This Heart of Mine: A Novel

This Heart of Mine by C.C. Hunter did a number on this heart of mine. What an emotionally driven book full of loss, pain, family turmoil and love. Leah MacKenzie is a seventeen year old girl whose heart beats from a battery operated backpack. On a waiting list for a donor heart, she knows her chances are slim, as she has a rare blood type. Aware her time is likely limited, she homeschools and dreams up bucket list items that she may or may not accomplish. When Leah gets the call that a heart is available for her, she is shocked. With little time to think, she is rushed to the hospital and the transplant takes place. Once she is back home, she realizes she may have an idea of who the heart belonged to, and it’s a lot closer to home than she is comfortable with. A boy from her school died, and they label it suicide, but Leah’s dreams make her think there may be more to his death than people think. She thinks he may be sending her information she may be able to use to prove he didn’t kill himself. Will Leah be able to adjust to life with her new heart, return to school and be able to keep the secret of her heart donor while trying to unravel the truth? This book had it all. Young adult romance intertwined with mystery, some suspense, high emotions and high school drama. I loved the many speeds of this story and didn’t want it to end. Strangely enough, I thought it was nearing the end, and then it kept going. It delivered so much more than I anticipated and left me super satisfied with the conclusion. I felt like it was tied up perfectly with a pretty bow on top. What a wonderful read! 5 stars for this heartfelt novel by C.C. Hunter.

This Heart of Mine is one of those YA books that I believe will resonate with teens and adults alike. This book is filled with angst and emotion as Leah and Matt struggle with not only the normal challenges of being a teenager and going to high school, but with more difficult issues most of us can't imagine dealing with as adults. What would you do if everyone is telling you your twin committed suicide, even the evidence, but you were determined to prove it was murder? How would you learn to live a life you had already accepted you wouldn't get the chance to? Leah and Matt not only supported each other during these challenges, but fell in love right in the middle of them.  I could tell C.C. Hunter put her heart and soul into this book because the emotions the characters felt rolled off the pages and had me feeling every ounce of hurt, love, and anger they felt. I could go on and on all day about how much I loved this book, but I think you should just one-click it and share in the amazingness with me! I voluntarily received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn't put it down, I loved it! it was everything in one book, mystery, thrilling, spooky, informative, heartbreaking and most of all romance. It was an amazing read, I hope more people read it.