When I think of romance novels, Colleen Hoover is the first author that comes to my mind. Her popularity has only skyrocketed within the past few years, with dedicated fans on TikTok and Instagram raving about each of her books. The biggest bookish content creators have expressed their love for her addictive writing style (TikToker Steph Bohrer and I spent time gushing over Hoover’s books when I interviewed her last year) and celebrities like Kylie Jenner have even shared snaps of them spending a cozy night with Hoover’s books.
Hoover’s newest release, Reminders of Him, just came out on January 18. Naturally, since Hoover is one of my favorite authors, I immediately started reading the book as soon as it showed up on my doorstep. This book was such a beautiful stand-alone novel that explores the lifelong consequences that can come from just one mistake.
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.
Colleen Hoover (Reminders of Him)
After a tragic accident puts main character Kenna in prison, she has only one person on her mind she’d like to see when she gets released. Her daughter, Diem, has been raised by her paternal grandparents since birth. Though Kenna hasn’t seen Diem in five years and has no parental rights anymore, she wants more than anything to make things right for her daughter.
And, of course, it can’t be a Colleen Hoover book without some romance. Ledger is the owner of a bar in town, and just so happens to be one of the biggest parts of Diem’s life. Ledger is put in a very difficult situation after he discovers who Kenna really is: the girl who left his best friend Scotty to die. Does she deserve to be reunited with her daughter? Or should that one fatal night dictate the rest of her life?
This book explores the concept of what makes a person good or bad more so than any of Hoover’s other stories. I really enjoyed reading about a flawed character who knew she was flawed, but at the same time, was the farthest thing from selfish. I think that the writing in this book is honest, heartfelt, and honestly cuts deep to your core at some points. There is a beauty to redemption, and how we, as humans, grow and evolve after tragedy is something Hoover bases a beautifully heartbreaking story on.
Now that I’ve forgiven myself, the reminders of him only make me smile.
Colleen Hoover (Reminders of Him)
This is a book that I enjoyed reading, but more importantly, stuck with me even a few days after I had finished it. While it doesn’t pack the same punch as It Ends With Us or Verity do, for instance, I think this newest novel has the potential to be a standout in Hoover’s bibliography. Somehow, her storytelling capabilities and skill at tearing at readers’ heartstrings only keep getting better and better. While Reminders of Him wasn’t my favorite from Hoover, I still think it’s definitely worth the read. The concepts of what defines a family and how we deal with grief, even years after a tragedy, are weaved between a budding romance and somehow, the feeling of hope that everything will turn out okay in the end.
We all have the power to change, and the power to forgive. And ultimately, that’s one of the biggest things to take away from this novel.
Maybe the best way to cope with the loss of people we love is to find them in as many places and things as we possibly can.
Colleen Hoover (Reminders of Him)