What the Heart Remembers ARC Review

Title: What the Heart Remembers
Author: Debra Ginsberg
Published: September 4th, 2012
Book rating: 4 stars
Cover rating: 5 stars

Whispers of the past…
When young Eden Harrison receives a heart transplant from an unknown donor, her seemingly charmed life falls apart. Haunted by dreams of people and places she doesn’t recognize, Eden is convinced that her new heart carries the memories of its original owner. Eden leaves her old life behind as she is mysteriously drawn to the city of San Diego.
Whispers of the mind…
There, Eden becomes fast friends with Darcy, a young woman recently widowed by Peter, her wealthy, much older husband. But Darcy is unsettled by her inability to mourn, and more unsettled by recurring thoughts of Adam, a young musician she was having an affair with--who has suddenly vanished.
Whispers of the heart…
Yet, the more Eden learns about Darcy, the more she realizes that all is not as it seems, and she begins to suspect foul play behind Peter's and Adam’s fates. As the tension around them escalates, Eden’s mysterious dreams become more and more frequent. Can Eden listen to what her heart is trying to tell her before it is silenced forever?

I started this book awhile back and sadly got distracted when school started so it took me awhile to finish but I really enjoyed this book! I found the story really intriguing because it was a mix of paranormal, mystery, and a bit of romance. It also talked about cellular memory which is a really controversial subject so that was interesting. I really love how we get a bit of background information about Derek and Eden as a couple and Darcy and Peter as a couple before Eden got sick. I really enjoyed Eden as a character, she was very 'human' in the book. We got to see her in a very vulnerable time in her life which made her feel more real to me. I also really enjoyed Derek, even though he bordered on stalker at times I get it was out of love and concern. Derek and Eden's relationship was really sweet, I love how he was so wrapped up and in love with her in the beginning that he didn't even see Wendy was smitten over him. I feel like he was always powered/driven by his love throughout the story which was really romantic. Peter and Darcy seemed like they had a nice relationship in the beginning but we soon find out it's just some facade. Peter is obviously afraid Darcy is going to leave him for someone who is younger so he starts to act really controlling and crazy. Darcy feels trapped in a controlling relationship and doesn't know what to do until she meets Adam and ends up falling in love with him and having an affair. 

After receiving a heart transplant Eden starts thinking thoughts that aren't hers, liking things she usually didn't, and having dreams that aren't hers either. She ends up moving to San Diego and is drawn to a restaurant she's never even been to, she gets a job and meets Darcy. They become friends almost instantly and everything starts to get worse.  This book kept me guessing until the end and I honestly was shocked when I found out who Eden's heart came from. The only problem I had with this book is I feel like it took awhile for things to actually start happening and when they did it went by really fast. I still really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to friends.

My sincerest apologies to the publisher and author for this review being late. Thank you for providing me with a copy of What the Heart Remembers to read!

Purchase this book on
Amazon | Barnes & Noble