AllMusic editor
Stephen Thomas Erlewine rated the album four out of five stars and ranked it "among Pebbles' most consistent efforts." He found that on
With Straight from the Heart "Pebbles attempts to fit into the sound of the mid-'90s and the results are surprisingly successful." He noted that the album was "more of a showcase for her producers than the singer herself. Featuring elements of jazz, funk, and hip-hop, the record is a diverse and soulful catalog of contemporary R&B; even when the songwriting is weak, the record sounds first-rate."
Entertainment Weeklys David Thigpen wrote that "past the clichéd album title [...] you'll find satisfying grooves and a few killer love songs, all polished to a high gloss and carried along on Pebbles' seductive whispers and wails [...]
Straight from My Heart serves as a declaration of her independence." ==Track listing==