What do you think?
Rate this book
Crossfire
The corner office was her kingdom. His was the open range. Can they find common ground?
Those around her marked the passage of time through celebrations of weddings, anniversaries, and graduations, measuring life success through joy in family portraits. Everyone else had a life with husbands and wives, children, and grandchildren. Moirin Garrett has a cat named Orson.
Moirin Garrett’s life used to be simple to define: run the operations, keep the company intact, never let emotion interfere. After decades spent building her grandfather’s Denver-based energy company into an international corporation, she’s poised to be the next CEO, but the Board of Directors announced a rigorous vetting process, ostensibly to avoid nepotism. It should have been a formality, but the challenges of an environmental impact study, resolving a string of increasingly suspicious management issues, and a vindictive business associate aren’t helping her pass their scrutiny.
Pulled between boardroom battles and the private ache of a life she never paused to live, Moirin must outmaneuver a charismatic, ruthless opponent who wants revenge. With her company’s reputation and her chance at the CEO seat on the line, she leans on unlikely allies: a team roping cowboy and brand inspector with a devastating smile, a determined intern, and the family that defines both her life and career. As evidence mounts and enemies circle, Moirin must decide what kind of leader she’ll be—and whether she’s willing to risk love or hold onto power.
Crossfire is an emotionally rich novel about legacy, ethics, and the high cost of leadership—perfect for readers who love workplace drama and quiet, fierce romances.
Those around her marked the passage of time through celebrations of weddings, anniversaries, and graduations, measuring life success through joy in family portraits. Everyone else had a life with husbands and wives, children, and grandchildren. Moirin Garrett has a cat named Orson.
Moirin Garrett’s life used to be simple to define: run the operations, keep the company intact, never let emotion interfere. After decades spent building her grandfather’s Denver-based energy company into an international corporation, she’s poised to be the next CEO, but the Board of Directors announced a rigorous vetting process, ostensibly to avoid nepotism. It should have been a formality, but the challenges of an environmental impact study, resolving a string of increasingly suspicious management issues, and a vindictive business associate aren’t helping her pass their scrutiny.
Pulled between boardroom battles and the private ache of a life she never paused to live, Moirin must outmaneuver a charismatic, ruthless opponent who wants revenge. With her company’s reputation and her chance at the CEO seat on the line, she leans on unlikely allies: a team roping cowboy and brand inspector with a devastating smile, a determined intern, and the family that defines both her life and career. As evidence mounts and enemies circle, Moirin must decide what kind of leader she’ll be—and whether she’s willing to risk love or hold onto power.
Crossfire is an emotionally rich novel about legacy, ethics, and the high cost of leadership—perfect for readers who love workplace drama and quiet, fierce romances.
342 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 1, 2025
About the author
Heidi Herman
17 books69 followersMy passion and a common theme in my writing is my Icelandic heritage. I started with children's books and folklore, but now focus on women's fiction. But, I enjoy adding a little taste of Iceland in my contemporary novels - if you mention one in a review, that's not a spoiler!
I spent thirty years in the telecommunications industry, which was rewarding and challenging, and had a thread of writing. When my father passed away in 2015, I reassessed my priorities, opted for early retirement, and indulged my passion for writing.
After several children’s folklore books honoring my mother’s Icelandic heritage, I took on a greater challenge. My first novel, was set in the contemporary American west, blending together some of my favorite things - Iceland, rodeo, hiking, and understanding the value of true friends. I still attend many Scandinavian festivals, have speaking engagements on a number of topics, and, of course, adventures travel, but my true passion now is literary fiction. I focus primarily on mature women's fiction with elements of clean romance. My newest book is Reins of Friendship, a novella prequel to my new series Life's A Rodeo.
I am a snowbird, living in South Dakota during the summer and Arizona during the winter, migrating with my husband, our four horses and three dogs. His passion for team roping and my love of rodeo have carried over into my novels, in what I hope is an interesting and unique experience for readers.
I spent thirty years in the telecommunications industry, which was rewarding and challenging, and had a thread of writing. When my father passed away in 2015, I reassessed my priorities, opted for early retirement, and indulged my passion for writing.
After several children’s folklore books honoring my mother’s Icelandic heritage, I took on a greater challenge. My first novel, was set in the contemporary American west, blending together some of my favorite things - Iceland, rodeo, hiking, and understanding the value of true friends. I still attend many Scandinavian festivals, have speaking engagements on a number of topics, and, of course, adventures travel, but my true passion now is literary fiction. I focus primarily on mature women's fiction with elements of clean romance. My newest book is Reins of Friendship, a novella prequel to my new series Life's A Rodeo.
I am a snowbird, living in South Dakota during the summer and Arizona during the winter, migrating with my husband, our four horses and three dogs. His passion for team roping and my love of rodeo have carried over into my novels, in what I hope is an interesting and unique experience for readers.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 11, 2025
Heidi Herman’s Crossfire introduces readers to Moirin Garrett. She’s a powerful energy executive who uses her professional poise to cover up the fact that she’s really exhausted, lonely, and burdened down with the public’s perception of her. She’s no stranger to signing multi-million-dollar project approvals or prepping for high-profile galas at the last minute. She maneuvers in a world where her interactions with donors, employees, and opportunistic critics are strategic. The central issue is established early on when Moirin finds herself caught up in others’ expectations, ambition, and legacy. She’s someone people would love to hate, and this is especially evident at the gala when a brash philanthropist, named Gregorian Plankett, attempts to humiliate her; meanwhile, there’s a PEP intern who idolizes her success. Moirin has no problem navigating the challenges of groundbreaking climate impact studies. However, she struggles with her own isolation despite being able to command a room. The tone is set early, and readers will be pulled into the ride.
Heidi Herman brings us deeper into Moirin’s world and away from the spectacle of high society galas and right into corporate leadership. Garrett Industries is her natural habitat. Things as simple as coffee seem to represent how overstretched her life is. But her day spirals, and everything wrong that could happen, did. Her Uncle Ian comes by, dropping a bombshell on her about CEO vetting paperwork. But the interaction between the two also shows Moirin’s internal cracks. The chapters just continue to grow tense, especially when Moirin overhears Gregorian in all of his boorish entitlement, plotting retaliation for what he perceived as a slight against him. The noose begins to tighten as Moirin becomes a target of a conspiracy. Herman just tipped Moirin’s controlled world upside down, especially when the environmental impact study comes to her desk with inconsistencies that raise more questions than answers.
Herman really knows how to raise the stakes, and it doesn’t take long before Moirin’s carefully curated life behind closed doors becomes fragile. Her only refuge at home is her scarred rescue cat, Orson, and her condo filled with memories. But she has to bring home work that intrudes on her once quiet sanctuary, poring over financial data that seems to be glitchy. But her best friend Jo visits and kind of eases the crisis with her warmth. Her friend fears being replaced in the digital space and is also mourning her late husband, who was once her security. At her spin class, she tries to relieve the overwhelming stress, but not before making her own calculated decision to call Riggs and gain access to the confidential site list. She still has her concerns after Gregorian’s veiled threat. But she also shares tender moments, like when she called her Aunt Aggie, who is excited about her award-winning winery. Aunt Aggie is the one who gently challenges Moirin to think about life outside of the company.
The plot begins to thicken, and it unfolds so smoothly. The temperature and tension increase, and the pacing never slows. It’s steady and appropriately so. I love how Herman shaped the next part of the story where Moirin discovers Gregorian’s sabotage, but she enters ethically gray territory by fixing the tampered PEP site list and has the intern, Steffie, to help. But there’s a mysterious property that raises a brow. But even in a taut emotional and environmental thriller, Herman allows each moment to breathe a bit. This is balanced out with Moirin’s friend circle, Heather, Jo, and Leslie, and it highlights the strength of female friendships, a counterweight to all of the isolation Moirin endures in corporate.
Moirin’s interior life makes this thriller stand out among most corporate dramas. Even as the stakes escalate, and financial anomalies are discovered, or corporate betrayal affects Moirin’s life on both a corporate and personal level, Jace Caradova shows up and shifts her life in a new direction. He’s at a rodeo-style event putting on a show. Jace is confident, skilled, and respected by his peers, and Moirin is finding herself drawn to him and his world. He has a way with her that makes her dance and sing around her kitchen. I think readers will love Jace and probably root for them just like I did.
Readers who enjoy corporate heat and a little bit of romance tangled up in a thriller, like All In by Simona Ahrnstedt or Chandler Baker’s Whisper Network, will appreciate a book like Heidi Herman’s Crossfire Book 1 of the Life’s a Rodeo series.
Heidi Herman brings us deeper into Moirin’s world and away from the spectacle of high society galas and right into corporate leadership. Garrett Industries is her natural habitat. Things as simple as coffee seem to represent how overstretched her life is. But her day spirals, and everything wrong that could happen, did. Her Uncle Ian comes by, dropping a bombshell on her about CEO vetting paperwork. But the interaction between the two also shows Moirin’s internal cracks. The chapters just continue to grow tense, especially when Moirin overhears Gregorian in all of his boorish entitlement, plotting retaliation for what he perceived as a slight against him. The noose begins to tighten as Moirin becomes a target of a conspiracy. Herman just tipped Moirin’s controlled world upside down, especially when the environmental impact study comes to her desk with inconsistencies that raise more questions than answers.
Herman really knows how to raise the stakes, and it doesn’t take long before Moirin’s carefully curated life behind closed doors becomes fragile. Her only refuge at home is her scarred rescue cat, Orson, and her condo filled with memories. But she has to bring home work that intrudes on her once quiet sanctuary, poring over financial data that seems to be glitchy. But her best friend Jo visits and kind of eases the crisis with her warmth. Her friend fears being replaced in the digital space and is also mourning her late husband, who was once her security. At her spin class, she tries to relieve the overwhelming stress, but not before making her own calculated decision to call Riggs and gain access to the confidential site list. She still has her concerns after Gregorian’s veiled threat. But she also shares tender moments, like when she called her Aunt Aggie, who is excited about her award-winning winery. Aunt Aggie is the one who gently challenges Moirin to think about life outside of the company.
The plot begins to thicken, and it unfolds so smoothly. The temperature and tension increase, and the pacing never slows. It’s steady and appropriately so. I love how Herman shaped the next part of the story where Moirin discovers Gregorian’s sabotage, but she enters ethically gray territory by fixing the tampered PEP site list and has the intern, Steffie, to help. But there’s a mysterious property that raises a brow. But even in a taut emotional and environmental thriller, Herman allows each moment to breathe a bit. This is balanced out with Moirin’s friend circle, Heather, Jo, and Leslie, and it highlights the strength of female friendships, a counterweight to all of the isolation Moirin endures in corporate.
Moirin’s interior life makes this thriller stand out among most corporate dramas. Even as the stakes escalate, and financial anomalies are discovered, or corporate betrayal affects Moirin’s life on both a corporate and personal level, Jace Caradova shows up and shifts her life in a new direction. He’s at a rodeo-style event putting on a show. Jace is confident, skilled, and respected by his peers, and Moirin is finding herself drawn to him and his world. He has a way with her that makes her dance and sing around her kitchen. I think readers will love Jace and probably root for them just like I did.
Readers who enjoy corporate heat and a little bit of romance tangled up in a thriller, like All In by Simona Ahrnstedt or Chandler Baker’s Whisper Network, will appreciate a book like Heidi Herman’s Crossfire Book 1 of the Life’s a Rodeo series.
December 19, 2025
Crossfire follows Moirin Garrett, a high-powered executive juggling corporate pressure, family expectations, and the uneasy beginnings of an environmental partnership that forces her into the political, personal, and ethical “crossfire” she’s spent a career avoiding. From the first chapters, the story grounds us in her world of boardrooms, complicated family brunches, and the shimmering social circles where everyone wants something from her. As the plot widens, the book becomes a layered look at ambition, reinvention, and the messy overlaps between public responsibility and private longing.
Reading this in first person, I found myself rooting for Moirin even when she frustrated me. She’s sharp, driven, polished on the outside, and quietly unraveling beneath the surface. The writing makes room for that contradiction. The scenes move with a steady rhythm, sometimes clipped and tense, sometimes opening up into softer, more reflective moments that show how lonely success can feel. I liked how Herman lets small details do the emotional lifting: the staleness of office coffee, the weight of a family legacy, the flicker of discomfort when Moirin realizes she’s being sized up not just as an executive but as a woman in a room full of men with agendas.
What stood out most was the author’s choice to frame the story’s tension around both career stakes and personal awakening. The environmental study storyline sets up a believable moral tangle, especially as shady players circle around Moirin’s work. At the same time, the book gives her space to question what she actually wants beyond the next professional milestone. Moments with her friends feel warm and real, and her slow steps toward vulnerability make the corporate drama feel more human, not just high-stakes business maneuvering. The writing stays simple, grounded, and clear, letting the emotional beats land without theatrics.
The book feels like a story about a woman stepping out of a life she mastered and into one she’s still learning how to want. It’s women’s fiction with corporate intrigue woven in, built for readers who enjoy character-driven arcs, workplace complexity, and the slow burn of personal transformation. If you like stories about strong women navigating reinvention in midlife, or if you enjoy fiction set at the intersection of power, family, and identity, Crossfire will hit the mark.
Reading this in first person, I found myself rooting for Moirin even when she frustrated me. She’s sharp, driven, polished on the outside, and quietly unraveling beneath the surface. The writing makes room for that contradiction. The scenes move with a steady rhythm, sometimes clipped and tense, sometimes opening up into softer, more reflective moments that show how lonely success can feel. I liked how Herman lets small details do the emotional lifting: the staleness of office coffee, the weight of a family legacy, the flicker of discomfort when Moirin realizes she’s being sized up not just as an executive but as a woman in a room full of men with agendas.
What stood out most was the author’s choice to frame the story’s tension around both career stakes and personal awakening. The environmental study storyline sets up a believable moral tangle, especially as shady players circle around Moirin’s work. At the same time, the book gives her space to question what she actually wants beyond the next professional milestone. Moments with her friends feel warm and real, and her slow steps toward vulnerability make the corporate drama feel more human, not just high-stakes business maneuvering. The writing stays simple, grounded, and clear, letting the emotional beats land without theatrics.
The book feels like a story about a woman stepping out of a life she mastered and into one she’s still learning how to want. It’s women’s fiction with corporate intrigue woven in, built for readers who enjoy character-driven arcs, workplace complexity, and the slow burn of personal transformation. If you like stories about strong women navigating reinvention in midlife, or if you enjoy fiction set at the intersection of power, family, and identity, Crossfire will hit the mark.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews