This is my first novel by this author. I’ve had all her books on my radar but for some reason or another I just passed them by. I was in the mood for a good page turner and settled on this one. It’s only about 300 pages but took me over 8 days to finish (typical is 3-4 max) and felt like 400+ pages. This was not only a slow burn but very predictable. I predicated all the twists and turns and found it cliche and eye rolling. Rose colored glasses? Ugh how many times do we need to hear that expression. This was a big loss for me and my reading and now I’m slumping. Unfortunately I won’t be recommending this one.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book. I enjoyed the writing and the pacing, but just for not really care for thrillers with unreliable narrators.

THIS is definitely one of my top reads of the year! In Cross Your Heart, Megan Collins once again proves her ability to write stories that are as haunting as they are heartbreaking. For fans of thrillers with a dark psychological edge, this book is a must-read. Collins expertly explores themes of guilt, grief, and the dangerous lies we tell ourselves, leaving readers questioning who they can trust until the very last page. I didn't want it to end which is the only reason it took me as long as it did to finish it!

All I needed to read was the dedication page to it was going to be a good book. “For everyone who relates to the prophecy by Taylor Swift”

I really enjoyed this read! Rosie, who recently received a heart transplant, is desperate to find love. She connects anonymously via DonorConnect with the husband of her heart donor. He is a famous author named Morgan Thorne. She becomes obsessive with the idea of him but soon discovers a common rumor that many seem to believe… they’re saying Morgan killed his wife. Are these just rumors or could it be true? The more she discovers the more she questions it. Is she willing to risk her life for the possibility of love?

This novel was intriguing from the very beginning and became even more enticing with each page I turned. The MC is not the most likable in the beginning but by the end you will, without a doubt, be rooting for her. After the first few chapters I thought I had it all figured out but I could not have been more surprised and delighted with the twists this book had. I admired that Megan included many different types of communication in this book such as text messages, emails, and online messages. It made it fun and kept it interesting. I would love to read a sequel with Rosie’s next adventure!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this novel.

This is the epitome of unhinged female behavior! MC always delivers from the thriller standpoint, and this one is no exception. Such a unique plot, telling the story of a love obsessed heart transplant survivor. Add about a dozen twists and turns and you have an easily bingeable book a cozy weeknight at home!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, all opinions are my own.

* review posted on goodreads

I am not sure how to really sum up this book! I will admit the cover is what sucked me in. So I went in completely blind into this book. I think that helped a lot because I was instantly sucked in and couldn't put it down. I could summarize everything but I think it is best to go in blind like I did. The author absolutely killed this book! Seriously, I can't wait for it to be published and share it with my book club.

What I did enjoy:
- this was fast paced and I couldn't put it down! I finished it pretty quickly. I was intrigued from the first chapter.
-I had no clue who or what to believe. This book is full of all the twists! I did not see most of it coming
-our MC is interesting and multilayered for sure. I felt for her at times. But at other times I wanted to shake some sense into her.

Overall, I really loved this book! This helped me get out of a reading slump. The book is twisty and fast paced, perfect for any thriller fan..4 stars out of 5. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC.
When I started I was fascinated by the fact our protagonist had a heart transplant, but as the story went on, I did get irritated by her constant moaning about being single. However, as things progressed, I started liking her more and as the story got on, it became impossible to put it down, plus I was worried for her life.
The ending was terrific, even though I guessed the murderer. Great story, different from the same old, same old!

I have had difficulty finishing books for months now. Once I started this one, I could not put it down until I finished it. This was a juicy story that unfolded in a unique way told through multiple perspectives that kept me wondering. I highly recommend this book but make sure you are ready to pull an all-nighter because you won't want to put it down either! I now eagerly await future books from Megan Collins!!

Many thanks to @atriabooks @atriathrillers @simonandschuster @netgalley for my #gifted (free) copy. Pub date 1/14/25.

This is my first book by Megan, and now I have to go read her backlist! I loved how Megan wrote this book, I love that she added emails and text messages to break up the (long) chapters and added Taylor Swift references throughout the book. I was almost positive I knew who the villain was, but I was proved wrong. If you want a fast-paced thriller, this is your book, so pre-order and add this one to you WL!

Rosie was dumped, and shortly after that, she had to have a heart transplant. Rosie suspects her heart doner was Daphne, the wife of a local celebrity author, Morgan. Rosie and Morgan start messaging each other through an anonymous service called DonerConnect. Rosie has Daphne's heart, so she thinks she is destined to be with Morgan, but the more they talk, the more she wonders what really happened to Daphne? 4.5 stars!

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley, but opinions are my own. Rosie gave me whiplash in this book- at times I sympathized with and really liked her, and at other times I just wanted to smack some sense into her. There are lots of twists and turns throughout this book, with a big one at the end. I thought I had it figured out, but was wrong! Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

"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."

This is a fun and enjoyable read, pulls you in immediately! It is very twisty and a little campy but it was definitely fun and kept me guessing. I loved the setting and picturing all of the different places in my mind. The author is a great writer. So many times where it felt like, "Wait! What? That can't be right!" but it was definitely all there! She is tricky! I definitely recommend this book. What a fun read!

I love a twisted, stalker, mystery thriller and this one hit the mark! I was immediately drawn into this story and I kept thinking I had it all figured out and realized I had no clue. This one threw me for a loop a couple of times which I appreciated!! Rosie was completely infatuated with Morgan and I saw this playing out differently in my mind, possibly because I read so many romance novels but I was unexpectedly surprised. I really enjoyed this one and it was a fun, thrilling ride.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Expected Pub Date: Jan 14 2025

This was a really fun read. I appreciate that the premise was unique and I enjoyed the multiple POVs. I didn't LOVE who the killer ended up being, but it didn't ruin the book for me. Extra perk: All of the T. Swift references... a girl after my own heart! 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this novel.

I've read the last two novels Megan Collins has published, so I was naturally eager to read her new one, and even though this Cross My Heart didn't end up being my top favourite from this author (it still is The Family Plot), I still enjoyed it and can easily recommend this one to anyone who has read any books by this author and enjoyed it.
Personally, I loved the protagonist and all the medical/hospital settings and conversations. It added something extra creepy to the atmosphere of this mystery novel.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books, for providing me with a free eARC of this novel.

This one has a lot of potential but unfortunately it fell short for me. Rosie, the MC receives a heart transplant and begins to stalk the husband of her donor. Couldn’t connect to the characters or story and it became slow.

Megan Collins writes “stalker” really well! I don’t want to give too much away but it’s about a woman, Rosie, who is a recipient of a heart transplant and starts falling hard for the donor’s husband. It’s a fast-paced psychological thriller about female obsession and murder.

Rosie is a bit unlikable in the beginning. Obsessed. Naive. Not in touch with reality. But her character develops really well throughout the book and I found myself rooting for her.

And just when I think I suspect who the murderer there’s a twist! I did not know which character to trust. Well developed conclusion!

There’s also some Taylor Swift references sprinkled in which I really appreciated. Sorry, 47 year old Swiftie here!

Releases 01/14/25

4.5 stars!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you @netgalley and @megancollinswriter as well as @atriabooks for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

4 stars

I have enjoyed Collins's books previously, and this most recent effort helped me maintain my appreciation for this author.

Rosie is known by friends and family for wearing "Rosie colored glasses," which is a solid indication that Rosie's take on the world can be a little too centered on how she wants to see things instead of how they actually are. This makes her an intriguing character to follow since she will take...hmmm....RISKS at times that others may find unusual or even suspicious. Rosie's backstory also makes her compelling. She comes from a family in which young and lasting love prevails, and there are some solid tangible reminders of this in her environment. She's not part of this trend, however, and is deeply impacted by a broken relationship as well as a major health issue. Her heart is recovering in more ways than one, and her brain hasn't quite caught up yet.

I'm intentionally leaving out even some of the added basic details because watching the characters and events connect is a major factor in why this book is fun to read. I recommend the 'know a little and learn a lot' approach for maximum enjoyment.

This is another solid read from Collins, and it'll leave readers wanting to yell at some characters and protect others.

Thank you Atria Books for the copy of Cross My Heart by Megan Collins. I loved the premise; a heart transplant recipient finds the husband of her donor and starts writing to him. The emails between them were annoying because Morgan and Rosie sounded exactly alike and it was unrealistic how much they disclosed to each other so quickly. It was probably done to add to the feeling of “romance” but it was kind of icky. This wasn’t a bad book, but it felt like it was written for a younger, maybe New Adult audience because the characters felt really immature. The writing never drew me in, and eventually I was racing through the pages just to get to the end. If you like romance and like lots of reveals, you would love this book. It just wasn’t for me. 3 stars

I really enjoyed the premise of this book. It was interesting and unique. There were twists throughout the story, which kept me invested and intrigued. Some of the twists were a bit predictable while others surprised me. It’s a quick read that had me hooked from the start. Overall a fun read that’ll keep you guessing until the very end.

There was a lot going on but I found this to be an entertaining read from a stalker’s pov. I did figure it out towards the end