Ugly Love, November 9 & Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover: Book Review // The Problematic Edition (Spoilerish)

Title: Ugly Love
Author: Colleen Hoover
Standalone
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, [New-Adult]
Heat Rating: Warm
Page Count and Format: 337 pages, Ebook
Published: August 5th 2014 by Atria Books
Source: Purchased
Trigger Alert: Abusive/toxic relationship

Blurb (from Goodreads):

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 read Ugly Love way back in 2016 and I don’t remember loving it? The plot was cliche which was maybe the biggest turnoff for me. It was the same old, friends with benefits and the girl immediately fall head over heels for the guy. The guy runs but then ultimately surrenders to love. This trope has been used way too much, too often.
• It definitely isn’t one of my favourite Co-Ho books but all the same my heart was broken and mended in this book. Miles is the epitome of Tsundere character arc and most of the time I really hated him, mostly because of how he treated Tate. Although I don’t remember this much of the story, I remember the feeling while reading about Miles which was not pleasant.
• Miles never learns from his mistakes and the comparison with the past stuff was frustrating to read.
• I felt the relationship between Miles and Tate became increasingly toxic with Tate being very dependent on Miles.
• So, I would only recommend this book (not actually) to those who love this particular plot arc. (Does anyone anymore? Occasionally perhaps?)

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Title: November 9
Author: Colleen Hoover
Standalone
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, [New-Adult]
Heat Rating: Warm
Page Count and Format: 307 pages, Ebook
Published: November 10th 2015 by Atria Books
Source: Purchased
Trigger Alert: Abusive/toxic relationship, manipulation

Blurb (from Goodreads):

Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before 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?

Okay, so where to begin with this one.

• I feel guilty for liking this book. (This is not a first for me, I have loved a book, screamed how good it was and then suddenly bam!! It hits me. And I am like what the fuck did I just read? Does it happen to you or is it just me?)
• But one thing was certain for me, Ben did not sit well with me from the very beginning, but I somehow tricked my mind into liking him? I dunno. He is one of those sweet talkers who will say garbage to you, pull down your self-esteem and then give you tips to build confidence. So, basically, a manipulative person.
• Fallon already has insecurities regarding her body because of her burn marks and Ben’s unwanted heroic interference and the comments that followed later were deeply disturbing. It felt like the author had tried to portray Fallon as deep and poetic but in fact, he just was a creep.
• I was going through Goodreads when I saw a reviewer particularly highlight this line, “But it’s your own fault people feel uncomfortable looking at you.” It made me go back and read that part again and just as I said, a manipulative sweet talker. He gives this big ass explanation about how she hides when her body is to be praised. Um, objectifying much? There were quite a lot of similar instances now that I think about it. 😦

• This book was high on insta-love, a trope I am not fond of. One of the things which bothered me was that Fallon was uncomfortable a lot of times, however, she barely voiced it. And Ben didn’t help much either. He proceeds to do a lot of things a lot of times without consent.
• That plot twist (I mean obviously, there’s got to a random plot twist since it’s a Co-Ho book, which I am usually a fan of but not this one.) I mean, how did this book end on a happy note? How? Even if Fallon accepted all of Ben’s behaviour, I don’t see how that plot twist not expose how problematic Ben was. It was the whole reason her life turned upside down in the first place and then things were just okay?
• Also, I couldn’t understand Fallon forgiving her father who treated her like shit, which was very evident in the first chapter.
• I felt this book romanticized on a lot of problematic aspects, so yes I will not be recommending this one.

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Title: Maybe Someday
Author: Colleen Hoover
Standalone
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, [New-Adult]
Heat Rating: Warm
Page Count and Format: 385 pages, Ebook
Published: March 18th 2014 by Atria Books
Source: Purchased
Trigger Alert: Cheating

Blurb (from Goodreads):

Sydney is living in an idyllic bubble—she’s a dedicated student with a steady job on the side. She lives with her best friend, has a great boyfriend, and the music coming from the balcony opposite hers is fast becoming the soundtrack to her life. But when Sydney finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her, the bubble bursts. The mysterious and attractive man behind the music, Ridge, gives Sydney hope that she can move on and they begin to write songs together. But moving on is harder than she expects, Sydney can only hope….

Maybe someday…

(Contains exclusive content: Songs from Griffin Peterson)

• When I first read the book, I remember bawling my eyes out and absolutely falling in love with it. This book had a special place in my heart buuuuuut when I reflected back on the story a few days ago, I sure found a lot of problematic aspects.
• The foremost being cheating being shown as okay. I didn’t process when I read that first (how dumb can I be?). Cheating was romanticized in this book which was definitely, definitely not okay.
• A highly unpopular opinion. I actually liked Sydney. Her and Ridge bonds over writing music (and the tracklist they write actually has real music to go with which was awesome). Their attraction was genuine and I was rooting for them from the beginning.
• But helloooooow? Ridge conveniently forgets to mention he has a girlfriend. (Like bruh, how does someone forget that?) Hellow not-so-cool plot twist.

• After things are out in the open, both characters feel guilty. Enter tragic backstory of the Ridge’s girlfriend and how he can’t break up with her despite falling for Syndey (This book vibes with Hindi (Bollywood) serials -_-, my desi fam will get the reference.)
• There are some aspects of the book which I vaguely remember but Ridge’s girlfriend wholeheartedly forgives him and even tells him that they don’t belong together (which if my memory serves me correct, Ridge did a lot of things to peruse her). I know falling out of love is normal but it kinda felt weird how things span out between these characters. 
• The ending wraps up everything in a neat and tidy bun. I honestly don’t know what to feel about this book anymore. So read at your own risk!

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Being a huge fan of Co-Ho, these books let me down big time. If you have read these books, what did you think about them?

What cliches do you think are the most repetitive in contemporary romances?

Heart Bones and Without Merit by Colleen Hoover: Book Review // I lost my way in this Co-Ho edition

Title: Heart Bones
Author: Colleen Hoover
Standalone
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, [Young-Adult]
Heat Rating: Slightly warm
Page Count and Format: 338 pages, Ebook
Published: August 19th 2020 by Hoover Ink, Inc.
Source: Purchased
Trigger Alert: Death, addiction

Blurb (from Goodreads):

Life and a dismal last name are the only two things Beyah Grim’s parents ever gave her. After carving her path all on her own, Beyah is well on her way to bigger and better things, thanks to no one but herself.

With only two short months separating her from the future she’s built and the past she desperately wants to leave behind, an unexpected death leaves Beyah with no place to go during the interim. Forced to reach out to her last resort, Beyah has to spend the remainder of her summer on a peninsula in Texas with a father she barely knows. Beyah’s plan is to keep her head down and let the summer slip by seamlessly, but her new neighbour Samson throws a wrench in that plan.

Samson and Beyah have nothing in common on the surface.

She comes from a life of poverty and neglect; he comes from a family of wealth and privilege. But one thing they do have in common is that they’re both drawn to sad things. Which means they’re drawn to each other. With an almost immediate connection too intense for them to continue denying, Beyah and Samson agree to stay in the shallow end of a summer fling. What Beyah doesn’t realize is that a rip current is coming, and it’s about to drag her heart out to sea.

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Heart Bones is a story about hope and faith.

Beyah Grim’s life is literally grim with an addict mother who suddenly passes away and a father with whom she barely has any contact. Beyah keeps her mother’s death a secret while she calls her father who readily agrees to make her a part of his life.

Beyah was epically hesitant with her father and his family. Which was pretty normal according to me after all she has been through. Her father, on the other hand, is extremely rich and the new lifestyle comes as a pretty big shock to her. Although there were ups and downs, the family dynamics of the book touched my heart. I was glad to see no cliched evil stepmother or stepsister. Instead, we were given a family who was willing to try their best to include Beyah in their life.

Samson is introduced as the playboy by Beyah’s step-sister who bytheway is pretty awesome. Like Beyah, I thought she was going to be portrayed as one of those mean girls, but her being compassionate, smart and kind. When it came to Samson, I was hesitant as well, however as the book proceeded, I fell in love with him, just like Beyah. He is a layered character who sometimes frustrated me but also made me root for him.

The plot twist is another thing I did not see coming. As usual. However, Beyah’s understanding and faith warmed my heart. The ending just brought a HUGE smile to my face. The hope, ohmygod the hope this book made me feel. This book was worth the 3 AM reads so definitely recommend it.

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Title: Without Merit
Author: Colleen Hoover
Standalone
Genre: Contemporary, [Young-Adult]
Heat Rating: Slightly warm
Page Count and Format: 385 pages, Ebook
Published: October 3rd 2017 by Atria Books
Source: Purchased
Trigger Alert: Addiction, attempted suicide, physical and mental abuse, cheating 

Blurb (from Goodreads):

Not every mistake deserves a consequence. Sometimes the only thing it deserves is forgiveness.

The Voss family is anything but normal. They live in a repurposed church, newly baptized Dollar Voss. The once cancer-stricken mother lives in the basement, the father is married to the mother’s former nurse, the little half-brother isn’t allowed to do or eat anything fun, and the eldest siblings are irritatingly perfect. Then, there’s Merit.

Merit Voss collects trophies she hasn’t earned and secrets her family forces her to keep. While browsing the local antiques shop for her next trophy, she finds Sagan. His wit and unapologetic idealism disarm and spark renewed life into her—until she discovers that he’s completely unavailable. Merit retreats deeper into herself, watching her family from the sidelines when she learns a secret that no trophy in the world can fix.

Fed up with the lies, Merit decides to shatter the happy family illusion that she’s never been a part of before leaving them behind for good. When her escape plan fails, Merit is forced to deal with the staggering consequences of telling the truth and losing the one boy she loves.

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The blurb speaks out the truth. The Voss family is terrifically not normal. Not at all.

It felt weird reading this book since the family dynamics were so messed up. Such a contrast to Heart Bones, that I felt out of place reading this. My mind was a mess. Merit is the epitome of the rebel kid. She has so much anger and frustration which is evident in her every action. I didn’t like her siblings much, I understand the lack of relationship among them but leaving her out of everything did not feel right, not when she hasn’t done anything.  ALSO, Merit’s father lives with his new wife while his ex-wife lives in the basement?! Like how is that relatively possible? The chaos does not stop.

Sagan was weird. NO, every character in this book was. He kisses Merit by thinking she is her identical twin, and later he just gives some justification which I honestly cannot remember right now, but it was based on- we were always friends. Um, okay, if you say so. Though I was glad he stood by her side when no one else was.

The biggest issue I faced within the book was that I didn’t quite understand what was going on. The story felt stuck along with the characters and I was bored. Then all of a SUDDEN, everything comes crashing down with the plot twist. The things which did not make sense in the beginning finally begins to clear up from this point onwards. I honestly sped read the pages since nothing was happening before this and everything was happening at once. The abuse came to light which broke my heart. However, I was relieved to see how the aftermath of the consequence and every else was wrapped up. Although I was not a fan of the characters, I was thrown aback by the plot which held my attention after the big revelations. 

This book focused on quite a few heavy issues, however, portraying them all at once did not play to the advantage of this book. This book is not thankfully not heavy on romance since it’s the last thing you need. Second chances and hope are the key messages to take away from this book, however, it might not be everybody’s cup of tea.

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Hey guys? Have you read these two books or either? Do you read Co-Ho’s books? If yes, which one is your favourite? Any recommendations? 

Verity and Regretting You by Colleen Hoover: Book Review // Co-Ho: The Intense Shock Edition

Title: Verity
Author: Colleen Hoover
Standalone
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Thriller, [New-Adult]
Heat Rating: Warm
Page Count and Format: 324 pages, Ebook
Published: December 7th 2018 by Hoover Ink, Inc.
Source: Purchased
Trigger Alert: Death, Betrayal

Blurb (from Goodreads):

*I would recommend blindly going into this book*

Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.

Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity’s notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn’t expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity’s recollection of what really happened the day her daughter died.

Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents would devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen’s feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife’s words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue to love her.

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This book is a complete mindfuck. I don’t think I will ever forget the feeling when I read the last few pages and closed the book.

Utterly mindblowing!

The plot twist was completely off the curve. Colleen Hoover has a habit of randomly throwing a plot twist when you least expect her to and it’s one of her elements I love. It’s always a knee jerk reaction. And this book completely blew the roof. To this day, the last chapter haunts me.

Lowen is the main protagonist of this book who is a struggling writer. She finally gets a break when she is offered to write Verity Crawford’s, a successful author’s remaining books since the author is in a coma for years after an accident where her daughter died. Lowen’s discovery of an unfinished biography of Verity changes her perspective about a lot of things. CoHo managed to develop such an utterly disturbing and layered character with Verity. This book has an alternative chapter of Lowen and Verity’s journal and ohmygod, it was, very much troublesome.

The novel takes place in Crawford residence where she slowly begins to develop feelings for Jeremy, Verity’s husband. The feeling is quite mutual and I enjoyed the chemistry between them. The build-up between the characters to a slow-burn romance was is definitely one of my favourites part of the book. The suspense throughout the book kept me on my toes. There’s always this lurking feeling and the author managed to create a creepy environment that matched the tone of the book. And there are bread crumbs throughout the book which further adds to the mystery.

I believe I finished this book in one sitting, so if you haven’t read this book yet, I highly recommend you to!

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Title: Regretting You
Author: Colleen Hoover
Standalone
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, [New-Adult]
Heat Rating: Warm
Page Count and Format: 363 pages, Ebook
Published: December 10th 2019 by Montlake Romance
Source: Purchased
Trigger Alert: Accident, Death, Betrayal

Blurb (from Goodreads):

Morgan Grant and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Clara, would like nothing more than to be nothing alike.

Morgan is determined to prevent her daughter from making the same mistakes she did. By getting pregnant and married way too young, Morgan put her own dreams on hold. Clara doesn’t want to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Her predictable mother doesn’t have a spontaneous bone in her body.

With warring personalities and conflicting goals, Morgan and Clara find it increasingly difficult to coexist. The only person who can bring peace to the household is Chris—Morgan’s husband, Clara’s father, and the family anchor. But that peace is shattered when Chris is involved in a tragic and questionable accident. The heartbreaking and long-lasting consequences will reach far beyond just Morgan and Clara.

While struggling to rebuild everything that crashed around them, Morgan finds comfort in the last person she expects to, and Clara turns to the one boy she’s been forbidden to see. With each passing day, new secrets, resentment, and misunderstandings make mother and daughter fall further apart. So far apart, it might be impossible for them to ever fall back together.

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This book broke my heart. This is what Colleen Hoover does every time and I go back to her because of it. I was putting off this book since I thought I wouldn’t enjoy it like the rest of her books but boy, oh boy was I wrong.

The story introduces us to Morgan and her three friends. One is her boyfriend Chris who becomes her husband, the second is her sister and best friend, Jenny and her boyfriend, Jonah. The story takes a time leap of 17 years where we see Morgan as a stay-at-home mom and Jonah almost out of the story since he went (read: ran) away after Morgan’s pregnancy news.

From the initial first chapters, the chemistry between Morgan and Jonah was palpable, however, when it came to their significant others, not so much. The two meet again when Morgan’s sister Jenny announces her pregnancy.

When the two met again, my heart broke again! Their connection was something else, yet they stuck with someone, out of duty/comfort? Though, I kinda get it. Missed timings. 😦

The story takes a tragic turn with Chris and Jenny’s accident. It spins off Morgan and creates a further rift between her and her daughter. Clara is going through her own turmoil after losing her father and her aunt (who I was not a fan of from the very first introduction despite her being described as a loving sister) who she adored. Morgan was trying to prevent her daughter from making the same mistake and the chaos between the two spiralled out of control. Miller was her only comfort and I loved the slow-budding romance between the two.

I loved Clara and Miller, however, for me, it was Morgan and Jonah who stole the show. The plot twist broke my heart. The secrets broke my heart. I don’t know how Morgan handled the heartbreak, I was a blubbering mess while reading this. I could feel what was coming but I was not ready for the impact. However, the development arc of Morgan and Clara’s relationship was one of my favourite aspect of the book. I really loved how the ending connected everything, so yes please go read this book!

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So, on my last review, I said that I would do a K-pop match vibe for my reviews. Do give this a listen! 

For this edition, I feel there are a lot of elements in both the books with resonated with Red Velvet’s song. Also, it’s one of my absolute favourites. 

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Have you read any of these books? Do you usually pick up contemporary romance? Any recommendations?

Monthly Warp-Up: January 2019!

Heeeeeey guys! How are you all doing??

I started off slow this month and man oh man, the two out of three books that I read were a complete gem!! Muse of Nightmares was such an adventure filled ride whereas Verity blew away my mind! Whereas Leah on the Off Beat was a complete letdown on so many levels.

Books I’ve read from this month:

Young-Adult

 

Adult

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Books I’ve read this month (link to my reviews):

4/5 stars

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy by Jenny Han

Gemina & Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

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Other Stuff:

• I shared a post about 2018 bookish-life!
• In January’s Daydreaming Discussions, I talked about my most anticipated reads of 2019 and some of my throwbacks from last year as well!

K-Drama Reviews:

• What’s wrong with Secretary Kim & Thirty but Seventeen: Hilariously awesome and a must watch!

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So guys, how have your months been? Bookishly awesome or meh? Been busy or just how’s life?

Review: Confess by Colleen Hoover (Book + TV Show) || Where the confessions broke my heart

Title: Confess
Author: Colleen Hoover
Standalone
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, [New-Adult]
Heat Rating: Warm
Page Count and Format: 320 pages, Ebook
Published: March 10th 2015 by Atria Books
Source: Purchased
My Rating:

Blurb (from Goodreads):

At age twenty-one, Auburn Reed has already lost everything important to her. In her fight to rebuild her shattered life, she has her goals in sight and there is 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 chance and puts her heart in control, only to discover that Owen is keeping a major secret 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.

To save their relationship, all Owen needs to do is confess. But in this case, the confession could be much more destructive than the actual sin.

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This was such a heartwarming read! And I loved the concept so much! Colleen Hoover’s books haven’t disappointed so far and I hope that continues to happen in the future.

Auburn Reed has only person left in her life that she can call her own but she even doesn’t have the right. In the chaotic mess, she meets Owen, an artist who has a unique way of bringing his creations to life. They are immediately attracted to each other but they both have secrets of their own and if they come out, it could ruin their lives and Auburn can’t take that risk. Will a relationship like theirs ever succeed?

*A little spoilery*

The plot of this book was really unique and interesting! We are gently eased into the story as the secrets are revealed. Auburn has pretty much lost everything, including the love of her life.  The only thing that is holding her in place is her son, A.J but his custody is in his grandmother’s hands and she is not ready to give up on him yet because she considers Audrey unfit for being a mother. My heart went out for Aubrey, she was hardworking and everything she did was for her son and to prove that she was worthy of being a mother that her son deserved. And I hated Lydia (the grandmother or a kind of monster-in-law) for doing everything in her power to keep A.J away from her. I knew she was clinging to the last hope of her younger son but she was a manipulative and viscous woman indeed. Nonetheless, I loved how Auburn was with A.J, she definitely proved how capable she was as a woman and a mother.

“There are people you meet that you get to know, and then there are people you meet that you already know.”

Owen was dreamy. I fell in love with that guy so freaking much. I loved how he used confessions as his muse for his art. It was simply a unique technique. Auburn comes fact to face with Owen when she scores a part time gig at his art show from where their story begins. I love how Colleen Hoover can execute heart-wrenching stories every freaking time and this was no different. Owen and Auburn both had secrets they couldn’t run away from and which could possibly destroy their future yet their attraction and chemistry was undeniable. They resisted the pull they felt for each other but in the end, something like what they had, was inevitable to happen.

“I love you so much.” His voice is breathless and full of fear. “I’ll love you forever. Even when I can’t.” My tears fall harder at his words. “And I’ll love you forever. Even when I shouldn’t.”

But their road was definitely not smooth and lined with hurdles provided by none other than Trey, Lydia’s older son. He was a cop and he took full advantage of his profession. That guy didn’t have an ounce of work ethics and he used it against Owen just to get Auburn all to himself. He was just like his mother. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and I couldn’t put this book down. Though I kinda did predict how everything would come down as the end neared and I was so relieved and glad when that happened. I was completely satisfied how everything tied up in the end.

Overall, Confess was a great read. The plot was executed neatly and I fell in love with the protagonists. The romance between Owen and Auburn was just awesome! I loved their relationship so much! The writing was beautiful and the pace was even throughout the entire book. I can’t wait to devour more of her novels!

Recommend it?

Yes!

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Show name: Confess
Director: Elissa Down
Starring:  Katie Leclerc, Ryan Cooper, Sherilyn Fenn, Elliott Smith, Rocky Myers
Hosted by: Awestruck
No. of Episodes: 7
Release Date: 4th April, 2017
My Rating:
 

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This show was a pretty great watch. It was kind of unfortunate that this show only had 7 episodes but this was one of the best adaptations I’ve seen so far and it did the book justice.

There were only a few changes from the book like the time gap and the age of the characters which according to my opinion felt more realistic. And I was very excited to see Katie Leclerc in this show because I love her in Switched at Birth. She portrayed Auburn’s character perfectly, she made up believe the pain that Auburn felt each day was so much real. The actors brought the characters to life and I couldn’t have been more happier with the cast. Ryan Cooper was the perfect Owen and I loved the chemistry between the two main leads. I liked the fact that Lydia’s character in the show was redeemable than she was in the book which added another layer. A.J was great fun to watch too.

Overall, I loved pretty much everything in the show, I just wish it was a little bit more longer. If you guys haven’t seen it yet you should watch it go90 app or in YouTube.

Recommend it?

Yes.

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So guys, what are your thoughts on the book as well the show? Have you watched it yet?