I have really conflicted feelings about Cross My Heart. First off, I want to say that I loved The Family Plot, so I was stoked to get an advance copy of Megan Collins' newest book.

Rosie has so much potential as a protagonist. She's so interesting, but quickly became one of those characters who continuously made face-palmingly questionable decisions. I'm not sure if her character arc culminated in much growth.

I'm being vague to avoid spoilers, but I also feel uncertain about how the author treated some of the larger themes in the book. The more I sit with the twists, the more some of the reveals and explanations bum me out.

All of that said, there's still many great aspects to this book and a couple of surprises I didn't expect at all.

I sailed through the first half of this book. I loved the mixed media and the tension slowly building. It was a fresh new take on a thriller Once we got to the second half it slowed a bit for me and became less unique. However, it was still an addictive read. There were several really great red-herrings. The Taylor swift appreciation was a nice touch. I really feel for Rosie and her desperate attempt to find love.

One of my favorite thrillers as of late! This was such an interesting premise and there were parts that completely threw me off! I have enjoyed some of Collins’s books before but this one is definitely the winner for me!

Cross My Heart by Megan Collins is her fifth and latest book. Like all her previous books her outstanding writing style and pace is impressive. This psychological thriller brilliantly mixes complex characters that are impressively developed through this incredible story. The book contains many questions, with twists and turns that were so unpredictable you won’t want to put it down until the mystery is unraveled and all the puzzle pieces fit. A great read!
That you Net Galley for the advanced copy and thank you Megan Collins.

read if you like:
🤨 suspicious men
❤️ heart transplant survivors
😱 female obsessions

summary:
This book is about Rosie, a heart transplant survivor suffering from a broken engagement, who reaches out to the husband of her heart donor through DonorConnect, a platform used to connect organ recipients with her donors. Through their emails, Rosie and Morgan form a relationship, discussing everything from Daphne, Morgan’s late wife, to Rosie’s failed engagement. She now works in her parents’ bridal boutique, helping others achieve happiness, while Morgan continues his career as a famous thriller author. Obsession sets in, with Rosie noting everything she learns about Morgan, in the hopes of becoming the woman he’s been looking for. Before she knows it though, she finds herself in way over her head, learning things about Daphne and Morgan’s relationship, and Morgan himself, that may have been better left alone.

This book is a story of female obsession and what it can drive us to. It is also full of suspense and emotion, as we go through the journey from Rosie’s POV. I always struggle with an unreliable narrator, as it makes it hard for me to follow the book and separate fact from fiction and emotion. However, in Rosie’s case, her story is deeply compelling and sympathetic, and I found myself going on the journey with her through obsession, grief and love. I found myself loving her, then hating her, then questioning everything in between.

The ending is shocking, troubling and yet satisfying. While I may not have loved the premise of the story, it’s perfect for anyone who loves a villain and a dramatic finish!

Thank you to Net Galley and Atria Books for the ARC, and if you love a good female obsession story, check this out when it releases on January 13!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing this book, with my honest review below.

I thought I was getting a par the course (granted entertaining) thriller about obsession, and while Cross My Heart was certainly about obsession it was not at all formulaic.

Rosie does have a heart transplant from famous author Morgan’s deceased wife Daphne, and yes, she’s clearly obsessive about men - including Max - but what makes this supremely entertaining and unique is the massive twist that occurs when you least expect it after a simple back and forth of Max and Rosie’s perspectives leading up to an equally unexpected murder. I enjoyed everything before this point but thought I knew where this book was going until everything got blown apart by that twist. Let’s just say you find yourself utterly confused (in a good, wait what happened way) about who Rosie really is and what the truth actually is.

I can’t say Rosie is someone I love (she needs some help with her obsessions) but that of course played beautifully in the mystery. Pick this one up, it doesn’t shatter the genre, but it’s one of the top truly thrilling books in the genre I’ve read recently.

This was a good, suspenseful read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Such a good and thrilling story! From the beginning, I found myself intrigued about which way the book would go. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I think this will be a tremendous hit!

This psychological thriller is fast paced and filled with twists and obsessions. Often times when a book becomes far fetched and overly complicated, I lose interest- but this book kept me engaged throughout. This is my first book by this author, and I will definitely considering reading more by her! Thank you NetGalley and atria books for this arc!

Well, Taylor Swift's "Look What You Made Me Do" played in my head as background music while I was reading this book. It's a gripping tale of female obsession, passionate love, and getting too attached until it bleeds! It's bleak, disturbing, and batshit crazy to imagine how far one would go for reaching happily ever after and how a distorted perspective makes people see things in different versions. Everybody has their own version of truth that leaves no space for reality.

I honestly got drawn in from the first page, guessed some of the twists but mostly missed the important ones that made my jaw hit the floor. The riveting pacing, the increasing escalation of pressure, breathless climax, and well-developed conclusion made me enjoy my reading. I never dare to say no to any book about human's pure obsessions, which highly deserves five stars and has guaranteed its place as one of my favorite novels by the author.

Here's a quick recap: Meet Rosie Lachlan, who suffers from cardiomyopathy, is urgently added to the list for a heart transplant, and luckily gets one belonging to famous author Morgan Thorne's wife, Daphne Thorne, who died in a bathroom accident at a young age.
What can we say about Rosie except that she had a heart transplant operation and is healing perfectly? Well, she's working at the family business, a bridal shop, selling brides their dream gowns as she still keeps her own gown as a ghost of her past relationship that ended on bad terms with a broken heart.

Rosie is kind and good-hearted, looking at things through her own version of Rosie-tinted glasses, as her overprotective best friend Nina mentions. But another thing about Rosie is that when she loves someone, she can be extreme, molding herself into the significant other's needs, copying his hobbies and things he likes to do. Each time she exaggerates her actions, men just disappear from her life. Just like what happened with her fiancé, she finds herself with blood pouring from her hands outside his home.

Now she's emailing with famous thriller author Morgan Thorne, the same man whose wife died in an accident and whom some fans suspect might be the killer. The same woman whose heart was transplanted to Rosie and saved her life. Now Rosie thinks they are connected in some way. She anonymously sends emails to him through DonorConnect Communications, and he answers back with full optimism and enthusiasm she didn't expect. They seem connected not only in words but in minds as well, making Rosie think he might be the one! But what if Rosie is playing with fire, and the man she thinks is her soulmate might be a killer or a more dangerous person than she can trust?

As she starts to dig deeper into Daphne and Morgan's relationship and keeps connecting with Morgan, she realizes she's seeing things in front of her in different ways, and she might be in more trouble, even becoming a murder suspect.

I'm stopping here not to give too much away. This book contains many great spoilers, and the fabulous ending makes you let out a good, long villainous laugh! I truly enjoyed it and highly recommend it!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this riveting, smart mystery's digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.