Book Review: Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 335 pages
Author: Colleen Hoover
Publisher: Montlake
Release Date: January 18th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A troubled young mother yearns for a shot at redemption in this heartbreaking yet hopeful story from #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover.

After serving five years in prison for a tragic mistake, Kenna Rowan returns to the town where it all went wrong, hoping to reunite with her four-year-old daughter. But the bridges Kenna burned are proving impossible to rebuild. Everyone in her daughter’s life is determined to shut Kenna out, no matter how hard she works to prove herself.

The only person who hasn’t closed the door on her completely is Ledger Ward, a local bar owner and one of the few remaining links to Kenna’s daughter. But if anyone were to discover how Ledger is slowly becoming an important part of Kenna’s life, both would risk losing the trust of everyone important to them.

The two form a connection despite the pressure surrounding them, but as their romance grows, so does the risk. Kenna must find a way to absolve the mistakes of her past in order to build a future out of hope and healing.

COHO HAS DONE IT AGAIN.

Not even surprised I loved this. LOVED IT. The hype is completely warranted and this is the type of classic Hoover read that I have to emotionally prepare for knowing it’s going to destroy me before stitching my heart back together.

I loved that this was way and beyond more than a romance. There were many types of love that played a part in Kenna and Ledger’s story. The major theme of getting a second chance had me in tears. Seeing Kenna come from so low and truly trying to do her best to get an opportunity to meet her daughter made for a heart squeezing read.

“Now that I’ve forgiven myself, the reminders of him only make me smile.”

Exploring different types of forgiveness and making the best choices in an horrible situation creating a memorable story. I love the gray areas Hoover explores and that each person’s path is not direct or like any others.

The romance was of course, fabulous. ALL THE ANGST. And Ledger is just a bar above the rest y’all. Plenty of chemistry, raw discussions and passion fueled moments. You’ll be hoping for the best for everyone involved by the end. This is now going to be ranking as one of my top CoHo books.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: some strong
Romance: multiple brief to longer open door
Trigger/Content Warnings: suicidal thoughts, detailed scene of losing a loved one by a car accident, under the influence car wreck (alcohol and drugs), grief and depression depiction, child neglect, parent incarceration