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nina_jo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Death, Murder, Abandonment, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug use, Pregnancy, Car accident, and Grief
Minor: Alcohol
daydaybookbay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This was a quick read for me, and I have some mixed feelings. I really enjoyed the story of Kenna and her journey to get her daughter back. She had everything going against her, but she knew that her daughter was the entire world and wanted to be a positive addition to her life. I wish the focus of the book was more on Kenna than anything else.
I felt there were additions to the story that I couldn't care less about. The shmexy scenes were toned down slightly, but I could've done without them in general. I didn't want a relationship. I also felt this was a typical romcom... nothing new. It accomplished the goal of getting people emotional, but the story is the same.
Moderate: Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Mental illness, Sexual content, Car accident, Suicidal thoughts, and Blood
Minor: Addiction, Abandonment, Kidnapping, Violence, Drug abuse, Cursing, and Pregnancy
cole_anthony's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Car accident, Death, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Blood, Alcohol, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
5.0
"Grudges are heavy, but for the people hurting the most, I suppose forgiveness is even heavier."
It's no secret that I have a love/hate relationship with her books, but when I do enjoy a story I end up giving it a very high rating most of the time. This story is without doubt one of them. Colleen Hoover is the queen of writing flawed and realistic characters in impossible situations, and this is exactly what Reminders Of Him offers. I was hooked as soon as I read the first chapter, and I couldn't stop turning those pages. The dilemma in this story is such a difficult one; you can understand both sides of the story, and finding a solution that will make everyone happy seems impossible. I enjoyed watching the bond between Kenna and Ledger grow, and the character development is spot on. The forbidden love trope is also very well done! I could also really appreciate what Kenna's letters to Scotty added to the plot; it gave the story more dept without slowing down the pace itself. It was so easy to become fully invested in the outcome of this story, and boy did Colleen Hoover toy with my emotions during the journey! I hardly ever cry while reading a book, but I couldn't keep it dry this time. Make sure to have tissues at hand, because it's a true tearjerker indeed. I confess that I did skim over the sexy scenes, which were too much for me, but I loved the rest of the story too much to be truly bothered by them. I guess that's another CoHo book to be added to my list of all time favorites!
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Child death, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, and Confinement
amberjackonski's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death and Car accident
Moderate: Abandonment
emilyandherroomofbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Car accident
Moderate: Abandonment
ashtontdavis's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Car accident and Death
Moderate: Abandonment
saraavowlerr's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Blood, Car accident, Grief, Sexual content, Alcohol, Abandonment, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
micaelamariem's review against another edition
- 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
2.5
This time was...slightly better.
Reminders of Him is about Kenna, a young woman who made a tragic mistake that landed her in prison and caused her to lose everything she loved--including custody of the life she didn't even realize she was carrying. This is the story of after her prison release, how she found her way back to loved ones in her search for redemption and a way to forgive herself.
And look, put like that, it sounds good. But Kenna's tragic mistake--and this isn't really a spoiler as it's mentioned in the first chapter--involved drunk driving. And while I can empathize with some of her situation, and wholeheartedly agree that there needs to be a better system in place that helps rehabilitated convicts enter into a more accepting world, I still find it hard to agree the stupid decision to get behind the wheel while intoxicated. There's not really any excuse for that and I can understand why people hated her in the aftermath.
Another thing that disappointed me was how quickly people's opinions and moods changed. Realistically, acceptance and forgiveness is more of a slow burn thing, but this happened way too quickly, without a middle it felt like.
All this negative stuff really affected my enjoyment of the reading. However, I can admit the writing style has really improved since Maybe Someday. And I actually did like Ledger, though he seemed a bit too perfect for a character, if you know what I mean. I wouldn't have minded seeing more flaws in him. But the romance was good, and I mostly enjoyed that aspect.
In the end, I think the book could've been improved with more of a slow burn to forgiveness--even if that meant the book had to be longer. It would've also given me more time to come to terms with the mistake Kenna made.
That being said, this is a highly rated book and I know I'm in an unpopular opinion here. I would rate the book between 2.5 stars to 3 stars, and probably wouldn't recommend it, but that doesn't necessarily mean you wouldn't like it!
Graphic: Car accident, Cursing, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, Grief, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
emmaegerb's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Mental illness, Car accident, Death, and Injury/Injury detail