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, and begins messaging him 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? -megancollins.com
This was a fantastic mashup of the niche topic of interest for me, heroines with organ transplants with my adult passion for twisted thrillers that keep you guessing. Growing up I loved the “One Last Wish” books by Lurlene McDaniel which centered around the hopes and struggles of teenagers dealing with severe illnesses, especially Katie O’Roark, a high school track champion and heart transplant recipient. It’s one of the reasons I am so passionate about people registering to be organ donors and I often wondered what happened to organ recipients like the Katie O’Roark’s of the world as they got older.
In Cross My Heart, we meet Rosie and while she didn’t undergo a heart transplant in her teens, she is recovering from a recent heart transplant after a sudden illness while also dealing with the heartbreak of a broken engagement. She doesn’t know who she received her heart from but she suspects it’s the late wife of her favorite author and as she begins to engage in seemingly anonymous communication with Morgan, she uncovers more than she bargained for and we learn everything is not as it seems.
I loved that this novel had a creepy premise with a twisty plot that did keep me guessing for a majority of the book. It was also grounded with the weight of how one does navigate life after a serious medical issue and the joys and complications that come with an organ transplant. The supporting cast of characters such as Rosie’s parents and friends were also well developed. I read a lot of thrillers and this one definitely stands out for me, I highly recommend it.
I purchased this book at Barnes & Noble a few weeks ago so you can grab your copy there too or at your favorite local book store or online shop.
For more information on organ donation, visit Donate Life America.
*** If you read this post to the end, here's a little trivia question for you. What does Rosie have in common with Terry McCaleb from Michael Connelly's novels (referenced in my review on 06/20/25)? Comment with your answer below. ***
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