Losing Hope
Author: Colleen Hoover
Series: Hopeless
Pages: 336
Publisher: Atria Books
Genre: New Adult
Release date: 8th July 2013
Synopsis. (Goodreads)
In
the follow-up to Colleen Hoover’s #1 New York Times bestseller Hopeless, the
charming and irresistible Dean Holder tells the passionate story that has
melted thousands of hearts.
In Hopeless, Sky left no secret unearthed, no feeling unshared, and no memory forgotten, but Holder’s past remained a mystery.
Still haunted by the little girl he let walk away, Holder has spent his entire life searching for her in an attempt to finally rid himself of the crushing guilt he has felt for years. But he could not have anticipated that the moment they reconnect, even greater remorse would overwhelm him…
Sometimes in life, if we wish to move forward, we must first dig deep into our past and make amends. In Losing Hope, bestselling author Colleen Hoover reveals what was going on inside Holder’s head during all those hopeless moments—and whether he can gain the peace he desperately needs
In Hopeless, Sky left no secret unearthed, no feeling unshared, and no memory forgotten, but Holder’s past remained a mystery.
Still haunted by the little girl he let walk away, Holder has spent his entire life searching for her in an attempt to finally rid himself of the crushing guilt he has felt for years. But he could not have anticipated that the moment they reconnect, even greater remorse would overwhelm him…
Sometimes in life, if we wish to move forward, we must first dig deep into our past and make amends. In Losing Hope, bestselling author Colleen Hoover reveals what was going on inside Holder’s head during all those hopeless moments—and whether he can gain the peace he desperately needs
Review: 5 out of 5 stars
This
review contains possible spoilers from the first book, Hopeless.
I went into Losing Hope thinking I would be reading
Hopeless but from Dean Holders POV
and although we get tidbits of the first book, this was completely different.
The revelations we learnt in the first book were further developed and we get
to experience Holders guilt and devastation first hand with not only the grief
he experienced as a child at losing his close friend Hope but also as an adult
with the death of his sister Les.
I thought the first
book was emotionally draining but oh boy does Losing Hope kick it up a notch; the story starts off with a real tear
jerker and in the journal notes Holder writes to Les we get a look at how his
losses have affected him and made him the person he now is. I thought this
aspect was done extremely well, it
showed us his pain, anger, his hopes and the progression he was slowly making
to heal and to live again.
The romance still
leaves me gushing; Holder and Sky didn’t start off well but their attraction,
the chemistry and their connection is undeniable and their little snarks and
the banter between them shows how well they work as a couple. They have the
best first non-kiss ever (you’ll have to read this series to know what I mean)
so I was pleased to revisit a few special moments in this book. Holder and Sky are both far from perfect but they are perfect for each other.
Despite
enjoying the romantic aspect, the story is heart breaking and filled with some
gut wrenching revelations as well as a difficult subject matter and
despite knowing what to expect from reading the first book I was still saddened
to know the pain these characters had to endure.
The
secondary characters are fabulous! Breckin is a classic and a true best friend
to Sky and we also get to meet Daniel, Holders closest friend who had me
giggling on numerous occasions. I also really admire Sky’s mother Karen for
what she has had to endure and the sacrifices she has made.
Colleen
Hoovers story-telling is truly superb; the book starts a year prior to Holder meeting Sky, his journal notes were a wonderful addition
to the story and gave us great insight into his thoughts and actions. The
writing is brilliant and engaging and these characters have come to hold a dear
place in my heart. Each piece of the plot were weaved together effortlessly, from
the very first moment Sky and Holder discovered their pasts to the very ending
where they saw the hope, it all blended to create a believable, passionate and poignant
story.
Overall,
Losing Hope with its smexy cover,
amazing characterisations and beautiful, engrossing writing is a must read, it
is an emotional roller-coaster that shows that there can be love and happiness after
heartache.
Thank-you
to Atria Books/Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review Losing Hope.
About
the author: (From Goodreads) I love music. LOVE music. Namely The
Avett Brothers, Lumineers, Pink, Eminem. I have eclectic taste? If you have any
recommendations, send them my way!I'm addicted to diet pepsi and could tell you in a taste-test which restaurant it came from. It's a serious addiction, I tell you.
I get stoked whenever I get a message from goodreads saying I have a new friend request...so request me, dangit!
If you want to know when I have new books out or just want to be inundated by random, pointless blog posts, follow me at www.colleenhoover.com
Books by Colleen Hoover
eBook edition - preorder
I pre-ordered this a while ago, so I passed on the read now and I cannot wait to read this..eep! Your review is positively awesome!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kimba! this one kept me up last night, I couldn't put it down <3 I hope you enjoy it as much,.
DeleteI cannot wait to have time to read Losing Hope. I love that even though we know most of the story, it doesn't feel like re-reading Hopeless. Great review, Sharon!
ReplyDeleteThanks Andrea, I hope you get a chance to read it :) despite knowing what was going to happen, it was good to see it through Holders eyes.
DeleteI was a bit worried to start this in fear of it being just another version of Hopeless, but I'm happy to hear that it has other storylines as well. I'm excited now after reading your review. I'll need to prepare myself emotionally before I go back to these characters. And I wouldn't mind reading that near-kiss in 10 000 different POVs! :P
ReplyDeleteFabulous review, Sharon! You've definitely convinced me to get this one when it comes out! :)
Thank Nick, I love that near-kiss {sigh} looking forward to hearing what you think when you read it.
DeleteHopeless was heart breaking enough so I'm not sure if I can stomach this book as well
ReplyDeleteThis one is just as heart-breaking unfortunately as it details not only the first book but also Les. It is truly wonderful though, I adore Colleen Hoover's story-telling <3
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