I adored Becky’s first book One Moment, so I had such high hopes and expectations for this book. Although the opening chapter of this book was so different and even made me think that I would not like this story at all, I persevered and omg! I loved every minute of what this rollercoaster book gave me. The writing was just brilliant. It hooked me and I couldn’t stop reading. Even after I finished this book, I was thinking about it for days. That’s how amazing it was!

The book follows Emery, who has a rare heart condition, which means that she dies whenever she experiences sudden or unexpected shock or pain. Each time she dies she meets Nick, who is like her guardian angel. Every time Emery dies, she gets limited time to be with Nick and slowly over the years she develops a deep connection with him. In reality, Emery struggles to accept her illness and acts out recklessly as well as living on the edge. However, after a while, she needs to choose, whether to live her life or die and be with Nick.

Yes, at times Emery was a rather frustrating character, especially her not being careful and risking quite a lot. She sometimes acts selfishly and pushes people away, yet she grows as a character throughout the book and makes some tough choices. I think her character was written this way to show that reality is not as straightforward, and that people take unexpected turns and make different choices depending on circumstances. I wish there was more in this book about Nick. I wanted to hear his story from his POV and for him to explain the reasons why he is Emery's guardian angel. I think this part of the book isn’t explained as well.

Overall: This book is very beautifully written, so emotional and definitely pulls on the heartstrings more than once. It's different, emotional but also raw and full of real emotions. Loved it so much!

I loved the premise of this book, but I felt like the delivery didn't quite hit the mark for me.

Every time Emery dies, she meets Nick, there to ease the transition of death. The story is told from incident to incident, skipping the years in between & this is where it lost a little of the heart for me. By skipping from death, to Nick, to years later, we were never party to the aftermath & emotion of Emery being brought back to life. It was discussed afterwards as needed, but I never got the depth of that emotion & really felt I needed it.

I know this is a me thing as I read this with @bookworm_blogger22 & she loved this book (head to her feed to check out her review), so definitely give it a go if it sounds like one for you.

An interesting idea for a book.
What if you died for moments and came back to life...
This kept me interested for most of the book.

Ohhh this book is sad!!😭 I knew the premise of the story going in but couldn’t imagine how it would unfold.

Emery’s heart stops for the first time when she’s five. When she dies, she meets Nick who is there to support people with the transition. As Emery is diagnosed with a condition that causes her heart to stop at any random time, the pair build a relationship during their intermittent meetings throughout her lifetime.

The book shows Emery going through a lot of tough times, and the impact on her family and friends every time it happens. I loved the constant thread of thinking that she needs to live for every day because she doesn’t know what her future holds. It’s almost a balance between doing the things she thinks she shouldn’t so that she lives a full life but her uncertainty around whether she will have a future leading her to delaying it.

Her relationship with Nick and his story wasn’t something I was expecting but I loved that it added an extra layer of depth to the story, allowing them to connect and help each other.

It’s incredibly thought provoking about our choices in life, heartbreaking and hopeful, I’d definitely recommend this one!

This was a beautiful read. From the very beginning and Emery's very first time it was just so captivating and I just had to keep reading to see how Emery's life (and the times in-between) was going to pan out.

I did feel so sorry for Emery, having to live with a condition like her's must have been so difficult - you could tell at moments that she felt completely suffocated and that made her want to do risky things. It was also hard on her family and friends and I thought that was portrayed brilliantly too.

I loved her time with Nick, those moments seemed like the only ones where she could fully relax and be herself with no worry. I completely agreed with the rational of she was matched with him for a reason to help him too and thought that this part of the storyline was so intriguing, yet so heartbreaking (excuse the pun) at times.

When faced with such a decision at the end I was happy that she had finally found happiness in the real world but like her - I was also hoping for that reunion with bated breath. I honestly wanted to cry at those last sentences. I thought that was really well written and I loved that the chapters gave us the year and her age to see how often it was happening and the stages of her life.

I adore a debut novel so when author Becky Hunter's first novel One Moment was published, I was really excited to be part of her blog tour. An outstanding debut which I hoped would be followed up soon after by another great read. I am sure after the success of a debut; some authors have the second novel dread or fear don't they.
Meet Me When My Heart Stops is fab and most certainly leaves its mark on you...
We meet Emery and her family in this novel. When Emery is very young, she hurts herself while out in the back garden. Her heart stops beating and her family must fight to keep it going before the paramedics arrive.
After undergoing tests in hospital, they find out young Emery has a heart condition and she must live with the knowledge that her heart could stop at any moment.
Each time Emery's heart stops she meets a guy called Nick who she gets to know in the short space of time before she is pulled back to her life. It's almost like a place in between really.
She must try figure out who he is and why she meets him every time it happens.
You could almost feel her fall in love with him while lovely Colin waits in the wings for her.
A beautifully written story that you will struggle to accept, absorb and wrap your head around.
I wondered each time her heart stopped would it be her last. Would there always be someone around to save her...to even know what to do.
So full of emotion for me, I love this author's thought process and imagination...

A beautiful story of lovers kept apart by the fragile threads of life. Original, inventive and wonderfully written - this will definitely make you cry, but you won't want to put it down!

Meet Me When My Heart Stops is the most emotional book I’ve read so far this year. This book follows Emery, a girl who has a condition in which her heart randomly stops. The book alternates chapters between her real life and the limbo she goes to when her heart stops. In that limbo is a man she believes she is fated to be with. We read as Emery ages and learns to live with her condition and how her family learns to cope. Spanning Emery’s entire life, this book is deep and emotional, filled with real problems and challenges. Bringing me to tears on multiple occasions, Becky Hunter is truly the queen of heartbreaking books!

Beautifully written and as vibrant as the book cover, I was immersed into the fragility of Emery’s life, and potential connection between her and Nick. With the age Emery was when she first died, it had vague similarities to The Time Traveller’s Wife but was also so different. Full of warmth and emotion, it enveloped me in a bookish hug as I kept turning the page. This novel was more than a slow burn romantic story but an insight into a living a life that could be over in an instant, taking risks and avoiding those that could ultimately bring you happiness. Emery was a strong, impulsive personality with flaws, as well as qualities to admire. There were a few times I declared out loud to Emery not to do something but if fictional characters took the easy path their story wouldn’t be the one we become invested in and love.

A strength of the writing was the emotional impact of Emery’s diagnosis on not only her but her family and friends. While the diagnosis itself was fictional the consequences of a life threatening condition and the change in family dynamics and friends felt real. It highlighted the different reactions people have from either over protectiveness to avoidance, caution or impulsivity.

The descriptions and settings of ‘heaven’ were imaginative and grounding. They added depth to Emery’s story and were far removed from the classic clouds and staircases scenes depicted in films such as Warren Beattie’s’ Heaven Can Wait (one of my favourite films). The balance between these scenes and Emery’s real life were done well. Unlike some books where you crave for the more supernatural elements over the real, this connected me to both.

Becky Hunter delivers yet another amazing book
The one phrase that comes to mind when describing this book is pure perfection
It had me feeling one day vibes, Jodi picoult vibes. A uniqueness plot at the same time and was devoured in one sitting.
It is just a beautiful novel that will stay with me for a long time and I already feel a reread of this book coming on.
Thank you for my gifted copy

I had high hopes for Meet Me When My Heart Stops having lovedHunter's first book One Moment - and oh my goodness did it deliver. It is another gorgeous read, one of those books that to use a slightly cliched phrase gives you all the feels.

Emery has a rare heart condition that causes her heart to stop beating. Every time it happens, Nick is always there to meet her - and guide her to the other side - but their relationship is fleeting as her heart restarts and she is brought back to life. Over time, they develop a connection - but how can it ever progress when more time together means her heart hasn’t restarted. And will it stop Emery moving forward in her life and building a future?

This is such a fascinating exploration of what it means to live with a life threatening condition. Emery is determined to live life to the full - even when her decisions put her life at risk - while those around her struggle as they must balance the temptation to wrap her in cotton wool with her need to lead a relatively normal life. But can she ever lead a normal life when her own life is far from normal?

It’s heartfelt, it’s touching, at times heartbreaking and yet it is filled with hope. It is simply a gorgeous read I didn’t want to put down.

without doubt my favourite book so far this year, i adored this story and its characters. I can’t put into words how well written this is. i couldn’t put it down and it’s the first time in a long time I have cried at a book.
it’ is just a beautiful sad poignant story about life, love, family, friends, living and dying.
a unique story

Emery has a heart condition and for a number of reasons (shock, pain or excitement) her heart can fail at any given time. She dies countless of times throughout the story and it starts when she’s only 5 years old. Every time she dies she sees the same person in the ‘in between’ and he’s becoming more and more important to her, he doesn’t judge her like all the others do.

As a reader I saw Emery grow up and deal with her condition. She was overly protected by her father and – in her mind at least – it caused her parents to break up. As a young woman she then tried to get far away, living to the extreme… going skydiving for one thing. Her ageing involves different approaches and goes with many ups and downs. Her death is always looming over her and how can it not affect her life and the reactions of the people around her? It’s a difficult journey, she can’t find a job she likes or a man she loves. And frankly, having a real relationship is something she’s not interested in, because how can she when she might leave someone behind? The only one who’s always there is the ‘guide’ she sees when she’s dying. She feels safe with him, she feels they were assigned to each other for a reason and she starts longing to see him again. It’s simple, she’s falling for him while it’s an impossible love.

All the while there’s someone near her who’s loved her from a distance since she was a young teenager. Good dependable Colin would do anything for her. I have to say that I felt for him all through the novel and I wish he wasn’t treated as second best. If it were up to me he wouldn’t be in love with her at all, then I’d find it easier to be in peace with her desire for Nick. Colin, of course, doesn’t know at all about the unfair competition, as far as he sees it there’s no man in her life and he keeps hoping she’ll love him back.

I thought the story would be more soul destroying but I was quite ok and I actually wouldn’t mind having a guide who puts you at ease at what is about to come. I did find it strange (and a little disappointing) that she doesn’t attempt to tell anyone about what happens when you die, and who you see, even if it could put someone who is important to her at ease.

Ultimately she’ll have to make a choice. Is her desire to live big enough or will she choose to die? The ending was quite bittersweet for me. I think she made the right choice but I’m not sure if it’s for the right reasons.

I can’t explain in more detail but whether you’ll love the book and give it 5 stars depends on who you’re actually rooting for and I was rooting for someone else. He just shouldn’t have been so damn likeable and sweet.

"I don't know what to say. Usually, when I see someone, it is unequivocally the end. But with her, I get the sense that it's all only just beginning."

A lovely, high-concept, literary romance - truly my favourite kind of romance. Emery is only 5 when she dies for the first time; she has a (thankfully fictional) heart condition that means her heart stops pumping at the slightest provocation. In the kind of limbo she enters when she dies, she meets Nick, a handsome guide to the afterlife.

But Emery goes on to meet him again and again; as Emery grows up, their relationship changes and the two slowly fall in love. I know, I got the heebie-jeebies from that too, but Hunter handles it with aplomb, and it never falls into icky Breaking Dawn style territory. While the romance may be the heart of the novel, Meet Me When My Heart Stops is a much fuller novel than just one relationship, focussing on the impact of such a serious and debilitating condition on Emery as well as her family and friends. It’s all discussed with profound sensitivity in the novel; as a result, this is definitely less fluffy than your average romance novel. I am not sure if I’d describe it as a romance at all!

Emery’s illness makes her a hard character to get your head around - she’s impulsive, making occasionally deeply stupid decisions, and is lucky to get to adulthood alive, tbh. But I get it - she’s trying to live life as much as she can before it’s taken away from her. She’s living with a ticking time bomb in her chest; who wouldn’t jump off the odd bridge in order to feel alive? The novel does a really good job of portraying the difficulties of navigating this illness, especially when Emery is a teenager & young adult.

And then there is the fact that Emery needs to be with someone to restart her heart at all times -the impact of her condition on her parents & sister can’t be overstated. Hunter does a great job of exploring the different reactions and difficulties it causes. Her mum runs away from the problem; her dad becomes so overprotective that it damages his relationship with his daughter, and Emery’s sister, Amber, locks her fear & pain away inside. Because the novel follows Emery and her family over decades, we can see how that impact continues on well into her adulthood. It’s devastating, and feels true, too. But Hunter lets the light in though, in her depiction of the close and loving relationship Emery has with her sister and her good friends. I loved these sweet inclusions as so often books like this can get bogged down by misery porn; Meet Me When My Heart Stops remains hopeful, no matter what is thrown at Emery & her family.

Meet Me When My Heart Stops is a rollercoaster of emotions, striking a delicate balance of tear-jerking and optimistic. It’s a really well-crafted novel that gets you invested in the small cast of characters quickly, and will leave you wanting more by the end. Unique, emotional and very enjoyable. If you were a fan of Talking at Night I think you’d love this one.

I enjoyed the author’s previous novel so was looking forward to reading Meet Me When My Heart Stops, a novel with an original premise and a gorgeous cover.
Emery has a rare heart condition that means her heart can stop and she temporarily dies when this happens until she is resuscitated and brought back to life.. Each time it happens she meets her soulmate Nick in the afterlife and she begins to long for those moments she spends with Nick.
This was a mixed read for me as I really enjoyed the sections of the novel when Emery was living and I liked the supporting characters and Emery’s relationships with them. I did find her relationship with Nick a little odd and these parts of the novel did not really work for me. Overall, however, it was a well written and enjoyable read.
3.5 stars
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

I have nothing but high praise for Meet Me When My Heart Stops, it is a profoundly beautiful and emotional read. The story follows Emery, who was born with a heart condition that causes her heart to stop at any moment. Each time she "dies," she encounters Nick, her transitional guide to the afterlife. At the heart of the story, is the impossible dilemma of knowing that being together would mean the end of Emery's life.
Ensure you have plenty of tissues to hand, you’re going to need them!

A fabulous read! This book had the same effect that The Time Traveller's Wife had on me all those years ago. An impossible love story with more than a touch of 'what if....' throughout the very real story of Emery as she lives with an unpredictable health condition. This story will have you pulled in all kinds of directions!

Another beautifully emotional book by this author. A real rollercoaster for the reader as we follow the highs and lows of Emery.
Thought provoking about what life may be like for someone with a medical condition

I am torn over whether I liked this book or not. I think I enjoyed the story more when Emery wasn’t with Nick. Something felt forced and it didn’t sit well with me. I also felt like it went too quickly and there wasn’t enough detail for me.

I did love the characters name (Emery) and I thought the premise was interesting.

REVIEW
cw: heart condition, cancer, violence, trauma, death, grief, brief mentions of queerphobia, depression, and suicidal ideation
Emery Wilson was born with a heart condition that meant her heart could quite literally stop at any moment. Luckily her closest family and friends learned how to restart it after the first incident when she was five. But there’s always a few moments when she's technically dead. And each time, she meets Nick, her transitional guide to the afterlife.
What an interesting concept for a story! I couldn't stop reading. Emery was such an interesting character. At turns fun and irreverent, loving, occasionally selfish, but always torn between the mortal plane and seeming immortality. My heart broke for her family and friends, and the guilt, resentment, frustration, and fear they carried. But it also broke for Emery, seeing her own guilt whenever she had an episode, even after she tried her best to live a normal life. The limbo she felt between episodes, not knowing if it was going to happen again in a week, a year, or a decade was so well-written. I could feel her frustration with being wrapped in cotton wool and the banality of the way in which so many of the episodes occurred, as well as her dance of trying to live a full life, while constantly being reminded she was an unreliable as a partner.
I loved Nick immediately, and, as his own backstory unfolded, my heart broke for him. His story was just as heartbreakingly well-written. I won't spoil the details, but both chapter twenty-four and twenty-five absolutely BROKE me. While I feel that some might find the age gaps uncomfortable, at no point did I ever find their connection inappropriate, rather it felt authentic and evolved throughout the story. I also loved all of the little glimpses at real life events interwoven throughout, and I couldn't help but wonder about both of their connection to 1979. The supporting characters were so much more than that. I loved Amber and Robin, and my heart broke so many times for Colin. Meanwhile, chapter thirty-one left me sobbing for the opposite reason. Colin was such a sweetheart, and I adored his patience and loyalty.
This wasn't just one love story. It was an amalgamation of many, and though I found the ending bittersweet, I appreciated that the author didn't take the easy option. You'll definitely need plenty of tissues for this one. I'll be thinking about this story for a very long time.
Profoundly beautiful.

Overall Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Heat Rating: 🔥.5

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own*