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amys_booknook's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mtzbookworm64's review against another edition
5.0
WHAT A GREAT BOOK!!!! Full of twists, turns and kept me turning pages - couldn't put it down!!!
kelselt7's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
thephdivabooks's review against another edition
4.0
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 cause that buzz in the book community that authors dream about. I was not disappointed by my first book of hers, and I’m already excited about her upcoming release this spring!
I definitely want to keep this vague so I don’t spoil any of the twists here—and there are several! Told by several narrators and alternate timelines, this is the type of story that builds a foundation and then tears it all down with a single event. And the more you learn, the more complex it gets. Secrets can’t stay buried forever!
Lisa is a bit of a helicopter parent, but it Is clearly out of love and protection for her teenage daughter Ava. Lisa is also a bit of an enigma. She has some secrets she has kept for so long, and she has done her best to live a quiet life away from her past.
Ava is on that cusp of adulthood that is probable terrifying to parents. She is sneaking off with her first boyfriend, planning to lose her virginity, and she has her own secret that she is keeping from even her closest friends. Another relationship she is in that she doesn’t dare tell anyone about.
When Ava saves a child and the media gets ahold of it, everything will change. Lisa’s past comes crashing to the surface, and their entire world is rocked. Because Lisa has been keeping secrets, and now they have been exposed. Even more troubling, someone seems to know all of her secrets, and that person has been pulling the strings all along.
I can’t say much more without spoiling, so I’ll say that this book has a slow build through the first third that sets the foundation. I could feel the tension of what might be to come. Then when the first twist hits, the final two thirds will rush forward at break-neck speed until all is revealed…
Thank you to TLC Book Tours for my copy. Opinions are my own.
I definitely want to keep this vague so I don’t spoil any of the twists here—and there are several! Told by several narrators and alternate timelines, this is the type of story that builds a foundation and then tears it all down with a single event. And the more you learn, the more complex it gets. Secrets can’t stay buried forever!
Lisa is a bit of a helicopter parent, but it Is clearly out of love and protection for her teenage daughter Ava. Lisa is also a bit of an enigma. She has some secrets she has kept for so long, and she has done her best to live a quiet life away from her past.
Ava is on that cusp of adulthood that is probable terrifying to parents. She is sneaking off with her first boyfriend, planning to lose her virginity, and she has her own secret that she is keeping from even her closest friends. Another relationship she is in that she doesn’t dare tell anyone about.
When Ava saves a child and the media gets ahold of it, everything will change. Lisa’s past comes crashing to the surface, and their entire world is rocked. Because Lisa has been keeping secrets, and now they have been exposed. Even more troubling, someone seems to know all of her secrets, and that person has been pulling the strings all along.
I can’t say much more without spoiling, so I’ll say that this book has a slow build through the first third that sets the foundation. I could feel the tension of what might be to come. Then when the first twist hits, the final two thirds will rush forward at break-neck speed until all is revealed…
Thank you to TLC Book Tours for my copy. Opinions are my own.
amareenicole11's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
This book.... was like a car accident. Impossible to look away from (couldn't stop reading) but I didn't enjoy it. Wasn't something I wanted to keep reading but I felt compelled to anyway? It's hard to explain.... the book was cheesy and predictable and some parts of it I just absolutely hated ... but I couldn't stop reading? And couldn't stop wondering what twist was going to happen next? It was weird. It made me feel weird. I wasn't satisfied and I didn't enjoy it but also? It kept me reading so I suppose it made its point... it was quite unique, though probably not one I would heavily recommend.
TW : sexual abuse, spousal abuse, violence, murder, child abuse, child murder, alcoholism
TW : sexual abuse, spousal abuse, violence, murder, child abuse, child murder, alcoholism
rebelkiss's review against another edition
4.0
Kept me guessing and wondering if she was mistaken. But I felt like there could have been more with the ending
pumpkinpie20's review against another edition
3.0
Honestly, I'd starting reading this book before and just couldn't get into it but I thought I'd give it a second go. It actually was better than I initially thought. I did really hope that we didn't get a detailed description of what happened to Daniel and I'm glad the author left that part out. It felt like it got a little confusing in the middle with all the name changes but the concept was a great idea. The way those two young girls were talking about their lives and their parents and just their outlook on life was kind of shocking but I suppose when that's all you've been exposed you, you don't really know how to break the pattern. Overall, I thought it was an okay book but I wouldn't necessarily read it again.
dxphnxb's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
2.5
Everything was predictable, and the storyline was all over the place.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Incest, Child death, Child abuse, and Adult/minor relationship