Meet Me When My Heart Stops

I really enjoyed this novel a lot more than I thought I would.

It is not my usual type of book but I can be a bit of a sucker for a romantic guilty pleasure. In this book, we meet Emery who dies (for the first time) aged 5. Emery has a heart condition which means that her heart stops when she experiences sudden pain, shock or excitement. After she does, she meets Nick, something of a guardian angel whose job it is to guide her into the next world. However, Emery isn't really dead and her heart can be restarted which means the time she spends with Nick is fleeting.

Over the course of the novel, which charts Emery's life, she dies a number of times and meets (and falls for) Nick a number of times. But the only way to be together is for Emery to die .....

This was a really heartfelt, poignant novel and it really does tug on the heartstrings. I enjoy books which are set over the course of a person's lifetime as it really immerses you in their life and Emery is a really strong character.

Definitely an enjoyable read and thanks to Netgalley and Atlantic Books, Corvus for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Please don’t let the opening scene scare you into not reading this book.
During the first few pages I was like oh no, I’m not going to enjoy this. But let me tell you, this was fantastic and the first few pages can be forgiven ( and a little misleading if I may say ). Beautifully written, a reflective read and one which I will recommend.

Straight into my Top Twenty Books of all time. Unashamedly Romantic. Beautifully written. Deliciously Inventive. Poignant and tender. I'm so sad I've finished this book.

Highly recommended.

It's not dramatic to say that Becky's previous book - One Moment - helped save my life. I read it during a very dark time, and it really helped lift me out of the fog, and so promised there and then that I would read everything she wrote. But there is always a worry that the second book won't live up to the first. But I needn't have worried.

I thought at first it was narrated by death, but it's more complex than that, with multiple layers running through it. I won't spoil it by confirming or denying this theory, but hopefully you'll see what I mean. But the way she's written it is great as we get to learn how Emery's condition affects everyone she encounters.

It was such a fascinating premise, completely original - or, at least it's original to me, I admit I haven't' read every single book premise in the world. But it's such a simple premise. Sometimes this can be the downfall of a book because it's not interesting enough. But executed properly, like this one is, it can be perfect, and that is how I would describe this story.

What I love about both of Becky's books is this exploration of the afterlife. Of course we can't know the truth until we get there ourselves and then it's too late to tell anyone. But I'm sure everyone has their own imagination when it comes to what's next, whatever your beliefs. But Becky has taken this idea of the unknown and run with it, and I found both books very comforting.

It's such a tender book. But it's also conflicting. Emery's parents are so cautious about her, which makes sense given the circumstances. Her Mum wants her to live her life, but her Dad is wary and frightened. But all of this means her life is never really her own. And it really gives you food for thought. Because you'd do anything to keep your child safe, no matter their age, but is wrapping them in bubble wrap and stopping them from living, really keeping them safe, or is it just another form of death?

Like Emery, I fell in love. With an idea o thinking, with a want to live your life without being held a prisoner by your health. I feel in love with a want, a desire, a passion. And with a man. But it's more about that that man represents I think, rather than him as a person. He was beautiful in many ways and I hope you think the same.

Becky's books are unbelievably touching. She has this power that she weaves through her words that...it's hard to explain, and definitely impossible to explain without sounding corny, but they're life changing. This idea of mortality, and life and death, and limbo, and strength and weakness. They're not just books for entertainment, although they are that; they have the power to create a sense of love and loss and passion and wonder an curiosity that I've rarely seen.

I have concluded that if she continues down this vein of story, they will always make me cry. And we're not talking a cute tear that falls down my cheek every so often. We're talking big, loud, breath-taking ugly sobs.

I'm sure it wasn't necessarily the aim she had when writing it, but it almost took away the fear of dying. Personally, I'm not scared of death, but I am scared of the act of dying. And whilst I am aware this is a fictional book and so make-believe (we assume), I think it has really tackled some very big topics, and ends up being so powerful, but like a gentle power, a quiet power, that just takes your hand and roars.

The way Becky writes, the characters, the story, the sentence structure, the word choices, the emotions she's woven into it, the meanings - it makes its way into your heart, into your very soul, and it sits there. It could potentially have been a downer of a story, but it's anything but. It is really life affirming and positive and hopeful and, bizarrely, joyful.

I've done my best to describe this book, to explain what it's like to read. But even though I earn my living through words, I don't have the right ones for this. It's a feeling, it's a beauty. It's something you need to sit with yourself and absorb. Everyone will get something completely different out of it frrom everyone else. And that's what makes it pretty bloody special. Once again, I think Becky will end up on my best books of the year roundup at the end of 2024.

Absolutely wonderful! A refreshing change from my usual genre, I was so invested in Emery's life (and death), that I stayed up until 1am to finish the book.

When Emery first dies, aged 5, she finds Nick waiting for her, a kind of guardian angel or spiritual guide, to help and support her through the realisation that she has died and the transition to wherever her spirit will go next. Nick doesn't usually meet people more than once, but Emery has a rare condition that means her heart stops regularly and until she is revived, she is technically dead and meets Nick again. Over the years, Emery and Nick grow closer and Emery is determined to find out who Nick was when he was alive and why he is stuck in this in-between. As they fall in love, Emery has to choose whether to live her life or live for her next death.

Emery and Nick were fabulously written characters, as was Emery's big sister, Amber. I felt so torn on Emery's behalf and fell a little bit in love with Nick myself!

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Becky Hunter and Atlantic for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Wow! This has gone straight into one of my favourite books I've ever read and to be honest I wasn't sure what to think of it before I started. It is heartbreaking and yet absolutely lovely at the same time and it really has stayed with me since i finished and was a real conversation piece with friends when we talked about it. Amazing!

I was hoping so, so badly that my love of Becky’s writing wouldn’t be a one-off after completely falling in love with One Moment… and it wasn’t. I usually take weeks to read a book, but I finished this in three days. Becky is definitely coming up as one of my favourite authors. Her writing has a way of gripping me and completely taking over my emotions. I cried at least five times during this book.

As the book progresses, we learn who Nick really is, which is truly heartbreaking. We also watch how Emery’s condition affects the way she lives and the way people around her treat her. She rebels from being wrapped in cotton wool, pushes boundaries and pushes people
away. But she’s different with Nick—able to relax and let go.

This book covers Emery’s life, and although it skips years at a time, everything slotted together and worked. I really connected to her sister, and her challenges broke my heart.

Thank you to NetGalley, Becky Hunter and Atlantic Books (Corvus) for this DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Meet Me When My Heart Stops by Becky Hunter is a truly original, beautiful and comforting read. Whether you believe in life after death or not, it's noce to have a little bit of whimsy just in case

This book is absolutely beautiful. Emery has a heart condiiton which causes her to experience a type of death should she receive a fright, a shock or the like. The first time this happens is when she is just five and it is also the first time she meets her guardian, Nick, who helps those in the afterlife find their way. This premise immediately caught my attention as it was central to the storyline that Emery would always have the same guardian to guide her each time she experienced this temporary death.

As Emery grows into adulthood, the slow burn begins and the pair become closer. In parallel, in her waking lif, Emery's parents have taken every step to protect their daughter, and at the same time they are protecting her and doing what they think is right, they are truly not letting her live (this will resonate loud as a bell with nyone, anyone who has to live with chronic illness)


Everything about this book is a warm hug, the ups, the downs and everythjing in between. It is a book that tells you everything will be ok no matter what life throws at you. It is a comfort and a real joy to read. It's not my usual genre but I can certainly say Becky Hunter is going on my favourite authors list

Thank you very much to Netgalley, Atlantic Books, Corvus and the author Becky Hunter for this beautful ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

What a wonderful book. I don’t really know how to describe it other than to say it’s a story of Emery’s life and deaths. We first meet Emery aged 5 when a thorn in her foot causes her heart to stop. This is when her family find out Emery has a heart condition. One in which almost anything could cause her heart to stop and she dies, unless she is resuscitated. It could happen at any time. Her father wants to wrap her in cotton wool and let her do nothing, her mother thinks she should be able to do ‘normal’ things and her older sister Amber just supports her throughout.

Briefly, the first time her heart stopped there was a man who talked to her and helped her feel better. The second time was 7 years later and the same man was there but it wasn’t until her the third time her heart stopped, aged 21, that he told her his name, Nick. Each time her heart stopped Nick was there waiting for her and each time they talked and became closer. Although she leads an exciting and eventful life there is always a little bit of Emery that wants to see Nick again and that can only happen when her heart stops.

Emery is a wonderful character and my heart went out to her as, even with the best intentions, her father was so overprotective her childhood was blighted in not being able to just be herself. I loved her friendship with Bonnie and Colin and her closeness to her sister and it was a shame she didn’t always appreciate it. Emery was really quite a sad character in that she didn’t let herself get close to people because of her condition, I wanted to give her a hug. An emotional story exploring fated love, about family and friendship, about love and desire, about life and death - a unique look at life and death. Tears? At the end, yes!

I knew this book would make me sob, but I didn't think it would make me cry all the water I had in me.

The story starts with Nick "spying" Emery when she was only 5 and dies for the first time. They meet in an "afterlife" but of course she is way too young to understand what is happening to her. She then goes back to the land of living. Why? Because she has a very rare heart condition that in case of sudden scares or unexpected emotions, her heart stops and she dies. However, if her heart is restarted within 5 minutes, she gets to live again.

The story goes on telling about Emery's life, how she lives and how she dies on multiple occasions. She meets Nick every time she dies and, well, they fall for each other. But of course, the only way for them to be together is those moments when Emery dies.

Even though I'm not that much of a romantic reader, this story has left me utterly broken and I don't think I will recover any time soon.
Thanks NetGalley and Atlantic Books for the chance of reading this stunner.

Meet me when my heart stops by Becky hunter is the first book from the author that I have read, and it is better than I was expecting.
We meet Emery who has a heart condition which means her heart can stop at any time. The first time it happened she was five when she pricked her finger on a thorn. When it happens, instead of dying she ends up in the in-between (between life and death), where she meets Nick who is there to give advice onto the next world. Or go back to the life she just left and to live the best life that she can. They develop a close bond between themselves in certain stages in her life that her heart stops, so much that she tells Nick that she doesn’t to leave. But fate returns her back to her life and her loved ones and the people closest to her.
This is a beautifully written and poignant story that will tug at your heartstrings, and I you will think about for a long time. This has a unique storyline and great characters. I liked how each chapter was a different stage in Emery’s life and what impact did it have on her friends and family, I loved this book I couldn’t stop reading until I finished it. This is a special book. 5 stars from me.

Meet Me When My Heart Stops begins with 5year old Emery’s heart stopping caused by the pain of standing on a thorn. When she ‘dies’ she is met by Nick who’s role is to help people adjust to being dead before they go on to the next ‘stage’ but Emery’s life is not over and after being resuscitated she is diagnosed with a condition in that her heart can stop with certain situations such as pain or stress.
Through her life every time she arrests she meets Nick, they develop a strong connection and fall in love and at times Emery wishes she’d stay dead to be with him.
An excellent written book with great characters that add much depth, emotion, humour and sadness. Both Emery and Nick are well described and as a reader I found myself really connecting with them.
The journey through Emery’s life is poignant but above all uplifting.
The ending is beautiful, very emotional and one that will stay with me for a long time.
My thanks to netgalley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

When Emery stubs her toe on the thorn in the garden at the age of five, the shock of it stops her heart. Emery’s medical condition Means that her heart could stop at any sudden shock.
She learns to navigate her life in a Hazard, and sometimes careless way. She doesn’t always respect the fact that she could die.
This is because when she passes into death, she is met by a kind man towards whom she becomes increasingly fond. Each time, she dies, she is resuscitated and continues her life.
Around her, the impact of her situation and her family is monumental. Every day is a day when Emery may die and this is very hard for her family to deal with.
This is a beautiful story of love, life , hope, and family. I really enjoyed it.
Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book ahead of publication and exchange for an honest review.