What does it mean to keep living when someone else doesn’t get the chance? That haunting, tender question is the heartbeat of Every Borrowed Beat by Erin Stewart. With lyrical writing, rich characters, and a raw emotional core, this YA contemporary is as much about finding purpose after trauma as it is about falling in love.
I went into this book expecting a tearjerker—and it delivered—but what I didn’t expect was how deeply I would connect with Sydney’s struggle with imposter syndrome. As someone who’s walked the path of chronic illness, I know that jarring feeling: Why am I okay when others aren’t? Why do I get to live? Stewart nails that emotional weight with honesty and grace.
Thank you to the author and publisher for including me on this tour sponsored by TBR and Beyond Tours. If you're wondering whether this book should be your next read, here are my top five reasons why Every Borrowed Beat deserves a spot on your TBR.
Title: Every Borrowed Beat
Author: Erin Stewart
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publishing date: March 11, 2025
Book Buy Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Synopsis:
For fans of FIVE FEET APART, this emotional and romantic YA offers an unflinching look at not only the realities of heart failure, but at memory, grief, guilt, and what it means to live—in spite of another, because of another, for another. For yourself.
Sydney Wells should have died. She was supposed to die.
She never expected, after years of waiting, to receive a heart transplant. Now, seventeen-year-old Sydney doesn’t know what to do with her life. Her daily routine consisted of staying indoors, eating heart-healthy foods, and posting about her transplant list experiences on TheWaitingList with her long-distance BFF (and heart failure buddy) Chloe.
Now, Sydney latches onto the one thing that gives her learning as much as she can about the person whose heart she inherited. After finding the family of her likely-donor, Mia, Sydney falls deep into her world—and may also be falling for Mia’s best friend, Clayton.
But Sydney isn’t the only one hiding something. Mia’s brother Tanner won’t talk to Clayton, and Clayton won’t tell Mia why. And hundreds of miles away, Chloe’s health has taken a turn for the worse. Sydney needs to face what’s in her heart—the truth, the guilt, and the future—before it’s too late.
Content Warning: grief, organ transplant, survivor’s guilt
💖 Top 5 Reasons to Read Every Borrowed Beat by Erin Stewart💖
1. 💔 A Deep, Realistic Exploration of Survivor’s Guilt
Sydney's imposter syndrome hit me hard—and it will resonate with anyone who's survived something life-altering. After her heart transplant, she grapples with guilt, confusion, and the pressure to do something worthy with this second chance. As someone who’s survived cancer, I felt this in my bones. That deep, soul-searching “why me?” isn’t often shown with such vulnerability in YA, and it’s portrayed here with honesty that brought tears to my eyes.
2. 💕 An Emotional, Slow-Burn Romance That Feels Earned
Clayton is the kind of character who grows on you—gentle, grieving, and a little broken in his own way. His connection with Sydney doesn’t feel rushed; it evolves through shared pain and tiny flickers of hope. It’s a love story born from grief, but it blossoms with warmth. Their relationship reminded me that love after trauma doesn’t have to be perfect—it just has to be real.
3. 🫀 A Unique Narrative About Life After a Heart Transplant
Erin Stewart dives deep into the medical and emotional reality of living with someone else’s heart. From the routine of medications to the physical fragility and emotional weight, this isn’t just a backdrop—it’s integral to Sydney’s identity. The representation of chronic illness feels authentic and grounded, shedding light on a reality we don’t often see in fiction.
4. 📓 Mystery Elements That Keep You Turning Pages
This isn’t just a character-driven story—it’s also got a mystery woven into the fabric. Who was Mia, the donor? What secrets still linger between her brother Tanner and best friend Clayton? As Sydney uncovers more about the life behind her new heart, the story takes on an investigative edge that keeps the emotional stakes high and the pages flying.
5. 🫶 Found Family, Long-Distance Friendship, and the Power of Connection
Sydney’s friendship with Chloe, her long-distance bestie from TheWaitingList, is beautifully done—bittersweet and heartbreaking. Their bond is a lifeline that speaks to the power of connection even across miles and illness. And even though Chloe’s storyline is deeply emotional, it adds a layer of perspective to Sydney’s journey and keeps the book grounded in real, messy human relationships.
Final Thoughts
Every Borrowed Beat is one of those rare books that gets under your skin and stays there. It’s not just about falling in love or surviving a transplant—it’s about figuring out how to keep living when your life doesn’t look like it used to. Erin Stewart crafts a story that’s tender, emotionally honest, and beautifully hopeful.
Whether you’ve walked through illness, grief, or just the messy journey of being seventeen and uncertain, this book will break your heart—and slowly help stitch it back together.
About the author:
Erin Stewart is the author of books for children including young adults novels SCARS LIKE WINGS and THE WORDS WE KEEP. Her debut middle-grade novel will hit shelves in January 2025.
Erin is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern and a BYU undergraduate. Erin lives in Utah with her husband and three children.
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