The last book I read got worse at the end - so I was very pleased to find that this one got better, the further I got through the book! I liked the twists, which weren't always signposted, and found it interesting how the author revealed the past of the main character, which although somewhat depressing, made her a much more understandable character. The end became a bit nail-biting.

Wow, what a rollercoaster ride of a read!!! The characters are very credible and you will feel empathy and invest in their story. A brilliant psychological thriller.

My first book by this author. At first I thought this was just a story about a mother - Lisa - and her daughter - Ava - and the relationship between the two. Something happened in Lisa’s earlier life which made her run away and take her daughter with her - something she wanted to keep secret. I had no idea what the secret was until I progressed through the book. The twists and turns were completely unexpected. Heartbreaking and surprising all in one. Absolutely fantastic read!

Having been in the minority of people that wasn't a fan of BHE I was a little nervous about reading another of this author's books. I need not have worried, Cross Her Heart is totally different and even though I predicted a few of the twists I still really enjoyed it. There are a few scenes described that are a little upsetting but all relevant to the story and the building of Lisa's character.

Having read “Behind her Eyes” previously I was looking forward to another installment of Sarah Pinborough’s work and dived right in to “Cross Her Heart”

Lisa is a single mother who keeps herself to herself, she has 1 good friend through work and is overly protective of her teenage daughter Ava. Ava, like all teenagers I’m sure, has her own secrets – she’s been talking to a guy online. However she isn’t the only one with a secret as the biggest secret is the one Lisa has been keeping for a very long time, and one which is about to be uncovered.

Once again Pinborough has crafted a brilliant psychological story, you’re pulled into Lisa’s world and as her secret unravels find yourself racing through to uncover more and just as the book’s tag line says “you won’t see it coming”

Stick with this one and you’re in for a treat!

My first time reading a book written by Sarah Pinborough but it definitely won’t be my last. Her writing style is fantastic and the book itself with all the twists and turns kept me engaged and not wanting to put the book down, it kept me guessing right until the end. I love unpredictable books and this was definitely a great one.

This was a grower. I didn't dislike it at first but it felt fairly slow. Picked up pace and interest the further it went on and the last couple of chapters are great.

Lisa and her daughter,Ava live together in quite a sheltered surrounding. Ava is started to branch out though and wants to live her life with more freedom from the scrutiny of her mother. There is a reason that Lisa cannot ever be completely relaxed though - she is very afraid that her past will catch up with her and fears that day is coming very soon.

There is a difficult scene at the end(ish) of the book which I was hoping that we wouldn't be subjected to reading. Most readers have imaginations plenty enough to deal with limited explanations.

I would try other Sarah Pinborough books though.

Cross her Heart is a cleverly written thriller. It is action packed with its fair share of twists. It’s scary, tense and compulsive reading.

This is not the kind of book that I usually read, however I did enjoy it. It was quite disturbing and creepy at times, in a good way. The timeline jumping was important for the story. Kept me guessing with twists and turns.

A decent mystery thriller with well written characters and a solid ending that will leave even the pickiest of readers satisfied.

A great thriller, full of twists told by the 3 main characters and switching between past and present. The pace starts slow and then picks up as goes, revealing more secrets with flashback scenes.
The main character is as a mother desperately determined to protect her daughter from her secret past, whilst trying to live under the radar in the present. This is blown apart when her daughter’s act of heroism catches media attention.
Really well written and emotional, A super twisty read and very much recommended.

fast paced twisting thriller that kept me in its pages for hours. really enjoyed the plot and the writers style.

i am now looking to read her other books as thoroughly enjoyed this book

This is a cracking psychological mind blow out from the very start of the book. The only thing with a secret is if just one person knows it then it isn’t yours anymore. It is a cloud that is constantly hanging there in the corner or your vision because you aren’t in control of it anymore.
Should I like Lisa or should I hate her? Yes, I had her card mark, I knew who she was and what she had done but God damn it, she is a real nice, and good mum to Ava. The thing was she wasn’t Lisa now something had happened in the past and an event in present day was going to uncover it.
This story bounced between timelines and characters in short sharp chapters, each giving their version of events. A tight group of girls of various ages with a common interest that bound them. I was edgy but thought I was a good judge of character and something just didn’t feel right. There were so many lies, so many cover-ups, could I trust anyone?
This is such an intense read that at one point totally took my breath away. It sent me spiralling through every tangled emotion that had built up in me about these girls. What a story! It delivered everything that I look for in a book. I want to try to work out where a story is going but I want that element of wow when I get there, not an ‘oh yes saw that coming’. Loved it!
Many thanks to NetGalley for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

Ooh what a cracker of a read! I loved it. So well written,kept me turning pages well into the night. Good twist at the end.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 4

Lisa lives for her daughter Ava, her job and her best friend Maryilyn. But when a handsome client shows an interest in her, Lisa starts daydreaming about sharing her life with him too.

There are parts of this story that are very slow. We know someone is angry from the start. The letter they are reading has sent them into a rage. Lisa is a very protective mother to her daughter Ava and will do anything in her power to keep her safe. It's hard to review this book without giving away spoilers. It's a dark and twisted tale.

I would like to thank NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and the author Sarah Pinborough for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a slow burner that ramps up the unease and tension the further you get into the book - warning there are some really dark themes which had me almost in tears for the children going through these horrific events.

The story is wonderfully crafted, told by three very different women, Lisa is a worrier, an over protective mother with few friends; her job her daughter and her best friend are pretty much all her life revolves around, aged 16, Ava is kicking out against being smothered and restricted, trying to discover the adult she is becoming, Marilyn has the perfect marriage and is Lisa's rock - but all three have their own secrets and demons to contend with.

The reveals in this one utterly threw me - never saw them coming and that's all I'm giving you so I don't drop any spoilers.

This is the story of Lisa and her daughter Ava. Lisa has a secret past that no-one knows about. She’s living under a new identity and has started a new life. Ava is a typical 15-16 year old who wants to grow up too quick and escape her mother’s needy ways.

Ava has meet an older guy online and she’s falling in love with him....although not all is as it seems! Soon things are spiralling out of control.

The plot wasn’t what I had initially expected which is always good. It was fast paced once it got going and I read well into the night!

Thank you #netgalley for allowing me to review this book.

This is a thrilling story from the very first page, rapidly gathering pace as the story unfolds.
Lisa is living with her teenage daughter Ava, and the story is told from each character’s perspective giving a rounded view of each one. Lisa has escaped from a turbulent, abusive past, hoping that events from her childhood don’t catch up with her. Both Lisa and Ava are keeping secrets from each other, Lisa has told Ava nothing about her past, and Ava is becoming emotionally involved with a stranger who is sending messages on social media.
When Ava rescues a child and her and Lisa are featured in the news, the pace increases dramatically with past and present unfolding into an exploding fast paced storyline. Lisa’s friend Marilyn, although appearing to live a perfect life, is also keeping secrets, and as the story unfolds she wonders whether Marilyn is the friend she thought she was.
The story goes back to Lisa’s childhood, and is told in different time frames. Her friend Katie helped her in those depressing times, and they made promises to each other, helping Lisa to get through.
A gripping, thrilling storyline which is full of suspense, keeping you on the edge of your seat. I couldn’t put the book down until the author skillfully draws the conclusion. Highly recommended.

Didn’t get past the foray few pages, so it’s a little unfair for me to review it. Although, that in itself is a review of this book - I wasn’t driven to read very much of it.

Wow!!! I am actually speechless (which if you know me is a miracle in itself). This book was phenomenal - I can’t even begin to stress how good it was. It hooked me in from the first few pages and before I knew it I was half way through and the only reason I put it down was I had work in the morning.

I went into this book blind as I hadn’t read any blurb or reviews etc. so I didn’t know what to expect but boy did the twists and turns keep coming at you fast and hard.

The story is mainly told through Lisa, her 16 year old daughter Ava and best friend Marilyn’s point of view.

Lisa is over protective of her daughter Ava. She is paranoid that something is going to happen to her.

Ava has a secret that not even her best friends know.

And with Marilyn appearances aren’t what they seem.

I don’t really want to give anymore details anyway as I liked not knowing- it made it all the more heart racing.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.