Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover

source: purchased
title: Reminders of Him
author: Colleen Hoover
published: January 18, 2022
pages: 320
genre: new adult fiction/romance
first line: There’s a small wooden cross staked into the ground on the side of the road with the date of his death written on it.
rated: 4 out of 5


blurb:

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.



my thoughts:

Last week I chose Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover as my first read of 2023. There’s been so much buzz around this book and author especially lately. I’ve read a handful of her books throughout the past several years and have always enjoyed them.

Reminders of Him starts off with 26-year-old Kenna Rowan returning to the town where she made a huge mistake about 5 years prior that landed her in prison. Now that she’s been released, she aims to get her life back together which includes meeting her 4-year-old daughter Diem for the first time since giving birth while serving her jail sentence. Diem is being raised by her paternal grandparents. When Kenna gets back to town she also meets a handsome bar owner and ex-NFL player named Ledger Ward.

The story is told in alternating first person POV by Kenna and Ledger. I like this style of writing because you get more insight into what’s going on with these characters. Kenna reveals how she came to meet her daughter’s father and the reason why she served prison time. There is alot of tension between Kenna and Ledger due to the circumstances and Ledger is torn between trying to help her out or staying away from her.

Colleen Hoover loves to weave a deliciously tangled web of drama, heartache and romance into her books. The theme of redemption is a main part of the story as Kenna tries to get her life back together. This was an emotional read as Kenna revealed her story bit by bit and I rooted for her.

While I enjoyed this one overall, I did have a few minor qualms, the first being the insta-love. I kind of felt things were pretty rushed between Kenna and Ledger at the start of the story. Within hours of meeting her, Ledger is holding her, rubbing her back as Kenna cries in his arms. Physical attraction is one thing but to have that kind of emotional comfort between virtual strangers was hard to believe. Another thing I noticed was that Ledger was kind of glorified in this story. It felt like he could do no wrong. I can’t go into details without spoilers, but I would have liked to have seen Ledger have some flaws, make it more realistic. However, these issues were minor and didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the book. The writing flowed smoothly, and the ending was really sweet. I’m glad I picked this one up, and I can see why it’s become one of Hoover’s most popular books.

“She seems like a quiet person, but not the shy kind of quiet. She’s quiet in a fierce way-a storm that sneaks up on you, and you don’t know it’s there until you feel the thunder rattle your bones.”-p. 30, Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover

Lastly and a little bit random, this is a nice quote from the afterward by the author…
“Reading is a hobby, but for some of us, it’s an escape from the difficulties we face. To all of you who escape into books, I want to thank you for escaping into this one.”-Colleen Hoover

About the author:
Colleen Hoover is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, including the #1 bestseller, Hopeless. She lives in Texas with her husband and three children. She is the founder of The Bookworm Box, a book subscription service which donates 100% of its proceeds to charity. She also owns The Bookworm Box, a specialty bookstore located in Sulphur Springs, Tx.- quoted from Amazon

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Disclaimer: This review is my honest opinion. I did not receive any kind of compensation for reading and reviewing this book. I am under no obligation to write a positive review. I purchased my copy of Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover.