Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Cross My Heart
AUTHOR: Darcy Archer
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 272 pages
RELEASE DATE: May 14, 2024
BLURB:
When a tackle stopped NFL superstar Tyler Fantana’s heart, millions of fans watched their MVP die on camera. Now America’s Tightest End has headed home to put his broken pieces back together. Tyler knows returning to football could kill him, so keeping his rehab on track seems impossible—until he starts training with a familiar guy-next-door who knocks his jock off.
Josh Ayres has harbored a secret crush on Tyler since high school. Fifteen years later, Josh has blossomed from a quiet nerd into bona fide beefcake, coaching the team for his alma mater. Helping Tyler get back in the game might become the second chance he never expected… if he can work up the courage to confess his feelings to the bad boy he never stopped loving.
Sparks fly as Tyler and Josh join forces to save the school library, battling book bans, malicious gossip, and media pressure. What happens if infatuation turns into something that feels like forever? And when the NFL offers Tyler the chance to reclaim his fame, can he choose between a deadly game and the man who finally taught him that hearts can heal?
REVIEW:
A brand-new author!
Tyler Fantana “America’s Tightest End” is a bona fide NFL superstar! He is the real deal and accomplishing everything he’s ever set out to accomplish. But a hard hit in just the wrong spot derailed all of that. Now he is back home in Cinnamar with his little sister Nadia trying to recover from a possible career ending trauma induced heart attack. His cardiologist wants him to get his head back into life and start trying again. So exercise and therapy to deal with the crippling anxiety that has resulted. When an attempt at some exercise leads to a new friendship Tyler starts to come alive again…all of him! Josh Ayer’s has had a not-so-secret crush on Captain Fantastic since he was 14 years old and it’s never faded. He knows Tyler is was out of his league. But Tyler was the catalyst to his body transformation and now it’s his turn to help Tyler get better. But can these two ever figure out what everyone else see and take a chance?
Tyler’s injury isn’t new to any one who watches NFL football. Damar Hamlin’s catastrophic hit that resulted in a debilitating heart attack unfolded right before our eyes last year. And I could see why those close to Tyler were not happy his owner just kept pushing and pushing for him to jump back into the game. Yes, he is a big commodity to his team and the sports world. And the bigger the star the more money he brings in to the team.
This was a long, slow burn with more irons in the fire than I could keep up with at moments. Between the nasty reporter, the homophobic teacher, the backward thinking townspeople, the book ban threat and all the angst surrounding their feeling relationship this drug on sometimes too long. I like the times when it was just Tyler and Josh. And I loved that Tyler used his wealth and celebrity to get everyone on board with saving his high school library and its books. But it was a bit too drawn out at the beginning of the book for me. I’m glad I stuck with it but it was questionable at times. And if you are expecting a lot of on page sex then this isn’t the book for you. It’s referred to off page and there is some but it’s pretty mild.
RATING: 
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