This book starts with Eric being dumped by his on/off girlfriend Cassie and then wandering into his Dad's office and finding the gun. It then jumps back to a month prior and we meet Leah who is on the heart transplant list and living with an artificial heart carried in a backpack. Leah normally is tutored by Ms. Strong, but one day she calls in sick and Matt comes in and tutors her in Algebra instead. Years ago, back when Leah was healthy, she had the biggest crush on Matt, and we learn that he has always thought she was pretty hot too. Fast forward after the accident and Leah learn she is getting a new heart, but it isn't until she is lying in the hospital recovering after the surgery that she discovers the truth of where the heart came from. The heart turns out to be none other than Matt's twin brother Eric. Leah soon starts to have dreams and nightmares of what looks like Eric's last days and his life, can Leah help Matt who is trying to piece together what happened to his brother as he doesn't believe it was a suicide in his last hours? Will the truth pull Matt and Leah together or will it push them apart? Will Matt look at Leah like he would his brother or will he look at her as the girl who he loved? Find out in C.C Hunter's new book which is a different direction from her more popular series "Shadow Falls."

Noteworthy experiences while reading this book: This book is one that shows you to live each life to the fullest.

Check out author's other books? YES
Recommend this book? YES

Notes and Opinions: I so didn’t know what I was getting into with this title. But man was it amazing. I do wish that the mystery would have been found before the very last chapters. As it kind of felt slightly anticlimactic. I would have loved to see Leah and Matt do some intense mystery thriller of breaking into Cassie’s house and just really get in deep with finding out what happened with Eric, Matt’s twin. Although the story was terrific and the fact of it was that the mystery was not the point. (At least that’s how I felt)

This book is one that shows you to live each life to the fullest. Never give up even when things look down and don’t shut love and risks out of your life. It was very uplifting, and with my oldest daughter’s newest diagnosis of, type 1 diabetes this is a book that I’m giving to her next to read. I think it will really show her that her life is not over. Being diagnosed with something like diabetes or even something worse like aids. They are diseases that can take over your life. But you shouldn’t let them. Yes take precautions but live your life to its fullest!

The other thing I would like to say about this book is that it makes the excellent point to become a donor. One person donating their organs can save multiple lives. Myself, as well as those in my family, are all donors and I wouldn’t think twice about donating to save someone else.
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Go Into This One Knowing: The Mystery is not the central theme of this book.

This book was reviewed by Jessica P.

This is a young adult fiction book so need to keep in mind that the writing is geared toward young adults. I had to remind myself of that at times because of the more juvenile writing. I don't say that it in a critical way. The book is labeled YA.

Organ donation has always been of interest to me. The idea that someone would be willing to donate their organs to help someone else is such a big gift. I am a blessed recipient of a cornea donation and I am getting ready for my second transplant. In no way do I have the challenges as other organ recipients. I do often think of my donor and their family. This family is never far from my mind especially at holidays and special occasions. Now the idea that a second family will experience a tragic loss is a bit hard to handle.

Leah's and Matt's stories were well developed. I understand why the author had the plot with Eric's murder but I felt that could had been avoided. I don't feel that it added that much to the story. To me if felt too much like filler for the real story.

Personally I don't agree with some of the choices that Leah & Matt made about their relationship etc but that wasn't the theme of the book. Living each day and taking nothing for granted is a good reminder for everyone.

I received an ARC of this book for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

A truly phenomenal novel that makes you stop and think about your own life and the decisions you make each and every day. it makes for a page turner that you can't put down.
Leah is in high school, and has an artificial heart. She is waiting for a donor, which means "someone must die for her to have a chance at life."
When Leah is called and told there is a new heart awaiting her, she does not know until a while later whose heart is was. Within a few days she finds out that she has received the heart of another student who died . A person who has a twin brother that Leah is falling in love with.
So much is involved in this book, you will want to keep reading to find out what happened to the donor and who is really involved in the mystery and how can it be solved if the case is closed?
Leah begins to put her life back and in the process discover's a new and improved Leah who states: "I know not every choice I make is going to pan out. But I won't know until I try. And not trying isn't living".
A beautiful story.

This Heart Of Mine by C.C. Hunter a five-star read that you can’t miss. This was my first read by this author and it won’t be the last, it was so good. You get captivated and fall in love with the characters, when you watch Leah as she struggles with her own mortality, things take a twist for her a twist that will change everything. What happens when your crush becomes linked to your life in ways that you couldn’t dream off, until you do. This story deals with so much, there is love and drama but there is also twists and intrigue galore. It’s not all fluff and fairy tale, there is a real story to the plot and everything has a reason in the story all you need to do it read the book to see what the reasons are. Where there is lots of depth and twists you could get lost in a different story but the author has a way with words that keeps you steady and clear. Well done on a great story.

This is a beautifully written book about living and dying, survivor's guilt, and love and moving on. Leah needs a heart transplant. A virus destroyed her heart and she is living with an artificial heart. With a rare blood type, Leah is living her life on borrowed time. I loved Leah. She is wise beyond her years but I guess with everything she has been through she has to be. I love the relationship she has with her parents, her best friend, and new boyfriend. This is a book that will stay with you for a very long time. I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. All opinions are my own.

4 Stars.

Seventeen year-old Leah MacKenzie has a bucket list. At the top of it? Read one hundred books before she dies. The problem? Leah’s days are numbered. She has an artificial heart and she has no idea if she will receive a transplant. She is on the donor list, but Leah has a rare blood type and in her life, infections are not uncommon. Then all of a sudden, it happens - Leah gets a new heart and she has to change her entire outlook on life.

Seventeen year-old Matt has always been a twin. Eric has been by his side since day one. They have been different sides of a coin. They have gotten each other through everything, including their dad’s death. And then one night Matt feels it, the loss. Eric is gone. Everyone says it’s suicide, including the police. Matt, however, knows that Eric wouldn’t kill himself - and he sets out to prove it.

Leah always had a crush on Matt and now, she is bound to Eric and will do whatever she can to help Matt figure out what happened to his twin.

“This Heart of Mine” by C.C. Hunter was a sweet, endearing, easy read that captured my attention quickly and held it. There were times when the novel was serious, sad and incredible sweet. In addition, the subject matter was very important and was handled deftly by the author, while telling one heck of a story.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and C.C. Hunter for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on NetGalley, Goodreads and Twitter on 1.8.18.
*Will be published on Amazon on 2.27.18.

I enjoyed reading this book and was drawn to the story line; it was very different and intriguing. The foundation of the story was solid, I just felt that parts of the execution didn't work for me.

Shy 17 year old, Leah, is awaiting a heart transplant. A popular boy from school, Eric, is found dead of an apparent suicide and Leah is the recipient of his heart. His twin brother, Matt, is the only one who does not believe that his brother killed himself. Leah starts having dreams that lead her to believe Matt: they work together to try and figure out what really happened to Eric.

The story moves quickly and you can't help but keep reading to try and figure out what happens. I knew about half way through what the outcome would be, it was just a matter of how they would get there.

There is a love story that will remind you of those butterfly in your stomach days from your youth. It was cute, but may have been a bit too juvenile for me. I do understand that this was a young adult read and wasn't expecting fireworks, it was just a little too cliche (shy, nerdy girl who doesn't know how pretty she is and super cute, popular jock).

The author did a great job of exploring grief on all fronts: Leah's own grief, her parents anguish, and friends reactions, as well as parent and sibling grief.

Although there were a few bumps, I do feel this book is a worthwhile read. It went quick and kept you engaged.

I really enjoyed this book by C.C. Hunter about Leah and Matt. This story isn't just a romantic read full of fluff, it has depth and brings up the very important topics of life, organ donation, survival and grief. The main character, Leah, is waiting for a heart transplant and she has dealt with the fact that it is a long shot to find someone who will be compatible for her age and blood type. Matt is the boy Leah has crushed on since 7th grade and he comes to fill in for her tutor one day, bringing out all of her old feelings for him. After a swoon worthy smooch, Leah hopes to hear from Matt again but the fresh grief over the loss of his father and fear of losing someone again holds him back. When Matt's brother ends up on his death bed from a gun shot wound that appears to be self inflicted, Matt's mother has to respect his wishes and donate his organs. Leah is the recipient of his heart and the story quickly moves forward from that point when Leah awakes from her transplant with dreams that aren't her own. Brought together by circumstances, Leah and Matt must find out what happened to his brother, both her dreams and his lead them to believe there was foul play. Their relationships is complicated due and beautiful. The development of the love story is well done, full of passion and fear. There are so many strong relationships that are developed in this story, between the friends and family members. One of my favorite parts of this story is the relationship between Leah and her parents. The love of those who have stood by and watched their daughter die to then have to watch her face the other terrors of the world is handled in a beautiful way. The other big topic that this story brings to light is organ donation. The author handled it in a way that really makes the reader evaluate their own personal decisions to donate or not. Reading the authors notes and understanding C.C. Hunter's experience with organ donation in her personal life makes this story even stronger. I loved the way the story was written and I really enjoyed it all, including the murder/suicide investigation and development of first love. I will be looking for more books by C.C. Hunter in the future! Thank you netgalley for the chance to read an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! I'm so happy it was the first book I finished in 2018! It was a great way to start the year, and it means I'm going to have very high standards for everything else I read. I hope they are all just as marvelous!

The entire book has an underlying sadness to it. The grief is palpable and constant. It shows you how different people choose to heal and manage their emotions, but it also shows you that the pain never completely leaves.

The characters are ridiculously relatable. I didn't feel like I was reading a fictional story. I felt like I was reliving someone's life experiences. It was really realistic and there were times I thought, "I do that, too!" Another awesome example: Matt reads Harry Potter and James Dashner. He also reads a romance book and isn't ashamed that he enjoyed it.

The relationship between Matt and Leah was sweet and sincere. They went through their rainbow of emotions, and it was beautiful to watch them come together. The newness of their feelings was light and refreshing, while their circumstances gave it a darker edge.

Leah also has the best Best Friend. I thought it was hilarious, and so very true, when the author included a bathroom scene with the two of them. They can have an entire conversation while taking turns peeing into a toilet, and it's not awkward or weird. It shows just how comfortable they are with each other, and it takes a long time to develop that kind of friendship and ease with another person.

There are literal laugh-out-loud moments, sweet and endearing moments, and moments when you want to take some of their pain away. It was a captivating, emotional, and hilarious story that I plan to read again and again.

I do have one minor issue with the book--it was too easy for me to determine the killer. I had made my assumptions long before the information was actually revealed, and it disappointed me a little. It didn't take away from the overall story, or Matt and Leah, but it was still a bummer. I like to be surprised. I don't mind intentionally knowing something before the characters, but I feel like this revelation was supposed to be shared with them. Instead I'm thinking, "Yep! I knew that was coming!" I wish his identity had been a little harder to discern.

//review to be posted on Goodreads in late March or early February//

By Goodreads's standards, This Heart of Mine, to me, was simply okay. I definitely liked the concept of it: girl receives the heart of twin of her love interest, they both get weird dreams, pseudo-suicide proved to be sketchy. All very interesting things, except the problem with my reading experience was the general bad vibes I got from the book. I know, I know, just saying that one received bad vibes from something isn't really giving enough info to supplement said vibes, for lack of better phrasing, but it was what it was.

Our main characters: high school seniors Leah and Matt. Leah is a nice character. Book ish, applies carpe diem in an unhealthy way, pretty, a tad confusing. Matt exists. Annoying to most people, has a thing for lying, can't let things go, ex-golden guy, too much death, can be nice. I don't have any strong feelings toward either of them, and neither really stuck to me.

The switching POVs threw me off more than they should have. Leah's perspective is always in first person and Matt's in third, which I never ended up getting used to, all the way through to the end of the book. I feel like the transitioning wasn't exactly complete or as smooth as it could've been, even though the author's points were getting across. A few times, I read a page or two into Leah's POV before realizing that it wasn't Matt's life and thoughts and actions that were being described (I'm observant, I know).

Moving past POVs, I harbored some unpleasant feelings toward the characters and their actions.

Leah referred to herself as "New Leah" and her pre-everything self as "Old Leah." It's nice that how she changed was emphasized, but it was borderline just WHY. Realistic in the sense that she's lost a sense of herself, but using the Old and New Leah thing got old really quickly. Relatable. Could've been played out in a more varied way.

Matt was repeatedly stalking and bothering his twin's ex and the people she associated with. A lot of times, with books, it's easy to ignore questionable things that the MCs do because they are the MCs, and things like stalking and harassment are automatically downplayed for Matt in his case, especially because he did what he did for his brother's justice. But nothing he did while reaching his end goal had consequences, emotional, judicial, whatever. You don't just have regular stake outs at someone's house and send your girlfriend in to investigate after the authorities get in your way. And I get that Leah wasn't forced to do anything and Cassie needed pressure to spill her soul out and give us that conclusion but what he did is not okay. Ends! Don't! Justify! Means!

Minor characters didn't blur together, which was a plus. I had general ideas of what kind of people they were and their roles with respect to the MCs and the plot. Other than that, there isn't much I have to say about them. There were a lot of people I guess.

The book itself felt like it was missing things. The plot hole I'm thinking about the most involves Cassie, with her school ditching and creepy phone calls. I guess it's to be assumed that her phone stalker is the murderer, but why exactly was she always ditching school? Everything with Cassie that happened toward the end felt rushed, as if the author decided on a whim that x and y would justify z and just went from there. Maybe just me?

This Heart of Mine was worth the read, that's for sure. I enjoyed the plot, and although I wasn't super involved with the characters and their happenings, it was a nice escape from the world. Thank God for books.

Love and appreciation for Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing yet another unique work! Ending the year well thanks to you!

This is a pretty fast-paced book and versatile book. I appreciated how this story coupled aspects of romance, crime/mystery, coming-of-age adolescence, and medical drama to keep the constantly engaging. These different aspects appeared to take up separate space in the main characters' lives as the story progressed, which helped to keep the reader hooked. The ending of the murder-mystery aspect of the story was totally unexpected! I thought the clues provided lead up to the ending smoothly, providing the reader with just enough information to keep me, as the reader, in the dark while maintaining my interest.

The combination of the medical drama, coming-of-age, and romance aspects of this story all make up the complications and joys of Matt and Leah's relationship. I was a little conflicted with the popular-jock-boy/not-popular-girl coupling because it's a cliche, but the focus on the high school power-dynamic between the two characters only took up a few moments in the story. I liked their relationship for how deeply they cared about each other, but as Leah points out, much of their relationship is based on their trauma. Their initial interest in each other appeared to be based on a shallow, distant crush they have had on each other since middle school. 

Leah's character development was satisfying in that she learns to come into her own skin, speak her mind, and live her life to the fullest. The book's focus on organ donors carried more weight after reading the author's note at the end of the novel, which revealed the personal experience the author has with this issue. The story is about living life to the fullest, but the author is also trying to make a statement about the importance of becoming an organ donor, which is an issue that goes beyond the genre this story has been placed in (young adult). 

Overall, a satisfying read which has reaffirmed my decision to be an organ donor! 

I don't think I'd include this book as a part of my curriculum because the main issue about organ donations might not be something that I would address in class, but I think I would include it in a classroom library.

Let's start by saying thAt I love the author! I have read all of her other books and I can just say that C. C. Hunter did not disappointed with book. It outlines the importance of being an organ donor, and the struggles of a young girl waiting for a heart transplant. I love Leah and Matts romance however it was the story of lost that really drove me to finish the book and fall in love with both characters.

I, the crazy one by the covers, could not resist this cute one and everything got worse after I saw the synopsis, because I read very few books with some protagonist being transplanted and better yet having a mysterious death behind it. Okay ! I had to read this book ...
The book tells the story of strength and courage of Leah, a girl who because of a virus needs to use an artificial heart to stay alive and yet not knowing until when. When she gets a chance to get close to her crush Matt, she does not waste time (after all, there is not much, right?) and tries to be a different girl from the quiet and sick Leah.
Matt in counterpart even liking Leah is in a difficult time of his life having lost people he loves, failing to help his mother overcome the losses and still being haunted by his brother's alleged suicide. When Leah returns to appear in his life with a new heart and willing to help him elucidate Eric's death, Matt realizes that Leah is much more than a sweet and beautiful girl and that the connection between them is much stronger than they imagined before.
As my copy is an ARC, I had some difficulty in realizing right from the beginning that in the same chapter I had Leah's POV in the first person and Matt in third, several times I had to stop to understand who was speaking, I believe and I hope that the writer could do some separation in the definitive copy, as this disrupts the fluidity of the story.
After I got into the rhythm of the plot then I started getting very involved with the characters, their pains and insecurities, it was fascinating to see how a person receiving an organ from another feels. Not only emotionally but physically. The writer was very thorough with everything that happened to Leah and it drew me even more into the book.
I loved much the way how little by little Matt and Leah were indulging in the feelings they were feeling for each other and how during this process they were dealing with the discoveries about the death of Eric. For me it was really surprising how it all happened, the only thing I found very flawed was that the writer gave a great emphasis to this event throughout the book and at the crucial moment of everything, she went over several details and left the explanation undefined and full of gaps returning to emphasize Leah's crisis about being loved and her sick heart. What was really a shame as I was willing to give 6 stars, but as the book is still going to be released in February there is still time to correct this detail and give a rounder resolution to Eric’s death, explaining from the beginning how everything happened.
Other than that, the ending was beautiful, Matt confirms to be the prince charming that stole my heart throughout the plot and Leah gives us an exciting moment, making me reread the final chapters at least three times .
What I found most interesting was also discovering that the writer usually writes fantasy and this was a book that came from a real experience that she had. So very beautiful her final letter.
4/5 stars

A well written YA romance/mystery. The characters and story drew me in and I enjoyed this quick read. The plot follows a Leah, a young girl who has a heart transplant which causes he to have dreams of the death of the donor. This connects her to Matt, the rain brother of her donor. I found it predictable, but that isn't a bad thing. I enjoyed the book .

This book is amaze balls. I fell in love with Leah and Matt's relationship and them individually. Throughout the book, they show one should never lose hope and love. I got different emotions from reading this story. I'm thankful for having this opportunity to have read this book.

I received an ARC copy from netgalley for my honest review,  so thank you netgalley and publishers for offering me this book! ♡
This story is about Leah, a young girl with a new heart, and Matt, a young boy whose twin brother just killed himself. Leah ended up getting Matt's dead brother's heart. This was my first book by this author,  I enjoyed it, It was fast paced for the most part but at times it felt slow and just alltogether an easy read. ♡ I give this book a 3.5 star rating!

ARC provided by NetGalley and St. Martin's Press

---3.5 stars, leaning 3 stars
I liked this book.
I liked the overall premise, and thought the concept of it was interesting.
I enjoyed the characters, and though the novel was about a sad topic (probable suicide, potentially terminal illness), it wasn't a sad book. It was a hopeful book about falling in love (and solving a mystery).

With that said, I found myself wanting a bit more.
More what? I'm not exactly sure. But something.
I think everything just wrapped up a bit too neatly? There was no ultimate conflict, there was no ultimate finale. It just ended, and it was okay.

**Side Note: My ARC copy was unfinished, and I'm really hoping the publisher makes it more obvious that the perspective from Matt to Leah is changing, because it was all kind of one big mash up. There were also weird paragraph breaks. I could find that being really frustrating for readers that don't like changed perspective novels, and need an obvious break point to switch gears. There were times it took me a good three to four sentences to figure out who was thinking/talking at that exact moment. So long as that's updated, my review stays at 3 stars.

I have no other words to describe how I feel about this book other than to say I love it! I will be recommending this book to others for a long time. Thank you C.C. Hunter for writing this book based on such a personal experience for you and your family. Thank you NetGalley for making E-ARCs available.

This Heart of Mine follows Leah, a young girl with a new heart, and Matt, a young boy whose twin brother just killed himself, resulting in.. you guessed it- Leah getting his dead brother's heart.

Overall, this book was cute. I think the mystery of Eric's death felt.. off. The book felt so divided. I think that focusing on one aspect (their relationship) or another (the mystery) would have made it more cohesive and readable. By the end, I was a little bored. However, the author's note at the end was heartbreaking, and it answered my question throughout reading; I felt like she perfectly captured this unique perspective (Leah's). Turns out, she has some experience in the transplant department :)