Review: November 9

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Colleen Hoover
Format: ARC, paperback (Which Kristen stole back from me)
Pages: 310
Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Summary (Thank you, Goodreads): Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist.

My Thoughts: I almost feel the need to apologize to every Colleen Hoover book because after Maybe Someday they really don't stand a chance. I get so excited about CoHo books that they have to do a lot to make me happy. It's an accident, I swear. 

I thought that this was a very well executed book. I was concerned that the time gaps would make me judge the characters but I really didn't. The idea intrigued me. How would people changed if they only met on day a year. Would they stay close when they were together? This part of the book required a slight suspension of disbelief because I've had friends I could keep in contact move and we weren't able to stay friends. These two must have romanticized the idea of the other so much that they could overlook a lot. That's not to say they didn't have really struggles. The whole point of the story was to see how they overcame their problems (the main one being that they only saw each other once a year). I thought that the book did a great job covering this. 

The first time the two main characters met was pretty weird. It was too much for Kristen. For me, however, it could have been worse, I guess. I guess I overlooked the fast that this situation wouldn't have happened in real or, if it did, he would have met a great deal more resistance. Either way, I was able to look past it because it was a romance novel. You will probably be able to look past it too. 

The problems these two had to overcome fascinated me but the back and forth of "can we be friends?" "yes" "no" "yes" just isn't for me and bothers me in any novel.

Whatever, basically, what I'm saying is that I liked this novel but it still isn't my favourite. I still liked in more than Confess though if that helps you understand the train wreck that is this book review. If you have any specific questions, please ask away!

Note from Kristen: I didn't steal the ARC from Kelsey, it's my ARC okay

Review: Maybe Not (Maybe Someday #1.5)

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Colleen Hoover
Format: ebook, novella
Pages: 129
Rating: 9.5 out of 10

**Part of a series**Itty Bitty Spoiler Alert**

Summary (Maybe from Goodreads): When Warren has the opportunity to live with a female roommate, he instantly agrees. It could be an exciting change.

Or maybe not.

Especially when that roommate is the cold and seemingly calculating Bridgette. Tensions run high and tempers flare as the two can hardly stand to be in the same room together. But Warren has a theory about Bridgette: anyone who can hate with that much passion should also have the capability to love with that much passion. And he wants to be the one to test this theory.

Will Bridgette find it in herself to warm her heart to Warren and finally learn to love?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

My Thoughts: I love Colleen Hoover, I love Maybe Someday. I knew I'd love Maybe Not. It was great to see into the lives of minor characters in a novel that I love. Plus, I wasn't ready to let go of the story or the characters just yet. It was a fantastic way to get more. 

I have to be honest with all of you. I don't really have a whole lot to say about this novella. It wasn't a full length novel and it wasn't like I was suddenly learning all about brand new characters. Since it was so short, I don't want to spoil good moments like how Warren's nephew was adorable when he played dead or all the pranks or the sexy times. It was just fantastic. The whole entire book was fantastic. I loved it and want to read it again...like right now. I think that you should probably read this book but it is definitely not for young eyes. No but, like, for real. Age appropriate, enjoy the sex but otherwise, wait a few years. It's not young adult.

Enjoy!

Review: Ugly Love

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Colleen Hoover
Format: Paperback (I think? I can't remember)
Pages: 337
Rating: 8.75 out of 10

Summary (I love not ugly Goodreads): When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she knows it isn’t love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.

Never ask about the past.
Don’t expect a future.

They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.

Hearts get infiltrated.
Promises get broken.
Rules get shattered.
Love gets ugly.

My Very Personal Opinion: Firstly, the word 'opinion' looks like the word onion and that always throws me off. Alas, I've already gone off track with this review. To get myself quickly back on track I will share with you my love of Colleen Hoover. It is a love that cannot be denied and probably wouldn't change if her novels began to suck but, of course, that could never happen because she is Colleen Hoover. She's my hero. Go follow her on facebook if you question her awesomeness. She makes me extremely happy and, to this day, when I go to combat classes and am punching at nothing, I have flashbacks to reading the part of Maybe Someday where there are some much deserved punches thrown. 

Now onto the book, which is what you are really reading this for. Don't worry, I have no delusions that you read this blog because I am wonderfully intelligent or being I am astoundingly hilarious and witty. I know the truth.

Okay, so it wasn't better than Maybe Someday but I'm beginning to think that nothing is. This novel starts out strong and it holds true. Even when you think you have it figured out, you don't. I knew something big was going to happen in Miles backstory but I didn't know exactly what it would be. It was sufficiently devastating. 

Tate and Miles had an interesting relationship right from the get go. There was some second hand embarrassment and some first hand anger. What I don't understand is why she put up with this crap for so long. She's wonderful and deserved so much more from him. My heart was breaking for her during a great deal of this novel.

Miles' point of view was the most bizarre thing I've maybe ever read. It took a little while to get used to but I understood why it was written the way it was. I didn't grudge it anything. It was simply unique. I liked what it did at the ending, switching back.

The author has this wonderful way of making you connect to her characters and really feel for them. It's both wonderful and awful. It's a talent that is shown in most of her novels. She also makes very unique stories. Pilots? That's new for me. I liked the change. Plus, the sunset from the sky thing was beautiful, I thought. 

This novel was a fast finish but even if it wasn't, it would be well worth any time spent reading it.

Basically: Read it. Read all of Colleen Hoover's novels. Do it. Just listen to be and do as I say. I'm so easy to please, go now. Honestly, I think it's already time for a reread of this one.

P.S. Colleen Hoover, if you happen to stumble upon this for whatever reason. You are a wonderful human being and I will meet you one day if I have to fly across Canada and the United States to do so. Kristen feels the same. Keep up the outstanding work. Also, your pig is adorable and I am jealous.

Review: Finding Cinderellla

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Colleen Hoover
Format: ebook/novella
Pages: 90
Rating: 9 out of 10

Summary (found on Goodreads): A chance encounter in the dark leads eighteen-year-old Daniel and the girl who stumbles across him to profess their love for each other. But this love comes with conditions: they agree it will only last one hour and it will only be make-believe.

When their hour is up and the girl rushes off like Cinderella, Daniel tries to convince himself that what happened between them only seemed perfect because they were pretending it was perfect. Moments like that with girls like her don’t happen outside of fairytales.

One year and one bad relationship later, his disbelief in insta-love is stripped away the day he meets Six: a girl with a strange name and an even stranger personality. Daniel soon realizes the way he pretended to feel about Cinderella and the way he really feels about Six may not be so different after all. Especially when the two loves of his life end up being one in the same.

Unfortunately for Daniel, finding Cinderella doesn’t guarantee their happily ever after…it only further threatens it.

Sometimes I think...

The summary of this novel is almost longer than the bloody book is!

Anyway, this novella is not at all what I expected. I wish it would have been a full length story because I would have read it no questions asked. I believe there was enough material here to expand on that it could have been a full novel. Thinking about it makes me sad because I love Colleen Hoover. She is wonderful. Her books are super entertaining; her novellas are no different, apparently.

The characters were basically perfect. My only thing is that there could have been so much more to them if Hoover had given herself the time to dive into each character.

HOLY UNFORESEEN PLOT TWIST! I'm not usually surprised but this one got me. In my mind, this was so much out of nowhere that I had to put the ereader down for a moment to compose myself. How did I not see it coming? I don't know. It was a good twist.

Again, the novel could have really looked at how the plot twist affected the characters but the author did wonderful with the time she did have. I believed that the characters would react the way they did. 

This novel, though not consistently happy during the novel, made me happy while I was reading it. I would reread this one. I think I will. That's how good I thought it was. And anyway, it's only 90 pages so what have you got to lose? One recommendation: read Hopeless (or whatever the first one was, I get the two confused constantly...) first.

Read it.

Enjoy.

Review: Finding Cinderella

Reviewer: Kristen 
Author: Colleen Hoover
Pages: 90 
Format: eBook (novella)
My Rating: 8 out of 10

Summary (I cherish you, Goodreads):A chance encounter in the dark leads eighteen-year-old Daniel and the girl who stumbles across him to profess their love for each other. But this love comes with conditions: they agree it will only last one hour and it will only be make-believe.

When their hour is up and the girl rushes off like Cinderella, Daniel tries to convince himself that what happened between them only seemed perfect because they were pretending it was perfect. Moments like that with girls like her don’t happen outside of fairytales.

One year and one bad relationship later, his disbelief in insta-love is stripped away the day he meets Six: a girl with a strange name and an even stranger personality. Daniel soon realizes the way he pretended to feel about Cinderella and the way he really feels about Six may not be so different after all. Especially when the two loves of his life end up being one in the same.

Unfortunately for Daniel, finding Cinderella doesn’t guarantee their happily ever after…it only further threatens it.

My Thoughts: Aw man, I don't even know where to begin. I love me some Colleen Hoover and all the uber fine male characters she has introduced to us. (It took me a ridiculously long time to figure out how to word that sentence - for some reason, I kept wanting to refer to the male characters as man-meat.) This book was such a cool premise, and I had a deep-harboured love for Six that wasn't quite satisfied in Hopeless or Losing Hope. I'm so glad that we finally got to explore her world a little bit more, even if it was through the eyes of Daniel. Who, may I say, was an excellent narrator. 

There were plot twists I didn't see coming, and explanations that I didn't know I needed until I read this. It was such an excellent novella, and I really don't know what else to say. If you've ever read any of Colleen Hoover's novels, you know that she spins figurative gold with the words she uses to create incredibly realistic worlds. Not only worlds though, but characters too. Every stinking character that I've read by Colleen Hoover feels like someone I could actually know, or someone who I'd want to know. 

I didn't expect the story to go the way it did, or for me to love a story as much as I do that was only 90 pages long. I'm greedy, and I wanted more, even though the story doesn't really call for more. Colleen Hoover has quickly become one of my favourite authors. 

Final Thoughts: Love me this book. 

Review: Maybe Someday

Reviewer: Kelsey (Kristen is being stupid)
Author: Colleen Hoover
Format: Paperback
Pages: 384
Rating: 9 out of 10

Summary (Maybe someday Goodreads will love me back): Sydney is living in an idyllic bubble - she's a dedicated student with a steady job on the side. She lives with her best friend, has a great boyfriend, and the music coming from the balcony opposite hers is fast becoming the soundtrack to her life. But when Sydney finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her, the bubble bursts. The mysterious and attractive man behind the music, Ridge, gives Sydney hope that she can move on and they begin to write songs together. But moving on is harder than she expects, Sydney can only hope…. Maybe someday… Colleen Hoover draws you in to this passionate tale of music, love and betrayal…

My Thoughts: What? Nine out of ten isn't good enough for you? Pft...

Actually, I loved this book. I thought it was just about perfect. I don't say that often. I would read this novel 100 more times (I had to give it back to Kristen but I'm contemplating my own copy). 

First off, this novel has a soundtrack to match it which is wonderful. I loved the music as well as the idea of having music to go with it. I missed the first few songs as I was reading but I went back to listen to them later. I ended up downloading the soundtrack I liked it so much. It does a good job of putting you in the story. It really makes the novel an experience. You, of course, don't need to listen to it but I recommend it. At the very least you can say you listened to a book. I thought it added a lot of character and a lot about the characters too.

This novel was really funny. At times, I was actually laughing out loud. People around me were judging me but I don't care it was worth it. The pranks are genius and hilarious. I want to try a few. I especially love the last one that Ridge does to his buddy. Boys are entertaining. 

The writing in this is...wonderful. I need a new word. It was magnificent? Kristen says it was stupendous but it sounds too much like stupid; I don't like it. Whatever, you get the gist. It was really, super good. I love Colleen Hoover; I'll continue to read her novels. She is so talents and always seems to get emotions just right. Everything is always said at the exact right moment. Add her to the list of author's I have a writing crush on.

Each character was extremely unique. This is one of the few novels where I found that there was a motivation behind every character. They weren't ignored or skimmed over. Things were happening in the background so that you don't just learn about the main characters but the secondary ones as well. This allows for you to better understand reactions as well as the main characters through their friends. I think every writer should put more time into their secondary characters and all around back story. Also, I love how Sydney and Ridge come to communicate with each other. I love how it was all wrapped up and tied together even though the action died down quite a bit before the actual end of the story.

It switches perspective. This was well done. It wasn't awkward or off at all. I thought they could both be real people, unlike when the guy doesn't really seem like a guy.

Slight spoiler (Skip paragraph to avoid): This was my first novel with a deaf character. It was an interesting perspective. This made the novel even more unique though it was at times awkward because of how he handled certain things. I mean, maybe it's normal. I don't know because I don't even know of anybody that is deaf. I'm very interested in characters with a unique perspective. I'll have to look for some more characters like this.

Summary: This is a great love story that I want to read over and over. It made me both happy and sad. I laughed. I cried. I freaked out. It made me feel a variety of things. I recommend this book, not to any specific type of person even. Okay, maybe you should like love stories. Check it out and tell me your thoughts. I LOVE IT!

Losing Hope (Hopeless #2)

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Colleen Hoover
Format: eBook
Pages: 321
Rating: 6 out of 10

A Summary (cause Goodreads loves us): In Hopeless, Sky left no secret unearthed, no feeling unshared, and no memory forgotten, but Holder’s past remained a mystery.

Still haunted by the little girl he let walk away, Holder has spent his entire life searching for her in an attempt to finally rid himself of the crushing guilt he has felt for years. But he could not have anticipated that the moment they reconnect, even greater remorse would overwhelm him…

Sometimes in life, if we wish to move forward, we must first dig deep into our past and make amends. In Losing Hope, bestselling author Colleen Hoover reveals what was going on inside Holder’s head during all those hopeless moments—and whether he can gain the peace he desperately needs.

Kelsey's review of HOPELESS

Kristen's review of HOPELESS

What I think about this one: I read Hopeless and loved it. I though I would like this one too and I did but I had a few issues with it.

First, I thought that as a whole the novel went too fast. I understand that, yes, we read Hopeless before this one so it is assumed that we know what is happening. I didn't have a problem with that. I feel like maybe this novel should have been treated more as a separate novel instead of just a bonus extra for Hopeless. There should have been enough material to make this a full book. It would have been a good full book but as it was, I don't know, it wasn't my favourite. I think more could have been done from his point of view.

Also, I wanted to know more about how he felt. Holder went through a lot and some of the emotion was shown but a lot of it was lost in the speed of the rest of the novel. The novel felt like it was only three days not a year and some that it was. I'm okay with the falling in love happening fast because that's the fun of reading novels. 

I don't really like male point of views. I don't relate to them well and I feel like, when they are written by a woman author, they are romanticized. I just want an honest view into the narrators mind.

All of these small problems added together created a big problem for me. Luckily, I still cared about the characters and was able to remember who everyone was. It was a fast and easy read which I enjoyed. It was a cute little book, full of emotion, that won't take too long to fall into. It was alright.

So basically: I liked that it was easy. It helped that I remembered the characters but it went too fast and I don't particularly enjoy male point of views. If you read Hopeless than you should read this novel but you cannot read Losing Hope without first reading Hopeless!

Losing Hope

Reviewer: Kristen 
Author: Colleen Hoover
Pages: 256
Format: eBook (ARC)
My Rating: 9 out of 10

Summary (thanks GR): In Hopeless, Sky left no secret unearthed, no feeling unshared, and no memory forgotten, but Holder’s past remained a mystery.

Still haunted by the little girl he let walk away, Holder has spent his entire life searching for her in an attempt to finally rid himself of the crushing guilt he has felt for years. But he could not have anticipated that the moment they reconnect, even greater remorse would overwhelm him…

Sometimes in life, if we wish to move forward, we must first dig deep into our past and make amends. In Losing Hope, bestselling author Colleen Hoover reveals what was going on inside Holder’s head during all those hopeless moments—and whether he can gain the peace he desperately needs.

My Thoughts: Well, this surpasses every single companion novel I've read. This did not disappoint me at all, and after reading a pretty lame companion, I'm happy it didn't. (cough Walking Disaster cough). The danger with companions is the fact that they are inherently the same. Just from a different perspective. But what was so refreshing about this novel is that the plot allowed for both Sky and Holder to have completely different stories, but at the same time, have the same one. We got to see what Holder went through all those years ago, and we got to learn about all the turmoils he's had to face since. We learn more about his home life, and in this book, we're truly introduced to Les, his twin sister. A lot of what we learn about Holder comes from his letters to Les. They're heartbreaking, unflinching, and we get to experience a side of Holder that we didn't get to see in Hopeless. Not once did I remember that a man didn't write this. I felt that throughout the duration, what Holder was thinking was consistent with what was happening, and his "believeability" never shattered. Most often, I find that women romanticize what men think about in novels, but not once did I think this about Holder. Seriously, I almost think I like this better than Hopeless. What I know for sure is that this didn't disappoint, and that I love Holder a helluva lot more after reading it. 

Final Thoughts: If you read Hopeless, you need to read this too. It's amazing. 

Hopeless

Reviewer: Kristen
Author: Colleen Hoover
Pages: 327
Format: Paperback
My Rating: 8½ out 10


Summary (I live you, Goodreads): Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.


Thoughts: Although I've been reading (and ordering books - sorry bank account) like it's going out of style, I've been seriously lacking in my reviews. So, for that reason, my next few reviews may be a bit shorter than normal. 

Um, holy crap?! Here I thought I was just in for a feel good, romance, summery read. Holy plot twist. Holy plot twists! This book was amazing. I didn't want to put it down, and I didn't for a couple of hours. I loved Sky. The characters were so thought out and complex that it took my breath away. I seriously wish that I had known how amazing Colleen Hoover actually is. I promise you that this won't be my last book by her genius. Seriously, there were characters you loved, and then were like Oh s#!% maybe I shouldn't love them, and then you were like Oh but I do! It was one emotional roller coaster that I really didn't expect. 

P.S cute boys with dark hair and tattoos are the main cause of like 98% of my problems. 

Final Thoughts: If you're looking for an amazing read, this is for you. Get this now. You'll just regret waiting.

P.S Whose excited as anything for the next, Losing Hope?!