Blog Tour: Confess by Colleen Hoover {Review+Giveaway}
Welcome to my stop on the Confess blog tour hosted by Atria!
Today I am excited to share my review with you all, as well as a giveaway located over on Atria's Tumblr page! (See below)
Confessby: Colleen Hoover
Publication Date: Mar. 10, 2015
Publisher: Atria Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Source: e-ARC provided via the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 320 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N | Blio | BAM | Google Play | iBooks | IndieBound
My Rating: 4/5 stars
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, a new novel about risking everything for love—and finding your heart somewhere between the truth and lies. Auburn Reed has her entire life mapped out. Her goals are in sight and there’s no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to find a deep attraction to the enigmatic artist who works there, Owen Gentry.
For once, Auburn takes a risk and puts her heart in control, only to discover Owen is keeping major secrets from coming out. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything important to Auburn, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it.
The last thing Owen wants is to lose Auburn, but he can’t seem to convince her that truth is sometimes as subjective as art. All he would have to do to save their relationship is confess. But in this case, the confession could be much more destructive than the actual sin…
For once, Auburn takes a risk and puts her heart in control, only to discover Owen is keeping major secrets from coming out. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything important to Auburn, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it.
The last thing Owen wants is to lose Auburn, but he can’t seem to convince her that truth is sometimes as subjective as art. All he would have to do to save their relationship is confess. But in this case, the confession could be much more destructive than the actual sin…
"That could be fate, you know."
I have a confession of my own I want to share with you all.
I confess I was afraid to read this book.
Now, don't get me wrong. It's not that I didn't think I would enjoy it. However, every book I've read since Hopeless has absolutely gutted me to the point where I felt I would never recover. I always do, because Colleen makes it all okay in the end. I don't think I've read a book by her that hasn't evoked some major feels in me and this one is no exception. The prologue is absolutely heart-wrenching and I was devastated for Auburn. I can't imagine having experienced what she did at the age of fifteen.
One of the things I enjoyed most about this book is that Hoover doesn't reveal Auburn and Owen's stories to us in one fell swoop. Instead, as we read the layers start to peel back and fall away one by one, and I liked that build up and anticipation. I also loved the idea behind the confessions that Owen uses as inspiration for his paintings. The fact that the confessions were actually inspired by real life people also made them that much more impactful.
Auburn and Owen have a rather interesting relationship. It's definitely not like most you'd read about, so I applaud Hoover for making it so different from others she's written. They don't reveal much to one another, both too afraid of letting go of their secrets and letting the other know just how much they carry within. Instead, they have rather quirky, fun conversations and I liked that Owen could make her smile, especially after being so miserable in Texas. The two have a complicated thing going on between them. The more secrets get revealed, the harder it is for them to actually be together. They are no strangers to sacrifice and my heart really ached for both of them because they both deserve happiness.
"That's what scares me," I tell him. "I'm afraid if I listen to my heart once, I'll never figure out how to ignore it again."
I absolutely adore Colleen's writing. It is incredibly beautiful and I love how powerful her words can be. The "I'll love you forever, even when I can't." quote absolutely gives me chills and will probably be one of my favorite quotes from her to date.
I have to talk about the emotions that were evoked in me throughout the book. I felt so many things for Owen and Auburn and I really liked them, even despite the fact their relationship was very hard, fast, and intense. However, I also felt a lot of anger while reading. Some of the secondary characters absolutely made me livid and I wanted to scream at the injustice of Auburn and Owen being forced to acquiesce to others' demands. I hate when the wrong people have all the power and play that card to belittle others and make them feel less than they should. Ack. I have to say though, I am glad I wasn't as broken and shattered over this book as I was in some of Hoover's other books. It just wasn't as emotional to me as some of her others were and for that I am kind of grateful because like I said before, I was apprehensive to read this one because I am never prepared for the emotional slaying I get after reading her books.
Overall, I did enjoy this one. It is different from Hoover's other books in the sense that things felt faster paced and that Owen and Auburn's relationship didn't seem as deep as some of the others. But at the same time, the truths they share with one another along the way do deepen their relationship. It is kind of hard to explain the dynamic that I felt while reading. I do want to prepare you for the final chapter of this book. It completely blew me away and I actually really liked the way the book ended. It was very fitting of the story itself and I felt it was perfect... or maybe it was fate.
"There are people you meet that you get to know, and then there are people you meet that you already know."
Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Slammed, Point of Retreat, This Girl, Hopeless, Losing Hope, Maybe Someday, Finding Cinderella, and Ugly Love. She lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys. Please visit ColleenHoover.com.
Visit Atria’s Tumblr page from 3/9 – 3/22 to enter to win and a grand prize of a signed framed print of one of the images in the book plus a signed copy of CONFESS or one of the runner up prizes of one of four signed copies of CONFESS.
10 comments
Gahh I'll admit... I'm terrified of this one too... I don't really know why... I think it may be a case of I have really high hopes for it? IDK... also I am in a bit burned out on contemporaries at the moment and I don't want to not like this book because I'm just not in the mood.. anyhoo enough with my ramblings lol I am really glad to hear you enjoyed this one because then I know once I do pick this one up I will too. Great review!
ReplyDeleteHaha. It wasn't my favorite of CoHo's, but I did enjoy it. I didn't really go in with high hopes or anything, more just a fear of being ruined like I was in Ugly Love and Maybe Someday. Haha. I would definitely wait until you're in a contemp mood though, but even if you don't I think you'd still be ok. It was just different and it's hard to pinpoint why exactly!
DeleteI agree Jessica! Colleen Hoover's books always gut me too. You have to be in the right mood to read a book that you know is going to be tough on your emotions. I'm glad that you enjoyed this story overall, and you have me curious about the ending. Great Review!!!!
ReplyDeleteExactly Lindy! If you're not in the right mood, it will definitely not work! The ending was pretty great even though a little open ended. I do hope you enjoy it!
DeleteGreat review, Jess! I'm glad this one was ultimately satisfying for you. I know her books can get real emotional and intense, so I understand you having to prepare yourself! The idea of "confessions" is intriguing, but I've broken up with CoHo LOL.
ReplyDeleteThanks girl! The confessions were my favorite part, and thinking back I wish we would have gotten a bit more with those and Owen's art. Aw, I'm sorry you broke up with CoHo. I will always love her writing even though some of her books have really killed me.
DeleteThis isn't my favorite book by Colleen Hoover, mostly I wanted a little more build up when it came to the romance. I did really love the writing though and she is fantastic when it comes to character development and emotions (that damn prologue!!). OMG how much did you hate Trey? I was ready to push him off a cliff!!
ReplyDeleteThe confessions were really interesting too! I'm so glad you liked this, Jessica!
Wonderful review!
I can definitely see wanting more build up. I wouldn't have minded more either. The book felt a little on the shorter side lengthwise. Oh that prologue was definitely really sad! I was like ouch, man. And for being as young as they were to deal with that? UGH. Trey. I hated him so much. What an awful guy. Ugh. I'm glad you liked this one too, even though it wasn't your favorite!
DeleteI have a confession: I haven't read a book by Colleen since Finding Cinderella. I have Ugly Love as an audiobook and I have Never Never too, but I'm sort of scared to read them. Foolish, I know I know. One of these days I'll get to them, and maybe also Confess. The cover art is beautiful, and I agree that she always pacts a punch inside her books. Such a great author. :)
ReplyDeleteNot foolish at all! CoHo can absolutely gut you! I'm always nervous to read her books now! I liked Ugly Love, but haven't heard the greatest things about Never Never so I'm been putting it off.
DeleteLeave me some comment love! And I will get around to commenting back!
My blog is an award-free blog, however, as I just do not have the time to follow-up.