Lovin' los libros

A book blog dedicated to young adult and new adult novels

Today is my stop on the November 9 blog tour hosted by Atria Books!
I am excited to share my review as well as a giveaway with you all!
 



November 9
   by: Colleen Hoover

Publication Date: Nov. 10, 2015
Publisher: Atria Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Source: e-ARC received via the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 320 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N | Blio | B.A.M. | iBooks | IndieBound | Kobo | Google
My Rating: 4/5 stars

Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day of 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.

Can Ben’s relationship with Fallon—and simultaneously his novel—be considered a love story if it ends in heartbreak?

 
 
 
 
When I first read the premise for this book, I was both excited and nervous to read it. Colleen Hoover always puts me through the emotional ringer with her books, so I knew I could expect her to do so once again with November 9.
 
I really enjoyed the premise behind this one. Fallon and Ben only meet once a year (on November 9th) and have absolutely no contact with one another in between meetings. It's an interesting idea that these two would fall in love this way, having only really spent time with one another for a number of hours. I will admit some of the things Ben said came across as a bit cheesy and overly romantic, but it wasn't something that overly bothered me. He truly cared for Fallon, even despite some of the decisions he made, and really made sure she understood just how beautiful she truly was. There are some people that need those words of encouragement and love and Fallon is one of them. They need to be reminded of their beauty and worth, especially when they don't feel it. Fallon has always tried to hide her scars but Ben helps her realize that she doesn't need to hide herself away.
 
Ben and Fallon's relationship is anything but easy. Something always seems to be getting in their way and putting a wrench in their already fragile relationship. The book mainly takes place during their meets on November 9 and it's only natural that their lives are going to change and evolve in their time apart. Neither one is far from the other's mind, but they both have their own lives to live too. That was hard to witness because obviously you want them to be together and happy! Thankfully we are told more of those other factors instead of witnessing them firsthand. I am usually not a fan of telling over showing, but in this case to experience it as the other character did invoked a more powerful reaction.
 
While this book had multiple plot twists, I had some trouble with the biggest one of all. I personally could have done without it as it felt a bit too convenient and inserted for shock value. I was also a bit bothered by some miscommunication issues Fallon and Ben had, but overall I still really enjoyed this one. The premise was really interesting and I liked how important November 9th became for them, despite it's original significance to them both. As always, I cannot wait to see what Hoover comes up with next!
 
 
 
 

 
Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Slammed, This Girl, Point of Retreat, Hopeless, Losing Hope, Finding Cinderella, Maybe Someday, Ugly Love, Maybe Not, and Confess. She lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys.
 
FIND COLLEEN ONLINE:
Twitter: @ColleenHoover
Instagram: @ColleenHoover
 

 
Enter the Rafflecopter to win a prize bundle of one signed copy of NOVEMBER 9 and a pair of #November9 sunglasses! (5 prize bundles in total) Contest is open until November 30th.
 
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)




Confess
    by: 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…



"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.
 
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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.
Welcome to my stop on the Ugly Love blog tour hosted by Atria Books!
I am so excited to share my review with you all today!
 





Ugly Love
    by: Colleen Hoover

Publication Date: August 5, 2014
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
My Rating: 5/5 stars

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.

 
 
I've had plenty of time to digest this book now and yet as I sit here trying to write this review, I realize I'm still just completely gutted over Miles and Tate's story. Colleen Hoover will once again evoke so many powerful feelings that your heart will be overwhelmed by the sheer force of them. Miles and Tate's journey to love isn't an easy one... but why should it be? Love is messy and can be complicated. It can fill you up as quickly as it can destroy you. The fact that this isn't an easy love story is what makes it that much greater. You witness firsthand the raw emotions these characters feel, so even the smallest step in the right direction feels like a giant victory.
 
"Love isn't always pretty, Tate. Sometimes you spend all your time hoping it'll eventually be something different. Something better. Then, before you know it, you're back to square one, and you lost your heart somewhere along the way."
 
Ugly Love is told from both Miles and Tate's perspectives. We see the present through Tate's eyes, but we get to see Miles' past through his. It was monumental to see the Miles Tate sees now versus the Miles of the past, as his story is slowly unraveling. Seeing the broken man he has become really makes you wonder what happened in the past to bring him to such a point. It more than makes you wonder. It makes you desperate to find out Miles' story. There were points in the present that Miles really made my heart hurt and some of his actions towards Tate were a bit hard to swallow. I wanted better for her because no one should feel used or second best in a relationship.
  
"That's how it is when a person develops an attraction toward someone. He's nowhere, then suddenly he's everywhere, whether you want him to be or not."
 
Miles did make it clear from the beginning that he wasn't looking for more. He and Tate both thought they could have a no strings friends with benefits arrangement. However, I think it's extremely difficult to have a platonic sexual relationship with someone. Feelings always get hurt, whether they meant to get involved or not. Both Miles and Tate make their own decisions though and will have to live with the consequences.
 
Miles is not a bad guy though. He has been deeply affected by what happened in his past and he's never been able to get over it. He refuses to let anyone in and internalizes everything, magnifying his pain that much more. Tate is the game changer. He feels vulnerable with her and to mask his fear of opening up, he pulls away, crushing her. She clings to the hope that Miles will eventually open up to her and will feel the same way she does. The thread she clings to is a fragile one and may never be strong enough to withstand his past. He is the only one who can change his future, but he has to want to badly enough.
 
"I know the thought of confronting your past terrifies you. It terrifies every man. But sometimes we don't do it for ourselves. We do it for the people we love more than ourselves."
 
Overall, Ugly Love is another hit from Colleen Hoover that will leave your heart open and exposed to the myriad of emotions Tate and Miles' story will inflict upon it.
 
Their story will fill you with a desperation you never knew possible that these two will be able to get past the ugly side of love and realize that it doesn't have to be that way. Love can free as much as it can restrain....
 
ABOUT UGLY LOVE:
 

#1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover returns with a new heart-wrenching love story.

When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she doesn't think it's 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.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
 
Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Slammed, Point of Retreat, This Girl, Hopeless, Losing Hope, Maybe Someday, and Finding Cinderella. She lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys. Please visit ColleenHoover.com.
 
 
Connect with Colleen on Social Media
 
Twitter: @ColleenHoover
Instagram: @ColleenHoover
 
UGLY LOVE hits bookshelves August 5th. Pre order your copy today!
 
Apple iBookstore
 
UGLY LOVE by Colleen Hoover
Atria Books | 336 pages | Paperback | ISBN 9781476753188 | eBook ISBN: ISBN 9781476753195 | August 5, 2014
 
Maybe Someday
    by: Colleen Hoover

Publication Date: March 18, 2014
Publisher: Atria Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Source: e-ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 299 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 4.5/5 stars
At twenty-two years old, aspiring musician Sydney Blake has a great life: She’s in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her good friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers Hunter cheating on her with Tori—and she is left trying to decide what to do next.

Sydney becomes captivated by her mysterious neighbor, Ridge Lawson. She can’t take her eyes off him or stop listening to the daily guitar playing he does out on his balcony. She can feel the harmony and vibrations in his music. And there’s something about Sydney that Ridge can’t ignore, either: He seems to have finally found his muse. When their inevitable encounter happens, they soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one…



From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, a passionate tale of friendship, betrayal, and romance—and the enchanting music that inspires one young woman to put her life back together.

From the author of the New York Times bestsellers Slammed, Point of Retreat, Hopeless, This Girl, and Losing Hope, Maybe Someday is destined to become another bestseller and long-lasting fan favorite.

Includes a free original soundtrack by musician Griffin Peterson.


"I've learned that the heart can't be told when and who and how it should love. The heart does whatever the hell it wants to do. The only thing we can control is whether we give our lives and our minds the chance to catch up to our hearts." (e-ARC 91%)

I'm honestly at a loss for how to even start this review. I've put it off for a few days now, just to let this novel sink in. I'll begin by saying this: Colleen Hoover has written an incredibly moving story that will completely blow you away. There were moments that I felt not just my heart ache, but I felt it all the way to my soul. Colleen did an amazing job bringing these characters to life and showing us that love and matters of the heart are hardly ever simple.

I really enjoyed Maybe Someday. It was definitely a more character driven book than it was plot driven. I loved the relationships Hoover created- not just between Ridge and Sydney, but between all of the characters and how their lives are inextricably intertwined with one another. I went through a myriad of emotions while reading this book. It made me laugh, made me cry, made me angry, made me hurt, but most of all gave me hope. I knew that Ridge and Sydney were going to have a complicated relationship and I was terrified to see how it would all play out, as I knew that not everyone's hearts would get out unscathed.

Ridge is hands down one of my favorite male leads to date. There is a pretty big development with him that we learn early on and it completely changes the course of this book. It makes it even more emotional and beautiful and I have so much admiration for him. He is a genuine good guy who has been put in an impossible situation. He has a great girlfriend, who he is deeply in love with, and he is in love with music. Music is a part of him and he's worked hard to have it be what it is. He feels music and it is such an important part of him. He writes lyrics for his brother's band and it is through music that he inadvertently meets Sydney.

Sydney is having a rough time. At 22 her entire life has been turned upside down due to her boyfriend of 2 years cheating on her with her best friend and roommate. Not only does she lose the people she loves the most, but she is now homeless. She is a mess and thankfully Ridge is the one to help her pick herself back up. The two's balconies face each other from across the courtyard and Sydney can't help but be intrigued by Ridge who plays his guitar on the balcony. She assigns lyrics to his music and he needs her, as he is suffering from writer's block, thus beginning a musical relationship between the two. Upon moving into Ridge's spare room, along with his best friend Warren, and another girl Bridgette, Sydney knows the last thing she needs or wants is another relationship.

Sydney and Ridge have this undeniable connection through music and they find that connection strengthening and growing with every passing day. Ridge finds himself revealing information to Sydney that he never has to anyone before. There's one scene towards the end where he has another first with Sydney and I just.... I have no words. But I cried. Tears streaming down my face cried- it was that beautiful and heart-wrenching of a moment.

The problem? Ridge already has a girlfriend he's in love with. Maggie is sweet, good, and kind- and as much as you want to dislike her for being the obstacle in Ridge and Sydney's way- you just can't. There is another big revelation about Maggie that comes late in the book and I got really emotional as the situation hit really close to home for me, as I had a friend that was like Maggie. I won't say anymore than that, but oh my heart HURT.

There is no way around the heartbreak that this book offers, but it is so beautifully written and the characters are so well developed that you can't help but empathize with them and their situation. I mentioned earlier that this was more character driven than plot driven and while that is not necessarily a bad thing, I did feel myself a little underwhelmed by the storyline. It is very much a story about the connection between the two main characters and how hurting the people they love is the absolute last thing they want to do.

"Despite how hard we tried to fight it, all of those things happened between us because our feelings for each other are becoming so much stronger than our desire. Desire is easy to fight. Especially when the only weapon desire possesses is attraction. It's not so easy when you're trying to win a war against the heart." (e-ARC 48%)

This is just one you need to pick up and experience for yourself. I have purposefully left a lot out of my review as there is so much that would spoil this book and that is the last thing I would want to do. I hope you will pick this one up and experience the magic of love and music for yourself.


Losing Hope (Hopeless #2)
   by: Colleen Hoover

Publication Date: July 8, 2013
Publisher: Atria Books
Genre: Contemporary
Age Group: Mature Young Adult
Source: e-ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 336 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 5/5 stars


In the follow-up to Colleen Hoover’s #1 New York Times bestseller Hopeless, the charming and irresistible Dean Holder tells the passionate story that has melted thousands of hearts.

 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.
 

Just when you thought Colleen Hoover couldn't possibly shatter your heart any more than she already had....  She goes and writes a book from Dean Holder's POV. Normally, I would be worried because I have found I don't particularly care for retellings. However, after enjoying Hoover's This Girl, I knew I would give Losing Hope a try. I am so incredibly glad I did. Yes, it is a retelling of Hopeless, but it is so much more. If you hadn't told me it was a retelling, for the first part of the book I never would have known! We don't meet Sky until quite some time in- we are 100% with Dean, watching him suffer and deal with his sister, Les's suicide.

Oh, Holder. My heart absolutely ached for him. To be the one to find your twin sister has taken her own life? And to feel absolutely powerless because you couldn't have prevented it? Holder feels so many emotions over losing his sister. He feels guilt, anger, and overwhelming grief. Any time someone takes their own life, it always makes you wonder: were there signs? Did I miss something? Was I so involved in my own life that I didn't pay enough attention to theirs? Holder already feels he let down Hope, the little girl who was taken right in front of him at the age of 5- now he feels he let his sister down too. He finds a journal of hers that has never been written in and begins composing letters to Les. I love that Colleen included these. It is so personal and it serves as an outlet for Holder to really express his feelings and thoughts to her. You can really see just how much he misses her, how angry and hurt he is with her, and how at one point he doesn't even want to write to her anymore. What's the point? She's never coming back. However, the journal isn't blank. Holder finds something inside that will completely alter his world and I won't even lie- the tears just started flowing at that point. I. was. wrecked.

However, long before discovering that, Holder's life gets turned upside down when he runs into a girl at the grocery store who he swears is Hope. He is disappointed when he discovers it's not her, and your heart just hurts for him because this isn't the first time he thought he may have found her. The scene where we find out why Holder doesn't go by Dean anymore absolutely wrecked me. You can see just how badly he wants to find her and for him to feel the way he does at 8 years old when the scene took place is enough to kill you.

The girl at the grocery store turns out to be named Sky, and Holder forms a rather complicated relationship with her. She is in the dark about everything Holder has lost and she finds him to be intense, never getting a clear read on him. The way they meet, him chasing after her demanding to know her name, is enough to scare any normal person. He really does seem like a stalker, especially after running into her again later. Yet every intense feeling Holder gives off that Sky didn't understand, we now see. We understand why, after seeing her wearing that bracelet, he takes off- not speaking to her for weeks on end. When I first read Hopeless, I thought: this guy has got to be bi-polar!  He runs so hot and cold for his feelings for Sky and we realize he has a war raging within because he knows the truth.

I loved watching Holder and Sky together from his point of view. Watching him pinpoint the exact things he falls in love with about her was so incredibly sweet and beautiful and my heart seriously melted.

"I wonder if its possible for people to fall in love with a person one characteristic at a time, or if you fall for the entire person at once. Because I think I just fell in love with her wit. And her bluntness. And maybe even her mouth, but I won't allow myself to stare at it long enough to confirm." (e-ARC 107)

He is so patient with her and after she confesses that she feels numb to other guys' touch, he is determined to make her feel his. He won't kiss her like he wants to because he wants her to feel it as intensely and strongly as he knows he will with her.

After everything comes to a head and Sky discovers the truth and remembers her life before she was 'adopted', he is there to comfort her and even though they both just found out some seriously heavy stuff, he won't leave her side. He is pulled in so many different directions the night at the hotel in Austin- his head is at war with his heart and he is at an absolute loss of what to do for her. He is afraid of making things worse and he doesn't know if what he's doing is going to heal or hurt her in the long run. I will say this: Dean Holder is one of the best guys I have ever read about and I wish every girl in the world could have one for themselves.

"She lowers her mouth to mine and I drop my head back against the mattress and let her kiss me. "Keep them open," she whispers, pulling away from my lips. I do what she says and somehow open my eyes again, looking directly into hers. "I want you to keep them open... because I need you to watch me give you the very last piece of my heart." This moment. Right now. It's almost worth every ounce of pain I've ever had to endure."

... "And I let her keep her eyes closed, but I keep mine open and watch her steal the very last piece of my heart."

This book will shatter you, and even though it's called Losing Hope, and the title means more than what it implies, Hoover will end up giving you hope- hope for the future and hope that these two can overcome and survive the pain of the past. But most of all, she gives you hope for two young people who were torn from one another due to circumstances beyond their control, but found one another and bound back together by the greatest force of all: love.
Hopeless (Hopeless #1)
   by: Colleen Hoover

Publication Date: Dec. 19, 2012
Publisher: Atria Books
Genre: Contemporary
Age Group: Mature Young Adult/ New Adult
Source: Purchased for Nook
Page Count: 327 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 5/5 stars


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.
 

Oh boy. I don't even know that I can form a coherent review. This book shattered me. It seriously eviscerated my heart and I am still reeling over this book. Books like this don't come along very often. In fact, I can only think of two others that made my heart hurt this badly: Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker and The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay. Everyone has been talking about how amazing this book is and how I need to hurry up and read it already! I had bought it earlier in the year, but never got a free moment to read it. Until this past weekend. I wanted it to be my last summer read before school started and wow. I'm still blown away. I loved Colleen's Slammed series, so I had no doubts I would enjoy this book also. Let me just say, as heartbreaking and difficult this book was at times- there is such a powerful, underlying message of hope. Which is ironic, considering the title. But it's true.

Sky is our main character and I took a liking to her instantly. I really felt for this girl because one of the first things we learn about her is that she uses making out and fooling around in order to NOT feel. She is completely numb when it comes to guys. Even though she's been home-schooled, she has earned quite the reputation already at the local high school. Her best friend Six is also in a similar situation, but for their senior year, Sky is going to attend public school and Six is going to be in Italy. These two are inseparable, so having Six gone for the first and last year of her high school career, will be a challenge for Sky.

I really liked Sky's personality- she doesn't let hateful insults get to her and she ends up befriending Breckin, a gay Mormon kid. Their friendship is beautiful and I love the way they care for each other and watch out for one another. He doesn't hesitate in offering the hand of friendship to Sky, which is good since she doesn't have anyone else.

Sky was also adopted at age 5 and doesn't remember much beforehand. This will end up playing a pivotal role in the story, so get your tissues ready folks.

And then there's Dean Holder. What can I even say about him? At first, this guy had me freaked out. I didn't know what to make of him. I almost thought he was bipolar to be quite honest. His first meeting with Sky was strange and he is just so complex and confusing. Sky didn't know which Holder she'd be dealing with- she has seen so many different sides to him. One minute he would be sweet and kind and the next he'd be angry and withdrawn. Their relationship was a complicated one.

However, there is a reason for all of this. And oh my freaking heart. The way Hoover pulls everything together and unravels Sky's life and history is absolutely horrifying. Yet, I never saw any of it coming. But once it does, OMG. My hands were shaking as I tweeted some of the #GwB girls.

As complicated as Holder and Sky's relationship is, he wants to take things slow with her. He is the first one who has made her feel anything. His touch doesn't numb- it ignites. This book takes them to the gates of hell and into the pits of darkness, yet they end up saving each other. They will probably never live their lives without struggle or pain, but they are determined to survive as long as they have each other.

Dean isn't perfect though. He loses his shit on Sky, resulting in them not speaking for a month. He won't apologize because he said he doesn't want to be forgiven. He offers no explanation, but later we do learn why he acted the way he did.

He is careful with Sky though. He never once pushes her into anything she doesn't want and he knows when to pull back and let her be. Honestly, he is the shining beacon of light in this book. It does get very dark and you wonder how anyone can come back from the things Sky has to endure and go through.

This is such a moving, emotional read and I highly recommend it.
This Girl (Slammed #3)
   by: Colleen Hoover

Publication Date: April 30, 2013
Publisher: Atria Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Source: e-ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 256 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 5/5 stars


There are two sides to every love story. Now hear Will’s.

Colleen Hoover’s New York Times bestselling Slammed series has brought countless readers to their knees with a whirlwind of love, passion, and heartache.

Layken and Will’s love has managed to withstand the toughest of circumstances and the young lovers, now married, are beginning to feel safe and secure in their union. As much as Layken relishes their new life together, she finds herself wanting to know everything there is to know about her husband, even though Will makes it clear he prefers to keep the painful memories of the past where they belong. Still, he can’t resist his wife’s pleas and so he begins to untangle his side of the story, revealing for the first time his most intimate feelings and thoughts, retelling both the good and bad moments, and sharing a few shocking confessions of his own from the time when they first met.

In This Girl, Will tells the story of their complicated relationship from his point of view. Their future rests on how well they deal with the past in this final installment of the beloved Slammed series.
                                                                  -goodreads.com description

First of all- I absolutely LOVED getting into Will's head. I know we had his POV in Point of Retreat, but this... this was just perfect. To say I was hesitant about this book is an understatement. I had recently read another book from the male POV (same story as before, just from the guy's perspective)and it fell short for me. Something was missing. I wanted so much more out of it that I didn't get until the epilogue of the novel.

Not this book. Will and Layken are on their honeymoon and Hoover has weaved that into retelling Slammed. We get so many new, fresh scenes with them on their honeymoon that I didn't feel like I was rereading the first book just from a different perspective. It was truly a completely new story, with him replaying his side of the story as to when they first met, etc. So, it absolutely worked for me.

We read so many stories where it's just one-sided and we never truly get a feel for the other character- what they're feeling, thinking, or how they're reacting to certain situations. I think this is one of the reasons that I really prefer dual POV's in my novels. I crave being inside both my protagonist's minds. It's almost as if I can really decide whether the other is feeling the same way because I have their thoughts to go off of.

Reading about how every choice and decision that shaped Will and Layken's relationship and seeing how much it affected him was what made this book great. I already knew the story, but going back and rereading it, my heart was broken all over again because you knew that he didn't want to make those choices and decisions, but he really had no choice- he had the responsibility of his younger brother, who absolutely had to come first, and he couldn't risk his security and well-being at the time to pursue a relationship with a student.

Again, we got so many new scenes from Will's flashbacks that it kept me completely engaged, because we learn things we never did before! Seeing Vaughn (Will's ex-girlfriend) break up with him, watching Will and Julia have some private conversations-- it satisfied a lot of questions that I had in the first book.

As the summary states, Will and Layken are on their honeymoon, and after a flashback we always go back to them and we see them hash out their thoughts about the scene together and talk about it. There is one point where Layken drove me a little crazy because I thought she was acting a bit immature after finding out some information from Will, but I was able to look past it. They are still young at this point, so it wasn't completely out of character for her to act a bit like a petulant child over finding out something that really bothered her. But, for pete's sake Layken! That boy loves you like there's no tomorrow! Why let a little something that happened in the past interrupt your present and your future?!

Hands down, Will Cooper is on my book boyfriend list. He's patient, loving, kind, responsible, and just an all around great guy. Everything he did was because he felt it was the right thing to do and had to sacrifice what he wanted to place the needs of his brother before him.

I will tell you after the honeymoon and flashbacks are over, we still get more from Hoover. I think she really ended Will and Layken's story perfectly, giving us readers enough to really satisfy us. Endings can be tricky to write, and this one? Perfection.

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