eARC Review: Cross my heart by Megan
Collins
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub date: January 14, 2025
This is my first book by Megan Collins that I had the pleasure of reading. I really enjoyed how the book picked up with the plot twists in parts two, and left me in total shock after reading part three... The biggest shock to me from the book was who actually murdered Daphne as well as Morgan. Overall, this book was almost a five star read for me, except that it did take awhile to grab my attention at the start.
Rosie's track record with men wasn't known to be the best, she longed to have a steady relationship like her best friend, Nina. Rosie recently had to undergo a heart transplant and her new heart just so happens to be that of Daphne's, who was Morgan Thorne's wife. Thorne is a successful published author who's living within walking distance to Rosie; they meet thru anonymous messages sent to each other on DonorConnect. Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was my first book by Megan Collins, and I’m totally hooked! From the very first page, I was captivated. Rosie’s character had me questioning everything, and I couldn’t put it down until I turned the last page. There are so many twists and turns—some you see coming, but the ones that surprise you are just incredible.

𝔸ℝℂ • ℝ𝔼𝕍𝕀𝔼𝕎

Cross My Heart - @megancollinswriter

Wooooowwww! This book had me in a chokehold from the first page! Between heartbreak, wanting to find love, mystery, thriller, betrayal, and all the emotions that you can think of when you say, “no way! Holy crap, I wasn’t expecting that!” I’m still shook at how this book ended. This book was so hard to put down, once I started, it was hard to stop! Megan Collins really had my heart racing with this book with Rosie’s secrets, falling in love with her donor heart’s husband, Morgan. Definitely an interesting turn of events with how this played out. Can’t wait to get my hand on the book in January!

What a crazy plot but also amazing This woman ends up with a heart from this married woman, and falls for the woman's husband. On first thought, because I watch too many netflix docs, I thought the husband was shady. I wont give anything away but lord. This book had more twists and turns than a gps

⭐️ 4.5 (rounded up to 5)

Cross My Heart by Megan Collins is a mind bending, twisty thriller that throws you into the mind of Rosie-- a heart transplant recipient who becomes neurotically obsessed with the husband of her donor. This book is a kind of genremeld of romcom, psychological thriller and sheer suspense book, and I devoured the entire thing in 1 sitting.

What I Loved:

💖 Unreliable (but Loveable) FMC: Rosie is, for better lack of word, hilariously unhinged. She starts out as a relatable, down-on-her-luck character, and before you know it, she’s pulling some Joe Goldberg-level rationalizing, and I was HERE for it. She’s soooo delulu while also being ?? wildly naive ?? Reading from her perspective felt like witnessing a trainwreck you don't want to look away from. Collins does an incredible job making Rosie’s unreliable narration a key driver for the tension. Is she crazy? Absolutely. But you kiiind of want her to root for her anyway.

💖 The Twist on Obsession: The book opens feeling like a romcom but quickly morphs into something darker and more unpredictable. The tension is so well-built that I found myself suspicious of literally EVERY single character. While it has all the typical thriller elements, it was also so unpredictable and suspenseful, it held my attention the whole way through. It was an addictive read I couldn’t put down.

💖 Pacing & Suspense: I flew through this book in less than a day because it kept me on edge the entire time. From the email exchanges to the subtle unraveling of Rosie’s sanity, every chapter kept me wanting more.

What kept this from being a 5-star read:

😞 Minor Predictability: While the reveal at the end didn’t totally surprise me, the tension and build-up were so strong that I didn’t really mind. It was still dramatic af, but I could see some pickier thriller readers hoping for a more shocking twist.

In summary, Cross My Heart is the perfect fall thriller, balancing humor with suspense, and delivering a truly wild ride with a certifiably insane FMC at the helm. It’s fast-paced, dark, and twisted in all the right ways, and I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a gripping, psychological read.

Thanks to Atria Books, Megan Collins, and Goodreads for the ARC!

Since I loved The Family Plot, I was thrilled to get my hands on another book by Megan Collins! The heart wants what it wants (haha), and I always love a good thriller.

Like her other books, this one also has an unreliable female narrator. Rosie Lachlan recently had a life-saving heart transplant surgery—following a devastating breakup... she quite literally got dumped in her wedding dress. So, she’s in a reaaallly vulnerable place. Curiosity gets the best of her and she uses the platform DonorConnect to find more details about the woman whose heart is now her own. After all, this woman lost her life—but saved Rosie’s.

Not sure if he’ll even respond, Rosie sends a message to the woman’s husband, Morgan, through the app. Still reeling from the hurt of her breakup, she absorbs his response, and they message back and forth. She quickly begins envisioning a romantic future with this man. Since she now has his deceased wife's heart, she can’t help but feel like they are meant to be together.

However, the more Rosie learns, the more she begins to suspect that this man had something to do with his wife’s death. And she wants to find out the truth—before she puts her heart on the line again.

Filled with twists and turns, there’s no doubt you’ll be hooked. And just when you think you’ve got it figured out, think again! This one kept me guessing until the end.

This book gets a solid 3.5 stars from me. It was an enjoyable read, a well-written thriller mixed with romance and lots of tension. The pacing was a little slow in the middle for my liking. The narrator is infuriating at times, and I could have done without some of the Taylor Swift references, but it wasn’t too over the top.

Thank you to the teams at NetGalley & Atria Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book! Good storyline that had just enough twists and turns in it to keep it interesting.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this advanced copy!!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest and independent review.

This is the first book I have read by Megan Collins, but it will not be the last! Collins takes you on an emotional journey as you get to know the main character, Rosie Lachlan as she adjusts to life following getting a heart transplant. Through a site called DonorConnect, Rosie starts communicating with her donor's husband and falling for him, when she thought she'd maybe never find love again. However, this is only the beginning of what Rosie goes through. She's forced to take off her "Rosie-colored Glasses" and see those around her for who they truly are. You can't help but root for her while she tries desperately to figure it all out, not knowing if anyone would even believe her...

It's a real, honest look at how heartbreak and grief can alter our decision-making, making us do things we could never imagine. There are so many twists from the beginning - some may be expected, but most will surprise you. I highly recommend Cross My Heart to anyone looking for an exciting, emotional thriller.

I read Collin's release last year and it was a one star for me but I wanted to give her another chance. Sadly, I just don't think that this author works for me, and that's okay. Not every book or author is going to be for every reader. I didn't like the main character. The plotting requires too much suspended disbelief for me to be engaged with it or feel that it's believable. The pacing is way to slow, and I wasn't feeling the suspense or tension that I wanted from it. I just don't think her writing style is for me. I wouldn't discourage anyone who was interested in reading it, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it either.

This book was soooo good. The twists were unexpected and made it impossible to put down. I highly recommend this thriller read if you like to actually be surprised!

#CrossMyHeart #NetGalley
Brilliantly written.
Megan Collins’ Cross My Heart is an eerie, psychological thriller that explores obsession, grief, and the desire for connection. The story centers on Rosie Lachlan, a woman trying to rebuild her life after being dumped at the altar and receiving a life-saving heart transplant. Rosie’s fixation with her heart donor, whom she believes is Daphne Thorne, leads her to contact Daphne’s widowed husband, Morgan Thorne, through an anonymous service called DonorConnect.
As Rosie and Morgan begin to correspond, what starts as an innocent exchange turns into something far more sinister. Rosie believes that because she has Daphne’s heart, she and Morgan are destined to be together. However, as she delves deeper into Morgan’s life, disturbing rumors about Daphne’s death surface, casting doubt on the man Rosie is falling for.
Collins masterfully builds tension throughout the novel, keeping readers guessing whether Rosie’s suspicions are valid or if she’s being driven by her own obsession and paranoia. The line between love and fixation is blurred as Rosie navigates her emotional and physical vulnerabilities, all while unraveling a potential dark truth about Morgan. Cross My Heart is a compelling exploration of how far one will go to find love and the lengths to which people will justify their actions. With its twists and mounting suspense, this novel keeps readers on edge until the final page.
I loved it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for giving me an advance copy.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the chance to read the e-arc Cross My Heart by Megan Collins.

The story starts out rather simply. Jilted woman finds herself suffering a real broken heart and receives a heart transplant. Finds out transplant donor is wife of well-known male author. Strikes up relationship with author through Donor Match website messenger. Crushes on author and craves more from him…may plan a way to meet him in real life. Plot begins to feel like an average stalker story, but is it ever really that simple?

I really liked the main character, Rosie and felt for her throughout the story. There are several plot twists and I truly could not figure out the main one until pretty close to the end. This was a twisty one! While most of the story is Rosie driven, I also appreciated the development of the supporting characters as well. I will not spoil the main twist which brought us to a satisfying ending. I truly could not put this down after the first few chapters. (I may have completed this read in one day…)

Megan Collins delivers again and I am sure it will not be my last read by her. 4/5 star read

thank you to netgalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

4.5 stars rounded up

i’ll start off by saying that the idea of this book was sooo fascinating and it was actually executed pretty well. one of my fave things about it was how along the way you learn most people in this book are most definitely not ok and most definitely unhinged at varying degrees. the author aced the differing povs and after the big reveal at the end of part one, leaves you guessing whose head you were in for a lot of the first half! i will also give major props for being as unpredictable as it was, every theory i thought up was no where near right and though that hurt it was also so fun seeing where the story went anyways. overall the book was paced so well and was so addictive and hard to put down!!! it was such a wild ride from start to finish definitely one of the top thrillers i’ve read this year

This book had me soooo hooked from the beginning. It was one of the more interesting concepts I’ve read in a while - you’re falling in love with the husband of the woman who donated her heart to you?! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and did not want to put it down. I did guess a bit of the ending but it really kept me on my toes!! Def recommend when it comes out, thank you netgalley for letting me read early :)

Yes, and yes again! I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Great storyline that had just enough twists and turns in it to keep me reading away. It has a great ending too! Way to go,Megan Collins!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this advanced copy. Enjoy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC of Cross My Heart in exchange for an honest and independent review.

Megan Collins is a psychological thriller mastermind! Cross My Heart is completely unhinged in the absolute best way possible and I could not put it down. Very few books have ever kept me guessing as much as this one did and there were times when the main character and her perception of the world had me at a complete loss for words and reason.

Without entirely giving too much away, Cross My Heart is centered around our main character, Rosie. Rosie is a heart transplant patient who has recently started corresponding with the husband of her heart donor through an agency that allows both parties to stay anonymous. The catch is, Rosie has an inkling as to who the husband is she is emailing with as he is a rather famous author who just happened to have lost his wife in what we later learn are incredibly suspicious circumstances. Rosie’s life begins to quickly spin out of control as she finds herself at the center of a murder investigation and quite possibly a target herself.

From the very beginning, readers can see and feel that Rosie doesn’t necessarily have a world view that aligns with the majority of everyday society. Her perception always appears just a tad skewed and as a reader, you quickly become suspicious of Rosie’s first hand accounts of certain circumstances. On one hand, you feel bad for all the hardship she’s had to endure in her short life, but on the other hand, you’re reading her first person account of her feelings and rationale and you cannot help but assume that Rosie is certifiably and undoubtedly completely insane and entirely out of touch with reality as you or me would know it.

The fact that Megan Collins was even capable of crafting a character as complex and multilayered as Rosie still completely baffles and amazes me. To set aside our normal, everyday viewpoint and craft a world seen through “Rosie colored glasses” is something you just cannot fully appreciate until you’ve read this book. This book will bend your mind in more ways than you ever thought possible, but I can promise that you will love every minute of it and even when the end comes, you will be begging for more.

I cannot, in good faith, gate-keep this book from anyone. Everyone needs to immerse themselves in the mind-binding journey that is Cross My Heart. I promise that you won’t be the same after reading it, nor will you forget what it feels like to look at the world through Rosie colored glasses because who doesn’t love a little warped perception every now and again to brighten our day?

Wow! What a suspenseful read. From the first chapter, I was hooked and could not put it down until it was over.

The separation between part one and part two of the book was perfect; I enjoyed getting to know Rosie in part one, stalker tendencies and all. And by the time part two rolled around, I was second guessing everything and everyone.

Also, the tswift references were incredible, and I felt as though I heard her songs playing in my head as certain scenes unfolded (queue “Look What You Made Me Do”).

And I couldn’t have asked for a better ending! Well written and twisty enough to have gasping. Truly a great read 4.5/5 ⭐️

"Cross My Heart" by Meg Collins is an enchanting read that captivates from the very first page. The story weaves a tapestry of emotion, exploring themes of love, loss, and redemption with a deft touch. Collins’ writing is both lyrical and engaging, inviting readers to immerse themselves in the richly drawn characters and their journeys. The plot is filled with unexpected twists that keep you on the edge of your seat, while moments of tenderness offer a perfect balance. This heartfelt tale is a testament to the power of hope and resilience, making it a must-read for anyone looking for a touching and uplifting story. Highly recommended!

This was a really twisted book and I was here for every second of it! Such a fun read that you need to get your hands on!

It has been a long time since I’ve read a book that proves almost every one of my reader theories wrong. Cross My Heart is a fast paced book that will have you changing your guesses every chapter. Megan Collins crafts such an immersive, unreliable narrator that I kept forgetting that I wasn’t Rosie, that I could think otherwise. The mid point plot twist left me reeling, I felt almost like I was reading two completely different books in the best way: like everything I expected was flipped on its head. Which only made me want to read on faster; this was a single day read for me! Only some parts drew me out of the plot, the Taylor Swift discussion felt like a piece that didn’t fit the characters we knew, and I never thought I’d say this as a fan of hers. 4/5 stars, a very solid and recommendable thrilling read.