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.

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?

I need to step away from thrillers for a while. I’ve only read a small handful over the last few months that actually delivered. This was not one of them. The synopsis offers a premise that felt rich with potential, but once again, I was left scratching my head at the “twists” and reveals.

In this book, we follow Rosie, a woman who has not had the best life. She is still mourning a failed engagement (working at her family’s bridal shop certainly doesn’t help heal THAT wound), and she suffered from cardiomyopathy, which resulted in the need for a heart transplant. However, this is no ordinary transplant story. Rosie becomes convinced that her new heart belonged to Daphne Thorne, the wife of local celebrity author Morgan Thorne. Rosie is a little obsessive (understatement) and begins digging into the Thorne family. She starts by following Morgan on social media. Then she reaches out to him via a website set up to allow donor recipients to anonymously connect with the loved ones of the deceased who donated their organ(s). What starts as a seemingly heartfelt exploration of trauma and second chances shifts into darker, twist-laden territory.

On paper, this book has all the ingredients of a compelling psychological thriller: an unreliable narrator, sinister secrets, obsession, and a tangled web of relationships. However, the book’s execution often falls short, leaving me more perplexed than thrilled.

One of the book’s key weaknesses is its mid-story twist. Without revealing too much, the reveal is disorienting and not in a good way. It introduces a convoluted plot element that initially feels like it’s meant to shock but instead causes confusion. For several chapters, I found myself lost and struggling to make sense of the narrative’s sudden shift. Eventually, the full explanation came to light, but rather than providing clarity or delivering a gut-punch twist, it left me rolling my eyes. The explanation felt forced and overly contrived, weakening the tension and mystery that had been building.

The final reveal at the book’s climax is similarly underwhelming. While Collins tries to build suspense, the resolution is predictable for readers familiar with the genre. The “big reveal” lacked impact, and I found myself more annoyed than surprised by the direction the story took. It’s a shame because the premise had so much promise. The concept of Rosie inheriting a heart that leads her down a dark and obsessive path could have been an intriguing exploration of grief and obsession. Instead, the twists seemed to prioritize shock value over narrative coherence, ultimately failing to pack the emotional or psychological punch I had hoped for.

That said, one redeeming quality of the novel is Rosie herself. While she is an extremely unreliable narrator (something I love), there’s something compelling about her vulnerability. Her desire to find meaning in her second chance at life and her misguided search for love and belonging make her somewhat relatable, even if her decisions are often frustrating. Collins does a good job of painting Rosie as a deeply flawed, traumatized individual whose longing for connection drives her to make dangerous choices. I appreciated the moments when her humanity and fragility were on full display. Despite the book’s structural flaws, Rosie’s voice kept me engaged enough to continue reading.

Overall, this book isn’t terrible – it just didn’t deliver what I was looking for. There are moments of genuine intrigue, and Rosie’s character is compelling enough to carry parts of the story. However, the novel’s reliance on poorly executed twists and a predictable climax prevents it from reaching its full potential. As someone who enjoys thrillers, I was left feeling disappointed by the missed opportunities here. This book may still appeal to readers who like a basic popcorn thriller. However, for seasoned thriller fans, the weak twists and uneven pacing may be a dealbreaker.

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