Alright, alright, alright. I’m officially a CoHo fan. You won’t see me on #booktok, but I will be reading more of her in the future. And I have Reminders of Him to thank because this book sucked me in from the get-go and tore my heart in two. This is the third book I have read by Hoover and now I am starting to see what the buzz is about. She has a craft with creating endearingly flawed characters and stories with heavy and topical themes. I’m hopping on that bandwagon *toot toot* all aboard!
Synopsis:
After serving five years in prison for a tragic mistake, Kenna Rowan returns to her small hometown, hoping to reunite with her four-year-old daughter, Diem. Hoping to make peace with that tragic night and right her wrongs, Kenna embarks on a relationship with Ledger Ward, who happens to be a link to her daughter. The two form a romance that must remain hidden if Ledger wants to stay in Diem’s life, but also threatens any chance of Kenna having a relationship with the daughter she hasn’t seen since her birth.
Mel’s Thoughts:
Reminders of Him is a heavy read with a love story that will melt your heart. Kenna is judged for her actions on one fateful night that left the love of her life, Scotty, dead after a car crash. She forever must live with the mistake and decisions she made, but how long does someone have to suffer and repent before they can be forgiven? That is the main premise of this story, and it will make you feel conflicted up until the end.
I went back and forth feeling deep empathy for Kenna and Scotty’s parents. One on hand, if my child died and there was someone “at fault,” I would hold anger towards them too. But on the other hand, if I had my child taken from me at birth, to be raised by my late boyfriend’s parents, I would want to be a part of that child’s life and would do anything to make that happen.
That is what makes Colleen Hoover a good author. She puts your into the shoes of characters with differing perspectives. You hold the conflicting feelings with you as you read her books and her writing has a way of expanding your mind to a world that is not black and white, but varying shades of gray.
Reminders of Him tore my heart out but taught me such a lovely lesson on forgiveness. I fell in love with these characters and needed to find out how Kenna’s story played out. The love story was an added bonus. (Love me some Ledger.)
Content/trigger warnings: death of loved one, prison, forced removal of a child, substance abuse
Rating:
4.5 stars
Favorite Quote:
“Moments like these remind me that happiness isn’t some permanent thing we’re all trying to achieve in life, it’s merely a thing that shows up every now and then, sometimes in tiny doses that are just substantial enough to keep us going.”
Other Books by Colleen Hoover:
(Click the title links to read my review)
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