Review: Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover

BOOK STATS

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Title: Reminders of Him
Author: Colleen Hoover
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Audience: Adult
Format: eBook
Length: 335 pages
Publisher: Montlake
Release Date: January 18, 2022
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Content Warnings: car accident, death, suicidal thoughts

SYNOPSIS

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.

MY THOUGHTS

Another emotional punch in the gut from CoHo! This is a story about a woman who just wants to meet her daughter Diem after she is released from prison, but everyone in her daughter’s life still blames her for the tragedy that put her behind bars. The story is written in a way where the reader can easily empathize with both sides, so it’s just heartbreaking all around.

Kenna has no one on her side at the beginning of the book. A chance encounter and instant connection with Ledger, who was best friend’s with Diem’s father, provide her first real bit of hope, but it could all go away at any moment. Ledger struggles with his new forbidden feelings for Kenna and his loyalty to Diem’s family.

Kenna and Ledger’s first encounter was a bit instalove-y for me, and I thought the ending felt rushed, but overall this contemporary romance was angsty and sad. I also really liked all the side characters in this story.