Reminders of Him: A Novel Paperback – January 18, 2022

Absolute perfection!!Five years ago, Kenna made a devastating mistake that led to the death of the man she loved. Now out of prison, she is returning to the town in which the tragedy occurred, hoping to start a relationship with her four-year-old daughter, Diem. But she knows it won't be easy and, in fact, it seems everyone in her daughter's life is determined to shut her out even though she is doing everything she can to prove herself and absolve of her sins.Though unlikely, Kenna finds support in the form of Ledger Ward, a local bar owner and someone with a big connection to her daughter. Though he should hate her, and does at first, as he gets to know Kenna, Ledger sees beyond her mistakes to the kind, loving, smart, strong woman she is. A woman who has held her own share of unimaginable grief and loss and just wants the chance to know her daughter. And though it puts him in a terrible position, he cannot help but develop feelings for her.Despite the impossible circumstances, Ledger and Kenna form a bond that defies logic and they know they will have insurmountable odds to beat if they are to be together and if Kenna is going to be allowed to be a mother to her daughter.I am not sure what more I can say about this book aside from the fact that it was utterly beautiful. Harrowing, raw, emotional, it tugged at my heartstringsIt is no secret that I am rarely disappointed in anything Colleen Hoover writes. I find that she is a master of writing nuanced characters that have deeply complex relationship dynamics and often times, immense flaws that only had to their complexity. Reminders of Him was no different.Told from the perspectives of both Kenna and Ledger, you follow each on intensely emotional journeys separately, as well as together.For Kenna, it is a journey of redemption. Absolution. The journey of a mother who just wanted to see her daughter and who will do whatever she has to to make that happen. It is about proving her worth, atoning for her sins, and showing that she is not a bad person. She is just a person who made a really bad mistake.For Ledger, his journey is one of forgiveness. Of doing what is right. Overcoming years of hatred to see beyond the loss he suffered to the heart of the person who caused it. Realizing that the love and relationship he has developed with Kenna's daughter is only one that can be enriched and benefitted by Kenna's presence, not harmed by it. But he is put in an awful position as being with Kenna, fighting for her, means betraying the people raising Diem. The ones most affected by Kenna's mistake.Though this is a relatively brief novel, it packs a severe punch. One that his agonizing and heart-wrenching as you route for Kenna, but cannot help but be appalled by her past. As you are frustrated with Ledger, but also understand his actions and his reasonings. There is so much depth here and it was so well done.

Wow! Just wow. I wasn’t sure how to write this review or where to start this review. This book was so much and its hard to put it all into words.I finished this book in a day and a half. I just couldn’t put it down, I just had to know what was going to happen.This is one of the saddest book I've read. Kenna's story just broke me heart. This book really made me cry.Kenna made one mistake and it has impacted her whole life, and let be honest even before her mistake she didn’t have the best life.She was finally able to have a moment of happiness and its ripped away from her in the harshest of ways possible.I couldn’t believe how unfair her life has been and I just wanted her to get a win just one.Ledger was a bit of a jerk in the beginning which was understandable given the situation.But he was a caring and considerate to the people he cares about and extremely protective.“I don’t like that the one person I dislike the most in this world reminds me of the person I love the most.”After some time he realizes that maybe he didn’t know the whole story and he was led to believe something that wasn’t true. And maliciously but because that was what it seemed like.Ledger starts to see a side of Kenna that he didn’t realize existed and he sees the sadness in her, even though he doesn’t want to he finds himself being protective of her.Kenna does everything she can to try to redeem herself, but it seems like its always out of her reach.Everyone judges her and doesn’t know a thing about what she's been through the hurt, the pain, the utter despair and the depression she felt. It just broke my heart.“So, you decide right now, right here. Are you gonna live in your sadness or are you gonna die in it?”Colleen Hoover really took me on a rollercoaster ride in this book. You feel the hurt of all the character and their pain.“Please don’t,” I whisper. “It hurts enough already.”What was really amazing too was while we were in the present in the story we got to understand the past and the relationship between Scotty and Kenna. And how much they felt for each other.This was beautifully written I literally could put the book down all day I just had to know how things would end for Kenna, Ledger and the rest of the characters.“Maybe it doesn’t matter whether something is a coincidence or a sign. Maybe the best way to cope with the loss of the people we love is to find them in as many places and things as we possibly can. And in the off chance that the people we lose are still somehow able to hear us, maybe we should never stop talking to them.”It takes Kenna a really long time but she does find a way to forgive herself for the mistake she's made. And for her to find some sort of happiness. I enjoyed this part some much and was so happy for her.“Now that I’ve forgiven myself, the reminders of him only make me smile.”Ledger and Kenna are so good together, I love that Ms. Hoover took the time to let the characters really get to know each other and it wasn’t rushed. They peeled back every layer and got to the heart of everything. Which bound them together even more.Colleen Hoover weaves a story of love, loss and forgiveness that will have you crying and wishing that you could give Kenna a hug. I wanted so much for things to go right for her for. And for someone to give her a chance.This is an amazing story, that will bring all your emotions to the forefront and make you cry.