"It Ends With Us" by Colleen Hoover

Oh. My. Hoover.
I am still suffering somewhat of a bookhangover from November 9, which is why I haven't managed to post my review for that one yet (I swear, that book is my spirit animal!), but this... It Ends With Us... it's...

...heart-wrenching...
...gut-wrenching...
...the most beautiful kind of bad...
...the worst kind of beautiful...
...goosebump-invoking and tear-stirring...
...anything but black and white...

It's a book that tugs at your heartstrings, and that makes you want to cuddle up and say goodbye to the world for the rest of the day. Colleen Hoover has a beautiful mind, and a great talent for not only making you sympathize and empathize with her characters, but also for making you think about the issues that are addressed - the issues faced by her characters. It Ends With Us, especially, is a book that you won't just finish reading - it will stay with you long after the last page has been turned.

It's the kind of book that you will start to read, and that you won't want to put back down. At the same time though, it's a story you at times won't want to finish, because you may not want to know how it ends, or because - if you are like me - you just don't want to hit the last page and be done with it.
But you will do just that. You will read it til the end, and I am sure you will be loving it.

I am purposely keeping this review short - not because I don't have a million feels and a billion things to say, but because I really want each and every one of you to read this novel. Spoiler-free.
To read it, to feel it, to think about it.

Which is also why I am giving away a signed copy - just keep on reading to find out how you can enter! Open internationally! 

SOMETIMES THE ONE WHO LOVES YOU IS THE ONE WHO HURTS YOU THE MOST

Lily hasn't always had it easy, but that's never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She's come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up - she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily's life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, and maybe even a little arrogant. He's also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily, but Ryle's complete aversion to relationships is disturbing.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan - her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.

With this bold and deeply personal novel, Colleen Hoover delivers a heart-wrenching story that breaks exciting new ground for her as a writer. It Ends With Us is an unforgettable tale of love that comes at the ultimate price.

This book contains graphic scenes and very sensitive subject matter.

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 profit to charity. She also owns The Bookworm Box, a specialty bookstore located in Sulphur Springs, Tx. 

Her novel, Ugly Love (2014), has been optioned for film by Hackybox Pictures and is slated to begin filming in 2016, starring Nick Bateman. 

For tour dates or more information, please visit colleenhoover.com.

[source: amazon]

Visit Colleen Hoover on her website || goodreads || facebook || twitter || instagram
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It Ends With Us on goodreads || amazon US || amazon DE || amazon UK

My Review of Maybe Not || Confess || Finding Cinderella || Never Never: Part One || Never Never: Part Two 

In September, I had the great pleasure of finally meeting Colleen Hoover!
After having had plans to attend several signings in the past, which all ended up being cancelled, I travelled to Frankfurt after a day of finals at university, taking forever on the road and getting lost several times, annoying my sister - whom I was dragging along - with my excitement!

My sister has never read a novel by Colleen... I, however, wasn't sure how many books we'd be allowed to get signed each, if there would be a limit, so I made my sister come along, bringing thirteen books and hoping I could get an extra one signed yet to give away, giving her a "priority list" in case we'd both only be allowed to get two or three signed... and promising I'd buy her dinner in exchange for coming along, ha!

Colleen was the sweetest, ever. Her interview was super funny, and she took time for everyone in attendance, signing books like a champ and taking pictures with people.
Without a single complaint, she signed the thirteen books I had brought along, plus an extra copy of It Ends With Us that I purchased at the store the signing was being held at, plus a couple of autograph cards to give away as well, and took pictures with me on top of that! The evening was so much more than I had expected hopping into my car... and I am definitely looking forward to hopefully meeting her again someday!

Visit me on instagram (@ink.eaters) for the giveaway!
I am giving away a signed (not personalized) paperback copy of It Ends With Us, as well as two autograph cards from the signing!

A big thank you to Colleen Hoover for having signed everything - and for just being her - as well as a big thank you to Hugendubel Frankfurt-Steinweg for having held the event!

"Maybe Not" by Colleen Hoover

I. Am. Shipping. This. So. Effing. Hard.!

My sister had gotten me this novella for Christmas, because it had went onto my wishlist as soon as it had been announced. Then it was on my shelf for a while, because university unfortunately cost me much more time than I'd care to admit - but the moment I finally picked up this novella, I couldn't put it back down and it once again showed me just why I am so in love with Colleen Hoover's writing! All it took me was my two daily tram-rides, commuting to university, and I had eaten up every page of it... and if I'm completely honest, I almost loved this even more than Maybe Someday, and that's saying something - and that something's a lot, actually - since I lololooooooved that book!

And oh, Warren and Bridgette - could there be two people more perfect for one another?!
This will be your perfect fall-read if you're looking for something quick and fun, that is as far from instalove as it gets - 'cause who doesn't enjoy the bickering and banter, the passion and the heat, that only two people who love to hate each other, and hate to love one another, can share?

Only downside to Maybe Not? - It's too effin' short!

5/5 

Colleen Hoover, the New York Times bestselling author of Maybe Someday brilliantly brings to life the story of the wonderfully hilarious and charismatic Warren in a new novella, Maybe Not.

When Warren has the opportunity to live with a female roommate, he instantly agrees. It could be an exciting change.

Or maybe not.

Especially when that roommate is the cold and seemingly calculating Bridgette. Tensions run high and tempers flare as the two can hardly stand to be in the same room together. But Warren has a theory about Bridgette: anyone who can hate with that much passion should also have the capability to love with that much passion. And he wants to be the one to test this theory.

Will Bridgette find it in herself to warm her heart to Warren and finally learn to love?

Maybe.

Maybe not. 

Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Slammed, This Girl, Point of Retreat, Hopeless, Losing Hope, Finding Cinderella, Maybe Someday, Ugly Love, Maybe Not, and Confess. She lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys. 

Visit Colleen Hoover on her website || goodreads || facebook || twitter || instagram
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Maybe Not on goodreads || amazon US || amazon DE || amazon UK

My Review of Confess || Finding Cinderella || Never Never: Part One || Never Never: Part Two 

"Confess" by Colleen Hoover

I am absolutely torn when it comes to reviewing this book. As always, I absolutely loved Colleen Hoover's writing - no question there. I also absolutely loved the idea of the story, and I am in love with the art used throughout the novel - I wish I had millions of dollars and could decorate my whole apartment in paintings by the artist. The book also contains an amazing lovestory that will make you smile, frown, cry and laugh. It'll make you angry, and feel warm fuzzy things. 
Overall, I really liked the book and the thought behind the lovestory, and I loved to see it develop... but right from the start, I knew what'd happen. After only a few pages I turned around to look at my fiancé and went "okay, here's what I think'll happen..." - and it did. There, of course, were a few side-extras here and there that I couldn't predict, but the overall outline of the plot was just as I had suspected... and a way too predictable novel unfortunately is one I cannot love quite as much as others - which, in this case, makes me pretty sad, because as mentioned before, I loved the lovestory, loved the characters, loved the writing and the art... just not it's predictability.

Despite the predictability, Hoover's writing turned Confess into yet another pageturner that I didn't want to put down - it's a rather realistic story that will touch your heart. The emphasis, however, is on the 'rather'... something that was rather unrealistic in my eyes, and slightly urgh, was the instalove between Owen and Auburn. Yes, they were in the right place at the right time for one another, and they were/are good for another, great and amazing, even, but something about their story made it hard for me to connect to the characters - a first for me, when it comes to Hoover's creations... yet, at the same time, I couldn't not feel their story. 

Another thing I absolutely loved was the Confessions, how they were used and embedded in the story. I just didn't love-love-loooooove! Confess as a whole, which makes me somewhat sad, because believe me, I've tried - I want to love-love-looooove! it... I just can't. But that's okay - my CoHo heart's still beating strong and I cannot wait for November 9!

4/5

Auburn Reed has her entire life mapped out. Her goals are in sight and there’s no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to find a deep attraction to the enigmatic artist who works there, Owen Gentry.

For once, Auburn takes a risk and puts her heart in control, only to discover Owen is keeping major secrets from coming out. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything important to Auburn, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it.

The last thing Owen wants is to lose Auburn, but he can’t seem to convince her that truth is sometimes as subjective as art. All he would have to do to save their relationship is confess. But in this case, the confession could be much more destructive than the actual sin… 

Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Slammed, Point of Retreat, This Girl, Hopeless, Losing Hope, Finding Cinderella, Maybe Someday, Ugly Love, and Maybe Not. She lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys. Please visit ColleenHoover.com.

Visit Colleen Hoover on her website || goodreads || facebook || twitter || instagram

Confess on goodreads || amazon US || amazon DE || amazon UK

My Review of Finding Cinderella || Never Never: Part One || Never Never: Part Two 

"Finding Cinderella" by Colleen Hoover

Can I just say how much I love this book? Not just this book, but the whole series?!

Finding Cinderella is a novella by Colleen Hoover and part of a series that contains two novels, Hopeless and Losing Hope. Finding Cinderella had been published as a free e-book, before its fanbase petitioned to have actual paperbacks printed - voluntarily paying for something they had previously legally been getting for free online. If that doesn't show you just how awesome this book is... I don't know what will.

Finding Cinderella is what started it all for me - the story that made me fall for Colleen's writing and her characters.
It's no all-beer-and-skittles rainbow-pooping-unicorns fairytale. And no one looses a shoe. But it is the closest thing to a believable modern-day real-life fairytale you could imagine. It's a hearfelt romance that will have you wanting to dive (back) into the character's lifes - which you are obviously more than welcome to do by reading Hopeless and/or Losing Hope.


Every day at school, Daniel spends fifth period in the maintenance closet because they forgot to assign him a class. Usually he just turns off the lights and takes a nap, relaxes before his next classes, but one day, everything changes. A girl - his Cinderella - literally falls onto him...

Daniel hates them all.
Cinderella hates them all.
And when Daniel and Cinderella start hating them all together, they pretend loving each other - or so they think.

Daniel and Cinderella spend fifth period together - in a dark maintenance closet. They cannot see each other, do not know each other's names - but their mutual hatred for everyone else leads them to spending the hour in love.
Under one simple, yet fatal condition: "they agree it will last only one hour, and it will be only make-believe."*
Once the hour is up, however, Cinderella rushes off and Daniel realizes that pretending might have just turned into the pretense. The time spent with her was short and anonymous, supposed to be a make-believe moment, yet she is all he will be able to think about.

He longs for her, misses her, looks for Cinderella in every girl he meets.

"I call her Cinderella because the first time I laid eyes on her, I thought she was so beautiful she couldn't be real. Girls like her were reserved for fairy tales and fantasies."
(Daniel Wesley, page 121 of Finding Cinderella)

About a year and a terrible relationship later - just when Daniel is about to give up on ever finding her - Daniel meets Six. Six, who happens to be his best friend's girlfriend's best friend. Six, who is beautiful, witty, and so his kind of girl it almost hurts. And just when he seems to like Six enough to forget about Cinderella, he realizes he doesn't really have to, because... Six is his Cinderella. Like... woah. That almost turned me into a rainbow-pooping unicorn the first time I read it. Almost. Because while Daniel is super thrilled about the girl he loves being the girl he loves (I know, right?!), Six doesn't seem quite as happy about the new-found truth, because she bears a secret that she fears will have the power to tear them apart...


Finding Cinderella is a beautiful, but unfortunately way too fast read. While you can easily read this as a stand-alone, I highly advise you to also read the rest of the series - Hopeless and/or Losing Hope, both of couse by the wonderful, one and only, Colleen Hoover. Should you choose for Finding Cinderella to be your first read of the Hopeless-series, I'd advise you to either read the ebook, or to skip the epilogue included in only the paperback version, as it hints on a big something happening in Hopeless/Losing Hope. I wouldn't read the epilogue until after having read either or both of the other books - but that's just me. Either way, the series is magic - enjoy! I know you will <3

To me, this is a 5/5 rating read!

P.S.: Dear Colleen, how about a salty balls novella/sequel? Pretty please in a pool of diet pepsi?
        (Once you've read Finding Cinderella, you'll wholeheartedly & undoubtedly agree with my request!)



Visit Colleen Hoover's website.
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* quoted from the back of the book