This was such a fun book. I was instantly hooked and had to know where it was going. I felt like it got a little on the slower side about half way in, but it was still a great read and kept me on my toes. I would highly recommend this one!

Cross My Heart is a tense, layered psychological thriller about family secrets and the lengths people go to protect them. The pacing is steady, with plenty of unease and twists that keep you second-guessing everyone.

Rosie has been unlucky in love and has experienced heartbreak. Is she picking the wrong guys, or does her obsession with finding The One and getting married drive them away? As for the heartbreak, I mean figuratively and literally... her heart stopped functioning and she was fortunate to get a donor and have life-saving heart replacement surgery.
When someone in the hospital hints at who the donor was, Rosie continues her obsessive ways. Her favorite author's wife recently died, and it appears it is her heart that she received. When they start communicating via the donor website, a strange relationship begins. They both reveal secrets, but also a flirtation begins.
She soon discovers some disturbing facts about the author and his wife's death. She finds herself more and more drawn to him, even as she questions his involvement in his wife's death.
The twists and turns keep coming, and it's a fun and interesting book. Yet- I don't really like any of the characters. While I enjoyed some of the unrealistic plot twists, there was a little something missing for me. Not to say it's not a fun read, because it is. I'm rounding up to 3.5 stars on this one.

Rosie is the recipient of a heart from a donor. It came from a man's wife that is a writer. Rosie can communicate with Morgan through a donor app. Rosie is searching for the love of her life and believes she has found that through Morgan.
Rosie wants nothing more than to desperately meet Morgan except Morgan ends up dead.
Seems Rosie is being investigated because Morgan already met Rosie, shared a kiss with her, and has already invited her into his home
2 Rosies? or is Rosie having a physiological breakdown

Cross My Heart by Megan Collins takes a bold premise—love born from a new heart—and spins it into a tense page turner. A compelling choice for fans of twisted love stories and suspenseful stories!

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book had a great plot and twist! A mysterious mmc, a desperate fmc, what could go wrong? I really enjoyed this read.

Cross My Heart is a dark, emotionally charged thriller that explores the bonds of family, the scars of trauma, and the secrets that refuse to stay buried. The story centers around two women—best friends since childhood—who were raised in a secretive, insular community designed to shield them from a dangerous world. When a tragedy from the past resurfaces and threatens to unravel their carefully constructed lives, long-held secrets come to light. As truths are revealed and loyalties tested, the characters must confront the reality of their shared history and the consequences of the choices they've made.
I really enjoyed this thriller—in fact, I binged it in a single day. Megan Collins delivers a unique and haunting story that immediately pulled me in. The premise felt fresh, and I was deeply invested in the characters and the emotional complexity behind their relationships. The pacing was tight, the suspense steady, and the storytelling rich with atmosphere. What set this book apart was how it blended psychological suspense with nuanced character development, making it more than just a page-turner. Cross My Heart is a gripping, emotionally layered thriller that kept me hooked from start to finish.

Wow this book kept me at the edges of my seat the whole time..... this was my first book from this author and won't be my last 🤩

Thank you so much to netgalley and the author for the advance copy for review. Unfortunately I could not get into this story. I will definitely try this author again in the future.

From the very first chapter, this book pulled me into a whirlwind of suspense! I was completely hooked by Rosie Lachlan’s obsession with her heart donor’s husband—and the growing feeling that his wife’s death wasn’t an accident. Trust me, the less you know before diving in, the better—the twists will definitely catch you off guard.

The structure of the book added so much to the experience. The twists were so unexpected, I actually gasped out loud more than once trying to figure out what was really going on. It’s a wild, addictive read with intriguing characters and a super fun, fast-paced format. Highly recommend if you’re into twisty thrillers!

I love all of Megan Collins’ books but this one was particularly intriguing. While I know the particulars of most who-done-it’s from the beginning, I did not figure out the intricacies of “Cross My Heart” until the author wanted me to.

Read carefully. The many nuances of this novel will slip by you if you don’t. This is one of the best books I have read in years!


I received an ARC from Simon & Schuster through NetGalley. This in no way affects my review or ratting of this book. I am voluntarily submitting this review and am under no obligation to do so.

This book was an interesting read. I was drawn into the story based on the fact that Rosie received a heart transplant. (I have a friend who has had 3 kidney transplants. So anything related to transplants always grabs my attention.) This one definitely has you feeling edge as you wonder the real story behind how the woman died whose heart was donated to Rosie. There are lots of twists and turns … some maybe a little over the top … and way too many characters you need to remember. An okay read, but I felt myself a little overwhelmed and not enjoying the book as much as I had hoped.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

Fiction
Mystery
Mystery Thriller
Psychological Thriller
Suspense
Thriller

A twisty masterpiece! One of the most fun and thrilling books I've read in awhile. Part twisty thriller, part feminist examination of why interesting girls fall crazy in love with less worthy guys, this book was about the great lengths some of us gals will go to for love. Rosie is a heart transplant recipient who falls in love with her donor's partner over e-mail and social media stalking -- and she busies herself trying to become the woman she thinks he wants her to be. But slowly she realizes that this bestselling author and local Lothario may not be the dreamboat she thinks he is. I loved Rosie's unique voice and her sometime craziness for love, coupled with her growing awareness that her quasi-stalking was unhealthy. This was also a great whodunit - I was surprised both by the murder and the person who did it. Sprinkle in some fun with unreliable narration and several killer twists and you have the recipe for a five-star read.

Wow, I really enjoyed this book! This was my first read by Megan Collins, and I can’t wait to read more of her work! I loved the Taylor Swift references and song titles. I had so many theories, but none of them were correct. I love when a book can surprise me!!

This book had me hooked from the very beginning! There were so many twists and turns that I honestly never knew where the story was headed. At first, I thought it was mainly about the connection forming between Rosie, the heart recipient, and the heart donor’s surviving husband — and I figured that was the whole story. But wow, I was so wrong! This book constantly kept me guessing and reminded me not to assume anything too soon. The suspense had me questioning everyone right up until the very end. I really enjoyed this one and can’t wait to check out more of the author’s previous work.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this free advanced copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A fun twisty, thriller that leaves you guessing and questioning what you read. I enjoyed this very much

Amazing story! Gripping ! Captivating! Thrilling! Rosie had a heart transplant and finds out who the donor was. She becomes obsessed with the donor’s husband and wants him for herself. She manages to correspond with him anonymously through DonorConnect who passes messages to them. But here is where the twists begin and there are many!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Every time I thought I knew who done it, I was wrong (that might just be that I am terrible at predicting). This audiobook kept me hooked the entire time. The narrators did such an amazing job keeping the suspense. Rosie gets a heart transplant and is connected to her donor's husband through an anonymous forum thereafter. They develop quite a strong relationship through this forum and Rosie is able to figure out who her donor's husband is. In this, the press has speculated on the circumstances on how his wife became a donor, and Rosie gets caught up in the mystery of it all. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the gifted physical ARC and eARC. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this twisty novel. Thank you so, so much to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for allowing me to read this title!

Blurb:
She has his wife’s heart; the one she wants is his.

Rosie Lachlan wants nothing more than to find The One.

A year after she was dumped in her wedding dress, she’s working at her parents’ bridal salon, anxious for a happy ending that can’t come soon enough. After receiving a life-saving heart transplant, Rosie knows her health is precious and precarious. She suspects her heart donor is Daphne Thorne, the wife of local celebrity author Morgan Thorne, who she begins messaging via an anonymous service called DonorConnect, ostensibly to learn more about Daphne. But Rosie has a secret: She’s convinced that now that she has his wife’s heart, she and Morgan are meant to be together.

As she and Morgan correspond, the pretense of avoiding personal details soon disappears, even if Rosie’s keeping some cards close to her chest. But as she digs deeper into Morgan’s previous marriage, she discovers disturbing rumors about the man she’s falling for. Could Morgan have had something to do with his late wife’s death? And can Rosie’s heart sustain another break—or is she next?

Catching up on some long-overdue reviews after surviving the absolute madness that is the end of the school year! 😅 If you’re not in the education world, it’s hard to truly grasp how chaotic those final weeks can be—report cards, classroom clean-up, field days, and all the emotional goodbyes. But now that things are slowing down, I’m finally diving back into my TBR and sharing my thoughts on some of the incredible reads I devoured during the mayhem.
Okay, book besties… buckle up, because this one was a WILD ride from page one! Megan Collins delivers a dark, twisty, totally original story that had me questioning EVERYTHING.
The premise? A heart transplant patient becomes romantically obsessed with her donor’s husband. YES, you read that right. It’s haunting, compulsive, and so unsettling in the most delicious way.
I was immediately hooked by the eerie vibes and layered characters. Everyone in this book is a little messy, a little mysterious, and 100% unforgettable. And the twists? Y’all, my jaw was on the FLOOR multiple times. Just when I thought I had it figured out… NOPE. Plot twist.
If you’re into morally gray characters, emotional obsession, and stories that blur the line between love and madness, this is your next must-read. Megan Collins knows how to keep readers in a chokehold until the very last page.
Highly recommend picking this one up—preferably when you have a whole day to binge it, because once you start, there’s no going back!