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Crossing The Line
The power over herbs, and her family’s position, has always given Sienna a comfortable life. Though widowed and pursued by suitors desperate to claim her name as their own, she is content to spend her days alone, tending her garden and avoiding such greedy demands.
Until she finds a man hiding among her plants.
Cast out and run down, Sele is exactly the thing that would ruin Sienna’s reputation, especially with the Elders seeking to promote her for her powers. But each time she kicks him out he finds a way back in, confronting Sienna with her prejudice and with the rules she’s always obeyed. Blindly.
But as their bond grows, and the animosity begins to ebb away, much harsher consequences confront the pair.
And Sienna will be forced to choose between her comfortable, boring life, or the enticing miscreant and all the pain that will come with him.
Until she finds a man hiding among her plants.
Cast out and run down, Sele is exactly the thing that would ruin Sienna’s reputation, especially with the Elders seeking to promote her for her powers. But each time she kicks him out he finds a way back in, confronting Sienna with her prejudice and with the rules she’s always obeyed. Blindly.
But as their bond grows, and the animosity begins to ebb away, much harsher consequences confront the pair.
And Sienna will be forced to choose between her comfortable, boring life, or the enticing miscreant and all the pain that will come with him.
433 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 3, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
March 19, 2025
I had a pleasure of reading an early copy of Crossing The Line and let me tell you, I enjoyed every second of it.
I couldn't put this down, I kept wanting to dive in further to Sienna's world and hoped along the way she fights and gets stronger against the High Class and truly understands what she wants for happiness. And don't get me started with Sele, I absolutely love him and the feral things he said had me SWOONING.
Everyone needs to read this book!
I couldn't put this down, I kept wanting to dive in further to Sienna's world and hoped along the way she fights and gets stronger against the High Class and truly understands what she wants for happiness. And don't get me started with Sele, I absolutely love him and the feral things he said had me SWOONING.
Everyone needs to read this book!
March 22, 2026
3.5
First: a huge thank you to the author for the privilege of reading an ARC copy of this story!
Second: here are my thoughts!
Okay, there’s a lot to unpack here but I’ll try and keep it concise.
Every single character (except for Sele the majority of the time [and the other low]) is absolutely AWFUL! But that’s actually kind of the point. I feel like we kind of went in circles, but with every circle we were actually moving forward slowly, but surely.
I was a little disappointed in Siennas lack of character growth up until the VERY END, I would have loved to have seen her stand up for what she wanted earlier on, but I think this is going to be a series, (that ending was too sudden and odd to not keep going with another book!) and I look forward to seeing more of that moving forward. Also, I feel like this may be a spin off from the authors main series that I haven’t had the opportunity to read yet, so a lot of things may have happened there that I’m unaware of, so that’s on me.
And finally, this was an emotional roller coaster (and I’m not mad about it)! There were moments I was on the edge of my seat sweating, moments I was so angry at fictional characters, moments when I was swooning and giggling, and moments where I was actually bored to tears because we’re going in yet another circle. But I actually like it when I feel emotions in a book, I think it’s a sign of good writing!
Overall I really enjoyed this book and if there’s more to come I’ll definitely be reading them to continue the story. I will also be making it a point to read the authors other books because they will likely fill in a lot of the blanks I’m having.
EDIT:
Thank you for the opportunity to listened to the ALC a year later! I actually really enjoyed the story more the second time and the narrator did an amazing job! I also realized I was pronouncing names wrong, and I love the actual names rather than what they were in my head lol.
First: a huge thank you to the author for the privilege of reading an ARC copy of this story!
Second: here are my thoughts!
Okay, there’s a lot to unpack here but I’ll try and keep it concise.
Every single character (except for Sele the majority of the time [and the other low]) is absolutely AWFUL! But that’s actually kind of the point. I feel like we kind of went in circles, but with every circle we were actually moving forward slowly, but surely.
I was a little disappointed in Siennas lack of character growth up until the VERY END, I would have loved to have seen her stand up for what she wanted earlier on, but I think this is going to be a series, (that ending was too sudden and odd to not keep going with another book!) and I look forward to seeing more of that moving forward. Also, I feel like this may be a spin off from the authors main series that I haven’t had the opportunity to read yet, so a lot of things may have happened there that I’m unaware of, so that’s on me.
And finally, this was an emotional roller coaster (and I’m not mad about it)! There were moments I was on the edge of my seat sweating, moments I was so angry at fictional characters, moments when I was swooning and giggling, and moments where I was actually bored to tears because we’re going in yet another circle. But I actually like it when I feel emotions in a book, I think it’s a sign of good writing!
Overall I really enjoyed this book and if there’s more to come I’ll definitely be reading them to continue the story. I will also be making it a point to read the authors other books because they will likely fill in a lot of the blanks I’m having.
EDIT:
Thank you for the opportunity to listened to the ALC a year later! I actually really enjoyed the story more the second time and the narrator did an amazing job! I also realized I was pronouncing names wrong, and I love the actual names rather than what they were in my head lol.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2026
RATING: closer to 3.5
I received an ALC in exchange for an honest review (thank you BookFunnel).
I’ll first disclose that I very rarely listen to audiobooks, and that this was the first ALC (advanced listening copy) I’ve ever received; I’m not the default audience, nor am I normally the kind of reader who seeks out the kind of narrative this book contains. I just want to make that clear before going on, in the vein of being as transparent as possible.
I’ll try to be fair in my review, despite all that I’ve disclosed against any bias I may have. That being said, the following is my honest review:
‘Crossing the Line’ has its merits. There are interesting elements, and characters I wanted to see more of (Sele, the MMC being one of them, and of course his fox companion, Fern); the descriptions were detailed, and the antagonists were appropriately infuriating in their treatment of Sienna (and the people of lower class status, of course), so it was easy to root against their controlling, manipulative tactics.
However, I had a hard time rooting for anything. Sienna (the FMC/narrative character) doesn’t really have a goal or driving desire that motivates her throughout the story. She’s fighting the charm of a low class man she shouldn’t care for, yes, but their connection isn’t compelling enough (in my opinion) on its own to desire it strengthen or continue. The only reason I wanted her to run away with him, giving up her life in the most “privileged” rank of society, is because everything about her station and family is comically miserable, to the point where it doesn’t feel realistic. It feels cartoonishly stacked, every element, to force the reader to be disgusted with Sienna’s lack of autonomy. Normally, it’s a good thing to make the villains so detestable, but Sienna is such a weak-willed and obedient character throughout the entire story, that you end up being frustrated with her rather than angry on her behalf.
Furthermore, the whole story jumps from scene to scene of women being impregnated, women talking about babies, women giving birth, women reminiscing about childrearing, women birthing stillborn babies, women having their eggs harvested against their will, etc that the story I thought I was going to read about (forbidden love between people of different societal classes), ended up being dominated by uncomfortable, ‘The Handmaid Tale’s’ style prose that was never hinted at within the promotional material about the story. I don’t mind reading about dystopias, and I don’t even mind dystopias focused intensely on gendered violence and the oppression of women. In fact, I agree with the cautionary message of this story, and wish more people were aware of just how dehumanising and horrifying it is for women to be treated as brood mares. Because reproductive rights are human rights, and that includes NOT reproducing.
However, I’m a mood reader, and I thought I was going into a fantasy about class consciousness and forbidden love. Those elements were vastly overshadowed by the dystopian, pregnancy and childbirth elements of the story, and I just felt misled and annoyed the whole time I was listening to the audiobook.
All that said, McCain’s portrayal of suffering and abuse is very accurate. I was uncomfortable for the majority of the story, as was obviously intended. I’m not a person who bends to what others expect of me, and I don’t believe in being loyal to your family simply because they’re related to you, so I had trouble with Sienna’s lack of willingness to shut her mother down, or to stand up for herself. However, that’s simply a difference of opinion, and not a reflection of poor writing; people can react differently than you’d choose to, and still be well-written characters.
My final verdict: this book simply wasn’t for me, and I suspect that the rest of the books in this ongoing series will be also not be to my taste. This isn’t a mark against the characterisation or quality of the writing, it’s more of a misalignment of my own taste as a reader, and this book’s focus.
I received an ALC in exchange for an honest review (thank you BookFunnel).
I’ll first disclose that I very rarely listen to audiobooks, and that this was the first ALC (advanced listening copy) I’ve ever received; I’m not the default audience, nor am I normally the kind of reader who seeks out the kind of narrative this book contains. I just want to make that clear before going on, in the vein of being as transparent as possible.
I’ll try to be fair in my review, despite all that I’ve disclosed against any bias I may have. That being said, the following is my honest review:
‘Crossing the Line’ has its merits. There are interesting elements, and characters I wanted to see more of (Sele, the MMC being one of them, and of course his fox companion, Fern); the descriptions were detailed, and the antagonists were appropriately infuriating in their treatment of Sienna (and the people of lower class status, of course), so it was easy to root against their controlling, manipulative tactics.
However, I had a hard time rooting for anything. Sienna (the FMC/narrative character) doesn’t really have a goal or driving desire that motivates her throughout the story. She’s fighting the charm of a low class man she shouldn’t care for, yes, but their connection isn’t compelling enough (in my opinion) on its own to desire it strengthen or continue. The only reason I wanted her to run away with him, giving up her life in the most “privileged” rank of society, is because everything about her station and family is comically miserable, to the point where it doesn’t feel realistic. It feels cartoonishly stacked, every element, to force the reader to be disgusted with Sienna’s lack of autonomy. Normally, it’s a good thing to make the villains so detestable, but Sienna is such a weak-willed and obedient character throughout the entire story, that you end up being frustrated with her rather than angry on her behalf.
Furthermore, the whole story jumps from scene to scene of women being impregnated, women talking about babies, women giving birth, women reminiscing about childrearing, women birthing stillborn babies, women having their eggs harvested against their will, etc that the story I thought I was going to read about (forbidden love between people of different societal classes), ended up being dominated by uncomfortable, ‘The Handmaid Tale’s’ style prose that was never hinted at within the promotional material about the story. I don’t mind reading about dystopias, and I don’t even mind dystopias focused intensely on gendered violence and the oppression of women. In fact, I agree with the cautionary message of this story, and wish more people were aware of just how dehumanising and horrifying it is for women to be treated as brood mares. Because reproductive rights are human rights, and that includes NOT reproducing.
However, I’m a mood reader, and I thought I was going into a fantasy about class consciousness and forbidden love. Those elements were vastly overshadowed by the dystopian, pregnancy and childbirth elements of the story, and I just felt misled and annoyed the whole time I was listening to the audiobook.
All that said, McCain’s portrayal of suffering and abuse is very accurate. I was uncomfortable for the majority of the story, as was obviously intended. I’m not a person who bends to what others expect of me, and I don’t believe in being loyal to your family simply because they’re related to you, so I had trouble with Sienna’s lack of willingness to shut her mother down, or to stand up for herself. However, that’s simply a difference of opinion, and not a reflection of poor writing; people can react differently than you’d choose to, and still be well-written characters.
My final verdict: this book simply wasn’t for me, and I suspect that the rest of the books in this ongoing series will be also not be to my taste. This isn’t a mark against the characterisation or quality of the writing, it’s more of a misalignment of my own taste as a reader, and this book’s focus.
April 23, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️.5
Sienna is a high class widow with the power to create, grow and manipulate herbs. Forced to conform to the societal expectations of the High Class in order to maintain her comfortable lifestyle, Sienna finds herself in an arranged marriage with a man she cannot stand and potentially becoming the coveted herbalists of the Elders. That is until she met Low class Sele. No matter how hard she tries, Sienna cannot seem to get rid of him. He challenges her, makes her think about her prejudices, her lifestyle and the way she blindly obeys the orders of others. He is a Low class, she shouldn’t think or care about him but she can’t help herself. The more he has her thinking about her life, the more she starts to care, the more she questions the way things are.
Author Cerynn McCain does an absolutely beautiful job of writing this book, especially the characters. There were characters I loved, like Sele and all of the lower class citizens that Sienna encounters, and of course those I loathed including most of the higher class citizens. Crossing the Line contains many dark situations so readers may want to take the trigger warnings into account. The author does an excellent job of getting you in your emotions. I was really going through a roller coaster with this book. One minute I was cheering loudly for a Sienna and Sele moment, and the next I was screaming at the antagonist for being scum.
The FMC Sienna can be a little insufferable at times, especially before her little character growth. There were times I have wanted to scream at her to get her head out of her ass and open her eyes. In the beginning she is as awful as the vast majority of high class, but she meets Sele, has an epiphany and sees the horrible error of her ways. But her change isn’t instant, she has lived the life of a high class for hundreds of years.
The MMC Sele, he is thoughtful, caring, and cunning. No matter what set backs Sele faces, he always finds a way, especially when it comes to Sienna. He challenges Sienna and makes her open her eyes to the big world around her outside of high class. He is a detrimental part of her growth and there are times where I wholeheartedly thought he was way too good for her.
🌶️🌶️.5
Sienna is a high class widow with the power to create, grow and manipulate herbs. Forced to conform to the societal expectations of the High Class in order to maintain her comfortable lifestyle, Sienna finds herself in an arranged marriage with a man she cannot stand and potentially becoming the coveted herbalists of the Elders. That is until she met Low class Sele. No matter how hard she tries, Sienna cannot seem to get rid of him. He challenges her, makes her think about her prejudices, her lifestyle and the way she blindly obeys the orders of others. He is a Low class, she shouldn’t think or care about him but she can’t help herself. The more he has her thinking about her life, the more she starts to care, the more she questions the way things are.
Author Cerynn McCain does an absolutely beautiful job of writing this book, especially the characters. There were characters I loved, like Sele and all of the lower class citizens that Sienna encounters, and of course those I loathed including most of the higher class citizens. Crossing the Line contains many dark situations so readers may want to take the trigger warnings into account. The author does an excellent job of getting you in your emotions. I was really going through a roller coaster with this book. One minute I was cheering loudly for a Sienna and Sele moment, and the next I was screaming at the antagonist for being scum.
The FMC Sienna can be a little insufferable at times, especially before her little character growth. There were times I have wanted to scream at her to get her head out of her ass and open her eyes. In the beginning she is as awful as the vast majority of high class, but she meets Sele, has an epiphany and sees the horrible error of her ways. But her change isn’t instant, she has lived the life of a high class for hundreds of years.
The MMC Sele, he is thoughtful, caring, and cunning. No matter what set backs Sele faces, he always finds a way, especially when it comes to Sienna. He challenges Sienna and makes her open her eyes to the big world around her outside of high class. He is a detrimental part of her growth and there are times where I wholeheartedly thought he was way too good for her.
April 8, 2026
I received an ALC for an honest review (thank you so much for the opportunity!!).
Although today was the release of the audio, my review is based on the book with comments about the audio.
The author definitely created a world that was very intriguing. Within the world, which is separated into classes, the idea of “falling” to lower classes is so interesting. It explores the idea of what “what are you willing to put up with to live a life of luxury”. I absolutely LOVED the premise and the world that was built.
Our FMC had so many different things to create conflict within her story! I loved her daughter and the life that she had created for herself. Her son, as well. Also, I LOVE when people in charge are secretly part of the resistance 😍. For me, though, there were a few things that kind of stood in the way of me really immersing myself in the story.
One of those is the repetition. “High” and “low” were used so often where other tools could have been used to show the differences between the castes. For instance, the FMC is talking about a dress from one of the lower classes at one point. Basically “I couldn’t be caught dead in a dress from THIRD” and I thought, why? Is it inferior material? Is it scratchy? Were there not beautiful colors? Were they just not designed with as many embellishments? And within that, you wouldn’t even have to specify what class had what materials, just mention organically that she “slid the coarse material across her skin and it made her shiver” to show the inferior dress.
The only real comment I can make about the audio is that, for me, if all the audio is passionate and intense, then when passionate or intense scenes happen, there is nowhere else for the audio to go. If I sound imploring all the time, even in moments of normalcy, the when I’m TRYING to sound that way, you can’t tell.
Overall, I very much enjoyed the storyline!
Although today was the release of the audio, my review is based on the book with comments about the audio.
The author definitely created a world that was very intriguing. Within the world, which is separated into classes, the idea of “falling” to lower classes is so interesting. It explores the idea of what “what are you willing to put up with to live a life of luxury”. I absolutely LOVED the premise and the world that was built.
Our FMC had so many different things to create conflict within her story! I loved her daughter and the life that she had created for herself. Her son, as well. Also, I LOVE when people in charge are secretly part of the resistance 😍. For me, though, there were a few things that kind of stood in the way of me really immersing myself in the story.
One of those is the repetition. “High” and “low” were used so often where other tools could have been used to show the differences between the castes. For instance, the FMC is talking about a dress from one of the lower classes at one point. Basically “I couldn’t be caught dead in a dress from THIRD” and I thought, why? Is it inferior material? Is it scratchy? Were there not beautiful colors? Were they just not designed with as many embellishments? And within that, you wouldn’t even have to specify what class had what materials, just mention organically that she “slid the coarse material across her skin and it made her shiver” to show the inferior dress.
The only real comment I can make about the audio is that, for me, if all the audio is passionate and intense, then when passionate or intense scenes happen, there is nowhere else for the audio to go. If I sound imploring all the time, even in moments of normalcy, the when I’m TRYING to sound that way, you can’t tell.
Overall, I very much enjoyed the storyline!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2025
I don't know how to start with this review because it's been a couple of days since I finished reading it and still am unable to express my feelings in words.
What has Cerynn done with us...She’s legit evil...
When she wants you to love a character, she'll make you fall head over heels for them without a thought. But when she wants you to hate them, there's nothing you could think of to redeem those characters. Like, even hell isn't enough for them. So yeah, this book is crazyyyyy.
Sienna and Sele's meet cute is soooo cute, I'm swooning every time Sele opens his mouth.🫠 Those scenes with them will never be enough. I want more of Sienna and Sele. But her family and her betrothed, I want them to die in the most painful, slow and gruesome death. I know this is intense, but you'll see when you read it yourself. 😤
Also, there's a scene set in the healiria that literally, honest to gods, I swear, gave me vertigo and nausea. I was unable to continue reading for that whole day. And every time I closed my eyes or sat still for a while, that visual will pop-up in my head. I'm traumatized by that scene.....😖
But overall, It was amazing...I've never been a fan of reading books written separately based on characters from an existing series...but I'm so happy to have read this....may be I'll give other books a chance too just because of her.
And, to be clear, this book might be based on characters from a different series written by Cerynn herself, but you won't be needing to read that series to make sense of this one. This is set in a completely different timeline and explains the entire world beautifully. I promise you won't miss any important detail.
But since I've read the Abandoned Crown series and know how they end up...it's giving me anxiety but is also letting me bask in the intimacy of them both....
Soooo...sit tight and enjoy...
What has Cerynn done with us...She’s legit evil...
When she wants you to love a character, she'll make you fall head over heels for them without a thought. But when she wants you to hate them, there's nothing you could think of to redeem those characters. Like, even hell isn't enough for them. So yeah, this book is crazyyyyy.
Sienna and Sele's meet cute is soooo cute, I'm swooning every time Sele opens his mouth.🫠 Those scenes with them will never be enough. I want more of Sienna and Sele. But her family and her betrothed, I want them to die in the most painful, slow and gruesome death. I know this is intense, but you'll see when you read it yourself. 😤
Also, there's a scene set in the healiria that literally, honest to gods, I swear, gave me vertigo and nausea. I was unable to continue reading for that whole day. And every time I closed my eyes or sat still for a while, that visual will pop-up in my head. I'm traumatized by that scene.....😖
But overall, It was amazing...I've never been a fan of reading books written separately based on characters from an existing series...but I'm so happy to have read this....may be I'll give other books a chance too just because of her.
And, to be clear, this book might be based on characters from a different series written by Cerynn herself, but you won't be needing to read that series to make sense of this one. This is set in a completely different timeline and explains the entire world beautifully. I promise you won't miss any important detail.
But since I've read the Abandoned Crown series and know how they end up...it's giving me anxiety but is also letting me bask in the intimacy of them both....
Soooo...sit tight and enjoy...
June 8, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Then I shall remain your secret, Mavѐлằ, and I shall comfort myself in the knowledge that, had things been different, you would have been mine."
OMG. I waited a day to write this review so that I would have time to emotionally recover - it didn’t work. I am speechless.
Sienna lives in a kingdom with rigid class lines. As a widow, she is content to live alone and exercise her magical power - growing her perfect garden. When Sienna is betrothed to a man who is abusive and downright sinister, she begins to confront her prejudice and wrestle with the ideologies that have been ingrained in her for hundreds of years. Sele, a low class man who lingers in Sienna’s garden, further complicates matters - he shows Sienna the love she never experienced as a high class person. Should she fall to a lower class if it means a chance at happiness?
The amount of stress and anticipation that I felt reading this book is a testament to Cerynn’s masterful writing. I have never read a character that I have despised so much as Sienna’s fiancé. He surpasses Tamlin on the “characters I want to throttle” scale. I became increasingly frustrated by Sienna’s SLOW progress in confronting her prejudice - but when you have lived a certain way for hundreds of years, this progression is natural and authentic. Cerynn covers dark topics such as abuse, non-consent, classism, and miscarriage in a way that gets you thinking and does not romanticize them.
Overall, I will be thinking about this book for a long while and I cannot wait for more.
"Then I shall remain your secret, Mavѐлằ, and I shall comfort myself in the knowledge that, had things been different, you would have been mine."
OMG. I waited a day to write this review so that I would have time to emotionally recover - it didn’t work. I am speechless.
Sienna lives in a kingdom with rigid class lines. As a widow, she is content to live alone and exercise her magical power - growing her perfect garden. When Sienna is betrothed to a man who is abusive and downright sinister, she begins to confront her prejudice and wrestle with the ideologies that have been ingrained in her for hundreds of years. Sele, a low class man who lingers in Sienna’s garden, further complicates matters - he shows Sienna the love she never experienced as a high class person. Should she fall to a lower class if it means a chance at happiness?
The amount of stress and anticipation that I felt reading this book is a testament to Cerynn’s masterful writing. I have never read a character that I have despised so much as Sienna’s fiancé. He surpasses Tamlin on the “characters I want to throttle” scale. I became increasingly frustrated by Sienna’s SLOW progress in confronting her prejudice - but when you have lived a certain way for hundreds of years, this progression is natural and authentic. Cerynn covers dark topics such as abuse, non-consent, classism, and miscarriage in a way that gets you thinking and does not romanticize them.
Overall, I will be thinking about this book for a long while and I cannot wait for more.
October 23, 2025
When I saw this was a dark romance, I was not expecting just HOW dark this book would go. I was expecting morally grey, you would question whether you liked the character, but in the end they would grow on you as a reader... NO. The FMC Sienna is beaten, gaslit, abused in every sense of the term, groomed, manipulated and much much more throughout this book and her one saving grace is one of the MMC, Sele, who is in a completely different Class than she is (she's High, he's Low) and is constantly risking his own life to either be around her or help her. If it wasn't for him, she would have died time and time again.
Love blooms in the darkest of circumstances, and Crossing the Line is no exception. Sienna has no one to turn to, and she is realizing that she has been indoctrinated by her society to shun people that they have deemed "lesser" - though it is never explained what exactly has caused them to be delegated to the various class ranks - and that these people, who include both her children due to situations that caused them to Fall from High Class, treat her so much better than the people of her own Class.
Sele and Sienna attempt to be together beyond all odds, even though it will most likely end in death for both of them. I feel equally scared from reading this book and excited for the sequel to be available. More often than not, I was looking at my kindle, thinking to myself, "what am I reading?", but it really was SO well written and intense and emotional. I hate to say I loved it!
Love blooms in the darkest of circumstances, and Crossing the Line is no exception. Sienna has no one to turn to, and she is realizing that she has been indoctrinated by her society to shun people that they have deemed "lesser" - though it is never explained what exactly has caused them to be delegated to the various class ranks - and that these people, who include both her children due to situations that caused them to Fall from High Class, treat her so much better than the people of her own Class.
Sele and Sienna attempt to be together beyond all odds, even though it will most likely end in death for both of them. I feel equally scared from reading this book and excited for the sequel to be available. More often than not, I was looking at my kindle, thinking to myself, "what am I reading?", but it really was SO well written and intense and emotional. I hate to say I loved it!
May 4, 2025
Likely set myself up for failure here, when I went into this book overly excited for the Dutchess / Thomas O'Malley vibes and really wanted to see that flourish on the pages. However, it didn't quite get to what I would have really enjoyed. It was a good read, but left me wanting.
Sienna, the female main character is an Herbialist, who is high class. Being the good daughter she is she is constantly going with whatever her mother demands even if it's not what she wants. Sienna wants to live the rest of her life taking care of her garden. Her mother? Well, she has other plans for the herbialist.
Sele is the low class that catches Sienna's attention. She enjoys his company, likes to be around him and overall finds that she wants to be around him all the time. Not the man her mother has been forcing on her. How could she be with him though when he wasn't high class?
There was a lot going on in this book, loads of questions that don't ever truly get answered. The FMC never gets up the true courage to stand up to her mother, or for the man she has fallen in love with. She's a pushover that wants happiness but is terrified of the consequences of getting her own happiness. The book seemingly ended on a cliffhanger that leaves it open for a second book. My hopes are that the second book [if there is going to be one] finally allows Sienna to grown the backbone she desperately needs to be able to fall into her happiness.
Sienna, the female main character is an Herbialist, who is high class. Being the good daughter she is she is constantly going with whatever her mother demands even if it's not what she wants. Sienna wants to live the rest of her life taking care of her garden. Her mother? Well, she has other plans for the herbialist.
Sele is the low class that catches Sienna's attention. She enjoys his company, likes to be around him and overall finds that she wants to be around him all the time. Not the man her mother has been forcing on her. How could she be with him though when he wasn't high class?
There was a lot going on in this book, loads of questions that don't ever truly get answered. The FMC never gets up the true courage to stand up to her mother, or for the man she has fallen in love with. She's a pushover that wants happiness but is terrified of the consequences of getting her own happiness. The book seemingly ended on a cliffhanger that leaves it open for a second book. My hopes are that the second book [if there is going to be one] finally allows Sienna to grown the backbone she desperately needs to be able to fall into her happiness.
March 29, 2026
I had the pleasure of receiving an ALC of Crossing the Line. Billie Bryant did an amazing job narrating this book!
Sienna, the female main character is an Herbialist, who is high class. Being the good daughter she is she is constantly going with whatever her mother demands even if it's not what she wants. Sienna wants to live the rest of her life taking care of her garden. Her mother? Well, she has other plans for the herbialist.
Sele is the low class that catches Sienna's attention. She enjoys his company, likes to be around him and overall finds that she wants to be around him all the time. Not the man her mother has been forcing on her. How could she be with him though when he wasn't high class?
The FMC Sienna was a little insufferable at times only because I wanted her to quit being so pretentious and gullible to what her mother was telling her. Then her character growth happened and she became a lovable character.
I am so ready for the next book because the cliffhanger left me with my mouth open!
Sienna, the female main character is an Herbialist, who is high class. Being the good daughter she is she is constantly going with whatever her mother demands even if it's not what she wants. Sienna wants to live the rest of her life taking care of her garden. Her mother? Well, she has other plans for the herbialist.
Sele is the low class that catches Sienna's attention. She enjoys his company, likes to be around him and overall finds that she wants to be around him all the time. Not the man her mother has been forcing on her. How could she be with him though when he wasn't high class?
The FMC Sienna was a little insufferable at times only because I wanted her to quit being so pretentious and gullible to what her mother was telling her. Then her character growth happened and she became a lovable character.
I am so ready for the next book because the cliffhanger left me with my mouth open!
April 24, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received a copy of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving this review. All opinions are my own.
I am obsessed with this book. The world is incredibly intricate, and it was fascinating to learn and read about it. I also adore Sele and Sienna; they are a fantastic pair, and it is adorable to watch them interact. Aslo the villains in this book, GOD DAMN, jesus christ the villians are wonderfully written but they are the worst. I am impressed by how awful they are, but they make the world so much more interesting and add a great deal to it. The number of times I either screamed with rage at a villain doing their thing or screamed over something that Sele said. I am so excited to read more in this world. I loved this book, and I'm excited to see how Sienna develops in future books.
🪴Lady and the Tramp vibes
🪴Dark Romantasy
🪴Only One Prison Cell
🪴Cinnamon Roll MMC
🪴Forbidden Love
🪴Conflict of Duty and Desire
I received a copy of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving this review. All opinions are my own.
I am obsessed with this book. The world is incredibly intricate, and it was fascinating to learn and read about it. I also adore Sele and Sienna; they are a fantastic pair, and it is adorable to watch them interact. Aslo the villains in this book, GOD DAMN, jesus christ the villians are wonderfully written but they are the worst. I am impressed by how awful they are, but they make the world so much more interesting and add a great deal to it. The number of times I either screamed with rage at a villain doing their thing or screamed over something that Sele said. I am so excited to read more in this world. I loved this book, and I'm excited to see how Sienna develops in future books.
🪴Lady and the Tramp vibes
🪴Dark Romantasy
🪴Only One Prison Cell
🪴Cinnamon Roll MMC
🪴Forbidden Love
🪴Conflict of Duty and Desire
April 30, 2025
Beautifully written with a super engaging story. Widow Sienna comes from a prominent High Class family, she is satisfied with her life tending her herbs, but her parents have other ideas. They want to force her into an arranged marriage with a man she doesn't even like. I'm assuming because of some as of yet unstated benefit to them. She's willing to go along with their plans because family first until she meets a Low Class man hanging out in her garden.
Enter Seles who turns her life completely upside down and forces her to think about the class distinctions and reconsider her stance on how she fits into society. Seles is by far my favorite character. I'm so-so on Sienna because she's so passive and allows herself to remain in a clearly toxic and abusive relationship. I will say that the author knows how to characterize and the reader should be very clear on who we love and who we hate.
Cliffhanger ending!
Enter Seles who turns her life completely upside down and forces her to think about the class distinctions and reconsider her stance on how she fits into society. Seles is by far my favorite character. I'm so-so on Sienna because she's so passive and allows herself to remain in a clearly toxic and abusive relationship. I will say that the author knows how to characterize and the reader should be very clear on who we love and who we hate.
Cliffhanger ending!
May 2, 2025
If you want to read something to feel every. single. emotion... then this is it
Ceryn has done well with this book! The Storyline is engageing and the way she has written the characters...if she wants you to love a character, she'll make you fall for them...But when she wants you to hate them, you will hate them with your entire being!
Sienna... she makes you want to yell at her to get out and LIVE life to learn about the "outside" world... to love
Sele.. is the walking embodiment of "Looking forward" he's caring and sweet.. he's determined to show Sienna the better side and to have her grow and have freedom
They are a good match!
My only complaint is that some names are hard to wrap my brain around even with the explainations at the start 😭
Overall though this was an amazing read, highly recommend!
Ceryn has done well with this book! The Storyline is engageing and the way she has written the characters...if she wants you to love a character, she'll make you fall for them...But when she wants you to hate them, you will hate them with your entire being!
Sienna... she makes you want to yell at her to get out and LIVE life to learn about the "outside" world... to love
Sele.. is the walking embodiment of "Looking forward" he's caring and sweet.. he's determined to show Sienna the better side and to have her grow and have freedom
They are a good match!
My only complaint is that some names are hard to wrap my brain around even with the explainations at the start 😭
Overall though this was an amazing read, highly recommend!
April 7, 2026
4.5/5 stars
This audiobook had me HOOKED. Billie did an amazing job narrating; the emotion behind everything was portrayed so well.
There were moments where I absolutely just wanted to scream at the book and there were moments I wanted to cry. I can't wait to read the next book. I hope we get to see Sienna grow stronger and gain the courage to do what she needs to do. And Sele. I can't say much without spoiling, but I love him. I just want them to get the chance to be happy together.
If you do choose to pick up this book, please be aware of the trigger warnings. As someone with no triggers, there were a few scenes that were still very difficult to listen to.
Thank you to Cerynn for the ALC of this book! It was truly amazing.
Trigger/content warnings below:
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Self Harm
Child-loss/Miscarriage
Gaslighting/Manipulation
Noncon/dubcon
Religious Trauma
Classism
This audiobook had me HOOKED. Billie did an amazing job narrating; the emotion behind everything was portrayed so well.
There were moments where I absolutely just wanted to scream at the book and there were moments I wanted to cry. I can't wait to read the next book. I hope we get to see Sienna grow stronger and gain the courage to do what she needs to do. And Sele. I can't say much without spoiling, but I love him. I just want them to get the chance to be happy together.
If you do choose to pick up this book, please be aware of the trigger warnings. As someone with no triggers, there were a few scenes that were still very difficult to listen to.
Thank you to Cerynn for the ALC of this book! It was truly amazing.
Trigger/content warnings below:
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
Self Harm
Child-loss/Miscarriage
Gaslighting/Manipulation
Noncon/dubcon
Religious Trauma
Classism
April 30, 2026
I have never had such visceral feelings of loathing towards characters before & I read a LOT of books with royals/hierarchy's that are terrible. It is such a testament to the authors writing to be able to bring about such feelings. I am so invested in the lives of these paper people.
I know this is part of a larger 'main series' & now I need to read everything to get all of the lore and understand the intricacies of the social structure better.
The few 🌶️ scenes are delicious but def check your triggers bestie
I know this is part of a larger 'main series' & now I need to read everything to get all of the lore and understand the intricacies of the social structure better.
The few 🌶️ scenes are delicious but def check your triggers bestie
April 18, 2025
I had the pleasure of doing an ARC read for this book! I have only recently discovered fantasy romance, but books like this one are moving fantasy up on my list!
I can't wait for more of Sienna & Sele! He had my heart from the start!
The only reason I don't give 5 stars is because of the language barrier & some names being hard to get downpat. Other than that, this was a great read!
I can't wait for more of Sienna & Sele! He had my heart from the start!
The only reason I don't give 5 stars is because of the language barrier & some names being hard to get downpat. Other than that, this was a great read!
April 27, 2025
I like the storyline for this book. And I think it has the potential to be amazing. However, Sienna being portrayed as submissive to an obviously abusive man makes me mad. I understand that is how people are when in abusive relationships but it frustrated me because she easily had a solution.
Otherwise the dynamic between the characters throughout the story was intriguing and fun to unveil.
Otherwise the dynamic between the characters throughout the story was intriguing and fun to unveil.
April 29, 2025
This is an amazing book, definitely worth the read and I would rate it a 10/10. It’s a beautiful love story with tragic elements with many twists and turns. The author provides lots of details and it feels like you are stepping into another world. I couldn’t put it down! I hope it becomes a film or tv series , it’s that good.
April 6, 2026
I received an ALC of this book from the author, Cerynn. She sparked my interest with her comparison of Jack x Rose from Titanic (also Lady & the Tramp from the animated movie of the same name).
This fantasy world is made up of high and low classes and a unique magic system. Sienna has spent her whole life in high class and does all she can to please her family, always accepting things as they are. There are some instances of her fighting back against it early on, where you can see her differences in her moral compass vs her family members.
Her mother is ruthless and despicable, as is her partner/betrothed, Ayc. Her naïveté was like a thorn in my side; I knew it was there, I couldn’t remove it but boy if it didn’t irritate me constantly. Her eventual character growth was like an AHHHHH FINALLY moment.
The book ends on a cliffhanger, so I need the next one like IMMEDIATELY.
I would definitely recommend listening to the audio if you can, the narration by Billie Bryant is very well done!
Also, this is DARK, so check trigger warnings. I don’t have any triggers but i cried at one part in particular especially being recently postpartum.
This fantasy world is made up of high and low classes and a unique magic system. Sienna has spent her whole life in high class and does all she can to please her family, always accepting things as they are. There are some instances of her fighting back against it early on, where you can see her differences in her moral compass vs her family members.
Her mother is ruthless and despicable, as is her partner/betrothed, Ayc. Her naïveté was like a thorn in my side; I knew it was there, I couldn’t remove it but boy if it didn’t irritate me constantly. Her eventual character growth was like an AHHHHH FINALLY moment.
The book ends on a cliffhanger, so I need the next one like IMMEDIATELY.
I would definitely recommend listening to the audio if you can, the narration by Billie Bryant is very well done!
Also, this is DARK, so check trigger warnings. I don’t have any triggers but i cried at one part in particular especially being recently postpartum.
Did Not Finish
April 14, 2026As phenomenal as the narrator is for the ALC (and she's genuinely phenomenal), I just could not get into the story. It felt so heavily dystopian, and the FMC was so deeply without a backbone that I found myself irritated the entire time and chose to DNF after 40%.
Thank you so much to the author for reaching out and offering an ALC, this one just didn't resonate with me.
Thank you so much to the author for reaching out and offering an ALC, this one just didn't resonate with me.
May 11, 2025
Lady and the tramp vibes to a T! This is the first book in a series! Siennis a high and Sele is a low, she has so many rules and he is just trying to show her a different world. This is a very high fantasy romance that leaves you craving more!
December 9, 2025
Wow!!! Cerynn has done it again! This book was so emotional and jam packed with excitement and adventure. Each chapter left me dying to turn the page. Crossing the Line is a wonderful dark fantasy that will leave your heart broken in the best way!
April 27, 2025
A truly adorable romance read
May 11, 2025
Great story! I can't wait for the next book!
May 13, 2025
3.5
This book was decent but I found it lacking in certain areas.
The plot is decent, the characters are as well. The world was unique.
This book was decent but I found it lacking in certain areas.
The plot is decent, the characters are as well. The world was unique.
April 9, 2026
🎧
2.5/5⭐️
1.5/5 🌶️
I got this as an ALC, which I am forever grateful for. However, I feel like there was so much extra info in here that didn’t need to be. And the cliffhanger?!?!
2.5/5⭐️
1.5/5 🌶️
I got this as an ALC, which I am forever grateful for. However, I feel like there was so much extra info in here that didn’t need to be. And the cliffhanger?!?!
December 11, 2025
I really enjoyed this book. It struck a perfect balance, blending emotions, fantasy, and excellent character development. The author’s writing style was very good, and the book was so captivating that I finished it in a single sitting. I truly enjoyed every moment I spent with it.❤
May 27, 2025
A 3.5 ⭐️ for me for many reasons.
At first I did enjoyed the book and ate up almost 50% of it in one sitting but then I slowly started to lose interest. It’s when I was close to 60% I realised there wasn’t much character development happening among the FMC and her love interest (I mean the MMC). It felt like he was barely existing like a side character when by this time they should’ve made a move 🥲 alright so maybe this story is one of those slow burns so that’s why they made love at 72% and that’s when I got hooked all over again.
Overall I liked the concept but didn’t like the fact that our FMC had no character development through out the book 🙂 she was too weak and submissive for my liking.
Waiting for the next book since this one left me in a cliffhanger 🤧
At first I did enjoyed the book and ate up almost 50% of it in one sitting but then I slowly started to lose interest. It’s when I was close to 60% I realised there wasn’t much character development happening among the FMC and her love interest (I mean the MMC). It felt like he was barely existing like a side character when by this time they should’ve made a move 🥲 alright so maybe this story is one of those slow burns so that’s why they made love at 72% and that’s when I got hooked all over again.
Overall I liked the concept but didn’t like the fact that our FMC had no character development through out the book 🙂 she was too weak and submissive for my liking.
Waiting for the next book since this one left me in a cliffhanger 🤧
August 31, 2025
Thank you to the author for providing me with an e-ARC of her latest book.
Crossing the Line is a tender yet quietly intense exploration of forbidden love, power, and personal awakening. At its heart are Sienna and Sele - two characters from opposite worlds. She’s refined, controlled, and shaped by legacy; he’s cast out, kind-hearted, and exactly the disruption she never saw coming. Their relationship, slow to spark but deeply moving, challenges the expectations of status, gender, and self-worth in a world built on rigid rules.
The romance absolutely shines, especially for fans of the “cinnamon roll” MMC archetype. Sele is patient, soft, and unwavering, offering Sienna not just affection but the space to question everything she’s ever accepted. But where Crossing the Line really impressed me was in how it portrayed awful characters well. The manipulation, the gaslighting, and the subtle power plays by those in Sienna’s orbit were unnerving in their realism. McCain does an excellent job of showing how women, especially those in positions of perceived privilege, can still be profoundly controlled by the people around them. Sienna’s internal unravelling - questioning her own instincts, bending to the opinions of others, doubting what she knows to be true - was heartbreakingly relatable. It's a raw reflection on how easily our sense of reality can be shaped and skewed by those who claim to love us or act in our “best interest.”
Crossing the Line is a tender yet quietly intense exploration of forbidden love, power, and personal awakening. At its heart are Sienna and Sele - two characters from opposite worlds. She’s refined, controlled, and shaped by legacy; he’s cast out, kind-hearted, and exactly the disruption she never saw coming. Their relationship, slow to spark but deeply moving, challenges the expectations of status, gender, and self-worth in a world built on rigid rules.
The romance absolutely shines, especially for fans of the “cinnamon roll” MMC archetype. Sele is patient, soft, and unwavering, offering Sienna not just affection but the space to question everything she’s ever accepted. But where Crossing the Line really impressed me was in how it portrayed awful characters well. The manipulation, the gaslighting, and the subtle power plays by those in Sienna’s orbit were unnerving in their realism. McCain does an excellent job of showing how women, especially those in positions of perceived privilege, can still be profoundly controlled by the people around them. Sienna’s internal unravelling - questioning her own instincts, bending to the opinions of others, doubting what she knows to be true - was heartbreakingly relatable. It's a raw reflection on how easily our sense of reality can be shaped and skewed by those who claim to love us or act in our “best interest.”
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