What do you think?
Rate this book
Cross My Heart
His scapegrace brother had fallen in love again, but all Clinton Sterling had were the barest statistics on the woman in question. A state senator running for reelection, he couldn't afford any bad publicity. So it was up to him to make sure one Mary E. Haley didn't have trouble in mind. But Mary Elyse shook Clinton's cool logic. From the moment she opened the door, her sweetness tugged at his wary heart. Could he trust this husky-voiced angel? And could he deny his errant desire for the woman his brother had already claimed?
- GenresRomance
252 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 1, 1987
1 person is currently reading
72 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 1, 2024
Elyse, 24, had a 4 year old daughter, Jamie, without ever been married. She'd found out she was pregnant after her fiancee's death.
She owned a custom designed doll shop where she was making her prized handmade porcelain dolls.
California state Senator Clint Sterling, 38, was running for reelection. His younger brother was dating a new woman and he wanted to vet her as even his brother's personal life might be potentially harmful to Clint's political future.
Pretending to be a customer he entered Elyse's shop and his first thought was that she was exquisite,
and found himself attracted to her. He also met her sweet 4 year old girl.
He invited them to Jamie's favourite fast food restaurant and Elyse accepted as she really liked him.
The next day he took them to the Zoo. Clint found her to be an intelligent, charming and talented woman but was wondering as to why she accepted his invites when she was dating his brother.
When his brother took him to meet the woman he'd marry, he discovered that that woman was not Elyse but her sister. Clint apologised to Elyse and she accepted it in the interest of family harmony.
Clint confessed he was relieved Elyse was not his brother's woman and that night they'd kissed.
He took her out a few times. In one of those outings She'd learned from a friend of his about the woman Clint had loved and lost that near destroyed him. Dinah.
Clint and Elyse continued to date. One night Clint asked her for more and midsession she got cold feet and Clint believing she was a tease, left.
A few days later Elyse knocked on his door, apologised and offered herself to him only to be rejected.
He said he wasn't looking for a wife and he did not have time for a love affair now with the election. Elyse got the message loud and clear. Humiliated was leaving when he scooped her in his arms and carried her back to the house. They spent a passionate night together.
In the morning Clint admitted to himself that the lovemaking was the best he ever had, even with Dinah. He knew Elyse was in love with him, she was precious to him.
He asked her to marry him.
She wanted him to tell her about Dinah. He told her about their year long love affair, their intense feelings for each other, his marriage proposal and her refusal.
Dinah did not want to get married to a politician as her first husband's assassination left her traumatised.
At last she relented but months later she changed her mind, they quarrelled and she left him.
He hadn't seen her for 4 years.
Elyse asked if he was still in love with Dinah and he didn't answer. Elyse told him she couldn't marry him if he was in love with another woman.
Ten days later he came back to Elyse. He said he had time to think and discovered that his torment these last days wasn't caused by Dinah's memory but the fact he'd lost Elyse.
"What l feel for you has got to be love, it's too strong not to be. I'm happy when you are happy and miserable when you are upset. I worry about you when you're away from me and l feel whole only when you're with me. I admire your fine mind and your artistic talent, even the touch of your hand in mine brightens my life. I experience an ecstasy beyond words when we make love, and all of those feelings together add up to love. Say you'll marry me Elyse l want you, l need you.
I want to be Jamie's father, l'd like to adopt her and l promise to love her as my own."
How can a girl say no to that?
In the meantime Clint's brother and Elyse's sister got married.
Some time went by, the election was over and Clint retained his Senate seat.
One day they attended a pool party. To their shock Dinah was among the guests. She approached Clint and they passionately embraced.
Elyse withdrew in the house shattered and in tears. After a while Clint came looking for her. Took her in his arms and tried to reassure her.
That night Clint got sick and the next day was diagnosed with influenza.
He kept Elyse away lest she and Jamie contract the virus. Five days later Elyse decided to visit him unexpectedly. She walked into the house and saw Clint and Dinah coming out of the bedroom laughing and holding hands.
Clint looked both guilty and ashamed.
There was a confrontation that was GOLD and made me proud of Elyse.
It ended with Elyse giving the ring back to him.
Elyse learned from the housekeeper that Dinah was there all day the day before as well as the day before that, but she never left them alone for anything to happen.
The next day Clint visited Elyse to give the ring back to her and the scene that followed was in my opinion the angstiest and most painful in a Harlequin, so much so that it's hard for me to put it into words.
At the end Elyse asked him again if he still loved Dinah and he, more or less, said that he was mixed up and he supposed loved them both girls but it was Elyse he wanted to marry and be with.
Elyse suggested for him to figure out how he felt about Dinah and have enough respect for her feelings to stay away while he was doing so.
One day Elyse heard on television that Senator Sterling was shot after a speech on gun control.
Frantic Elyse rushed to the Hospital. Fortunately it was a flesh wound and Clint was to make a full recovery.
He told Elyse that he'd sent Dinah away, it was Elyse he wanted all along as he thought he was.
Elyse was the only woman he loved and wanted to spend his life proving it to her.
He asked her to marry him again.
He did not have unresolved feelings for Dinah any more, she was a habit that he broke easily once he
Knew he'd lose Elyse if he didn't.
The love between Dinah and himself died of neglect but it happened so gradually that neither of them noticed until they were forced to.
He'd liked, wanted and desired Elyse the minute he'd met her and soon afterwards he'd fallen in love with her but his unresolved feeling for Dinah got in the way.
She owned a custom designed doll shop where she was making her prized handmade porcelain dolls.
California state Senator Clint Sterling, 38, was running for reelection. His younger brother was dating a new woman and he wanted to vet her as even his brother's personal life might be potentially harmful to Clint's political future.
Pretending to be a customer he entered Elyse's shop and his first thought was that she was exquisite,
and found himself attracted to her. He also met her sweet 4 year old girl.
He invited them to Jamie's favourite fast food restaurant and Elyse accepted as she really liked him.
The next day he took them to the Zoo. Clint found her to be an intelligent, charming and talented woman but was wondering as to why she accepted his invites when she was dating his brother.
When his brother took him to meet the woman he'd marry, he discovered that that woman was not Elyse but her sister. Clint apologised to Elyse and she accepted it in the interest of family harmony.
Clint confessed he was relieved Elyse was not his brother's woman and that night they'd kissed.
He took her out a few times. In one of those outings She'd learned from a friend of his about the woman Clint had loved and lost that near destroyed him. Dinah.
Clint and Elyse continued to date. One night Clint asked her for more and midsession she got cold feet and Clint believing she was a tease, left.
A few days later Elyse knocked on his door, apologised and offered herself to him only to be rejected.
He said he wasn't looking for a wife and he did not have time for a love affair now with the election. Elyse got the message loud and clear. Humiliated was leaving when he scooped her in his arms and carried her back to the house. They spent a passionate night together.
In the morning Clint admitted to himself that the lovemaking was the best he ever had, even with Dinah. He knew Elyse was in love with him, she was precious to him.
He asked her to marry him.
She wanted him to tell her about Dinah. He told her about their year long love affair, their intense feelings for each other, his marriage proposal and her refusal.
Dinah did not want to get married to a politician as her first husband's assassination left her traumatised.
At last she relented but months later she changed her mind, they quarrelled and she left him.
He hadn't seen her for 4 years.
Elyse asked if he was still in love with Dinah and he didn't answer. Elyse told him she couldn't marry him if he was in love with another woman.
Ten days later he came back to Elyse. He said he had time to think and discovered that his torment these last days wasn't caused by Dinah's memory but the fact he'd lost Elyse.
"What l feel for you has got to be love, it's too strong not to be. I'm happy when you are happy and miserable when you are upset. I worry about you when you're away from me and l feel whole only when you're with me. I admire your fine mind and your artistic talent, even the touch of your hand in mine brightens my life. I experience an ecstasy beyond words when we make love, and all of those feelings together add up to love. Say you'll marry me Elyse l want you, l need you.
I want to be Jamie's father, l'd like to adopt her and l promise to love her as my own."
How can a girl say no to that?
In the meantime Clint's brother and Elyse's sister got married.
Some time went by, the election was over and Clint retained his Senate seat.
One day they attended a pool party. To their shock Dinah was among the guests. She approached Clint and they passionately embraced.
Elyse withdrew in the house shattered and in tears. After a while Clint came looking for her. Took her in his arms and tried to reassure her.
That night Clint got sick and the next day was diagnosed with influenza.
He kept Elyse away lest she and Jamie contract the virus. Five days later Elyse decided to visit him unexpectedly. She walked into the house and saw Clint and Dinah coming out of the bedroom laughing and holding hands.
Clint looked both guilty and ashamed.
There was a confrontation that was GOLD and made me proud of Elyse.
It ended with Elyse giving the ring back to him.
Elyse learned from the housekeeper that Dinah was there all day the day before as well as the day before that, but she never left them alone for anything to happen.
The next day Clint visited Elyse to give the ring back to her and the scene that followed was in my opinion the angstiest and most painful in a Harlequin, so much so that it's hard for me to put it into words.
At the end Elyse asked him again if he still loved Dinah and he, more or less, said that he was mixed up and he supposed loved them both girls but it was Elyse he wanted to marry and be with.
Elyse suggested for him to figure out how he felt about Dinah and have enough respect for her feelings to stay away while he was doing so.
One day Elyse heard on television that Senator Sterling was shot after a speech on gun control.
Frantic Elyse rushed to the Hospital. Fortunately it was a flesh wound and Clint was to make a full recovery.
He told Elyse that he'd sent Dinah away, it was Elyse he wanted all along as he thought he was.
Elyse was the only woman he loved and wanted to spend his life proving it to her.
He asked her to marry him again.
He did not have unresolved feelings for Dinah any more, she was a habit that he broke easily once he
Knew he'd lose Elyse if he didn't.
The love between Dinah and himself died of neglect but it happened so gradually that neither of them noticed until they were forced to.
He'd liked, wanted and desired Elyse the minute he'd met her and soon afterwards he'd fallen in love with her but his unresolved feeling for Dinah got in the way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2024
I highly enjoyed this one. The angsty, soap opera-esque scenes made this worth the read. I really liked the h even if she tended to dramatically jump to conclusions when it came to the H; it's what made it fun, actually. Sue me, I grew up watching telenovelas. The H was very unlikable at first. I didn't like how he treated the h. He came off as a huge douche canoe, especially when he accused her of being a tease. My feminist sensibilities were offended (a rare occurrence for me when reading fiction). But he changed and grew on me to the point he had me swooning. There was no physical cheating in the book but the H was still pining for his ex. He had loved her very much. Fortunately, the H clearly chose the h when the ex came back, though he was a bit confused initially. It didn't feel like she was second best or a consolation prize. The ending was satisfying but there's no epilogue—not a deal breaker. Cross My Heart was a winner. I've been in a terribly stubborn reading slump but I finished a book. Yay!
Check out Anna' review. Her review is the reason I read this.
Check out Anna' review. Her review is the reason I read this.
avoid
June 8, 2023Self note
H in love with ow. Triangle.
Emotionally cheating& he kissed the ow after he was intimate with the h.
H in love with ow. Triangle.
Emotionally cheating& he kissed the ow after he was intimate with the h.
October 24, 2024
This was actually good and I enjoyed the FMC specially, she’s not the typical HP doormat. She has a good head on her shoulders and knows her worth and her daughter’s worth…well up until the end where she resigned being 2nd choice (don’t worry she’s not! And it’s pretty obvious, the MMC was just confused and he explained it properly).
I just didn’t like how dumb she came into that conclusion of being fine “sharing” a part of the MMC
I just didn’t like how dumb she came into that conclusion of being fine “sharing” a part of the MMC
October 11, 2022
This started of slowish and built the angst nicely over time. It's a pity the h ruined her strong stance with the 'I'll have you however I can' ending and I was less than convinced of the his regard for her over the ex. There was so much that wasn't addressed in his actions towards that end, and that just left me frustrated. Regardless the ow angst is something I hunt out and this did it nicely.
January 20, 2016
I read about half of this book and I didn't like it. The OW theme stank. I don't like a book where the hero is struggling to figure out who he is in love with. Also I am not fond of books with politicians as the main characters so that could have prejudiced me a little bit.
May 22, 2023
For someone who is supposedly mature and sharp, the Hero is quite dumb and immature 🙄. He tracks the wrong sister, is pissed when things didn't happen like he wanted (storm off because you can't get some, really?), belittles his ex-fiance trauma (like it was just 'trauma', but sure that's how things go back in the day 🙄), the h's reacted the way she did because she's likely needs some assurance from him but guess what??? of course the man kid take the offence!
July 25, 2016
Blurb:
Rating: 2.5 stars??
After reading three novels by this author, I've noticed a pattern - the heroes seem to be (much) older men who are reluctant to start a relationship with the heroine (although it doesn't seem to take long before they hit the sack). Then there is this melodramatic angst over whether they should or shouldn't get/stay married.
Although there is not a lot of depth to any of the characters and the story has the feel of a daytime TV movie, this book was still very readable and had a certain charm.
My biggest complaint was that the 4-year old daughter kept getting left with a baby-sitter. I think it would have added to the story to have more scenes where the hero and heroine interacted with her as part of a daily routine, as opposed to pulling her out of a hat when it suited (Note: I'm not being literal).
His scapegrace brother had fallen in love again, but all Clinton Sterling had were the barest statistics on the woman in question. A state senator running for reelection, he couldn't afford any bad publicity. So it was up to him to make sure one Mary E. Haley didn't have trouble in mind.
But Mary Elyse shook Clinton's cool logic. From the moment she opened the door, her sweetness tugged at his wary heart. Could he trust this husky-voiced angel? And could he deny his errant desire for the woman his brother had already claimed?
Rating: 2.5 stars??
After reading three novels by this author, I've noticed a pattern - the heroes seem to be (much) older men who are reluctant to start a relationship with the heroine (although it doesn't seem to take long before they hit the sack). Then there is this melodramatic angst over whether they should or shouldn't get/stay married.
Although there is not a lot of depth to any of the characters and the story has the feel of a daytime TV movie, this book was still very readable and had a certain charm.
My biggest complaint was that the 4-year old daughter kept getting left with a baby-sitter. I think it would have added to the story to have more scenes where the hero and heroine interacted with her as part of a daily routine, as opposed to pulling her out of a hat when it suited (Note: I'm not being literal).
June 6, 2023
What a pleasant surprise! Good writing, editing and a great story line. Single mother meets protective older brother who is attempting to spare his younger sibling from falling for the wrong woman...again. These two fall for each other and it is smooth sailing until an ex from his past re-appears and his is conflicted about his feelings for her in the present. The h breaks their engagement because she will not marry a man who loves another woman nor will she be a second choice! Yeah for her. After a time apart, H gets shot and they both have a chance to communicate honestly. Ex is no longer a factor, he did not love her; wants to marry the H and she believes him. HEA.
I liked that the h was no doormat nor did she run instead of confronting issues. I liked that the H was trying to be honorable and clarify his feelings. The angst was very well done!
I liked that the h was no doormat nor did she run instead of confronting issues. I liked that the H was trying to be honorable and clarify his feelings. The angst was very well done!
August 25, 2025
He still loves the OW (his ex girlfriend) and he does some questionable - unacceptable actually - things with the OW towards the end of the book. Usually I would stop reading because I don’t like a H or h having feelings for another person. But this author’s writing is really good, so I finished it.
No matter how hard he tries to deny it, the h is only second best. But he is a great guy, he’s loving and tender, the sex is great, he wants to commit to her and he’ll make a great father for her daughter, so I understand that she takes a chance on him. Four stars.
No matter how hard he tries to deny it, the h is only second best. But he is a great guy, he’s loving and tender, the sex is great, he wants to commit to her and he’ll make a great father for her daughter, so I understand that she takes a chance on him. Four stars.
May 6, 2024
I travel to Sacramento a lot for work, so this book was fun! Anyone else think the couple shouldn’t be together?! They have terrible communication, the flip out on each other over the slightest thing, they flip flop and can’t commit to a decision. I just don’t see them lasting at all!! The other woman came in way too late. Skip.
May 13, 2025
Exciting OW story of a prim and proper compassionate woman and a senator who turns beta over two women. Definitely a re-read when I get in the mood. The only downfall is his lack of pursuit in claiming his woman and letting them claim him. That's what brought it down to a 4. But nice angsty read.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews