Review: This Heart of Mine by C.C. Hunter

Hi Munchworms!

You probably don’t know, but a couple of years ago, I got my hands on the entire Shadowfalls series by C.C. Hunter. Then I got the chance to read an eARC of This Heart of Mine, her new novel!

I was thrilled, happy and… well, maybe I lost it a bit because I was so shocked that I got this opportunity?

A new heart saved her life—but will it help her find out what really happened to its donor?

Seventeen-year-old Leah MacKenzie is heartless. An artificial heart in a backpack is keeping her alive. However, this route only offers her a few years. And with her rare blood type, a transplant isn’t likely. Living like you are dying isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. But when a heart becomes available, she’s given a second chance at life. Except Leah discovers who the donor was — a boy from her school — and they’re saying he killed himself. Plagued with dreams since the transplant, she realizes she may hold the clues to what really happened.

Matt refuses to believe his twin killed himself. When Leah seeks him out, he learns they are both having similar dreams and he’s certain it means something. While unraveling the secrets of his brother’s final moments, Leah and Matt find each other, and a love they are terrified to lose. But life and even new hearts don’t come with guarantees. Who knew living, took more courage than dying?

This Heart of Mine is a haunting, poignant tale about living and dying, surviving grief, guilt, and heartache, while discovering love and hope in the midst of sadness.

Let’s start with the writing. I noticed that Hunter’s writing evolved, that it’s better and even more fluent than it already was. I loved it and read this book in no time! Okay, I took a few days but I did have a very busy couple of days back then.

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I wasn’t embarrassed about reading. If anything, it saddened me that some people were missing out.

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I loved the story, the plot and everything around it. It never felt forced, at all. Everything, not only her writing, flowed fluently and just made you want more. Made you want to figure out what happened to Eric. And, of course, keeping your fingers crossed for Leah and Matt was an obvious reason to want more as well.
Although at first their feelings steer a lot towards insta-love, they only appear to do so. If you hate that trope, I’d say, ignore that because it gets clear in only the first chapters that it isn’t a case of insta-love! Okay, this might be considered a minor spoiler for some, but I know that people sometimes quit a book because of this trope so… 

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Mom offers up a real smile. The kind that wrinkles the sides of her nose. It hits me then that I can’t remember the last time her nose wrinkled like that. I put that on my bucket list. Give mom more nose wrinkles.

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Then our MC! Leah! God, how I love that girl’s sass. She’s brutally honest, makes the best comments and – as if this could get any better? – is a huge book worm! Score, score and score in my book. Her best friend, Brandy? Loves reading as well! Yup!
Like, we’re pretty much obliged to read this book simply for that reason alone?

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Reading is a vacation for the mind. Well, if the book is good, it is.

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Maybe the most important part of this novel to me is that it highlights the importance of donors. Okay, I admit. There’s only one person that gets a donor in this story, but it still proves how important it is. I haven’t done it yet, but I’m definitely going to make sure it’s registered that I want my organs donated when I pass away.

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I hate it. But I kind of like hating it. Because I hated it before I got sick. Hating the same things as before makes me feel more like the old me.

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The way I could connect with Leah, I couldn’t with Matt. I honestly still can’t figure out exactly why it didn’t work. Maybe because I felt like he didn’t have a unique voice like Leah did? Maybe because I simply didn’t feel like having anything in common with him? I don’t know. I really don’t. It didn’t really ruin anything for me, but it is something I thought of after finishing this novel.

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I want to start living. I’m tired of dying.

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It’s a beautiful story that draws you in like no tomorrow. And a good reminder of why I loved Hunter’s previous books so I’ll definitely have to give those a reread!

Oh, just saying. This is a book about twins. TWINS. I love twins. My mom’s one half of a twin. I have a higher chance of getting a twin myself. Like. Twins!

As for the munches, pizza with chocolate in honor of Eric. I did not try to eat that because it just… Nope… I would not want to eat that, haha.

Would you ever try eating a regular pizza while throwing M&M’s in your mouth as well?

 

 

 

I received an eCopy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions are entirely my own. I’m not being compensated in any way. Quotes used may differ from the finished copy since I took them out of an unfinished ARC.

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