3.5 ⭐️

I love a good thriller and Megan Collins delivered with this one. After getting her heart transplant, Rosie finds out who her donor was and then starts messaging the widow of her donor?! Insane but in a good way!! Rosie was such an interesting FMC- a little much but also kinda fun and I kept flipping to find out the twists in her story!

Thanks NetGalley and Atria for an ARC!

Rosie Lachlan is unlucky in love. She is literally broken up with in a wedding dress. As if her heart wasn't broken enough, she falls ill and is suddenly in desperate need of a heart transplant. Luckily Rosie soon finds a match and gets a successful heart transplant. She then discovers the donor was the wife of a local celebrity author Morgan Thorne. Rosie decides to reach out to him via DonorConnect to try to find out more about her donor and ends up falling in love with Morgan himself. But soon finds out falling for Morgan could be deadly....

I've never read anything by this author but was given the opportunity to read an advanced copy and thought the premise sounded intriguing. I was hooked immediately and couldn't stop turning the pages. Rosie was such an interesting (albeit a bit annoying and needy) character who seemed to just want what anyone wants -- to fall in love. As the layers of her past start to come to life, it was clear she had some issues to contend with and it seemed her interest in Morgan was bordering on an unhealthy one. Nevertheless, my interest was piqued and I couldn't stop wanting to find out what wild decision Rosie would make next. I found Morgan to be insufferable and obnoxious, but completely worked for the character and what he turned out to be. I loved the deception and the way this author planted seeds for the reader along the way. While as I mentioned, I did find Rosie to be on the annoying side, it was clear as the book progressed and especially at the end, that she was more sweet than I was initially giving her credit for. In a way, she wasn't much different than myself at that age and I found her circumstances to be not only intriguing but also endearing. Side note, I discovered this author lives locally to me (I promise I will not stalk you like Rosie does Morgan haha) and one of my favorite local book vendors (Book Club on the Go) is hosting an event with Megan Collins on pub day! I can't wait to go and hear this author discuss this book. I definitely will be reading other books this author has written and love that she gave Book Club on the Go a shout out in the acknowledgements!! I recommend Cross My Heart for any thriller reader who likes a deep twisty mystery where you don't know who to trust. Not to mention this one came with a touch of Taylor Swift references that most readers will love and enjoy!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read in exchange for my honest review. Looking forward to attending the upcoming author event local to me and to telling other readers about this fantastic read!!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rosie Lachlan is a hopeless romantic with a bad heart. Working in her family's bridal shop and with a newly transplanted heart, she discovers the identity of her donor's husband in the chat group, DonorConnect. Morgan Thorne, her heart donor's widowed husband, is a rising author whose wife tragically passed away in a home accident. Despite being against the rules, the 2 pursue a relationship, each with ulterior motives.

I found this to be a well written stalker story that was fairly fast paced and very entertaining!

Whoa this book literally hooked me from page one. I love a good thriller that includes an unhealthy obsession and this one didn’t disappoint. I will say that I saw SOME of the twists coming and had a hunch about the final twist but I still was so completely shooketh, jaw on the floor. My hunch was semi wrong? Anyways, this is what one of my good friends calls brain candy but like thriller edition. It was just what I needed on a sick day: a book that grasped me from the start, filled with unreliable characters, twists ever turn of the page, and ultimately didn’t require a whole lot of brain power. I definitely recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC!

4⭐️

Rosie Lachlan may have had the worst year of her life: a tragic breakup that eventually reveled a heart condition that needed a heart transplant. She inadvertently learns that her organ donor was the late wife of her favorite author and she begins to obsess over making him fall for her.

I liked this a lot more than I thought I was going to. There's something about an unhinged, obsessive female main character that sets my teeth on edge so I'm glad that I pushed through that discomfort. Rosie's desperate need to be loved was extremely relatable. Sure, she may have taken things a bit too far but I can totally understand it. I liked the way that certain chapters featuring an unreliable narrator made Rosie seem even more unhinged than her own chapters.

Morgan was a charismatic and charming man who seemed to love his wife and that made it easy for the reader (and most of the female characters) to fall for him. Especially with Rosie having Morgan's late wife, Daphne's, heart; it felt like fate that they would meet and fall for each other. As more and more of his personality and history is revealed, the creepier he appeared and that really amped up the tension in the story. Morgan's best friend being in the picture added a lot of suspicion to his actions that I liked. I somewhat guessed what was going to happen before it was revealed but I was really in the dark for most of this book!

Thanks Netgalley and Atria Books for providing this ARC to me!

Rosie Lachlan, a heart transplant patient, becomes obsessed with the donor’s husband. The creep factor on this one was high and I loved it. Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC.

This was a fantastic thriller. I loved theuse of mixed media in between the chapters and the subtle clues the author left hinting at certain twists for those paying close attention. Each character was a tad bit crazy which made for an entertaining book. The chapters left me wanting more and of course the Taylor Swift references were fun!

I absolutely ate this one up!! I love a good obsession / stalker vibe thriller and Cross My Heart did not disappoint. An easy 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 since I was completely glued to these pages!

A thrilling stalker tale! Megan Collins writes a protagonist as relatable and heartfelt as she is (potentially) unhinged. The twist about halfway through the book GOT me good, and I was racing through the pages to see how it ended.

So grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for this fabulous arc!

I absolutely loved the concept of this! It was heavy on the "You've Got Mail" vibes, but with a thriller twist, which is very unique! I was obsessed and hooked through the first half of this story. I kept coming up with possible "solutions" to what was happening, none of which were true, by the way. I really enjoyed the anonymous emails being sent back and forth. However, when the second half of the story started (part 2), the narrative changed and I really wasn't enjoying the story as much. It seemed to fall flat very quickly and I found myself losing interest in the story. If this book had continued as the first part of the story was, it would have been an easy five star read for me. Unfortunately, I just got bored with the story and found myself disappointed.

Megan Collins has been an auto-buy author for me since The Winter Sister. The lyrical yet crisp prose, the characters that break your heart and make you gasp at the same time--there's truly nothing like Collins' work. I didn't think it would be possible to top the love I had for The Family Plot.

But then I read Cross My Heart.

I am a huge fan of unreliable narrators but it can be difficult to pull off successfully without falling into tropes. That is not an issue here. Rosie is as unpredictable as she is cringe-worthingly adorable. Her romantic ideals compared to the reality of her life make her endearing and unhinged in the best possible way. I was obsessed with this voice.

It's also worth mentioning that this is one of the best series of twists I've read in years. No spoilers, but this one is layered. Don't be fooled by the light-hearted bridal shop whims and the pretty pink cover. There is so much going on beneath the surface. This one is going to be huge. Add it to your TBRs immediately.

Huge thanks to Atria and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

I have enjoyed Megan Collins previous books and was so thankful to receive an ARC of this one from NetGalley.

There were several aspects of this book that I liked. The main character, Rosie, occasionally seems slightly unhinged so there is some unreliability in her narration. I also liked that the story included email correspondence. Various media formats seem to add positive additional background to the characters.

The story was interesting but it had a slower start. It took awhile for me to become invested but it was hard to put down once Morgan's potentially dark past with his wife came to light.

I look forward to Collins' next book! She is a must read author for me.

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy. Love-obsessed Rosie has a new heart. It used to belong to the wife of famous local writer Morgan Thorne -- and Megan strikes up a conversation with him online via a donor website, sharing stories of her new life and hearing about his. Soon, the conversation grows more intimate, and Rosie more interested in getting to know her donor's husband. Yet rumors that Morgan had something to do with his wife's death keep popping up, and Rosie isn't sure what to think.

Megan Collins has done it again! I shouldn't be surprised that her twists keep coming. Even when I thought I knew where this was going...I was wrong. Rosie is interesting and flawed and compelling, too. Definitely enjoyed this read!

I absolutely ate this book up, this was fast paced. I loved the plot, I loved everything about this book. The concept was amazing, I'm running to read everything by this author. Five star read!

It is usually difficult for a psychological thriller/mystery to surprise me, but this one did. Although I guessed the ending, the twists and turns along the way were completely unexpected. I thought the storyline was really well done, creepy, realistic and enjoyable to read. The main character and supporting cast were all really well done. I never knew who I should like or dislike, trust or not trust. I disliked them all at different points of the book. Rosie is desperate to find the one. After being left in her wedding dress, and needing an emergency heart transplant, she knows that every day is a gift. When she starts to suspect that her heart donor was the wife of a famous author, Morgan, she starts messaging him on DonorConnect. As they communicate and begin sharing personal details, Rosie begins to wonder if Morgan played any part in his wife's tragic death. A book that was difficult to put down, well written, twists and turns and a character that sucks you into their life.

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

First read of 2025! And glad I chose this book! Kept me guessing until the very end! New type of thriller for me and want more!

Rosie has had a rough couple experiences and now she has had a heart transplant and then gets fixated on the husband of her heart transplant donor……seems pretty crazy storyline but that’s nothing compared to ALL this book has in store for you! Seems she may have a stalker or someone setting her up as well! The wedding dress shop she works at adds some bonuses to story as well! I was drawn in, characters have likeable things but yet will leave you going why are they doing THAT? Keeps ya guessing, don’t see tons of twists coming and I’ve never read anything quite like this book! Definitely worth a read and adding more from this author to my list of books I want to read!

Thanks to netgalley and Atria books for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

CROSS MY HEART was twisty and full of red-herrings. It really begs the question of "How far would you go for love?" and by showing the "crazy" that often earns the credit for hurting. I enjoyed Rosie's character and had fun hunting down the truth of Daphne's life, and, ultimately her death. The ending was not something I expected, which made it all the more fun to read.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me review this amazing ARC!

This book was exactly how a psychological thriller should be - keep you guessing with twists that will leave you wanting more!

We follow Rosie throughout, who received a lifesaving heart transplant. She wants to connect with the Donor's husband, to learn more about the donor through DonorConnect, which is an anonymous service.

While learning more about his wife (the donor), she starts to discover disturbing information about the donor's husband. She starts questioning and digging into her past and ends up discovering more than she wished for.

I thought I knew where this book was going, but I had absolutely no idea, but really enjoyed the thrill of the ride! I highly recommend this book, if you enjoy psychological thrillers, with a dash of romance and a lot of stalking!

Rosie Lachlan, a year post-heart transplant, works at her family’s bridal shop. Through an anonymous chat group called DonorConnect, she discovers the identity of her donor’s husband, Morgan Thorne, a rising author whose wife tragically passed away in a home accident. Unresolved from a past breakup, Rosie’s life remains unfulfilled.

Despite the group’s strict privacy guidelines, Morgan gradually builds trust in Rosie. However, her feelings for him transcend mere trust. She yearns for a deeper connection, a complete union.

Rosie remains oblivious to Morgan’s thoughts and desires, while her growing obsession intensifies. Meanwhile, Morgan meticulously plots his next novel, and Rosie embodies the character he seeks to portray perfectly.

As I delved deeper into this captivating narrative, I couldn’t help but recall the Aretha Franklin song, “Who’s Zoomin’ Who?” This song encapsulates the essence of the story. It’s a far cry from the characters’ lives, yet it keeps readers guessing with unexpected twists. Megan Collins weaves a well-crafted and thought-provoking narrative that may leave readers spellbound and unable to put this book down.

Many thanks to Atria Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.