Publisher: Atria Books
Release Day: Jan. 14, 2025
Many thanks to Atria Publ. for a complimentary arc of this title. Opinions expressed are my own.
Review first published in Mystery & Suspense Magazine
She has his dead wife’s heart; the one she wants is his. The author of The Family Plot brings her signature prose to a twisty novel about a heart transplant patient who becomes romantically obsessed with her donor’s husband.
Review:
CROSS MY HEART by Author Megan Collins is a riveting suspense thriller with a unique plotline that's rendered through a mixed media format via dual points of view from two highly unreliable narrators. The escalating tension and insane pace put readers on notice early on to prepare for a wild ride with serious creepy vibes spreading throughout the pages. Find some alone time before starting this one because you won't see daylight again until you read the final shocking page. Rosie Lachlan knows all about the pain of rejection, having been dumped by her fiancé as she stood in her wedding gown preparing to walk down the aisle. Former boyfriends have called Rosie possessive, obsessive, too extreme . . . and maybe she has gone a bit overboard in past relationships; however, this is the new, improved Rosie - the one with a brand new heart and a second chance at life and love. Rosie spends her days working in her parents' bridal shop, dreaming of the day she'll find The One and her nights learning everything she can about the woman whose heart now beats in her chest. After some digging, Rosie is certain she has the heart of writer Morgan Thorne's deceased wife, Daphne, who died in a tragic accident at home. She admires Morgan's work and can't resist reaching out to him anonymously through Donor Connect. Much to her delight, he responds enthusiastically with questions of his own. As communication between the pair increases in the coming weeks, Rosie becomes convinced that fate brought them together. He’s the reason she received his wife's heart . . . so she could also win his. Despite ugly rumors blaming him for his wife's death and warnings from her best friend to beware, Rosie's certain she's found her true love, so she throws caution to the wind and quickly becomes obsessed with learning everything she can about the man and his dead wife. What if some things she learns raise red flags? Surely there's a reasonable explanation, right? Or are her "Rosie-colored glasses" blinding her to the truth?
Author Megan Collins expertly maneuvers characters and readers through a darkly twisted plot line that gave this reader goosebumps from the start. It's nigh on impossible to decern who to believe in this crazy narrative, and I found myself second guessing everything I thought I knew. Chapter by chapter, the pace escalates with the perception of imminent danger setting a dire tone. Whiplash set in from changing my mind so many times about who the real nut case is as the shocking twists kept setting pages on fire. The characters are well-developed and sell their role with authenticity. The question is: Who's the psychotic nut job? Rosie? Afterall, there's nothing wrong with fixating on a potential new boyfriend or viewing the world through rose-colored glasses, is there? Or Morgan? A great guy who suffered a terrible loss . . . or a master of disguise at hiding his true self? You be the judge!
CROSS MY HEART is a stunning, well-crafted psychological thriller with a creative, highly engaging plot line and characters that deliver. It's a disturbing thriller that'll leave you second guessing everything you read numerous times while trying to fit all the pieces of the puzzle together to uncover the truth. An unreliable, unpredictable protagonist, insanely tangled plot line, and maddening pace make this whodunnit the one you don't want to miss! How far would you go for love? Highly recommended to fans of intense psychological thrillers you cannot put down!
Synopsis:
Rosie Lachlan wants nothing more than to find The One.
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.
As she and Morgan correspond, the pretense of avoiding personal details soon disappears, even if Rosie’s keeping some cards close to her chest. But as she digs deeper into Morgan’s previous marriage, she discovers disturbing rumors about the man she’s falling for. Could Morgan have had something to do with his late wife’s death? And can Rosie’s heart sustain another break—or is she next?
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.
As she and Morgan correspond, the pretense of avoiding personal details soon disappears, even if Rosie’s keeping some cards close to her chest. But as she digs deeper into Morgan’s previous marriage, she discovers disturbing rumors about the man she’s falling for. Could Morgan have had something to do with his late wife’s death? And can Rosie’s heart sustain another break—or is she next?
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