Him

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Fifteen years ago, Catherine met the dashing Lucian at university. Theirs was a passionate love affair but then Catherine breaks up with Lucian. No explanation or anything. She just disappears and refuses to talk to him ever again, leaving Lucian utterly devastated. Most of his personality was developed around him fighting the inner battle of believing whether Kenna is good or not. He was a nice enough hero, but there was nothing special or groundbreaking about him. I didn't believe in his love for Kenna, everything about their coupling felt forced and forged only by the bond they share through Diem and the loss of Scotty. It's been just over five years since the night that changed everything for Kenna Rowan. An accidental tragedy at her hand sent her to prison where she gave birth to a baby girl Diem, never to be in her custody. Now that Kenna is released, she is determined to earn forgiveness and finally meet her four-year-old daughter, but they want nothing to do with her. She finds comfort and support from Ledger Ward, someone who she never thought would ever give her the light of day. For the majority of the book, I kept waiting for that one mindblowing twist that CoHo is known for, but the fact that THERE’S NOT ONE SINGLE PLOT TWIST (besides Ledger the BFF) is utterly disappointing, disappointingly underwhelming, and very unbecoming of CoHo. It was hard to comprehend and accept that the accident happened because Kenny was being careless and irresponsible. Even when she described it in detail near the end of the book, the logic was somewhat lost on me. I loved her strength, she had zero money to her name but she didn't care, all she wanted was to see her baby that was ripped away from her arms. She got a job working minimum wage as a grocery bagging assistant, she worked extra hours for Ledger at his bar as a dishwasher all so she could prove her worth to the Landry's and be able to see her daughter Diem. People judged her for what happened that night, but she was distressed to the point where it lead her into pleading guilty because she felt like she needed to be punished for that accident, when in fact the truth is both Scotty AND Kenna were high/drunk and got in the car. Yes, one died, but both needed to be held just as accountable or just as innocent.

Him Go: The heartbreaking book from the mother of James I Let Him Go: The heartbreaking book from the mother of James

Theakstons proof 5 was this one and I loved it for its considered engaging characters, the beautifully done past/present vibe and it's strong emotional core.

Or can they? When Wes’s nosiest teammate moves in upstairs, the threads of their carefully woven lie begin to unravel. With the outside world determined to take its best shot at them, can Wes and Jamie develop major-league relationship skills on the fly? Kenna Rowan is an ex-con who served her five year sentence in prison for involuntary manslaughter of her then still alive boyfriend. Upon discharging, she’s looking to start over and reconnect with the daughter she carried and birthed during her serving time but never had the chance to hold. This is a gripping read and I highly recommend it if you enjoy mystery thrillers with a love story at its heart.

Him by Sarina Bowen, Elle Kennedy | Waterstones

i was this close to tears several times - and not because Colleen's writing is in any way shape or form moving to me - it's because i don't even want to look at this, let alone read it. Ledger, on the other hand, who just met this woman, who's known her for all but 20 minutes, is sure that Kenna's face is "a work of art" and god, how he wishes "there was a picture of it hanging on a wall in a museum somewhere so [he] could stand in front of it and stare at it for as long as [he] wanted." Not the "face is a painting and belongs in museum" trope, I beg thee. 😭

I knew I would love it as soon as I read the synopsis, but I was not ready to be bombarded with these intense emotions. And it's interesting to see how these complicated feelings were expressed by all parties involved in this story. All were valid. And it makes you think what your own reaction would've been like. That same night they went on their first date, Scotty actually broke up with his girlfriend that same day just so he could take Kenna out 😂 and the next 6 months flew by as they fell head over heels in love. I loved how sweet their relationship was, Kenna had never known love or stability like it before and Scotty gave her all that and more. Catherine has become mute. She has witnessed something so disturbing that she simply can't speak - not to her husband, her children, or her friends. The doctors say the only way forward is to look into her past. Catherine needs to start with Him. Lucian. it has absolutely zero relevance to the plot. it's barely a scene, but people say to start criticism with something positive, so here you go. Maybe it doesn’t matter whether something is a coincidence or a sign. Maybe the best way to cope with the loss of the people we love is to find them in as many places and things as we possibly can.”

Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover | Goodreads Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover | Goodreads

With a friend he has lost and busy running a bar, he wouldn’t let the one who has ruined his friend’s family to interfere with his life. This story embodies pain. Something CoHo is known all too well for. She strikes the balance of stories that seem so far out there - out there to my own world view - with so much care and heart. UPDATE: despite EVERYTHING this book made it to the final round of the Goodreads Choice Awards; we really do be living in a society... 🤡

Idk what to think of the romance. I think it was poorly written. Kenna and Ledger didn’t fall in love under the best of circumstances, but I’m afraid Ledger might just be a consolation prize for Kenna. I’m not sure if Kenna was over her grief and already moved on from her dead boyfriend. Also, the fact that she still wrote him letters, I don’t know what to make of that. I loved that we saw glimpses of their relationship from those letters. At the same time, it only emphasized how much she loved him. Unfortunately, Reminders of Him simply didn’t resonate with me. I kind of feel like I read a different book than everyone else as I didn’t connect with the storyline or the characters. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes throughout and felt that the entire book was OTT. This is perhaps only the second book of COHO’s that I didn’t care for. It is what it is.