Hoover masterfully weaves a narrative that tugs at the heartstrings, making it hard to put down. The characters are flawed yet relatable, and their emotional journeys feel genuine. While the book dives into heavy themes, it balances them with moments of hope and redemption. Overall, it's a beautifully written story that stays with you long after you've finished reading.

This is exactly how I love Colleen's stories. This isn't a romance but it does have a romantic story and an HEA. But go into this expecting lots of twisty turns that will have you thinking about your own moral choices. While there wasn't anything that came out of nowhere and it's pretty much all laid out early on, it was still a story that tested my limits and I liked that about it.

Kenna Rowan returns to the town where her life took a tragic turn with the loss of her boyfriend and the sentence that scorned her reputation. Attempting to reconnect with her four-year-old daughter, Kenna meets Ledger Ward and rekindles feelings of love that she hasn’t felt for over five years. As she soon realizes that Ledger plays a larger part in Kenna’s daughter’s life, she struggles to find the family and home that has been missing from life and hopes to be forgiven for the mistakes of her past.

Another fantastic and emotional read from Colleen Hoover. Kenna is recently released from prison, after paying the price for a tragic mistake. She's returned looking to redeem her past and heal in the present. She meets Ledger, and the two share an instant connection - but that doesn't mean a relationship is wise. Kenna wants nothing more than a chance to get to know her young daughter, and Ledger is torn between his growing feelings for Kenna and the need to protect those he loves. As the weeks pass, the two get a chance to get to know one another and deal with the traumas in the past. The character development is wonderful - Kenna is a fully developed character that elicits empathy despite her clear flaws. The ending does come a bit more quickly than anticipated, but it demonstrates an understanding of all the various points of view. Another fantastic entry from Colleen Hoover!

I loved it! But it wasn’t my fav Colleen read, but I would definitely recommend it to friends and my followers!

When I started reading Reminders of him, I knew three things:

1-This book was going to tear me apart
2-I would cry my eyes out with it
3-In the end, I would be a crumpled piece of paper lying there

And guess what? I WAS RIGHT!
You should KNOW that It Ends with us is my favourite CoHo book! I love how personal that book was,( if you haven't read the author's note in that one ...who ARE you?!!!) I loved how emotional it made me, and GUYS
THIS ONE DID THE SAME TO ME!
It made me FEEL! It shattered my heart a million times and then mended it back together with that Epilogue 😍😭😍😭 It destroyed me in the best possible way and then gave me that WHOLESOME ending to make up for all the times I cried and pillow screamed and smiled with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat 🥺😭

This story was so challenging, I was constantly thinking about what I would do if I were Kenna, How I would've felt like if I were in a situation like this, and Colleen Hoover and her AMAZING writing style which is simple and beautiful at the same time, helped me experience it as if it was a part of my life 🥺and maybe that's why it felt so real, how easy it was to just get lost in the book and never stop reading 🥺

When I reached the final chapters, I was so scared! I was anxious and my heart was in my throat because I didn't know what I would do with my life if this book didn't end how I wanted it to! Silly me, it's Colleen Hoover! How can she not give you an epic ending?
Reminders of Him ended so BEAUTIFULLY! I definitely wanted more, but that Epilogue?! It was EVERYTHING I needed🥺💔😍It pieced the broken pieces of my heart back together, and I was smiling as I closed the book and yet, so sad that I had finished it and I couldn't erase my memory to read this book all over again and again 🥺

Reminders of Him was such a beautiful story! I know you will all love it as much as I did🥺😍

I tabbed this book in so many places, but I'm not giving you any quotes, I'm not even telling you what the story is about because I think this is a book you need to go into blind! I highly recommend not reading the synopsis, You'll thank me later!

I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher - Montlake in exchange for an honest review.

Kenna Rowan is trying to put her life back together after being released from prison for a terrible, tragic accident that devastated her life. She’s well aware that she may not be the most welcome given her past, but she hits it off with local bar owner, Ledger - that is until they both realize they are connected by their past. Colleen Hoover has penned a stirring, and emotional novel about past mistakes and second chances, and possibly finding a place in a world that doesn’t necessarily want you.

This novel was a bit of a slow burner for me. It moved along at a steady clip, and it read a bit like a Nicholas Sparks romance. Hoover typically writes with more twists and turns and this one is more of a straight line to the end. There were moments that are very emotional and heart-wrenching. The romance is sweet and wholesome. I found the ending to be a bit predictable. Overall, it was a good story, with well-fleshed out characters and a moving plot.

I would recommend this book to fans of “A Bend in the Road” by Nicholas Sparks.

Please do not take my COHO card! I was so excited to read this one but shortly after started I just felt bored. The dual POV just didn't work for me at all. I felt that I loved the female POV but the male one just wasn't working for me at all. I know that not all books are for all readers but this is only the second story from her that I didn't enjoy. This made me so sad to DNF.

Reminders of Him had me balling you guys!!! I HIGHLY recommend any book by Colleen Hoover but push this one to the TOP of your TBR and read now!! Ledger! Oh sweet Ledger!! He didn’t just touch my heart, he just crawled inside and left a permanent imprint!! I’ll be thinking about him for a very long time!! This book had me at page one!! I read this book in one day! I couldn’t put it down!! This was a super hard read so be sure to have your tissues close by!! Colleen Hoover never fails to hit me hard in the feels!! 5 mesmerizing awesome stars from me!!

A huge shoutout to the publisher Montlake for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review!! I’m still feeling like I won the lottery to have scored an early copy of this book!! Thank you again from the bottom of my heart!!

First of all.. is that a fucking pigeon?

Colleen Hoover captures the ugliness of life in such a beautiful way. While I might not always love the relationships she writes, I can’t help but get emotionally invested and enjoy the ride. There are aspects of this one that I didn’t love (one specific trope) but c’est la vie. I’m still mentally processing BUT I think this might be my new favorite CoHo. One chapter in particular had me sobbing. CoHo fans will love this without a doubt. Highly recommend to any fan of tough reads that will tug on your heartstrings.

Ledger is a GOD among CoHo men 😂 I was so sick of the male toxicity frequent in her books and Ledger was such a breath of fresh air. Atlas from It Ends With Us also has my heart and it kills me we don’t get Atlas POV chapters.

Roman and Lisa are side character MVPs.

“It is what it is. A fucked-up situation, with no evil people to blame. We’re all just a bunch of sad people doing what we have to do to make it until tomorrow. Some of us sadder than others. Some of us more willing to forgive than others.”

5 emotional stars!

Like legit. How’s a girl supposed to type through these puffy, tear filled eyes? I’d really like to know!

This book is about second chances, family and finding strength within yourself. I never read the synopsis so this entire story was a punch to the gut. I spent more time reading through tears, and being in a perpetual state of emotional distress, than I ever imagined. This is definitely a book that requires tissues and maybe chocolate.

Colleen Hoover never disappoints!! I don’t know how she keeps doing it, but once again, she hit it out of the park with Reminders of Him.

It’s always so easy to relate to Colleen’s characters and I loved Kenna from the beginning. I was rooting her on all the way through the book. She deserves to meet the daughter she hasn’t seen in four years due to a tragic mistake that landed her in prison.

I cried several times during this book....it gets to you that much. The unconditional love of a mother for her daughter, parents for their son and best friend for his best friend, just made my heart ache.

I missed Scotty right along with Kenna, his parents and Ledger....it was truly heartbreaking.

This was more than a romance novel, Colleen hits on hard subject matters such as family dynamics, grief, forgiveness, parenting, and yes, a romance. The chemistry between Kenna and Ledger was both hot and tender in nature.

It’s a story that will stay with you after you’ve turned the last page. It’s also one I will reread in the future.

My favorite part of the book was the letters from Kenna to Scotty....it was such a fresh and personal way to let us into the relationship between the two of them.

If you haven’t read a Colleen Hoover book yet, do yourself a favor and read one as soon as possible. I highly recommend this one, but they are all good. You can thank me later!!

REMINDERS OF HIM
Colleen Hover
Women’s Fiction

Kenna is finally returning to her hometown after serving 5 years in prison for a crime she doesn’t even remember committing. Hoping to reconnect with her 5 year old daughter she has never met. She finds a connection with Ledger who gives her a job then helps her with the daughter situation.

Colleen Hoover has another hit on her hands with this story of redemption. This book teaches people that people who have been in prison are not necessarily the people we think that people we stereotype them as. Definitely a 5 star read for me. I would recommend this book to everyone.

REMINDERS OF HIM
By Colleen Hoover

He turned a bookstore into a bar and she’s trying to turn her life around. Can he forgive and can she forget?

I liked this one.

Interesting premise and story. I could feel it trying to tug at my heartstrings but it landed around the middle for me. Perhaps it was the near-perfect landing the character made after such a rocky takeoff?

There were interesting themes and discussions centered around letting the idea you have of someone grow and change as they do. I liked the talk about forgiveness and grace. I enjoyed the family setup and dynamics.

This would make a racy book club pick or a fun buddy read between friends.

Thanks to Netgalley and Montlake for this advanced copy!

Out now!

REMINDERS OF HIM…⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’ve only read a few Colleen Hoover books and I think I can safely say that I’m becoming addicted to them!
Reminders of Him had me hooked from page 1, I didn’t want to put it down. The story was addictive and I feel in love with the characters without realising it.
The story is emotional, raw, heavy and heartbreaking at times to read. I found myself rooting for Kenna, she deserved to be happy. I could feel myself aching for the situation that all of the characters had been put in.
Everyone always says that CoHo books make you ugly cry and I had no idea what people where talking about, the first 80% of this book there were no tears but that last 20% had me balling my eyes out.
This book is one of my favs of 2022!!

When it comes to a Colleen Hoover book, imma buy it. There’s no doubt in that. Right off the bat I knew this book was gonna make me cry my eyes out, because it’s not a Colleen book if it doesn’t make me cry. I’m not a mother, but for some reason I found Kenna so relatable, her struggles, her pain, and everything she went was so heartshattering to me that it just made me want to hug her. I loved the relationship between Ledger and Diem and how he saw her as his own child, eventhough he wasn’t her dad. Just goes to show you don’t need to be blood related to be considered a father. Beautifully written, with so much emotion in it you can’t help but cry. Once you start reading it, it won’t be easy to put down. If you haven’t read this one yet I would highly recommend that you do.

I really love how CoHo is able to take these preconceived ideas and shares a different perspective and gives so much empathy to it. I know her writing gets criticism for being too simplistic or cheese-y at times, but I am impressed that she is able to put so much complex emotion and nuance to these stories and still be digestible and approachable. I think that is what makes her books so special to me.

Reminders of Him was another outstanding example of an emotional CoHo book that she is so known for. I already know that I am not emotional ready for her next release of this year, It Starts With Us.

I can get into much more or else I will get emotional, so read this one 🥺 and check or ask me about any content warnings before you do 🤍

Also don’t be an idiot like me and start this at 11pm and having to convince yourself that you won’t be able to finish it in one night and you should go to bed at 2:30am so you’re not a complete migraine zombie at work the next day 😅

Thank you @amazonpublishing and @netgalley for the gifted eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Read if you like:
💞 Stories about starting over and making amends
💞 Healing after trauma
💞 One night stand turning into something more
💞 Giving people a break and a second chance
💞 Fast paced, heart wrenching reads

After you read my review, please read other reviews. I have loved a few of Colleen Hoover's other books, this one just wasn't one I really cared for. I had a hard time connecting with Kenna until really late in the book. The steamy parts weren't for me, they didn't seem to add much to the story.

Colleen Hoover really did pull at my heartstrings towards the end. The ending did seem rushed and was tied up into a perfect little bow. I would try another Colleen Hoover, as I think she knows how to write a good story.

Okay, if you have followed my blog for some time, you know how much I love Colleen Hoover! Her stories just shred my heart and leave me so drained! Run to this book! Do not walk! In my opinion, this beauty is her best one yet!! REMINDERS OF HIM hooked me from the very first page and I’m not embarrassed to tell you that I did not do anything I was supposed to do until I was finished reading! So everyone knows once you start there is no way to stop a Colleen Hoover novel! I devour her stories and everyone of them has crushed my heart and left me crying. REMINDERS OF HIM does not disappoint. Colleen Hoover, you owe me a box of tissues! AGAIN!! There isn’t a single thing about this book that I didn’t love. It was wonderful, mesmerizing, hypnotizing, heartbreaking and breathtaking. Let me tell you about Ledger. At first I hated him but as the story progresses I totally got how he was feeling and was conflicted for even caring about what he was going through!

This is going to be a shorter review because my honest opinion is that it’s best to go into REMINDERS OF HIM knowing as little as possible about the actual story so I won’t tell you anything that’ll ruin the experience here. At times I was shocked and started to cry. I kept saying, “How the heck can someone get through this?” What Kenna went through was absolutely heart breaking. There are also moments of humor, holding my breath for the next chapter and hoping for the ending I wanted more than ever! But I can say that I was hooked from the very first page and completely drawn into these characters’ lives. REMINDERS OF HIM is not your typical Colleen Hoover story. Kenna is so alone and it just broke my heart! I love that she expanded her normal writing and would love to read more of these romance as well as mystery books from her. She blew me away and left me craving more!

Once I started reading REMINDERS OF HIM I discovered that there’s even more to this story than meets the eye. There’s an added layer to it that I absolutely loved but that I won’t mention because discovering it as you read is honestly the best. One of the things I love most about Colleen Hoover’s writing is how deeply she makes me care for her characters and how strongly she makes me feel for them. Deception and pain, love and loss, secrets and truths, hope and redemption—they all twist and tangle together creating another unforgettable novel from one of the freshest and most trusted voices in romance. Finally, you need to read REMINDERS OF HIM. It will surprise, shock, impress, grip and absorb you into its story. And those wonderful characters, how happy I am for having ‘met’ them! They will stick with me for a very long time. I just know the same thing will happen for you…

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Montlake through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

BOOK REVIEW

BOOK: Reminders of Him
AUTHOR: Colleen Hoover
FORMAT: eBook
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
RATING: 10/10
5 stars

Thank you SO much @leoprny @amazonpublishing & @colleenhoover for my #gifted advanced copy of this absolute gem!!

MY THOUGHTS

Ok so my toxic trait is reading absolutely gut wrenching books before bed and waking up with a pounding headache from crying so hard. There’s just some books that suck you in and wring your heart out like a wet towel by the time you’re finished.

I absolutely adored the plot. It was so raw and realistic, and I truly felt the complexity of the story in my bones. The characters were flawed in their own ways which made them perfectly imperfect & really aided the complexity of the storyline. The emotions that this book evokes are really powerful and I felt that I had no control over the tears that were flowing at multiple points in the story. The last 25% of this book really was the closure we as readers needed to get the most out of the story.

I also didn’t even really think about this until I read the acknowledgements (which I only ever read Colleen’s because they make me laugh, cry & appreciate the heck out of her), but this book had no specific setting. There was never a town or state or anywhere to place these characters and this story which I think was brilliant. As I said earlier, this story is incredibly real & the fact that we are able to use our imaginations to place this story into anywhere we pictured it happening was a key factor to the book for me. Where did I picture it happening, you ask? Oregon. Have I ever been? No. Do I know why I felt that this happened there? Also no. It is what it is.

The absolute ONLY minor qualms I had were that I felt some of the emotional transitions between the characters were abrupt. They go from adamantly and passionately feeling, thinking & behaving one way and VERY quickly change course, whereas for me I think I would’ve liked to have seen a slightly more gradual and realistic process.

All in all, an absolute knockout!