A Book A Week

It is safe to say that Lisa's life revolves around being a mother. Not that she's upset about that. As a single mom, Lisa devotes most of her time and energy to raising her daughter Ava. Lisa's past has some darkness in it that she constantly tries to overcome, but Ava is that shining light that keeps her going. Ava is a teenager now, and Lisa knows she can't hang on to babying her forever. Things get interesting when Lisa meets an attractive client at work. Could this be the start of the next phase of her life?

Ava loves her mom, but she's starting to feel a little suffocated by all of the attention. She's not a little girl anymore. Her friends from the swim team have all had sex already, and Ava feels like nows is as good a time as any for her to lose her virginity too. There's the boy at school who she's been dating that Ava knows is ready for sex. But Ava has another person in mind. She's been messaging an older man who really makes her feel like a woman. She's never experienced these feelings before. With her mom, Ava is still a little girl. With him, she is a fully grown woman.

Lisa and Ava's life is given a jolt when Ava rescues a drowning child from a river. Instinct kicks in and she rushes into the water to save him. Just like that, Ava is a local hero. It only takes a few pictures of Ava and her proud mother to run in the press for everything to come crashing down. After years of running from her past, Lisa is forced to face it. Can she come to terms with the darkness she's been running from? More importantly, can she shield her daughter from all of the horrors that are about to ensue?

Cross Her Heart by Sarah Pinborough is a mystery that left me with decidedly mixed feelings. When I was contacted to review the novel by TLC Book Tours, I was really eager to read it. Pinbourough's Behind Her Eyes had lots of reviewers buzzing with excitement, so I knew I was in for a treat with her latest. Chapters alternate POV between Lisa and Ava. Both women are dealing with secrets of their own, some of which even the reader doesn't know. I was instantly drawn to both characters and their enticing personalities. Pinborough takes advantage of the thrill of the unknown by stringing the reader along for as long as possible without revealing the true nature of the mystery. In fact, I'd argue the first part of the book was more successful than the latter simply because of this secrecy. The revelations ended up being more typical to the genre than I would have liked, but I can't argue the fun of discovering them.

For more information, visit the author's website, publisher's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
This review is part of a TLC Book Tour. Check out the full tour schedule here!

(2018, 34)