This is an extremely emotional book but truly love it. It took me a while to get into the plot as it’s never easy reading about death especially after losing a family member. This book handles the topic amazingly and also shows the importance of living our lives the fullest and not wasting any moments guessing if we are doing enough. Would love to read more from Becky Hunter now!

Magical Realism/Romance

I, normally, don't enjoy magical realism, but this author makes the what if - possible.

No one knows what happens when you die, so what if there was a guide that helped you transition? What if you were a person who had a heart condition that caused you to die, repeatedly? What if, because of that condition, you formed a relationship with your death guide? What if you fell in love?

Emery Wilson first dies as a little girl and then over the course of her life dies again and again. She ends up falling in love with her death guide - Nick. She knows they cannot be together, but what if? Because of her condition and her relationship with Nick, Emery passes up on some good things in her life. Is she the one, ultimately, holding herself back?

I wondered how Hunter was going to close this novel and while I have some mixed feelings about the ending, this will be a novel I remember and deserves 5*'s. This is my second Becky Hunter novel and she has me hooked.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this novel.

Rating ⭐️ : 3/5
Spice 🌶️: 1.5/5

The book had so much potential!! I loved the characters and loved the concept of the story.
It did lose me halfway. I was expecting more and was disappointed with the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of You Make My Heart Stop by Becky Hunter. I loved One Moment and was so excited to read her latest! While I didn't love it as much, I still found it intriguing. Magical realism is a new style for me and I think I just had a hard time grasping the concept of the space between life and death and Nick's role. I felt myself going back and forth on my opinin of the book as I read it. At times it really seemed to drag. I liked the secondary characters more than the main character. Emery was a complex character. While I understand she had a difficult situation to deal with at times I wanted to shake her and tell her to move on. I'm happy she ultimately made the decision she did and I loved the ending!

I like Hunter's writing style and will definitely read more of her books.

I loved reading her previous title One Moment. I was too excited to jump into a new BH novel.
You Make My Heart Stop is a thought-provoking and heart-wrenching story.
I really enjoyed reading this, it had everything that I was hoping for in a Women's Fiction novel. The characters felt like they were real individuals and had realistic things going on. The prose was beautiful and I very much enjoyed reading every word. I loved the characters and their issues and how it all worked out in the end.
I felt every emotion Emery felt throughout the book.
I enjoyed everything about this story from the fantastic relatable characters to the wonderful portrayal of love. .

I would like to thank NetGalley and Forever for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

Thank you @readforeverpub, @grandcentralpub, @beckyhunterbooks, and @netgalley for the #gifted ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

You Make My Heart Stop is an emotional thought provoking love story with a twist of magical realism and a unique and interesting premise. Emery, the FMC, is living with a life-threatening incurable medical condition that literally makes her heart stop. The story spans over many decades, starting with when she had her first cardiac episode at the age of 5. Every time this happens, she dies and is greeted by her guardian angel Nick, who she thinks just may be her soulmate. But how does she decide between her life on earth and her possible soulmate—who she can only be with in the afterlife. This story explores themes of loss, grief, guilt, complex family dynamics, relationships, and fate.

Becky Hunter was a new to me author but I have already been researching her backlist. I really enjoyed the writing style and the unique storytelling. Her characters are well developed and she created an intriguing plot with a linear timeline and dual POV. This story is written so well that it creates some heavy reflections on life and makes you question what you might do if you were in the same situation as the main character. And can we take a moment to appreciate that stunning cover?!

If you are a fan of emotional romances, second chances, and thought provoking reads, then I would highly suggest reading You Make My Heart Stop.

This had such an intriguing plot and I honestly really liked how flawed the MC was. She was a very selfish person but I also understood her too. I liked the family and friends surrounding her too. My only complaint was how slow the plot moved. The chapters would jump ahead a lot so it made you think you were moving quickly but it still felt so long. And then the ending just felt very unsatisfying.

Still, a very magical realistic character focused read that I enjoyed.

Thank you Netgalley and Forever Central for this ARC.

I have this rule for rating books - if I cry, I give it 5 stars. And I cried while reading this book, so you can guess where I'm going with this.

For years, Emery has lived with a condition that means her heart could literally stop at any second. While her friends and family try too hard to protect her, Emery refuses to live in perpetual fear. Besides, she has a secret—when her heart stops, Emery actually dies . . . and that’s the only time she can see Nick.

This was an emotional read and so many bittersweet moments. Emery's journey throughout was one hell of a ride, and I loved her connection with Nick. Everytime she died & met Nick, their connection grew stronger & it was hard to imagine any possible outcome where they couldn't be together.

While it was more of a journey for Emery & and focused on her development, I loved the subtle love triangle this book gave us. This reminded me of "This Is Us" on some many levels. Honestly, love triangles are my kryptonite & I was bawling my eyes out for each love interest. Loved the ending & Emery's story throughout.

<i>Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.<i>

Thank you @readforeverpub for the ARC!

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me at around the 50% mark. I really wanted to see it through, but I just couldn’t stay engaged—I found myself not caring enough to continue.

The premise is great, and I was intrigued by the setup. But the execution didn’t work for me. I felt bored and disconnected from the story. None of the characters felt fully developed, especially the FMC, Emery. Despite the time jumps spanning several years, she read like the same person throughout—there was no noticeable growth or evolution in her character.

Honestly, I think I would’ve preferred the story from her sister Amber’s perspective. The emotional weight of growing up with a sibling who could die at any moment could’ve made for a much more layered and compelling narrative.

The only parts that held my interest were the moments where Emery died and we found out what bizarre accident caused it this time—morbid curiosity kept me hanging on longer than I expected.

Also, I couldn’t connect to the romance at all. Emery has a cardiologist for her heart, but I really think she could’ve used a psychologist too. I struggled to understand how she could fall for this ghost of a man. Their interactions felt awkward and made me cringe more than swoon.

In the end, I don’t think this should’ve been a romance. I might’ve been more invested if the story leaned into exploring what each brush with death revealed to Emery about herself or the afterlife. That angle could’ve been really moving. The premise reminded me a bit of The Good Place—but it just didn’t land for me here.

I DNF'd this book at about 35% because I just really did not like Emery and I think it's because I really didn't know much about her, apart from that she has a medical condition which results in her heart stopping when surprised, stunned, etc. Going through the time jumps, I didn't learn much about her interests, goals, personality, but the focus was on an activity that she really wanted to do, even knowing it could cause her heart to stop.

It's an interesting premise for a book, but I wish we had more time with Emery as a person outside of her medical condition earlier on in the book so that I could grow to care for her, root for her, etc. It felt like all of her actions were taken in spite.

Thanks to Forever for the eARC; all opinions are my own.

You Make My Heart Stop is a very special, truly memorable, completely unconventional love story.

I had no idea they Becky Hunter also writes under a different name. Once I found out her alter ego, I knew I needed to read her Becky Hunter books and this one didn't disappoint.

I am not surprised it's an extremely emotional story, because she is a queen in crafting heartfelt stories. I am, however, extemely impressed in how this novel spans decades. That is not easy to do and I felt it was perfectly done.

I loved this story, it's so special

4.5 stars.

You Make My Heart Stop by Becky Hunter is a brilliant novel with a clever storyline.

At the age of five, Emery dies for the first time due to an incurable heart condition. During her time hovering between life and death, she meets Nick, a guide of sorts to the next side. Never knowing when her heart will stop, Emery is irritated by her overprotective father. As an adult, she decides to live life on her terms. But as she grows older, will Emery regret the choices she did not make?

During her various cardiac events, Emery and Nick begin to get to know each other. Emery is endlessly curious about Nick but he is hesitant to reveal any details of his life before he died. As Emery learns more about his past, she becomes determined to help the man she is falling in love with.

You Make My Heart Stop is an emotional novel that tugs on readers’ heartstrings. The characters are vibrantly life-like with true to life ups and downs. Emery is stubborn and sometimes selfish, but she grows and evolves throughout the story. Her family is a bit of a mess as they experience life's joys, sorrows, and healing. Emery’s fate drives the compelling storyline and Becky Hunter brings this heartfelt novel to a poignant conclusion.

Becky Hunter (also known as Emily Stone) took my emotions through the wringer with this one!! 😭😭 Emery suffers from a heart condition where pain or a sudden shock can make her heart stop, and as long as someone is with her to perform CPR she can be brought back to life. But when she’s in the “in between” she meets Nick, a man who helps people accept death and ushers them to the other side. Except Emery doesn’t move on, but instead comes to meet him randomly as she grows up.

As they develop a friendship and her feelings start to become more, when Emery faces hard times in life she finds herself taking risks to run to Nick, but in order to do so she must leave the ones she loves and who love her so much.

Emery struggles with living her life in the moment because she knows it could end at any time, but also longing to be with Nick. She’s torn between living with those she loves in her real life, or making their time so traumatic watching her “die” over and over just so she can be with him in the in-between.

I loved seeing her deep connection with her sister and friends. I could understand how she was so torn, but also understand her family’s constant worry for her. I felt so many emotions throughout this story and end ending was so sweet, yet somewhat heartbreaking, too. I wouldn’t say this is necessarily a HEA, and it’s definitely not your typical romance as I didn’t consider the romance to be the main theme of the book. More so, I felt like it focused on family bonds, and living your life to the fullest, even when life is so difficult.

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Becky Hunter for allowing me to read an advance copy of You Make My Heart Stop. All opinions are my own.

Emery has a heart condition that makes her heart stop every few years, there is no predictability as to what will exacerbate her condition. When it occurs she is medically dead and spends time in the space between life and death with Nick, who is there to help souls move on. With the unpredictability of her condition, her friends and family often spend too much time protecting her, while she cannot wait for the next time she gets to spend time with Nick, her soulmate. As she learns more about Nick and his life on earth she falls more and more in love with him, making it harder to live her real life and see the love around her. Emery needs to choose between living her life and seeing her soulmate.

This oddly premised novel was actually very sweet and sad at times. The story touched on childhood trauma, grief, friendship and love. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about it when I dug in, but I ended up really enjoying the storyline and the characters. While Emery annoyed me at times (she made some terrible life choices) - she grew throughout the book and learned from her experiences and it made her an empathetic character in the end. There were some elements of romance underlying the story, this is really about all types of love and how they can be tested and evolve over time.

Thank you to Forever Pub and NetGalley

Know that this isn't a rom com or even, really, a romance, but that it is an interesting novel about a woman who must make the choice to live over and over again. Emery and Nick tell this story of their unusual relationship. Her rare condition means that her heart will simply stop every so often and when it does, she's met by Nick, who died years ago and now serves as a sort of angel for her. These meetings are brief and every time she comes back to life, only to wonder about when she will see him again. And now she's got a real life relationship with Colin. What will she do? Well no spoiler from me but know that you, like me, might wonder about the ending. I liked Emery and Nick and felt for her dad. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Good storytelling makes for a good read.

I wanted to love this book but found it lacking in a few ways.

First I will say it is mis-marketed as a romantic comedy. This book is sad and at times depressing. It deals with heavy subjects including medical conditions and death and for me it’s handled in a way that doesn’t read as a romcom.

The oremise was intriguing and the way the story was told was unique. I was intrigued from the start. Nick is the best character in the book - he stole my heart.

But overall the book was painfully slow paced and covered so much time - I felt much of it could have been edited down.

The ending is a payoff if you make it that far.

sadly this was a miss for me. The concept IS SO GOOD! A woman who is constantly on the brink of death and meets a mystery man in purgatory?? yes! But jesus christ it was so boring and long winded at times especially when she was a kid. I think her childhood could've been summarized so that we could get to the meat on the story faster. and the romance fell completely flat for me as well.

Thank you @beckyhunterbooks for my free copy and @readforeverpub @netgalley for the free e-arc 💖.

🗓️Out April 22, 2025

✨What it is about:
Emery’s failing heart could stop at any moment. Each time it does, she meets Nick—a mysterious guide between life and death. As their connection deepens, so does their love. But when Emery gets a chance to live, she must choose: a future in the world of the living, or the love she found beyond it.✨

💭My thoughts:
This was a super emotional story that was truly heartbreaking for me many ways. It explored themes of childhood trauma, grief, and guilt in a way that really pulled at my heartstrings. The concept felt very original—from the unique medical condition (loosely based on a real one) to the time lapses between real life and death. It evoked emotions similar to those I felt when I read The Time Traveler’s Wife. The idea of finding a love that exists only in the space between life and death was difficult to wrap my head around…finding something as precious as a soulmate, only to have to keep letting it go… that really hurt.
While Emery and Nick’s relationship bordered on insta-love, it felt believable to me given the intense, traumatic events that brought them together—these naturally tend to intensify emotions and fast-track closeness. Emery faced impossible choices time and time again and although I didn’t always agree with her decisions, I could understand how her experiences shaped them.
One thing that threw me off was the length of time the story covered, and how some things resolved with side characters—I won’t give anything away, but that aspect was hard for me to believe.
Overall, I think this was a thought provoking read, perfect for anyone drawn to stories about love, mortality, and the impossible choices we sometimes have to make in life.

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you like:
💞Magical realism
💞Second chances
💞Dual POVs
💞Love triangle (kind of)
💞Complex family dynamics
💞Emotional reads

⚠️CW: Grief, abandonment, loss, death, life threatening cardiac medical condition, some sexual content.

If you're needing a good cry, pick up You Make My Heart Stop by Becky Hunter! This emotional story will have you reading through your tears because you won't want to put it down!
Emery has a rare heart condition that makes her heart occasionally stop at times of shock or stress.

Each time she "dies" she ends up in the space between life and death with her guide, Nick. This story is told over the course of Emery's life, through the events that occur right before her heart stops and through her meetings in limbo with Nick.

Though this book triggered my anxiety and hit a little too close to home with some of the topics- like grief, trauma, and family dynamics- I couldn't put it down. I appreciated how Emery's condition affected how she approached life- and how her approach changed as she got older.

I loved that, because this story was women's fiction, the romance wasn't a typical love story, and there wasn't a formulaic plot where you know for sure who she'll end up with or even how the story will end. It did take me several days to sit on this story before I could decide on how I felt about the ending, because it had me so conflicted. While I can't say I'm completely content, I think it was the best outcome.

4 out of 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for a NetGalley copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. You Make My Heart Stop comes out April 22, 2025.

IT'S ME, HI, I'M THE PROBLEM, IT'S ME!!!!!! You Make My Heart Stop written by Becky Hunter wasn't for me at all. If you are looking for a cute cheesy romance story, this book won't be for you because it's not your typical romance story, the main character is in love with the afterlife. I know this is a magical realism book, but it just didn't work for me. I didn't like the main character at all, she was way too selfish for my liking. Unfortunately, Becky Hunter didn't make my heart stop with this novel. I know many readers will eat this book up, but it just didn't work for me. I really wanted to like this book because it has an adorable cover and the synopsis sounded so promising, but sadly it missed the mark for me. I didn't have an issue with the magical realism aspect, in fact I do enjoy this trope, but I just couldn't find a liking or a connection with the main character. Don't let my two star rating deter you from this book please, these are just my opinions and how I felt about this book. If you don't mind selfish and careless characters, then I suggest you mark your calendars for April 22nd, 2025 because you won't want to miss out on You Make My Heart Stop. I expected my heart to beat out of my chest or even shed a a few tears along the way, but none of those things happened, which left me feeling disappointed.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND FOREVER GRAND CENTRAL PUBLISHING FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!

"So, what are you, an angel of death or something?"

"Hitting your early twenties didn't heighten your sense of maturity".

"You should never apologize for being yourself. Never".

"There is no version of reality where I get to have you with me. So it's easier not to want it".

"Death will come, sooner or later, but you don't have to chase it".

"Every version of me would love every version of you".

"I believe our souls will find each other again".

For years, Emery Wilson has lived with a condition- reflex anoxic syndrome which is when the heart stops beating and she needs CPR. When her heart stops, Emery actually dies, but if she is administered CPR, she will come back to life within a matter of seconds. The first time Emery died she was just five years old, but continues to have this condition throughout her life. When she was just a child, Emery had a crush on her best friend Bonnie's brother- Colin, but that crush went no where. Emery is always the center of attention, and she's known as the problem child. In Emery's exact words, people that care about her are nightmares. Emery went to university for an art major, but not because she wanted to be an artist, she only went to make friends and go to parties to drink and have fun. Emery never wanted to be a burden to those who cared about her, but she always made the most careless decisions. The only time Emery's heart stops is when she's scared, surprised, and or in pain. Nick Ryemore is a thirty-five year old ghost or an angel of death with a Scottish accent. Nick is basically a guide for dead people. Nick is an angel, a ghost, or a spirit of some kind that only shows up when Emery dies. Nick was born during World War Two and died a week after he turned thirty five years old. Nick always promises Emery that it's going to be okay when they meet and every time he has to say goodbye to her. During their times together, Nick has a contagious laugh, he has light gray and green eyes, and chestnut brown hair. Nick only sees the moments before Emery dies and then he shows up with answers for her.

Emery Wilson is a selfish bitch. Nick and Emery attempt to flirt with each other during their very limited visits with each other, and soon later form a crush for each other, but the crush was often one sided whether is was Nick or Emery. When Nick appeared and shared something valuable with Emery, she always took everything he said as a joke. Despite this heart condition Emery had, I cheered her on because she never wanted to stop living her life, but Emery makes so many irrational and dumb choices despite having so many people around her that cared about her well-being. Emery thinks her angel of death- Nick is super hot, but their one sided crush never went anywhere. Nick appears only when Emery does something risky or impulsive. Together, Nick and Emery have philosophical debates whenever they had their limited time visits. Emery couldn't do things that other people could do because she was different. But, that never stopped her from living her life. Emery says she loves Nick, but she would always throw a tantrum and be bitter whenever Nick would lecture her about being careful or when they would see each other next. Despite having a love for Nick and being the only person that can see him, Emery never talked about Nick because people wouldn't believe her or they would think she's a crazy lunatic. I felt bad for Emery as she was navigating life with this heart condition, but in my opinion she should have been more careful and or made rational decisions, so she wouldn't get hurt. Nick was super sweet towards Emery during their timed visits, but I do believe he should have put his foot down more when Emery would throw a tantrum.