Crossed Lines

By: Lana Sky

Narrated by: Krystal Wascher

Psychopath. Borderline. Crazy. Seventeen-year-old Maryanne Mayweather wears each term like a badge of pride. Expelled from her 12th boarding school, she lands on the doorstep of her flighty aunt Elaine and Elaine’s husband James, one more screw-up away from being made a ward of the state.

Once a successful author, the last thing James Thorne wants is to care for his wife's bratty teenage niece, especially with his marriage falling apart. When Maryanne crafts an elaborate plan to defame and destroy him, they both discover that words are more powerful than either of them could imagine. And as their relationship goes down a path neither envisioned, the consequences are swift and far-reaching.

Some lines weren’t meant to be crossed.

©2019 Lana Sky (P)2019 Lana Sky

The MC was unlikeable

The narrator's voice made the MC even more unbearable she doesn't mature until the very end. She seemed more like a 10 year old than 17. I feel like the author over did it by conveying her mental point of view of a girl with bpd. I liked the concept and the story does grab your attention

So Much More Than You Would Expect

I think that you are going to see the cover of this book and read the title and blurb and assume you know everything about it. Well, trust me when I say that you don't. It is more, so much more than you'd expect. This is a gripping, thought provoking read that easily and quickly ensnares you in Maryanne and James' story. A story that pushes boundaries, buttons and crosses big red lines of both the reader and the characters involved. It does contain content that could be triggers for some (violence, sexual content, suicide, alcoholism and other mental health issues). For others, that want to see things as only black and white, this forbidden romance will just be a huge turn-off, So, please consider that before reading. Myself, I thought that this was an astonishingly good read. The emotions, desires and secrets woven throughout this story are deep, thick, dark and complex. They create a simmering, bubbling pot of stew that shows you its surface, but you truly have no idea what you are going to find when you dig into it. Maryanne and James are very complicated and flawed characters. They bring out strong emotions in each other and share a lot of similarities. My heart ached for the wounds they carried and broke for the struggles they faced. Maryanne is like a Rubik's cube. She is a puzzle and you must go through many twists and turns to finally get a true look at the real her. Tragedy has broken and shaped her into a enigma. The pain, anxiety, longing and desire she feels is a dual-edged sword of comforting, protective blanket and electric fence to keep others at bay. James carries his own weighty baggage. He is a man that is tortured by his own failings, frustrated by the expectations placed on him by not only others but himself and tormented by the demons of his desires. He judges himself harshly and loathes himself for it all. This compelling read is full of rawness and pain. It is sometimes ugly and and sometimes it is beautiful. It will make you cry and it will make you laugh and yes, sometimes it will make you uncomfortable. It will encourage you to see that love is not always simple, agreeable or clear-cut. Love can be incredibly messy, difficult, agonizing, desperate, and catastrophic. The one thing we can always agree on though, is love is life-altering and that holds true for this couple. This is a truly stunning read that will linger in the mind and the heart. I was very impressed at the job the narrator did with this book. I felt her voice truly fit the character of Maryanne. She delivered a spot on performance of sharp barbs, snarky comments and devastating arrows tipped in the poison of Maryanne's pain, while still being able to showcase the broken child that lived inside her with the intense and consuming emotions and desires of the young woman she was becoming. A wonderful read and a excellent listen.

Loved it!

Wow! What a rollercoaster. The emotions that were displayed in this book were amazing. I enjoyed the growth of Maryanne and James' characters. The ending was a perfect Lana ending. Lana proves yet again that she can't be contained in a box as a writer. She writes is so many different genres, and knocks it out of the park every time!

Krystal did a great job narrating Crossed Lines. I loved the sass she provided to Maryanne!

Emotional, and dramatic

This is the story of Maryanne, 17years old, and tossed around from one family to another, and getting kicked out of school, Maryanne is down to her last choice, to stay with Aunt Elaine, and her husband James, Uncle Thorny. Hell bent on getting the attention of Uncle Thorny, Maryanne acts out, and cause's trouble. This was a complex web, of raw emotion, secrets, and lies, and drama. This book was intense, and twisted, and well written.

Maryanne and James...two broken, lonely souls

Krystal Wascher was perfect narrating as the young, troubled Maryanne Mayweather.  Her voice personifies the petulant behavior of a teenager experiencing too many volatile emotions and needing guidance.  I have been a big fan of Lana Sky for years, starting with her first book Drain Me. Crossed Lines has to be one of my favorites. Lana has dabbled in many genre's (especially dark ones) and though this is not a dark romance, it deals with dark topics as suicide, mental health, drinking, etc. I loved the 'taboo' age difference between the two main characters.

As the story unfolds, we learn that Maryanne is a very troubled seventeen year old who is taken in by her aunt and uncle. James is the one who see's her for what she is, crying out for attention and inadvertently destroying lives of the people who attempt to help her. In the past she has been moved from one family to another, kicked out of a multitude of boarding schools, being helped by shrinks while in rehab. Nothing works. Maryanne is a total brat but she is looking for someone to love her, to be there for her...not put on a fake smile (aunt Elaine) and ignore her behaviour. With a past like hers (abandoned by mother, father committed suicide) you want someone to step up and be in her corner.

We soon realize that Maryanne is not the only one suffering, James is as well. Nicknamed Thorny, he is an author/professor who drinks ALOT at all times of the day and when he is angry his thing is to leave the situation/house and disappear. The relationship between James and his wife Elaine is severely damaged. If there was any love between them you do not feel it when they are in each others company.   Both are damaged and go at each other constantly...Maryanne pushing his buttons to get a reaction and James being the disciplinarian rising to the occasion.  One of the OMG moments was when James spanks her. He is such an uptight individual that by spanking her (on two occasions), it is a 'release' of emotions for him. Eventually the intense emotional feelings felt between the two becomes physical.

Crossed Lines is an emotionally beautiful novel of two broken, lonely people wanting to save each other from their miseries. 

Crossed Lines

I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook recently, and after reading the story when it was first released, I jumped at the chance. Below is my original review for the story only with an add on review for the narration.

Lana Sky does it again! She delivers two characters you want to hate and develops them in such a way you can't help but feel for them, possibly even love and cheer for them by the end. She takes a subject that is taboo, and at times uncomfortable to read, and pulls you in where you don't want to put the story down. If you know this author, you know her material is not for everyone. There could be potential triggers. However, if you're a fan of hers, this will be another fantastic read for you. If you are new to her, this story is a great one to start with. I definitely recommend reading this one.

This is the first audiobook I've listened to narrated by Ms. Wascher. Overall, I thought she did a good job. She definitely had the spoiled brat, I'm up to no good, attitude down pat so her Maryanne was really believable. I wasn't as convinced with her Thorny though. While reading the story, I pictured him as having a gruff and domineering voice and didn't think that came across as well. That being said, I would definitely still listen to another book narrated by Ms. Wascher.
*I was provided a copy of this audiobook and voluntarily chose to leave a review. This is my honest review.*

Dark and misunderstood

Trying to get attention wherever she can, she’s thrown after one boarding school after another the attention she craved isn’t one anyone would expect to calm her as much as it did. This story is dark and twisted but they get their HEA in the end. I’ll be honest though, I had a hard time listening to it most of the time. The sarcasm is needed in some places, but it’s portrayed most of the time even when it’s not called for an it throws off the story.

Force yourself to ignore the narrator and hear the words

The fake sarcasm of the narrator is highly annoying becauSe it continues through nearly every single sentence of the book. The up and down sing song of her attempt of sarcasm gets very old and I doubt this was what the author intended. Yes the main character is a brat with some growing up to do- but the tone gets annoying quick and sometimes the narrator even uses that fake tone with other characters.
If you can ignore the narrator and hear the words the author wrote, it is a much better book. It definitely gets better as the character grows and becomes more realistic.

Left Field Crazy

I’ve never listened to a story like this before. The character development was one sided and I hated her. Understanding her came slow but eventually I did, but not Thorny. His troubled life was explained but never given substance. I wanted to know him better. Somehow I liked him though.
The story premise was a creative take on the younger girl older man affair. The romance aspect was not of wooing but in understanding one another and forgiveness. Sex scenes weren’t drawn out, just evidence of undeniability.
The narration, while not distracting, didn’t seem to demonstrate the correct feeling in the tone. But... I have to grudgingly admit, it made me feel. And I wasn’t left hanging at the end.
It’s hard to give TWO THIMBS when it was such a harsh, conflicting and frustrating ride, but I will.
👍🏻👍🏻🙄
I have voluntarily left this honest review.

Unique and engaging

I enjoyed this interesting and unique story. The characters were so flawed but the author was able to give them depth and humanity. The narrator added to the story.