Review: Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover

Goodreads Summary: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.

Publication Date: July 8, 2013

Total book hangover after this one! As much as I thought I was over alternate POV books, Holder was able to suck me in and force me to pull an all-nighter to finish this amazing book.

I have a bad track record when it comes to books with a lot of hype. It was the reason I held off from reading Hopeless for a long time. Once I did finally read it, I loved the story and fell in love with the characters. The reason I held off from reading Losing Hope was I thought it would be boring. I already know the story between Sky and Holder and didn’t see what else could be gained by reading his POV.

Not only was Losing Hope far from boring, it had me in tears more than once. There are so many heartbreaking moments in Holder’s story and his painful losses were difficult to read about. The book wasn’t a total downer and had plenty of sweet and funny moments.

I didn’t know it was possible to fall in love with Holder more than I already am, but the book changed my mind. He’s protective, fiercely loyal and amazingly eloquent at expressing his emotions. Actually, a few times, his inner monologue made me question the believability of a male character thinking in this way. But it is a romance, so I like the fantasy that a guy like Holder actually exists.

The plot certainly enhanced Hopeless. Although the bulk of the novel takes place during the same time frame as Hopeless, the beginning gives readers more insight into Holder’s life before he saw Sky in the convenience store and their lives after the events of Hopeless.

If you haven’t read this series, then you must pick them up NOW! I don’t know if Losing Hope totally works as a standalone, so I’d suggest reading Hopeless first.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book for review!

Review: Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

Goodreads Summary:

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.

Publication Date: December 19, 2012

This book is completely worthy of the hype! It was amazing and Colleen Hoover has a new major fangirl on her hands (don’t worry I won’t turn too stalkerish). This is my favorite new adult book of the year and if you haven’t checked it out yet, you must read it!

When I first started reading it, I couldn’t tell where the book was going. It seemed like sort of a cute romance between a sheltered homeschooled girl named Sky and bad boy Holder. There were hints that something more was going on, but I was blindsided over how much heartbreak and healing would take place within the pages.

Sky was a likable narrator. Even though she’s new to high school, she quickly sees through the BS. She’s treated crappy because of an unfounded rep of being skanky, but she doesn’t let it get her down. Sky is brave, which is a great trait to have since she’ll need this bravery later on when things happen to her that threaten to tear her world apart.

Holder is INCREDIBLE. Thank goodness he’s a fictional character because my husband would be in trouble otherwise. Sky nails it when she says the one word that she would use to describe Holder is passionate. He’s intense, but in a good way since early on it’s easy to see how much he cares for Sky.

I loved the author’s writing style. She took the time to allow the reader to feel Sky’s emotions and her conflicting feelings over the way she felt about the people in her life. It felt very true to life. The way we feel about people isn’t always black and white and there’s still room for love in the midst of hate.

The book was far from predictable and there were some twists I didn’t see coming. At one point, I was like can things possibly get any worse? And then they did. But all though there’s plenty of heartbreak, there’s a lot of hope too.

I would recommend this book to anyone, but plan to have a few hours free and a box of tissues. The Kindle version is a steal and the book has something crazy like four thousand five star reviews.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book for review!