Hopeless

When author Colleen Hoover generously made two of her books free for Kindle users during the Covid-19 pandemic, I thanked the literary heavens and the author and downloaded copies. Hoover is a relatively new-to-me author but I absolutely loved her book Verity and I eagerly look forward to reading more from her.

Compared to the darker, creepy vibe of Verity, Hopeless has quite a different feel. It's a Teen fiction read that adds depth with its emotionally charged issues, a sweet romance and well-placed twists. I don't want to give the plot away, so I won't go into too much detail but really enjoyed this sweet story. 

That said, there are a couple of reasons why I didn't give it five stars. While the plot has some twists, the book is fairly predictable and the relationship between Sky and Holder was just north of cheesy at times. Sweet but with an ode de fromage. I also wish we heard more from the secondary characters like Six and Breckin because we're limited to the POVs of the two main characters. I'd love to see how their best friends view their relationship. This is a very entertaining read but please take my comments with a grain of salt because as a mom in her 40's, I'm clearly not the target audience for this book.

Overall, this book was a lovely surprise and got me out of a long 3-star reading slump. If you're looking for a touching story that will give you a lot of feels and some great romantic quotes, you'll want to check out Hopeless.

My Rating: 4 stars

Author: Colleen Hoover

Genre: Teen, Romance

Type: eBook

Series: #1 in the Hopeless series

Source: Personal copy

Publisher: Author

First Published: December 18, 2012 

Opening Line: Sunday October 28, 2012 7:29p.m. I stand up and look down at the bed, holding my breath in fear of the sounds that are escalating from deep within my throat. 

I will not cry.

I will not cry.

Book Description from GoodReads: Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.