Cross My Heart is a heart-racing psychological thriller that explores obsession, love, and the dark depths of human desire. After receiving a life-saving heart transplant, Rosie discovers her donor was Daphne, the late wife of local celebrity author Morgan Thorne. Driven by curiosity (and perhaps a desire for something more) Rosie begins messaging Morgan through an anonymous service, DonorConnect. But as their connection deepens, Rosie’s fascination with Morgan and his wife becomes much darker.

With plenty of twists, emotional depth, and a shocking mid-point reveal, the story builds tension and doesn’t let go. As Rosie’s behavior becomes more erratic, the people around her grow increasingly suspicious. Can anyone in this story be trusted? Collins creates flawed, unreliable characters that keep you guessing, and Rosie’s desperation and obsession make her both unsettling and fascinating. Perfect for fans of twisty, character-driven thrillers.

Oooh this one was so good! I was hooked on it and couldn’t wait to see what happened next! It was really good and had lots of great twists and turns!

3.5 rounding to 4!
This was a slow start for me, but once you get to part 2, things speed up. I enjoyed the twists and turns, because I didn’t see them coming. I also enjoyed all the Taylor Swift references. Overall recommend as a quick read!

Rosie, a heart transplant survivor, learns the donor of her new heart and begins communicating with the donor’s surviving husband. Soon the communication develops into an online relationship of sorts that may or may not be as it seems.

Cross my Heart is the third book I have read by Megan Collins and my favorite so far! Collins’ books keep getting better and better!

Although I felt this book started a little slow, it soon caught my interest and moved full speed ahead. The added email and text message excerpts throughout the book really added to the writing.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books, for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed above are my own.

Book Review

Cross My Heart
Megan Collins
Atria Books
Pub Date: January 14, 2025
5⭐️

Author @megancollinswriter is one of my favorites, her books truly never dissapoint!! I was so excited when her newest thriller Cross My Heart was released on @netgalley and even more happy when it landed on my shelf!

I went into this one without reading the synopsis and I’m glad I did because it was so twisty and fun! Cross My Heart is a mystery thriller, filled with obsession, stalker vibes, and lots of secrets and drama! There are TONS of twists in this one, some are predictable but the most important ones will leave you jaw dropped!

If you haven’t read this author yet, you need too! I’ve read all four of her previous books and they’ve all been 4-5⭐️ reads. Cross My Heart is out Jan 14th! Special thanks to @atriabooks for the early copy!

SYNOPSIS: “Rosie Lachlan wants nothing more than to find The One.

A year after she was dumped in her wedding dress, she’s working at her parents’ bridal salon, anxious for a happy ending that can’t come soon enough. After receiving a life-saving heart transplant, Rosie knows her health is precious and precarious. She suspects her heart donor is Daphne Thorne, the wife of local celebrity author Morgan Thorne, who she begins messaging via an anonymous service called DonorConnect, ostensibly to learn more about Daphne. But Rosie has a secret: She’s convinced that now that she has his wife’s heart, she and Morgan are meant to be together.

As she and Morgan correspond, the pretense of avoiding personal details soon disappears, even if Rosie’s keeping some cards close to her chest. But as she digs deeper into Morgan’s previous marriage, she discovers disturbing rumors about the man she’s falling for. Could Morgan have had something to do with his late wife’s death? And can Rosie’s heart sustain another break—or is she next?”
•
•
•
#crossmyheart#megancollins
#atriabooks#atriapublishing
#bookstagram#bookstagrammer
#bookreview#bookrecommendations
#5starreads#readmorebooks

This was a quick easy read that I flew through. The pacing was perfect, the characters were all unreliable and unlikeable and even though I at one point hated everyone, I couldn’t put it down. The plot was unbelievable but I do think the thing that changed this from a 5 star to a 4 was every single girl was a stalker? Or kind of cuckoo? And I do understand the point that Collins was trying to make but it also felt repetitive. I almost wish the twist was that it was a man who had hurt Daphne and Morgan all along. It was a wild ride though and I’m already recommending it!

This was soooo good! It had my head spinning! I felt like I was being thrown in so many different directions. I didn’t know who to trust or who to believe! I had no idea what was going to happen. I did guess some of the things that happened but not all. The big plot twist, I really didn’t see that coming and my jaw dropped! It was a great thriller that was definitely hard to put down!

This was probably one of the most introspective thrillers I’ve ever read. The way Megan Collins wrote Rosie gave me clarity and empathy in a way that had me laughing with her, cringing for her, and also wanting to throw back a bottle of sparkling with her in our pjs on the couch discussing what being “too much” as a women looks like.

Let’s talk plot twists……!??? Don’t hold your breath thinking you know what’s happening.. you don’t lol. I absolutely lapped up the bombshells Megan dropped and never found any of them to fall flat or unnecessary.

The poetry segments were both haunting and nuanced in a way that I honestly hope Megan comes out with a nonfiction collective essay work because her writing and descriptive nature of inexplicable feelings is off the charts!

Ok thanks for sticking with me on this long-winded ramble but honestly this book is a readers high and I am so excited I got to read it.

Thanks to Atria books, Megan Collins, Kaitlin Olson exec editor, and netgalley for approving me! Please slap any and all future Megan works my way she’s epic.

Megan Collins’ Cross My Heart is a thriller that hooked me completely from the first page. The story starts with an almost romance-like plotline that completely distracts me (in the best way!) while setting the stage for the darker, mind-bending twists to come. The book's first half had me questioning everything—the characters, their motives, and even my own theories. It was like peeling back the layers of a beautiful but very deceptive onion.
In the second half, though, I really fell in love with the characters. Once the dust started settling from all the twists and turns, I felt like I understood them on a deeper level. Their choices, their flaws, and their moments of vulnerability felt raw and real. I wouldn’t say they’re perfect people (or even always likable), but that’s what made them so compelling by the end.
And let’s talk about the pacing! This story flies. Every chapter ends with a moment that makes you need just one more page. The twists came fast, and while a few felt a little over-the-top, I was here for the ride. It’s like Collins knew precisely how to keep readers on their toes without giving too much away.
While the book isn’t without its flaws (some plot points leaned on melodrama a bit, and I could’ve used a bit more depth in certain reveals), it was still an addictive, twisty read that I’d happily recommend to thriller fans. If you’re into psychological mind games, secrets that won’t stay buried, and a dash of emotional complexity, Cross My Heart is worth picking up.

The cast of characters, especially the main character, Rosie, made this book exceptional. I loved not knowing who to trust and the ongoing suspense surrounding suspicious characters and odd occurrences. The twists were fun and psychological which I also really enjoyed. Fans of psychological thrillers will like this one.

Poor Rosie! She got dumped by her latest boyfriend and needed a heart transplant in the same year! Now a year later, she's becoming just a little bit fixated on the husband of her heart's donor, Morgan Thorne, a famous thriller writer who just happens to live near her. They are corresponding through DonorConnect Communications, which keeps their identities private, but Rosie has figured his out through the news headlines following bis wife's accidental death.

Since her transplant, Rosie has lived at home, in the apartment above her parents' garage, where they can keep an eye on her in case she needs help. She also works at her mother's bridal shop--is it any wonder she's fixated on finding a romantic partner of her own, when she's surrounded by happy brides-to-be every day?

She follows Morgan on social media and one day sees a post that accuses him of killing his wife. It is quickly taken down but now she wonders if there's any basis for the suspicion and begins looking into their lives more deeply. But when tragedy strikes again, she's the prime suspect!

Rosie is a very likable character with all her flaws. She has such a good heart, one can't help but want the best for her. The story is told through her point of view and so her repeated personal mistakes are slowly revealed. Most of us know someone similar, a person who becomes a chameleon, changing her persona and interests so the guy she is dating will fall in love with her. It just doesn't work.

I thought this was an entertaining mystery which kept me turning the pages until the surprising ending. Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc via NetGalley for a voluntary review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Cross My Heart...

The title alone feels like a promise of a twisty time and that is certainly the novel Megan Collins delivers in her latest obsession-based thriller. If you are looking for a book that you can read quickly during a travel day or on the beach, this will be one to look out for this year.

Cross My Heart follows a woman who somehow tracked down the person who donated her new heart...and it turns out to be the wife of her favorite thriller writer. Through chats and sneak peeking...she is able to follow his life and defend him against rumors that he was responsible for his wife's passing and using the clout of females in the publishing industry to sell books. But there's something else brewing under the surface of this popcorn read.

After reading a few of Collins's books, I am shocked she hasn't grabbed a movie deal yet (maybe she has and I'm out of the loop) because her work reads just like a screen adaptation. I was floored with how quickly I became invested in the plot and how I finished it in only a few hours. The main star of this novel (to me) is the intensity and anxiety I braved while reading. I flipped pages and almost didn't dare look at what came next because I was shocked at the obsession element. And a bonus...a twisty little scene about 50% of the way through.

While I guessed the big reveal at the end, I enjoyed my time with this story. It will be an easy one to recommend this year.

Thank you to the publisher for my gifted copy.

This one was super crazy and a fun read! I thought I knew what was happening but the twist at the end was so good! Definitely enjoyed it!

Rosie is a hopeless romantic desperate for her forever partner and her enthusiasm has carried it a little too far at times -- like stalker and restraining order far. Her last boyfriend broke her heart - literally as about the time they broke up, her heart started to shut down. Luckily she qualified for a heart transplant and as she is recovering she discovers that her donor, Daphne, was the wife of a famous local author, Morgan Thorne. She reaches out through Donor Connect and as they email back and forth she forms a crush on the widower which propels her research on the couple. She discovers their relationship was tumultuous and many online fans believe that Morgan murdered Daphne. She quickly finds herself obsessed with him and in the middle of this "murder" mystery. I was just about to give up on Rosie when a huge unexpected twist in the middle catapulted this story from weird Rosie to "oh my gosh, I"ve got to find out what happens"! I don't want to spoil the ending but just hang on to your seat for the 2nd half of this book!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC. #NetGalley #CrossMyHeart

I received an Advance copy of this book and just finished devouring it. I can’t recall a recent book I have read that had so many unhinged characters in one story. I loved how it kept me guessing and genuinely questioning just what sort of crazy would be revealed next. Would definitely recommend for others who like a mixture of mystery, thriller and a little romance thrown in the mix.

Rosie Lachlan recently went through a rough patch in life. After having a habit of picking the wrong men and being too needy, she meets Brad and they are engaged to be married…until he dumps her…while she’s wearing her wedding dress. She thought she was suffering from a broken heart, but she actually had cardiomyopathy and needed a transplant. After months in the hospital, her new heart came through, and a year later, she’s back at work, managing a bridal salon.

Rosie’s best friend, Nina, happens to work at a hospital, and may have let HIPAA laws go by the wayside. Rosie’s new heart was a donation from a woman named Daphne, who happened to be the wife of famed thriller author, Morgan Thorne. Once Rosie found that out, she did some light stalking on social media, then reached out to Morgan on DonorConnect, an app where you can anonymously talk to the family of your donor. Surprisingly, he wrote back, and they began communicating regularly - there is such a connection between them that Rosie wonders if Daphne’s heart has drawn her to Morgan. Comments on social media about him being the obvious killer of his wife put a bit of a damper on things, but she’s really wanting to give this relationship a chance - for her, and her new heart.

Throughout the book, we get emails and texts between Morgan and Rosie, and their conversations with their best friends, Nina and Blair. Daphne was a poet, and we also get some of her work - big kudos go to the author for writing so well, for so many people, and with such meaning. Also, kudos go to the author for the HUGE twist I never saw coming. I read a lot of thrillers, so it takes a lot to blow my mind, but this book managed to do it! There were several twists after all was said and done, and the ending was one of those that makes you grin…in an perfect thriller way.

My first read of 2025 was a fantastically-written page turner, and I loved not only the story and the shocks, but all of the references to Taylor Swift and the show “Friends”. In fact, one of the surprises was actually a storyline from Friends, and I love that it was added. I’m so happy to give this one 4.5 stars, rounded up.

(Thank you to Atria Books, Megan Collins and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on January 14, 2025.)

Thank you NetGalley, Megan Collins, and Atria books for the advanced copy of Cross My Heart. I really loved this one! It was so good and locked me in from the very beginning. When I got to the end of part one I audibly said “WHAT” to myself. I love when a thriller has me questioning anything and everything including myself.

Rosie gets a heart transplant after encountering a heart defect. Thankfully the transplant was a success for her but her donor unfortunately obviously passed. Rosie decides to connect with her donor’s husband and they begin to start a relationship together online. This online relationship is not a full blown relationship because it is all anonymous through an online forum. Rosie figures out who her donor’s husband is through their conversations and things go haywire from there. Find out how this new man in Rosie’s life became a heart donor’s husband. Was his wife murdered or was her death a tragic accident as the husband says?

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!