Rosie Lachlan has gotten a second chance at life. Reeling from a breakup with her boyfriend, Rosie’s heart actually broke not only metaphorically but also literally. She undergoes a heart transplant and when she awakens she learns the donor was the wife of a famous author Morgan Thorne . As she learns more about Morgan, Rosie becomes obsessed, and reaches out to him anonymously through a DonorConnect service. At first she is completely smitten by Morgan, feeling he may even be “the one”. But as she learns more about the author on social media, Rosie senses a darker side to him. Was his wife’s death really accidental? Or was there something more sinister going on with the Thornes. This was a fast paced novel that I really enjoyed!

DNF’D @ 10%

I have to be 100% honest; I decided to DNF this book because of the obnoxious Taylor Swift references and our main character's love for her. So sue me, I’m a huge anti-Swiftie. I would just like one aspect of my life to not be infiltrated by her unnecessary overhypedness.

I would like to thank Atria Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.

This is my voluntary, unbiased, and honest review.

Rosie received a life-saving heart transplant. A year later, she digs into the identity of her donor. She finds out that her sonar is Daphne Thorne, the deceased wife of the celebrity author Morgan Thorne. Rosie reaches out to Morgan on the anonymous service called DonorConnect, to learn more about Daphne. Now that she has Daphne's heart, she is convinced that her and Morgan are meant to be. However, as she continues digging, she learns some disturbing rumours about Morgan. Did he have something to do with his wife's death?

First things first - I LOVED the Taylor Swift references! And how cute was the author's acknowledgement at the end?!

Now, the book itself - also really loved it! There is a HUGE twist that I did not see coming and was absolutely wild. I genuinely was confused who I could trust, which resulted in the twists and turns actually being surprising.

I also really enjoyed the format. We get Rosie's POV, excerpts from the sonar exchange emails, and some excerpts from some books. This style actually worked really well for this book and kept the story flowing perfectly. There are a few longer/slower chapters in the beginning, but do not let that put you off, things quickly pick up.

This was my first read by Megan Collins. I am now a fan!

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The story is narrated from the perspective of Rosie, who seems infatuated with the idea of love and has a hard time letting go. How far is Rosie really willing to go for love?

This was such a great book. I was hooked right from the beginning and did not want to put it down. Using email exchanges to share dialogue between some of the characters brought fresh approach to the thriller novels I’ve read recently and it made me feel like I was reading the inner thoughts of my unhinged best friend.

Recommendation :

This book comes out in January 2025. This is a book I received as an ARC read.

I applied for this book because it sounded like it hit one of my favorite tropes... obsession. I don't know why, but I love a good book with an obsessive character!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I did guess the unaliver, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it. Sometimes if I predict what's going to happen it just ruins the book, other times it doesn't.

I hated most of the characters, but that was a good thing. You could pick up on the manipulation, how the wife and husband had different stories.

This follows our main character who owns a dress shop, and she meets an author. The authors wife had died recently, and his wife donated her organs when she passed away. Our female main character is the one who received the heart. Through a service she was able to get his email to connect with the husband. She starts to obsess over him, a few things go wild. I won't give anymore information or details but I do recommend reading this one when it comes out.

I gave it a 3.75 star review.

super thrilling and downright addicting!! i loved this from start to finish. it was such a quick read because the content itself was so addicting you couldn't put the book down. i will definitely read more from this author.

I thought this started off so strong and engaging the premise wrapped me in immediately. The plot did start to become a little redundant towards the middle and then the end just exploded into too many different scenarios. I thought Rosie was a well written character but sadly the other side characters/suspects felt like they were peppered in without any depth just to throw the reader off. Overall, it was an entertaining read.

I found Cross My Heart to be quite a gripping read! The character development was impressive, even though the narrator’s reliability was a bit shaky—but that actually added to the intrigue of the story. The pacing started off a little slow for my taste, but once it hit the halfway mark, the plot really picked up. The twists and turns were fantastic, and the ending reveal was spot on. Overall, it’s a solid thriller that kept me hooked.

In Cross My Heart, we meet Rosie, who a year after receiving a life-saving heart transplant, suspects that her donor might be Daphne, the wife of a well-known local writer. Rosie starts an anonymous connection with Daphne's husband, Morgan, through a service called DonorConnect. As Rosie grows closer to Morgan, she starts to question whether Daphne’s death was truly an accident. Determined to uncover the truth, Rosie digs deeper, putting herself in danger along the way.

First off, the forward being a Taylor Swift lyric? Sold. Instantly.
Then the actual story? I finished it as fast as I could, burning my pasta in the process because I was so enthralled.
Rosie was broken hearted, dumped by her fiance and then her heart tried to kill her. After a successful transplant, Rosie connects with her donor’s relative, who she deduces through some questionable HIPAA ethics, is a famous local author. While communicating anonymously through the donor portal, we are given glimpses of both sides’ messages. Morgan, the famous author and now widow to Daphne, a poet in her own right, starts to explain that his wife’s tragic fall was part of her ‘clumsy nature’ and how their marriage was not nearly as perfect as it seemed. Since Daphne apparently could be unhinged. Rosie, the once heartbroken heart recipient is already smitten with Morgan tho. After some light stalking and a forced ‘meet cute’ she refuses to believe anything negative Daphne’s friends could say about Morgan. And Nina, Rosie’s friend is equally concerned about Rosie’s and her past history of giving far too much to the man she is interested in.

Megan Collins did a great job of writing a character like Rosie that you want to root for, but you also feel is unreliable. But then the MMC is also suspicious, like did he have something to do with his wife’s death? Is Rosie in danger or is she THE danger? This book had me debating and questioning my own sanity while trying to figure out the real story.

5/5 highly recommend this mystery thriller as your next read

Thank you #Netgalley for this ARC.

Okay this book was wild.

For once, the unreliable narrator worked for me. I didn't totally hate Rosie but was still invested in her craziness. It was a trainwreck you couldn't NOT watch. I loved it all: the heart transplant, the ambiguous emails, the secrets, the connection to Morgan, the dead wife, it was goooood. I flew through this one.

Did I love the ending? Not terribly. I thought it was a bit of a let down and "boring" in the sense that it felt done before so many times. BUT. I still really liked this and will be recommending to friends who want a popcorn thriller with a bat shit crazy MC that is my favorite psycho. Ugh, the wedding dress, the obsession. Poor Rosie.

Also, Nina, you're a beeyatch. That is all.

The main character was so hard for me to like. I didn’t mind the twists but the story definitely lagged for me. I think I needed more depth for the main character for me to enjoy it fully..

Wow! This was my first Megan Collins book and WILL NOT be my last. I read a lot of books, and it gets harder and harder to impress me. I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN. I didn't want to do anything else except figure out what the heck was happening?! Unreliable narrator who you love & hate at the same time, callling out toxic masculinity, and a commentary on how women are perceived by men and even other women for being "too much" aka wanting to be loved. I loved that there were more layers to this book than the crazy plot twists, I even shed a tear or two. All around a great read if you want something to devour and enjoy a little convoluted (in a good way) story. I already got a friend to pre-order this. :D

Thank you NetGalley & Megan Collins for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

I really loved this book! It was such a unique story. I read a lot of thriller/mystery and this was one of a kind. And several times I thought I had it figured out buy I was wrong! Loved that it kept me guessing the whole time

The book is full of major twists and turns. First it is him, he did it. Then it is her but how can that be? Then someone copying her. But why? the final twist is a shocker. Loved all the twists, turns and odd relationships. Was he truly worth all this? One I won't soon forget!

This was a fun, twisty thriller that will keep you guessing until the end. While the plot was fast-paced, I took off one star because I didn't like the main character. Even after all of the stuff that she went through throughout the book, she went back to being the same needy individual at the end. Did she not learn anything after her crazy ordeal?

This book has it all, it was a book I couldn't put down until the last page and I share I shed a tear when I realized there wasn't anymore

When dealing with immense pain sometimes it’s hard to tell what’s reality and what’s not. After dealing with a “broken heart” and needing a heart transplant, Rosie thinks she has found true love again but has she?

We love a good plot twist and that’s what Cross My Heart gives you! I love it when I guess the plot wrong. The book was well written, I did struggle in the beginning with the longer chapters but once in a rhythm, I couldn’t put the book down.

Thank you Megan Collin’s for another good book! Can’t wait to read more!

Unhinged” women, a heart transplant, and murder?!

I have to say the prose and metaphors in this book were excellent. Everything flowed so well and it was an easy read but still had such beautiful and intricate imagery.

I do however think the pacing of the story itself and the plot was a bit all over the place.

I felt very disconnected from our characters and the suspenseful moments didn’t effect or worry me very much. Also every single person in this book needs therapy.

3.5 stars. I enjoyed it and I liked how at one point I had no idea what was going on, because it made me eager to read more.

This book was honestly such a suspense I found myself unable to stop and binged it in one sitting. The amount of twists and turns was jaw dropping and it is not your average suspense where you can predict the outcome. The plot was so original and the amount of character development and attention to small details was incredible. I’m looking forward to reading other books by Megan Collins! This is definitely a must read to start the new year with once released 💕