it ends with us – colleen hoover
(TW: physical/emotional abuse)
This was the first Colleen Hoover book that I read, and I immediately knew that she was going to be one of my favorite authors. There is so much to unpack here that I am still wrapping my head around the story months later. Colleen Hoover has this incredible ability to make you feel everything the characters feel. What struck me the most was how much I found myself rooting for Ryle despite everything that he did. I even felt a stab in my chest when I realized Lily was finally moving on. Like Lily, I knew that Ryle wouldn’t change, and yet I still sympathized with him and held on to hope that they could work it out. I found myself having an internal conflict between being in love with their love and recognizing that love shouldn’t hurt like that. I resonated with Lily so much, and her journey of breaking the abuse cycle that she swore she would never be in was absolutely heart-wrenching. I fell in love with her, I cried with her, I felt every emotion with her. What Colleen Hoover writes isn’t simply fiction; it’s a version of life and internal conflict that so many of us live. It Ends with Us is not a romanticized version of life; it is the raw and painful truth, and that’s what I appreciate about it. It Ends with Us is a valuable reminder that abuse isn’t easy to spot, let alone get away from. But it is also a beautiful story about breaking the cycle and creating the life that you deserve.
Book lovers – emily henry
I initially fell in love with this book because of the enemies-to-lovers trope, but after having time to digest it, there is so much more to the seemingly feel-good novel. I am the biggest sucker for rom-coms of all nature, but one thing that has always irked me is how the workaholic “girlboss” in the movies isn’t actually happy. What’s more, it’s always the big city woman who dials down for the small-town man and never the other way. What I loved about Book Lovers is that it is a different take on the small-town romance. For starters, Libby, the workaholic, laser-focused frontwoman, isn’t miserable. She is authentically herself. Second, even though she falls in love with the small town, she doesn’t change her character, especially not to fit in or be with Charlie. Furthermore, Charlie doesn’t want her to do that. This book is all about what love should be—it should better us but not change us. For me specifically, it was refreshing to see that a woman who is more focused on her career and is perfectly content with being single doesn’t need to minimize herself to fit into the role of girlfriend, fiancé, or wife. If anyone needs a reminder of the kind of love you are worth, read this now.
ugly love – colleen hoover
When I read It Ends with Us, I was convinced there was not a sadder book. And then I picked up Ugly Love, and I sped through it in one day, feeling every emotion so strongly. Not to be dramatic, but I physically felt my chest ache. Again, I just love how real the story is. Colleen Hoover doesn’t sugarcoat anything to make it easier to digest. It was a hard book to stomach, but that’s what sets it apart from other books I have read. Ugly Love is the perfect name because the book is all about how messy love and life are. I was especially touched by the message that love doesn’t have to wait, and it never will for circumstances to be perfect. But that doesn’t mean that if you don’t have everything figured out, you can’t find love. Overall, it was such a touching story about finding closure and breaking down the walls we put up to avoid being hurt. You will not regret reading this book, and I promise you will fall so in love with Tate and Miles’s love.
one true loves – taylor jenkins reid
I wish my younger self had read this book. I loved everything that Taylor Jenkins Reid portrayed in this novel. It is such a refreshing take on the love triangle trope. It was a beautiful story about how the truth hurts, but how facing that hurtful truth is what leads to life’s most beautiful blessings. When I was younger, I did everything I could to make things work, including relationships. I struggled with accepting the fact that sometimes good things end. To me, if something good ends, then it’s no longer good. This book is all about challenging that idea. I felt like I was growing and maturing with Emma as she came to accept that change happens and that limiting yourself is a tremendous disservice. It was the most heartwarming feeling when she finally accepts that the person she is today and the things she wants now are different from what it was 5 years ago. The even greater lesson for me was that neither of those things is wrong. Her idea of an ideal life and love have evolved, but it doesn’t take away from her past experiences. She can close a chapter of her life, while it remains something she values. She can fall in love with someone new, and it doesn’t take away from the love that her previous self shared. Her and Jesse’s relationship ended, but it is still a blessing. What she and Jesse shared was love. What she and Sam shared was also love. Both things can be true. And ending one does not make turn it from a blessing to a curse. It is simply life.