by Colleen Hoover
Content warning (highlight to view): sexual assault, abusive relationship, drug use, violence, mental illness
4.5 stars
Sloan will go through hell and back for those she loves. And she does so, every single day. Caught up with the alluring Asa Jackson, a notorious drug trafficker, Sloan has finally found a lifeline to cling to, even if it’s meant compromising her morals. She was in dire straits trying to pay for her brother’s care until she met Asa. But as Sloan became emotionally and economically reliant on him, he in turn developed a disturbing obsession with her—one that becomes increasingly dangerous every day.
When undercover DEA agent Carter enters the picture, Sloan’s surprised to feel an immediate attraction between them, despite knowing that if Asa finds out, he will kill him. And Asa has always been a step ahead of everyone in his life, including Sloan. No one has ever gotten in his way.
No one except Carter. Together, Sloan and Carter must find a way out before it’s too late.
What worked for me: This 2016 release from CoHo managed to sit on my shelf for almost 7 years before I picked it up. When I finally did, I could not put it down again. This is not swoony romance Colleen Hoover. This is dark and twisted Colleen Hoover. Told from three different points of view - Sloan, Carter, and Asa - and each one had me flipping pages as fast as I could. Asa was a villain you love to hate and while he may have been psychotic, he was also diabolical and freaking brilliant. His twisted games were so warped. The fast pace kept the tension high and even though this whole thing was over the top and veered into crazy town, I was 100% there for it. Colleen has her fans (raises my hand) and her detractors, but there's no denying she can write a story that feels unputdownable.
But not so much: I suppose an argument could be made that Sloan was a weak heroine who went from using/depending on one man to latching on to another. And yes, there was some serious insta-connection/insta-love happening with Carter, but I was willing to go with it. I was so completely invested in this wild ride that my mantra was "bring on more crazy!"
by Sharon Sala
Content warning (highlight to view): school shooting, PTSD, death of a spouse (not on page)
3.75 stars
A fresh start for a young teacher to build the life she's dreamt of.
A second chance at romance for a single dad.
The warm and uplifting small-town community cheering them on.
After two back-to-back life-changing events, first grade teacher Katie McGrath left Albuquerque for a fresh start in Borden's Gap, Tennessee. She is finally back in the classroom where she belongs, but it will take a little while for her to heal and feel truly like herself. She'll need to dig deep to find the courage it takes to try again—in life and in love—but with some help from her neighbor Sam Youngblood and his adorable daughters who bring her out of her shell, her future is looking brighter than she dared imagine.
What worked for me: The first chapter was truly overwhelming, with both a left-at-the-altar moment and a school shooting at the elementary school where main character Katie was a first grade teacher. It was harrowing, intense, and hard to read. The second chapter, which dealt with the immediate aftermath, was just as heartbreaking. Things lightened up considerably when Katie moved to a small town in Tennessee for a fresh start. Her neighbor Sam, the chief of police, and his twin six-year-old daughters were taken with Katie from the start, and various members of the small community welcomed Katie with open arms. The relationship with Sam developed without a single hitch and twins Evie and Beth were adorable. Yeah, Sam fell into the too-good-to-be-true realm, but I didn't even care. He was thoughtful, compassionate, and just what Katie needed.
But not so much: Two things. One, the overall feeling (and a lot of the dialogue) was way too saccharine for me. Sometimes it felt like these characters were straight out of the 1950's with the way they spoke. There were some serious issues addressed (like child abuse) and it was an odd juxtaposition to the otherwise super sweet tone. Secondly, the chapters from Katie's ex's point of view felt so out of place and unnecessary. They spanned almost the entire book and then stopped abruptly with no real resolution. Each chapter from the ex's POV pulled me out of Katie's story and left me wondering why they had been included.
Have you read either of these books?
