Cross My Heart: A Covey Crushers Novella

by Ana Shay

Genres: Hockey Romance, Hockey

118 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 30, 2026

Reviews

[Jamie Tuckwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

📚BOOK REVIEW 📚

Cross My Heart - @authoranashay

Oh how I loved this novella by Ana Shay. It was the perfect read to guide us into the Covey Crushers Hockey series.

Jay Cross is the hockey captain. He's charming, handsome and tried to pick Ally up in a bar with a pick up line that gave her the ick so badly she turned him down. But she's never quite forgotten him even if she doesn't want to admit it to herself.

When Jaybis carrying an injury he is assigned a physical therapist who just so happens to be Ally. This is music to his ears as he's more than happy to have her hands all over him with some forced proximity.

Jay has always liked Ally and he makes it known to her that he never forgot her either. And suddenly lines are starting to blur and it's becoming very hard to keep professional boundaries.

The more he tries to get close to her the harder she pushes back until she can't deny their attraction any longer.

This was such a cute little novella and I really enjoyed this story. Jay had some fantastic one liners which had me laughing and then in the next he's making you swoon. Ally was more guarded but only because she didn't want to let her heart get broken. Once she fave in through they were all types of cuteness.

And can we just talk about how adorable this cover is?

[Bobby Crutchley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cross My Heart
Novella 🫶🏻
POSSIBLE SPOILERS BUT NOT REALLY?!

Tropes;
Hate to Love
Forced Proximity
Workplace Romance (kinda)
Hockey Romance

Ana always ALWAYS gets me out of my reading slumps and this was no exception! Whilst I know this was a short book, I literally read this in a day and really about put it down!
Jay is a cocky hockey captain on partial bench rest for his injury, and Ally is his physical therapist. What could go wrong, right? NOPE - Ally hates him. Ever since he tried and failed to chat to her with a pick up line that was so bad she turned him down and ended up in a 2 year relationship.
If you love Forced Proximity and Mutual Pining, I highly recommend this read!

Jay is full of banter and the golden boy of the hockey team, with a hard exterior but soft teddy bear inside.
Ally is the sassy, play hard to get physical therapist who tries (and fails) to stay professional and not lose her job!

✨✨✨✨✨/5 for Ana as always 🥰
@authoranashay

[🐾Padfoot L.C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Provided Book Review : I devoured this book {and it’s available through Ana’s link 💜} This gives off a how I met your father kind of vibes that a mother would tell their child [you know once they were old enough for details 🤣] Jay has been obsessed with Ally since he first saw her but he had a thing or two to learn about winning over a woman as headstrong as Ally. Ally’s motto seems to be all these sports athletes are the same and she couldn’t be less interested after wasting her time with one for two whole years. But there’s just something about the Captain of the hockey team that’s always gotten under her skin, and now she’s forced to work with him to be able to complete her course work. There were so many feet kicking moments where Jay was just absolutely perfect and then the spice 🌶️ I can’t wait to read the other works written by Ana this was definitely the perfect introduction to her characters and her world of romance.

[B Worthington · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Just finished Cross My Heart by @authoranashay 💜

This was a quick, one sitting read with a boy down bad and plenty of spice. I definitely wanted more to read, really loved this couple.

Jay is completely obsessed with Ally. He also left quite the undesirable impression on her when they first met years ago. But now he's back in her orbit and she's finally single again and he is more than ready to go after what he wants.

Tropes found in this story include:
🏒 Hockey player x athletic trainer
🏒 College romance
🏒 He falls first and harder
🏒 Spicey locker room scene
🏒 Pierced MMC

#quickread #hockeyromance #collegeromance #piercedmmc #spicyromance

[Celine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn, Jay is my new favorite!
A Golden Retriever who knows who he wants and that since he first laid eyes on her? Holy Smokes 🥵
Pair that with a Black Cat who isn’t afraid to not treat him like a celebrity? Yes, Please!
Cross My Heart is perfect for new readers to Ana Shay to get a hang of her writing or to get excited for what‘s to come in her Covey Crushers Series! 🏒
I definitely need to figure out howto see more of Jay & Ally, but also where I can find Kinsey & Wes! 😍
Ana, this one is so cute and fun! That cover? My favorite 🤩

[Kayla Shute · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this short and sweet Novella. It was just what I needed to pull me from my reading slump. Ana's writing was downright captivating; I was hanging on to every word. Even for such a short story I felt the plot was there the spice level was perfect and the character building was fantastic. I didn't feel rushed or strung along at any point. If you love a good hockey romance this Novella is for you.

-Hockey Romance
- He falls first
- Enemies to lovers
- Strong Female Characters

[Korey Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great Hockey love story. He has loved her since freshman year, she loved him then to but he walked away and never came back at the party. Then 2 years later she is his physical therapist and they sparks always flying. Jay and Ally where always meant to be. And wow the tape over the mouth scene well well. This is a cute little love story with spice at a 4. Very well written and the story lines is smooth. If I read a story and can picture my self in the story its a great story. I finished the book in one day thats how good it is.

[Eli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect little hockey novella.
Quick read but oh so satisfying.

College hockey
Athlete x Therapist student
Pining
Enemies to Lovers

These 2 have always crushed on each other but FMC is too stubborn to act on it. He has been waiting for 2 yrs for her to be single to get an opportunity. When an injury occurs the perfect window appears and game on!

[ashuls_book_diaries · Rating 5 out of 5]

cutest book ever. Perfect hockey rehabilitation romance. I loved the enemies to lovers portion and the angst and all the saucy bits. It was so cute and he was just perfect and funny and just gave me everything i needed. I love how sassy she is and even in the middle of anything shes having a mid life crisis and i relate so much. It's such a cute book

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ally met Jay freshman year at a party, but Jay dips out without a word to her. (Jay saw her talking to another guy so he left.) Ally could never get the hockey boy off her mind... 2 years later he need a physical therapist. Ally gets picked to be the one to work on him, she is not happy. Will Jay finally get his shot at Ally or we he deflect his shot?

[Alba · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was cute and short. I could have done without the spicy scenes, they didn't really affect the plot. If you like the spice, you will love it! Jay just wanted her to like him and Ally doesn't believe his intentions are genuine.

[Karlee Holcomb · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute hockey romance with a weak enemies to lovers trope… more like I can’t and don’t want this but it’s too good to resist haha also we got a lot of half way conversations then bam doing it… do they ever finish a conversation?

[Stacy Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick novella that has great plot and extra spicy. Jay hasn't forgotten Ally from the time he tried to pick her up in a bar. She thought he was just a player. When Jay needs a physical therapy she's it. Truths come out and feeling are revealed.

[Takiyah · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are looking for a cute short romance book, I would suggest this novella. I am not really a big fan of novellas because they are short but this was a cute read. If you are into novellas, this book is for you.

[Tiffany Rosado · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing was good but I was bored. It’s enemies to lovers trope but it just felt uncanny how they jumped straight from having a normal convo to screwing each other.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

short and sweet

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great story i flew through it! i was so engrossed in the story i couldn't put it down

[Janine Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

A little Novella to kick start the Covey Crushers Series! Loved Ally & Jay!!

Cross my Hart….

[Ryleigh McCoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute and easy read story. However, the pace is quite fast which makes it difficult to develop a strong connection with the characters.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Everything between the characters seemed to flow naturally and the chemistry and banter were great. Good writing style and was an easy and great quick read.

[Marissa Bilverstone · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Very short and sweet enemies-to-lovers/second-chance romance. I would have loved a full-length version of this story! But I really enjoyed this novella.

[Belinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute book. Its an easy read, I finished it in a day. Loved the banter between the main characters! This spice 🥵🌶️ is 10/10.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A gorgeous, cocky hockey Captain, a spirited Physical Therapy grad student, and an overabundance of hormonal intensity, snarky dialogue, and a strategic piercing add up to a fun introduction to the Covey Crushers series. Jay falls first, Ally plays hard to get, and their story shines with great chemistry, plenty of hockey action, and the start of a promising series.

[Alicia Bish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet short and spicey I loved this novella! Perfectly plotted and so so good!

[Bubble Star Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75/5!!!

[Sam Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

enemies to lovers, hockey player and trainer, so good!