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!

4.25 stars

This was a ride. I was excited to get to this on my TBR since I really enjoyed this author's book last year, "Thicker Than Water". This one follows Rosie, who recently had a heart transplant, and finds out she received the donated heart of a woman who was married to her favorite (male) author, Morgan. They start to correspond through the anonymous Donor Connect server, and Rosie wonders if her new heart has maintained a connection to Morgan even after the transplant, or if this is all her. 

Rosie is a very optimistic and romantic woman, but she isn't dumb--when she starts hearing rumors online that maybe Morgan's wife's death wasn't accidental, and that he could have had something to do with it, she's wary. And so are her friends and family. Because this wouldn't be the first time that Rosie got wrapped up in a romance that she should have run from. 

I won't spoil anything here, but the twists were twisting in this book, and I did not see literally anything coming. That rarely happens to me in a thriller, and it made this so much fun! I also really loved Rosie and her voice. She was so different than me, but felt very real and like someone I'd be friends with. She had such a bright outlook that even the dark subject matter in this book ended up feeling almost light and fun to read. Also loved all the Taylor Swift references. I will keep picking up Megan Collins' work--can't wait for the next one! Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

“All those dresses. All those beaming brides. All the white, white, white—a perfect, too-clean canvas for the blood still pulsing through my mind.”

The best way that I can describe what it’s like to read this book is like sitting on the side of the road and watching a head-on collision, knowing that there’s nothing that you can do to stop it, but not being able to look away.

4.5 stars! This book was just so fast paced and compulsively readable. It it told its multiple formats including chapters, email exchanges, voicemail transcripts, and texts. Very relevant to the times.

And the TWIST. The. Twist. I actually had to pause while reading like huh? Wait what?! I may or may not have actually flipped back into the story to make sure I read it all correctly. Gahh the best kind of twist!

“Breakups are more than heartache. They derail the life you thought you had—which only throws everything else off track. Your plans for the future. Your routines. Your sense of worth. Even once the dust settles, you’re left with disorienting fog. Internal chaos. And what’s a person to do with that?”

Thank you to Netgalley, Atria Books (the resident book fairy), and Megan Collins for the gifted ARC!

The premise of this one was (for me anyway) super unique and I had no idea where this story was headed!

Out now!
Grab this one if you love:
-unique storyline
-twists upon twists
-mixed media (emails between certain characters)
-super bingable

Now, I know our girl Rosie has had a few ROUGH months but I found it so hard to want the best for her when she seemed like such a hot mess and a bit OTT in her desire to find The One (eye roll, lol). Towards the end I was able to feel for her a little more but it took a while to get there.

The TWISTS keep coming. There were lots of times I had no clue who to trust, what was going on, or what was real. It was a great ride!

I loved the use of emails in Part One to tell the story.

Thank you to Atria Books for my copy of CROSS MY HEART. This one is out Jan 14.

I really did just gobble this whole book up. I'm becoming a big Megan Collins fan, and her newest one is no exception. I loved the characters, the subtle nods to other authors in the genre, and the snacks. Oh boy, this one made me crave all the sweets mentioned! SO MANY SWEETS. Get yourself a danish or cinnamon bun and a copy of CROSS MY HEART and thank me later.

✨ The Vibes ✨
Taylor Swift inspired suspense (with a dash of romance)

📖 Read if…
✨ You want a thriller that is unsettling, but not scary
✨ Taylor Swift is always on your Spotify Wrapped
✨ You’re not opposed to some romance in your thrillers

Megan Collins has written some of the most unique thrillers out there, and her latest, Cross My Heart cements her reputation as a must-read author for all thriller fans.

Cross My Heart opens with Rosie, a recent heart transplant recipient who is falling in love with someone new. The catch? His dead wife was Rosie’s donor. It’s a really creative premise that has plenty of drama built in, but Collins is able to elevate the premise even further with the secrets each character is hiding.

This is one of those stories that leaves you constantly questioning what you’ve read (but in a good way). It’s full of clues and surprises but it never feels muddled or confusing – it’s basically a perfect thriller. And on top of that, the story has a strong emotional arc. It’s easy to write Rosie off as being crazy, but Collins does a great job of humanizing Rosie and deconstructing the way our society so often labels women’s emotions as ‘craziness’. I think every reader will empathize with Rosie at some point in the story as, without giving anything away, she goes through a lot and getting to see how she heals and comes out the other side made the ending even more satisfying.

This is perfect for any thriller fan that wants a story with equal parts plot and character development, but I think it would also be a good pick for romance fans who are looking to branch into thrillers as romance is very key to the story. Swifties will also find a lot to love as there is a lot of thematic overlap with her songs.

Cross My Heart is out now. Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

WOW! I read this book in 2 sittings, and only because I had to go to sleep and wake up for work the next day. This book was so intriguing, entertaining, and twisted! The author is a great writer. She writes from different POVs and makes each POV unique and true to its author. Also, learning about heart transplants and hearing about this, even from a fictional POV, was informational and also kind of frightening in its own way. I liked the snippets of email correspondence and text messages throughout as well. Overall, great book and so fun to read!

I love a story with a good twist and this one had me saying “wait, what!” more than once. The premise of this was unlike other thrillers and taught me things about heart donation that I never knew. Our MC, Rosie, was sweet and loving but very naive - while I wanted to root for her she made me cringe with her various choices. The ending really brings everything full circle with our MC which I thought was genius.

This book was an easy read, but that was about it. I had high expectations after seeing it online, but it ultimately fell flat for me. The beginning was promising, and I enjoyed it at first, but by the time I was three-quarters of the way through, I just wanted it to end. I couldn't connect with the main character, nor her parents or her best friend Nina—they just never felt supportive of anything she did. There was little character development; by the end, she was back to the same place she started, as if she hadn't learned anything. I just sat there like WTF, because the ending was just not what I was expecting. I really wanted to like it, and the premise seemed intriguing, but it just wasn't for me.

The pacing also felt off—slow in some places, and then rushed in others, especially toward the finale. It felt like the author tried to cram too much into too little time, leaving key plot points underdeveloped and characters’ actions unclear. The twists, while attempting to be shocking, felt forced and predictable. By the end, I wasn't invested in the story or the characters, which made the climax fall completely flat.

Overall, I couldn't shake the feeling that the book lacked depth. I wanted more substance, more growth, and more emotional payoff. Unfortunately, it just didn’t deliver.

Cross My Heart by Megan Collins is the perfect mix of heart-pounding suspense and psychological depth. Rosie Lachlan is still recovering from being jilted at the altar—oh, and she also received a life-saving heart transplant. No biggie, right? But Rosie’s convinced her donor is Daphne Thorne, the wife of a famous author. So, naturally, she starts anonymously messaging the widowed Morgan, thinking their shared heart connection is fate. But as their correspondence intensifies, Rosie’s dream of a love story takes a dark turn.

Collins masterfully combines intrigue and emotion in this fast-paced thriller. Rosie’s mix of hope and obsession is both relatable and chilling—how far would you go for a second chance at love? And as Rosie digs deeper into Morgan’s past, the line between fate and fantasy blurs, leading to twists that will keep you guessing.

With razor-sharp prose and unexpected turns, Cross My Heart is a psychological ride that examines love, loss, and obsession. You won’t just turn the last page—you’ll still be thinking about it long after.

Prepare for a rollercoaster of emotions and a mystery that will make you question whether your heart really knows what it wants.

Wow. This one was a doozy.

Our narrator is Rosie, a young woman whose heart has been recently broken (both literally and figuratively) and has received a heart transplant. Hoping to start afresh, she is on the look for love, and just happens to be romantically interested in the widower of the woman whose heart is now beating in her chest. Who just happens to be handsome and charming. And who just happens to write murder mysteries for a living. And... who has been accused by some of murdering his wife.

Rosie narrates our tale for the most part and although she can be facepalmingly naïve and desperately needs to find a good therapist, I did find her a protagonist I wanted to root for.

This is a very suspenseful, entertaining, voicey, plotty thriller that will keep you guessing. My jaw literally dropped at one point and I am an old jaded curmudgeon who is usually disappointed in modern thrillers.

Perfect page-turner when you want some well-written brain candy!

Cross My Heart
By: Megan Collins
Pub date: Jan 14 2025
Publisher: Atria Books
3 🩷🩷 🩷

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t often read thrillers but definitely enjoyed this one. I spent a lot of time trying to keep the facts straight so I could try to figure out what was going to happen. Rosie had me stressed with her stalker-like behaviour and I had to laugh at the end when she seemed to be back at it again.

I do recommend this one if you are into thrillers!

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the e-arc!
*All opinions are my own.

WOAAAAHHH. This was a crazy ride, lol. This is what I mean when I say I want a fast-paced thriller! I devoured this book in only 1 day. It definitely kept me on the edge of my seat and needing to know what happens next .. (because boyyyy was there *a lot* happening!).

The premise of the storyline was super intriguing to begin with- but I had no idea it would play out the way it did!
I went back and forth so many times, between thinking I had it all figured out, to being completely shocked. So definitely a double thumbs up for plot twists.
The ONLY complaint I have, is that it was a little confusing at times- I found myself having to backtrack every so often to re read/refresh.
It was a bit hard to keep track of certain things/people, I think because of all the craziness going on. That being said, that did not take away from the writing itself. This author is SUPER talented.
Adding her backlist to my TBR for sure!!

Overall, this is definitely a unique, fun, enjoyable read if you love fast-paced thrillers with obsessive/stalker vibes!

This started out intriguing with a start similar to a YOU by Caroline Kepnes vibe. Despite not fully clicking with the writing style, I liked the setup and the initial surprise, but after the halfway point the story really started to lose me and read cheesy instead of keeping me engaged.

The writing was not great - every character read like it was written by the same author, not like a real person with dimension. There were only so many characters so it felt obvious to me who the bad guy was & the ending felt very Scooby Doo in a bad way. This might be more successful for someone more new to reading thrillers or looking for an easy palate cleanser type of read.

Thank you to the publisher for granting me access to an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions remain my own.

This was my first book by this author and I went into it not knowing much about it, other than the rave reviews I’ve seen.

I absolutely fell in love with it! I love the emailing format and the dual view points between Rosie and Morgan. Right away I was invested. Lots of crazy twists and lies that gave me whiplash! Sooo good!! Just when you think you know where things are going, it switches. I devoured this book in under 24 hours!

I am now going to look up other books by this author. I love her writing style!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

📚Newly Published review📚

Cross My Heart by @megancollinswriter
@atriabooks

Thanks to @atriabooks @megancollinswriter @netgalley for the digital arc!

Rosie works for her parent’s bridal shop while living in an apartment above their home too. Rosie had a heart transplant recently and would love to thank the family to her donor.

She begins to correspond through the donor’s website with the husband of her donor. Soon, she begins to fall for the man she hasn’t even met yet.

Rumors surface that his wife didn’t just have a terrible accident…. The husband must have murdered her 😱.

Poor poor ol’ Rosie. Her character is clearly delusional and terribly needy. She longs just to be loved. This woman just can’t see what’s right in front of her eyes. I remember being young and naive…. and I sure don’t miss those days at all 🤣🤣🤣

Murder and suspense… what’s not to love?
3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a wild ride! I could not put this book down, and I had no idea what direction things were going in. Sometimes, I thought I had things figured out, only to second guess myself and then realize I wasn't even close! I really liked Rosie, even though she was kind of a hot mess at times! This was such a twisty thriller! I don't want to say much else because it's best to go in blind on this one!

Alexa, play "Look What You Made Me Do" by Taylor Swift.

I don't read thrillers too often, but when I do, it's psychological thrillers like these. The Taylor Swift themed dedication and the Author's Note indicating no animals would be harmed in the book were reason enough for me to read this one! "Unhinged" is a term used many times over in this book and it is the perfect description for this crazy story. It has all the Reputation Era vibes and I loved it! Just the escape I needed.

"Some days, love makes you look in the mirror and admire your own reflection; others, it makes you a monster in the glass."

Cross My Heart is such a fun and creepy read. Do you ever feel like you've found your soulmate, but you haven't actually met in real life? Rosie Lachlan is suffering from a heart break, after being dumped while wearing her wedding dress. She undergoes lifesaving surgery when a heart transplant is available to her, and she then begins messaging the donor's family through an anonymous service, called DonorConnect. Rosie discovers the identity heart's former owner; she falls down a rabbit hole where she is falling in love with the widowed husband. As she delves into the couple's past, she discovers some troubling rumors - could he have killed his wife?

I have been dying to get my hands on this book, and it DID NOT disappoint. It was fast-paced, and I enjoyed how the emails and text messages read in the book. It was a fun and thrilling read and I was shocked by the ending.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC!

When Rosie gets a heart transplant, she becomes obsessed with her donors husband. She works at her parents bridal salon and is anxious for her own happy ending after a tumultuous break up that’s left her sad and confused.

This book is definitely a twisty thriller. So many times you think you know what’s going on only to be brought in a different direction! It will definitely leave you guessing right up until the very end.