[Review] Hopeless (Hopeless, #1) - Colleen Hoover

Author: Colleen Hoover

Original Title: Hopeless
Publisher: Atria Books

Release Date: March 7th, 2013
Finished Date: April 16th, 2015
Pages: 416
Read in: English

Synopsis

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.

Source: GoodReads

Rating

I don't get this one. I thought Hoover was growing on me after I thoroughly enjoyed Confess (click here to see that review) but this one was definitely not for me. A lot was happening - too much was happening.
I could see the big reveal coming from a mile away, and it honestly was so angsty and dramatic that I couldn't connect to the characters in any level. It felt just like I was watching it happen, but I didn't really care.
There was insta-love, there was drama, there were unrealistic situations - all in all it was a bunch of things glued together, and it made the book seem like a jumbled mess.
This might have been much better had Colleen Hoover decided to tackle only one of the million issues this book deals with.

The following extended review contains spoilers

If you have not yet read the book and/or do not wish to be spoiled, please do not read any further.

[Review] Confess - Colleen Hoover

Author: Colleen Hoover

Original Title: Confess
Publisher: Atria Books

Release Date: March 10th, 2015
Finished Date: April 9th, 2015
Pages: 306
Read in: English

Synopsis

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…

Source: GoodReads

Rating

Yes. This book finally made me understand why people seem to praise Colleen Hoover so much that they almost treat her as a GOD. This was so much better than what I anticipated, I can't even put it into words. It wasn't perfect - there were some things that didn't really set quite right with me, but it was powerful. It was moving. It was beautiful.

As in Maybe Someday, which I've also read and reviewed (click here to go see that review), Colleen decided to transcend the written word as a way to tell her story. In Maybe Someday she used music to complement the story. In this book she used paintings. Beautiful, soulful paintings. And I don't even like paintings all that much.

The story was heart-wrenching, and even if it was a bit too much at times - which, lets face it, is Colleen's style - it still managed to throw me off with a big revelation that changed everything.

If you're looking for a good NA, go pick this one up.

The following extended review contains spoilers

If you have not yet read the book and/or do not wish to be spoiled, please do not read any further.

[Review] Maybe Not (Maybe Someday, #1.5) - Colleen Hoover

Author: Colleen Hoover

Original Title: Maybe Not

Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: November 24th, 2014
Finished Date: April 4th, 2015
Pages: 129
Read in: English

Synopsis

Colleen Hoover, the New York Times bestselling author of Maybe Someday brilliantly brings to life the story of the wonderfully hilarious and charismatic Warren in a new novella, Maybe Not.
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.

Source: GoodReads

Final Rating: ★★.5 out of 5

Well honestly, I don't even know where to start. This was an extremely popular novella - everyone seemed to love it. I didn't even know it was about Warren and Bridgette; I really thought it would be about Sydney and Ridge's downfall. And I might have enjoyed that more.
The problem I had with this was the problem I have with almost every NA out there: the virginalisation (is that even a word?) of the characters. I mean, no, Bridgette was not a virgin necessarily, but never having had an orgasm? Seriously? I find this hard to believe, that's all.

The following extended review contains spoilers

If you have not yet read the book and/or do not wish to be spoiled, please do not read any further.

[Review] Maybe Someday (Maybe Someday, #1) - Colleen Hoover

Author: Colleen Hoover

Original Title: Maybe Someday

Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: March 18th, 2014
Finished Date: March 31st, 2015
Pages: 385
Read in: English

Synopsis

At twenty-two years old, Sydney is enjoying 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 that Hunter is cheating on her—and she’s forced to decide what her next move should be.
Soon, Sydney finds herself captivated by her mysterious and attractive neighbor, Ridge. 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. They soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one.
A passionate tale of friendship, betrayal, and romance, Maybe Someday will immerse readers in Sydney’s tumultuous world from the very first page.

Source: GoodReads

Final Rating: ★★★ out of 5

I have such mixed feelings about this book... This was my debut into the genre of New Adult, and although more than two months have passed since I've read it, I'm still conflicted.
There were some elements to this that were entirely refreshing, and the romance itself was swoon-worthy, but there were this little things that ticked me off.
Let's be honest: Maybe Someday is a book about cheating. Cheating and betrayals. And that particular topic hits a nerve with me. Colleen Hoover has this way of writing that makes you want to understand, and were it about anything else, I would have.
Still, I really liked the book, mainly because I think it was an incredibly original idea and very well executed. Although the accompanying music wasn't really to my taste, and I found the songs to be quite repetitive and similar, it was an amazing idea to combine literature and music and make it an incredible sensorial experience.
Two stars for the actual story. It gets one additional star for the innovative idea of incorporating music into the story.

The following extended review contains spoilers

If you have not yet read the book and/or do not wish to be spoiled, please do not read any further.