Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - Reminders of Him

I enjoyed this book and didn't at the same time. I had a lot of mixed feelings about this book. I feel like colleen has a tendency to make all her characters like characters you don't want to root for.

I loved Kenna, I thought she was such a good character with a lot of depth and an interesting story to tell. She was everything I wish my own mother was. She cares so much about getting her daughter back. It made me so upset how she wasn't able to see her daughter, everyone took her at her worse moment in life and judged her for it.

I thought the romance was a little weird... Like I felt like I wasn't really rooting for them. Obviously, the fact that Ledger hated Kenna but didn't really know her was realistic. I don't believe in love at first sight. Personally, I felt like the romance was rushed and all came too fast for a sensitive topic like this.

Ledger made me mad, but I also couldn't hate him. He took care of Deim when Kenna couldn't, that made me like him. I felt like other than the fact he was taking care of Deim he was pretty self-absorbed. I felt like he had no idea what he wanted, and he was way to confused the whole book. I don't know I hated him and loved him at the same time.

I have mixed feelings about the accident. I liked how it went into detail about the accident. I hate when book promote, or really even talk about driving under the influence. It shines a light on driving under the influence, a light that by no means should be shined. We can all sit here and say what we would have done differently, but we will never truly know unless it is us. I felt like the accident was just how I expected it to go which was good for this book.

Like the rest of the book, I had mixed feelings about the ending.

We all knew they were going to get together but like naming your kid after your death best friend/ ex-boyfriend is a little weird....

Content Warnings

katekreadsalot's review

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emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

The only knock on the rating is audio book related. Ledgers voice didn’t match the characters in my option. Ledger is a younger man, 28 I believe, but the voice is much older in my option. It did make a slight difference for me, but for others it might be fine.

There is also a slight reduction due to predictability.

Content Warnings

raw3agamal's review against another edition

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emotional sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

Ratings:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

🌶🌶.5/5

💧💧💧.5/5 (tear rating)

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TWs:

• Death (past, recounted)

• Suicidal thoughts (past)

• Depression (past)

•Grief

•Parent incarnations

•Car accident (past)

•Parental neglect (past)

•Imprisonment (recounted)

_________________________________________________

Tropes:

•Single mother

•Love after loss

•Dead ex’s best friend

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When I tell u this book made me laugh, feel heartbroken, heart-melted, tear up both happy & sad tears @ the same time, I ain’t exaggerating. It rly is an emotional rollercoaster w/ sparkles of plot twists every nw & then. I felt bad 4 almost every single character in this book but I gotta admit that Kenna was absolutely on the top of list.

I rly like that it’s a dual pov, and bruh Colleen Hoover does a very gr8 job in connecting u w/ the characters & the emotions where she tugs on ur heartstrings!

As u can see in the TWs, this book is so heavy & emotional. A lot of the times while reading this book I was like ”OML my heart can’t take it anymore!”

I’ll never stop loving how much CoHo’s book covers have a deep meaning behind them “Is that a fucking pigeon”(which u won’t understand till u read the book) even if I realize that it hurts knowing the real cover’s meaning, it still amazes me.

Throughout the last like 35% of the book or smth I j couldn’t let it down; I was so emotionally invested.

This book was so close 2 being a top tier book but sm points/ lacks j prevented it from being a solid 5 star read, however I absolutely loved it!

P.S. Reminders of him is kinda similar 2 it ends with us

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Some of my fav quotes:

⚠️SOME OF THEM MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS⚠️

•"Who are you?"

"Nicole."

He smiles but then loses the smile and says, "I know your name. But where'd you come from? Why have we never met before tonight?"

•People say you fall in love, but fall is such a sad word when you think about it. Falls are never good. You fall on the ground, you fall behind, you fall to your death. Whoever was the first person to say they fell in love must have already fallen out of it. Otherwise, they'd have called it something much better.

•“Is that why you’re late?”

“No I had to break up with my girlfriend.”

“You have a girlfriend?”

“Not anymore.”

•"Mothers don't usually like me,"

"I can see that. Mothers prefer to imagine their sons with wholesome-looking girls. You're too sexy to make a mother feel comfortable."

•Why do I still want to hug you

•Dear Scotty

She looks like both of us, but she laughs like you.

She’s perfect in every way.

I’m so sorry you never got to meet her.

Love,

Kenna

•“You we’re jealous”

“I was not”

“You were”

•"What are you doing?"

“Give me the umbrella. I can walk myself up.”

“No. I’m walking you up.”

"I don't know if you should."

“I definitely shouldn't,"he say. But keeps walking. Keeps holding the umbrela over my head.

•“In a matter of a few weeks, I went from hating you to liking you to wanting the world for you, so forgive me if those feelings sometimes overlap”

•“I made you something”

“What is this? A playlist?”

“Yeah. I made it this morning. It’s over twenty songs that have absolutely nothing to do with anything that could remind you of anything sad.”

•I know she's a good person. A good person who had one bad night. it happens to the best of us. The worst of us. All of us. Some of us are just luckier than others, and our bad moments have fewer casualties.

•It was stark realization that no matter how much you love someone, you can still do despicable things to them

•Grudges are heavy, but for the people hurting the most, I suppose forgiveness is even heavier.

•There was before you and there was during you. For some reason, I never thought there would be an after you. But there was, and I was in it. I’ll be in it forever

•Maybe it doesn't matter whether something is a coincidence or a sign. Maybe the best way to cope with the loss of the people we love is to find them in as many places and things as we possibly can. And in the off chance that the people we lose are still somehow able to hear us, maybe we should never stop talking to them.

•Now that I’ve forgiven myself, the reminders of him only makes me smile.

•I’m convinced that the holes you leave behind are only holes felt by us. Wherever you are, you’re complete. That’s what matters.

•Reading is a hobby, but for some of us, it’s an escape from difficulties we face.

Content Warnings

crystal83087's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

5.0

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luciapoloni's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Content Warnings

ellawatwat's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Content Warnings

bariqhonium's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Content Warnings

aprilyvonne's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Reminders of Him” by Colleen Hoover was exactly what I had heard, a freaking heart wrenching book. I feel exhausted after the rollercoaster of emotions the novel had me experience. I honestly thought the hype might be exaggerated, so I was hesitant to read it knowing I might be disappointed. Despite going through a lot of tissues, I still loved reading the book.

I’m not even sure when I got hooked, but suddenly I was staying up too late and eagerly reading the next morning to finish. Hoover’s ability to write complicated, messy, beautiful characters is an art form in and of itself. My heart hurt so much for everyone involved in this shitty and unfortunate situation, especially Kenna. Life honestly just sucks sometimes and so the plot was made more genuine, even if painful.

I would’ve liked a little more of the actual story. I always want more when a book captures my interest though. But I also appreciated the character development and the gamut of emotions they experience- often while overlapping. Overall, I’m glad I listened to this recommendation.

If you need a good therapeutic cry, read this one. Just have some tissues on hand.

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