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Cross My Heart (Cross My Heart #1)

by Katie Klein (Goodreads Author)

3.97 of 5 stars 3.97 · rating details · 11,133 ratings · 671 reviews

True love can blossom in unexpected places. This is Jaden pretending not to notice. . . .

Jaden McEntyre and Parker Whalen are a wrong fit from the start. Jaden is driven and focused, Harvard Med School within reach. Parker has a past-a reputation-and the rumors about his mysterious habits abound. So there's no reason why, when they're assigned to work together on a project...more

Kindle Edition, 225 pages

Published March 15th 2011 (first published March 14th 2011)

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May 15, 2012 Rosanne - Books Are Better Than Pants rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Bad boy/Good Girl fans

Shelves: young-adult, kindle, read-in-2011, romance, hero-pissed-me-off

It wasn't bad but I wasn't satisfied either.

The author said in an interview she decided later what would be Parker's secret and it shows. The ending is underdeveloped and it doesn't make any sense. It kinda ruined the rest of the story for me, which was sweet if what cliche. Props to the writer for taking a classic book I didn't know yet, instead of Romeo and Juliet, The Scarlet Letter or Wuthering Heights which are usually used.

What bothered me for example was (view spoiler)...more

24 likes · like · see review

Aug 16, 2011 ~Tina~ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to ~Tina~ by: Jessica

Shelves: e-book, read-2011, young-adult, favorites, contemporary

Awwwww! This book is freaken so sweet!

I've always been a complete sucker for really adorable romances and this is one of those books that makes you feel all warm and gushy inside.
Cross My Heart stars the very focused-save the world-control freak-good girl Jaden McEntryre who gets partnered up for the English project with no other then Parker Whalen, aka; the motorcycle driving-leather jacket wearing-bad boy loner with a bad rep. As soon as they meet up their defense goes on high. He thinks she'...more Awwwww! This book is freaken so sweet!

I've always been a complete sucker for really adorable romances and this is one of those books that makes you feel all warm and gushy inside.
Cross My Heart stars the very focused-save the world-control freak-good girl Jaden McEntryre who gets partnered up for the English project with no other then Parker Whalen, aka; the motorcycle driving-leather jacket wearing-bad boy loner with a bad rep. As soon as they meet up their defense goes on high. He thinks she's Miss Perfect in her perfect Harvard-bound life and she thinks he doesn't care about anything in general. Soon they discover that there is so much more and develop a free-spirited friendship they never saw coming.

I know, I know. The concept isn't anything you haven't read before. But! This book and these characters really makes it feel like something entire new and fresh. You just have to meet Parker and Jaden, they have such a force around them that makes the chemistry spark in a way that didn't need hot sex and smoldering kisses (even though one scene was pretty hawt) It just felt incredibly...natural somehow. I loved their dialog. It was feisty but firm and when they argued, they argued, which funny enough I loved even more. I've always been annoyed with books that have arguing in it, cause almost every.single.time, it never gets finished, one or the other walks away and they never just say what needs to be said. However, in this book when Parker and Jaden argue, they finish it and that's something I really appreciated. Yes, I know I'm strange. But there it is. They push and pull and test one another and it's so utterly heartwarming to see it all unfold. Oh...and the zoo? How precious was that?
As for the ending, I'm not going to say much, but I will say that I wasn't prepared for it. Totally, totally unpredictable and I was just as floored as Jaden. I thought it was a genius move on Katie Klein part and even though others might not think it's to realistic, I think it's plausible and that's good enough for me;)

All in all I loved this book. The writing is well done, the story line was so absorbing I read this in ten hours and the sweet-as-sin romance is heart-pounding and breathtaking. Anyone who wants a feel good read should definitely check this one out.
It really was the sweetest thing.
Cross my heart;)

November Rain by Guns N' Roses (less)

33 likes · like · see review

Apr 18, 2012 Jane Litte rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm downgrading this book for one primary reason and that is I thought it needed a editor, both copy and content. There were places that needed fleshing out and scenes that didn't need to be in the book. For instance, when Jaden goes to her locker, she runs her hand over a Harvard emblem. I read that three times to figure out whether the emblem was on her backpack, her shirt, her locker. It is never stated. It's just little things like that which could have brought greater coherency to the story...more

4 likes · like · see review

Dec 30, 2011 Jenn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, twisty-plots, teens-highschool-teenybop

Rating Clarification: 4.5 stars

(I would totally read this book again after knowing the plot twist. I figured it out early on however, I was still surprised I was right when I read the twist. Knowing what I know now, I would love to go back and look at all the little hints the author dropped through out the book. I think reading it again, a bit slower this time, might I add, that I will enjoy it even more the second time around.)

Jaden is an all around, save the planet/people, must get in to Harv...more Rating Clarification: 4.5 stars

(I would totally read this book again after knowing the plot twist. I figured it out early on however, I was still surprised I was right when I read the twist. Knowing what I know now, I would love to go back and look at all the little hints the author dropped through out the book. I think reading it again, a bit slower this time, might I add, that I will enjoy it even more the second time around.)

Jaden is an all around, save the planet/people, must get in to Harvard, good student and play it safe girlfriend. Almost like a Pollyanna. Everyone expects so much from her that she probably isn't really living her own life the way she would want. But how would she know that? No one's ever pushed her or tested her limits to go a different route in life. She is the best "play it safe" girl I've ever met in a book. Until Parker hits the scene.

Parker is supposed to be this "bad boy" new guy to Jaden's high school. No one talks to him ...he's just mysterious and no one really knows him. But they sure do like to spread gossip and rumors. He's just laying low and getting by until Jaden enters his world and they end up as partners in English on a book report. Did I forget to mention that Parker is a smart guy who wears a leather jacket and drives a motorcycle?? ;o)

Jaden has a couple of good gal friends,her boyfriend Blake and his friend Tony that she hangs out with. Blake and Tony are on the basketball team together and just seem a bit off at times to me. Like they are up to something. Blake is a jealous type, or so it seems. Especially when Jaden and Parker even speak to each other. Parker turns Jaden's life upside down. He definitely has chemistry with Jaden that they both try to not give in to. But there are reasons why they can't, or at least why they shouldn't, but then maybe they do. ;o) I like that her friends stay true to her and they don't have all that teenage high school drama thing going on. I also loved her brothers and Sarah, her soon to be sister-in-law.

Parker makes it a bit hard for Jaden to get to know him, but he has his good reasons. She doesn't know why but she can't stay away from him and she finds herself sharing more info about her life to him than with anyone else, EVER. (Including Blake..who I swear doesn't always pay attention to what she says).

Is Jaden's world to perfect and safe? Is Parker that super bad boy coming in to mess up her life? Can her family even trust her decisions any more? Does she even know who she really is and what she really wants out of life? Does she need to save Parker from his "bad ways" or does she really need saving ...and by Parker?

I think you will be pleasantly surprised with this book. I loved the twist the author throws in, I liked the characters and I loved how it ended. (less)

3 likes · like · see review

Feb 18, 2012 Jana (The Book Goddess) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, blog-reviewed, comtemporary-challenge-2012

Also posted on: http://jana-thebookgoddess.blogspot.com/

The plot was nothing special. Good girl meets bad boy. Good girl starts falling in love. Everyone hates bad boy for his reputation. Yeah yeah, we know what happens. You think Cross My Heart will be just like any other YA contemporary romance girl-meets-boy story? Well. You are SO wrong. Cross My Heart is a fantastic, coming-of-age story with relatable characters and a super smart plot twist that I definitely did not see coming.

First. Let's...more Also posted on: http://jana-thebookgoddess.blogspot.com/

The plot was nothing special. Good girl meets bad boy. Good girl starts falling in love. Everyone hates bad boy for his reputation. Yeah yeah, we know what happens. You think Cross My Heart will be just like any other YA contemporary romance girl-meets-boy story? Well. You are SO wrong. Cross My Heart is a fantastic, coming-of-age story with relatable characters and a super smart plot twist that I definitely did not see coming.

First. Let's talk about characters. I could totally relate to Jaden. She's very focused, perfectionist and is "safe and boring". She doesn't do stuff that would make her parents shaker their heads at her, or her brothers scolding her. She's got big dreams for the future. And she's perfect - got perfect grades, perfect friends, even the perfect boyfriend. She was clearly contented with her life. Until. She got paired with Parker Whalen for a school English project. Let me say that I really like Jaden, and her interactions with her family, especially with her two slightly older brothers, are spot on. Her problems and emotions were real, and as you read, you can see that she's got many insecurities and flaws that maker her the perfect female character.

Parker Whalen was exactly what every other YA angsty boy should be. He is mysterious, smart and secretive. I really don't want to say this but he was just okay. I was expecting a bit more - more of him, more of their chemistry, more of sexual tension. And I did feel like their romance was a little bit rushed, which as you know, is a MAJOR book pet peeve of mine. Argh. Anyway, moving on.

Can we talk about THAT plot twist? Nuh uh. Totally not expecting that AT ALL. I did know that there was going to be this 'massive' plot twist and my brain was busy guessing (wrong) stuff. And never in a million years, I would have thought about that. It's not amazing or anything, just predictable. The more I think about it, the more it actually makes sense. And now I'm wondering why I never thought of that.

Overall, if you enjoy reading contemporary romance, then I would recommend Cross My Heart.(less)

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Aug 23, 2011 ivana18 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction

Oh, wow....this is a really nice book. It's not spectacular, but it's really nice, good actually.

Jaden McEntyre is a girl with a plan:
1. graduate as a salutatorian (in the United States and Canada, the title of salutatorian is given to the second-highest graduate of the entire graduating class of an educational institution),
2. get into Harvard,
3. then Harvard Medical school,
4. then save the world....
One day, thanks to her busy schedule, she's late to class and she misses an opportunity to ch...more

12 likes · like · see review

Aug 25, 2011 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011, ya, ebook, contemporary

I wouldn't have picked up this book if Jess and Tina hadn't been so OMFGTHISISAWESOME about it, because I usually don't like to read books about romance without a supernatural theme. I don't know why, to be honest, because it's basically the same, only with real-life situations. Nothing about this book was original, as many people have stated before me, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the hell out of it. I wasn't expecting to like it, because I'm in a state where I'm fairly sure real and de...more

18 likes · like · see review

Jul 07, 2011 Say rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: july-2011-reads, favorites

when i came across this book, i told myself, hmmmm....another story of the good girl falling in love with the bad guy. and i was right, but katie klein wrote it beautifully, if not with the busy schedule i had i would have read this in one sitting. honestly speaking this is one of the best books i've read under this category.

the characters jaden and parker, oh but i love them. i cannot hate jaden though she's one hell of a perfectionist, but i felt sorry for her. a lot was expected from her whi...more

4 likes · like · see review

Apr 01, 2013 Vanessa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, chick-lit

Fuck it.

How many times did i stop just to say "fuck", or digest the moment, or to smile, to cry? Countless.

I was surprised how good the story was. Not expecting a lot really, but wow. Just the exact book i was looking for at the moment.

Not just another love story. This will teach you more in life, about decisions, regrets, how it is ok to make mistakes, while making you fall in love and bring back your inner giggly girly self.

I hate you Katie Klein! This book is awesome! Am i allowed i say it's...more

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 25, 2012 Ruth**Off With Its Head!** rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: female-pov, angst, bad-boy

This was heading to a 4 maybe even 5 star read & I really enjoyed it up to about 80% and after that it was nearly like she was running out of paper or something and it all just felt very rushed.
I didn't mind (view spoiler) but it didn't blow me away either. I could have done without it to be fair.
And other characters and things like Harvard which have been a huge part of the story are kinda swept under the carpet at the end. I just felt like I was saying to myself...more

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Dec 22, 2011 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own, kindle, read-in-2011

Holy crap! This book was so much more than I expected. Not only was it brilliant, but it had a plot twist I wouldn't have guessed in a million years. Fabulous book!!

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Review: This book simply blew me away! That's probably why it was featured in so many of my Top 10 of 2011 posts. It is incredible, brilliant, intense, shocking, and all other appraising words you can throw at it. I simply went browsing amazon one day and bumped into it. I was looking for a light, cute read. I got so mu...more

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 18, 2011 Sita Sargeant rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: nl, love-triangle, own, reviewed, teen-romance, young-adult

I bought this book without even looking to see what it was about. I just went and bought it and boy am I glad I did. This book was one of those HOLY SHAZAMM!! books you sometimes read about. It was amazing and I loved it. I really, really, really, really loved it. Really. It is easily going down as one of the best books I have read all year. So enough of my rambling and onto my actual review of the book.

Cross My Heart is about Jaden (she is a control freak bent on going to Harvard, everyone love...more I bought this book without even looking to see what it was about. I just went and bought it and boy am I glad I did. This book was one of those HOLY SHAZAMM!! books you sometimes read about. It was amazing and I loved it. I really, really, really, really loved it. Really. It is easily going down as one of the best books I have read all year. So enough of my rambling and onto my actual review of the book.

Cross My Heart is about Jaden (she is a control freak bent on going to Harvard, everyone loves her, she is really kind and selfless) and Parker (Parker is the talk of the town, he rides a motorbike and is the town bad boy even though inside he’s super smart and caring and generally a good person that has a hidden past. I also kinda fall in love with him. He’s just that awesome….and loveable). Jaden comes late to class one day when they are picking partners for an assignment and because of it she is stuck with Parker, they soon become friends and he soon has her questioning everything she’s worked for. They are together for the highs and lows of life and soon they start to fall in love. So many amazing things happen to them and this book is easily re-readable (I’m gonna read it again tonight ;) But you should read it once first even though it may not sound totally original the way the author does it kinda makes it).

I loved the plot, you think you know what is gonna happen then BAM! It all changes. There are just the right amount of twists and turns, the book moves at the most perfect pace ever. Everything in there needs to be in there, the author is not adding un-necessary parts. But most of all it’s real. The book is about as real (and amazing) as it gets. If I could I would give this book a gazillion-trillion-thousand out of five. It was just that amazing.

Loved the writing. I thought it was written perfectly, the words used and the emotions brought up by the writing, amazing. I had no idea why I picked up this book, but by the time I was about 20 pages in I could not put it down and for a book to be like that for me it has to have some amazing writing and boy did this book have some pretty amazing writing.

Onto the characters. Boy I could go on for forever about the characters, the two main character; Jaden and Parker were both such strong characters, and I loved them both. I loved watching Jaden change, I think this book has got to have some of the best character development I have read in a book in ages. Parker has got to be one of the most intricate and beautiful and loveable male leads I have read about in ages. He was absolutely amazing and when his secret comes out at the end HOLY SHIT! I was left speechless, I read over and over that part so many times (it was a little ridiculous) before I got the full force of what had just happened. Together they have got to be one of the best fictional couples I have read about in ages because it was love and it developed over time it wasn’t a full on lust at first sight, they actually fell in love over time and all the bumps and troubles that come with it were there and overall the characters and their relationship was just so real and I loved watching it develop over time.

It was an amazing book and I recommend it to YA lovers, book lovers, and the general population as a whole. It was a great book and right now I am tempted to go up to people on the street holding this book going “you have got to read this book! It was amazing! Easily one of my favorites!!! Read it!!!! Or I will hunt you down and force you to in your sleep!! You’ll never know what hit you *evil laugh*” Yeah…right now I would seriously do that. This book was just dead drop amazing. Message you should come away with after reading this review: READ THE BOOK!
(less)

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Jan 15, 2013 Asmaa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, 2013-amazing-reads, 2013-reads, aaah-l-amour, book-titles-that-rock, books-i-heart, caliente, contemp, explosive-couple, wish-you-were-my-boyfriend, you-make-me-smile, where-have-you-been-my-whole-life, new-adult, 50-states-or-countries-of-ya-chal, 2013-tbr-reduction-challenge

Rating: 4.75/5

Again, I'm wondering: why do I always push reading the best books?

I've been having this book sitting on my TBR shelf for God knows how long, only to discover after an intense five-hours session of reading that it was my kind of story: a pure swoon-material. I need to make a WHY DIDN'T READ THIS SOONER shelf just in case.

Seriously though, I LOVED this one, it was engrossing and hard to put down, it kept flowing and leading me to think that it'll follow the path of every high school...more

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May 25, 2011 Tasty Book Tours/ A Tasty Read/ Sweet Reads Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Really cute. What a surprise ending. Some of the story was dragged out a bit, but I love the way he tried to avoid her and she was not having it. I love the friendship they formed and I love the romance that builds. It was realistic and I have a nice headache this morning from staying up until 3:30am reading the book last night. It was worth it!!

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 20, 2013 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: characters-i-love, books-i-own, favorite-authors, gooey-boys, awesome-heroines

Wow. What a surprise. Lately, I've been on kind of a rollercoaster ride with indie books. It's sort of like that game of plucking petals from daisies - love one, love one not - and after a strong start at the beginning of the year with a ton of indies I loved, I've been a little gun shy as of late. But, yay for me, maybe the drought is over.

So, this novel wasn't perfect. There's a twist in it which seemed a bit contrived and I wasn't surprised to learn the author had some difficulty formulating...more Wow. What a surprise. Lately, I've been on kind of a rollercoaster ride with indie books. It's sort of like that game of plucking petals from daisies - love one, love one not - and after a strong start at the beginning of the year with a ton of indies I loved, I've been a little gun shy as of late. But, yay for me, maybe the drought is over.

So, this novel wasn't perfect. There's a twist in it which seemed a bit contrived and I wasn't surprised to learn the author had some difficulty formulating the twist until well into writing the book. It shows. I'm not going to reveal the twist, I try to stay away from spoilers when possible, and I think this one is intergral to the story. However, I will say that it could have used more time to develop. Clues should have been sprinkled throughout the story to avoid the complete change in direction this novel took. It was jarring and came out of left field.

There were some scenes which could have used a better edit; some occasional tense issues, where it was unclear whether it was past or present; and some grammatical issues, but nothing that pulled me from the story.

The beauty of this novel lies with its character and I love that Katie Klein took her time and allowed the relationship between Jaden and Parker to evolve organically. In fact, though the signs are there, we aren't really even given a glipse into their prospective love story until around the 50% mark and it's some time later that it actually blossoms. It's clear that the author enjoyed these characters and gave them a great deal of consideration. They were flawed, but not crazy-broken, and they had real fears and real struggles.

Secondary characters were also well fleshed out. Jaden's family was fun to get to know and were as real as my own: quirky and over-protective, selfish and loving. It was a nice, well balanced mash up of emotions that meshed well with the overall story. Jaden's friends were also likeable, though we didn't get a lot of time to get to know them. What I appreciated, though, was that even through Jaden's struggles, they remained steadfast.

Where the story lost be a bit was toward the end, post-twist, when the author seemed to struggle a bit. It seemed that, perhaps, she had some issues closing the loop on a few things. The writing got a little clunky and the plot seemed to meander a bit. But, again, I got past it as the balance of the book was really well written. If this had gotten a proper edit, those issues would have been cleaned up so I will forgive this as it's an indie.

Altogether this was a really good read and one I would recommend. Kudos.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Dec 31, 2012 fennie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, young-adult, kindle

i should totally write an ode to parker whalen. this book was a lovely guilty pleasure during my commute to and from work during the summer. and it's my first ever kindle purchase (though i dont have a kindle, just the kindle app on my android). it was light enough to keep me entertained but also engrossing enough that i couldn't wait to get back on the subway so i could read a little bit more about parker and jaden (okay, let's be real, i wanted to read about parker more than i did about jaden)...more

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Nov 11, 2012 Zoe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, ya

Wow. Incredible book. Had me smiling all the way through. I absolutely love the twist. It takes the stereotypical out of it completely.

Jaden and Parker make assumptions about each other and don’t get on until the third meeting. Jaden’s a goody-two-shoes that all the teachers love. Parker’s quiet, polite, wears black, and drives a motorcycle. Jaden pegs him for the school wagger and "who cares?" kind of fellow. Parker pegs Jaden as the, well, the boring goody two-shoes.

Jaden has a number of cha...more

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Jul 20, 2012 Lauren (aplpeach) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Well I certainly did NOT see that coming. I loved loved loved Jaden. I couldn't stand Blake for some reason from the very beginning. Parker is the mystery guy from every girls fantasy from high school. The guy everyone wants but doesn't. The guy you hate but love and know nothing about. Jaden is the girl everyone loves and wants to be around.

Daniel and Phillip and the big brothers I never had, but if I did, I would want those two looking after me. Daniel as the protector and Phillip as the bully...more

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Jun 09, 2012 kb rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4ever-young-adult

Often, with a book, you have all these images in your mind to make your reading more alive, and that is why some of the deadness of the story get overlooked. This is one of those novels you do that with, and it wasn't that hard for me to enjoy it because it fit perfectly to what I had in mind: Gilmore Girls' Rory&Jess! Can we say PERFECT?? (Not about the whole book, though, haha!) WELL, I CAN AND DO. The premise of this novel shouts a one-hour GG episode of good-girl-bad-guy bantering plus s...more

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May 29, 2012 Emily M rated it 5 of 5 stars

I just finished reading this book, and came directly on here to write a review... it's THAT amazing.
Hands down one of my favourite books on my Kindle.
So I don't know how many of you out there have watched the film 'Keith' with Jesse McCartney as co-star? Well, that's my favourite film of all time (mainly because Jesse is one hot piece of something) and I'd never heard of Cross My Heart, but as the story progressed, I found myself wondering if this book was the exact book that 'Keith' was based o...more

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May 19, 2012 Siddhee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: after-school-before-college, contemporary, could-have-been-better, family-family, friends-to-lovers, high-school, romance, young-adult

It's a pretty decent book. At first I was quite reluctant to read it, but I am glad I did. So this book did not make me go as crazy like some other books, but that is okay. It was still very well written.

In the beginning, I had a slight problem relating myself to Jaden, but I guess that is only normal, since Jaden is involved in all the causes and her list of extracurricular activities is quite impressive, also that she was at the top of her class. And I actually liked it. Her no-nonsense attitu...more

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Apr 28, 2012 Pauline rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-contemporaries

Oh boy! Did I love that last part when Parker did a scene from Love Actually, with those words written in the notebook and flashed to to Jaden. Really romantic!

So here's the thing, during the first few chapters I thought it was similar to Perfect Chemistry, a good girl falling to a bad guy after being paired for a project. Seriousky I was about to give it a lesser than 4 stars but then bam! The truths about Parker have been revealed and it changes my judgement over him, over the whole story. It...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Keertana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: rainy-day-re-reads, swoooon

You know that feeling when you pick up a book just because you feel like reading and then it ends up being a truly spectacular novel that you thoroughly love and enjoy? That was what Cross My Heart felt like to me.

When I first read the synopsis, it seemed like your usual cliche love story: boy meets girl, girl is a goody-two-shoes, boy has a bad reputation, boy and girl get paired up on a school assignment, boy changes girls life, girl changes boys life, boy falls in love with girl, girl falls...more You know that feeling when you pick up a book just because you feel like reading and then it ends up being a truly spectacular novel that you thoroughly love and enjoy? That was what Cross My Heart felt like to me.

When I first read the synopsis, it seemed like your usual cliche love story: boy meets girl, girl is a goody-two-shoes, boy has a bad reputation, boy and girl get paired up on a school assignment, boy changes girls life, girl changes boys life, boy falls in love with girl, girl falls in love with boy, the end. However, Katie Klein writes Cross My Heart with such poise and elegance, that I fell in love with the story. Jaden is your typical goody-two-shoes highschooler - cheerleader, raises money for fundraisers, 4.0 GPA. When she walks in late to English one day, she is paired up with Parker Whalen, the new kid who has a terrible reputation. Surprisingly though, Jaden finds that Parker is smart, intelligent, witty, and knows exactly what to say to get her riled up. Just as she begins to fall for Parker, Jaden finds out that Parker may not be the person she thought she knew.

Cross My Heart truly seems like the typical high school romance, but its so much more. For one, there is a huge twist at the end which completely changes the story, making it utterly original and brilliant. Furthermore, the witty banter between Parker and Jaden is refreshing. It isn't left half complete, it isn't secretly them flirting, it's actual arguing. To add to that, Parker and Jaden are both smart. Yes, I know, YA characters with brains - its amazing! I loved the way their relationship evolved from class mates, to friendship, and then so much more. I loved how they truly understood each other and took the time to get to know each other. All the more, I love that Jaden didn't hate Parker simply because of his reputation - she gave him a chance. Most YA protagonists these days simply proceed to hate their love interest and then go all steamy romance on them. Cross My Heart was utterly new in this aspect and the romance melted my heart.

If you are looking for something original, cute, fun to read, and that will keep you on your toes, Cross My Heart is the book for you. I absolutely loved it and will definitely be reading more of Katie Klein in the future. (:(less)

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Feb 21, 2012 Ivanna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, young-adult

Jaden membuat hidupnya serba terkendali, nilai2nya di sekolah, kegiatan2 sosial, hubungan dengan pacarnya Blake dan ekskul nya. Agar dia bisa masuk ke Harvard Jaden tidak mau mengambil resiko yg menjadikan namanya jelek. Namun dia tidak bisa mengendalikan rekan untuk tugas bahasa Inggrisnya yg di pasangkan dengan Parker Whalen, cowok penyendiri yang punya reputasi buruk. Namun dengan keyakinan seorang Jaden McEntyre bisa menangani apapun dia mendekati Parker untuk tugasnya.

Parker yang selalu me...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Alyssa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

I came into this story already knowing the twist. In many ways I regretted this, since the story probably didn't have the Fillmore effect on me that if was supposed to have. But at the same time I know I wouldn't have been nearly as interested in reading this story if I hadn't known.

All in all, I really enjoyed reading this story. I really liked the relationship between Jaden and Parker. I like the thoughtfulness that Parker put into his.actions in the end and I thought the story really did have...more

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Dec 24, 2011 Hannah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: the-pile-of-favourites, ya-contemporary

It's a classic story line. Girl meets boy. Girl is the goody two shoes type, boy is the Rebel Without a Cause, James Dean bad boy. Girl falls in love with boy, despite friends, boyfriend and family being against it.

Cross My Heart at first glance may seem like that typical, cliched high school romance story which everyone (even if secretly) loves. Everything about this book screams cliche, but the funny thing is, it's not. Or even if it is, everything about this book has been written so brilliant...more

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Dec 13, 2011 BookHookup rated it 4 of 5 stars

I know…I know…you’ve read it all before. Bad boy…good girl…attraction…love…blah, blah,blah. But wait…hear me out…please?!?!

This one is done right! The plot is not a new idea, not unusual or hugely creative. But that’s what’s so incredible about this book. How the author can take a well-worn concept and turn it into a beautiful, sweet, unforgettable and addictive read is a wonderful surprise!

How many times has your life thrown you a curve ball? How many times has the day begun just like any other...more I know…I know…you’ve read it all before. Bad boy…good girl…attraction…love…blah, blah,blah. But wait…hear me out…please?!?!

This one is done right! The plot is not a new idea, not unusual or hugely creative. But that’s what’s so incredible about this book. How the author can take a well-worn concept and turn it into a beautiful, sweet, unforgettable and addictive read is a wonderful surprise!

How many times has your life thrown you a curve ball? How many times has the day begun just like any other and ended in a totally unexpected way? This is exactly what happens to Jaden. She’s late for class and her life in forever altered.

I love the character of Jaden and could relate to her in many ways. She’s a perfectionist, completely sure about her world and her place in it. She’s going to graduate at the top of her class, go to Harvard, get into Medical school and along the way she’ll save the world. Every minute of her day is scheduled and defined in order to meet those goals…even though she can’t quite explain why they’re her goals. Teachers love her, her friends support her and she has a great boyfriend! But she’s stressed and maybe even a little unhappy…and the weird thing is that she doesn’t even know it!

Enter Parker. He’s the guy with a mysterious past. The one everyone talks about but no one talks to. He’s quiet, intelligent…and, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that he’s hot! He’s an outsider and an observer and he’s not afraid to voice his opinions. All of this, of course, makes him very intriguing. These characters are smart and charming. Their chemistry is undeniable and their journey will leave you smiling like a fool one moment and teary-eyed the next. I appreciate the fact that they have intelligent conversations, they banter and they argue. In other words, they’re real in many ways.

I always look to the secondary characters as a way to decide how I feel about a book. Any author who puts care into those characters is showing me that they want to build a well-rounded experience. In this case, the secondary characters are very vivid and well written. I really enjoyed the dynamics of Jaden’s family – especially her overprotective brothers. Even the story of her house – pretty on the outside, broken on the inside – tied in nicely with the lives of the characters who lived within it. The story has a nice pace and good flow. And the ending…well, it’s unexpected and different, a twist you won’t see coming.

Ultimately this is a story of self discovery, of taking a leap of faith and of being brave enough to deal with what life throws at you. It’s about how difficult it is to hear that what you believe to be true may, in fact, not be the best thing for you. It’s about opening yourself up to the possibilities regardless of the amount of risk involved. It’s about reaching out and grabbing what you want…or at least meeting it half way!

So, go read it. You won’t be sorry….cross my heart!

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Nov 28, 2011 Mandy_grimm rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: love

okey, so this is one excelent book!!!

you have the cliche, a girl, Jaden, who is all the best, almost perfect,a little control freak, her boyfriend, a perfect guy, Blake, for her, he's on the basketball team, has the looks, has the reputation.

then we have Parker, he keeps to himself, no body likes him, he has a bad reputation ...

and then, when i thought that this will be a classic high school love story, everything flips, and i was so amazed. it was the best feeling ever. it's been so long that...more

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Oct 26, 2011 Clee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ich werde jetzt wohl öfter Rezensionen zu englischen Titeln schreiben, da ich mich für mein Englischstudium ein wenig intensiver mit solcher Lektüre auseinandersetzten sollte.
Auf „Cross my Heart“ bin ich gestoßen, als ich nach einem neuen Buch á la Simone Elkeles‘ „Du oder das ganze Leben/ Perfect Chemistry“ gesucht habe. An Elkeles‘ Roman kommt es meiner Meinung nach nicht ran, da einem durch die Einseitigkeit bei der Erzählperspektive die Gedanken und Gefühle des männlichen Protagonisten Park...more Ich werde jetzt wohl öfter Rezensionen zu englischen Titeln schreiben, da ich mich für mein Englischstudium ein wenig intensiver mit solcher Lektüre auseinandersetzten sollte.
Auf „Cross my Heart“ bin ich gestoßen, als ich nach einem neuen Buch á la Simone Elkeles‘ „Du oder das ganze Leben/ Perfect Chemistry“ gesucht habe. An Elkeles‘ Roman kommt es meiner Meinung nach nicht ran, da einem durch die Einseitigkeit bei der Erzählperspektive die Gedanken und Gefühle des männlichen Protagonisten Parker verborgen bleiben und der Schreibstil etwas hölzerner war (es passiert einfach viel zu viel in nur wenigen Sätzen – ob Gefühlsausbruch oder Handlung). Dennoch war ich von diesem Buch angenehm überrascht!

Die sich entwickelnde Liebesgeschichte zwischen Jaden und Parker fand ich realistisch und nachvollziehbar dargestellt. Natürlich ist es hier wieder die Konstellation „Liebling der Schule –Außenseiter“, doch habe ich hierfür endlich mal einen etwas ungewöhnlicheren Grund geliefert bekommen, der mich mehr als bedröppelt dastehen hat lassen!
Ein wenig unrealistisch fand ich ihn anfangs schon, aber das rührte wohl einfach daher, dass ich damit absolut und ganz und gar nicht gerechnet hätte.

Wie sich Jadens Einstellung zum Leben verändert hat, nachdem sie Parker kennengelernt hat, fand ich klasse, denn dahinter steckt auch eine wichtige Aussage für jeden von uns: Du lebst dein Leben, also bestimme es selbst und häng dein Glück nicht wegen der Erwartungshaltung der anderen an den Nagel. Und wer weiß – vielleicht denkst auch nur du selbst, dass alle alles von dir erwarten?
Manchmal muss man einfach ausbrechen und wie im Buch steht, ist das Dümmste, das wir manchmal tun, genau das, was wir für das Beste überhaupt erachten.
Lieber als Jaden mochte ich jedoch Parker. Er ist feinfühlig, intelligent und belesen, und noch besser: Er läuft rot an! In wie vielen Büchern laufen die männlichen „Begierdeobjekte“ rot an? Mir fällt sonst keines ein.
Schade ist zwar, dass er nach der 360°-Wendung ein wenig zu „love drunk“ war, aber wenn ich bedenke, was er fast verloren hätte … ja, dann kann ich es ihm verzeihen.
Die Bedeutung, die das Buch „Ethan Frone“ schließlich für unser Pärchen hat und wie sehr die Ereignisse dort dem Leben und Fühlen unserer Protagonisten gleichen, hat mir hinzu äußerst gut gefallen.

Alles in allem war für mich „Cross My Heart“ ein tolles Leseerlebnis, bei ich zusammen mit Jaden Herzklopfen bekommen habe. Wenn noch mehr auf Jadens Familienverhältnisse (ihre Beziehung zu ihrem Vater und ihren Brüdern, von denen ich letztere als Schwester einfach ulkig-schön fand) eingegangen worden und der Schreibstil ein wenig ausgefeilter gewesen wäre, hätte dieses Buch von mir sicherlich die volle Punktzahl bekommen.
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Oct 21, 2011 Aimee (Coffee Table Reviews) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

I quickly lost myself in this story. I really felt for Jaden when her life started to play out. Everyone expected her to be one way and when she slowly started to change, it seemed like those most important to her didn't like what they were seeing. But I agree with her brother, I liked the change, I liked to see Jaden really start to live life.

I wasn't so sure about the romance at first. It took me about half way through to really get behind it and then the little twist at the end cinched it for...more

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Crazy for Young A...: January 2013: Cross My Heart by Katie Klein	15	89	Feb 22, 2013 03:31am
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About Katie Klein

Katie Klein is a diehard romantic with a penchant for protagonists who kick butt. She currently resides on the East Coast and is hard at work on her next YA novel. She can be reached at katiekleinwrites@yahoo.com, and maintains a web presence at: http://katiekleinwrites.blogspot.com.

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Books by Katie Klein

The Trilogy: The Guardian, Vendetta, and Revelation (3-Book Collection)

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Quotes from Cross My Heart

“I marvel at how even the wrong choices can keep us on the right path. How the worst mistake can wind up being the best thing that ever happened to us.” — 135 people liked it

“I think you fall in love with someone when you least expect to. When it’s the last thing you want. That’s what’s so great about it.” — 123 people liked it

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