Book Review: Vicki Lewis Thompson’s I Cross My Heart

Posted June 6, 2013 by Kathy Davie in

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Book Review: Vicki Lewis Thompson’s I Cross My Heart

I Cross My Heart


It is part of the Sons of Chance #10 series and is a in Paperback edition on May 21, 2013 and has 224 pages.

Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon


Other books in this series include [books_series]

Tenth in the Sons of Chance western romance. The couple focus is on Bethany Grace and Nash Bledsoe and set near Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

My Take

It’s a sweet romance with little depth or tension, making this an easy and cozy read; a cute story with a nice twist on the self-help book. Well, nice for the reader; not so nice for Nash. Although he did eventually got the best end of the deal.

I did enjoy this. It’s such a positive statement by both protagonists as they each heal, and their lives evolve to encompass what each of them truly wants. An excellent example of changing the life patterns one grows up with. It certainly helped that they are surrounded by supportive and loving people.

“Your books made my life a living hell.”

It’s a perversion of what Bethany’s books are about, and I do like that Bethany recognized and explained how wrong Lindsay was.

It was sweet that Nash brought up the coercion aspects of sex and sale after Bethany brought up the same viewpoint, although from a different angle. It did however smack too much of too angelic a stance. It does present both characters as very decent people.

The Story

It’s Bethany’s need to purge her anger at her father that brings Nash running to the Triple G ranch where Nash discovers she’s the author of so much of his unhappiness.

All Bethany wants to do is get rid of the ranch, but it’s sorry state could have a negative impact on her own reputation. But exposing that same sorry state to a contractor who might talk…well, that could be disastrous as well.

Lucky for her that Nash is so intent on building up his own nest egg.

The Characters

Bethany Grace is a self-help guru forced to come home and deal with the family ranch when her chronically unhappy father, Hank Grace, drank himself to death. Opal Knightly (a thin disguise for Oprah) is the host of a popular TV talk show and Bethany’s friend with the opportunity of a lifetime.

Nash Bledsoe (he appeared in the epilogue of Feels Like Home, 9) has found refuge at Last Chance and much prefers shoveling manure to sitting on a therapist’s couch shoveling it metaphysically. Lindsay is his rich ex-wife who never hesitated to shovel home that she’s the one with the money. I am so hoping that Thompson does another story with Lindsay getting her just desert! What a cow! His mom, Lucy, runs the Lickity Split, an ice cream parlor, and last fall she married Ronald Hutchinson, owner of the Shoshone Feed Store. Nash’s sister, Katrina, is engaged to Langford “Hutch” Hutchinson, Jack’s and Nash’s friend in high school.

Jack Chance (his wife, Josie, owns the Spirits and Spurs, a bar in Shoshone), his brothers, Nicholas (married to Dominique) and Gabe (his wife, Morgan, is a realtor), and their mother, Sarah Chance (she’s engaged to Pete Beckett), own the ranch (Jonathan died a few years ago). Jack runs the ranch while Nick is a vet with his own practice, and Gabe competes in the arena, riding Last Chance horses, showcasing the ones that are for sale.

Emmett Sterling is the Last Chance foreman; he’s seeing Pam Mulholland, who owns a B&B. Pam is Nicole O’Leary’s sister and moved to Jackson Hole to be near her nephew. Emily is Emmett’s daughter and training to take over from her dad when he retires; she’s married to Clay. Luke Griffin is Nash’s friend and used to work for Nash and Lindsey at their Sacramento riding stables. Now he works as a ranch hand along with Jeb and Danny. Mary Lou Sims is the Last Chance cook; last summer she married Watkins, one of the ranch hands.

The Last Chance Youth Program
The program is Pete’s idea, a second chance for kids from troubled situations. Eddie and Ace are two of the eight boys.

The runaway wife, Diana, married again and had two more sons: Wyatt and Rafe of whom Jack’s recently learned. And pulled into the family. Wyatt owns an adventure trekking company and is married to Olivia. Rafe is engaged to Meg.

Naomi Perkins has applied for a grant to observe eagles and their chicks — the set-up for Wild at Heart, 11.

Real News 24/7 is a rumor-mongering TV show intrigued by the rumors of the famous Bethany Grace’s father dying alone and in poverty.

Nicholas Jonathan O’Leary is Jonathan Chance and Nicole O’Leary’s child deposited at five months old on the Last Chance Ranch doorstep. Seems Jonathan (senior) wasn’t himself after his wife Diana left him and their young son Jack, and he forgot that essential condom. Now Jonathan is married to Sarah and they’re expecting baby Gabriel in a few months. It’s Archie’s idea to call the three boys the Sons of Chance.

The Cover and Title

The cover is generic with a shirtless cowboy in jeans and a hat, gripping what looks like a brown jacket as individual stalks of grass wave in front of him.

I’m thinking the title, I Cross My Heart, is Nash’s desire for both the Triple G and Bethany.