, Rowan discovers that this stranger is her new advisor at Grandview University, Dr Julian Lynch. While Tork's writing is easy to connect with read, the unexpected pregnancy threw me off (I didn't realise it was in this book, and it's not my favourite to read about). Some plot points felt unnecessary and just for shock effect - I wanted more of these two together, connecting and evolving their relationship to really understand each other. I feel like the book really shines in those moments.

Overall, it didn't fully hit the mark for me but was still overall enjoyable. Thank you to Azala Press and Rachel Tork for the review copy, all opinions are my own.

1⭐️ dnf - I haven’t dnf’d a book in so long but this one was just not doing it for me

first of all it was super insta lovey. like first kiss at 15% kind of insta lovey. which sometimes i can power through but then she said she was falling for him at 36% and that’s just not for me. im truly a slow burn girly at heart so that’s totally on me.

second of all i was unaware this was accidental pregnancy which is also usually not for me. especially when it feels like the baby forces the couple together and in this instance since it was teacher-student you can see how it forced them together since they wouldn’t have been a couple if they just carried on.

lastly i just didn’t connect with the characters or their relationship. not even the side characters. like why did her friend not even let rowan tell julian herself? ugh. wasn’t feeling this one but it could definitely be for other people

Julian is effin' hot. Every time he called her Evans, I died.

That aside, the plot had lot of promise but things between them escalated wayyy too fast in every aspect. I wish there was more depth; like the writing style, though!

This story was heartbreaking, there were so many life punches happening at the same time that makes you wonder how the main characters kept going on. However, at the end you understand how the people in your life or the risks you take by being vulnerable towards others it’s the key to free or keep you shut out from life.

Rowan Evans is an independent and talented musician who is hold down by her fear to face her past grieves. She decides to finish her masters in great university following a brilliant tutor who unfortunately at the last moment needed to be replaced by another apparently brilliant but unknown tutor to her or though she thought.

Dr. Julian Lynch is a brilliant musician and great professor just hired to replace a brilliant tutor at a very good university. He is a handsome and serious person who lets very few people if any within his walls. He carries the memory of a sad girl he encountered years ago while trying to console her during a sunset. The connection between them is something he’d never forgotten.

This book was filled with lovely, complex, and very sick and mean characters. The plot is far from just a lovely or funny romcom. It touches heavy topics such as parental abandonment, death, attempted murder, love obsession, among other topics. At the end, there is a HEA in working process as it should be. No cliff hangers but an option to tell another character story in a following book.

I’m grateful to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC, this was the kind of book that after reading it, the story keeps coming back in flashes.

3.75 ⭐️! 🌶️🌶️!

I was immediately drawn into this book and read the first 40% or so without taking a break. I love forbidden relationship/student teacher romances and the angst and tension between the FMC Rowan and MMC Julian was hitting. One of my favorite books is Dark Notes by Pam Godwin, and this gave similar vibes for sure. We love a tortured musician!

I felt like the accidental pregnancy discovery scenes could have been drawn out a bit more, and it would have been nice to have some more insight into Rowan’s mind while going thru that.

One of the major moments in the book seemingly came out of nowhere and I felt kind of removed from the storyline after that point. I was still invested in the characters’ relationship, though, and wanted to see it through! I thought the characters, including the supporting one’s, were all really well written and Amelia had me laughing out loud several times. In general, I really enjoyed the writing and the story and it was very easy to follow. I’m hoping that Lena is getting a story next, because my god I can only imagine the tension and passion!

In all, I did enjoy this book and would recommend to anyone that enjoys a forbidden romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Azala Press for the eARC of this book. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review after reading.

The Lines We Cross by Rachel Tork is a romance novel that begins with a compelling premise but delivers a mixed experience. The story follows Rowan Evans, who, on the anniversary of her sister’s death, encounters a stranger offering comfort. Three years later, as a graduate student at Grandview University’s School of Music, she discovers that her new advisor, Dr. Julian Lynch, is that very stranger. Their ensuing relationship is marked by forbidden attraction and complex dynamics.

The novel’s initial chapters are engaging, with well-developed characters and a strong emotional pull. However, as the plot progresses, it introduces tropes and twists that may not appeal to all readers. Some plot developments feel abrupt, and certain conflicts are resolved too quickly, which can disrupt the narrative flow. Despite these issues, Tork’s writing style is commendable, and the chemistry between the protagonists is palpable. While the book has its shortcomings, it remains a solid romance that fans of the genre might appreciate.

I was so excited to read this book, the premises and the setting were promising. Unfortunately, I couldn't connect to the story and DNFed at 52%

I just wasn't into it. I didn't feel any connection to the characters. i think the characters themselves have very little connection to each other honestly. I really tried to finish it but just couldn't keep reading . It fell flat. The story lacked depth.

4⭐
2.5🌶️
Tropes/Themes: age gap, teacher/student, forbidden relationship, hurt/comfort, healing, musician MCs, Snape/Lily vibes, soulmate.
Dual POV 3rd person

So first of all I’m putting trigger warnings at the bottom to avoid spoilers, because this book has some themes that might not be for everyone.

And I want to note for any authors reading this who include people doing medical imaging in their stories….we are not technicians, we are technologists. 🫶

The first note I wrote down when I started reading this was “is this Snape/Hermione fan fic?”. Turns out I was close, because reading about it afterwards, I found the author wrote that it’s supposed to be a Snape and Lily vibe. It’s not bad, just kinda impressed that I was close to being right lol.

I got sucked into the book pretty quickly and loved the first half of it or so. The angst and chemistry was so delicious and I was on the edge of my seat waiting for the drama to drop. It gave me literal anxiety similar to what I felt when reading June First (IYKYK). And then the ball dropped and the hits just kept hitting and then…..it was resolved with a significant amount of the book left to read. It’s like it dropped off almost completely and went into a really long wrap up so I wish the writer had switched up some of the order of events to keep my attention after the major stuff happened.

To be clear I was still invested in the story but I had to push myself a little bit to finish. I also wish there had been more backstory/more time spent on their families and on him being Scottish. I genuinely didn’t know he was or that he had an accent until maybe halfway in? My other complaint is the way the MCs kept using the same thing to prove their love to each other- it got repetitive. I get why it would be necessary in a forbidden romance/teacher and student relationship but I think it could’ve been done in a different way.

That last line though, before the epilogue? Absolute perfection 😩😍

Trigger warnings below
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Sibling death, SA, trapped in a fire/getting burnt, gun violence, accidental pregnancy, discussion of pregnancy loss, hospitalizations

I did enjoy this book! It had me hooked from the beginning! It was definitely a powerful read with some beautiful moments🫶🏻 although I did feel like the characters truly didnt have enough time to connect and get to know eachother before the (surprise) happend. I did still enjoy It and I will definitely read more work from Rachel In the future! Thanks to Netgalley Rachel Tork and Azala Press for letting me read this ARC Review

Here’s the updated review with the revised opening sentence:

If you’re looking for a romance that blends forbidden love, music grad school drama, and dark academia vibes, The Lines We Cross by Rachel Tork is a must-read.

Rowan and Julian’s story begins with a chance meeting on the anniversary of her sister’s death, where he offers her comfort in a moment of vulnerability. Fast forward three years, Rowan is a fiery, determined graduate student at Grandview University’s School of Music, and Julian, a Scottish musical prodigy, is her new advisor. Their connection reignites instantly, sparking an intense, forbidden romance.

This book delivers all the tension and longing you’d expect from a teacher-student, age-gap romance, but it’s Rowan and Julian’s shared love of music that adds real depth to their connection. As a music grad myself, I completely related to the high-pressure, competitive world of postgrad study that the author so vividly captures. The passion for music woven throughout the story elevated the emotional stakes and made the relationship between Rowan and Julian even more compelling.

The chemistry between them is palpable from the start, and I appreciated that even with the significant age gap and power imbalance, Rowan is portrayed as a mature, self-assured woman. Julian is protective but never patronising, and his internal conflict is written in a way that feels authentic and heart-wrenching.

The plot is packed with drama and twists—at times, it felt a bit over the top, but honestly, I love high drama when it’s done well, and this delivered on that front. Despite the complications, there’s no unnecessary breakup, which I really appreciated, and the ending ties everything together beautifully. The epilogue, in particular, left me smiling.

With its dark academia aesthetic, morally grey undertones, and nods to forbidden romance tropes, this book has a bit of everything. Plus, the characters on the cover even reminded me of an alternate-universe version of Lily Evans and Severus Snape—just in a music school setting.

This book is perfect for fans of high-stakes romance with a touch of drama, and it’s one I’d recommend to anyone who loves a story filled with passion, angst, and just enough heart to balance it all out.

Tropes to love:
🎻 Age gap
📚 Teacher/student
💔 Forbidden romance
🔥 Insta-love
👶 Surprise pregnancy
🎶 Music

Thank you to Azala Press and NetGalley for providing a digital copy of this book. All opinions are my own!

When I first started The Lines We Cross, I was intrigued. The opening pages felt promising—intense, emotional, and full of potential. But as I kept reading, somewhere around 45%, I realized this book just wasn’t for me.

The unplanned pregnancy trope threw me off at first. It felt jarring, like it didn’t belong in the emotional build-up the book was aiming for. Even so, I kept pushing through because I genuinely wanted to see how it all unfolded.

But here’s where my frustration really kicked in—I didn’t feel the chemistry between the two MMCs until the very last pages. The love story could’ve been breathtaking if the writing had truly captured the depth of their emotions.

And the plot toward the end? honestly, unnecessary. It felt like it was thrown in for shock value rather than adding meaning to the story.

That being said, this story did have its beautiful moments. I’m glad I pushed through because the ending gave me the closure I needed. I loved seeing their relationship evolve, the small moments where they truly began to understand each other. And the character development? That was a highlight for me. Despite the rocky middle, the ending left me with a sense of bittersweet satisfaction.

The Lines We Cross made me feel a mix of emotions—happiness, sadness, and curiosity. While it didn’t fully hit the mark for me, I’m still glad I gave it a chance.

If you’re someone who loves raw emotion and doesn’t mind some chaos in the journey, you might just fall in love with this story in a way I couldn’t.

I was excited going into The Lines We Cross, and loved the title itself. Immediately, I was hooked with the simple, yet beautiful, prose and thoughts from both perspectives of the characters. I highlighted a few passages due to how well-crafted the thoughts and feelings were.

However, I feel like the plot dissolved a bit by the 30% mark with the surprise baby trope being implemented. For this story, it felt unnecessary and used to just progress their relationship. Around the 60% mark there were one disaster after another to the characters and it felt like an entire different book. The story felt a bit jarring from the breakaway of how a romance story is typically plotted. While the incidents made the book more of a romantic suspense novel, it felt very different from the first half of the book. It also paced weird with the location of the climax. There were still so many chapters after that in comparison, felt like it was lagging.

There was also the lack of push and pull happening to the characters throughout. At first, it felt like everything was against the two, with small bits of positive scenes in-between. However, after the drama was resolved (early, I might say), there was hardly any conflict, and just one positive thing after the other, that made reading on a bit dull (which is why many people end books at this bit).

Overall, I enjoyed the diction and writing of the story, as well as the two characters and the discussion of loss, depression, and a forbidden relationship. But I felt like it didn’t need the large life-or-death drama one after the other. The characters were enough to hold the attention of the reader, and I would have liked to see their relationship play out without the theatrics. I enjoyed the ride of the story though, and don’t regret reading it.

- Open Door chapters: 5, 10, 12, 14, 15, 20, 25, 29
- Tropes: Forbidden romance, student/teacher, music student

A beautiful forbidden romance with lots of emotions and feelings. Rowan and Julian both were not meant to be together because of their student, mentor relationship, but as I read in this book itself, sometimes some lines needed to be crossed. Likable characters with excellent chemistry are the main highlights. It has everything, angst, drama, twists, and lots of love. Lovely epilogue at the end. Recommended. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.

(Note before the review: below is a copy of the review I am posting on review sites, where I am not posting a star rating. Since NetGalley requests a star rating, I’m giving it a 3.)

Thank you Azala Press and Rachel Tork for this early copy of The Lines We Cross!

Let me start by saying, I went into this book thinking it was going to be a romcom, and it is not. I feel like if you know that going in, that will 100% change your reading experience! (And since it wasn’t mine, I’m not going to rate the book, but I will share some of my thoughts and share who this book might be perfect for :) )

I can honestly say that I think there were so many good moments in this book! It genuinely felt like watching a tv show with the amount of things that happen in such a short span of time

I think this might be exactly the right fit for you if you:
- enjoy grey’s anatomy level twists. I’m talking jaw dropping plot points where you have no idea where the story is going
- love a grumpy talented professor MMC who is DOWN bad for a grumpy talented FMC who is so easy to love & learning how to be loved and cared for 🥹
- enjoy angst and heart wrenching moments!!! (this book is filled with it)
- if you don’t mind some spice! (there were a few scenes here and there)
- and if you love an epilogue that feels like the perfect ending the peaceful calm after the storm ❤️

This was a wild ride from beginning to end but I actually really enjoyed it. The cover was what initially sucked me in but once I started reading I was very quickly invested in these two characters. Very dramatic but a great love story.

This book made good use of the forbidden love trope and the instant attraction between the two characters worked. I liked the dual POV because it was good to see each of their reactions to each other. I liked how early on we see the attraction manifest itself too, like it wasn't easy to control.

The setting was cool. As someone who knows nothing about wind instruments and music school, it was immersive. I think it added to the melancholy of the overall feeling. We know going in that something sad has happened to Row and the academic setting really worked with this.

I'd recommend this book to people who love academic settings, fans of forbidden love, and those whose romance tastes are on the heavier side.

Edit: Come back because after thinking about it, I do think maybe the surprise should have been included in TW. I couldn't decide whether to add this bit because I didn't want to ruin others' reading experience but then some people don't want to read this kind of surprise.

While <i>The Lines We Cross</i> offers a promising premise, I found that the story didn’t quite live up to its potential. The central romance between Rowan and Julian felt poorly developed, and I struggled to see the depth of their connection. Their love story seemed more told than shown — I couldn’t fully understand how or why they were in love, and without the narrative insisting on it, I wouldn’t have seen the chemistry between them.

Additionally, the story leaned heavily into excessive drama. There always seemed to be some over-the-top event or twist happening, which, rather than pulling me deeper into the narrative, had the opposite effect. It disrupted the flow of the story and made it difficult to stay invested in the characters’ relationship.

You might enjoy this book if you like the following tropes: love at first sight, forbidden romance, age gap, and a protective male main character. Without giving away too much of the plot, the story also includes a surprise trope that can be polarizing and may alienate some readers.
However, if you prefer slow-burn romances with deep character development and organic relationship growth, this book might not fully meet your expectations. The romance between Rowan and Julian is more of an instant connection that lacks the emotional buildup needed to make their love story feel believable.

Ultimately, The Lines We Cross offers plenty of drama and unexpected twists, but those looking for a more grounded romance might find it difficult to stay fully invested.

<i>I would like to thank Azala Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>

In the past i read 'These Fates that Bind Us' and loved it so when Rachel Tork released a romance i was so excited. This book was extremely emotional and i was unable to put it down.

♡ The blurb and this beautiful book cover made me intrigued and excited to request and read this book on NetGalley.
♡ I enjoyed reading the first half of this book. I loved how Julian and Rowan explored their vulnerabilities and faced the struggles life threw in their way. I liked how those emotional and intense scenes played out. The romance between the main characters was filled with soo much tension, angst, love and it had some really sweet dialogues and promises 🤍
♡ However the last 30% of the book disappointed me a little, after the climax and then the plot's resolution, when their life was smooth and steady, scenes started to feel unnecessary and forced (except that marriage ceremony, it was sweet ☺️). I quickly read the first 70% of the book but reading that last 30% was very difficult for me. :///
♡ Overall the plot and its pacing was smooth, the romance and bickering between Julian and Rowan was easily likeable and that music aspect was beautifully presented 🎶 🤎🎶 I liked this book. 😊💖💌✨🎵