Cross Jacobs was a screw-up.Everyone knew it, especially him, and the point was hammered home when Kallie Welch drove herself right out of his life. But, she’s back. Seeing Cross wasn’t on Kallie’s to-do list. She didn’t think she could avoid him forever but trying never hurt anyone. One minute she’s standing by herself and the next she’s accosted by a rich, velvety scent that could only belong … scent that could only belong to one man: Cross.
At face value, he’s divine. All rugged and confident with a smile that melts her right where she’s standing. It doesn’t take long to find him to be charming, witty, and the owner of a few legitimate businesses. Not at all like the mischievous boy she left.
He laughs and her heart flutters. With a touch of his hand, she’s dizzy. She’s fairly certain she’s going to die when he pulls her into an embrace and touches his lips to her forehead.
It feels right. It feels so right.
But is it?
Cross is a novella, originally published in the Team Player Anthology. Cross includes three chapters not included in the original story. There are also two Gibson Boy short stories, Restraint and Crash, included at the end for your enjoyment.
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Very cute, sweet, short stories. I love how it’s giving the feel to start out the Gibson Boys. There parents were difficult and now all growing up this is gonna be one hell of a ride. Definitely a must read if you love Adriana Locke. Kallie & Cross story I loved the most made me smile with there personalities. 5/5 stars
The boxing metaphor that Adriana Locke uses, the one that describes how Cross and Kallie kept fighting round after round until Cross’ actions lost him the fight, truly depicts what went wrong in Cross and Kallie’s relationship three years ago and the way it extends to their current situation. A ‘bad game plan’ is what ruined their chance at a happily ever after, but now that Callie’s back in Linton, Cross plans to seize this unexpected opportunity and conquer the split decision they ended on, hopefully, making him the champion after all and restoring the ‘other half’ of his heart.
It’s clear at the onset of Cross that the love and connection that one existed between Cross and Kallie is still there, and while there’s some fear and trepidation on Kallie’s part when it comes to becoming small town gossip again; he’s still her everything just like she’s still his.
Cross and Kallie’s novella illustrates the fact that people CAN truly change who they are for the better, but it also reinforces the idea that it’s extremely difficult for the people who knew them before to accept that they’re no longer the same people because too much time is spent focusing on the past and why they broke up in the first place when the focus should be on the here and now, and what it comes to the man Cross is now, it’s clear that he’s ready to be all in with Callie and make decisions that work for both of them.
4 Poison Apples
I loved reading about Kallie and Cross when they were a part of the Team Player Anthology. I really enjoyed this updated story with more chapters. This story was the perfect amount of sweet and spicy.
Cross and Kallie
This is a wonderful addition to the series . Kallie is fresh off a breakup and deices coming home is best for her. Cross is still in their hometown but a lot has changed They have a past, being high school sweethearts but sometimes life gets in the way and we grow apart. Kallie takes the lead and decides to move away and start fresh but little does she know that Cross has never stopped loving her and is ready to win back .
Cross had a history of leading with his fists when in came to a disagreement but he has now channeled that and made something good of it. He is running the local gym and has become a trainer . He has come a long way and he s determined to show Kallie that he is the man she remembers and oh so much more !
~~Michele McMullen ~~
This is a second chance novella. It is part of the Gibson Boys series and happens before Crank.
This is a very good, and quick read. I liked Cross and Kallie.
I do wish that we got more. I wanted to see the argument that kept being mentioned. I would have loved to see them before Kallie left town and came back.
I understand the small town rumor mill.
This originally was in the Team Player Anthology. There has been more added to this story now. It’s still a novella.
Now there are also 2 other short stories added into this novella.
The first one is Restraint. Blair is a Gibson sister. She’s a lawyer and works hard, that’s all she does. Her sweet brothers made her take a 4 day vacation.
That’s where she first bumps into Holt. Then they bump into each other again at the Landry’s.
It is steamy, but I’m left wanting more. I know this is just a short story, but It didn’t really do it for me. I liked the characters, I just wanted more.
The second short story is Crash. This is a quick scene of Nora and Kip. Nora is a bartender and Kip is a cop. There isn’t much story with them. Just a steamy scene.
This is a short and sweet novella, a standalone story set within the Gibson Brothers series. Cross is a lovely second chance romance that I could of happily read more of.
Cross and Kallie have both history and a chemistry that can’t be denied. Kallie returns to her childhood hometown to find her ex looking mighty fine but her old doubts are something they need to address to move on as friends. Cross wants to prove he has matured and wants to be more than friends.
Do they accept their relationship is a thing of the past or do they give in to the still burning attraction and hope for the best??
A lovely read that whilst short didn’t leave any gaping holes in the story and yet definitely left me wishing this was a full novel, though I’m sure we will see more of Cross and Kallie throughout this enjoyable series.
Cross was one of novellas featured in Team Player Anthology which is no longer available. So for our reading pleasure Adriana has decided to re-release it with more content.
Kallie Welch left her hometown years ago breaking hers and Cross Jacobs hearts in the process. With Cross proving time after time that he was a party boy and Kallie wanting more she felt she was left no choice but to move away. But home is calling her back, she knows moving back means seeing Cross again!!
Cross has never been the same without Kallie. The moment she left was his wake up call and since then he’s built himself up to be the man she wants and needs. Now that she is back, he’s determined to fight to get her back in his life for good.
These two have such unbelievable chemistry that you can literally feel it radiating off the pages. With a love like theirs they are destined to have their second chance at happiness.
You also get two bonus short stories with this book – Restraint and Crash, So more for us now who would complain about that!!
This is a great addition to the Gibson series. I lived this second chance novella. L
Cross is the story of Cross and Kallie and it is also the prequel to the Gibson Boys books. While the books are connected, you do not have to read them in order to understand what is happening (although you are really going to want to!!)
This was a short, quick novella with a lot of heart. Cross and Kallie were together when they were younger however, Kallie decided to leave due to the way Cross’ life was headed. Neither of them truly got over each other, and it was just an overall sweet second chance romance!
Cross by Adriana Locke is part of the Gibson Boys series. It introduces us to some new characters and get to see some we’ve already met.
Cross and Kallie have a history, some of its good and some of its bad. But either way, they ended up going their separate ways. Only life has brought them back together.
Kallie still has the doubts that small town dating bring into a relationship, but she also has a desperate need to be with Cross. Cross knew what he lost when Kallie left and he proceeded to make changes in his life to be the person she deserved.
Reading about Kallie and Cross reconnecting and learning about each other again in this wonderful written story was delightful.
Ms. Locke has given us a sweet, sexy story about reclaiming that which you have lost.
Included with this book are two super quick, super sexy reads – Restraint and Crash. I really like Restraint and would to read more about Holt and Blaire! Crash gives the down and dirty on Kip and Nora – their story was so hot! Here’s hoping that we get to see more about these characters!
5 STARS FOR CROSS BY ADRIANA LOCKE!! Another fun sexy story that I could not put down. This is a second chance romance for Cross and Kallie, they are so perfect for each other. These two never stopped loving each other and chemistry was off the charts. I loved seeing characters we have already met, it is always is fun seeing what they are up to.
Super cute, well written novella. Another great small town story. While it is short I felt the characters were well rounded. Takes me back to my roots growing up in a small town. I feel like I grew up with Kallie, Cross and the rest of the gang.
I will be the first to say I am a greedy reader. I want all the words and all the pages. I have been looking forward to Cross’s story since I met him in Craft, so I was a little worried I would be disappointed by his story coming as a novella. However, while this story was short, it was well written and didn’t feel rushed.
Second chance stories are some of my favorite. I love a good backstory between characters. Cross and Kallie certainly have a backstory. When they were younger, they thought they were going to have each other forever, but forever slipped through their fingers. Now that they have a second chance, they are faced with some of the same problems, but will they be able to make it work this time around?
I love Cross. He is passionate and knows exactly what he wants. While he needs a little encouragement from time to time, he goes after Kallie with everything he has. However, Kallie is a bit more reluctant. I was frustrated with her at times, but given their past, I could see where she was coming from. However, who could possibly resist Cross?
In the end, this was a sweet and steamy second chance with a happy ending. I loved seeing the Gibson boys again, and can’t wait for Crave! This also included two additional Gibson Boy short stories which were both fun additions.
SECOND TIME READING:
I love Cross and Kallie!! There story is the perfect second chance romance but it’s also fun. Cross is a novella. A lot of times I skip a novella because I like a longer more in-depth story but Cross didn’t feel rushed or incomplete. Since Cross and Kalie are just friends of the Gibson brothers I loved that so many of them were included in the majority of the story. So excited for Machlan’s story! I love him almost as much as Peck!
“I can’t make you love me any more than you could change who I was back then. I changed because I wanted to, but I can’t make you love me if you don’t want to.”
One of the many reasons Peck is my favorite:
((Swoon))
“You can call it whatever you want, it’s the same damn thing. Either you want to feel like you have some high and mighty set of principles, which we all know you don’t, or you can get the girl- your pick. I’d pick her, because she’s really hot.”
“Nah, not really because she’s hot, because she’s nice. She’s sweet. She gave you a second chance.” He throws in.
MY FIRST REVIEW:
I wanna live in Linton, Illinois! That town has an abundance of hot damaged men. Cross being one of them. This is a second chance story between Cross and Kallie. It takes place before the first book in the Gibson Boys series, Crank. It is a standalone, but I promise after reading it, if you haven’t read Crank, you will want to. Adriana is a phenomenal writer. She never lets me down with any of her books.
Teehehehehe…that is me with the happy laugh after reading Cross. I want to be upset with Adriana Locke that this story wasn’t a full length novel but I really can’t because Cross and Kallie are just that good.
Take two people who loved hard and fast as kids, throw in years of distance and longing despite other relationships, add a bit of shock at seeing each other again and it was the recipe for lots of emotion. I liked how Cross and Kallie got to know who each other were now, learned how they had changed in all the time they had been apart. But somethings in a small town will never change…
Enter the drama. I did find Kallie’s reaction a bit childish but once I got her side of things, I understood it better. And Cross…swoon city. That man wanted me to make someone jealous just to see him go all alpha and throw down. Fingers and toes crossed to see this super fun couple again.
I had originally read Cross in the Team Anthology, and with the added chapters, it fully made this story whole!! Kallie and Cross were a match made in the past and present. Kallie coming home was the best move she could have make. There was angst and drama of course because the bad blood had to be worked over. I truly enjoyed the second read around and have fallen head over heals for this story!
Completely awesome!! ^_^ <3
I really enjoyed this novella when it was part of the Team Player anthology, but I loved it this time around! The additional chapters and details really connects the story with the Gibson Boys series, but it can still be enjoyed as a stand alone.
Cross is a sexy and sweet childhood sweethearts second chance romance. Cross may not be a Gibson (he’s Machlan Gibson’s best friend), but he is just as sexy and charming. I fell in love with him and Kallie right from the start and couldn’t help but root for them to find a way back to each other even when old fears and insecurities resurface. I don’t know what it’s like to grow up/live in a small town, but I imagine the gossip and having everyone up in your business would be extremely difficult. Like all Adriana Locke books, there are lots of laughs and steamy times, but also wonderful supporting characters too (loved Nora). I wish that it was longer because I couldn’t get enough of these two, but I’m really excited for Machlan’s book next!
This novella also features 2 short stories set in the Gibson Boys world. The first is Restraint, which is about Blaire Gibson, and the second is Crash, which is about Kallie’s friend, Nora. Though they were previously available (I think as part of another collection or newsletter), this was the first time I was reading them and they left me wanting MORE!!! I loved getting to know Blaire better and I definitely need more of Holt and the rest of the Mason brothers! The Landry crossover was the best and the quick cameo by Lincoln made my day! 😉 I also loved the quick glimpse we got of Nora and sexy sheriff Kip. There is a lot more story to tell with these characters and I will keep my fingers crossed that Adriana Locke already has these in the works!
*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book*
Cross by Adriana Locke was a quick hot read. Cross and Kallie’s story was amazing. Cross and Kallie have a story that is hot and makes you want more. Adriana foes an amazing job just like all her other books she is an amazing writer. I would recommend one clicking this book.
A decadent short, sweet, sexy novella that was both fun and crackled with heat! I really liked this story in the Team Player Anthology but I LOOOOVED it even more with the extra goodness of the extra chapters. I love the fact that for a novella, things didn’t feel rushed. in fact it was so evenly spaced and was so smooth made me forget completely that it was a novella. And these characters are some of my favorites!
Cross is a super fun read too! I got lots of smiles, sighs, laughs, and heart out of it. Adriana Locke is an author I HIGHLY recommend for fabulous stories, great characters and fun times.
Cross gets a FABULOUS AND FUN FIVE SHOOTING STARS!