Meet Me When My Heart Stops by Becky Hunter

Having adored One Moment, the debut novel by Becky Hunter that I reviewed here, I simply couldn’t resist being part of the blog tour for Becky’s latest book, Meet Me When My Heart Stops. My huge thanks to Anne of Random Things Tours for inviting me to participate.

Meet Me When My Heart Stops was published by Atlantic imprint Corvus on 21st March 2024 and is available for purchase through the links here.

Meet Me When My Heart Stops

What if your soulmate could only ever be the love of your afterlife?

The first time Emery’s heart stops, she is only five years old…

Emery is born with a heart condition that means her heart could quite literally stop at any moment. The people around her know what to do – if they act quickly enough there will be no lasting damage, and Emery’s heart can be restarted. But when this happens, she is briefly technically dead.

Each time Emery’s heart stops, she meets Nick. His purpose is to help people adjust to the fact that they are dead, to help them say goodbye, before they move on entirely. He does not usually meet people more than once – but with Emery, he is able to make a connection, and he finds himself drawn to her.

As Emery’s life progresses, and she goes through ups and downs, she finds that a part of her is longing for those moments when her heart will stop – so that she can see Nick again.

This is the story of two fated lovers who long for each other, but are destined never to share more than a few fleeting moments – because if they were to be together, it would mean the end of Emery’s life.

My Review of Meet Me When My Heart Stops

Emery has a rare heart condition.

Goodness. What can I say about Meet Me When My Heart Stops? Achingly gorgeous, this is romantic writing of the most perfect kind and I absolutely loved it.

Becky Hunter’s premise of a heart condition that means Emery dies multiple times, feels innovative and completely convincing. Whilst it sets the scene for Emery and Nick’s emotional love story to unfold, it also adds layers of maturity and sophistication to the story because themes of guilt, choice, responsibility and family swirl beneath the surface. Emery’s Mum’s reaction to Emery’s illness, and the rift that occurs in the family, shows real insight into how not just one person is affected when they have a life-affecting or limiting condition. There’s such understanding here that Meet Me When My Heart Stops feels thoughtful, sensitive and compassionate.

The story of Emery’s life and multiple deaths is enthralling and I loved the structure of the plot with the dates as Emery ages and found the memories woven into the death scenes created both depth and character. Meet Me When My Heart Stops explores exactly what makes for a fulfilling life. It might be an existence without risk, such as the one Emery’s Dad tries to impose to keep her safe, or it might be one of Carpe Diem like Emery’s reckless thrill seeking to counterbalance the careful approach of those around her. However, what is so impactful here is the way Becky Hunter illustrates that a life well lived can easily be filled with quiet, ordinary moments that any of us might experience. Such a theme makes Meet Me When My Heart Stops uplifting, affecting and compelling.

All that said, what is so entrancing about Meet Me When My Heart Stops is the beautiful love story between Emery and Nick. It develops organically, is frequently frustrated by events and feels so convincing that I experienced every one of Emery’s emotions with her. Becky Hunter writes with such a natural style that it feels perfectly plausible that Emery is falling in love with a man who died before she was born.

And Emery herself is a wonderful creation. She develops throughout the story and although her heart condition could, with less skilled writers, make her a saccharine protagonist, instead she is a vivid, flawed and believable creation. She is, on occasion, selfish or foolhardy, discontented and unhappy as well as brave, selfless and filled with joy. She is, quite simply, human. 

It feels rather a privilege to have read Meet Me When My Heart Stops. It’s touching, captivating and poignant and a book that reverberates in the reader’s mind long after the final page is turned. I thought it was totally wonderful. 

About Becky Hunter

Becky Hunter lived and worked in London for several years before moving to Mozambique to volunteer with horses and try her hand at writing. A few years, a few destinations, and a few jobs later she had the idea that would become One Moment. Alongside writing, she now works as a freelance editor and publicist, splitting her time between Bristol and London, and constantly trying to plan the next adventure.

For more information, follow Becky on Twitter/X @Bookish_Becky or find her on Instagram.

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