Cross My Heart was a twisty, absorbing thriller that had me constantly guessing. Rosie has had it rough this past year - a devastating breakup followed by a heart transplant. After she discovers whose heart she received - and connects with her spouse on a donor’s app - she’s convinced her heart (and her life) belongs with him, too. But who can you trust? And what is real? I don’t want to give too much away…you’re in for a wild ride with this one! I received an advanced reading copy, receipt of which did not impact my review.

The premise of this book has a lot of potential—a woman who receives a heart transplant starts to form a connection with the husband of the woman whose heart she now carries. It’s a unique concept that promises emotional depth and suspense, but unfortunately, the execution doesn’t quite deliver on that promise.

One of the key elements of the plot is a twist, but it falls a bit flat. Instead of letting the twist unfold naturally, the story spends too much time explaining it in detail, which makes it predictable early on and takes away from the suspense. It’s a bit of a missed opportunity for something more thrilling.

The main character is difficult to connect with, coming across as immature and, at times, unlikable. Sadly, the rest of the cast doesn’t fare much better. Most of the characters feel shallow and more suited for a YA drama than a mature thriller, which makes it hard to invest emotionally in the story.

There’s also a romance subplot that feels out of place. Rather than adding to the overall narrative, it distracts from the thriller elements and makes the story feel disjointed.

That said, if you’re looking for a light, fast-paced read without needing much in terms of character development or plot originality, this book might work as a quick escape. Just don’t expect it to be emotionally gripping or deeply engaging—it’s more of a breezy read than anything that will leave a lasting impression.

Atria eARC
This had a bit of a slow start, but I am glad I stuck with it. If you want a slightly unhinged and majorly surprising story, I recommend this one. For the first part, I thought I knew what was going on, and I liked how Collins surprised me and kept the story fresh. Rosie was such an intricate character, and I liked how we learned about her slowly to build the suspense. It was a fun and bingeable story.

Megan Collins’ Cross My Heart is a captivating and emotionally charged psychological thriller that explores love, obsession, and identity. The story follows Rosie Lachlan, a heart transplant recipient who becomes fixated on Morgan Thorne, the husband of her donor. The unique premise, along with the organ donor email communication through DonorConnect, instantly grabbed my attention and set the stage for a deeply compelling narrative.

I was hooked by how quickly the story drew me in. As Rosie’s correspondence with Morgan deepens, she uncovers unsettling truths about his past, including suspicions surrounding his late wife’s death. Collins crafts a narrative that keeps readers on edge the entire time, blending suspense with emotional depth. The pacing is excellent, and the characters feel real and relatable, making it easy to get invested in their journeys.

This book is not just a mystery; it is a heartfelt exploration of human emotion and the lengths people will go to in search of connection. The raw, emotional moments hit hard, but they are handled with care and nuance, leaving a lasting impact.

For fans of super twisty thrillers that explore the darker facets of human relationships, Cross My Heart is a must-read. It is a story that stays with you long after you have turned the final page.

Thank you Netgalley, author and Atria Books for the ARC.

Rosie Lalchan dreams of finding her perfect soulmate. But when she begins anonymously emailing a local celebrity thriller author—her heart donor's husband—her romantic hopes take a darker turn. Questions arise about his wife’s death and the heart Rosie now carries. Is she following her heart, or is she on the brink of heartbreak and danger?


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This was such a wild ride! Megan Collins crafts a gripping, emotional thriller that starts slow but builds into a whirlwind of suspense. The first half immerses you into Rosie’s life—her transplant surgery, her vulnerabilities, and her yearning for love. I loved the mixed media format with email exchanges and texts; it made the story feel dynamic and engaging.

The second half? Absolutely thrilling! Twists kept coming, and the arrow of suspicion shifted constantly, keeping me fully invested. Rosie’s character is raw, flawed, and real. Her growth throughout the story stood out, which is rare in thrillers. I rooted for her even when she felt unreliable, thanks to her mix of charm, vulnerability, and determination.

The FRIENDS and Taylor Swift song references were a delightful touch, offering moments of levity amidst the darker themes. If you love a character-driven thriller with emotional depth and shocking revelations, this book is for you!

It's a 4/5 ⭐ read for me.

A fast-paced, immersive thriller with a flawed yet compelling narrator. Rosie’s journey of love, loss, and self-discovery was an emotional rollercoaster, and I loved every twisty turn! Highly recommend.

Final rating: 3.75. It took me longer than I would've liked to finish this book because I had finally started it right before the holidays and life got crazy. It didn't help that the first half of the book moved a little slow for me. Around 50% it finally picked up and I enjoyed it. The only reason I won't give it 4 stars is because I actually predicted the ending. I was hoping for more of a plot twist. Overall, good story and definitely had me mixed up at some parts.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for sn advanced reader copy of Cross My Heart in exchange for my honest review.

What a creepy, crazy, stalker story this book turned out to be! My first book by Megan Collins and now I definitely need to check out more of hers.

I will sure be picking up more by this author. I thought I had the twist figured out and I was wrong. It was surely unhinged, there were many Swifty refences throughout. I would consider this over the top, but boy was it fun. Popcorn thriller, wild ride that I read in 24 hours. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars

The premise of this book is undeniably intriguing: a heart transplant recipient begins to form a connection with the husband of the woman whose heart she received. It’s a fresh and exciting concept that promises plenty of emotional depth and suspense. However, while the idea shines, the execution left much to be desired.

One of the story’s key elements is its twist, which had potential but ultimately fell flat. The twist becomes predictable early on, and instead of allowing readers to unravel it themselves, the narrative dedicates time to a character explaining it in detail. This not only felt redundant but also detracted from the thrill.

The main character is challenging to connect with, coming across as immature and unlikable. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast isn’t much better. Most of the characters feel shallow, obsessed, and more suited for a YA drama than a mature thriller. This lack of depth makes it difficult to invest emotionally in the story.

Adding to the disconnect is a romance subplot that feels misplaced and unnecessary. Rather than enhancing the narrative, it distracts from the thriller elements and leaves the story feeling disjointed.

That said, the book might still appeal to those looking for a light, quick read. If you’re not overly concerned with character depth or originality in execution, this short thriller could serve as a breezy escape. Just don’t expect a deeply layered or emotionally gripping experience.

**Verdict:** An intriguing concept that falters in its delivery, but it may work for fans of easy, surface-level thrillers.

This one had such an interesting plot! She’s falling for her heart donor’s husband?! A twisty romance psychological thriller that kept me guessing. You have to suspend some belief, and be ok with the main character making dumb decisions over and over, but I liked it overall.

Cross My Heart was a thought-provoking, crazy and twisted book that delves into the difficulties of love, loss, and obsession. Megan Collins weaves a darkly romantic story that will keep you on the edge of your seat while exploring the emotional and ethical problems that surround heart transplants and the connections that they can form. Rosie Lachlan is a woman whose life takes a strange turn after receiving a heart transplant. Of course, she isn't only recovering from the heart transplant but also being left at the altar a year prior. However, Rosie is determined to find her "happily ever after." Her life takes another weird twist when she suspects that her heart donor is Daphne Thorne, the wife of a local celebrity author, Morgan Thorne. Through an anonymous messaging service called Donor Connect, Rosie reaches out to Morgan to find out more about Daphne and to make a connection between her new heart and the famous author. This book has so many twists that you soon won't know who is telling the truth and who might be delusional. As Rosie's begins to correspond with Morgan, she soon learns that he may have been the cause of Daphne's accident, and she has this need to find out the truth. Rosie believes that having Daphne's heart somehow links her to Morgan, and they are destined to be together. Now, she just needs to uncover the truth about the disturbing rumors about Morgan's past. As the truth about Morgan and Rosie both start to be revealed, it will soon leave you wondering WHAT THE FREAK is going on?! You soon learn that not everything is as it seems and those you think are your friends may actually be foes. Cross My Heart is a book that will keep you guessing until the VERY END. This is the book for you if you enjoy psychological thrillers with a romantic twist.

This book was delightful. It was a propulsive, twisty read that left me guessing the whole time. I don't always love an unreliable narrator, but Rosie's quest for love at literally all costs feels authentic in its insanity. We've all done crazy things in the name of "love," right??

DNF for me.

I read her book from a few years ago, called the family plot and I absolutely loved it. But the book she came out with after that was a DNF for me and this is the second one since then that us a DNF for me as well. This one was way too outlandish and unbelievable.

Cross My Heart was so interesting. I love a good stalker thriller, and this one certainly delivered. I flew through the audiobook and enjoyed every minute. I found Rosie's character to be particularly compelling, especially after the big reveal.
The reveal caught me by surprise! I loved the direction the author took this in. The ending required some suspension of belief, but I enjoyed the journey regardless. Definitely add this one to your TBR!

Unpopular opinion but this was a frustrating read for me 😅
I don’t think I’ve had ever come across a character that had me pulling my hair as much as the MC in this story did.
I understand why she was as extreme as she was, I don’t think the story could’ve been pulled off if she wasn’t, but it was just TOO much.
I did enjoyed the twists and it did keep me guessing until the very end.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @atriabooks for the ARC, opinion is my own.

I think this must be my favorite Megan Collins book yet. When a woman with a bad heart learns that a man's wife died--and she received his wife's heart as a transplant--she winds her way into his life. But she has plenty of dark secrets from her past, and as she gets involved with this man, we learn nothing is as it seems.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria for an advanced copy of Megan Collin's newest book," Cross My Heart".. All I can say is WOW, WOW, WOW.. I thought I had it figured out but I was nowhere even close! Between the Taylor swift references and the unreliable narrator, I devoured this in 24 hours!

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved everything about this book. The pacing was fantastic and I truly did not want to put this book down. It had a twist in it that I truly wasn't expecting and I love when that happens. I loved the use of the emails in the first half of the book too. It gave us the ability to see into Morgan's mind a bit.

I would 100% read another one of this author's books.

My one only slight complaint is that the chapters were a little long for me and that's not even a huge complaint.

This was such a fun, fast-paced mystery/thriller! The premise immediately caught my attention because it was so unique: falling for your heart transplant donor’s husband via DonorConnect? Sign me up for this mess! It delivered on all the messy relationships, secrets, plot twists, and totally unhinged characters. Although unlikeable, I loved to read about the main characters various obsessions. She was totally unhinged sometimes, but it was so entertaining to read. Another aspect of the story that I enjoyed was the mixed media. I loved reading the various emails and texts between characters. It added another layer to the story that just really worked for me.There were several twists throughout the book and at least one had my jaw on the ground because I did not see it coming. I had some pacing issues during Part 1 where the story seemed to drage. However, this book was written super well and it kept me flipping the pages! Highly recommend!

Cross My Heart is all kinds of twisity and bingeable! The main character is slightly unlikeable and still you’re trying to figure her out but also rooting for her? She’s had a really rough year so that grabs your heart but your brains fighting the reasoning! I think a lot of us here on bookstagram can relate to Rosie and the bond she made online! I loved the pop culture references, they were fun! I’m still thinking about it all a week after reading!
4.5 stars

Thank you to @atriabooks and Netgalley for my #gifted copy!!