It feels like the minute the weather turns colder, everyone is looking for a new book to read. I’ve had a hard time finding an author I love more than Colleen Hoover. Her writing is raw, emotional, and hits you in the feels every damn time. As winter approaches, I hope you snuggle up near your fireplace and crack open one of these quick reads.
This book, which was turned into a TV series in 2017, sucks you right in from Page 1. Auburn, 21, has just moved to an unfamiliar town in Texas and is trying to make ends meet when she comes across an art gallery in need of help. Owen Gentry, owner of the gallery, accepts paper confessions from anonymous sources and makes them into art. Auburn takes the job but doesn’t know all the secrets that Owen is holding onto. Throughout the novel, true colors are shown, hearts are broken, and the connection between these two characters is revealed. Winning Goodreads’ Best Romance Novel of 2015, Confess is a book that will make you feel overwhelmed with emotion. One minute I broke down crying, the next I was grinning like crazy. Like always, Colleen Hoover promises twists and turns that you won’t see coming. She makes you care about her always flawed characters, their journeys and where they end up. I highly recommend grabbing a box of tissues and clearing your schedule, because Confess is one book you will not be able to put down or finish dry-eyed.
If you read just one book this winter, make sure it is Ugly Love. Tate is looking for a fresh start and decides to move in with her brother. But when she arrives to her new home, she finds a drunk, lonely stranger sitting outside her front door. Enter Miles Archer stage left. Tate has no desire to find out why he is blocking her entryway, nor does she anticipate starting a relationship with the said stranger. But it wouldn’t be a Hoover novel without a little romance, right? There’s no denying the attraction they have to one another but Miles is a pilot and “doesn’t do relationships.” The more time they spend together, the blurrier the lines of their “friends with benefits” mentality gets. Tate wants more and she wants commitment, which Miles is unwilling to give her due to his past. Told in altering viewpoints, you learn a bit more about the characters’ backstories and why they are the way they are with each chapter. While you can figure out some endings to books before they are over, you will never see this one coming. It will leave you in utter shock and you’ll probably shed a tear or two. With each page turned, you get a new piece to the puzzle of why Miles is so afraid of love. If you enjoy characters with painful pasts that blossom over the span of a book, then you will absolutely fall head over heels in love with this book!
17-year-old Sky has lived a very sheltered life, restricted from TV, phones, internet and pretty much anything else that would give her a normal social life. Being homeschooled, the only interaction she has is with her next door neighbor and best friend, Six. Growing up, Six and Sky would sneak out to have sleepovers and movie nights. But soon they outgrew ice cream and rom coms, and moved onto sneaking boys into their windows. Six thinks Sky needs to live a more adventurous life, have more fun and encourages her promiscuity. Sky does a lot of kissing, not because she enjoys it, but because it makes her feel numb. She has never been able to feel any real feelings toward men, that is until she meets bad boy Dean Holder. Holder is irresistible and he changes her life. But he is keeping secrets, secrets that are so damaging that when they are revealed, Sky’s life will never be the same. This book is about love, survival, life and death, and healing from secrecy. No one could possibly anticipate the suspense and twist that this book offers. You truly just have to read it for yourself to understand. If you are looking for a dark, intense, mind-gripping novel, Hopeless may be just what you desire.
If you are looking for a book that completely shatters your heart into a million pieces, then this is the book for you! It is one you don’t want to miss out on and has quickly become one of my absolute all-time favorites. Fallon was always told by her mother that “you’ll never be able to find yourself if you’re lost in someone else.” She’s decided that she will spend the next years of her life with no distractions, especially from boys. The day before she’s scheduled to move across the country, she meets Ben, an aspiring writer, and ultimately spends her last day in L.A. with him. The two of them have an undeniable connection. Not wanting to let one another slip from each other’s lives, they decide they will meet once each year on the same day — Nov. 9. They stick to their promise for the next five years and each chapter follows both characters throughout the years. As a reader, you can’t help but root for their relationship to evolve and continue growing stronger. There are huge plot twists, heartbreak and honest, raw, true love. Is Ben who he says he is? Can Fallon trust the man she has only seen 5 times over the span of five years? You know how you can go ages without seeing your best friend but when you do finally reunite you can pick up right where you left off? That’s Fallon and Ben’s relationship. November 9 was unique, addictive, unexpected, and beautifully written. At the end of the day, nobody’s perfect and even the best of us make mistakes. What counts is whether we learn from those said mistakes, and how we decide to repair the damage caused. How far are Fallon and Ben willing to go to prove their love for each other no matter what happens?
Slammed is your classic love story with forbidden relationships, secrets, and several giant twists. Layken, 18, has just moved from Texas to Michigan with her mom and 9-year-old brother after the death of her father. Upon arriving at their new home, Layken is excited to meet Will Cooper, her seriously good looking neighbor. He coincidentally has a brother the exact same age as hers, allowing the four of them to form a fast friendship. Will and Layken have undeniable chemistry and their first date is diary-worthy including homemade sandwiches and a visit to a slam poetry venue. Will’s biggest passion is poetry, and through his poems he divulges his deepest feelings and secrets. After their first date, Layken is feeling less skeptical, and more hopeful, about her family moving. But just as the two of them are falling for one another, a bomb is dropped and they discover a very good reason why they can’t be together. The battle of feelings vs. ethics begins and plagues the pages of this book. After this shocking revelation, Will and Layken must search for a balance between what is keeping them apart and their feelings that are consistently pulling them together. Slammed is filled with humor, romance, heartbreak, poetry, family, and friendship. It stands out as a great read mostly due to the characters and their relationships. Every woman can relate to Layken’s feelings, the family struggles and the back and forth tug of right vs. wrong.
Hope you enjoyed the highlight of these books! If you’ve read any good books lately, please comment below and let me know. I’m always looking for new ones to dive into!
* All of the books have been linked and can be purchased on Amazon or checked out at your local library.