If you love stories with unhinged characters who make questionable choices, this book is for you!

Rosie starts communicating with her heart donor's husband on an anonymous service called DonorConnect but becomes obsessed when she discovers he's a local celebrity author. But as she digs deeper into his marriage, she realizes the heart she received may have been a result of murder at his hands.

Cross Your Heart has an interesting premise and I enjoyed the mixed media of emails and texts. The plot was twisty and entertaining enough but didn't have jaw-dropping reveals for me. One major downfall: LONG chapters. I find it so unnecessary and it really deters my urge to continue reading. The plot is very convoluted with ****KIND OF A SPOILER**** double identity, which again, I felt was unnecessary to the plot. Lastly, if I didn't know the author was a fan of Taylor Swift, I know now!!! I'm no Swiftie hater but my goodness she is EXCESSIVELY mentioned throughout.

All in all, this wasn't terrible but it wasn't my favorite of her books either. I felt like it took me longer to read than usual. But, with a 4.17 star rating here, don't take my word for it. I just feel like seasoned thriller readers won't be all too thrilled.

3.25 ⭐️

I loved this book. Not a single character was trustworthy, but for the most part, their rationale made sense! I enjoyed the letters from Morgan to Rosie through DonorConnect, and the emails from Morgan to Blair were both interesting and immensely revealing into his mindset. As for Rosie--I cannot imagine working in a bridal shop and dreaming of marriage/navigating a break up. Makes sense given her circumstances with Brad and dealing with the aftermath of cardiomyopathy. I would recommend this book to fans of Freida McFadden, Liv Constantine, and Jamie Day.

I loved this new thriller from Megan Collins! The story was different and kept me hooked! I enjoyed all the thrills and plot twists! The whole feel each character brought to the story kept getting more intense as the story developed. I loved the whole premise wrapped around this thriller! I excited to read more from this author!

Even before I hit that halfway point, I could tell this was going a very different direction than I thought it was when I first began this - and I couldn't have been more thrilled about it.

This book felt like a feminist take on the 'crazy obsessive woman' trope and it was so refreshing. That was where I thought the book would be going in the first place and I was ready to enjoy the ride but also have some critiques on that take. That's not where it ended up going. This book made these women sympathetic instead of the villains - for the most part. It turned a light onto the men who paint them this way in the first place. Rosie, our main character, and her journey to finally seeing herself as someone who is wonderful and whole and a survivor had me wiping away tears at the end. I could actually go on and on more about that, and the end in general, but to keep this spoiler free, I won't.

And the writing in this book? It had some lines that made me have to pause and sigh. Gorgeous, beautiful, stunning.

I did guess the final two 'reveals' at the end, but that's not a critique, just a flex, because I was really proud of myself. It didn't feel that obvious, it just made sense, and it came together in such a satisfying way. (I didn't entirely guess the motive though, but looking back, I was gasping.)

Also - Megan Collins, I really think we could be besties. The book dedication, the Swiftie-ness of it all? I ate it up. This was my first novel by this author and it will NOT be my last.

So the main character gets a heart transplant, and she believes that her heart came from towns best selling authors, wife. She starts to get to know this author and believes that they are meant to be together. The author is actually really creepy though and maybe even had something to do with his wife’s death. Kind of a weird premise, but it worked. It was creepy and I loved it!

Always find Collin’s to be a sure bet. Really enjoyed this and felt like the book was a good read. It kept me turning pages and I enjoyed the plot. I would recommend.

Rosie just got a new heart, but she wants more than anything to give it away. If only she could be certain that the man in her sights isn't a murderer ...

This is a deliciously twisty book that will surprise even the most avid thriller fan. Maybe you want to be suspicious of Rosie and her soft new heart, and maybe you should be ... but it turns out it's not for the reasons you think. She's trying to walk this line and ignore the fact that she's playing a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse (and maybe confusing which one of them happens to be the cat) while ignoring the danger signs every step of the way. No man can be worth as much effort as Rosie puts into trying to uncover the reality of Morgan Thorne.

This book surprised me with its similarities to one of my absolute favorites, but I can't reveal which one or else that gives a lot away. Let's just say Rosie's contemplations of mortality and identity play into far more than wondering if her new heart can't help but love her husband's donor. The absolutely twists and turns (yes, plural) this book takes kept me riveted right up until the end. Megan Collins crafts complex characters who have their own reasons not to reveal everything all at once, and the way she tells their story just adds to the suspense. Cross My Heart is a must-read.

First and foremost, I'm not the intended audience for this book. I'm aware of that, and I know it heavily colors my review. If the issues I mention later on are not problems for you, lovely, I hope you love this book. But for people who are not the intended audience let me help you decide if this is the read for you. :)

First off, this book was addicting. I finished most of it in one day and didn't continue reading because I have responsibilities that couldn't be ignored. It was just incredibly fun and had interesting twists. This whole thing felt like a fever dream in a good way.

But, as mentioned, I do have some personal issues with this book. It's painfully straight, but specifically because three of the women characters in this book, including the main character, Rosie, orient their whole lives around getting a man. This also tends to mean characters act like teenagers at the ripe age of at-least-30. The drama of it is sometimes very fun and sometimes quite frustrating.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to access this book early in exchange for an honest review.

Wow wow wow! This book sucked me in from the very first chapter and I couldn’t put it down. Full of mystery, love, lust, murder, and plenty of plot twists to keep your head swimming. Megan Collins knocked it out of the park! Be sure to get a copy of this one when it comes out!

I loved this one! Megan Collins writes wonderful thrillers, and this one is no exception. I think the twists in this one were great and the story is well-paced.

💔 T U M U L T U O U S T U E S D A Y review 💔 featuring “Cross My Heart” by Megan Collins!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤.5/5

Rosie Lachlan has become obsessed with finding her one true love after having her heart shattered to pieces on her wedding day! She works in her parent’s bridal boutique and is constantly reminded of her dream of finding her own happily ever after.

Rosie receives a life saving heart transplant and decides to reach out to the husband of the women whose heart saved her life via email. Rosie is curious to learn more about this woman … but finds herself more curious about the husband Morgan Thorne who is a celebrity author! Perhaps fate has brought them together?? Or perhaps Rosie should stay far away from this man … especially when Rosie finds out some disturbing information about Morgan’s previous marriage 🤐!

Thank you kindly to @megancollinswriter @atriabooks @simonschusterca @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This book releases on January 14, 2025!

Everybody just wants to be loved….especially Rosie. This story is completely unhinged!

Rosie Lachlan works in her parents’ bridal shop and spends her days surrounded by other women’s joy and hope for a wedded future while she is nursing a grieving heart over being ‘dumped in her wedding dress’. Rosie is also a heart transplant patient and is communicating anonymously with the husband of her donor via DonnerConnect. She has figured out he is local mystery writer celebrity, Morgan Thorne. As their emails become more personal, Rosie begins to imagine a romantic future with Morgan but there is a dark cloud of suspicion over his wife’s accidental death. Is it possible that there is some truth within the pages of Morgan Thorne’s murder mysteries and could Rosie be in danger….or is she the dangerous one?

I loved every second of this book! I did not figure out who the villain was until the reveal. I didn’t know who to trust and loved all the stalker vibes! This is my first Megan Collins novel and I can’t wait to read her backlist!

Thank you Netgalley, Atria Books and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on January 14, 2025

I was absolutely hooked with Cross My Heart. The premise starts off really strong as we start to learn bits and pieces of our main character Rosie and her infatuation with a man from afar - the twist being that she now carries this man's late wife's heart in her chest.

We learn that Rosie is recovering not only from a heart transplant but also from a heartbreak that has some mystery surrounding it. Learning all of the vulnerable parts of Rosie along with some unhinged-seeming aspects of her infatuation is a really interesting mix, and it kept me wanting to know what was going to happen next. I audibly gasped at certain points and was kept on my toes throughout the whole book.

This isn’t just a one-time read. As soon as I finished, I wanted to go back and pick up all the little clues I missed the first time! Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the eARC!

4.5 stars

It has been a while since I have binge-read a thriller, but I was totally consumed by Cross My Heart. The premise of a heart donor recipient connecting with her donor's late-husband was an interesting premise. Even better, none of the characters are seemingly reliable, which makes the suspense all the more fun. Of note, the first half is definitely more "thriller," while the second half has more "drama" to it. Still, I was racing to the end to see how it would all pan out. This is definitely a thriller to add to your "must-read" list!

Interesting take on a thriller! That said, I really enjoyed it and didn’t see the twist coming! Quick read that I would definitely recommend!

Book Title: Cross My Heart
Author: Megan Collins
Publisher: Atria Books
Genre: Thriller-Psychological
Pub Date: January 14, 2025
My Rating: 3.8 rounded up
Pages: 320

Rosie Lachian is a thirty-five year old living in the Boston suburbs and is the manager of her parents’ bridal salon. Approximately a year ago she was dumped by her fiancé while wearing her beautiful wedding gown. Recently she receives a life-saving heart transplant.
With a new heart she is sure she will meet the right one!

Rosie learns her heart was from the Daphne the wife of author, Morgan Thorne.
Rosie sends a note via the anonymous service DonorConnect ~ stating that she is grateful that Daphne save her life, she is surprised as well as delighted when Morgan answers.
Rosie is convinced that there is a connection not only regarding his wife’s heart but that she and Morgan were meant to be together.
There are rumors that Morgan killed Daphne - Might Rosie be in danger?

Although not my favorite Megan Collins it did have a twist I was hoping would happen.


This is my fourth Megan Collins story. I read and enjoyed "The Family Plot. Thicker than Water and The Winter Sister".

Want to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for granting me this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 14, 2025.

Holllllyyyyy COW was this one a wild ride! This was one I truly struggled to put down from the first chapter and stayed up WAY too late to finish. Enter Rosie, a heart transplant recipient who recently learned that her donor was the now-deceased wife of one of her favorite authors. Also dealing with a recent heartbreak, the two connect through the donor's email program. What was supposed to help both parties with their grief turned much more dark and sinister.

I'll say, as an avid thriller/suspense reader, I thought I had this ending in the bag - BOY was I wrong. It had a great "Housemaid" twist midway and I truly did not see that villain coming. If anything, I wish we had more backstory and development for that character because it felt a little sudden and random, but it was still a really fun read and will be recommending this for my book club upon publishing. Thanks so much for this ARC!

The main character struck me as batshit crazy while I was reading it, which propelled me along through it instead of making me put it down, which happens sometimes in that scenario. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review - book publishes 1/14/25

Spoilerish...

Thank you NetGalley, for this uncorrected ebook ARC of 'Cross My Heart' by Megan Collins - expected release date 01/14/2025. This is my 4th Megan Collins book and I just noticed that I've rated them all 3 stars.

'Rosie-colored glasses' was such a cute phrase used to describe how the main character, Rosie, saw life and viewed people around her. She's endured heart breaks + a heart transplant + loneliness, yet she still continued searching for love and friendships. Her tendency to take things too far or misconstrue things definitely made her seem unhinged, rather than seeing the best in people though...

The concept of the book sounded great, I couldn't wait to see how it all played out. While I couldn't connect with Rosie, or any of the other characters, because their relationships all felt off/odd/superficial, the book was still a decent read.

I wish the author wouldn't have had Rosie start that same creepy list thing with Jackson at the end of the book, it would've been nice for Rosie to have moved on from that vibe to start fresh after all the other stalkerish things that came previously.

I didn't see the Blair twist coming and I didn't really like that ending BUT I guess it is another good example of how love can make someone do crazy things (as if all the examples of Rosie's actions weren't enough).

This book made me want to neglect all responsibilities and curl up in bed with Rosie Lachlan. After a heart transplant that was perfectly timed, and her engagement ended in her wedding dress, her life is seemingly out of control. She’s living in the studio apartment above her parents garage, and working for them at the family business.. a bridal store. Connecting with the husband of the women whose heart now lives inside her… why not? The twists and turns kept coming, and I loved them! A good, fast paced read!