Feature and Giveaway: Without Merit by Colleen Hoover

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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ARC Review: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

If there was once word to describe how I feel after finishing It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover, it would be RAW. This book broke my heart and was such an emotional story to read. There were things I absolute loved here, but there were things that didn't work for me as well. While I have things that personally bothered me, I have to say that the one thing I wasn't disappointed by here was the writing. Colleen Hoover is amazing with words, and her stories are so beautifully written. 

It Ends With Us is about Lily, who moves from Maine to Boston in order to attend college and pursue her dreams. She starts her own flower shop and things in her life appear to be coming together as she meets a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle. Though he doesn't do relationships, they find themselves falling in love and soon are building a future together. But when Lily's ex and first love reappear in her life, things begin to change. Soon Lily finds that not only has her past returned in the form of the boy she once loved, but that it has caught up with her in a way she never expected. 

The characters in this story were deep and I felt so invested in all of them. They were real and genuine, faults and all. I loved them and I hated them, but the one thing I can say is that I really felt emotionally connected to all of them. I struggled right alongside them, and I definitely had it all planned out in my mind the way I wanted things to go here. I won't say more on that so as not to ruin it, but I honestly had things built up in my mind to go a certain way. Ultimately things didn't go as I wanted them to, and there were times that I honestly felt so broken by what was happening throughout this story. I really truly felt like these characters all deserved to find a happy ending no matter what had happened, and I really wanted to see that play out a bit more. 

While we did get an ending here that was wrapped up, it felt rushed to me and I wanted more. It still wasn't what I had wanted or hoped for, but I think it would have been more satisfying had we seen a bit more down the road. I wanted to know how things ended up for all those involved and it felt like things were just starting at the end. I understand so much more about this story after having read the author's note, and while the writing was stellar as always it still wasn't what I wanted. I know that is a bit ridiculous to say, but for me personally I read for certain reasons and one of those is for the love and romance. While there was romance and love here, this one felt more like fiction to me and I wasn't entirely on board with how things played out here. Again that is not to say that this is a bad story, because that is absolutely not the case. This one just didn't work as well for me on a personal level as I think it will for others. For me, it felt like Colleen had broken me and never really put me back together. I saw it coming, and yet I had it in my mind how I wanted things to turn out. These types of stories rarely work out for me, and I honestly didn't have any clue what I was in for before starting this one. While I do think that a lot of readers will love this one and that the writing was fantastic, this wasn't my favorite from Colleen.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

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Review: Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

I am so late to the party here when it comes to Hopeless by Colleen Hoover, but I am so glad that I read this book! My friend has been telling me to read this book for so long now, and I honestly just never got around to it. Now that I have read it though, I cannot believe how long it took me! This book is amazing, brilliant, and was so surprising. Colleen Hoover is a great writer, and I didn't expect this story to go the way it did at all. I know why so many people rave about this book now, and for anyone who hasn't read this one yet, you absolutely should!

Seventeen-year-old Sky is immediately drawn to Dean Holder, though she has no idea why. Their first meeting leaves her with more questions than answers, and he seems to have a well deserved reputation. Yet she also is unable to stay away from him, despite what she thinks she knows about him. But the more Sky and Holder get to know one another, the more Sky begins to realize that Holder isn't who she thinks he is at all. When the truth starts coming out and secrets are revealed, Sky soon realizes that her life will never be the same. 

I absolutely loved Holder! He is impossible not to fall for, and honestly I could go on and on about him. He is a great guy, caring and protective, patient and kind. This is the kind of guy that girls dream about having for a boyfriend, and oh how I wish he was real! He had moments where he struggled with anger and didn't handle himself the best, but I understood where he was coming from even if I didn't agree with how he acted. He was so great for Sky and I loved how he was with her. Sky was easy to like. She was different and complicated, and I loved that she was a bit odd. She was one of those characters that you just like right away. These two had such a strong connection, and it was unlike anything I have ever seen before. They had me swooning and I couldn't get enough of them. 

Overall, I really cannot say enough good things about this book and I feel as though I could just ramble on about these characters and the story forever but that the words would never do it justice. It was so good and honestly I won't ever forget this book. There were so many twists, and I didn't see any of them coming. This book was beautiful and heartbreaking, and completely unexpected. It was such an emotional read, and I found myself laughing out loud and crying on more than one occasion. This book is everything, and if you haven't read it yet, it is a must read. I might be late in reading this one, but I know that it will be one that I read many more times in the future. No one writes like Colleen Hoover, and I honestly can't wait to see what else she comes up with in the future.

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ARC Review: November 9 by Colleen Hoover

I will admit that I was a bit scared to start November 9 when I received it. While I love Colleen Hoover and have enjoyed her books, the last few of hers weren't my favorites. I had issues with each of them and while there were great moments in them, I began to worry that maybe it was just me since so many others loved them and raved about them. My favorite Colleen Hoover book to this point has been Maybe Someday (even though there was something I took issue with there as well), but I have to say that after just having finished November 9, it has definitely taken over as my favorite. This book absolutely wrecked me in true Colleen fashion, but thankfully she put me back together piece by piece and I fell in love with Fallon and Ben right along with them. 

On the day she is set to move to NY from LA, Fallon meets aspiring writer Ben. They spend that November 9th together and agree spend each November 9th together from that day forward, though they will continue to live their lives separately. Though each year they meet on November 9th, they have absolutely no contact for the rest of the year. Their agreement and lives are supposed to be the inspiration behind the novel that Ben promises to write but just when it appears to be so much more, Fallon discovers that Ben has been keeping some very big secrets and their entire relationship might have been a lie. 

Ben and Fallon had me from their very first meeting and I was completely hooked. I couldn't put this book down, and I loved how fun and witty they were. Their interactions were the kind you live for in a great book, and they were impossible not to fall for. Ben and Fallon were great as individuals and I really loved them, but together they were magic. Sweet and Sexy, these two had every single thing that makes for a great couple and they are the kind of couple romance books are made of. They each had struggles and so much to overcome, but the great thing is that they were there for each other even when they weren't together. These two had so much chemistry that I really couldn't think of any two characters who were more perfect for each other than Ben and Fallon were. They might have not spent much actual time together, but it was so real and genuine and believable despite the circumstances. 

Overall, this is my favorite CoHo book to date and I honestly cannot recommend it enough. This book is so beautiful and emotional, and I could not put it down. I never wanted Fallon and Ben's story to end, and as fast as I wanted to devour the book I also wanted to savor it. November 9 truly is Colleen Hoover at her best, and it is the kind of book that every person can find something to relate to. Sweet, sexy, and funny, November 9 is one of my favorite reads not only this year, but that I have ever read. I cannot recommend this book enough, and I cannot wait to see what Colleen writes next.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

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ARC Review: Confess by Colleen Hoover

I don't even know where to start with this review. I guess I should start by saying that Colleen Hoover is brilliant and frustrating, and she writes absolutely beautiful stories. Her characters are always unique and there is nothing cookie cutter about them or her stories. I especially love how with Confess and Maybe Someday the stories were so interactive for the readers. With the music in Maybe Someday and the paintings from Confess, they really add so much depth to each book and I always feel like her stories resonate more with readers because of that. All that being said, there were parts of this book that I really loved while there were also parts that really drove me nuts. 

Auburn Reed has a plan for her life, and she will do whatever it takes to accomplish it. When she sees a help wanted sign in the window of an art studio, she decides that a second job will help her reach her goals faster. Auburn finds herself drawn to the artist Owen Gentry and his beautiful works of art. He takes written confessions from people and turns them into paintings, and after an article put him on the map people go out of their way to buy them at his monthly showings. Auburn finds herself fascinated with the confessions as she has secrets of her own, and she quickly realizes that Owen does as well. Though Owen and Auburn have a connection unlike any they have felt before, his past threatens her future. Can Owen and Auburn confess their secrets and save their relationship, or will the truth destroy any chance at a future together? 

I liked Owen. He was a complicated guy that had experienced a lot of really rough things in his life. He was good though, and I loved how much he looked out for those around him. At first his actions confused me and I wasn't really sure what to think of him, but the more that I got to see of him the more I realized all that he was willing to sacrifice for those he cared about. Auburn was harder for me to like at times. I felt like she was weak most of the time and let others push her around. She would have brief moments where that would change, but I really needed her to stand up for herself more. She was young though, and I understand she was scared. But I just wanted to see more fight in her than I did. She also let things get completely out of control with a couple of characters in this story, one that really bothered me. She had such a connection and chemistry with Owen, that it really bothered me how willing she was to give that up. I understood her reasoning, but to me that wasn't enough. There is always a way to make things work, and I really felt like she should have done something about it far sooner. 

Overall, I feel like I can't really get into what my issues were with this story without spoiling anything. As with any Colleen Hoover book there are a ton of twists and turns that you will never see coming, and yet once all is revealed you find out how masterfully she wove everything together. I never could have figured everything out, though looking back there were clues everywhere. I truly hated a couple of characters from this book, and though I can't say why I will say that I thought that they should have been dealt with better. Though I was happy with how this story ended, I feel as if these characters got off far too easily and that one especially should have got what was coming to them. What this character did is never okay, and it was completely dropped. I hate that it was never dealt with, and I felt like there should have been more to it than there was. I do believe that Colleen writes beautiful stories though, and while they are heartbreaking at times they are also filled with hope and love. Owen and Auburn were fantastic together, and I felt like they really belonged together. There was a bit of insta-love on one side of the relationship and yet because of the circumstances of the story it wasn't that way on the other side. I never felt like it wasn't real though, and it really didn't feel as though it was unrealistic in any way. These two seemed like they were so perfect for one another that they had always been meant to be together. I do think that the blurb sort of mislead about Owen's confession though as it could have easily been talking about a few different things. When it came to one secret, it was revealed about halfway through and didn't seem to be as big as I would have expected. The other secret that I felt could be the one was never actually revealed, which didn't really fit to me with the title being Confess. I understand that it wasn't fully Owen's confession, but at the same time I really wanted him to tell Auburn. 

Regardless of whether or not you love each book you read from Colleen, they are guaranteed to make you think and feel. I always know that her books will bring out tons of feelings for me and that it will be an emotional roller coaster ride. I have come to realize that when reading any book by CoHo you just have to go in with no expectations and just experience the story. So while I had criticisms with Confess, I also had moments that I really loved. I know that I will continue to read whatever Colleen writes because her stories are always so unique and there is truly nothing out there similar to what she writes. If you are looking for something different, you really can't go wrong with any of her books. I think that a lot of readers will really enjoy this book, and it would be impossible to deny how gifted Colleen is as an author.

**ARC Provided by Atria Books**

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Feature and Giveaway: Confess by Colleen Hoover

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, a new novel about risking everything for love—and finding your heart somewhere between the truth and lies.

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 that Owen is keeping some 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…

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Review: Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

I have been trying to write this review since I finished Ugly Love. Honestly it took me so long to really figure out how I felt about it. While I love Colleen Hoover's writing, this story left me with so many mixed emotions. I did like the story, and I thought that the characters were real. But I also felt like this book wasn't really what I was expecting and it honestly didn't feel like a romance at all to me. I think if I had gone into this one knowing that it wasn't a romance that it would have completely changed my thoughts and feelings while going through this book. That being said, I would definitely go back and read this again knowing that it is different and I think that I would get a completely different experience.

Tate Collins goes to stay with her pilot brother and upon arrival meets his friend Miles Archer. They get off on the wrong foot, and Tate has no idea what to make of Miles. While they don't start off as friends or even liking each other, they both feel an attraction to the other that they can't deny. Miles doesn't do love or relationships, and the last person he should get involved with is his friend's sister. Yet he can't help but want to be around her and act on the chemistry between them. When Tate and Miles finally open up to each other about what is going on between them, they decide to just have sex with each other and nothing more. They decide their arrangement is perfect since Miles doesn't do love and Tate isn't looking for love with everything going on in her life. But the more they start to see each other, the more they start to realize that what is between them is more than just sex. Miles has a past that he has never been able to move past though, and he refuses to let Tate in or explain what happened. Tate knows that the more she grows attached to Miles the more her heart will break, and yet she finds herself unable to stop what is happening between them. As they continue to have sex and deny the connection developing between them, they both begin to wonder how they can possibly make it out without one or both of their lives being shattered.

I liked Miles, and I felt so badly for him. He had been through more than anyone should ever have to be put through, and he was surviving but not really living. He felt guilt and pain, and he couldn't forgive himself. I hated that he not only felt those things, but that those from his past had made things worse for him as far as moving on went. I was really glad that he made progress though, and that he had Tate to help him move forward even if he didn't let her in easily. I wish that he would have been able to open up to her more and that he would have really let her see everything that made him who he was without fighting it so much. I wanted to see them really lean on each other, and I think that they finally started to get there towards the end of the book. Tate was hard for me to personally relate to. I had never been in a situation like hers, so it was easy for me to judge her actions. I thought that she let Miles get away with far too much, and she stuck around no matter how much he walked all over her. It was clear that she couldn't keep her feelings out of their arrangement and you could see from the start that the writing was on the wall for her having her heart broken. But while I didn't understand her basically being a doormat for Miles, I did see her feelings for Miles and I understand that love has a way of making you do things that aren't the smartest or best choices. I really did feel like Miles and Tate had amazing chemistry though and it was so strong right from the start. I really felt the heat and steam between them, but I also thought that it would have been nice to see more of an emotional connection developing between them rather than just physical.

Beyond the issues I had as far as the characters and their connection though, I had some problems with the story itself. I thought that while it was nice to get both POVs, I would have like to have seen more of Miles in the present. It focused on his past, and I would have liked to have seen his thoughts and feelings while he was experiencing things in the present. I also felt like much of this story felt like a love triangle because of that. For the majority of this story, we see Miles and his love for Rachel. He never really made that move from the past to the present until after Rachel gave him permission. It just bothered me that he would have to go to her in order for him to really explore what was between him and Tate, and I felt like he really didn't choose to be with her because it was his decision. I wanted to read about Miles and Tate falling in love and not Miles beating himself up about his past and his love for Rachel. This story focused more on Miles and his growth and healing and the Rachel stuff than it did on Miles and Tate, which is why I felt this wasn't really a romance. I did like Cap, and I thought that he really brought some fun to this story. He was sweet and adorable and I loved his interactions with Tate. I also really enjoyed that despite their arrangement, they were never really able to just keep things stricly physical. Their feelings started to bleed through, and you could see that they were falling for one another even though they didn't want or expect to. I liked seeing them shop together and do things besides have sex, and I thought that they were fun and playful with one another. I would definitely recommend this book if you go into it knowing not to expect it to be a romance. I really think that the majority of this book would have felt so much different to me if that was the case from the start. I really love Colleen's writing style, and I am always sucked in from the start. I can never put her books down and that was still the case with Ugly Love. I just think that this story was more about growth and healing and the fact that horrible things happen and it is possible to move forward after them.

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Review: Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

I have been told that I really needed to read a book by Colleen Hoover for quite awhile now. When I first heard about Maybe Someday, I knew it was the one I wanted to read first! I have been listening to the songs from the soundtrack by Griffin Peterson since they first started releasing to iTunes. I will admit that I grew even more curious with each new song. Then the book came out and I was finally able to experience them together. WOW I absolutely loved that this book had an actual soundtrack to go with it. It really gave me an entirely new experience when reading that was unlike anything I have ever come across before. This was such an ingenious idea that Colleen Hoover came up with. Trust me this is definitely one that you must read and listen to! Hoover's writing style was really enjoyable and I was sucked in right from the start.

Sydney has just found out that her best friend and boyfriend have been hooking up behind her back. Heartbroken and needing some place to stay while she figures things out, she ends up turning to the sexy musician from across the way. She has watched him playing guitar everyday and has been drawn to him since she first saw him. Ridge has been struggling with writer's block and when he sees Sydney singing along to his songs that he hasn't written lyrics for he is intrigued. So he gets her to send him her lyrics and it is better than he imagined. The solution seems simple, Sydney needs a place to stay and Ridge needs a muse. But with their growing closeness and everything standing between them, things get complicated really quickly.

I really liked Ridge. I thought that he was sweet and caring, he was a natural protector and was always looking out for others. I liked that he was such a good guy. He was honorable and loyal. He was in a really bad situation, and yet he tried to always handle things the best way he knew how. I liked how funny he was and I loved the honesty and open way that he and Sydney had with each other. They were never afraid to lay it all out there with each other. I loved Sydney. I thought that she was strong and sweet, but also funny and good-hearted. I felt so bad for her. She was constantly getting dealt one crappy thing after another, and she was in such an impossible situation. I loved how mature she was and what a good person she was through and through. It was what made her so likable. I thought that she and Ridge had such a natural chemistry and they just fit together. I thought that their personalities really came through and were the perfect compliment to one another.

I did have a few things that I didn't necessarily agree with and they left me with some mixed feelings. I can't really say much about them because they are spoilers, and this book has to be read without spoilers. Trust me you do not want anything ruined for you. But I felt like the situations were handled as well as they could be, and honestly there was no bad guy in this story. As much as I wanted there to be, there wasn't anyone that you could put the blame on. It was just likable characters that were in an impossible situation and at times it was absolutely heartbreaking. But I loved all the characters, including the supporting characters. Warren was one of my favorites, and I just loved him! I also really loved the way that Sydney and Ridge first start talking, it was really great! One of the best meet cutes I have ever read! What I really loved the most though is that Colleen Hoover gave us a story unlike anything I have ever read before and characters unlike any you have ever seen. This book was completely original, and I loved how unique and different everything was. This isn't the same tired story with a different spin or the same cookie cutter characters that we have seen over and over. I highly recommend this story and soundtrack and for me this is an absolute must read! I can't wait to read more from Colleen Hoover and I really look forward to seeing what else she has to offer.

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Soundtrack: | Amazon | iTunes |