This was a unique, twisty read. A woman who received a heart transplant becomes obsessed with the husband of her donor. For me, this was a "not all is as it seems" type read as I was thrown for a loop a few times while reading this. The writing style was immaculate, bringing the reader straight into the mind of the protagonist and every emotion she was feeling throughout. Every chapter I finished, I wanted to keep going to see what happened next. I can easily see this one gaining traction with readers and becoming one of the top reads this year. Having read this months ago and still loving and remembering, it says a lot for me, and I give this one four and a half stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Atria Books, for this ARC.

4.5 stars rounded up!

I absolutely LOVED this. I feel like a lot of thrillers I read all fall into similar buckets with not much original thought, so when I first read the synopsis I thought it would be a stereotypical thriller. Instead, I was so shocked! Just when I thought I knew what was going on, Megan Collins pulled the rug out from under me and I was absolutely GAGGED. I also really really liked the main character, Rosie, and enjoyed hearing about her life with her heart transplant, and working at her parent's bridal store. Also the writing was very easy to read, so I essentially read the last half of the book in one sitting, I will definitely be going back and reading Megan Collins' backlist, and I see this as one of my top thrillers of the year!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 stars rounded up!

I absolutely LOVED this. I feel like a lot of thrillers I read all fall into similar buckets with not much original thought, so when I first read the synopsis I thought it would be a stereotypical thriller. Instead, I was so shocked! Just when I thought I knew what was going on, Megan Collins pulled the rug out from under me and I was absolutely GAGGED. I also really really liked the main character, Rosie, and enjoyed hearing about her life with her heart transplant, and working at her parent's bridal store. Also the writing was very easy to read, so I essentially read the last half of the book in one sitting, I will definitely be going back and reading Megan Collins' backlist, and I see this as one of my top thrillers of the year!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Oh I love nothing more than a good domestic thriller and this was soo good!
If you enjoy twisty who dun it's filled with loads of drama and mystery read this asap.
Take a day to yourself because you won't be able to put this one down!
I loved the writing, the emails, the psychological emotions going on with
the FMC who's only obsession is to find love and marry some day.

The story reminded me of that movie 'Return to Me' where the same as this book
the FMC has a heart transplant and she ends up connecting with the spouse of the person who's heart she now has.

You really need to pay attention in this one, you don't want to miss a thing. Great ending.

Cross My Heart by Megan Collins is a gripping psychological thriller in the vein of You've Got Mail with a heart stopping twist. Unexpected twists, secrets and suspense? Sign me up! Rosie Lachlan is a bonafide true romantic. With her "Rosie" colored glasses firmly in place, all she wants is to be in love and be loved back. Rosie has a good kind heart even after suffering from cardiomyopathy, a condition that could have killed her. Her new heart gives Rosie a second chance at life, now maybe she can have a second chance at love. Donor Connect is an email app for the loved ones of donors and the transplant recipients to get to know each other or express gratitude for saving their lives. Rosie reaches out to Morgan Thorne, the husband of Daphne Thorne whose heart currently resides in Rosie's chest. As the two share messages, Rosie finds herself envisioning Morgan and her together, maybe starting a relationship, after all she has his wife's heart so it's almost like it's meant to be. But soon things start to happen which asks the question, how far will one go for love?
I really love this book! Mysteries to solve, murder, attempted murder, revenge passion and obsession this book has it all. The twists and turns are brilliant, I really thought I had this one figured out multiple times. Collins narrative is beautiful as well involving a very unique story weaved together with amazing characterization, beautiful prose, witty remarks and suspense. This is a must-read for any psychological thriller fan.
Thanks to NetGalley, Megan Collins, and Atria Books for this ARC. Expected publishing date is January 14th 2025.

I was enraptured by the main characters in this book! I mean talk about unreliable narrator and love this take on obsession.

Rosie is one of those girls who wants to be in love. She wants to be in a relationship. She wants to have a wedding. I'm sure working at her parents bridal shop—Just Say Yes—has a little something to do with that. The only issue? Rosie gets a little...carried away when it comes to the men she is dating. And her latest infatuation just happens to be the widower of the woman who's heart is beating in her chest after her life-saving heart transplant a year ago. His name is Morgan and he's a writer. She messages him on DonorConnect and they quickly begin exchanging lengthy personal messages. How romantic right?

My jaw fell to the floor about half way through this book and after I managed to pick it back up and make new predictions, it just kept dropping. I zoomed through this book so eager to see whodunit and loved the twists and turns along the way. Each chapter was entertaining and kept me wanting more, more, more—like Rosie? And then the ending—boom!—I still have a little smirk on my face because goodness that is just such a perfect ending because let's be honest we don't always learn from our mistakes right away ;)

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster, specifically Atria Books, for an ARC of this book! Oh, and happy publication day!

This is my first book by this author and at first I had a hard time getting over the HIPAA violation that kind of got this ball rolling. I found it hard to get into the story because it just wasn't grabbing me. Rosie had me shaking my head and although I've also been repeatedly told that I am too much, I didn't find myself having much sympathy for her. Then suddenly bam, I told myself, that twist at the end of part one was exactly what I needed and from that point on I was hooked and couldn't put the book down! I'll be real here and say that nearly all the characters were not very likeable and some downright cringe worthy. The ending had me telling my husband "and here we go again". 3.5/5 stars

I’ve been waiting for this book for months and I’m so thankful to NetGalley for giving me early access to read it! I’m still reading it but I can’t put it down and love the storyline and premise of the book! Nothing like a stalker women and I see lots of twists and plots coming in this book!

This one was not for me. I just…didn’t like it. The beginning was super slow. Rosie was an unreliable narrator and I think the female unreliable narrator is not something I enjoy. I am a big Swiftie, but even for me the 13 Taylor Swift references were a little much.

4.5 stars

✨This was a fun cat and mouse thriller that really kept me on my toes. Midway through the story, the author had me completely rethinking everything I thought I knew. Then came the last lines which were just the absolute icing on the cake. Just wait and see!

🌿Read if you like:
✨epistolary format
✨dual timelines
✨shocking twists and turns
✨psychological thrillers
✨unreliable narrators

Highly recommend this one!

One of my favorite thrillers I’ve read in a while! This was reminiscent of a Freida McFadden novel to me, but with more in depth writing. I will be recommending this book to friends and buying as a gift when it releases. Thank you for the free galley!

First off, every person in this book should go to therapy...but I did not like that every woman in this book came across as "crazy" or obsessive. There was one twist in the middle of the book that I did not see coming, and then the rest of the book went in a different direction than I anticipated after that. I then quickly started to figure out the last twist with "who done it". Overall, not a bad thriller if you're looking to pick one up.

I don’t know how many times I have heard a woman called “crazy.” Or heard a woman internalize that word after someone has called her that. If I was to boil this book down to one thing, it would be that. The term of psycho/crazy/etc that we label women and what it can do to a woman’s mind. I am not a huge thriller reader. I love them but I also love my nights of restful sleep, and I’ve found the two don’t work well together for me. This book though was well worth the nights of less than stellar sleep. I was hooked from the first page, and I would have read it in one sitting if I had the chance. Rosie Lachlan’s story of receiving a heart transplant from a famous author’s wife is just the tip of the iceberg. This book has all kinds of twists and turns. Although, I guessed the major plot twists, I was still on the edge of my seat through the entire book. Since I can’t say much without spoiling the book, I’d say give this a read if you love a good psychological thriller while also having a love for Taylor Swift music. I can’t wait to read more books by Megan Collins in the future.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for a digital copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #AtriaBooks for the book #CrossMyHeart by #MeganCollins. This book is filled with of drama, deceit and murder and is a wonderful book. Rosie had a heart transplant a year ago and has decided to reach out to her donor’s husband. She feels a connection to Morgan as soon as they start talking and thinks it could lead somewhere. But as things progress, she finds out things about Morgan and his deceased wife’s marriage. Is he responsible for her death? Is Rosie in danger?

Rosie was fortunate enough to receive a heart transplant she needed. A year later, she messages the donor’s husband through a platform where recipients/family members can anonymously connect to send thanks, well wishes, etc. Rosie is certain her donor is a famous author, and becomes obsessed with learning more about him. Her friend is concerned about her falling into old habits, ones that previously got her in trouble. She refuses to listen, thinking this time things will be different.

Okay so I have never felt more crazy than I did reading this, and I mean that in a good way. Megan Collins had me convinced that every character was a suspect, even the dead ones 😂 I didn’t know what was true, what was made up, and what could be from a fugue state. I could not put this book down, if not purely for my own sanity, but also because of how well crafted the story was. I have been recommending this like crazy and it’s definitely gonna be a tough one to beat on my favorites list for 2025!

Cross My Heart was such a bingeable, hard to put down, fast paced, twisty thriller that had me hooked right from the start! This was my second book by Megan Collin’s and I feel like I need to read her other backlist books asap! This was one of my favorite books that I’ve read lately, and if you’re looking for a book to pull you out of a reading slump, this is it! I did NOT see the twists coming and it had my jaw on the floor. Loved this book so much!

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for my early digital copy for my honest thoughts and review!

Cross My Heart was absolutely unhinged- and I mean that in the best way! I could not put it down.

I love that Rosie, the main character (probably also the author?), is a Gilmore Girls/ Taylor Swift fan. Actually, I just loved the main character in general. I want her “Rosie colored glasses,” even if they make me look a little bit “crazy.”

Speaking of “crazy-“ I loved how the author explored this word through several of the characters. The book makes you really think about what “crazy” actually means- that maybe we’re all a little bit crazy, or maybe certain people pull the crazy out of us.

There was one character who I thought was guilty of [redacted], admittedly even wanted it to have been this person, and yet it wasn’t. I blame the red herrings. But I wasn’t surprised by the character who actually was guilty. Still, I thought that reveal wrapped up far too quickly. I wanted more!

If you’re looking for a story that has stalking, mystery, a little bit of suspense, and a little bit of romance, definitely give this one a try! Cross My Heart comes out tomorrow, 01/14/25.

Thank you to Atria books for my early NetGalley copy. All thoughts are my own.

4 out of 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What a wild ride this book was!!😱

So twisty!! Seriously, that twist got me so good. I was like, hold up ... WHAT!?

I LOVED the format with the emails and texts. There's just something so fun about the addition of mixed media in books.

I definitely recommend this one. Especially if you enjoy obsessive stalker vibes.

My thanks to Atria Books and Netgalley for this gifted e-copy!

This is my fourth novel by Megan Collins!
In order of favourites:
The Winter Sister
Cross My Heart
Behind The Red Door
The Family Plot

This was such a fun read!

I haven't encountered a mystery/thriller quite like this in some time, and it was a refreshing alternative to the other books I've been tackling recently. The fast pacing kept me hooked from start to finish. I found the main character and her story fascinating, and I appreciated the variety of plot twists and turns—each reveal added an exciting layer to the story, making it an overall enjoyable experience.

I figured out "whodunnit" before the big reveal, but I wouldn't deduct any stars for that. The journey towards the conclusion was well-crafted, and knowing the outcome didn't diminish my enjoyment of the buildup. The author's talent for creating suspense and intrigue shone through, making this a book I'd definitely recommend adding to your TBR. 😊🖤

Thank you so much, Atria Books, for sending me this ARC!!!! It is much appreciated.

The publication date is January 14, 2025. Go get this book!

And as always, all thoughts are my own. ✨

Cross My Heart
🗓️ 01/14/2025

“She has his wife’s heart; the one she wants is his. The author of The Family Plot brings her signature “taut, emotionally charged, and propulsive” (Jeneva Rose, New York Times bestselling author) prose to a twisty novel about a heart transplant patient who becomes romantically obsessed with her donor’s husband.”

Whoa, I was not expecting to love this book like I did! It was slow to start but once it takes off you’re in for a wild ride. If you enjoy FRIENDS, Gilmore Girls and Taylor Swift, you will enjoy all the references along the way. A great thriller to start off the year!!

Thank you @netgalley @atriabooks @megancollinswriter for this advanced release copy in exchange for an honest review.

What is your most anticipated thriller of the year?

#crossmyheart #megancollins #swiftie #netgalley #netgalleyreview #atriabooks #thriller #suspense #bookstagram #newrelease #2025release #booklover