Many thanks to the publisher for approving my request to read Cross Her Heart. Sadly I didn’t enjoy this one at all though. I wasn’t a fan of the subject matter and I found it tough going in parts. While I can’t fault the writing or plot, it just didn’t work for me personally. I can see plenty of people loving this one though!

I loved this book. I was hooked from the first page. I found the twists and turns in the storyline to be a real delight. I couldn’t put this book down. Highly recommended. 5 stars

Many thanks to Netgalley and Sarah Pinborough for the copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

Lisa, forty-year-old single mother to sixteen-year-old Ava, is a little anxious, a little overprotective. But it’s not surprising because Lisa has dark secrets in her past and now, there are signs - a soft toy, a song on the radio - that they are catching up with her.

Ava, meanwhile, considers her mum basically a bit of a loser. Ava just wants to hang out with her friends... and develop a new friendship she’s made online.

But someone - maybe more than one person - isn’t who they are pretending to be.

Cross Her Heart is a gripping read full of surprises. It’s different from Pinborough’s previous Behind Her Eyes - there’s no supernatural element for a start - but no less compelling.

I seem to be reading a lot of books about mothers and teenage daughters lately - it’s not intentional, even though I have an almost-teenage one of my own. In fact it’s alarming as - in this genre at least - awful dangers inevitably befall them. Here we have both Ava and an eleven year old girl called Charlotte, and - without giving away too much in the way of spoilers - it’s Charlotte’s story which is really distressing and very dark.

I loved the characterisation, particularly Lisa herself, her best friend Marilyn (a brilliant character facing her own difficulties) and others at Lisa’s workplace - all were believable, if not always sympathetic, characters.

An enthralling, intricately plotted read with a satisfying ending. Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars!

I loved Behind Her Eyes, one of the best books of last year in my opinion, so I couldn’t wait to read this book.

It was another great read. Hooks you in, fast paced, no slow parts, no overly descriptive parts and it really has you trying to guess what happens next and who did what to who and why.

I whizzed through this in a day. Recommended!

This book started off really well and I soon became intrigued. Unfortunately about half way through it started to feel like it was dragging on and I got bored with it. I persevered until the end but I wasn't particularly enthralled. It was ok, nothing special. I know that's not very descriptive but there really isn't any other way I can describe it!

Didn’t enjoy this one as much as Behind Her Eyes but it was still a good read, just too many character pov’s for me, especially with how it all unfolds.

Hooked from the start, a predictable ending but it didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book.

Sarah Pinborough has huge numbers of fans of her twisted psychological thrillers and I am sure most of them will love her latest book too. I have to admit to being less than enamoured with Behind Her Eyes and I hoped that was just a blip and that I would like this more. I cannot deny the author provides us with well written, skilful and intricately plotted storylines, with unexpected twists. Her characters are suitably unreliable and flawed, often unlikeable. The story here is delivered from the perspectives of single mother Lisa with a past, Ava, her hormonal self involved teenage daughter obsessed with sex, and Marilyn, Lisa's friend from work, who gets Lisa out of tight corners and helps with her problems. All withhold secrets from each other and have issues when it comes to trust. It is a fast paced novel with plenty of twists, but somehow it left me cold whilst appreciating what others might like about it. I just wished I could engage more deeply with this thriller, but it was not to be. However, I am sure most people will love this novel. Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.

I really loved this book! Excellent story with brilliant main characters. I would recommend this book.

Excellent! Pinborough does it again and I am positive will continue doing it over and over! This author is really amazing about sucking you in so intensely you hardly are able to breathe. She's got the twists, turns, and roller coaster of emotions thrillers are meant to give perfected. Behind her eyes was a perfect book, so to be able to come up with another that has readers swept away, is absolutely astounding, but Pinborough manages it!

Just when you think you've got the plot line worked out, with a fabulous twist you're back to the beginning and trying to work it out all over again. Fantastic, psychological thriller thriller.

Cross Her Heart is a straight thriller from the author of Behind Her Eyes, and Pinborough is becoming known for her twisty plots. This novel is no exception, and the narrative flicks between Before, After, and Now, and also between multiple narrators. It sounds confusing but it isn’t. The story flows naturally and the characters are well defined.
The main character Lisa is fascinating. My opinion of her changed rapidly throughout the book, and Pinborough is very accomplished at developing flawed characters and I didn’t know who to trust, almost right up until the end.
This is a fast paced thriller with an intricate plot, but all the clues are there for people who like to try and guess ahead - it’s not one of those dreadful books where the baddie is only introduced about 80% of the way though. As with Behind Her Eyes, I thought I was guessing right but I was proved wrong again and again!
I love the twistiness of this book and the way Pinborough plays with your emotions and turns everything on its head just when you think you know what’s going on.
A warning though: once you pick this book up you won’t want to put it down.