This had that romance element that I was looking for and was invested in what was happening. The medical love worked well overall and was glad it was so well done. The characters had that overall feel worked in a way that I was wanting. I was glad I was able to read this and loved the way Becky Hunter wrote this.

I really wanted to love You Make My Heart Stop—the premise had promise, and I was hoping for an emotional, heartwarming journey. Unfortunately, the execution fell flat for me.

The characters never fully came to life; their development felt shallow, and their emotional arcs seemed rushed or unearned. I found it hard to connect with their motivations, which made the romantic tension feel forced rather than organic.

Overall, this book had potential but didn’t quite deliver. I appreciate the effort to explore love and loss, but it didn’t resonate with me the way I’d hoped.

Begins with Emery at five years old suffering a near death episode and meeting Nick an angelic presence in her “death episodes”. Lots of time jumps that helps move the plot along, although I felt Emery wasted too much time not living and falling in love out of fear. We didn’t get enough time with Nick and the other MMC. The romance part of the book fell a little short for me. Although as a whole the story was heartfelt and emotional.

I'm such a fan of both Rebecca Serle and Josie Silver, so I jumped to pick this one up, but sadly it wasn't a hit for me. The magical realism in this one was a little more than I am used to, but that wasn't the problem. I just didn't connect with the characters and I really need to in a romance. They didn't feel fleshed out to me. I felt like I knew more about Emery's disease than Emery. And her visits with Nick are too short and usually talking about Emery's life, for me to feel I knew him.

I had a favorite character, but I won't mention that as to not spoil things. And it did make me cry at one point, but not really having to do with the main characters.

There are a ton of great reviews for this one, so chalk this one up to me and not the book.

This book had a really interesting premise and I was excited to see where it went. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the execution of the story. I felt that the FMC was extremely self-centered and from the first vignette when she was 5 to the end as an adult, she didn't grow as a person.


Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the free ebook copy of this book!

She’s done it again! I’m always telling people about my favourite read “One Moment” so not surprised I get to add another Becky Hunter book to my favorite recommendations!
What a plot! I LOVE a love story and am so happy when I find one with a different plot that the usual.
I cried throughout the end because it’s just so real about how fleeting life and love is!
Great job Becky!

You Make My Heart Stop by Becky Hunter
Romance
Pub Date: April 22, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am so excited to be a part of the @readforever influencer program! This was my first netgalley grab. I think the concept of this book is so different and interesting! It’s hard to come by something that hasn’t been done a million times.

Emery lives with a life threatening heart condition. Any sudden pain or scare could make her heart stop. The first time when Emery was young she dies and meets Nick in the afterlife. However if she they bring her heartbeat back she will come back to life.

Emery’s family and friends protect her at all costs but Emery doesn’t want to live in a constant state of worry. But when she does die she keeps coming back to Nick in this state of in between. They aren’t sure why she keeps coming back to him but they end up meeting over and over again while Emery grows up. Nick is able to help peoples souls pass through to whatever comes next.

Is Emery’s soulmate someone she can never actually be with or is it worth leaving to be with him.

This was a great concept of a book! I really enjoyed the characters in this one. How this made Emery’s family feel, and how she felt towards this condition. I definitely recommend this book, if you’re looking for a different type of romance book!

I really enjoyed Becky Hunter's last book and was looking forward to this one. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me and I really struggled to get into it.

Thank you so much writing a book about the in between and what could possibly happen. I’ve always been curious and wanting to seek what else is out there and it seems like that is exactly what Emery does. I laughed and cried throughout the book and needed to hug myself to get through to the end. Emery is supportive of Nick and even is able to find it in herself to promise him to live life to the fullest, even if that means doing it without him.

I was so enthralled in the story and I fell in love with every single one of the characters! Thank you again for this beautiful piece of writing, I really needed it for the comfort of my soul.

This was a raw and emotional love story for Emery that I enjoyed reading about. Emery has a rare condition that causes her heart to stop and requires resuscitation. In these episodes, she meets Nick, who is meant to help her transition to the afterlife. I found that Nick being stuck in that transition period to be interesting and makes their relationship even more complicated. They form this special bond throughout Emery's life and he is there for all the significant parts of her life. As she grows older and more episodes happen, Emery almost looks forward to each episode so that she can spend time with Nick instead of focusing on her reality and those around here even thought she has the best support system in her friends and family. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the gifted ARC and eARC. All opinions are my own

Wow. This story had me hooked from the first page. I was invested in Emery’s story and intrigued by Nick, the man she interacts with when her heart stops. This one requires the reader to suspend reality a little. Once I started I was compelled to read until the conclusion. This was a beautiful story about life and death and finding love.

This was my first read by Becky Hunter!!

What a tragic love story. Oh my gosh... I totally fell in love with this book and had some tears shed.

The premise of an afterlife I loved. The author executed the story perfectly with the timelines and the dual points of view.

Hunter writes beautifully and her talent just pours across the pages. This will definitely not be my last from Hunter.

If you enjoy emotional romances this one is definitely for you!!

4/5 stars

If you are looking for a tragic romance that will break your heart, then you are in the right place. You Make My Heart Stop explores the often-done essence of time travel but with a different spin of the afterlife instead. Through these pages, you get to voyeuristically watch a young girl grow up to adulthood with a bizarre medical condition that makes her heart literally stop. Her life in those brief moments takes on a different hue and meaning that is transformative. When given a choice to sustain the relationship she has developed over decades or embrace a new medication that would effectively change her life, what choice will she make? Two men. Two sides of a heartbeat. Two choices.

I'm not crying, sniffle, sniffle.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Even though I normally prefer more realistic fiction, there is just something about Becky Hunter's tales of magical realism. I enjoyed You Make My Heart Stop as much as I did her previous book One Moment. The basic storyline may be a fantasy, but so many real-life issues are also incorporated along the way. I can't wait to see what the author comes up with next. Thanks to NetGalley, Forever {Grand Central Publishing) and the author for a copy to read and review.

This latest from Becky Hunter (aka Emily Stone) is by far my new favorite! It's an emotional moving romance with a magical twist that also tackles living with a disability, loss, guilt, grief, mental health and SOOO much more.

Spanning decades, the story follows Emery, who has a fictional heart condition in which her heart can randomly stop and when it does she is whisked away into this other dimension for a short time. Here she meets Nick, a mysterious man/ghost with his own dark past who helps guide her through life and ultimately find the will to live and who Emery comes to believe is her soulmate.

Full of romance, heartbreak, friendship, sisterhood and more, this was great on audio and highly recommended for fans of books like The Time traveler's wife and authors like Ashley Poston and Kirsty Greenwood. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

I adore Becky Hunter’s books. If you like emotional, romantic stories with great side characters and a little magical realism, her books are perfect for you. I loved the story of Emery, born with a heart condition that causes her heart to unexpectedly stop at any given moment. Until she is revived, she lives in an in-between state where she meets Nick, whose job usually is to help people make the transition between life and death. The relationship that develops between them as well as Emery’s relationships with the living are complex and wonderful. I wondered where the story was headed throughout, and I was not disappointed by the ending. I highly recommend this book.

3.5 ⭐️ This review hurts to write because the idea of the book is was so intriguing but the execution just wasn’t for me. Our MFC, Emery has a crazy rare heart condition where her heart just stops sometimes and she nearly dies every time. When that happens, she meets our MMC, Nick. He’s like an “angel of death” whose job is collecting souls. But Emery keeps surviving, and each near-death brings them closer together. (They meet when she’s like 4 years old and then every few years afterwards. )

I loved the overall idea. I think it was very original. There are some touching moments in the story as well as a couple funny parts too. However I didn’t like how they just were on the same loop over and over. Her heart stops and they meet very very briefly and then 3 years later they meet again for just a very small amount of time until her heart starts to beat again in the real world. I think it was hardly enough time for their relationship to grow in my opinion. Lastly, the ending was kind of nice but really leaves you hanging.

If you want a sweet paranormal romance that’s an easy read then definitely give this a shot but don’t expect a lot of depth to the world or their relationship too much.

YOU MAKE MY HEART STOP is an unconventional and intriguing love story. Emery lives with a condition that causes her heart to stop unexpectedly. When that happens, she dies and when she dies she is met by Nick, a guide helping transition her from life to death.

Usually quickly resuscitated, Emery is caught between wanting to live a normal life and her family’s desire to protect her at all costs. Told in a linear timeline, Emery meets Nick multiple times during her frequent “deaths” and they form a connection.

While technically a love story, I found this book to be more about learning how to live (even in death). There is significant emphasis on the complexity of family relationships and the different forms love can take. Becky Hunter has written an emotional journey posing difficult questions without simple answers. There’s a cerebral quality to this book that those looking for a traditional HEA may find frustrating. I found it thought provoking and consistent with the themes of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

I really wanted to love You Make My Heart Stop by Becky Hunter, and while the premise had potential, I found myself feeling pretty detached from the characters. Their emotions and decisions didn't fully resonate with me, which made it hard to get fully invested in their journey. The writing itself is solid, and there are definitely moments of charm, but overall, it just didn't live up to the hype. I did have someone pass away this week in my family and I am sure this played a huge part in my decision also. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

Unfortunately, this story missed the mark for me a bit. While this was tragic I found it a bit difficult to connect with the characters. I don't feel like I really got to know Emery until further along in the book, and I think if her development started sooner, this might have read better for me. I wanted to know HER, not just her condition.

If you want tragic, where an FMC will frustrate you (not always in a good way) then go ahead and pick this up