Cross My Heart by Megan Collins

Thank you to @atriabooks, @megancollinswriter, and @netgalley for the chance to read this #advancedreadercopy in exchange for my #honestbookreview! This book is available now on Aardvark and where books are sold.

This is a slow burn that builds to an intense thriller! Is our narrator reliable? Does she have split personalities? Who is the villain?! It has an incredible formula: fan to potential lovers, feelings of being watched, an author drawing inspiration from very messed up events of real life, a spiraling mystery, and a narrator who is a Swiftie! I highly recommend for someone looking for their next great suspense read!

TWs: loss of a loved one, trauma, health issues, g*slighting, st*lking, more

✨ - 4.5/5

Holy moly. This was the equivalent of that big scary rollercoaster that’s inviting you to sit in front of the cart because deep down you’re an adrenaline junkie, your heart is racing a million miles a second on the way up and all of sudden you go over the edge and around the sharp curves and you’re screaming for your life. Yeah, that was this book.

This was full of twists that will give you whiplash, different formatted chapters that made for easy reading, and a unique plot. I really enjoyed the book overall, however, some parts were way too convoluted and I lost a bit of interest.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this eArc of Cross Your Heart by Megan Collins. This was my first book by her and definitely won’t be my last.

I’m just really unsure how to feel about this book. I liked the storyline and thought I’d love the book, but I’m honestly not a huge fan of it. Rosie is so set on finding love that she becomes obsessive throughout the book. She tries way too hard and it’s off putting. I had a wtf moment when part two of the book started to unfold and it drew my attention a little more than the first part did which was nice. It has a little bit of a twist to it, but I found myself skimming pages just to get to the end & find out what exactly happened. There was way too much going on all at once.

Another great thriller from Megan Collins. This one is so compelling, feels fresh in a genre that is hard to find something unique! I was guessing the entire time, and still couldn't place my finger on what was happening (in a good way, not a confusing way). This was a great one for my book slump!

Rosie Lachlan is the recipient of a heart transplant. Before her heart transplant, her heart was broken by her boyfriend when he dumped her. Rosie believes her new heart is from Daphne Thorne, wife of best-selling author Morgan Thorne. Rosie e-mails the donor family using the DonorConnect system, which allows the recipient and the donor family to remain anonymous unless they decide to reveal their identity. She is obsessed with sending messages to Morgan Thorne and reading the messages she receives from him. Rosie believes her new heart will automatically know Morgan Thorne, and that Morgan will feel connected to her because of Daphne’s heart. However, Rosie learns that not everyone loves Morgan Thorne and some even believe he killed his wife. Although she hasn’t met him yet, Rosie starts to wonder if she could be putting herself in danger. Regardless, she forges ahead with learning more about Morgan Thorne and Daphne. Rosie is in love with love and will do anything to find “the one”. I found the story engaging from the first page, and I enjoyed the mostly short chapters. At the halfway point, there was a big change in perspective that I found confusing. Things do wrap up at the end, but I just didn't enjoy that switch in the middle.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC for review.

This was a great thriller type book. Fast paced and well written with lots of romantic over the top feelings. At first I was very shocked by Rosie’s perspective but as a whole arc it shouldn’t have been so jarring which makes it a great story in both directions.

Rosie receives a heart transplant and gets in contact with the window of her heart. They email back and forth and she starts to picture meeting him and connecting in person. She is just off a break up so her emotions are high. She meets another gal also off a break up and they bond. As she gets closer and deeper into her romance with Morgan he ends up dead.

Now she investigates further to find out why someone is framing her. Truly so unique of a story line and I really liked the wrap up to gain perspective to the beginning where she really did come off bad!

I loved the concept of Cross My Heart a lot, but unfortunately this suffers the same feat as many thrillers I've read lately where it tries to do too much and goes off the rails in the end. I also feel like the way the book is marketed in the blurb is different from the execution of this novel, which feels a little like false advertising—if that's even the right word for it.

I found the writing to be easy to digest and engaging, but I was totally thrown off and fatigued by the constant Taylor Swift name drops/song references. I know there are adult women who enjoy her music and persona, but her and her music come across as very childish to me so I, in turn, felt like Rosie was incredibly childish as well—it didn't help that she had some of the worst logic and reasoning skills, which made her difficult to root for.

As is the case for many thrillers, Morgan, the MMC and object of multiple women's affections, did not feel like an engaging or interesting enough character to warrant all the hullabaloo. Nina was the worst friend in the world, and I'm glad she's not mine. The storyline with ~other Rosie~ was a bit challenging to understand in the sense of the "why" behind it. I like the best friend is jealous trope, but it was a stretch here.

Overall, I didn't mind the writing style and would read more from this author again, but too many moving parts makes for a chaotic read.

3 ⭐️

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

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?

This one had everything that I love in a psychological thriller. It was a big surprise! I was OBSESSED and captivated by the story. This one is truly mind-blowing! It was Amazing!

This is a twisty read! One of the twists had my jaw dropped to the floor. This book was CRAZY!

When I first started reading the book, I noticed that there were email messages and text messages throughout the book, which is not my cup of tea and I was worried. But these messages were so good and interesting and I ended up loving them.

My favorite character was Rosie. I just loved her. All she wants is to find the one. She wants to be loved. She had a heart transplant. She has pink hair and I can't wait for you to meet Rosie.

I was flipping the pages fast. I couldn't put this book down. It was a page turner. This was an unpredictable read.
OMG! OMG! That ending!! I didn't see it coming.

I want to thank Netgalley and Atria Books for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Cross My Heart by Megan Collins
Rosie, a heart transplant recipient contacts her donor's husband via email. Is it a love connection or a deadly connection? Wow. This novel had me on the edge of my seat. Just when I thought I had it figured out, I realized I didn't. Told through multiple POVs, fast paced, unreliable characters and so many plot twists. Written in multiple POVs in email format for most of the story which was unique. Thank you to @netgalley @atriabooks @megancollins for the ARC ebook of Cross My Heart

Megan Collins’ Cross My Heart is a haunting and evocative psychological thriller that explores themes of grief, guilt, identity, and the moral complexities of human desire. The novel centers on Rosie Lachlan, a young woman who received a heart transplant and, in the wake of her recovery, becomes obsessed with the life of the woman who donated the organ—specifically, with the woman's husband.

Rosie’s internal struggle is captivating. She feels an undeniable pull toward the donor's widowed husband, who becomes a symbol of connection to the woman whose heart now beats within her chest. This fixation raises a series of ethical and emotional questions that will keep readers engaged throughout the narrative: Does Rosie have a right to claim this connection, or is she simply projecting her own desires onto a man who has no idea of her obsession? The tension between longing and guilt, and between the lines of fate and free will, creates a deeply compelling atmosphere.

In conclusion, Cross My Heart is a beautifully written, haunting novel that blends mystery with psychological drama. Collins does an excellent job of exploring complex themes through the eyes of a relatable and vulnerable protagonist. If you’re drawn to books that delve into the darker side of the human condition and the lengths people will go to in their search for connection, this book is definitely worth the read.

If you are in the market for unhinged female protagonists then look no further than Cross My Heart. The story centres around a recovering heart transplant patient Rosie Lachlan who connects with the donor's husband. What follows is a twisty story of obsession, stalking, social media addiction, all in the name of love.

Read this if you like:
-unreliable narrators and unlikeable, questionable supporting characters
-twists and turns with some red herrings
-a wow reveal halfway thru that you don't see coming
-the world of heart transplants including the recovery and emotional toil
-bridal shop work setting
-did they or didn't they trope
-secrets and lies
-gaslighting
-negative effects of social media
-the literary world of bestselling authors versus published poets
-questionable use of real life trauma as writing material
-use of emails, poetry, and texts to add dimension to story

My rating 3.75 out of 5 (I wanted more of a wow ending so I took off .5)

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this eARC that will be published January 14 2025.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an early copy of this book in exchange of a honest review. I loved this book and read it in one sitting. I loved the characters and the storyline. I was surprised of some of the twists in this book. I would definitely recommend this book.

Every single character in this book is nuts and I ate up every second of it! This book is full of obsession, questionable behavior, and a few twists I didn’t see coming. There’s a huge OMG moment at the midpoint which completely changes the trajectory of the storyline and, because everyone is a little bit sus, it was hard to pin down who I wanted to blame. This book is perfectly bingeable and the audio makes it easy to finish in a day! I simply couldn’t stop listening!

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy.

Megan Collins always writes a twisty suspense novel and this one is no different. There are twists and red herrings and although I had guesses, I was second guessing myself right up until the last few chapters. It started out kind of slow but quickly picked up the pace, and by the end, I couldn't put it down.

This was exactly the book I needed to binge during the Louisiana Snow-pocalypse of 2025!

It took a bit to get into this book, but it ended up being quite good. I enjoyed the character development, all of the red herrings, and the resolution.

I gave this 4.5 stars!

**POSSIBLE SPOILERS**

This was a classic friend who falls in love with her best friend, jealousy type story... but with some major twists and turns. I found the beginning was slow to start, but once the story picked up pace...it did not stop and definitely kept me guessing!

Thank you, NetGalley, Megan Collins, and Atria Books, for a copy in exchange for an honest review!

"It was debilitating work, turning my pain into a prison, but disturbingly easy, too, because just like {spoiler}, I'd pinned my happiness on somebody else."

Wow, this thriller... wow. I am on an 'unhinged women' streak this year and I loved all of this book. At 50% my jaw DROPPED and I had to rethink everything I read before it. Cross My Heart by Megan Collins is such a unique thriller. Rosie Lachlan has had a lot of heartbreak in her life with guys and, well, literally her heart breaking. She recently had a heart transplant and she finds out the recipient was her favorite author's wife who was tragically found dead. Rosie starts to become obsessed with Morgan Thorne the author via DonorConnect where she can anonymously communicate with him, During her obsessive deep dives she begins to see clues that maybe his wife died a very untimely and tragic death.. by him. This book is super layered and really touches on so much of love, gas lighting, and just how women feel the need to change themselves for the love of a man. I truly loved this book and highly recommend. You gotta love a book with great Taylor Swift references too! Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC.

Loved the concept of this! I thought it was so unique. There were often times where I cringed at what the main character did, but that was the point. I loved it so much!

Collins Captivates Again
The frigid weather we’ve been experiencing lately has been good for one thing: curling up with a great book. And "Cross My Heart" by Megan Collins was exactly that—a thrilling and thought-provoking read that I couldn’t put down. This is my third Megan Collins book, and while it didn’t quite reach the five-star heights of her previous works for me, it’s still a solid four-star read that captivated me from the very first page to the final twist.

"Cross My Heart" is a dark, twisted tale of love, loss, and obsession. The story follows Rosie Lachlan, a woman recovering from both a heart transplant and the heartbreak of being left at the altar a year earlier. As she adjusts to her new life, Rosie begins to suspect her heart donor was Daphne Thorne, the wife of local celebrity author Morgan Thorne. Compelled by this connection, Rosie reaches out to Morgan through an anonymous platform called Donor Connect, hoping to uncover more about Daphne—and herself.

What follows is a suspenseful journey filled with unexpected twists and shocking revelations. Rosie’s need for answers pulls her deeper into Morgan’s world, where truths blur with lies, and nothing is as it seems. The novel expertly keeps readers guessing, unraveling the layers of both Rosie’s and Morgan’s lives until a jaw-dropping conclusion.

If you enjoy psychological thrillers with a romantic edge, "Cross My Heart" is a must-read. Megan Collins once again proves her talent for crafting gripping, emotionally charged stories that linger long after the final page.

Thank you to NetGalley, Megan Collins, and Atria Books for the ebook. This was a thrilling, fast-paced read that kept me hooked from start to finish. The unique trope had my mind racing, and the ending left me with plenty to think about. Highly recommended!