What a wild ride this book was!!😱

So twisty!! Seriously, that twist got me so good. I was like, hold up ... WHAT!?

I LOVED the format with the emails and texts. There's just something so fun about the addition of mixed media in books.

I definitely recommend this one. Especially if you enjoy obsessive stalker vibes.

My thanks to Atria Books and Netgalley for this gifted e-copy!

This is my fourth novel by Megan Collins!
In order of favourites:
The Winter Sister
Cross My Heart
Behind The Red Door
The Family Plot

This was such a fun read!

I haven't encountered a mystery/thriller quite like this in some time, and it was a refreshing alternative to the other books I've been tackling recently. The fast pacing kept me hooked from start to finish. I found the main character and her story fascinating, and I appreciated the variety of plot twists and turns—each reveal added an exciting layer to the story, making it an overall enjoyable experience.

I figured out "whodunnit" before the big reveal, but I wouldn't deduct any stars for that. The journey towards the conclusion was well-crafted, and knowing the outcome didn't diminish my enjoyment of the buildup. The author's talent for creating suspense and intrigue shone through, making this a book I'd definitely recommend adding to your TBR. 😊🖤

Thank you so much, Atria Books, for sending me this ARC!!!! It is much appreciated.

The publication date is January 14, 2025. Go get this book!

And as always, all thoughts are my own. ✨

Cross My Heart
🗓️ 01/14/2025

“She has his wife’s heart; the one she wants is his. The author of The Family Plot brings her signature “taut, emotionally charged, and propulsive” (Jeneva Rose, New York Times bestselling author) prose to a twisty novel about a heart transplant patient who becomes romantically obsessed with her donor’s husband.”

Whoa, I was not expecting to love this book like I did! It was slow to start but once it takes off you’re in for a wild ride. If you enjoy FRIENDS, Gilmore Girls and Taylor Swift, you will enjoy all the references along the way. A great thriller to start off the year!!

Thank you @netgalley @atriabooks @megancollinswriter for this advanced release copy in exchange for an honest review.

What is your most anticipated thriller of the year?

#crossmyheart #megancollins #swiftie #netgalley #netgalleyreview #atriabooks #thriller #suspense #bookstagram #newrelease #2025release #booklover

Deep hearted and easy to fall Rosie believes that she found a new man of her dreams- and why not? After being left while planning her wedding and an illness putting her on the heart donor list, doesn’t she deserve it? Except their connection, unknown to the chased Morgan, is her heart. And what really happened to that donor anyway.

Rosie wears her heart on her sleeve and as the reader, it was easy to get invested into wanting to tell her that’s not a good idea and to pump the breaks on her pursuits with Morgan. She can definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. The Instagram messages regarding Morgan and his writing were fun, as a an individual who likes to discuss books on social media. It felt relatable.

This is a slow burn; you’ll think you get a real feel for the villain. And then the second half of the story flips you on your head, and you start questioning everything. The twist in the middle saved the story from feeling like a “run of the mill” type of thriller.

I’m not sure how I feel about how all the women were written. Like they are all only boy crazy and obsessive. The women are written as the stereotype of “crazy stalker types”. I suppose the point of the story is what men drive women to do, with gaslighting and lies- but then some of the excuses the women would give for love, just reinforces the “crazy” stereotype and why men claim women get too emotional in a break up that they feel it gives them an excuse to not have the decency to do it. The justification for the behavior was a reach.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced reader copy. This novel comes out tomorrow, 14 Jan 2025!
This one kept me on my toes. This was a case of "what the heck is going on?" and trying to put the puzzle together. There was one reveal about 60% way in that made my jaw dropped and I did not see it coming. It changed my entire theory and I had to go back to my suspect list to re-analyze. All in all - I really enjoyed this one!

This book captured my imagination and just would not let go! Rosie and her heart transplant held me mesmerized with her quirky, not quite to be trusted character, her desire for love and her complete dedication to finding love in the most unlikely person, the man whose wife donated her heart. This story was head-spinning in its twists and I had no idea what to expect next from either Morgan, the author that Rosie is obsessed with, or from Rosie or even Blair, Morgan’s best friend. The plot moved along at a breakneck speed and the surprises barely gave me time to get used to one new thing when another eye-opener came along. I enjoyed that Daphne, the deceased wife, left clues about her death in her published poems. Following the clues was fun but could not always be trusted either, but the poems were well-written and added to the macabre tone of the plot. Filled with red herrings and characters who were realistic but not completely trustworthy, this book is one not to be missed by those who enjoy twisted thrillers, a quest for love and suspense that builds and does not disappoint either in chills or thrills or murders.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

I received this arc a while ago, and I have no idea why I waited so long! I absolutely loved it and read it in two sittings.

The book starts with Rosie, who received a heart translate. She begins to communicate through a donor app with the husband of the women she receives the heart from. She starts a connection and then starts to research going down the rabbit hole. From there, a lot of mysterious things begin to happen including the accusation that the husband killed the wife. I was racing to finish each chapter to see what would happen next. There are themes are obsession, delusion,

I absolutely loved Rosie. I loved all her flaws and was truly rooting for her. She felt so honest and raw. I also loved the mix of emails to give different POVs clouding the mystery even more. Some twists really had my jaw on the floor, while other were more obvious but that did not take away from the book at all. But it’s not just about the twists, the author does a good job adding layers of complexity that make the whole thing so engaging.

The first half of the book is more thriller, while the second have starts to put everything together.

Thank you to Atria and Netgalley. This book comes out tomorrow. Run to the bookstore tomorrow!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you like:
❤️ multiple story-telling formats
❤️ single POV
❤️ single timeline
❤️ stalker thrillers
❤️ wide variety of characters
❤️ long chapters

Thank you so, so much to the author for the note at the beginning informing us that the neither the dog or cat in this story are harmed ❤️❤️❤️ I will not read any animal cruelty so I was so thankful to not have to worry about the animals the whole story!
I was really intrigued by the description of this one, as it’s a little bit different than the normal stalker thriller 😬
I loved that there were so many story-telling formats in this one!!! Narrated story-telling, dms between the 2 main characters, comments on social media posts, emails from one of the main characters and his (female) best friend, texts between many different characters… this just adds so much to the story and makes it so much more fun to read! The author even wrote poems!!! She obviously put so much effort into making this a really enjoyable book, and boy did she succeed 🩷🩷🩷🩷
Ok WOW!!! I thought I had an idea where this book was going but those TWISTS AND TURNS!!!! What an enjoyable read!! The ending was a little obvious if you know anything about anything 🤪🤪 but it was still a super fun journey of trying to figure out the killer.

“Um… Miss ma’am!?!?” This was me, page after page, trying to reason with Rosie Lachlan. Spoiler alert: she didn’t listen. And honestly? I loved every second of it.

Rosie Lachlan is giving off serious Joe Goldberg energy, and no one can convince me otherwise. She’s delulu (or should I say *passionately optimistic?*) when it comes to love, and her latest obsession - local celebrity and thriller author, Morgan Thorne. Here’s the kicker: Morgan is the widower of the woman whose heart now beats in Rosie’s chest. Yes, you read that right—Rosie received a heart transplant from Morgan’s late wife, who died under very suspicious circumstances.

The two connect through a donor messaging site, and what starts as an innocent exchange spirals into… well, a completely unhinged ride. Rosie isn’t content with just winning Morgan’s heart (literally and figuratively); she’s determined to unravel the truth about his wife’s death. Is Morgan the grieving husband he seems, or is there something darker lurking beneath the surface? The more Rosie digs, the messier—and more thrilling—the story becomes.

Rosie is an absolute riot to follow. Her inner monologues and daydreams are both hilariously naïve and endearing. You root for her because she’s so earnest, even when you’re shouting, “Girl, please! Get a grip!” She’s a perfect mix of lovable and exasperating, and her journey is one you can’t help but devour.

Speaking of devouring—I tore through this book in one sitting. Once Part 1 ended, there was no stopping me. The twists come at you fast, and the story doesn’t let up. It’s a wild, whiplash-inducing ride in the best possible way. My advice? Go in blind and buckle up.

The tagline of this book hooked me, and I’m glad it did because I loved it. So many twists and turns and new information dropped all the time. Rosie was a completely sympathizable but unreliable narrator. She’s so fixated on finding love that she goes way overboard sometimes. At times, I didn’t even know what was real. If she was going crazy or if I was going crazy! This book was a wild ride right until the very end.

This was my first Megan Collins book, and I definitely recommend it! Thanks to Atria Thrillers for the arc.

4⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy of Cross My Heart.

Rosie has just received at heart transplant and has connected with her donor’s husband online through DonorConnect. Through the conversations they have she starts to have feelings for him. She is also able to figure out who he is and that he is a famous author. She also sees online that people think he killed his wife so she starts to do an investigation of her own.

This book was so good and literally had me guessing until the end. I did not see any of the twists coming at all. I really enjoyed the characters and the writing style. This was a really good thriller/mystery!

This was my first book by Megan Collins and it certainly won’t be my last. This book kept me up past my bedtime to finish it last night. The plot twists at the end, I did not see coming. Unexpectedly at the edge of my seat from the start. A book to put on your TBR in 2025.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. One can always count on Megan Collins for quick, twisty, fun reads that top the genre of domestic suspense.

Cross My Heart by Megan Collins is another phenomenally written story that will suck you in.
High on my most anticipated reads of 2025! And it definitely delivered!
This one had me on the edge of my seat the whole time.
The characters are intricately developed, and their complex, flawed natures make them all the more relatable and intriguing.
This book had fantastic characters and a plot that kept me guessing.
Collin’s has brought a cleverly plotted and compelling new mystery with unique characters and truly surprising twists.
An absolutely riveting, well developed psychological mystery from the creative mind of Megan Collins.
She never disappoints!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an Advanced Reader Copy

Thank you to Atria Books, Megan Collins, and NetGalley for the ARC.

I wanted to love this, and for the first 50% I did! It started off with so much potential I was really interested. Then it went a little downhill, I feel like the author ran out of steam. The beginning was amazing, the plot was interesting, the characters were unhinged but likeable, the writing was great. Towards the middle and end it seemed rushed and less thought out. The twists were predictable and lacked any real excitement. Some were so unrealistic that I lost interest briefly. The ending was boring in my opinion, I think there could have been a better way to end that. I did love the transplant storyline and whose heart it was. I found a lot of this book to be really repetitive and it could have been shorter with the same impact. There was also some quotes I enjoyed and highlighted to future reference.
I’d say this was 3.5⭐️.

Definitely a popcorn thriller. I will say I didn't expect all the twists...maybe 2 outta 3, but I was surprised by one and I enjoyed the information about heart transplants

I applaud Megan Collins's take on the "crazy girl" who really was just crazy in love. Love certainly has the capability of bringing out the best (and worst) in us all.

Although I found the plot to be pretty predictable, and the end to drag a little with repetitive themes, I appreciated the aspect of taking a new look at the ones we call "crazy". There were lots of girls girls in this book and that's a concept I can get behind any day. F the patriarchy 😇 (IYKYK)

DonorConnect isn’t meant to be a dating site—but someone should’ve told Rosie Lachlan that! After surviving a life-saving heart transplant and being left at the altar in her wedding dress, Rosie is struggling to embrace her new life. Drawn to the mysterious connection she feels with her heart donor, Rosie becomes determined to uncover more about the woman who saved her life but she soon begins to suspect that there might be more to her death than what everyone has been told.

Cross My Heart by Megan Collins took me by surprise with its unexpected twists and turns! It’s a heartfelt and captivating read that’s definitely worth exploring.

I would like to thank Atria Books & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

A well crafted and well written thriller. The author does a fantastic job of blending humor and creepiness. I love how the plot line is written partially from the protagonists POV and the email correspondence. This was a roller coaster ride!!
♥️The dog is the book is an Australian Shepherd so points for that!!♥️
I want to express my gratitude to the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

I so related to Rosie. The way she felt about her breakup brought back a lot of memories and feelings. I could feel her desperation. I loved that she watched Gilmore Girls to get thru it. The author really hit it home. "It comes down to a simple truth: it's easier, sometimes, to be miserable in love than it is to be alone." "People say that phase, start over, like a new start is even guaranteed. Like there's always someone out there who's definitely going to love you. But what if you're stuck at the end of the last finish line? What if your time runs out, and in the end, you're stuck with only yourself?" We get multiple POVs in the story with Morgan's being done by emails which was a good tool. There is a big twist about half way that made me want to go back and re read the first half. The mystery kept me guessing. Things get wrapped up at the end with one open thread, does Rosie find happiness with another. I like to think she does.