REVIEW: Cross the Line by Simone Soltani [a great debut]

Willow Williams is in need of a job – preferably one that will keep her in the sports industry she loves so dearly – and Dev Anderson needs someone to patch up his crumbling image. All things considered, Willow taking up the position of Dev’s social media manager should fix both their problems. If only the issue of Willow’s childhood crush, and their mindblowing kiss from a year ago would leave Dev’s mind.

Tropes: Best friend’s brother, Sports romance (Formula 1), Childhood friends to lovers

Read Cross the Line here:
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Cross the Line was recommended to me by my best friend, who boldly stated that this was her favorite read of the year. We don’t always agree on our bookish opinions, but I trust her enough to know that when she recommends me a novel with the best friend’s brother trope, I’m most likely going to eat it up.

For the most part, I did really like this book! I’m not too familiar with Formula 1 romances – I know literally nothing about racing – but in the general sense of all the sports romance books I’ve read, this is on the better half. Despite having some pacing issues that didn’t align with my personal preferences, I had a great time reading this novel. The characters were great, Simone Soltani really nailed their chemistry, and the issues they face as individuals and as a couple felt tangible.

As much fun as I had reading this, it wouldn’t be a proper Love & Other Thrills review without asking my three critical criteria questions.

Do I Understand the Main Character(s)?

Yes! In fact, the characters were my absolute favorite part of this entire novel. Willow and Dev were both equally likeable on their own and together in a relationship, which is something I’m starting to appreciate more and more as a reader. Neither of them outshined the other, and there were strengths and flaws about both of their characters to appreciate.

My favorite thing about Cross the Line was how seamlessly Willow and Dev’s heritages were intertwined into who they were. Of course, the characters we see are shaped by their cultures and how they were raised; But it doesn’t define them. It was so refreshing to see in a contemporary romance! I think going forward, I’ll be unconsciously looking (and hoping) for other books to pull in these elements. I loved experiencing it so much.

It should also be highlighted that Willow’s character has hypermobility, and although I don’t have any personal experience with that, I do have a few Goodreads friends who wrote in their reviews that her depiction of the condition was done perfectly. I think it’s so important for everyone to get representation in all forms of media, so it warms my heart to know that there are people who can connect with Willow in that way.

Additionally, and I am not ashamed to say this, Dev Anderson is so hot. That’s just a fact. Book boyfriends are supposed to be unbelievably hot, I know, but Dev was on another level. Is my love of the best friend’s brother trope talking? Yes. But it’s also just because Dev is really hot. Have you seen that cover? Go look again.

Is It Well-Written?

The writing of this book left me satisified. The prose is easily digestible, and descriptions fell in the perfect middle of setting the scene but not feeling overwhelming. At the basis of it, I think Simone did well in her technical writing.

But like I stated earlier, I did have some personal issues with pacing. I felt that for the first 65%? 70%? of this book, things were going at a steady pace and kept a hold of my attention. But once we got towards that last act of the novel, it slowed down. I began feeling a bit bored as a result. This is one of the reasons why I personally don’t mind a third act breakup (put the pitchforks away, please) but I know I’m in the vast minority of that opinion.

I think if the pacing hadn’t slowed down and Oakley’s reaction went how I thought it was going to, I would have given this a higher rating. Unfortunately it fell flat in that area. Oakley’s reaction was what I was looking forward to the most when we got to the final leg of the story.

Is It Special?

Without a doubt, I don’t think there will be another book that has so many niche elements so effortlessly wrapped into one. Cross the Line definitely one-of-a-kind and I’m glad I got a chance to experience it.

For me, I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s special – at least not for me. It’s not a novel I think will stick in my mind long after I’ve placed it back onto my shelf – but I know that it’s going to be that for someone else. That alone is an accomplishment worth mentioning.

I’m really glad this was recommended to me, all things considered. I went into it hoping for a fun read, and got that plus some really well done representation in multiple areas. There are some things that I would have liked to see differently, but with the positives of Cross the Line, I don’t think those will stop me from passing this along to other readers to try for themselves.

★★★.75