It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Title: It Ends With Us

Author: Colleen Hoover

Publisher: Atria Books

Release Date: August 2, 2016

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

Sometimes it is the one who loves you who hurts you the most.

Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never topped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up—she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan—her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened. 

With this bold and deeply personal novel, Colleen Hoover delivers a heart-wrenching story that breaks exciting new ground for her as a writer. Combining a captivating romance with a cast of all-too-human characters, It Ends With Us is an unforgettable tale of love that comes at the ultimate price.

Every book I read by Colleen Hoover becomes a favourite. There’s no way around it. But even then, whenever I pick up a new one I can’t help but be afraid it won’t live up to the expectations I have. But every time those expectations are more than surpassed. And it was no different with It Ends With Us.

I am a big lover of all of Colleen Hoover’s books. The way she writes and tells stories always manages to both break my heart and give me hope in love. Reading the synopsis for It Ends With Us I thought I was going to be in for a the usual Colleen Hoover story. But as I found out more about the book and more reviews started popping up, I realized that this story was going to be completely different from the rest. If you’re picking up It Ends With Us expecting a typical romance, you’ll be disappointed because that’s not all what this is. Yes, there’s a romance element since much of the book is about how Lily fell in love with Ryle in the present and how she fell in love with Atlas when she was a teenager. And, yes, at first it does read like a typical romance but very quickly there are hints that things are not going to go the way you think they will. Instead of a love story between a boy and a girl, it’s a story about a girl loving herself and putting herself instead of her relationship first, no matter how hard that was to do. And that’s where the power of the story is: it shows the reader that no matter how strong you think you are, those hard decisions are always going to be hard and that your happily ever after may not look the way you thought it would. 

It Ends With Us is very much Lily’s story, whether that’s her story with Ryle in the present or her story with Atlas in the past. But more than being about her relationship with either guy, it’s about her choosing herself over either guy. There were so many times where I struggled with reading Lily’s story. And I mean that in a good way because it wasn’t an easy story to read. As much as I knew she deserved better than someone like Ryle, someone who had the potential to physically hurt her, I could see how she was struggling to put herself first and protect herself because of her feelings for him. While reading, I understood her struggle and I understood how even the strongest of people can end up in situations like the one Lily finds herself in. And much like Lily, despite everything, there were moments when I really like Ryle, moments when I wanted to believe that his anger was just a one off thing and that it wouldn’t happen again. As for Atlas, for a long time I wasn’t sure what I thought of him. And I think that had to do in large part with how I felt about Ryle. I didn’t want to be disappointed by both men in this story, I wanted one of them to be good for Lily. And after everything, I couldn’t help but doubt that Atlas could be that for her. And I was more than happy to be proved wrong. 

With It Ends With Us Colleen Hoover wrote a powerful and heartbreaking story that needed to be told. It wasn’t easy to read, in fact there were times when it was painful, but that’s what made this story so great. It broke my heart, but it also gave me hope.

November 9 by Colleen Hoover

Title: November 9

Author: Colleen Hoover

Publisher: Atria Books

Release Date: November 10, 2015

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

Beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover returns with an unforgettable love story between a writer and his unexpected muse.

Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day 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.

In the last couple of years, Colleen Hoover has easily become one of my favourite authors, one whose books I will automatically buy no matter what they are about. And those books alway manage to hit me right where it hurts in the best way possible. And it was no different with November 9.

Fallon never planned on falling in love at eighteen. Her plan was to move across the country and find herself before she fell in love with someone else. But on the day before she’s supposed to move, Fallon unexpectedly meets Ben and she considers changing her plans. But after spending her last day in L.A. together, they make a deal: for the next five years they’re going to spend November 9 together but continue living their own lives every other day of the year. And if after five years that attraction and those feelings are still there, then they will start their lives together. But not before that. But can you really know someone when you only spend one day with each year?

Until about a week ago, I thought I knew which of Colleen Hoover’s books was my favourite (Maybe Someday for those interested), but then I read November 9 and that changed. It’s one of those things. Every time I pick up a book by Colleen Hoover, I know it’s going to be emotional, I know it’s going to hurt at times, and I know tears are pretty likely to appear on my face. The extent to which all those things will happen just depends on the book and the story. So I had certain expectations when I started reading November 9 and I can now say that those expectations have more than been surpassed. This book is officially my new Colleen Hoover favourite. Once I started reading, I just couldn’t stop. And every time I thought I was done getting punched right where it hurts (in a good way, of course), the hits just kept on coming. I was a mess of tears and feelings by the time I finished and I didn’t know what to do with myself. Or how I was supposed to pick up another book to read after this one. No matter what I say, it’s just not going to come close to doing November 9 justice. Just know that you should have tissues (and lots of them) on hand when you decide to read November 9.

The interesting thing about November 9 is that because of the way the story is told, you never really get a full picture of who Fallon and Ben are. Admittedly by the end of the book, I had a pretty good grasp on who they were but it still took a while to get there. That’s what happens when you only see someone for one day each year. That’s how it was for me as the reader, and that’s what it was like for Fallon and Ben themselves. And it made their story that much more interesting to read. And when everything was revealed it was that much more powerful. Did I mentioned I cried a lot while reading? Well, In the last third of the book that was all Ben’s fault. Overall, though, Fallon and Ben, as much as they gave me a lot of feelings and were responsible for a lot of my tears, they were really fun people to read about. In the first few chapters I couldn’t help the huge smile on my face while I was reading because they were just so adorable and their banter was perfect. And the more I read about them, the more I loved them. And the more I loved them the more I was scared of what was going to happen to them. Because let’s be real here, this was a Colleen Hoover book and we all know what she does to her characters. Even when it all ends well, it hurts to get there.

Colleen Hoover’s November 9 was so much more than I had hoped it would be. This book made me smile, it made me cry, and it made me feel every other emotion in between. Even though this is now my favourite Colleen Hoover book and I don’t know how anything else can possibly compare, I can’t wait to read whatever she writes next.

Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

Title: Maybe Someday

Author: Colleen Hoover

Publisher: Atria Books

Release Date: March 18, 2014

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, a passionate tale of friendships, betrayal, and romance.

At twenty-two years old, Sydney has a great life: She’s in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her best friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers Hunter’s cheating on her—and she is left trying to decide what to do next.

Sydney becomes captivated by Ridge, her mysterious neighbor. She can’t take her eyes off him or stop listening to the passionate way he plays his guitar every evening out on his balcony. And there’s something about Sydney that Ridge can’t ignore, either. When their inevitable encounter happens, they soon find themselves need each other in more ways than one…

2014 was the year that I discovered and read ALL the Colleen Hoover books. And with each one of her books, I just love this author more and more. Even though I’ve loved every single one of her books I’ve read, my favourite just has to be Maybe Someday. Something about this story broke my heart, but then slowly put it back together. It was perfect.

Sydney thought she had it all figured out. But when she walks in her apartment on the day of her twenty-second birthday to find that her long-time boyfriend has been sleeping with her best friend and roommate, everything falls apart. Sydney no longer has a place to live and she isn’t sure what she’s supposed to do anymore. That’s when Ridge steps in. Ridge, Sydney’s mysterious neighour who sits on his balcony night after night playing his guitar. The same Ridge Sydney hasn’t been able to keep her eyes off of. As the two begin spending more and more time together, they can’t deny the feelings that are building between them. But the feelings complicate things. Both have so much they need to work out. But what do you do when you need a person as much as Sydney and Ridge need each other?

How do I even begin to explain how much I loved this book? Before I attempt to do so though, I should thank my awesome friend Katie (@isolateme on Twitter—go say “hi” she’s awesome!) for telling me to read this book (and all of Colleen Hoover’s other books) because I would have seriously been missing out. Moving on. This book. I just had so many feelings while reading it. Every time I thought the story couldn’t possibly affect me any more, it would. It was just an emotional story to read. Or at least it was for me. But that was most definitely not a bad thing. A lot of the time, this story was heartwarming. I was rooting for the characters and the romance. But then it went and ripped my heart to shreds. It was painful. Like, I felt like my heart was breaking over and over again. But I had faith in Colleen Hoover. I knew she wouldn’t disappoint me and I knew she wouldn’t leave me with a broken heart. And she didn’t. If I thought the story was heartwarming before, by the end of the book, I felt like my heart was going to burst I was so happy with what I was reading. And a lot of that had to do with the romance. Because in Maybe Someday, the romance between Sidney and Ridge was just perfect. 

Explaining how much I loved Sydney and Ridge is going to be difficult. No matter what I say, I feel like I wouldn’t even come close to doing them justice. At the start of the story, Sydney’s life pretty much falls apart. Or at least that’s how it feels to her. Understandably so. I mean, she just found out her boyfriend and her best friend have been sleeping together behind her back and since she lived with said best friend, she doesn’t really have a place to stay anymore. So she’s pretty much at a low point in her life. Right from the start, I was rooting for Sydney. I wanted her to find a way to get through all of this, and to figure out who she really was and what she really wanted in life. And Ridge stepped in to help with all of that. And Ridge was, well, Ridge was pretty much perfection. He wasn’t perfect, not by any stretch, but reading about him and reading part of this story from his perspective, he was exactly who I wanted him to be. He was caring, loyal and loving and would do anything for the people he cared about. And when that started including Sydney, things got interesting. It shouldn’t surprise anyone when I say that I loved the idea of Sydney and Ridge together and I spent the whole book rooting for them, no matter what. As a side note, Warren was also awesome and if you choose to read Maybe Someday, also read Maybe Not, the novella all about Warren. It’s worth it.

I’m so glad that I started reading Colleen Hoover’s books in 2014. I would still be severely missing out otherwise. Maybe Someday was pretty close to a perfect book. At least to me. And I adored every single second of my time reading it. 

Slammed Trilogy by Colleen Hoover

Today I'm doing things a little differently. Instead of writing three separate reviews for the books in Colleen Hoover's fantastic Slammed trilogy, I give you a video review of all three books. Enjoy!

About the Books

Title: Slammed (Slammed #1)
Author: Colleen Hoover
Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Source: Purchased
Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover writes a romantic debut novel about a family shattered by a sudden death that leads to two unlikely lovers forming an intricate bond.

Following the unexpected death of her father, eighteen-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and her young brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she’s losing hope.

On young man brings change to all of this. After moving across the country, Layken meets her attractive twenty-one-year-old neighbor, who has an intriguing passion or slams. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.

Not long after a heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together and the forces that tear them apart.

Title: Point of Retreat (Slammed #2)

Author: Colleen Hoover

Publisher: Atria Books

Release Date: September 18, 2012

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

In the second book in the Slammed series by New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, Layken and Will’s relationship has endured through hardships, heartache, and a cruel twist of fate, further solidifying the fact that they belong together. But the two lovers could not have expected that the things that brought them together may ultimately be the things that tear them apart. Their connection is on the brink of being destroyed forever and it will take an extraordinary amount of willpowers to keep their love afloat.

Layken is left questioning the very foundation of which her relationship with Will was built. Will is left questioning how he can prove his love for a girl who can’t seem to stop “carving pumpkins.” Upon finding the answers that may bring peace back into their relationship, the couple comes across an even greater challenge—one that could change not only their lives but the lives of everyone who depend on them.

Title: This Girl (Slammed #3)

Author: Colleen Hoover

Publisher: Atria Books

Release Date: August 13, 2013

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

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 int heir 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 beings 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 f view. Their future rests on how well they deal with the past in this final installment of the beloved Slammed series.