Psychopath. Borderline. Crazy. Seventeen-year-old Maryanne Mayweather wears each term like a badge of pride. Expelled from her twelfth boarding school, she lands on the doorstep of her flighty aunt Elaine and Elaine’s husband James, one more screw-up away from being made a ward of the state. Once a successful author, the last thing James Thorne wants is to care for his wife’s bratty teenage … teenage niece, especially with his marriage falling apart. When Maryanne crafts an elaborate plan to defame and destroy him, they both discover that words are more powerful than either of them could imagine. And as their relationship goes down a path neither envisioned, the consequences are swift and far-reaching.
Some lines weren’t meant to be crossed.
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I can’t stop thinking about these characters. The writing took my breath away. I stayed up way past my bedtime to read this book. Amazing.
Provoked by the psychopath with a penchant for trouble and attention Maryanne pokes at the mind of her uncle whose a well known published author and writer.
Confronting oneself of the truths that lie behind the secrets Maryanne is challenged by her uncle to delve deep into her soul.
Without knowing much about MaryAnne I’ve ascertained from just a few words that she enjoys the attention that trouble produces.
Maryanne thought Thorny and Elaine had the perfect life until she moved in with them.
Overall:
The premise was no help at all other than to inform me that Maryanne would live with her aunt and uncle. Within the first chapter this was made clear. I think I thought too hard and to too deep projecting my own plot theories in the beginning instead of taking this at face value for what it truly was. When I opened my eyes to the true possibility for what Lana was revealing did I fully grasp the full extent of her story.
What I needed was a hard kick in the general direction of what the heck Maryanne had up her sleeve. Her character was sketchy. I felt like she was a puzzle I couldn’t solve due to the mysteriously missing pieces. James was no better to decipher. The dynamics between the two of them was bizarre, yet refreshing. I love a good book that is thought provoking. This one certainly had me drumming up all kinds of wondrous ideas.
It wasn’t until at the halfway mark that I gained a better understanding for where this story was headed. For in the beginning, it was unclear what Maryanne’s intentions were given her behavior. Once I got over the initial shock of their dynamics it was clear what was transpiring.
Lana is a skillful writer whose writing style had me riveted by her characters actions and behavior. Crossed Lines was my first reading experience by Lana Sky and certainly not my last.
4.5 Stars
has quickly become one of my authors to read. CROSSED LINES is book number six of her’s that I have had the of reading. Five out of those six have been ØɄ₮₴₮₳₦Đł₦₲. Including this one.
The writing was . The pacing was ŦØƤ ŇØŦĆĦ. The plot was incredibly έήģάģίήģ and certainly more than the synopsis would lead you to ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ. This story is than a titillating romance. In fact, there is very little h҉e҉a҉t҉ to be found, yet the story never ℓα¢кѕ for it. The narrative is very centric, so both and ‘ characters are fleshed out and have some good ℂøℳρℓƎîУ to them. There is no Ø₩ or Ø₥ drama.
Last, and this is where the book half a star. As much as I love this author I ʂƚɾυɠɠʅҽ sometimes with how she ĔŃĎŚ her books. This is supposed to be a , but the ending leaves things open ended. pεrš⊕ηα ƒεεïηgš, it was a cliffhanger. I prefer more when I am reading a . However, perhaps the author will write a at some point? Nonetheless, that was just a m̲i̲n̲o̲r̲ ̲n̲i̲g̲g̲l̲e̲ and yours truly % recommends this little tale.
Crossed Lines by Lana Sky
Maryanne Mayweather is a seventeen-year-old and has been expelled by her latest of a long list of schools. Instead of drowning in the pain she lashes out against everything and everyone.
James (Thorny) Thorne used to be an award-winning novelist but now wine and anger are the only things that holds him together.
With nowhere else to go Maryanne moves in with the only family that will take her. Just like with her schools, she has burned her bridges with a blow torch. Instead of being grateful she acts out against the one person that promised he would always be there for her. Promises can always be broken and Thorny did just that to her before. Thorny who instead of writing or living he puts it on a shelf in favor of his wife having her time. It breaks him until Maryanne comes roaring back into his life. She makes him dream again of writing or living his next chapter. He is so afraid of what people will think of him if he grabs onto a piece of happiness that he would rather slowly die in an unhappy marriage. What happens when these two begin to see each other more than they should? What if these two are the only ones that glue those pieces together and make each other whole?
Wonderful broken Maryanne instead of hiding her crazy she plants it on the front porch, and she owns it. She uses it as mask to hide all the broken pieces. Pieces that if she looked too closely could break her beyond all repair. He was there for her as a child after her father and then again when no one else would take her. He isn’t even her family and he wanted her. Everyone else saw her as a brat but he was able to see her and her him. They can see and hear each other when no one else can or just won’t. Wonderful broken characters that find their perfect broken other half.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy for an honest and voluntary review
Wow!! This book really packs a punch!! It will definitely have you thinking after you’ve read it. This story gives you a roller coaster of emotions, reading the story of a troubled teenaged girl, who can be very relatable. Lana Sky is an amazing writer, and this book has a way of getting inside your head. It’s not your average love story. There are so many different components to it. It’s about two people, who come together, through the feeling of overwhelming lives. Each have different coping mechanisms. This book was very hard to put down!!
Seventeen year old, Maryanne is forced to live with her Aunt Elaine and Uncle James, after a traumatic incident in Maryanne’s childhood. She has been moved from home to home, and in and out of mental institutions, and is just brushed off. At first, it seems as though the moody alcoholic, James doesn’t want Maryanne there. However, with James being a writer, and Maryanne taking up some writing assignments, they just might be able to find some common ground. I very highly recommend this book
Crossed Lines
This story keeps you guessing right the way through from the beginning right up until the end
Oh wow it will keep you on the edge of your seat. It has so many ups and downs that it is crazy. You will want to smack her around and than hurt her uncle by marriage. But what happens in the book will keep you saying wow are you crazy?
He is not stable he is strange. she is a girl who has been thru alot and it is crazy how they seem to be with her. Her aunt seems to not like her.
But towards the end you may need to be glued to your seat
I am not sure where to begin on this one. This book took all my words away. The book blurb made me think of these preconceived notions for this story. By the time I finished it, I was left speechless and feeling like that book blurb did not even remotely prepare me for the story that I was about to read. I read a few of this author’s books and no matter what she puts out, it is nothing short of fantastic. This book is no exception, in fact, this book may be my new favorite. About the book, meet Maryanne. This girl is a troubled teen with a capital ‘T’. She will frustrate you, make you giggle, break your heart and generally, straight up, drive you crazy. She is living with her Aunt Elaine and Uncle James , for three months until her eighteenth birthday so she doesn’t have to be bounced around anywhere else as her mother abandoned her and her father committed suicide. But can she behave? Will all her crazy antics get her kicked out of the house? Uncle James is a character that comes across as having it all together, as the story progresses and Maryanne rubs off on him, we readers get a different glimpse of him. He is the only one to see what Maryanne is up to and feels like it cannot be ignored. This book deals with some really tough topics that may be sensitive to some readers but it is an incredibly well written story, the handling of these topics is top notch with grace and sensitivity and of course be prepared to be left speechless by the end. This is a must read!
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book for free.
Crossed Lines
By: Lana Sky
Narrated by Krystal Wascher
*Audible Review*
Such an excellent story!! This is the first book I’ve read by this author, most definitely not the last. This story had me completely hooked from the first few pages. It was compelling, it was twisted, it was beautiful! Everything is so well done, the storyline is entertaining, and the writing is simply brilliant! The characters are flawed and I loved the dynamic between them. If you are looking for a story that has emotion, lies, drama, secrets, and twists and turns, then grab this book you will not be disappointed.
Krystal Wascher’s narration of this book was amazing and helped immerse me further and further into the story. I will definitely download and listen to more stories narrated by her!
Comment
This being my first Lana Sky book, I did not know what to expect. But I did not expect this book to hurt my heart, rattle my bones and touch my soul. It might seem like I am over exaggerating but I have never been this affected by a story.
I have read a lot of age gap romances none like this. This story was raw and heartbreaking from the start. I knew Maryanne was in too much pain and not just acting out because of boredom. Even if it felt like she was being unbearable just for the heck of it, you could see her sadness through the cracks. And that broke something in me. I fell insanely in love with her and I can’t get over her.
James Thorne can take full control of my life, ruin it and return it back to me and I’d still thank him. He is so surly and growly and broken and I fell helplessly in love with him. The tender side of his that peaked out of the sour one gave me heart palpitations. This man just wants love and BY GOD I would have fought for him no matter what.
I am going to be thinking about this story for a long long time and honestly I want to re-read right now.
Crossed Lines is the first book I have read by Lana Sky. At first when I started reading this I really didn’t know how I would feel. Maryanne the seventeen year old girl going to live with her step-uncle James a renowned author. She is a trouble maker and crying out for attention. James is a complex man, who seems way to serious. I could not peg him throughout the book. This story was not what I expected, but it reached out to me on a human level. Even when you don’t think you can relate to these characters, Lana Sky finds a way to make them relatable to anyone. The story is an array of emotions, the longer I read it, I couldn’t put it down. It sucked me in. All I will say with this one is I highly recommend it, and just expect the unexpected.
Speechless!
Quite possibly my favorite of her works to date.
I am a big fan of Sky’s writing and as such, I went into this with expectations
– Shattered-
Preconceived notions of how this would play out
– Shattered-
Nothing was what it seemed.
This was not her usual fare by any means in some ways it was so much more.
I have to be careful here – the slightest slip could spoil the contents.
Unlike her previous works, this isn’t physically dark.
It is, however, a slow build story, not a romance really, more of a tale of self-discovery?
No that isn’t right either.
Reading Crossed Lines was a bit like riding a roller-coaster. The slow build of the story line was like the clicking and clacking of the coaster while on it’s way to the top – a false sense of knowing what lied ahead. I was so ignorant of what truly waited for me just a few clicks away.
Once the story peeked I couldn’t put it down -trapped in the pages – my lungs fighting to breathe – then slowly the rhythmic click followed by the clack returned and with it my breath. I relaxed believing that the worst was over.
It wasn’t.
That is how I felt as I read this story
“He made me feel seen. Heard. Wanted. Alive.” – Maryanne
Such a conniving spoiled brat. Always seeking attention. Spinning tails. Sputtering lies.
“He’d be lying if he claimed not to. But you needed him, and he didn’t know how to be that for you. What you needed. ” – Thorny
The quiet professor. The washed-up writer. The worn-down husband.
I do hope we get more of Maryanne’s story. I have a feeling it is not over for her and Thorny
Firstly, there aren’t enough stars for this book. This is beyond a 6 star read. I’ve loved every book that I’ve read so far by this author, but I have to say that at this moment I am truly in awe of her writing. This book went further than I expected in details that will put you on the biggest emotional roller coaster ride OF YOUR LIFE!!!!
I’m going to be very careful about wording this review because there are so many unexpected twists and turns that I truly don’t want to take even the slightest chance of ruining the journey for other readers. This is a taboo book that contains multiple triggers for some. I myself have no issues with anything when reading, so I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Enjoyed isn’t even a strong enough word though. It rocked my world, my heart and my brain. I can’t recommend this enough if you are down for an unconventional ride for one of the TOP READS OF THE YEAR!!
This is the story of Maryanne, 17years old, and tossed around from one family to another, and getting kicked out of school, Maryanne is down to her last choice, to stay with Aunt Elaine, and her husband James, Uncle Thorny. Hell bent on getting the attention of Uncle Thorny, Maryanne acts out, and cause’s trouble. This was a complex web, of raw emotion, secrets, and lies, and drama. This book was intense, and twisted, and well written.
Lana Sky has carefully crafted a tale of forbidden desires. Her use of language is incredible as she sets each scene and sucks you in deeper and deeper.
Maryanne is a snarky, self absorbed young woman damaged by the events of her past. She has floated from family members to boarding schools to psychiatric wards trying to gain the attention of the one person who ignores her – her aunt’s husband – Uncle ‘Thorny’.
When she is ‘tossed’ out of her latest boarding school, she finally ends up in the care of her Aunt Elaine and Uncle ‘Thorny’. James Thorne is charged with the care of Maryanne navigating dangerous waters between caregiver, teacher, and possibly more.
Lana Sky does not disappoint her readers in this book. She takes damaged souls, turns their stories upside down, and leaves you hanging on every interaction to see what will happen next. Just when you think you’ve figured it all out, she surprises you some more!
Lana Sky is an amazing story teller. Why am I writing this? Because I went into this story with a vague idea of a selfish, crazy teenager exacting revenge on a family that hated her. Instead I found myself crying at times for a sad, neglected, misunderstood girl. Is Maryanne a twisted person? Not as twisted as her extended family is! Uncle Thorny is a character I hated. He wallowed in his misery while he made everyone suffer around him. He’s such a weak person that it’s hard to find the hero Maryanne saw when she looked at him. This story isn’t for the faint of heart. This book has taboo elements and enough sadness, bitterness, and heartbreak to fill a thousand more books. But like I mentioned earlier, Lana Sky pulls you into Maryanne’s twisted world and won’t let you go.
Lana Sky has her very own style and she writes her stories in a unique and in a gripping way. This taboo story is original, complex, intense, and bold. The characters are complex and intriguing. Krystal Washer did an amazing job with the narration. The pace was great and all the characters were easy to distinguish. I read this story before, and I love how the audiobook version brings this story to life. (review updated with the audiobook review)
Lana Sky does it again! She delivers two characters you want to hate and develops them in such a way you can’t help but feel for them, possibly even love and cheer for them by the end. She takes a subject that is taboo, and at times uncomfortable to read, and pulls you in where you don’t want to put the story down. If you know this author, you know her material is not for everyone. There could be potential triggers. However, if you’re a fan of hers, this will be another fantastic read for you. If you are new to her, this story is a great one to start with. I definitely recommend reading this one.
*I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. This is my honest review.*
I practically devoured this book! Not many books hold my attention where I read them straight thru without adding another book to break it up but this one did. I was so engaged in Maryanne and James that everything else just faded out. My only issue was I wish we got a tiny glimpse into the POV of James cause his mind was as big of a puzzle as Maryanne was and even though I loved the ending and it made so much sense on the grand scheme of the book I just wish I knew what happened next but with the same token it just added to the originality of the story. Now the book did not end on a cliffhanger and I don’t want to give anything away but you will understand when you get there but I loved this book and Lana Sky is my new go to author cause her style and the way she weaves her stories are incredible!!
Maryanne was a broken young girl who experienced so much tragedy that it snapped her and without any real guidance she was labeled as crazy but I didn’t think she was at all. She was just lacking emotion cause she can’t remember the last time she really had it and James was just as broken but yet they were the only ones who could really see each other through the smoke and mirrors.
This story is much more impressive then I can put in the review without giving away details but it is definitely one I would recommend.
I voluntarily reviewed a advanced readers copy of this book
Blow my mind – everything and more – simply stunning!
After finishing this book I don’t have other choice but finally say out loud that I love Lana’s stories. This one just blow my mind. Don’t even know what I want to write as a review as no words in my opinion will give this book a justice. And I do not want to spoil anything for the other readers as the best way to enjoy this story is to deep dive into it. And let the words immerse you, don’t swim just drown, let them take you on the crazy, intense, twisted and very very special journey. Where deepest, darkest desires will emerge. Where you meet people that will show you their most vulnerable parts of their being.
It left me crying mess but it was worth it. Emotional roller-coaster that made me wondering, that moved me, that shattered my heart but at the end put it back together. Loved every single sentence in this book. I need more books like that in my life.
Normally I don’t comment on covers because most of the time they do not correlate with the words inside. But this one is perfect and when you read this book and then have a look on the cover again you will understand what I mean.