I will sure be picking up more by this author. I thought I had the twist figured out and I was wrong. It was surely unhinged, there were many Swifty refences throughout. I would consider this over the top, but boy was it fun. Popcorn thriller, wild ride that I read in 24 hours. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars

The premise of this book is undeniably intriguing: a heart transplant recipient begins to form a connection with the husband of the woman whose heart she received. It’s a fresh and exciting concept that promises plenty of emotional depth and suspense. However, while the idea shines, the execution left much to be desired.

One of the story’s key elements is its twist, which had potential but ultimately fell flat. The twist becomes predictable early on, and instead of allowing readers to unravel it themselves, the narrative dedicates time to a character explaining it in detail. This not only felt redundant but also detracted from the thrill.

The main character is challenging to connect with, coming across as immature and unlikable. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast isn’t much better. Most of the characters feel shallow, obsessed, and more suited for a YA drama than a mature thriller. This lack of depth makes it difficult to invest emotionally in the story.

Adding to the disconnect is a romance subplot that feels misplaced and unnecessary. Rather than enhancing the narrative, it distracts from the thriller elements and leaves the story feeling disjointed.

That said, the book might still appeal to those looking for a light, quick read. If you’re not overly concerned with character depth or originality in execution, this short thriller could serve as a breezy escape. Just don’t expect a deeply layered or emotionally gripping experience.

**Verdict:** An intriguing concept that falters in its delivery, but it may work for fans of easy, surface-level thrillers.

This one had such an interesting plot! She’s falling for her heart donor’s husband?! A twisty romance psychological thriller that kept me guessing. You have to suspend some belief, and be ok with the main character making dumb decisions over and over, but I liked it overall.

Cross My Heart was a thought-provoking, crazy and twisted book that delves into the difficulties of love, loss, and obsession. Megan Collins weaves a darkly romantic story that will keep you on the edge of your seat while exploring the emotional and ethical problems that surround heart transplants and the connections that they can form. Rosie Lachlan is a woman whose life takes a strange turn after receiving a heart transplant. Of course, she isn't only recovering from the heart transplant but also being left at the altar a year prior. However, Rosie is determined to find her "happily ever after." Her life takes another weird twist when she suspects that her heart donor is Daphne Thorne, the wife of a local celebrity author, Morgan Thorne. Through an anonymous messaging service called Donor Connect, Rosie reaches out to Morgan to find out more about Daphne and to make a connection between her new heart and the famous author. This book has so many twists that you soon won't know who is telling the truth and who might be delusional. As Rosie's begins to correspond with Morgan, she soon learns that he may have been the cause of Daphne's accident, and she has this need to find out the truth. Rosie believes that having Daphne's heart somehow links her to Morgan, and they are destined to be together. Now, she just needs to uncover the truth about the disturbing rumors about Morgan's past. As the truth about Morgan and Rosie both start to be revealed, it will soon leave you wondering WHAT THE FREAK is going on?! You soon learn that not everything is as it seems and those you think are your friends may actually be foes. Cross My Heart is a book that will keep you guessing until the VERY END. This is the book for you if you enjoy psychological thrillers with a romantic twist.

This book was delightful. It was a propulsive, twisty read that left me guessing the whole time. I don't always love an unreliable narrator, but Rosie's quest for love at literally all costs feels authentic in its insanity. We've all done crazy things in the name of "love," right??

DNF for me.

I read her book from a few years ago, called the family plot and I absolutely loved it. But the book she came out with after that was a DNF for me and this is the second one since then that us a DNF for me as well. This one was way too outlandish and unbelievable.

Cross My Heart was so interesting. I love a good stalker thriller, and this one certainly delivered. I flew through the audiobook and enjoyed every minute. I found Rosie's character to be particularly compelling, especially after the big reveal.
The reveal caught me by surprise! I loved the direction the author took this in. The ending required some suspension of belief, but I enjoyed the journey regardless. Definitely add this one to your TBR!

Unpopular opinion but this was a frustrating read for me 😅
I don’t think I’ve had ever come across a character that had me pulling my hair as much as the MC in this story did.
I understand why she was as extreme as she was, I don’t think the story could’ve been pulled off if she wasn’t, but it was just TOO much.
I did enjoyed the twists and it did keep me guessing until the very end.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @atriabooks for the ARC, opinion is my own.

I think this must be my favorite Megan Collins book yet. When a woman with a bad heart learns that a man's wife died--and she received his wife's heart as a transplant--she winds her way into his life. But she has plenty of dark secrets from her past, and as she gets involved with this man, we learn nothing is as it seems.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria for an advanced copy of Megan Collin's newest book," Cross My Heart".. All I can say is WOW, WOW, WOW.. I thought I had it figured out but I was nowhere even close! Between the Taylor swift references and the unreliable narrator, I devoured this in 24 hours!

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved everything about this book. The pacing was fantastic and I truly did not want to put this book down. It had a twist in it that I truly wasn't expecting and I love when that happens. I loved the use of the emails in the first half of the book too. It gave us the ability to see into Morgan's mind a bit.

I would 100% read another one of this author's books.

My one only slight complaint is that the chapters were a little long for me and that's not even a huge complaint.

This was such a fun, fast-paced mystery/thriller! The premise immediately caught my attention because it was so unique: falling for your heart transplant donor’s husband via DonorConnect? Sign me up for this mess! It delivered on all the messy relationships, secrets, plot twists, and totally unhinged characters. Although unlikeable, I loved to read about the main characters various obsessions. She was totally unhinged sometimes, but it was so entertaining to read. Another aspect of the story that I enjoyed was the mixed media. I loved reading the various emails and texts between characters. It added another layer to the story that just really worked for me.There were several twists throughout the book and at least one had my jaw on the ground because I did not see it coming. I had some pacing issues during Part 1 where the story seemed to drage. However, this book was written super well and it kept me flipping the pages! Highly recommend!

Cross My Heart is all kinds of twisity and bingeable! The main character is slightly unlikeable and still you’re trying to figure her out but also rooting for her? She’s had a really rough year so that grabs your heart but your brains fighting the reasoning! I think a lot of us here on bookstagram can relate to Rosie and the bond she made online! I loved the pop culture references, they were fun! I’m still thinking about it all a week after reading!
4.5 stars

Thank you to @atriabooks and Netgalley for my #gifted copy!!

Rosie undergoes a heart transplant and starts talking to her donor's husband anomalously through DonorConnect, a service that connects organ recipients with the donor's loved ones. But it just so happens that Rosie figures out that the husband is a popular author in the area and starts to becoming obsessed with him. What follows is a rollercoaster of twists and turns that will leave you second-guessing everything. I absolutely loved the fast-paced narrative and the dual POV , which made this story so bingeable and captivating. It’s a must-read for thriller lovers who enjoy twisty, unputdownable reads! Highly recommended!

Thank you @atriabooks #atriapartner and @netgalley for my ARC!

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.

I love how this author makes you second guess Rosie. One minute you think she is a bit psycho and has lost time or just plain doesn’t remember. Then there is a witness that says it wasn’t her…so who did it!?!? But then there is Rosie’s obsession! I love a good guessing game.

Megan Collins has definitely created a unique mystery with just the right amount of second guessing!

I enjoyed another book by this author. You can read my review of The Family Plot here.

Need murder mystery with a kick! THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

I haven’t read a thriller, suspenseful, horror etc book in a very long time. They just haven’t been catching my attention lately. But this premise I was hooked from the start.
You don’t realize it at first but about halfway through the book you get super confused on what’s happening and you have to unveil the truth.
I couldn’t put it down. I ate up every word. Had my own theories, which ended up being right. But the way it unravelled was beautiful and suspenseful and unexpected.
I really really enjoyed this book.
Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read this in advanced for my honest opinion!

Rosie Lachlan has had a heart transplant and she believes the donor is Daphne Thorne, wife of well-known author Morgan Thorne. Using a donor connection service, Rosie has been messaging Morgan anonymously hoping to learn more about Daphne. His responses are open and friendly and she is becoming quite interested in Morgan himself.

Rosie suffered heartbreak when her fiancé, Brad, broke up with her just before their wedding. She went through a very dark period after which she began feeling ill. That was when she learned her heart was failing and she was lucky enough to receive Daphne’s heart. Now, Rosie runs her parents’ bridal store.

Rosie’s friend, Nina, has known her for many years and she knows how Rosie tends to obsess on a prospective boyfriend seeing a future with them long before any relationship has been formed. She worries about Rosie contacting Morgan. But when Rosie learns that some people are saying that Morgan may have killed Daphne, she is surprised but not enough to avoid him….yet.

Well, I finally finished this book and feel like I need to pat myself on the back for doing so. The plot is quite confusing and none of the characters stood out as real. Rosie is a kook, plain and simple. She’s someone I could never have patience for. Her view of relationships with men is quite skewed. The comment that sticks with me and sums up someone like her is: “I pinned my happiness on someone else.”

Copy provided by NetGalley and Edelweiss in exchange for a fair and honest review.

When the author dedicates the book “to anyone who relates to The Prophecy by Taylor Swift,” I know I’m in for a good time.

“𝐼𝑡’𝑠 𝑎 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑠𝑦𝑚𝑏𝑖𝑜𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝 𝑤𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒. 𝐼 𝑘𝑒𝑒𝑝 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑎𝑠 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑘𝑒𝑒𝑝𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒.”

I mean, the premise of a woman falling for her heart donar’s husband, already sets the tone, but add in multiple thoughtfully layered twists and you’ve got a fantastic thriller! I suspected a few plot points, was right about one twist and was pleasantly surprised to be wrong about the rest! For the most part, I truly didn’t know who to trust or where this was headed but it was such a fun ride and unputdownable, bingey read! I went the audiobook route for this one and with the dual narrations representing the dual POV, I listened in practically one sitting. It was excellent as an audiobook!

There’s obsession, murder, intriguing characters, and at the center of it all is Rosie, a recent heart transplant recipient who just wants to love and be loved. It’s a must read rollercoaster of a book, but it’s not to be missed! I’ve also read and loved The Family Plot by this author and can confirm she’s an auto buy for me!

•𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 •
+ dual POV
+ super twisty
+ bingeable with fantastic audio
+ if you’ve ever felt crazy in love
+ lots of Taylor Swift references
+ read if you like Blank Space by T Swift
+ unreliable narrator
+ a book about authors
+ heart transplant rep
+ online correspondence

Thank you so much Atria and Netgalley for my #gifted ARC!

I really enjoyed *Cross My Heart* by Megan Collins! The premise was super intriguing, and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. There was always this sense that something was off, like there was something I didn’t know yet but couldn’t figure out what it was, which kept me hooked. The writing was emotional and really pulled me in. That said, there were a few moments where the story slowed down a bit for me. Overall, though, it was a great read with plenty of suspense, and I gave it 4 stars because it kept me guessing until the end!

Thank you NetGalley! This was an interesting book, definitely different than others I’ve read. It kept drawing me in the further I read. Such a great novel!