Cross Her Heart audiobook

My reviews can also be seen at: https://deesradreadsandreviews.wordpr...“Cross Her Heart” was my first read from, Sarah Pinborough and I really enjoyed it.The first chapter pulled me right in. Someone is very angry. The letter this person is reading has sent him into a rage. He starts to make a plan…He wants to destroy her. Lisa is a mother in her thirties who likes her quiet life. She’s devoted to her sixteen-year-old daughter, Ava. Ava loves her mother but feels that she is way too over-protective. Ava has started keeping secrets. One special secret in particular. She won't even tell her friends this secret. It’s something just for her….Lisa knows her daughter deserves privacy but she just wants to keep her safe and protect her. She has to protect her…because she knows “how terrible it can be out there.” Lately, Lisa has been feeling like something isn’t right. Little things keep throwing her off. A picture is misplaced, a familiar song on the radio. She’s not sure if she’s being paranoid, but it’s making her even more nervous than usual.Marilyn is Lisa's best friend. They met at work and have been close ever since. Marilyn is also very attached to Lisa's daughter. So when Lisa and Ava need her help, she will do whatever she can. But will her own situation get in the way?Lisa, Ava, and Marilyn are very different but the one thing they do have in common is that they are all keeping secrets…some bigger than the others. And when some of the secrets start to come out, things start to unravel. Unfortunately, there's much more to come.I really enjoyed this novel. I liked the alternating perspectives and the short chapters that were broken into Before, Now, and After. I really thought I knew where the story was headed. Although I was right about a few things, some of the twists really threw me for a loop. I could easily have read this in one sitting if life hadn't gotten in my way. However, I picked up this book whenever I found a free minute, and as I neared the ending, sleep was the last thing on my mind. I was up reading until I finished the last page.“Cross Her Heart” was an addictive, intense, and entertaining domestic suspense novel. A story about secrets and lies and how sometimes no matter how hard you try to hide things, in the end, they always seem to find a way to come out.Sarah Pinborough sure knows how to tell an interesting story. I’m really looking forward to reading more from this talented author.I'd like to thank HarperCollins for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Having adored "Behind Her Eyes" and totally enjoying the wacky ending it had, I was very much looking forward to reading Sarah Pinborough's latest offering "Cross Her Heart".Although the storyline or ending to this one wasn't anywhere near as crazy, I thoroughly enjoyed it and found it to be a brilliantly written psychological thriller. The author had each of the character's dialogue tone perfect, switching between an angst teenager to a worried and concerned mother seamlessly. The quick alternating chapters in the timeline were very easy to follow and kept the story addictive and immensely entertaining and I particularly loved how a following chapter would explain the previous. I liked all the characters, I thought Marilyn was just fantastic and the possible romantic interest between Simon Manning and Lisa kept me intrigued. I did suss out where the story was leading but it certainly did not detract me from enjoying the ride, it was very satisfying to read how it all came to a conclusion and the flashbacks to Lisa and Katie's childhood were riveting.I can't wait for future offerings from Sarah Pinborough, she's such a talented and highly imaginative writer and I'd happily recommend "Cross Her Heart" it was hugely enjoyable, fun to read and kept me anxiously turning the pages till the tense end.5 stars

3.5 starsLisa is a single mother raising her sixteen-year-old daughter, Ava, without any help. She mainly keeps to herself but does have a friend from work named Marilyn. Both women like to keep to themselves and both have secrets. Ava also has secrets. She is a member of the swim team and is trying to be more independent. She has friends, a boyfriend and someone she has been chatting to through Facebook. Someone no one knows about.....Lisa has lived in fear for a long time and is constantly looking over her shoulder. As secrets become known, the danger and suspense mounts...Secrets, lies, betrayal, deception are all themes of this book. All the characters have secrets in this book. Some of their secrets are straightforward i.e. Ava is chatting with a mysterious person on Facebook. Other secrets take their time to be revealed. Some secrets have been buried deep and will slowly become known over the course of the book. I found that this book started slowly for me, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. She had to set the stage and slowly unravel her plot. It did take some time, but I found that time to be worth it. If this starts slowly for you, my advice is to stick with it. As the secrets begin to be revealed the book picks up and doesn't stop. This is well written and although slow to start, ended nicely and did not disappoint. I did not love this as much as I did her other book, "Behind her Eyes" but this one is enjoyable. I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss and William Morrow in exchange for an honest review.See more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com

I really enjoyed reading this book and practically raced through it. Lisa is a single mom and she seems to be overly protective of her teenage daughter. She probably is hiding a secret or two. That's all you really need to know other than this falls in the mystery/thriller genre. The back cover states "You won't see it coming" and that is a lot of hype to live up to and unfortunately there are some elements of the story that are predictable. I'm left with the same feeling I had when I finished The Girl on the Train and The Woman in the Window which is my overall opinion of the books is positive but it was disappointing to figure out which direction the author was going before the end. Now there are some aspects of this book that are surprising and that is one reason why out of those three books I enjoyed this one the most. The plot really does grab ahold of you and makes you want to keep reading but just be prepared as it just doesn't quite reach the level of perfect mystery/thriller. I still recommend if you are a fan of the genre. Just a forewarning though there is some graphic and disturbing content. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher but was under no obligation to post a review. All views expressed are my honest opinion.

Cross Her Heart by Sarah Pinborough is another book that as soon as I saw it I knew I wanted to give it a try after reading Behind Her Eyes. But again before I will get to the rest of the review when finished with this one I know that it is another that will not be for everyone with a definite need for a trigger warning for child abuse.The biggest part of the story is told from three points of view in the present, Lisa, Ava and Marilyn. Lisa is teennage Ava’s mother and Marilyn is Lisa’s co-worker and best friend. But along with those the book does also make trips back to Lisa’s earlier days to uncover what secrets she’s been hiding for years.The book begins giving readers a glimpse into the life that Lisa and Ava are leading with Lisa having been at her job for ten years working alongside Marilyn all the while raising her daughter. Ava’s a typical teen worrying about fitting in with her friends and boys but it quickly becomes apparent there are secrets that each character is hiding from one another and things are about to catch up to them all.Already knowing I had liked the author’s writing style I wasn’t surprised to find an ease of the flow of the story as it went along. The characters also seemed to each hold their own distinctive personalities and stood out from one another. Throw in plenty of twists and turns along the way I did find this one quite the engaging read and would recommend it.I received an advance copy from the publisher via Edelweiss.For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/

Genuinely brilliant on way too many levels to mention them all.But - Characters. Depth. Relevance. Emotionally stunning. Creatively insightful. Heart stopping at times and beautiful in all the right places - kind of sums it up.Basically read this today because it was so engaging it was impossible to do anything else except devour in short order. All of which I'll say in a slightly longer but still short teaser review soon. But not one plot detail will you get from me. Lips sealed. Best served cold.Highly Recommended.

I must admit I picked up Cross Her Heart with trepidation, I absolutely loved Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough, you know the one I mean, it’s the one you probably saw all over social media with the #WTF hash tag. This one comes with the tag Don’t Trust Her Books, and never a truer word was written! I thought I pretty much had this book all worked by the first half, but then wham bam the author very deviously pulled the rug out from under me, not once but on several occasions. Brilliantly twisted, unsettling yet compelling this is a must read for fans of psychological thrillers. Told in three parts the first third moves along at a slow paced, but don’t let this put you off as the author uses this time to introduce the three main characters Lisa a neurotic mum, who is haunted by a tragic past, Lisa’s sixteen-year-old Daughter Ava and Marilyn, Lisa’s best friend who appears to have the perfect life. Sarah Pinborough also uses this time to set the scene, and it’s this part of the book, that makes the second and third part so disturbing. As the reader reaches the second part of the book the pace kicks off and I must admit I had more than a few “OMG moments” which were superbly executed by the author. Cross Her Heart is as much about the characters as it is about the plot, Lisa appears to be another over protective mother, Ava likes nothing better than spending hours on social media, and then you have Marilyn who appears to have it all, but nothing appears as it first seems the characters are complex with so many hidden issues, secrets and half truths and when Ava does a brave thing none of the characters are aware of the ramifications of one kindly deed. I loved the three main characters they were so well depicted, I couldn’t help but become emotionally involved in their plight. Cross Her Heart turned about to be both a shocking and harrowing read, it was nigh on impossible to second guess where this book was heading. As psychological thrillers go this is one of the best ones I’ve read this year, and I’ve read plenty believe you me. Cross Your Heart will mess with your head and lead you a merry dance but it’s so worth it. One last thought I loved Behind Her Eyes, but if anything I loved this one more, in parts it’s credible, heartbreaking and very disturbing this book will definitely be one I’m adding to my top reads of 2018. Highly, highly recommend.All my reviews can be found at http://thebookreviewcafe.com

Cross My Heart, Hope To Die. This book is wild! I’m still trying to wrap my head around how we got from the beginning of this book to the end? Sarah Pinborough Has once again left me reeling and thinking WTAF? This book started off simply enough. We have Lisa the helicopter mother, Ava The rebelling daughter, and Marilyn the devoted friend. We know Lisa has a bit of a past, because she is hesitant to start a new relationship with Simon. We also know that Ava has started an online correspondence with an older man. Then one day Eva is at the beach, a child goes into the water and she jumps in and saves him and gets some media attention. Then the book goes off the rails. Secrets are revealed, lies are told, feelings are hurt, trusts are betrayed, revenge is seeked. The story is told from the perspectives of Lisa, Ava, and Marilyn, and all three of these ladies have secrets to hide. Twists and turns, zigs and zags, I didn’t know if I was coming or going. Seriously the last 40% of this book I spent with my jaw on the floor. The story and these ladies lives were spinning out of control. This is a story that will definitely make you stretch your mind and if you’re all about believability, this might not be the book for you. Miss Pinborough has spun a disturbing tale with a deranged ending.This book in emojis ❤️ 💓 💞 💔 💘*** Big thank you to William Morrow for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5Cross Her Heart is my first time reading a novel by Sarah Pinborough, but it will definitely not be my last. It seems that her novels can be rather polarizing, and I am happy to report that I really enjoyed this one. What it's about: Lisa is living a fairly quiet life - she has a best friend named Marilyn, a teenage daughter she loves named Ava, and a great job. But when her daughter saves a boy from drowning and it ends up in the papers, it creates a whirl of activity brought on by a terrible secret from her past... and threatens Lisa's life as she knows it. THIS BOOK. It did take me a bit to get into, but once I was hooked I was HOOKED. I thought it was predictable in some parts, but not in all, and the balance was fine for me. Marilyn was by far my favorite character, and even though she has shit of her own going on, she ended up being a source of comic relief throughout the novel. She was a badass and a very strong female character that I loved. I think the best part is that the blurb doesn't tell you a whole lot, and I really don't recommend reading reviews before you read the novel. This is a great one to read and find out if you like it or not for yourself. People seem to be on both ends of the spectrum for this novel and I can see why. I thought that it did get a bit confusing with her chapter titles, but besides that I was able to keep up with the situation, and was so drawn to see what was so bad about Lisa's past. Pinborough did a great job with pacing for me, and it really kept me interested in what was going on. Cross Her Heart does start a bit slow, and Lisa may drive people crazy with her overbearing mother routine, but it does pick up and get pretty interesting. Final Thought: This is a great novel to spur a discussion as it will not be for everyone. It moves quite quickly, and I definitely recommend checking it out as it is a very quick and engrossing read once you get into it. Abuse does become a heavy theme though, so just beware of that if it is a topic that makes you uncomfortable to read about. The author doesn't really dwell too much on it though so that is something to take into consideration as well. All in all, I really liked this novel and would recommend it to almost everyone!

Favorite Quotes:I said yes because I wanted to. Because I’m lonely… being near him is like peeling back layers of delicate crepe paper wrapped around a treasure you’ve packed away somewhere to keep safe and forgotten about. His eyes are full of quiet interrogation. Marriage, divorce… other boyfriends - all the information men are interested in. Things that boil down a woman’s relevance in relation to other men, rather than anything in and of themselves. The inside information comes later. Those talks are for the middle of the night, heads on pillows, faces only outlines in the darkness. That’s when people surrender their weapons to each other and hope they don’t end up stabbed in the night by them in the future.This is the other thing she’s learned over time. The secret is her own. It's her burden and sharing it doesn't lighten the load it simply doubles it… You can’t trust a drunk, she knows that too. My Review:This was a darkly intriguing, tragically twisted, and disturbingly realistic tale, which was cast with a full slate of unlikable and contemptible characters. There wasn’t one admirable person in the lot while the vast majority were quite vile and committed heinous acts that had me flinching and cringing and wanting to swear the most wicked expletives I know, and maybe even create a few more for good measure. The storylines were cunningly crafted, shrewdly paced, and deftly written from multiple POVs that kept the little pea rattling in my cranium on fire with constantly evolving theories and hypothesis, I fear the little legume will forever bear scorch marks. Sarah Pinborough is obviously an evil genius, and someone her neighbors should seriously take heed to respectfully and quietly tip-toe around and should never even consider disturbing or knocking on her door without having armloads of tasty treats and posh bribes in hand.

Sarah Pinborough has to be one of the most clever writers I’ve come across in recent years, she has a unique style of writing that works perfectly for me and I’m never quite sure exactly what to expect when I start one of her books. I was a huge fan of Behind Her Eyes, WTF ending and all so I was prepared to be surprised again and while I definitely was with this one, it had a different appeal that I appreciated greatly. I always like when an author switches things up slightly with each new book and doesn’t rely on a tried and true but formulaic gimmick and that’s exactly what happens here!This is told from various viewpoints; Lisa, her daughter Ava and Lisa’s best friend Marilyn. All three women have secrets and half the fun of this story was trying to figure out exactly what each persons secret was. I admit, I was feeling pretty confident about where things were going but I was wrong. Yes, a few minor details were exactly as I expected but there were still some major shocks along the way.I loved the pacing of this, it moved along swiftly and was divided into three parts which big revelations at the end of each one that just kept urging me to continue reading. Overall a fast and engaging read that gripped me and satisfied in the end.(I do want to warn that this does contain some disturbing content that was a little shocking to me. There is nothing in the blurb that alludes to it but wanted to give a heads up that parts are hard to read. If you want more info just let me know, I don’t want to say more here)Cross Her Heart in three words: Fluid, Devious and Disturbing.

Don’t make plans once you start reading Sarah Pinborough’s Cross Her Heart because once you start, you won’t want to stop reading until the final page! I’ve been hearing about Sarah Pinborough for awhile now. She’s a book of the month darling, well-respected thriller writer, and her books seem to ca

As soon as I learned that Sarah Pinborough had published a new book, I went out of my way to secure a copy.Last year, I read the author’s previous book and highly enjoyed it. BEHIND HER EYES was had the type of ending that will leave your head spinning, for a long time. No matter how hard you try, you will never see the it coming.CROSS HER HEART is a novel about how a woman’s life is upturned when an event brings attention about the past she has tried so hard to bury. “Someone can do a terrible unforgivable thing, and yet you forgive them if you love them. The heart is such a strange thing.” The plot is meticulously constructed and the author reveals it each layer carefully. There were alternating perspectives and timelines.I enjoyed it and recommend it to readers of thrillers, mysteries, and contemporary fiction.

There has been so much divisiveness with Pinborough's Behind Her Eyes, that I'm sure there are quite a few readers that are tripping around whether to read Cross Her Heart or not. Well, let me tell you... I LOVED Behind Her Eyes, but understood why it didn't fit some readers. While Pinborough is SO good with the twisty turns that you fall in love with in psychological thrillers, this book doesn't quite give you that #WTFThatEnding like Behind Her Eyes did. I mean that in the best way - so those of you who had issue with that book (we won't talk about that... ahem... 😉), then don't worry - this one is safe for the likes of you. 🙄🤣 This time she gives smaller reveals peppered through each section that is still just as effective.There's no secret that Pinborough is one of my FAVORITE authors. I just love her writing style. She quick paced while still building a story. At the end of part one of this book, I was all... UM WAIT... wasn't expecting it to go in that direction! I WILL say that there is ONE thing about this story that I had a teeny itsy bitsy bit of an issue with... but I can't discuss that right here... so please SOMEONE who has read this, come talk to me ASAP! And all of you reading this, put this on your TBR and then come discuss with me when you're done. K, thanks! However, this did not take away in the slightest from my enjoyment of this book. I may or may not have hugged the book when I closed it. While I'm not a person that really gets triggered by books, I can see where this one may do that as it deals with abuse and children. Just a tiny warning for those who may get triggered. I did feel that within this book it was done fairly subtly, but as a person who isn't triggered easily, what do I know ultimately. People react differently to all types of reads and/or situations. In a nutshell, I just have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this read. Three parts, multiple POVs and my favorite character? Marilyn. Read the book. Tell me what you loved the best about it -who your favorite character was and just how many other of Pinborough books you're going to read now. She still holds top bar for me and I can't wait to get more from her. Thanks so much to William Morrow Books for this read!

I completely devoured "Behind Her Eyes", Pinborough's last bestselling novel, so whether to read this or not was an easy decision for me. I found "Cross Her Heart" a lot darker than BHE, I loved it! The darker the better in my opinion. It is twisty and engaging with interesting characters but ultimately it didn't blow me away as I had hoped. Don't get me wrong the plot is executed well, the writing easy to follow and there are some OMG moments. It is written from multiple perspectives - Lisa, Ava (Lisa's daughter) and Marilyn (Lisa's friend). Lisa is a single mother with a secret. Ava is a teenager who hates the fact that her mother is overprotective and paranoid. What will happen when the secrets are revealed? The past has a way of coming back and biting you on the behind! All three of the women are keeping secrets that are disturbing and life shattering,An excellent read. I look forward to Pinborough's next bookish endeavour! I will be along for the ride.Many thanks to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.