Cross Her Heart by Sarah Pinborough

Title: Cross Her Heart

Author: Sarah Pinborough

Pages: 340

Publisher: Harper Collins

Genre: Thriller

Format: Hardcover

Source: Book of the Month

Summary: (back of the book)

Lisa lives a very quiet life. A single mother nearing forty, she values her privacy and devotes herself to raising her sixteen-year-old daughter, Ava. Wary of men, Lisa doesn't speak of her past or Ava's absent father. Her best friend and coworker, Marilyn, wishes she would open up more and maybe finally go on a date - especially with the sexy new client who's obviously keen - but maybe Marilyn shouldn't be handing out dating advice given her own problems.

Ava, meanwhile, is getting tired of her overprotective mother. She wants to live like a normal teenager - chill with friends, go to swim practice, study for exams, have a boyfriend. Her mom would freak if she knew that Ava's already got someone special, someone exciting and mysterious, who makes her feel sophisticated - and wanted.

Lisa has spent a long time looking over her shoulder, but lately she's been especially uneasy. Just when she starts to let her guard down, small things from the past begin to intrude upon her carefully constructed life, feeding her anxiety. As her world begins to unravel, Lisa knows that the only way she can protect herself and her daughter is to face her fears. Yet courage won't be enough. She'll need help from the only person she can trust - Marilyn. Between them they have to save Ava, and to do that, they have to be honest with each other. Truly honest. Marilyn did promise she'd do anything to help.

But a long time ago, Lisa made a promise too. Then she broke her word. And that betrayal hasn't been forgotten - or forgiven. Now someone is going to make her pay for her sin. A captivating and hair-raising psychological thriller, Cross Her Heart is a masterful tale of obsession, intrigue, and suspense that will leave you reeling.

Review:

As a thriller, there were things about this that I enjoyed and things I thought were just okay. 

Overall I thought the premise was interesting, but there were definitely some plot holes that got under my skin. It's difficult to write about these qualms without giving away too much of the plot. Mostly, the circumstances surrounding Lisa's past left me with a lot of unanswered questions. There's a lot of distance between the Lisa of the past and the Lisa we meet at the start of this book, and I wanted more explanation as to how the transformation occurred. In addition, and I don't think this gives too much away, when Lisa's past finally comes out, I truly don't understand the reactions and the circumstances that led to her past being such a mystery.

There were moments when I was able to predict what was going on, and a few moments that caught me off guard. Of the moments that caught me off guard, only a few of them were completely out of left field, meaning there were a few where you could connect the dots after knowing the whole story. When it comes to thrillers, I'm always more excited to read stories where you can go back and see all the little clues after things are laid out. 

The biggest thing that was difficult for me is that this book violated a rule I have about avoiding books where bad things happen to little kids. I just can't do it. And this book was a big violation - I'm not sure I would have picked it up had I known more about this part of the storyline. There were a few paragraphs I had to skim - and then put the book down to hug and kiss my two-year-old son.

I didn't dislike the book, but I didn't love it either. It was a really fast read, which I kind of needed last week. Who else has read it? Drop your thoughts below! And if you want to grab a copy for yourself, consider using this link to do so and support Kate's Library!

PS - I received this book from Book of the Month Club. If you haven't looked into this service, I highly recommend it!!! It's one of the few treats I reserve for myself! Click here for more information!