Colleen Hoover is an absolute #booktok sensation. (My review of Verity is my most popular post on this site!) When I found out she had written a new romance, Reminders of Him, I knew I had to read it. This book is a true romance with a happy ending, unlike some of Hoover’s other works, but OMG, there are tears to be cried along the journey of reading it…

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The summary, from Amazon:

A troubled young mother yearns for a shot at redemption in this heartbreaking yet hopeful story from #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover.

After serving five years in prison for a tragic mistake, Kenna Rowan returns to the town where it all went wrong, hoping to reunite with her four-year-old daughter. But the bridges Kenna burned are proving impossible to rebuild. Everyone in her daughter’s life is determined to shut Kenna out, no matter how hard she works to prove herself.

The only person who hasn’t closed the door on her completely is Ledger Ward, a local bar owner and one of the few remaining links to Kenna’s daughter. But if anyone were to discover how Ledger is slowly becoming an important part of Kenna’s life, both would risk losing the trust of everyone important to them.

The two form a connection despite the pressure surrounding them, but as their romance grows, so does the risk. Kenna must find a way to absolve the mistakes of her past in order to build a future out of hope and healing.

Buy Reminders of Him here.

Kenna has spent the last five years of prison after getting into a car accident that ended the life of her boyfriend, Scotty. Early on during her sentence, Kenna found out she was pregnant. Unfortunately, the baby, Diem, was born prematurely, so Kenna didn’t get to spend any time with her before she was sent to live with Scotty’s parents, who have full custody. Now Kenna is out of prison. She returns to Scotty’s hometown in the hopes of meeting Diem and becoming a part of her life.

Pretty soon, Kenna meets Ledger, Scotty’s best friend whom she never had the opportunity to meet in the past. The attraction between them is instant, but as soon as the connection is made of who is who, things get awkward. Ledger is a big part of Diem’s life, and just like Scotty’s parents, blames Kenna for Scotty’s death. How can Kenna find redemption, love, and a place in her child’s life in a town where everyone blames her for the death of a beloved son and friend?

This is a tear-jerker. Big time. There’s a happy ending, but I cried so much while reading Reminders of Him. Hoover’s afterward is poignant, explaining how there are people like Kenna in every town, people whose experiences and pain we will never know. It was both hard to blame Scotty’s parents for thinking so poorly of Kenna and so frustrating that no one saw she was a good person. I loved that even though Kenna had yet to forgive herself, deep down she believed in her own goodness and wanted to do what was best for her child more than anything. Ledger’s growing admiration for Kenna and ability to recognize his own wrongs, as well as his desire to make things right in a way that was safe for everyone involved, was also compelling. This was a 5 star read for me.

Find out more about how I rate books here.

Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

How does this woman do it? Heartbreaking, but with a happy ending.

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Book Club Questions

1. Why does Kenna write letters to Scotty?
2. The first scene and the final scene (minus the epilogue) mirror one another. Why did Hoover do this? What does it show about Kenna’s character development?
3. Explain the relationship dynamic between Kenna and Scotty.
4. Explain the relationship dynamic between Kenna and Ledger.
5. How is Kenna’s relationship with Grace impacted by her relationship with her own mother?
6. How does Diem connect Kenna and Ledger?

@daily.manifestationx Y’all this was so so good. CoHo makes your cry in a way no one else can. #remindersofhim #booktok #romancebooktok #coho #colleenhoover ♬ original sound – Marissa