I've read quite a few Colleen Hoover books, some I've loved and some I've hated. Heart Bones lands right in the middle of the pack for me.

Beyah comes from a life of poverty and neglect. When her mother dies of an overdose, she goes to live with the father she barely knows. Once there, she feels an immediate attraction to Samson, the handsome guy next door. Beyah recognizes something in him that makes her think they are kindred spirits. Before the summer is over, all their secrets will be revealed to each other.

Even with the main character's unusual backstory, this feels more like a regular new adult romance than anything else. And to be fair, that's really what Colleen Hoover does best. She has this way of pulling you into the romance and keeping the book firmly glued to your hands until the very last page, even if the main couple does come across as somewhat cringey and angsty.

Still, I need a little bit more than just a straightforward new adult romance in order to really enjoy it, and this didn't have that. Colleen Hoover's books usually elicit such strong emotions in me, melting me into a puddle of snot and tears. But not this one. It lacked that all-important emotional punch. I didn't cry, my heart remains unbroken, and my tissues are dry.

Maybe I'm finally outgrowing the new adult genre. (Say it ain't so!) At the risk of dating myself, it's been almost two decades since I was the age of the characters in this book. And even though I'd like to think I remain young at heart, I suppose there is a limit. My reading preferences can only remain that young for so long, especially when it comes to angsty romances.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

I don't dislike It Starts with Us per se, but it does feel more like a long and unnecessary epilogue to It Ends with Us rather than the separate, worthwhile story it should've been.

I remember vividly the experience of reading It Ends with Us, how every page felt riveting and every moment essential. There were so many memorable scenes, so much emotion embedded in the pages. I sobbed my way through it, especially that ending that completely gutted me. To prep for this book, I reread the ending, and sure enough, it walloped me again.

So it's rather disappointing that this story didn't do anything for me. There was no emotional punch, no compelling conflict. It took me days longer to read this than I anticipated because I didn't feel any pull to keep going. And now having finished this, I'm already unable to point to a single memorable moment because there honestly weren't any.

But then, that's always the fear when an author gives in to fans and writes a sequel or prequel they originally had no intention of writing, isn't it? That the result would be mundane, at best an unnecessary add-on, at worst ruining the legacy of a previously amazing work. (I'm looking at you, Harry Potter and The Hunger Games.)

More spelled out isn't always better. Whatever I had imagined in my head for Lily's future, it was more interesting than what I got. And in fact, to spell out Lily's future in the way that this sequel did took something away from the difficulty of Lily's decision at the end of the first book. Part of what I loved about that book was the nuanced and flawed characters, while this book distilled everyone down to either just a good guy or a bad guy.

The other issue is that there is no real conflict or surprises in here. Sure, I enjoy reading a happy ending as much as the next person, but not for 300+ pages. It's clear without having read a single page of this book what will happen and who will end up happy. And sure enough, the story progresses and ends exactly the way you'd expect. And that just does not make for an enthralling read.

This all sounds rather harsh, but it's really not that bad. It was an alright way to pass a few hours if you're not quite ready to leave the world of Lily and Atlas. This pleasant and unexciting story won't leave you breathless, but it shouldn't offend either. Just be ready to forget about it almost as soon as you're done.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

If you're a fan of the book, please don't read this review. It's going to upset you, and you're going to hate me and leave mean comments, and then we can't be friends anymore. It'll be awkward all around. So yeah, best avoid.

Seriously, last chance to turn away.

Okay phew, now that I'm among like-minded readers (all three of us who didn't like this book), what the heck was this? Was Colleen Hoover blackmailed into putting her name on a book written by a hormonal teenager? Because I can't comprehend any other explanation for the hot mess that was this book.

Gosh, where to even start? How about with Tate and Miles, our main couple. So they meet and it's lust at first sight. But Miles can't do relationships because some unexplained thing has hurt him in the past. So now he can only have no-strings-attached sex. (Cue eye roll.) Of course, Tate can't say no to such an amazing offer, so she jumps right in. (Another eye roll.)

Sure, the premise is a bit wack, but not all hope is lost. The characters must at least be likable, right? Well, no. Miles doesn't talk or smile, which is mentioned at least once on every single page. In fact, he smiles so rarely that Tate composed a poem on the one occasion he did:

Miles smiles

For no one else

Miles only smiles

For me.

If you're wondering how anyone could possibly fall for a nonverbal, expressionless man-child, your guess is as good as mine.

Then we come to Tate, the world's biggest pushover, letting Miles walk all over her and treat her like a sex doormat. Yet she keeps going back for more, reeking of desperation and utterly devoid of self-respect. Lest you think this makes for an exciting story, I assure you there's a reason why silent/clingy has not taken off as a popular romance trope.

I want to plaster those four words on a billboard and require myself to pass it on my drive to work every day.

You'd think he promised her the moon and the stars, but no, he just said, "You look pretty, Tate." I kid you not.

We also have interweaved the story from Miles's younger years, the one that explains his pain. He and Rachel are young and in love, but things keep getting in their way. It definitely makes for very angsty (shudder) drama. But that isn't my biggest issue. My biggest problem is that it's written like this:

Rachel is happy.

I make Rachel happy.

I make Rachel's life better.

Her life is better with me in it.

"Rachel," I whisper.

Is this a joke? And here's another example:

We go to the beach.

Rachel wants to sunbathe while she reads.

I want to watch Rachel sunbathe while she reads.

In case you think I cherrypicked the most ludicrous examples, those are actually from the same page. In fact, every page written about Miles and Rachel reads like this. And it has the most ridiculous formatting, with line breaks galore, everything center-aligned, and random italics thrown in for emphasis.

Why is the writing so juvenile when Miles is supposedly 18 years old? Why is every scene between the two couples so cringeworthy? And why isn't this book called "Idiot Love" instead? I don't have any answers, just questions.

As I was reading this, I kept feeling like I was on some hidden camera show, and any moment, someone would jump out of the bushes and yell, "Gotcha!" Then they would hand me the real book written by Colleen Hoover, and we'd all have a good laugh over how thoroughly they got me. But sadly, that didn't happen.

I have a love/hate relationship with Colleen Hoover, and this one unfortunately falls squarely in the hate category. Since I've read most of her recent books, I thought I'd catch up on some of her older ones. But that was clearly the wrong decision. Maybe she's one of those authors who gets better and better as they go, and this is just too far back from her current style to resemble even a little of what I love about her writing.

And one last closing thought: if you're a young woman (or young man) reading this, and you think this is the way love is supposed to be, just no. You can have spark and sizzle and lust, and still be treated with kindness and respect. Don't ever let someone walk all over you and don't ever settle for less than you deserve. Tate should've kicked Miles to the curb a long time ago. If she had, this would've been a story worth reading.

Readaroo Rating: 1 star

With Reminders of Him, Colleen Hoover cements her status as queen of the emotional read.

You'd think having read so many of Hoover's books, I would be better prepared. One, always have a box of tissues ready. Two, never read it in public. But I haven't learned my lesson. This time, I was in the doctor's office, sitting in the waiting room, when I got walloped with the feels. I tried to pass it off as allergies, but sobbing and allergies don't exactly look the same, you know?

Kenna has just been released from prison, where she served her time for an accident that had forever altered the course of her life. She returns to the town where it all went wrong, in the hopes of being reunited with the daughter she's never known. But old grudges die hard, and the town isn't so ready to welcome her back. The only ally she may have is Ledger, owner of the local bar, who has his own ties to her past.

This book sure packs a punch. I don't know if it's just where I am in my life currently, but reading about Kenna's separation from her daughter was particularly painful and heartbreaking. It was hard not to cry through most of it, if I'm being honest. The other thing that really struck a chord with me is Kenna's hope for a second chance after having done her time. It's still pretty rare for literature to include this important theme, and I'm always so heartened to see it.

There are so many sides to this story, so many different ways of looking at it. There's no real right or wrong, just lots of gray in the middle. It wouldn't surprise me if a lot of readers felt strongly that Kenna's situation is too harsh or too lenient. And I certainly wouldn't be surprised if those two groups ended up overlapping, with the same readers feeling both. This is exactly the sort of story that balances on an edge, tugging your heartstrings one way, then another.

If I had one quibble, it's that the pacing of the story felt a little bit off. The middle part dragged on for longer than necessary without much in the way of plot advances. Then when we get to the end, the resolution happens seemingly out of nowhere, without any of the anticipated pushbacks. After the odyssey that was the journey, the ending felt a bit abrupt to me.

Still, Colleen Hoover is known for delivering eminently readable stories, and this is just as riveting as the rest. Though she puts so much emotional toil into them, they never make me want to turn away. I want to continue flipping the pages. I want to feel whatever emotional punishment she has in store for me. And that's what makes her stories so special.

Just don't forget my two tips if you're going to read this. And maybe I'll even remember them myself one day.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

My heartfelt thanks for the copy that was provided for my honest and unbiased review.

How did Colleen Hoover ever think up this dark and twisted tale? It is so unique, so completely shocking that it blows away every other suspense story I've ever read.

Lowen is a struggling writer when she gets an offer too good to pass up. Jeremy, the husband of successful author Verity Crawford, hires Lowen to complete Verity's series when his injured wife is unable to do so. Once Lowen arrives at their home to start compiling notes and do research, she discovers an unfinished manuscript that looks to be Verity's autobiography. What is written in those pages will horrify and haunt anyone who reads it.

So many books advertise as suspenseful thrillers, but hardly any of them cause my heart to blip even a little. (I know, I'm a stone cold reader.) But this book! There is such a deliciously creepy atmosphere that permeates throughout and it got me good. I'll admit to heart palpitations, cold clammy hands, and being startled at the smallest noises. And as the story progresses and we find out more and more, the tension ratchets up to almost unbearable levels.

There was never any hope for me. I was hooked from the very first page. There is a creativity to this story that makes it hard to look away. I've never read anything like this, not even close. As a result, every page was a surprise and I just wanted to keep going. And as the truth gets darker and more tortuous, I had no choice but to hold on for the ride of my life.

This book employs one of my favorite formats, a story within a story. I've loved pretty much every book I've come across that uses this format, and it works especially well here. The interspersing of the inner manuscript with the outer story allows us to find out what's going on at the same time that Lowen is figuring things out.

I cannot believe this is Colleen Hoover's first thriller. Reading this feels like watching a master at their craft, setting the bar higher than I ever thought possible. This story is so astonishing and unsettling and completely original. It will stay with me for a long time.

Readaroo Rating: 5 stars!

"We all have a limit. What we're willing to put up with before we break."

When was the last time a book just completely slayed me, cutting me so deep and evoking such strong emotions? It feels like my heart has been filled, then broken, filled, then broken. In the end, I'm stunned by what I read.

It Ends with Us starts out innocently enough. We follow the courtship of Lily and Ryle. He is handsome, successful, and so thoroughly smitten with Lily he can barely think. He makes advances while claiming he doesn't do relationships. She rebuffs him while secretly pining for him. Really, it's all fun and a bit frivolous, your standard romance.

But then we arrive at the crux of this story, which I'll try my best to be vague here so as to minimize the spoilage. (Though at this point, with all the hubbub surrounding the movie, I'd be surprised if there is anyone out there who doesn't yet know what this is about.) Nonetheless, it's best to read it from Colleen Hoover's own words, and what an astounding set of words they are.

Make no mistake, this isn't a romance even though it starts out as one. Instead, it's a considerably more honest look at relationships—their ups and downs, and what really happens when the rosy tint wears off and it turns out one person has bigger issues than the relationship can contain. As a result, it asks us readers the very uncomfortable question of just how much we are willing to put up with for love.

I will say, the main topic in here is something that a lot of books try to tackle, but very few do right. Often books will go heavy-handed in making one character out to be the villain, as if afraid that a more subtle approach will somehow be misconstrued as condonement. But this does a disservice to the entire situation, making it difficult for us to understand the other character's perspective as well as their reasons for being in the relationship in the first place.

What makes Hoover's portrayal so masterful is her nuanced approach. She brings a humanity to both sides that is sobering and heartbreaking, and it makes the whole thing ring true. It's brutal and compelling, and it's hard to look away.

I think for those of us fortunate enough to never have been in a situation like this, it's easy to take the ideal road and turn our noses up at anything less than the puritanical view. But real life isn't like that at all; it isn't black and white. It's filled to the brim with all sorts of gray, day in and day out. And Hoover shades in the gray with a skillfulness that is so raw and visceral, it often made me forget where my lines are.

[view spoiler below]

I read this book years ago when it first came out, and I remember thinking highly of it, though not much else. So when I read it again this time, I admit I was shaken by how hard it hit me. I think it's because I'm older now and have more experience with love and relationships, so I'm able to appreciate this story even more.

My suggestions if you're going to read this book—have a box of tissues ready and don't skip the author's note at the end. I sobbed my way to the finishing line, then read the author's note and sobbed some more. This is a riveting and worthwhile read, though at times difficult, and it showcases Colleen Hoover at her best, taking her contemporary new adult genre and elevating it to soaring heights.

Readaroo Rating: 5 stars!

Spoiler past this point:

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Many people think that Hoover is romanticizing what is going on in here, but that isn't it at all. In making Ryle the complex person that he is with good qualities, and in making Ryle and Lily's relationship happy most of the time, Hoover actually manages to explain the most confounding paradox of abusive relationships—that they are good or even great most of the time, and that the victim is neither too dumb to realize they're being mistreated nor are they too lazy to affect change. But rather, the victim needs to be exceptionally strong and well-supported in order to leave behind so many good moments in order to cut out a few bad ones.

You know where I draw the line when it comes to romances? At abuse and torture. Sigh.

When Leeds meets Layla, he knew immediately that she's the one. But soon into their relationship, Layla is attacked, leaving her with mental and physical scars. Leeds whisks her away to the place where they first met, in the hopes that that will bring them closer together. But soon, odd things start to happen. In trying to get to the bottom of it, Leeds grows close to Willow, a mysterious woman, and soon he's confused about where his loyalties really lie.

Whenever I see Colleen Hoover put out a book that crosses genres, I'm always salivating to get my hands on it. But it's not long into Layla before it becomes apparent that this story would be bogged down by a problematic narrative, and nothing can save it.

The story is told entirely from Leeds' perspective, and I have to say, he is the most despicable character I have ever come across. He is extremely self-centered and morally corrupt. What first starts out as manipulation of his girlfriend soon turns into gaslighting, which then becomes full-on physical restraint and emotional torture. Through it all, he justifies it by saying he can't stop himself and it's because he cares for Layla.

Honestly, the whole thing was so horrifying and hard to read, I had to take breaks after almost every paragraph. I definitely did not expect to be reading, in detail, one person emotionally torturing another person, all in the name of love.

But the crux of the issue is that Leeds isn't written as a villain. He's the main character of the love story, and we are supposed to sympathize with him and cheer him on. And when we get to the resolution, it obviously tries to justify what Leeds did. But that's problematic too because he did not actually know of these justifications when he committed his horrible acts.

I appreciate Hoover's attempts to cross genres, and find the mix of different ones in this story to be interesting and unique. But when it comes to execution, I'm honestly appalled by the results. To read it as it's written, with Leeds being the protagonist we should cheer for, is repugnant and beyond what I can tolerate, even in a story. Perhaps the moral here is that love justifies all, but if so, that is disturbing indeed.

Readaroo Rating: 1 star

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Colleen Hoover. I just never know what I'm going to get with her, so I always approach her books with caution. And I'm happy (and relieved) to report that Regretting You was a complete win for me.

We follow mother/daughter duo Morgan and Clara. Morgan had Clara when she was only 17, and put her dreams on hold to raise her daughter. The two love each other, but often clash due to their strong personalities. When tragedy strikes the family, the two must put aside their differences and try to come to terms with their new circumstances.

This story has all the best of Colleen Hoover. It delves into the complex relationship between a parent and a child, the challenges of growing up and seeking independence, and how to move on after tragedy. It's a rich sketch of the tapestry of life, with the messiness of everyone's feelings and expectations, and what happens when they all collide.

I found the passages around communication and misunderstandings to be particularly poignant. They underscore both how easy it is to let feelings of hurt and resentment build up over time, as well as the difference it can make to approach a loaded interaction with calmness, kindness, and honesty.

The supporting characters in this book are real highlights. Miller and his gramps are both so sweet and sarcastic, and they steal every scene they're in. They provide the perfect comfort to Clara through her anguish and heartbreak. It makes me wish they were real so that I could have them in my life.

I seem to either love Colleen Hoover's books (most of the time) or find them extremely questionable (every once in a while), and I'm glad this fell in the former camp. Right now is a stressful time, and this was the perfect heartwarming story to pull me away from that. It's comforting to read about love and kindness making a difference, and that there will be time again for happiness after tragedy.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

I'm completely flabbergasted after reading Without Merit. I went in with high expectations, having seen the rave reviews for this book and having previously enjoyed another book by Hoover. However, after reading this, I have to say it completely misses the mark on every single front for me.

To start, there is not a single likable character in this book. The narrator, Merit, is especially foul. She's selfish, rude, needy, immature, nosy, disrespectful... I could go on. Pretty much every bad characteristic you can think you, she is that. It's hard to be sympathetic to her at all. Every time someone tries to talk to her, she snaps back with something mean and rude, then spends all her time lamenting why people don't like her. She digs around and when she finds dirt on others and they ask her not to share, she makes a big fuss on having to hold their secret. She refuses to talk to people and when they don't pay attention to her, she throws herself pity parties. She obsesses over the sex she's never had and begrudges everyone else having sex. My eyes rolleth out of my head.

The other characters in here aren't any better. There's the guy who falls head over heels in love with Merit after seeing her for a few minutes, and then proceeds to follow her around like a lovesick puppy even though she is mean to him and everyone else around. She even pretends to be someone else just to trick him into kissing her, and he still likes her. There's the half-brother who cruelly makes fun of her virginity, but then they are all still buddies. There is her dad who seems not to notice or care that Merit is skipping school. The list goes on.

I can see that the author is trying to tackle the topic of depression with this book, but it comes across as saying depressed people are mean and cruel, but hey, they just need some hugs and everything will be ok.

One part of the book that is particularly disturbing is when someone outs a gay person, it comes across as homophobic. There is talk about the gay person trying to cure themselves by making out with a girl. I'm just speechless at this point.

This books tries to cover so much--mental illness, depression, suicide, homosexuality, bisexuality, divorce, cheating. At some point, it even explains the Syrian refugee crisis. It feels like everything is just thrown in there to manipulate the plot and for shock value. It ends up being a big old mess with no redeeming qualities.

Please, do yourself a favor and skip this book.

Readaroo Rating: 1 star