“If she’s not careful, I might just fall in love with her. Tonight.”

• Buy NOVEMBER 9 (Kindle)
• Buy NOVEMBER 9 (Paperback)

*** SPOILER-FREE REVIEW **** WOW. WOW. WOW!!!! November 9 blew me away!!! I read it in one sitting with my heart racing the whole time!! The story was SO unique and unexpected that it took me completely by surprise over and over again!! I swooned, I fell in love, my heart was broken, and then healed again. And THE TWIST!!!!! Holy hell, that twist!!! Total shocker but I LOVED it. This book was perfect from cover to cover and definitely one of the BEST BOOKS of the year!! 5 stars!!

I went into this story completely blind without knowing anything other than what the blurb said and knowing the fact that it was a standalone. My personal recommendation is that you do the same thing. Try not to read anything about the plot and just dive right into the story! As such, I’m not going to talk about the storyline at all here — this is a spoiler-free review — and instead, I’m only going to share the blurb:

Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist…

Now in complete honesty, blurbs usually over-exaggerate when they say things like “for the sake of the ultimate plot twist” but I promise you that wording is fully deserved here!! I genuinely did not see the twist coming and I absolutely loved that it surprised me! It just gave the story that extra *ooomph*!

This book starts off by just throwing you right into the story. You hit the ground running and it’s a non-stop ride until the very end. As you can guess from the blurb, the story takes place over several years focusing on Fallon and Ben’s single day together each year. I fell in love with them together. Each time, I desperately waited for them to reconnect and couldn’t wait to see where each new year would take them.

“You can’t leave yet. I’m not finished falling in love with you.”

I was especially impressed with the way their relationship was set up so strongly that even after spending an entire year apart with literally no contact, they could pick up like they’d never been separated.

“He slowly plants kisses down my neck, keeping my hands secured to the bed, not allowing me to touch him back while he explores my skin. God, I’ve missed him. I’ve missed the way I feel when I’m with him. I wish I could have this every day. Once a year isn’t enough.”

PS: this is a complete standalone (not part of a series) but there’s a secret something in this book that’s guaranteed to make you SQUEE if you’re already a fan of Colleen Hoover’s books!!! 😉

Anyways, I started this book late at night but ended up staying up til the wee hours of the morning to finish it because I just needed to find out what happened next for Fallon and Ben. The more I read, the more my heart squeezed. I was deliriously excited for their reunions, while being kinda scared about what would happen each year while they were apart. My heart was in my throat!!!! I felt ALL THE FEELS!!!

“She’s the only one I want with me today, and here she is.
Just for me. Because she missed me.
If she’s not careful, I just might beg her to stay.
For good.”

Ohhhh and this story really built up. My gosh, there was this one specific point where seriously guys, I was raging!!! OMG. My stomach dropped. I was so mad that I was practically shedding angry tears. I was furious to the point of not believing I could ever forgive [that person]. I was done. MAD!!!!! But ohhhhh how the grovel was epic! It was so epic that it actually did make me genuinely feel for and understand that character and believe the apology in a way that made me forgive what I thought would probably be unforgivable and still fully love that character. To me, that’s a sign of damn good writing!!

In the final hour of reading this book, I went from full on freaking out, angst-filled, stomach dropping rage to sitting with the biggest silliest, happiest grin on my face basking in all the warm happy feels.

I really found it to be amazing how these two characters could literally spend only a matter of hours together over the years and still have me wholeheartedly believe their love for each other. But I really did. I felt the feels, believed their love, understood the mistakes, cheered for the victories. I loved it so much!

“This is real life, and in the real world you have to bust your ass for the happy ever after… When you find love, you take it. You grab it with both hands and you do everything in your power not to let it go.”

Isn’t that an awesome quote??

This book was unique, unexpected, gripping, addictive, a lot of fun, but angsty at times, and also totally swoon-filled and beautiful because the truth is that no person is perfect and even the best of us make mistakes. What counts is whether we learn from them, and how we repair the damage, and how far we are willing to go to prove our love for each other no matter what happens. I really felt like (regardless of whether I agreed with them), I understood these characters and I absolutely adored their beautiful yet unconventional love story. I laughed, cried, swooned, and fell completely in love.

I have loved every single book that Colleen Hoover has written. Her stories just reach right into my heart and this book was another top-notch winner — a truly fantastic top recommendation!

“I think about you every second of every day and I don’t know how to get over you,” she says.

“Don’t,” I beg her. “Please don’t get over me.”

November 9 is a complete standalone and just trust me here and get yourself a copy.
This is one of those books you’ll want to drop everything to read!

Rating: 5 STARS!!

• BuyNOVEMBER 9 (Kindle)
• Buy NOVEMBER 9 (Paperback) 

Note: pre-orders are not charged until release day.

— ALL COLLEEN HOOVER BOOKS —

SLAMMED | POINT OF RETREAT | THIS GIRL
HOPELESS | LOSING HOPE | FINDING CINDERELLA
MAYBE SOMEDAY (standalone) | MAYBE NOT (novella)
UGLY LOVE  (standalone)
CONFESS (standalone)
NOVEMBER 9 (standalone)

 …

“Please don’t give up on me… on us.”

• Buy WHEN I WAS YOURS (Kindle)
• Buy WHEN I WAS YOURS (Paperback)

From the moment I read the blurb, I knew I had to read this book because I NEEDED ANSWERS!!!! I desperately wanted to know what had happened to this couple. Why were they torn apart? What would happen to them once they got back together?  I read this book in one non-stop sitting because I just didn’t want to stop reading! Needless to say, after finishing it, I got all the answers and really enjoyed the book!!

Here’s the blurb. Once you read it, I’m sure you’ll understand exactly why I wanted to read this book…

“Marry me.”
“What?” I stared back at him, unblinking.
He moved closer, taking my face in his hands. “I love you, Evie. I look into the future, and the only thing I see clearly is you. Marry me.”

What’s an eighteen-year-old girl who was madly in love with her nineteen-year-old boyfriend say?

Of course, I said yes.

Twenty-four hours later, I married Adam Gunner at a Vegas chapel to the sounds of “Livin’ on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi. Not the best omen. I get that now.

Then, exactly one week later, I left him. I walked out, leaving behind my wedding ring, annulment papers, and my heart, and he never knew why.

I haven’t seen him since. Not in ten long years.

Now, he’s here, standing before me. Looking at me with nothing but hurt and hatred in his eyes, he wants answers.

Answers I can’t give.

I wanted those answers too!!!

Because of the nature of this storyline, there’s very little I can tell you without giving anything away. The story is told is alternating POVs and it goes back and forth between the past when they first met and fell in love, and the present day which is a decade later when they meet for the first time since she left him.

If you’ve read many second chance romances, I’ll be honest and tell you that this one is pretty predictable. I correctly guessed the reason she left quite early on and the driving force to the book was more (for me) about seeing their reunion than actually getting answers. I guess I wished that her reason had been something more… different?… but I don’t always read to be surprised. As long as the journey with the characters is well-written and I feel connected to them, then I’m happy — and this book did have that. I really enjoyed Adam and Evie’s story from their beautiful start, through the pain of their separation, and into the healing of their reunion, even though admittedly, there were definitely times when I was frustrated with them both. That being said, what they’d each gone through respectively was really rough so I do try to be a little understanding of what reactions people might have during extreme circumstances.

Because of the way the past and present storylines are entwined, these characters are constantly going through something — whether it’s the anticipation over them meeting, or the swoon of first love, or the pain and confusion of betrayal, or the anger and longing of finally being reunited, the pent up tension that the separation built, or the love that never stopped even throughout all the pain…

“I knew I wasn’t over her — I’d have to be stupid to ever think I was — but I didn’t realize how badly I’d want her again. The urge to touch her and taste her was overwhelming. Just breathing the same air as her was fucking killing me. Standing there, staring at her, I was eighteen all over again…

I never could get enough of her. And no matter what she’s done to me, whether I love her or hate her, I will always want her.”

Rating: 4 stars. Standalone romance.

• Buy WHEN I WAS YOURS (Kindle)
• Buy WHEN I WAS YOURS (Paperback)

“Do your tattoos tell a story?” I manage to ask.

He keeps on staring, completely unreadable. Then he looks down at his arm and it flexes beautifully. “Everything tells a story.”

• Buy THE PLAY (Kindle)
• Buy THE PLAY (Paperback)

I read this book in one sitting and loved it! It was a heart-warming, sexy romance featuring a swoony yet damaged Alpha hero with a painful past and a heart of gold, and a feisty, free-spirited heroine who he fell in love with. If you’re looking for a great new read, definitely give this one a shot!

The story is about Kayla who is seriously tired of dating and sleeping around for fun. Her friends have all settled down, she hasn’t met the one and so she decided to take a vow of celibacy. But the vow is cut short when she meets Lachlan, a smokin’ hot Scottish rugby player who is everything she ever dreamed of. He’s tall, tatted, broody and mysterious, but also very kind-hearted with a soft spot for rescuing stray dogs. But he’s reluctant to open up to anyone, making it hard for her to get to know him more.

“It isn’t until the two of them are thrown together one long, unforgettable night that Kayla realizes there is so much more to this brooding macho man than what meets the eye. But even with sparks flying between the two, Lachlan can’t stay in America forever. Now, Kayla has to decide whether to uproot her whole life and chance it all on someone she barely knows or risk getting burned once again.”

“Why the hell did I have to meet this beast, this superman, who blows my mind in the bedroom, mows down rugby players for a living, rescues helpless animals, looks like a fucking god, and just happens to cook, just before he has to leave?”

I’m such a fan of the “opposites attract” kinds of romance and there’s no doubt that Kayla and Lahlan were about as opposite as could be. She’d grown up in a loving family, his had abandoned him. She was loud and outspoken, he was quiet and mysterious. She literally had no filter, he kept so much private. And yet… they just ‘clicked’ together, each somehow bringing out the best in each other.

At 432 pages, this is a fairly long book, but it flows very smoothly and even though I originally just intended to read a few chapters yesterday evening, I actually ended up reading the whole book in one sitting because I got lost in the story and just didn’t want to stop reading.

There’s very little drama, no cheating or triangles, it’s more just focused on some big life choices and hurdles to get through for both of them separately and together as a couple. I really enjoyed the writing style, I swooned over the romance, and felt very invested in their story. It’s sexy, hot, and steamy, but also well balanced with a forward moving plot, and loads of swoony feels.

I clear my throat, trying to act cool. “So, am I your girlfriend or what?”

He grins at me. “You’re my girlfriend. My girl. My woman. And I’m all yours.”

“My man,” I say, kissing the stubble on his cheek. “My beast.” I pause. “My sex slave.”

“Bloody right I am,” he says before kissing me so deeply that it steals my breath away.

This can be read as a complete standalone novel. It is slightly interconnected with the previous two books (see below) but you can definitely read this without reading the other two. Basically, the only difference is that if you’ve read the other two books, you’ll be fully aware of her friends’ stories, and if you haven’t read them then her friends will just be random side characters to you. But knowing their stories doesn’t help appreciate this one so it’s really completely up to you and you’ll be fine either way.

Now, the final thing to mention is the author is very generously donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book to animal charities this week only (first week of release). Charities include Best Friends Animal Society, Battersea Dogs & Cats, Bad Rap, ASPCA and others that focus on rescues, adoption and fostering for dogs and cats. Right now, this book is priced at $2.99 with $1.00 from each sale being donated. Next week, price will go up to $4.99. So if you’re planning to read this book, get your copy now and help contribute towards the animal charity donations 🙂

“Just say the words, please. Tell me that you want to stay, that you’ll try and I promise you, I promise you, I will make it work out.”

Rating: 4 – 4.5 stars. Contemporary Adult Romance (can be standalone).

• Buy THE PLAY (Kindle)
• Buy THE PLAY (Paperback)

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*** 3 STANDALONES ***

You can either read any of them separately, or in order.

THE PACT (Linden & Stephanie)
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review

THE OFFER (Bram & Nicola)
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | I haven’t read it

THE PLAY (Lahlan & Kayla)
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review