Tag Archives: Hopeless

Joint Review: Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover

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Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover

Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover
Series: Hopeless #2.5, but can be read as a standalone (full reading order below)
Publication Date: October 14th 2013
Purchase: Ebook (FREE!) • Paperback

A chance encounter in the dark leads eighteen-year-old Daniel and the girl who stumbles across him to profess their love for each other. But this love comes with conditions: they agree it will only last one hour and it will only be make-believe.

When their hour is up and the girl rushes off like Cinderella, Daniel tries to convince himself that what happened between them only seemed perfect because they were pretending it was perfect. Moments like that with girls like her don’t happen outside of fairytales.

One year and one bad relationship later, his disbelief in insta-love is stripped away the day he meets Six: a girl with a strange name and an even stranger personality. Daniel soon realizes the way he pretended to feel about Cinderella and the way he really feels about Six may not be so different after all. Especially when the two loves of his life end up being one in the same.

Unfortunately for Daniel, finding Cinderella doesn’t guarantee their happily ever after…it only further threatens it.

Shirley here.

I was absolutely beyond excited for this novella to come out! When Colleen Hoover posted that there was an early release (ahem, 3 DAYS EARLIER) I absolutely FREAKED. OUT. I already knew I was going to fall in love with the book, because COME ON, IT’S COLLEEN HOOVER.

Hands down, this book definitely ranks first in my list of happy novellas (the list is quite short to be honest). I fell in love with Daniel and his CHARISMATIC and humorous personality in Losing Hope, so I was just so excited for an entire novella in his POV! As Colleen said, you definitely don’t have to read the other books, Hopeless and Losing Hope, to read this book (SO READ IT), but if you did read them, you get better background information and you understand the other characters more!

From the very beginning of this, I fell in looovvveeee with Daniel. The scene where he tells “Cinderella” that he loves her; even though he doesn’t mean it (but he really wants to), was SO. CUTE. To be honest when Holder showed up in the novella, and said that Six was off-limits to Daniel I was so ANNOYED. Don’t get me wrong, I love Holder, but I was so annoyed with how protective he was. Sigh. But of course, Daniel and Six just snuck around him 🙂

Their relationship iS SO ADORABLE. It’s literally the epitome of the relationship that I want…*sighs heavily* Their cute little banters, and how they share the same type of humor, AND OF COURSE, how quickly they fell in love. I was honestly just cheesin’ the entire time I was reading.

Daniel’s family is so freaking hilarious. REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY. The dad reminds me of Kami’s dad from Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan, which is always a good thing because her dad is freaking awesome.

Of course, I ended up crying in the end. NOT because it was sad or anything, but because it ended way to fast for my liking, and because it was such a good and happy ending 🙂 Not going to lie I also screamed when it ended because I was NOT EXPECTING IT TO END THERE BUT IT DID. Okay, before I ramble on some more, be sure to buy it for your e-reader on Amazon! It’s FREEEE 😉

5 DAMN HEARTS.

5-hearts

shirley

Lacey here.

Oh my goodness. Another Colleen Hoover book. Well, novella, to be exact. But still. I’VE GOTTEN MY COLLEEN HOOVER FIX!! I’ve been in withdrawal since Losing Hope came out. But *sniffles* her next book comes out freaking March freaking 2014.

Okay, enough about that. Let’s talk about the most hilarious, adorable boy ever–Daniel! AH I just love this boy. I butterflying love him. (See what I did there?) GOSH DARN IT COLLEEN, IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO CREATE A CHARACTER I WON’T FALL IN LOVE WITH??? Because I fell head over heels in love with Daniel and his dorkiness. I already loved him in Losing Hope, but my god, after reading his book, I am thoroughly slain by him. He completely stole my heart (and the spotlight–sorry Holder! I’ll always love you though), and I am so happy he gets his story.

I honestly could not stop smiling throughout the whole book. Daniel made me laugh and giggle so hard, and I was so smitten with him. He’s loud and obnoxious and over-the-top, but it’s in the best way possible. You just can’t not laugh because of Daniel. You can’t! And he’s the most wonderful guy ever. It may seem that he’s frivolous and doesn’t really take anything seriously, but for certain things, he gives his whole heart, like, ahem… for his Cinderella!

So, Six and Daniel? The perfect couple ever. She’s an incredible complement to Daniel’s silliness, because she’s pretty silly herself. Sparks fly everywhere between the two of them, and watching Daniel fall in love is so delightful. I was grinning ear to ear every time Six and Daniel are together. They are adorable!

We get to meet Daniel’s family as well, who is the. best. They are all just like Daniel, aka they’ll make you laugh until your sides hurt. (My absolute favorite scene was about Daniel and the 30-minute showers. COMEDY GOLD.)

Finding Cinderella can be read as a standalone, but I think it’s better to read Hopeless and Losing Hope first, so you have a better gist of the characters. If you haven’t read any books by Colleen Hoover what the heck is wrong with you you should! Her writing is beautiful, and she creates characters who you will care for and love. And of course, Finding Cinderella is another one of her perfect books. Sigh.

5 hearts (duh).

5-hearts

lacey

Reading Order: Hopeless series

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover

#1 ~ Hopeless: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Losing Hope: Lacey’s Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2.5 ~ Finding Cinderella: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

Review: Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover

Posted in 6 hearts, Reviews by

Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover

Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover
Series: Hopeless #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: July 8th 2013
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback

In the follow-up to Colleen Hoover’s #1 New York Times bestseller Hopeless, the charming and irresistible Dean Holder tells the passionate story that has melted thousands of hearts.

In Hopeless, Sky left no secret unearthed, no feeling unshared, and no memory forgotten, but Holder’s past remained a mystery.

Still haunted by the little girl he let walk away, Holder has spent his entire life searching for her in an attempt to finally rid himself of the crushing guilt he has felt for years. But he could not have anticipated that the moment they reconnect, even greater remorse would overwhelm him…

Sometimes in life, if we wish to move forward, we must first dig deep into our past and make amends. In Losing Hope, bestselling author Colleen Hoover reveals what was going on inside Holder’s head during all those hopeless moments—and whether he can gain the peace he desperately needs.

Shit.

I… I am speechless.

Utterly floored.

I honestly cannot even begin to describe the emotions that I’m feeling right now after just finishing Losing Hope. So I’m just going to rant. And yeah, there’s gonna be some curse words in here. Cuz you just can’t rant without a little bad word here and there.

Let me just begin by saying I had every expectation of l o v i n g this book. I mean, duh, it’s Colleen Hoover! And to top it off with some sweet, sexy, 8-pack abs a cherry on top, it’s DEAN. HOLDER. Like, SA-WOON.

Dean Holder. I like, live, love this boy. This boy and his book stole a precious piece of my heart. And I’m like, you can have it. You can totally have it. JUST TAKE IT ALL OKAY? This books is filled with emotions and I felt every. single. one. Colleen Hoover, I applaud you. Absolutely bow down to you. Because you’ve done it again. You made me feel so damn much, I felt my heart was breaking a thousand times, only to have it stitched back together by your incredible words and the amount of heart and love in this beautiful book. But still. What the hell, Colleen Hoover? Are you trying to kill me over here? It wasn’t enough that with Hopeless, you broke my heart into pieces, but you had to have the nerve to write Losing Hope and rip my heart to shreds? Thanks. Thanks a lot. No, I mean it. Thank you.

Thank you for writing the most beautiful, incredible, emotional, raw, heartfelt book I’ve ever read.

What’s especially different with Losing Hope, besides the fact that it’s Hopeless from Holder’s POV, is that it’s not just everything from Hopeless. Interspersed throughout the chapters are journal entries that Holder writes to Les. We get to feel how sad and devastated and shattered Holder is from Les’s death, but we also feel how crushed and hurt and angry he is at her suicide. We get to see the events prior to the beginning of Hopeless, starting with Les’s suicide. But not everything’s depressing in Losing Hope, thank god, because we get to see how Holder slowly heals from his sister’s death with the help of Sky and his love for her. And we finally get a glimpse of the happily ever after for Holder and Sky.

Reading how Holder falls in love with Sky is just the b e s t. It was written so incredibly, I felt like I was falling a bit in love with Sky too LOL.

My all time favorite quote in the whole wide world:

“Fuck all the firsts, Sky. The only thing that matters to me with you are the forevers.”

I cried. I cried so. damn. much. It was like waterworks. And it all happened towards the end of the book. The Letter. The Favor. And The Final Chapter. Those 3 parts made me bawl and sob and wail and flail and made me look like a freaking lunatic with my nasty, red, tear-stained face. With The Letter, Holder is finally, finally absolved of all his guilt, but there’s still all this overwhelming sadness. I was only tearing up while reading The Letter, especially at the very end, and I never expected to actually cry. But then. Dean Holder. He started crying and it was just a domino effect. I started crying so, so much, tears pouring down my face because of part with The Letter, because of the whole book, but mostly for Dean Holder. This boy has been through so fucking butterflying much and it’s just like, is it finally going to end for him? Is he finally going to be able to be free of his past and his guilt? I just wanted to pick Holder out of the book, give him a huge hug, and hold him forever and forever. Of course, he wouldn’t let me, because he’s a total bamf. The sweetest bamf, still, mind you.

And oh my god, The Favor. Let me tell you, the moment he asked Sky to do him a favor, I knew, I knew exactly what the favor was going to be. It just popped right into my head. And when he said it, I started bawling and tears were just streaming down my face.

There were happy tears, but there were sad ones as well. Because how could you possibly not be saddened by a story like this? Yes, I’m happy it was a happy ending, I’m happy they survived, I’m happy they’re together and have each other. But still. As much as I loved Hopeless and Losing Hope, the subject of these books are pretty horrifying. All I can say is that if you have ever been through anything like what Sky has been through, or any trauma at all, then I hope that you have your very own Dean Holder or at least someone very much like him to be with you.

I honestly can’t say whether I loved Hopeless or Losing Hope more. But I can say that Losing Hope completely captured my heart. You should definitely read Hopeless before tackling on Losing Hope though. But I promise that you will not regret reading either of these stories.

6 BEAUTIFUL FARKING HEARTS
6-hearts

lacey

Reading Order: Hopeless series

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover

#1 ~ Hopeless: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Losing Hope: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2.5 ~ Finding Cinderella: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

Top Ten Tuesday {1}: Books Dealing with Tough Subjects

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top ten tuesday banner

Today we’re participating in our very first meme that’s hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday theme is:

Books Dealing with Tough Subjects

1. The Fault in Our Stars by John GreenThe Fault in Our Stars by John Green

This book is one of our absolute favorites! Cancer by itself is already a tough subject, and these characters are cancer patients who deal with death getting closer and closer every day. And Augustus Waters? *wipes tear* That boy and this whole book was so heart-breaking and incredible.


Hopeless by Colleen Hoover2. Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

This book pretty much tore out my heart. I don’t want to say exactly what happened to Sky, since it is spoilery, but it was one of the sickest, most vile things I’ve ever read. I almost wanted to take a breather, but I COULDN’T stop reading. Loved this book so, so much. Hopeless is a definite must read.

 

3. Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarryPushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Noah is an orphan whose parents died while he was still in high school, and he’s fighting for custody of his two younger brothers, who mean the world to him. Echo is a girl who has scars all over her arms and nearly died because of an incident with her mother. Both of them are emotional wrecks and are in immense grief, and I love how they found love with each other in a time when they couldn’t possibly be happy.

Easy by Tammara Webber4. Easy by Tammara Webber

At the start of the book, the heroine, Jacqueline, is attacked and nearly raped by a friend of her ex-boyfriend. The book focuses on the consequences of the attempted assault, and on Jacqueline’s relationship with Lucas, who has a past that was so sad and heart-breaking to read. LOVED this book.

 

5. The Sea of Tranquility by Katja MillayThe Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

Nastya’s life was ruined at a very young age from a traumatic event, and Josh doesn’t even care about anything but work ever since lost his family. The two are very broken, but what I love about them and this book is that they find a way to move past and accept their grief and be happy with each other. This book was SO FREAKING AMAZING.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman6. If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Mia and her family get into a car accident, and everyone-her mother, father, and younger brother-dies except for her. Mia is able to see what happens while she in a  coma, and we experience the intense grief that Mia goes through, knowing that by the time she wakes up, she’ll be alone in the world. This was so heart-breaking to read, but I loved the 2nd book even better.

 

7. Wait for You by Jennifer L. ArmentroutWait For You by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Avery was sexually assaulted when she was a young teenager, and even though she’s starting college now, the effects of that experience have not waned. She goes through so much emotional pain that you can’t help but wish she gets her happily-ever-after with Cam (who is the most adorable guy ever!).

 

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak8. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

A fictional book set during the Holocaust, The Book Thief is one of my favorite books ever, but made me an emotional train wreck by the time I was done.

 

 

9. The Coincidence of Kallie and Kayden by Jessica SorensenThe Coincidence of Kallie and Kayden by Jessica Sorensen

Callie also goes through something horrific, and keeps to herself constantly, never allowing herself to reach out to others. Eventually, she finds a connection with Kayden (who also has problems of his own), but it takes a long while before she can open herself up to him.

 

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher10. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Hannah tells her story through recorded tapes to the people who caused her to commit suicide. There is so much pain and suffering, and the book makes you think a lot about the effect you have on other people and how careful you should act towards others.

 

So, these are our top ten! Let us know which of these you agree with or what books you think should be added. And be on the lookout next week for our next Top Ten Tuesday (the next theme sounds SO FUN)!

Cover Reveal: Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover

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Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover
Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover
Series: Hopeless #2
Publication Date: July 9th 2013
Add to Goodreads

In the follow-up to Colleen Hoover’s #1 New York Times bestseller Hopeless, the charming and irresistible Dean Holder tells the passionate story that has melted thousands of hearts.

In Hopeless, Sky left no secret unearthed, no feeling unshared, and no memory forgotten, but Holder’s past remained a mystery.

Still haunted by the little girl he let walk away, Holder has spent his entire life searching for her in an attempt to finally rid himself of the crushing guilt he has felt for years. But he could not have anticipated that the moment they reconnect, even greater remorse would overwhelm him…

Sometimes in life, if we wish to move forward, we must first dig deep into our past and make amends. In Losing Hope, bestselling author Colleen Hoover reveals what was going on inside Holder’s head during all those hopeless moments—and whether he can gain the peace he desperately needs.

Oh.
My.
God.
AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

I am SO crazy excited to read Losing Hope now. I NEED MORE DEAN HOLDER!!! Sigh. Colleen Hoover’s going to break my heart all over again. I just know it. (OMG which reminds me: look out for our review of THIS GIRL soon!)

And even though the guy on the cover doesn’t really match my version of Holder, I’m still a big fan of the cover. I love that it matches with Hopeless’s cover, which is so darn cute! (Even though the book is anything but cute.)

Lookie lookie! Side-by-side!

Hopeless by Colleen HooverLosing Hope by Colleen Hoover

And, ahem… well, on Pinterest, there are some REALLY nice pictures of this guy who I think makes a GREAT Holder.

Like, HOLY COW. (Look at them abs!!!)
Holder 2

I can TOTALLY imagine Holder going out running in this same outfit.
Yes, I know I am weird okay? Gosh.

Aaannd maybe just one more pic….
Holder 1
(Abs!!! More abs!! And that ARM)
Okay. I’m done now.

And if you HAVEN’T read Hopeless yet *narrows my eyes at you* then what are you waiting for?

Go check out Colleen’s blog for more info on the cover!
http://colleenhoover.com/2013/05/11/cover-reveal-for-losing-hope-and-a-giveaway/

Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover

lacey

Author Appreciation: Colleen Hoover

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So there’s this one author that Cathy, Shirley, and I are completely obsessed crazy about, and you guessed it…. It’s COLLEEN HOOVER!!! I decided to make an appreciation post for Colleen Hoover in time for her new release THIS GIRL, out April 30th!

This Girl by Colleen Hoover

OMG SQUEEEEEE!!!!! I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS GIRL!!!!! I HAVE BEEN DYING FOR THIS BOOK SINCE I FIRST HEARD COLLEEN WAS WRITING IT. IT’S. FINALLY. ALMOST. HERE.

I remember falling immediately in love with Colleen Hoover’s first book, Slammed, and thinking, “Oh my god, that was. FREAKING. AMAZING. HOLYCOW.” And since then, I vowed to myself and the world that I would always read anything Colleen Hoover writes. And boy did she not disappoint. I cannot express just how much I loved reading Slammed, Point of Retreat, and Hopeless. I think, subconsciously, reading them has changed the way I read books now. Because they were so incredibly heart-wrenching and phenomenal, I think I tend to have expectations of books as to whether or not they can make me love them as much as I love Colleen’s books. This is probably a bad thing, since I don’t think there are too many books out there that I can love as much as Slammed, PoR, and Hopeless (but there are! Don’t worry, there are always books that will speak to your heart and just connect with your soul). And another thing Colleen has done is open my eyes towards so many other books, whether they are indie books or from the New Adult genre.

Oh, and how could I forget to mention the amazing hot smexy yumilicious Will Cooper and Dean Holder?!?!?!? At the very least, you should read a book by Colleen for some gorgeous boys Will and Holder!

Holder (Hopeless by Colleen Hoover)

 Like come on. If this doesn’t make your heart melt, I don’t know what does.

GOD COLLEEN HOOVER. YOU. ROCK. But ahem… if you continue to create books like your previous ones which I am so unbelievably in love with it’s crazy and you probably think I’m weird then I will end up as a pile of goo from both your beautiful writing and stories and YOUR. BOYS. But I’m okay with that. Hehe.

GO READ HER BOOKS. THAT IS ALL.

lacey

Cathy here.

WOOO!! COLLEEN HOOVER?! AMAZING WRITER. Each of her books only took me a single day to read, which means I was glued to them ALL DAY. I seriously think these books have ruined any chance for me of finding the perfect guy, because absolutely no guy can compare to, NO, they can’t even come close to the perfection of Will Cooper and Dean Holder. A guy who can melt your heart with slam poetry? The other who’s been in love with a single girl literally his entire life?! NO. NO ONE CAN EVER BE AMAZING AS THE WILL COOPER AND DEAN HOLDER. These books have raised my expectations to admittedly crazy unrealistic expectations, but I DON’T CARE because I want a guy just like them. And the stories themselves were just insanely intense in themselves. Both Layken and Sky are relatable in the way that they hope for the same things we do in life, but their lives are so much more difficult in ways that I hope I myself won’t have to experience. Their experiences in these books prove that anything is possible, and love can conquer all! WOOT! (= Well, that was incredibly cheesy, but being a hopeless romantic, what else can you possibly expect from me? (; While reading these books, I was riding a rollercoaster of emotions. One minute I was practically falling in love (or “live” Dean’s case:) with Will/Dean myself, the next minute I wanted to throw something at the wall, and the next I wanted to bawl my eyes out! It was like Rumplestiltskin (again showing how obsessed I am with OUAT) was tearing my heart out, shoving it back in, only to tear my heart out again to increase the pain by tenfold! CRAZY, RIGHT? I highly recommend reading Slammed and Point of Retreat first since even though they’re both sad, Hopeless is just another level of sadness and depression altogether! I actually had to stop reading it a few times to take a breather because my heart would stop, and my feelings were all over the place. I was a mess.

Anyways, THANKS LACEY for showing me these books and I absolutely love you for showing me these!! AHH. Coolest friend EVER, haha! (= AND COLLEEN HOOVER, thank you for giving me unrealistic expectations for guys now.  I am so happy you brought Layken, Sky, Will and Holder into my life! & thank you for liking my reviews on GoodReads for Point of Retreat and Hopeless! It made me so happy!!  AND we’re all anxiously awaiting This Girl! Lacey’s going to read it on ebook first, and I’m probably (or at least trying) to wait until it comes out in paperback in August. But who knows? I’ll probably cave well before then. (;
Cathy

Reading Order: Slammed series

Slammed by Colleen Hoover Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover This Girl by Colleen Hoover

#1 ~ Slammed: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Point of Retreat: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ This Girl: Our Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

Reading Order: Hopeless series

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover

#1 ~ Hopeless: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Losing Hope: Lacey’s Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2.5 ~ Finding Cinderella: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads