Is is possible to enjoy a book that leaves you crying?  Despite waking up with swollen eyes because I stayed up late finishing this book and cried for a good time after, I did like the book.  I admit it, sometimes I do like a good cry.  I chalk it up to being female.  Don’t get me wrong, this a true romance book and it promises a happily ever after.  Since this book is a retelling of the story from Hopeless, except told from Holder’s point of view, the main story line was not a surprise.  Actually, it was knowing that I was guaranteed a happily ever after was what got me through this story.

I loved how the surprising twists were revealed in Hopeless, but the drama in Losing Hope was sensational.  It was painful and heartbreaking.  It was excruciatingly delightful.  Isn’t that what you want from a book?  Colleen Hoover does a tremendous job of explicitly making the reader feel Dean Holder’s pain, concern, frustration, and uncertainty.  I felt like I was transported into the tornado of Dean’s emotional drama.

If you revel getting lost in a romantic book, I think you will enjoy this book, too.

 to Colleen Hoover!

I love a book about reconnecting with young love.  Just because two people fall in love during their teenage years doesn’t necessarily mean that it wasn’t true, real, and valuable.  Sometimes it takes time and life experiences to realize how important that first love was.  And hey, a little extra sexual experience can’t hurt – its a great way to hone one’s skills. The length of the book is short but it is not short on character depth.  I felt like I really understood the facets of the characters and their struggles.  Jake is a hot firefighter that doesn’t want to risk his heart again, even for someone that consumed his head for over a decade.  Naomi must fight to get Jake to open himself up to her again.  She struggles with his initial rejection, which is a lot to handle after having to deal with the loss of her premie daughter.  I plan on reading the other books in the series.

 to Jessie Evans!

Need a feel-good book?  This is a shorter romance book that hooked me from the beginning.  It’s about a group in their mid to late twenties.  The story line kept moving forward.  Of course, the characters endure some bumps and bruises along the way in their relationships, but the author doesn’t string-out the reader for a hundred pages until that particular issue is resolved.  This makes it a perfect read after a stressful day.  Sometimes it is nice to have problems resolved quickly.

All the characters are real and relatable.  They are all very self sufficient, but their stubborn to a fault.  Their fears and challenges highlight typical issues of their age while easily keeping the reader’s attention.  I didn’t want to put the book down.

 to Bethany Shaw!