BLOG TOUR: All Your Perfects, Colleen Hoover (July 17, 2018)

“Sometimes when people change, it’s not always noticeable in a marriage, because the couple changes together, in the same direction. But sometimes people change in opposite directions.”

Every once in a while we all need one of those rip-your-heart-out-cry-through-a-whole-box-of-tissues kind of book and Colleen Hoover’s yearly releases always provide this for me. Even though it was very different from her previous works, I highly enjoyed WITHOUT MERIT—but if you prefer the heartwrenching romance aspect of CoHo’s work…she’s back in full force with her newest release.

And DEAR LORD keep a box of tissues close and well-stocked because you’re going to need it.

 


“If you only shine light on your flaws, all your perfects will dim.”

The 411: Quinn and Graham have a perfect love story, but their unique connection is threatened by their imperfect marriage. The memories, mistakes, and secrets that they have built up over the years are now tearing them apart, day by heartbreaking day. The one thing that could save them might also be the very thing that pushes their marriage beyond the point of repair. So do they risk it? Is their history worth saving?

ALL YOUR PERFECTS is a profound novel about a damaged couple struggling with a relatable issue – infertility – whose potential future hinges on promises made in the past. In Colleen Hoover’s inimitable style and brilliant narrative voice, this heartbreaking page-turner asks: Can a resounding love with a fairytale beginning survive a lifetime between two imperfect people?


For as much as I read, I haven’t read a lot of books about infertility, and this book was certainly a deep dive into the pain couples go through when they’re struggling to get pregnant. The book is from Quinn’s POV and the sorrow and pain she feels is palpable. There were many parts where I was physically hurting from A) how much I was crying and B) simply by empathizing with her character.

We alternate between present day Quinn and Graham and when they first met. The difference is so striking and really a testament of how quickly something like infertility can derail a marriage. As per typical CoHo, Graham is a complete dreamboat and gives some magnanimous speeches that had my poor little heart fluttering. The climax of the book is a scene so incredibly heartbreaking and, ultimately, uplifting that I’m convinced no one else could have pulled this book off other than Colleen.

I have loved every single one of Colleen Hoover’s books and there hasn’t yet been one that didn’t make me cry uncontrollably. I like that her books aren’t just sex, sex, sex (not my cup of tea), and they always have intense stories and a conflict that tackles an important subject.


MY RATING:  ✰✰✰✰✰
RECOMMENDED READING: Colleen Hoover’s entire catalog (obvi), but also Lauren Layne, and Christina Lauren.

Thank you Atria Books for including me on this tour and for my galley.


COLLEEN HOOVER is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Slammed, Point of Retreat, This Girl, Hopeless, Losing Hope, Finding Cinderella, Maybe Someday, Maybe Not, Ugly Love, Confess, November 9, It Ends with Us, and Without Merit. Colleen has won the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance three times—for Confess in 2015, It Ends with Us in 2016, and Without Merit in 2017. Confess was adapted into a seven-episode online series. In 2015, Colleen and her family founded The Bookworm Box, a bookstore and monthly subscription service offering signed novels donated by authors. All profits are given to various charities each month to help those in need. Colleen lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys. Visit ColleenHoover.com.


Colleen will be hitting the road on the ALL YOUR PERFECTS tour! See below for all the dates, and hopefully see some of you at the Minneapolis stop!

  • 07/17: Denver, CO, 7:00 PM | TATTERED COVER BOOKSTORE | Tickets
  • 07/23: Portland, OR, 7:00 PM | POWELL’S BOOKS | Call store for details: 503-228-4651 or pre-order
  • 07/24: Seattle, WA, 7:00 PM | THIRD PLACE BOOKS | Tickets
  • 07/25: San Francisco, CA, 7:00 PM | BOOK PASSAGE | Tickets
  • 07/26: San Diego, CA, 7:30 PM | WARWICK’S | Tickets
  • 07/27: Phoenix, AZ, 7:00 PM | CHANGING HANDS BOOKSTORE | Tickets
  • 07/28: Los Angeles, CA, 4:00 PM | THE RIPPED BODICE | Tickets
  • 07/29: Dallas, TX, 6:00 PM | HALF PRICE BOOKS | Information
  • 08/02: Atlanta, GA, 7:00 PM | EAGLE EYE BOOKS | Tickets
  • 08/03: Asheville, NC, 6:00 PM | MALAPROP’S BOOKSTORE/CAFE | Tickets
  • 08/04: Cincinnati, OH, 5:00 PM | JOSEPH-BETH BOOKSELLERS | Tickets 
  • 08/05: Chicago, IL, 3:00 PM | ANDERSON’S BOOKSHOP | Tickets
  • 08/06: Detroit, MI, 6:30 PM | SCHULER BOOKS & MUSIC, Okemos | Tickets
  • 08/07: Minneapolis, MN, 7:00 PM | BARNES AND NOBLE/Edina | Call for more details: 952-920-2124
  • 08/08: Kansas City, KS, 7:00 PM | RAINY DAY BOOKS | Tickets
  • 08/09: Austin, TX, 7:00 PM | BOOK PEOPLE | Tickets
  • 09/17: New York, NY, 7:00 PM | THE STRAND BOOKSTORE | Tickets

Kate Reads 2017: Jan-Mar Favorites

You can believe me or not, but I’ve read a total of 88 books so far in 2017. Mostly physical copies—but I’m learning to embrace using my iPad as an eReader and not just my personal television. I haven’t really branched out in terms of what I’m reading—I’m a creature of habit and I know what I like. My faves include psychological thrillers, books that tackle controversial topics (such as abuse and mental illness), and friends-to-lovers relationships (because I’m still bitter over not getting my Dawson and Joey ending). I also won’t say to “no” to a good teen dystopia novel. 

I’ve read a lot of really good books so far and I wanted to share. I rarely give out five star ratings…those are basically reserved for my most favorites and the Harry Potter series. These are what I consider 4-4.5 stars aka ❤. And they all link to Goodreads 🙂

Some of my stacks because I’m too cool for shelves…and too afraid of IKEA

JAN-MAR 2017 FAVES [in no particular order]

The Light series, Aleatha Romig
Sara Adams wakes up in a hospital, blind and can’t remember her past. She comes to learn she’s a member of a religious and oppressive cult known as The Light.

It’s SO. GOOD. I didn’t like The Handmaid’s Tale (runs and hides) but I LOVED this series. The first book ends on a major cliffhanger and I don’t think I’ve hit “BUY” on a sequel so fast. Although Romig has said this is the end of this story, I’d be thrilled with a third installment (the second book also ends arguable ambiguous).

Behind Her Eyes, Sarah Pinborough
Louise meets David at a bar and later comes to learn he’s her new boss. Her married boss. She ends up befriending Adele, his wife and learns the secrets behind their seemingly perfect relationship.

This was my February selection from Book of the Month and it’s my favorite pick from them so far. The bookmark that came with it said, “You think you know the ending, but you don’t. I promise.” And I now promise you, it’s a doozy. I figured out the first twist and was so proud of myself and then the immediate turnaround knocked me on my ass. I stayed up until 3 on a work night to finish this baby and I have no regrets.

ForbiddenTabitha Suzuma
Growing up in a dysfunctional family with an alcoholic mother, Lochan and Maya Whiteley have been forced to grow up quickly and be stand-in parents for their three younger siblings. Lochan and Maya’s relationship is more than just brother and sister and they continue to fight their feelings because they know it’s “wrong.”

This book broke my heart. Plain and simple. I read it in one night and was reduced to a weeping pile of salt water. For a topic that is so taboo, Lochan and Maya’s relaysh is so respectfully, well done. “Forbidden” won’t be and isn’t for everyone. But if you have the stomach for extremely touchy subjects and enjoy a good cry, this is your answer.

UnravelCalia Read
After a whirlwind romance with Max—a man no one seems to think is real—Naomi Carradine ends up at Fairfax mental hospital. Wanting out, she tells her story to her psychiatrist, desperate for someone to believe she isn’t “crazy.” Also woven in are her relationships with neighbor boy, Lochlan, and her best friend, Lana.

This book is a wonderful mix of all of my previously listed favorite book genres and it was so freaking good. There are so many little things mentioned throughout that make complete sense once the twist is revealed and I definitely did not see it coming. And once you look back you can see how intricately crafted Read made Naomi’s story. Plus, bonus love triangle with two guys who both  AREN’T assholes! Win!

Swear on This LifeRenee Carlino
When Emiline picks up “All the Roads Between” from new author J. Colby, the story sounds familiar. Eerily familiar. As she continues reading, Em realizes that J. Colby is her childhood best friend, Jase, and he’s written a national bestseller about her dark and dysfunctional upbringing, one she has been desperately trying to leave behind.

This was an impulse buy with my Christmas iTunes gift card and I was incredibly pleasantly surprised. I’ve read two more from Carlino this year, both of which were also good, but Swear on This Life gave me major feels. Childhood friends? Second-chance romance? Lots and lots of angst? Sign me up. This was another one that  I read in one night and ended up bawling into my stuffed bear. I need an actual physical copy in my life at some point too.

All the Ugly and Wonderful ThingsBryn Greenwood
Wavy is only eight when a motorcycle accident brings thug and ex-convict Kellen into her life. She’s the daughter of a meth dealer, and is raising her younger brother, Donal, by herself. Kellen, 13 years her senior, becomes the only form of stability and comfort in her life. The book spans 15 years and the evolving relationship between Kellen and Wavy.

I’m not going to lie. This book made me extremely uncomfortable. And it generally takes something major to upset me like this. This book is twisted. It’s disturbing. It’s absolutely heartbreaking. It took me a little longer to read “All the Ugly and Wonderful Things” because I had to keep putting it down and collecting my thoughts. It is truly SO good, but it’s a thinker. It’ll stick with you long after you close. Wavy and Kellen are not your conventional romantic leads. Kellen is not a rich, handsome hunk with defined abs and a secret sex fetish. Wavy isn’t your naive ingenue who blindly dives into relationships. They’re both heavily broken individuals who find solace in each other. I HIGHLY recommend this book. It was so good.

The Hating Game, Sally Thorne
Coworkers Lucy and Joshua are sworn enemies and have no qualms about expressing their hatred towards each other. It makes for quite an office environment. They then both become applicants for the same job promotion and their rivalry comes to a head. But do they actually hate each other? Or is it just another game?

“The Hating Game” is the first relatively adult novel I’ve ever read (I refuse to count the horrendously written Fifty Shades books) and I loved it. If I can’t have a friends-to-lovers storyline, I will gladly take an enemies-to-lovers one.

It Ends With UsColleen Hoover
After witnessing the abusive relationship between parents, Lily resolves to never end up like her mother. She’s so happy when she meets neurosurgeon Ryle: Lily gets her fairytale relationship and marriage and it’s all too good to be true. That’s when things go south. Also in her orbit is the return of ex-boyfriend, Atlas, who is all too aware of her mother’s history.

Don’t you love when a book reaches down and strangles your soul? Because that’s exactly what “It Ends With Us” did to me. Another read-in-a-day, bawled-my-eyes-out novel.

The Royals seriesErin Watt
After the death of her mother, Ella Harper is making ends meet by working odd jobs and as a stripper. Her life changes when her father’s best friend shows up with news that he’s her legal guardian. Callum Royal and his family of five boys, are rich, spoiled, and used to having the world handed to them. While Callum takes a quick liking to her, it isn’t surprising that the sons are suspicious and hostile.

The series starts as a relatively similar Cinderella-retelling, with Ella plucked out of poverty and dropped into a world of posh prep schools and even more privileged people. Ella is a great heroine, who is not a damsel in distress. And each of the Royal sons is equally damaged and swoon-worthy (two in particular, but you learn that quickly).

History Is All You Left MeAdam Silvera
Even after a tough break-up and a cross-country move, Griffin is still convinced that he and now ex-boyfriend, Theo, will eventually find their way back to each other. That’s when he learns that Theo has died in a tragic accident…and he was also in a serious relationship with a new boy, Jackson. Deeply heartbroken, Theo realizes that the only other person who knows what he’s going through is Jackson and forms a tentative friendship.

I had heard a lot of hype about Silvera’s “More Happy Than Not,” and I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. So, I was super happy that I loved “History Is All You Left Me.” It’s equal parts funny and sad, has positive and accurate OCD portrayal, and will stick with you after reading.

 

Really loved these tooUnder Rose-Tainted Skies, Louise Gornall; We Are the Ants, Shaun David Hutchinson; The Futures, Anna Pitoniak; Lucas, Jay McLean; My Heart and Other Black Holes, Jasmine Warga; Blurred Lines, Lauren Layne; Caraval, Stephanie Garber; Boy Toy, Barry Lygal; The Thousandth Floor, Katharine McGee; and Paperweight, Meg Haston

Yup, that’s my TBR pile…

What’s next on my list: I’m currently making my way through “Idaho,” by Emily Ruskovich. I typically have difficulty connecting to characters that are much older than me, but I’m really enjoying this so far.