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WORK TITLE: REGRETTING YOU
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WEBSITE: http://colleenhoover.com/
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LAST VOLUME: CANR 332
http://books.simonandschuster.com/Ugly-Love/Colleen-Hoover/9781476753188
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PERSONAL
Born December 11, 1979, in Sulphur Springs, TX; daughter of Eddie Fennell and Vannoy Fite; married William Heath Hoover, 2000; children: three boys, including Cale and Beckham.
EDUCATION:Texas A&M University, Commerce, B.A.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. Former social worker and teacher. Cofounder with family of the Bookworm Box charity, 2015. Appeared on ABC News Nightline and CBS This Morning.
AWARDS:Best Romance Prize, Goodreads Choice Awards, 2015, for Confess; 2016, for It Ends With Us; 2018, for Without Merit.
WRITINGS
Also author of the novel Verity, Hoover Ink, Inc., 2018. Author of the “Never, Never,” children’s book series with Taryn Fisher, including Never, Never, Never Never: Part Two, and Never Never: Part Three. Contributor the short story collections Love at First Sight and The Kiss (An Anthology of Love and Other Close Encounters), both 2014. Author of the short story “Finding Perfect,” 2019.
Confess has been adapted as a seven-episode, online series, Awestruck (available on Go90.com.)
SIDELIGHTS
A former social worker and teacher, Colleen Hoover is a best-selling author of young adult and new adult novels. Born in Sulphur Springs, Texas, Hoover studied social work at Texas A&M University, Commerce and held various social work and education jobs before becoming a full-time writer in 2011. The following year, she self-published her first novel, and its enthusiastic reception resulted in a publishing contract with Atria Books. Her novels have been New York Times best sellers and have received critical acclaim.
Slammed and Point of Retreat
In Hoover’s debut novel, Slammed, high-school senior Layken, newly transplanted to Michigan from Texas after the sudden death of her father, is attracted to the handsome twenty-one-year-old guy who lives across the street from her new house. They bond at a slam poetry event, and Lake begins to find her way out of the all-encompassing grief that she had been feeling for her father. Much as Lake and Will want to become a couple, there is an obstacle to their relationship that must first be overcome: Will is a student teacher at Lake’s school, and it would be inappropriate for him to date a student.
Hoover weaves bits of poetry and song lyrics into the novel, and reviewers admired how this material enhances the story. The poetry slams described in the novel are probably the book’s “strongest element, … creating an interesting backdrop for Will and Layken’s story,” wrote a contributor to the Clear Eyes Full Shelves website. “Hoover does a nice job of capturing why this expressive form of spoken-word performance would so grip people, especially teens.” A reviewer for the Dear Author website, however, found the poetry in the novel disappointing and the characters “bland and lacking in personality” at first. But the reviewer also felt that as the plot develops, the story becomes “progressively more compelling.”
Lake and Will’s story continues in Point of Retreat, set shortly after the death of Lake’s mother. The couple are happy together, though they have not yet become intimate, when a girl from Will’s past turns up to make trouble. The “Slammed” trilogy concludes with This Girl, which follows Lake and Will through the first months of their marriage.
Hopeless and Losing Hope
Hopeless introduces Sky, a high-school senior, and Dean, the magnetic boy with an unsavory reputation to whom she cannot help but be attracted. From their first meeting, Sky senses that she and Dean are kindred spirits. As it happens, they are both struggling with grief: Dean for his twin sister, who has taken her own life; Sky for the birth mother she has never known. In time, Sky learns more about the past and discovers that she had known Dean and his sister before being taken away from her father by her adoptive mother, Karen. What is more, Sky discovers even darker secrets about her unremembered past. “I felt a real emotional connection with these characters; they were all so complex and damaged, burdening themselves with so many secrets and lies,” wrote a contributor to the Book Gossip website. “Even though this story was devastatingly sad,” the reviewer continued, the book is ultimately a “truly beautiful love story about two characters that are destined to be soul mates.”
In Losing Hope, Dean continues to muse over the past and his acquaintance with five-year-old Hope, as Sky was then known. The story provides further details about Sky’s backstory and allows Dean and Sky to come to terms with the past and focus on building a future together. The novella Finding Cinderella is a companion volume that completes the series.
Ugly Love
Among Hoover’s highly regarded stand-alone novels is Ugly Love. Tate, a nursing student, is trying to get into her brother’s apartment when she encounters a very drunk Miles. She is immediately smitten with him, and is relieved to learn that his drunkenness is not habitual and that he does not have a girlfriend. In fact, he has been alone since his last relationship with a woman came to a tragic end six years earlier.
It seems clear that Tate and Miles are meant for each other, but Miles’s emotional baggage gets in the way. Reluctant to divulge the details of his painful past to Tate, he would prefer a strictly physical relationship without any complications. But Tate longs for something deeper, and though she tries to distract herself through her studies, she cannot deny her growing feelings for Miles.
As with her first novel, Hoover incorporates poetry into the novel. According to Booklist reviewer Amy Alessio, this choice adds stylistic spice to the book as well as a welcome “depth of emotion.” Noting Hoover’s sympathetic portraits of her main characters and her realistic depiction of their evolving relationship, Alessio said that the author “builds a terrific new adult world” in the book.
November 9
Hoover published the novel November 9 in 2015. Former actress Fallon is embarrassed by her father for sharing the troubles she has been having in getting a date. Aspiring writer Ben overhears this scenario and steps in to save her even more embarrassment by introducing himself as her boyfriend. The two become friends and agree to meet at the same spot in Los Angeles every year until Fallon’s twenty-third birthday. This one-day-a-year meeting gives Ben the inspiration to write his novel while Fallon starts a new life in New York. When she reads his manuscript, though, she learns a lot about their unusual relationship.
Reviewing the novel in Library Journal, Beth Gibbs claimed that, with this novel, “Hoover joins the ranks of such luminaries as Jennifer Weiner and Jojo Moyes, with a dash of Gillian Flynn.” Writing in RT Book Reviews, Tricia Carr noted: “Yes there is insta-love at the beginning … but the pacing is perfect, the emotions raw and the passion realistic.” A contributor to the Harlequin Junkie website concluded: “I highly recommend November 9 to any romance reader who appreciates proper angst and an original storyline. Hoover definitely knows how to deliver a page-turning romance.”
It Ends with Us
In 2016 Hoover published the novel It Ends with Us. Lily Bloom has returned home to Boston after attending her abusive father’s funeral. That same night, she meets handsome neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid. While she is tempted, he admits upfront that he doesn’t do relationships and only wants no-strings-attached fun with her. She rejects his offer but bumps into him several months later. As it turns out, he has been thinking frequently about her and wants to give a relationship a try. When Lily’s ex comes back into her life, though, Ryle doesn’t know where he stands.
Booklist contributor Amy Alessio remarked that “the power and pain of the relationship will stay with readers even as Hoover offers hope.” A contributor to Kirkus Reviews commented that “the relationships are portrayed with compassion and honesty, and the author’s note at the end that explains Hoover’s personal connection to the subject matter is a must-read.” The same reviewer found that the novel is “packed with riveting drama and painful truths.” A contributor to Aestas Book Blog commented: “In order to write this review, I went back over the book a second time and one thing I noticed strongly was how many intricate layers there were to the story that I couldn’t possibly have known about in my first read. I loved that this is one of those books you experience differently (in a good way) both the first and second time.” The same reviewer noted: “This began as one of my most highly anticipated books of 2016 and it is now of my top favorite books of the year. I was unable to put it down from the moment I started reading.” Again writing on the RT Book Reviews website, Carr claimed that “fans of Hoover’s emotional stories, conflicted characters, and intense romances will gleefully devour her new novel.”
Maybe Not
Hoover published the novella Maybe Not, a sequel of sorts to her earlier novel Maybe Someday, in 2015. Warren is excited at the novelty of having a female roommate. He finds, however, that new roommate Bridgette is ice cold. The two are a bad match, and tempers rage regularly. Warren takes a new approach to her though, figuring that if she can be so passionately angry at him so often, she has the potential to be passionately in love with him also.
A contributor to Aestas Book Blog declared: “While you can certainly read this spin-off novella on its own, I personally would highly recommend reading Maybe Someday first. Not only does that book tell a gorgeous, unique love story, but it’s also one of my all-time favorite 5-star standalones.” In a review in Vilma’s Book Blog, a reviewer confessed that “there were so many elements I LOVED about this book. I loved the bickering, the challenging, the frenetic push and pull.” The same reviewer recorded that “Hoover once again shatters the notion that novellas can’t pack a punch. In her sexiest book to date, she delivers non-stop humor tumbled together with a whole lot of heart. This wonderful novella is all about falling in love, moment by moment, minute by minute.” A contributor to the Honest Book Club blog asserted: “Overall, if you love Maybe Someday then you’ll love this. It’s only a novella so it’s not very long but it’s still a very enjoyable story involving some well-loved characters. Definitely give it a read if you’re a Colleen Hoover fan. She never disappoints.”
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Without Merit
In Without Merit Hoover tells the story of the troubled teenager Merit Voss. Merit lives in a former church with her mother, stepmother, and siblings while her mother, who battled cancer, also remains in the household living in the basement. Furthermore, Merit’s step-mother used to be Merit’s mother’s nurse. Merit’s twin sister, Honor, has a penchant for terminally ill boys while her older brother, Utah, with whom Merit has a strained relationship, uses the church’s old outdoor marquee to display interesting facts that have nothing to do with the Bible. Meanwhile, a boy named Sagan accidentally kisses Merit, believing she is Honor. Merit finds out that he is living with the family. Then someone named Luck arrives in the household, and his relationship to the family further Merit’s belief that something is terribly wrong within this eccentric group of people.
Merit eventually gets drunk one day and writes a letter exposing family secrets, especially why she has such a difficult time relating to Utah. She eventually tries to attempt suicide but fails. Now she has to deal with the fallout from her revelatory letter. It is not her family, however, who helps her cope but the two houseguests who come to Merit’s aid. “Hoover … does an excellent job of revealing the subtle differences between healthy teenage rebellion and clinical depression, and Merit’s aha moment is worthy of every trophy in her collection,” wrote a Kirkus Reviews contributor. Noting that the “characters are lively,” a Publishers Weekly contributor went on to remark: Hoover’s “honest approach to difficult issues makes this contemporary novel more solid than its fluffy feel suggests.”
All Your Perfects
The novel All Your Perfects revolves around the couple Quinn and Graham who believe they have found the perfect love after meeting on the doorstep of Quinn’s fiancé. Graham, it turns out, was there to confront Quinn’s fiancé over an affair the man had with his girlfriend. The story goes back and forth in time as the couple eventually marry and then encounter a major problem when Quinn learns she is infertile. The stress of not being able to have a baby soon places their marriage in jeopardy. The issues within their marriage also are compounded by the fact that Quinn is finding it more and more difficult to have intimacy with her husband and cannot bring herself to discuss the issue with him.
“Finding positivity in negative pregnancy-test results, this depiction of a marriage in crisis is nearly perfect,” wrote a Kirkus Reviews contributor. Writing for the Nerd Daily website, Erin Fehres commented: “I feel it’s only fair to warn readers now, this book will make you cry—I guarantee you.”
Regretting You
In her novel titled Regretting You, Hoover focuses on Morgan and her daughter Clara and how their lives are impacted by an unwanted pregnancy and the questionable death of Chris, Morgan’s husband and Clara’s father. Morgan married out of duty when she became pregnant with Clara. She and Chris were high school sweethearts, but the marriage over the years has left Morgan unsatisfied. It turns out that while in school she really liked Jonah, who was Chris’s best friend. Jonah was dating Morgan’s sister, Jenny. The two eventually went their own separate ways, but Jonah returned to town and became engaged to Jenny, who years earlier had their son Elijah after one night of intimacy.
Meanwhile, Clara, who wants to be an actress, faces various coming-of-age issues, including her crush on Miller, who has a girlfriend in college stalking him via texts. Everything changes when Chris and Jenny die in an accident, which leads to Morgan discovering that Chis was hiding things from her. The mother and daughter find themselves evaluating their lives as Morgan tries to hide Chris’s betrayal from their daughter and finds her relationship with Jonah growing. “This is Hoover at her very best,” wrote a Publishers Weekly contributor. A Kirkus Reviews contributor remarked: “The emotions run high, the conversations run deep, and the relationships ebb and flow with grace.” CLOSE NEW
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, August 1, 2014, Amy Alessio, review of Ugly Love, p. 14; July 1, 2016, Amy Alessio, review of It Ends with Us, p. 44.
Guardian (London, England), August 19, 2014, review of Maybe Someday.
Kirkus Reviews, June 15, 2016, review of It Ends with Us; August 15, 2017, review of Without Merit; May 15, 2018, review of All Your Perfects; November 1, 2019, review of Regretting You.
Library Journal, November 15, 2015, Beth Gibbs, review of November 9, p. 77.
Publishers Weekly, August 21, 2017, review of Without Merit, p. 97; October 14, 2019, review of Regretting You, p. 51.
ONLINE
Aestas Book Blog, http://aestasbookblog.com/ (December 20, 2012), review of Hopeless; (November 22, 2014), review of Maybe Not; (July 31, 2016), review of It Ends with Us.
Book Gossips, http://bookgossips.wordpress.com/ (July 2, 2013), review of Hopeless.
Bookworm Dreams, http://www.bookwormdreams.com/ (November 18, 2013), review of Hopeless.
Chick Loves Lit, http://chickloveslit.com/ (June 22, 2013), review of Slammed.
Clear Eyes Full Shelves, http://clearyeyesfullshelves.com/ (September 7, 2012), review of Slammed.
Colleen Hoover Website, http://colleenhoover.com (September 23, 2020).
Dallas Morning News Online, https://www.dallasnews.com/ (July 19, 2018), “Colleen Hoover Discusses Her Astonishing, Accidental Literary Wuccess — and What It’s Led To.”
Dear Author, http://dearauthor.com/ (November 8, 2012), review of Slammed.
Harlequin Junkie, http://harlequinjunkie.com (November 9, 2015), review of November 9.
Her Book Thoughts!, http://herbookthoughts.reds-it.com/ (August 5, 2014), review of Ugly Love.
Honest Book Club, http://thehonestbookclub.blogspot.com/ (December 9, 2014), review of Maybe Not.
Nerd Daily, https://www.thenerddaily.com/ (August 14, 2018), Erin Fehres, review of All Your Perfects.
RT Book Reviews , https://www.rtbookreviews.com/ (July 16, 2017), Tricia Carr, reviews of November 9 and It Ends with Us; Krys Tourtois, review of Maybe Not.
Shelf Awareness, https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ (October 31, 2017), Jen Forbus, “Colleen Hoover: Self-Made Writer.”
Vilma’s Book Blog, http://vilmasbookblog.com/ (November 24, 2014), review of Maybe Not.
Writers & Artists website, https://www.writersandartists.co.uk/ (January 23, 2020), “Interview with Colleen Hoover.”*
About Colleen Hoover
Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of nineteen novels and novellas. Hoover’s novels fall into the New Adult and Young Adult contemporary romance categories, as well as psychological thriller.
Colleen Hoover is published by Montlake Romance and Atria Books. Colleen also has several indie titles, including her most recent novel, Verity.
In 2015, Colleen’s novel CONFESS won the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance. That was followed up in 2016 with her latest title, It Ends With Us, also winning the Choice Award for Best Romance. In 2017, her title WITHOUT MERIT won best romance.
Her novel CONFESS has been filmed as a series by Awestruck and is available on Go90.com. Katie Leclerc and Ryan Cooper star in the series.
Colleen founded The Bookworm Box, a charity subscription service and bookstore, with her family in 2015. The Bookworm Box is a subscription service that provides readers with an exciting opportunity to receive signed novels in the mail each month from authors all over the world. All profits from the subscription service are donated to various charities each month. To date, The Bookworm Box has donated over $1,000,000 to help those in need.
Colleen Hoover
Colleen lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys. She released her debut novel, SLAMMED, in January 2012. The follow-up novel, POINT OF RETREAT, was released in February, 2012.
If Colleen's life had a theme song, it would be Paranoia in B Flat Major by The Avett Brothers.
Genres: Romance, Mystery, Romantic Suspense
New Books
December 2019
(paperback)
Finding Perfect
(Hopeless)December 2019
(paperback)
Regretting You
Series
Slammed
1. Slammed (2012)
2. Point of Retreat (2012)
3. This Girl (2013)
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Hopeless
1. Hopeless (2012)
2. Losing Hope (2013)
2.5. Finding Cinderella (2013)
Finding Perfect (2019)
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Maybe
1. Maybe Someday (2014)
1.5. Maybe Not (2014)
2. Maybe Now (2018)
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Never Never (with Tarryn Fisher)
1. Never Never: Part One (2015)
2. Never Never: Part Two (2015)
3. Never Never: Part Three (2016)
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Novels
Ugly Love (2014)
Confess (2015)
November Nine (2015)
It Ends With Us (2016)
Without Merit (2017)
All Your Perfects (2018)
Verity (2018)
Regretting You (2019)
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Omnibus
Ugly Love / Maybe Someday / Maybe Not (2015)
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Collections
Love at First Sight (2014) (with Renée Carlino, Abbi Glines, Jamie McGuire, Gail McHugh, Leah Raeder, Kendall Ryan, K A Tucker and Ryan Winfield)
Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times and International bestselling author of multiple novels and novellas. She lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys. She is the founder of The Bookworm Box, a non-profit book subscription service and bookstore in Sulphur Springs, Texas.
For more information and for a schedule of events, please visit colleenhoover.com.
To contact Colleen and her team (Her team's name is Stephanie), please email hooverink@outlook.com
Shelf Awareness for Readers for Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Colleen Hoover: Self-Made Writer
photo: Chad Griffith
Colleen Hoover is the author of 14 novels and winner of the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance twice--for Confess in 2015 and It Ends with Us in 2016. Confess was adapted into a seven-episode online series. In 2015, Hoover and her family founded The Bookworm Box, a monthly subscription service offering signed novels donated by authors; all profits go to various charities. Hoover lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys. Her new novel, Without Merit (Atria), is reviewed below.
Within the last decade, the genre term New Adult was coined to denote fiction similar to young adult but published and marketed to adults. One of the writers credited with creating this genre is Colleen Hoover, who started her writing career in the most unexpected of circumstances.
Inspired by some song lyrics, Hoover began what she thought would be a short story. She recalled, "I would let the girls I worked with read it. My boss at the time would beg me to write on my lunch break and finish the chapter." Hoover had conceded to her day job in social work when she believed her lifelong dream of writing a book was futile. Married with small children and bills to pay, she dropped her college writing major for something she thought would be more lucrative. She said, "I found an old MySpace post a couple years ago that I wrote back in 2005. It talked about how I did a lot of research on what authors make and how long it takes to write a book. I wrote, 'I'm just going to let this dream go; it's never going to happen; I'm stressing myself out because I haven't done it yet, so I'm going to focus on my kids and not worry about it.' I think letting that go and not making it my life goal kind of helped me. Then there was no pressure."
Also helping her were the colleagues who eagerly awaited the next chapters. Hoover wasn't striving for anything grand with her story, she said, "it was just something fun I was doing for [my friends]; I got a big kick out of it because they were enjoying something I wrote." The final important component in transforming her "fun" pastime into the New York Times bestselling title Slammed was her grandmother's 2011 Christmas present. She explained, "My grandmother had gotten a Kindle and we couldn't figure out how to get the story I wrote onto it. I did some research online, and 30 minutes later I had it on Amazon. It was just a Word document I uploaded with their pre-created cover." Once the e-book was listed, Hoover decided it wouldn't hurt to let others know. "I posted on Facebook and a few of my friends downloaded it; they read it, shared it with their friends, and it just kind of snowballed. I didn't put a penny into marketing. Five months later it hit the New York Times simply by word of mouth. It was insane."
Slammed's success ignited her second book, Point of Retreat, and before Hoover knew what hit her, she had two books on the New York Times bestseller list. Readers were not the only people taking notice: "I started getting calls from publishers, and I didn't have an agent at the time. I didn't know what to expect or what offers to entertain." Uncertain as to whether she could continue to deliver books--and whether she wanted to relinquish control of her writing--Hoover shied away from commitments for manuscripts not yet written. Atria bought the paperback rights to Slammed and Point of Retreat without requiring anything further. She self-published her third book, Hopeless, and again sold the paperback rights to Atria. This time, though, they won her over: "I really, really loved them. My editor was just great. So I've done everything with them since and I couldn't be happier."
The most recent book Hoover has written for Atria is Without Merit, the story of Merit, a teenage girl in a dysfunctional family who comes to the end of her rope with all her family's lies. In the past, Hoover has said that she inadvertently puts herself into all of her characters. Merit is the exception to that rule, though. Hoover explained, "There's not a lot of me in her. I had a very--I wouldn't say perfect but close to perfect--childhood. Growing up I had a great relationship with my sisters and my parents; we didn't keep secrets; we were very open. I wrote her almost as the opposite of my teenage self."
While Merit may not have much in common with her creator, the strange home she lives in--a former church--has some ties to Hoover, who said, "We recently built a house. When we went to the builders, the first thing I said was, 'I want an ugly house. I want the inside to have everything I want, but the outside I just want a rectangle building.' Once they built it, I realized, 'this looks exactly like a church. All we're missing is the steeple.' So we kind of joke that our house is our church." Merit's family may have some unconscious parallels to Hoover's as well: "We live in a small town in conservative East Texas. I've lived here my whole life, but somehow came out a very hardcore liberal. I get along with everyone, but it's kind of funny that we're the crazy liberal family with the scary clown head hanging on the living room wall."
Crazy just may be the secret in Hoover's writing recipe. Some might find her nontraditional approaches unusual, but who can argue when they work so well? She's included music, illustrations and slam poetry in her stories; adapted a book for an online series; and views technology as a way to enhance books: "We have so much more at our fingertips to experience reading in a whole new way. I think we're just at that beginning." And for someone who credits technology for her success, this attitude is fitting. Hoover added, "I feel like if it weren't for Facebook and social media, I wouldn't have a career in writing."
Colleen Hoover definitely has a strong career with momentum and many fans behind her. Despite the continued success and the publication of Without Merit, her 14th novel, she said, "Every day I still wonder, 'How did this happen?' " Maybe it's partly what she attributes the New Adult credit to: "Good timing and good luck." But there's also plenty of talent in the mix as well. --Jen Forbus, freelancer
Interview with Colleen Hoover
In the latest installment of our interviews with self-published authors, Colleen Hoover discusses her writing inspiration, why she decided to self-publish and how she topped the bestseller lists.
What or whom inspires you to write?
I’ve always wanted to write, I just never thought it would be possible for me to do it as my career. Ultimately, it was the encouragement from my mother that inspired me to write my first book, Slammed. That and, of course, the Avett Brothers lyrics that says “decide what to be and go be it.”
For those who are unfamiliar, can you tell us about your books?
The Slammed series are Young Adult romance and the Hopeless books are New Adult romance. I can’t tell you much about the books without ruining them for you. Slammed is about a pig in the city and Hopeless is about a fish who gets lost in the sea and finds his way home with help from his forgetful friend, Dory. Just kidding! I’d have to say they’re just about life and the obstacles it throws your way. If you want to know more, you’ll just have to read them!
Can you tell us anything about your upcoming projects?
I’m working on two standalone books right now. The first is Maybe Someday which is scheduled to be released on March 18, 2014. The other is Ugly Love, which will be released Summer 2014. I’m really excited about getting these ones out there!
The success you’ve experienced through self-publishing is amazing; how did you feel when you hit the bestseller lists? You’ve also sold the film rights – how does it feel to know Hollywood will be bringing your book to life?
It was so surreal to hit the New York Times bestsellers lists for the first time with Slammed. To be perfectly honest, it’s still pretty surreal for me. I feel the same way about selling my film rights. I’m not sure if I’ll ever get completely used to it, but it has completely changed my life and I’m so grateful to my readers because without them none of this would be possible .
Your work comes under the ‘New Adult’ genre. Many agents and publishing houses did not, until recently, recognise this as a genre – is this a problem you found in the past? And do you feel that self-published authors such as yourself are challenging these traditional views, by proving how successful ‘New Adult’ books can be?
When I first started writing, I had no idea what genre my books were. I just wrote, and other people categorized my books for me. So, I wouldn’t necessarily say it was a problem for me. However, I think the New Adult genre has really helped separate Young Adult novels from full-on adult Romance novels and it’s a welcome addition to the book world!
When do you find time to write? Does this differ from when you started writing your first novel?
When I wrote Slammed and Point of Retreat, I wrote in every spare moment. I work eleven hour days, and my son was in a play with the community theatre and had play practice three hours a day, five days a week. So, I wrote during his play practice. Then I went home and wrote some more. I probable averaged four hours of sleep per night for three months. Now, being an author is my full time job, so my writing hours are a little more flexible. It’s time consuming, but I love it and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Colleen Hoover books
Why did you choose to self-publish? Did you try the traditional route first?
When I wrote Slammed, I only intended for it to be a Christmas gift for my mom. After doing some research, I figured out how easy it is to self-publish through Kindle Direct Publishing. I wanted friends and family to have access to it, so I self-published. I never expected anything to come out of it. I sent my manuscript to a few publishers at the beginning, but was respectfully turned down by all of them. Eventually, Simon & Schuster came to me and I have been so grateful for the opportunity to be able to work with them!
Would you have taken the opportunity to go down the traditional route if that had been a possibility?
It’s hard to say, but I probably would have. Fortunately, I was able to self-publish first and I’ve gotten the best of both worlds this way.
You’ve recently become a part of the Simon & Schuster team of authors – has being represented changed your writing life at all so far? If so, how?
It has changed my life completely. Simon & Schuster has such a great team and there is so much I couldn’t have done without them.
What do you think the greatest advantage of self-publishing is?
It’s great to be able to experience publishing firsthand and really get an idea of what all goes into it. It’s challenging at the time, but worth the experience.
On the other hand, is there anything you feel self-published authors may miss out on? Such as the editor-author relationship.
Absolutely! My publishers are very supportive and help me out in a lot of aspects. It’s always nice to know they’re there for me when I need their help.
Do you feel there is more of a sense of community with self-publishing than there is with traditional publishing? How important do you feel interacting with your fans has been?
I have made a lot of great friends in the self-published community. We all support each other and help each other out, and it’s been great. On the other hand, I have a very supportive community at S&S. For the most part, authors stick together and support each other, regardless of whether or not we are self-published. I believe interacting with my fans has been the most important thing I’ve done. If it weren’t for my fans, I wouldn’t have a career in writing. I’ve also made a lot of great friends in fans! My fans get me through my day, and writing wouldn’t be the same without them.
How important is marketing yourself in the early stages of your self-publishing career? Any tips?
My sisters did a lot of my marketing for me in the beginning stages and it was super helpful. Other than that, bloggers and my fans have been my best marketers. My advice is to just be persistent and don’t give up!
Did you design your own cover? How important do you think cover design is to a potential reader?
I didn’t design my own covers. I left that up to the pros! I think cover design is very important because it’s the first impression and, a lot of the time, readers see it weeks or even months before the book is actually released, so you want it to pique their interest ;).
Finally, do you have any advice for writers looking to self-publish?
Google is your best friend. I learned everything I know about self-publishing through googling and reading forums. If you want to be a writer and you want to self-publish, just “decide what to be and go be it.”
If you would like to find out more about Colleen Hoover and read her books, take a look at her website. You can also follow her on Twitter here.
Colleen Hoover discusses her astonishing, accidental literary success — and what it's led to
The author of "All Your Perfects," who went from mobile home to millionaire, is speaking in Dallas.
Colleen Hoover, author of All Your Perfects, at her bookstore in Sulphur Springs.
Colleen Hoover, author of All Your Perfects, at her bookstore in Sulphur Springs.(Nathan Hunsinger / Staff Photographer)
By Michael Merschel
5:00 AM on Jul 20, 2018
Editor's note: Colleen Hoover will be appearing at a sold-out event with authors Fisher Amelie, Daryl Banner, Abbi Glines and Tammara Webber, at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18 at The Bookworm Box Bookstore, 204 Main St. in Sulphur Springs. If you already have tickets, you can get details at bit.ly/dmnhoover. If you don't have tickets, you can still read this feature, which was originally posted July 19, 2018.
SULPHUR SPRINGS, Texas — Colleen Hoover writes novels that are labeled romantic fiction. But her best story? It might be nonfiction.
It's her own. And it goes something like this:
A mother of three, living in a single-wide mobile home on her parents' property in Saltillo, Texas, (population: about 200) decides to write a book. Her goal is to share it with her family and a few friends. To make it easy for her grandmother to load onto to her new Kindle, shortly after Christmas in 2011, she uploads it to Amazon.
A few months later, that e-book, Slammed, is a New York Times best-seller.
She goes on to become the author of 17 titles. They've sold a combined 4 million copies, her publisher says, and been translated into 35 languages. She's embarking on a coast-to-coast tour for her latest, All Your Perfects (Atria, $16), which is about a couple fighting to save their marriage. She'll be in Dallas on July 29 to talk about it.
She's also behind all kinds of thriving projects: A book-and-gift-box service, a bookshop, even a book convention. But the rags-to-riches element is just the start of the Colleen Hoover story.
Which, if it were an actual book, might be labeled "inspirational."
How it happened
Author Colleen Hoover at her bookstore in Sulphur Springs, Texas.
Author Colleen Hoover at her bookstore in Sulphur Springs, Texas.(Nathan Hunsinger / Staff Photographer)
"I'd never read a romance novel. I was never into that." Hoover, 38, is sitting in a plush chair in The Bookworm Box, her store in charming downtown Sulphur Springs. She is quick to point out that others were involved in the artful touches; decorating is not really her thing.
Over the course of the interview, she'll often credit others with aspects of her success. Although she is a sparkling presence on social media, she agrees with friends and family who say that she's not great at self-promotion. But she explains how it all began.
"I always wanted to be a writer," she says. But in college at Texas A&M-Commerce, she switched her major from journalism to social work because it seemed more practical. Practicality was important: She had married at age 20 (she met her husband, Heath, when she was 16), and, before graduating, was a mother of two boys, pregnant with her third. Her final semester, while working full time, she took a full load of online classes at community college in addition to her classes at A&M — 27 hours total — so she could graduate before the baby was born.
By the time her boys were 10, 7 and 6, she was ready to pursue her dream. Her middle child was in a play, Cheaper By the Dozen, and to kill time during the three-hour rehearsals, she decided she would write. "I just did it for fun, to sort of escape the stress of life," she says.
At that time, her husband was working as a truck driver, and she was working 11-hour days at the local Women, Infants and Children office. She couldn't afford her own laptop, so she borrowed her mother's. "It was her work laptop. So at 7 a.m., when I had to go to work, I would drop it off in her car. And when I would get home from work, I would pick it up and write every night."
As she completed sections, she would show them to "the girls" at the WIC office. One of them was Stephanie Cohen, a dietitian who was Hoover's boss. "She just handed me a stack of computer paper," Cohen recalls. "It was the first seven chapters, maybe."
Those early chapters of what became Slammed, a tale of a high school student who has an affair with a neighbor who is a fan of slam poetry, were so good, Cohen says, that she started volunteering to see Hoover's clients to give her more time to write.
By late 2011, Hoover had finished the manuscript and needed a way to share it. At the time, Amazon allowed writers to upload a book, and for five days it was a free download.
"So I went on Facebook and I tagged my mom and my sister and a few of my friends and told them, 'Hey, I wrote this story. If y'all hurry up and get it, right now, it's free on Amazon.' Because I didn't want anyone to have to pay for it."
And then, well, "It all happened so fast."
A signed copy of All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover at her bookstore in Sulphur Springs, Texas.
A signed copy of All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover at her bookstore in Sulphur Springs, Texas. (Nathan Hunsinger / Staff Photographer)
It spread by word of mouth. "Every day, I would sell a few more and sell a few more." A prominent blogger went wild for it.
"The first month we were able to pay our electric bill with it," Hoover says. "And that was just phenomenal. And then by the third or fourth month — and I hate to talk about the money aspect — I was bringing in more than I was making working."
She assumed it was just a fluke, something temporary. But the checks kept coming, doubling each month.
She and her husband had been paying rent to her father for the single-wide they lived in. It had cost him $15,000. "I remember the month I got my first $15,000 check in the mail," she says. "I took it to him and said, 'Here's for our house!' And that was like the biggest thing that happened to us."
Eventually, they would buy their own house, down the road.
Then build one for her parents.
Then build one for herself. On the land where the mobile home had been.
Crazy success
Cale Hoover, 14, (left) and Beckham Hoover, 13, play with their phones at The Bookworm Box in Sulphur Springs, Texas, on July 11, 2018.
Cale Hoover, 14, (left) and Beckham Hoover, 13, play with their phones at The Bookworm Box in Sulphur Springs, Texas, on July 11, 2018. (Nathan Hunsinger / Staff Photographer)
She uses the words "surreal" and "weird" to describe her ascent to fame. When trying to tally her works in translation, she shakes her head and mutters under her breath, "That's crazy."
But fans are clearly crazy for her. Some plan their vacations around trips to Sulphur Springs so they can meet her. The morning of the interview, she came by the store to meet a group that had driven from Toronto; last year, there was a steady flow of Australians.
Fans — they call themselves "CoHorts" — get tattoos inspired by her work and vote her books to the top of reader polls. Some cry when they meet her. A glance online shows that she not only is popular (505,000 "likes" of her Facebook page), she clearly delights in interaction with readers, even as she says that she worries about letting people down when they meet.
She says that some of her success can be explained by good timing. When she started, it was early in the era of e-book self-publishing. When bloggers discovered something good, word spread quickly. "There weren't that many to choose from," she says.
She gives herself credit, as a writer, for being to the point and leaving out boring details. "I've always said — I don't like to read what the leaf looks like as it falls from the tree," she says. "I want to know, 'Why was the person walking by the tree, and where are they going?'"
Her sister Lin Reynolds says that Hoover fails to give herself enough credit. She has "a very unique ability to empathize," Reynolds says in a phone interview from her home in Tyler. Hoover also has a keen intuition for plot. Combine the traits, Reynolds says, and you get riveting tales where readers develop understanding even for the bad guys.
Not even Hoover would say that her achievements are entirely luck. There was a dream behind it all. That part of her story happened in Dallas.
She had gone to see her favorite band, the Avett Brothers, at the Palladium Ballroom. They played a song with the lyric, "Decide what to be and go be it."
"And in that moment I was like, 'I want to write a story. Why am I not doing more writing?'" She resolved: "I'm going to go be a writer."
She now has her own tattoo that says, "And go be it."
'The same Colleen'
Cohen and Reynolds agree that success has not changed her. "She's the same Colleen that I knew," Cohen says. "She just has air conditioning in her car now."
Yes, Hoover built herself a large house, but she told the builder to make it look as small as possible from the road. Yes, she drives a Tesla — she's pleased to have not had to buy gas for 2 ½ years — but she's thinking of trading it in, her sister says, because it's too flashy.
Hoover, however, does like to make money. And spend it, too. In her own way.
The entrance of The Bookworm Box in Sulphur Springs, Texas.
The entrance of The Bookworm Box in Sulphur Springs, Texas.(Nathan Hunsinger / Staff Photographer)
The Bookworm Box is not an ordinary book store. You'll find T-shirts, candles and jewelry, but no Shakespeare, no Bibles. That's because every book she sells has been donated and signed by its author. The shop grew out of a book-subscription service that, with the store, is a registered nonprofit.
Hoover has raised $1 million this way, which she spreads around to hundreds of charities.
And that's really just the start of the ways she has used her wealth and fame to help people. During the interview, about 20 friends (many of them now employees) and family members, including her husband and sons, were preparing to mobilize for a trip to Denver. The cause? Hoover thought it would be fun to invite a few author friends for a fan event. About 150, including E.L. James of 50 Shades of Grey, said yes. Ticket sales were capped at 2,000. Profits will go to a charity that helps survivors of domestic violence.
Her sister talks about the ways she's helped people buy groceries. And given away gift cards at Christmas. Raised $75,000 to shelter a homeless teen.
All Your Perfects, by Colleen Hoover
All Your Perfects, by Colleen Hoover(Atria)
Hoover has actually been cut off from her bank account, she says with a laugh. Cohen, the former boss whom Hoover hired to be her manager, laughs as well, maybe a bit more nervously. "She likes to give a lot of money. Which is great. But looking long term — it's a little bit problematic."
"That's the problem when you have a social worker turned millionaire," Reynolds says. "They just want to help everybody."
For Hoover, it's just a fulfillment of dreams she once had as a social worker who knew what it was like to have to search the couch cushions for money to pay the bills.
"I don't want to seem like I'm bragging in any way, and that I do it for attention," she clarifies. "I just like positivity. And doing nice things for people."
Details
Colleen Hoover will discuss All Your Perfects at 6 p.m. Sunday, July 29, at Half Price Books, 5803 E. Northwest Highway, Dallas. Proof of purchase of All Your Perfects from Half Price Books is required to enter the signing line. For details and passes, visit hpb.com/001.
She'll also appear, along with authors Fisher Amelie, Daryl Banner, Abbi Glines and Tammara Webber, at 1 p.m. Aug. 18 at The Bookworm Box Bookstore, 204 Main St. in Sulphur Springs. Details and free tickets at bit.ly/dmnhoover.
CORRECTION, 5:02 p.m., July 19, 2018: In an earlier version of this story, Cale Hoover's name was misspelled in a photo caption.
Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Slammed, Hopeless, Maybe Someday, Maybe Not, Ugly Love, Confess, November 9, It Ends with Us, Without Merit, and All Your Perfects. She has won the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance three years in a row—for Confess (2015), It Ends with Us (2016), and Without Merit (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 Hoover
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Colleen Hoover
Born Margaret Colleen Fennell[1]
December 11, 1979 (age 40)
Sulphur Springs, Texas, US
Occupation Author
Nationality American
Education B.A., Social Work
Alma mater Texas A&M-Commerce
Genre Young adult fiction and New-adult fiction
Notable works
Slammed
Point of Retreat
This Girl
Hopeless
Losing Hope
Finding Cinderella
Maybe Someday
Maybe Not
Ugly Love
November Nine
Confess
It Ends With Us
Without Merit
Verity
Spouse William Heath Hoover
Signature
Colleen Hoover (born December 11, 1979) is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of eleven novels and five novellas.[2] Hoover's novels fall into the New Adult and young adult categories.[1]
Hoover published her first novel, Slammed, in January 2012.[3] Since then, all of her full-length novels have become New York Times Best Sellers.[2]
Colleen Hoover has appeared on ABC News Nightline[1] and CBS This Morning[4]
Contents
1 Early life and career
2 Writings
2.1 Slammed
2.2 Point of Retreat
2.3 This Girl
2.4 A Father's Kiss
2.5 Hopeless
2.6 Losing Hope
2.7 Finding Cinderella
2.8 Maybe Someday
2.9 Ugly Love
2.10 Never Never
2.11 Confess
2.12 November Nine
2.13 It Ends With Us
2.14 Without Merit
3 Awards and achievements
3.1 Awards
3.2 Achievements
3.2.1 New York Times Best Sellers
3.2.2 Amazon Best Sellers Of 2013
4 Works
5 See also
6 References
7 External links
Early life and career
Colleen Hoover was born December 11, 1979[5] in Sulphur Springs, Texas, to Vannoy Fite[1] and Eddie Fennell. She grew up in Saltillo, TX,[6] and graduated from Saltillo High School in 1998.[7] In 2000, she married Heath Hoover,[8] with whom she now has three sons.[9] Hoover graduated from Texas A&M-Commerce with a degree in Social Work.[3] She worked various social work and teaching jobs until she began her writing career.[3]
In November 2011, Colleen began writing her first novel, Slammed, with no intentions of getting published. She was inspired by a lyric, "decide what to be and go be it," from an Avett Brothers song, "Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise." Because of this, she incorporated Avett Brothers lyrics throughout the story.[10] After a few months, her novel was reviewed and given 5 stars by a major book blogger, Maryse Black.[11] After that, sales rapidly increased, and Slammed and its sequel, Point of Retreat, both made the New York Times Best Seller list.[3][12]
Writings
Slammed
Hoover self-published her debut novel, Slammed, in January 2012.[3] Slammed first made the New York Times Best Seller list on July 22, 2012[13] and peaked at #8 in e-book fiction on August 5, 2012.[14] Atria Books picked it up and republished it August 10, 2012.[15]
Point of Retreat
Hoover self-published Point of Retreat, the sequel to Slammed, in February 2012.[3] Point of Retreat first made the New York Times Best Seller list on July 29, 2012[16] and peaked at #18 on August 5, 2012.[14] Atria Books picked it up along with Slammed and republished it on August 10, 2012.[17]
This Girl
Atria Books published This Girl, the third and final instalment in the Slammed series, on April 30, 2013.[18] It made the New York Times Best Seller list on May 19, 2013, where it peaked at #9.[19]
A Father's Kiss
A Father's Kiss is a short story and a follow-up to the Slammed series. Hoover published "A Father's Kiss" as part of an anthology, called The Kiss: An Anthology of Love and Other Close Encounters, on January 15, 2014.[20]
Hopeless
Hoover self-published Hopeless in December 2012.[3] On January 6, 2013, it debuted on the New York Times Best Seller list at #19.[21] On January 20, 2013, it peaked at #1 and remained there for three weeks.[22] It was the first self-published novel to ever make #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list,[23] the #1 bestselling self-published e-book of 2013, and the #16 bestselling e-book overall of 2013.[24] Hoover sold the paperback rights to Atria Books in January 2013,[3] and the paperback released on May 7, 2013.[25] Hoover still owns her e-book rights today.[25] Hopeless is about a girl who was home schooled all her life who finally goes to public high school. High school perks get to her and she winds up falling in love with her childhood best friend she no longer remembers.
Losing Hope
Atria Books published Losing Hope, the POV companion novel to Hopeless, on July 8, 2013.[26] It debuted and peaked at #6 on the New York Times Best Seller list on July 28, 2013.[27]
Finding Cinderella
Finding Cinderella is a free novella that Hoover published as a thank you to her fans for all their continued support. It is a spinoff of Hopeless and Losing Hope and features several of the same characters. Originally, neither Hoover nor Atria Books had any intention of offering Finding Cinderella in paperback form, because the intention was to offer the book for free. However, due to the overwhelming demands from Hoover’s fans, Atria Books agreed to publish the novel in paperback form, complete with several bonus features such as a new epilogue and Hoover’s own “Cinderella story.”[28]
Maybe Someday
Atria Books published Maybe Someday on March 18, 2014.[29] It debuted and peaked at #3 on the New York Times Best Seller list on April 6, 2014[30] and resurfaced on the New York Times Best Seller list on September 14, 2014, at #21.[31]
Maybe Someday is a standalone novel about a young guy and a girl who write music together and end up falling in love with each other even though the boy has a girlfriend. Hoover joined forces with musician Griffin Peterson[32] to create an original soundtrack to accompany the novel. Readers are able to click links in the e-book or scan a QR code in the paperback, which will take them to a website where they can listen to the music for free.[33]
Ugly Love
Atria Books published Ugly Love on August 5, 2014.[34] The book received a Starred Review from Booklist[35] and was on the New York Times Best Seller list for three weeks, where it debuted and peaked at #4 on August 24, 2014.[36] Film rights for the book have recently been purchased by Hackybox Pictures, based out of Toronto, Canada. The project is still in the works, Nick Bateman has been cast as the male lead.[37]
Never Never
A collaboration with Tarryn Fisher.
Confess
Atria Books published Confess on March 10, 2015.[38] It debuted and peaked at #9 on the New York Times Best Seller list on March 29, 2015.[39] It has since gone on to become an Awestruck original TV series, coming April 2017 to go90.com and the go90 app, available for iOS or Android.
November Nine
Atria Books published November Nine was on November 10, 2015.[40] It debuted #5 on the New York Times Best Seller list on November 29, 2015.[41]
It Ends With Us
Atria Books published It Ends With Us on August 2, 2016.[42] Hoover described this novel as "by far the hardest book I've ever written."[43] It received a starred review from Kirkus.[44]
Without Merit
Atria Books published Without Merit on October 3, 2017.[45]
Awards and achievements
Awards
Year Awards Ceremony Work Category Result Ref
2012 Goodreads Choice Awards Slammed Young Adult Fiction Nominated [46]
2013 Goodreads Choice Awards Losing Hope Romance Nominated [47]
2013 Goodreads Choice Awards This Girl Romance Nominated [47]
2014 UtopYA Con Awards Maybe Someday Most Innovative Marketing Won [48]
2015 Goodreads Choice Awards Confess Romance Won [49]
2016 Goodreads Choice Awards It Ends With Us Romance Won
Achievements
New York Times Best Sellers
Slammed (#8)[14]
Point of Retreat (#18)[14]
This Girl (#9)[19]
Hopeless (#1)[22]
Losing Hope (#6)[27]
Maybe Someday (#3)[30]
Confess (#4)[30]
Amazon Best Sellers Of 2013
Hopeless (#16)[24]
Works
Books[50]
Slammed (2012)
Point of Retreat (2012)
This Girl (2013)
Hopeless (2013)
Losing Hope (2013)
Finding Cinderella (2014) novella
Maybe Someday (2014)
Maybe Not (2014) novella
Ugly Love (2014)
Never Never (2015) three part novella series with Tarryn Fisher
Confess (2015)
November 9 (2015)
Too Late (2016)
It Ends with Us (2016)
Without Merit (2017)
All your Perfects (2018)
Verity (2018)
Short stories
"A Father's Kiss" from The Kiss (An Anthology of Love and Other Close Encounters)→
Hoover, Colleen REGRETTING YOU Montlake Romance (Adult Fiction) $14.95 12, 10 ISBN: 978-1-5420-1642-1
When tragedy strikes, a mother and daughter forge a new life.
Morgan felt obligated to marry her high school sweetheart, Chris, when she got pregnant with their daughter, Clara. But she secretly got along much better with Chris' thoughtful best friend, Jonah, who was dating her sister, Jenny. Now her life as a stay-at-home parent has left her feeling empty but not ungrateful for what she has. Jonah and Jenny eventually broke up, but years later they had a one-night stand and Jenny got pregnant with their son, Elijah. Now Jonah is back in town, engaged to Jenny, and working at the local high school as Clara's teacher. Clara dreams of being an actress and has a crush on Miller, who plans to go to film school, but her father doesn't approve. It doesn't help that Miller already has a jealous girlfriend who stalks him via text from college. But Clara and Morgan's home life changes radically when Chris and Jenny are killed in an accident, revealing long-buried secrets and forcing Morgan to reevaluate the life she chose when early motherhood forced her hand. Feeling betrayed by the adults in her life, Clara marches forward, acting both responsible and rebellious as she navigates her teenage years without her father and her aunt, while Jonah and Morgan's relationship evolves in the wake of the accident. Front-loaded with drama, the story leaves plenty of room for the mother and daughter to unpack their feelings and decide what's next.
The emotions run high, the conversations run deep, and the relationships ebb and flow with grace.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 8th Edition APA 6th Edition Chicago 17th Edition
"Hoover, Colleen: REGRETTING YOU." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Nov. 2019. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A604119851/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=bd0f7353. Accessed 13 Jan. 2020.
Regretting You
Colleen Hoover. Montlake Romance, $14.95 trade paper (404p) ISBN 978-1-5420-1642-1
Betrayals, secrets, and shifting family loyalties keep the pages turning in this excellent contemporary from Hoover (All Your Perfects). Morgan Grant's relationship with her 16-year-old daughter, Clara, is precarious. Clara, weary of her mother's overprotective tendencies, relies on her Aunt Jenny as a confidant. When both Jenny and Morgan's husband, Chris, die in a car crash, things become even more strained between the mother and daughter, as a confused and grieving Morgan contends with the discovery of a betrayal by Chris while trying to prevent Clara from learning the truth about her father and fighting feelings for Jenny's baby daddy. Flashbacks to Morgan as a teenager reveal parallels between her and her daughter, adding depth to their relationship. Hoover expertly conveys complex character dynamics while avoiding sappiness and finding room for insight and love in the midst of tragedy. Though there is a romance, the real love story here is between Morgan and Clara. This is Hoover at her very best. Agent: Jane Dystel, Dystel & Goderich Agency. (Dec.)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 8th Edition APA 6th Edition Chicago 17th Edition
"Regretting You." Publishers Weekly, 14 Oct. 2019, p. 51. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A603318996/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=3108be43. Accessed 13 Jan. 2020.
Hoover, Colleen ALL YOUR PERFECTS Atria (Adult Fiction) $24.99 7, 17 ISBN: 978-1-5011-7159-8
Named for an imperfectly worded fortune cookie, Hoover's (It Ends with Us, 2016, etc.) latest compares a woman's relationship with her husband before and after she finds out she's infertile.
Quinn meets her future husband, Graham, in front of her soon-to-be-ex-fiance's apartment, where Graham is about to confront him for having an affair with his girlfriend. A few years later, they are happily married but struggling to conceive. The "then and now" format--with alternating chapters moving back and forth in time--allows a hopeful romance to blossom within a dark but relatable dilemma. Back then, Quinn's bad breakup leads her to the love of her life. In the now, she's exhausted a laundry list of fertility options, from IVF treatments to adoption, and the silver lining is harder to find. Quinn's bad relationship with her wealthy mother also prevents her from asking for more money to throw at the problem. But just when Quinn's narrative starts to sound like she's writing a long Facebook rant about her struggles, she reveals the larger issue: Ever since she and Graham have been trying to have a baby, intimacy has become a chore, and she doesn't know how to tell him. Instead, she hopes the contents of a mystery box she's kept since their wedding day will help her decide their fate. With a few well-timed silences, Hoover turns the fairly common problem of infertility into the more universal problem of poor communication. Graham and Quinn may or may not become parents, but if they don't talk about their feelings, they won't remain a couple, either.
Finding positivity in negative pregnancy-test results, this depiction of a marriage in crisis is nearly perfect.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 8th Edition APA 6th Edition Chicago 17th Edition
"Hoover, Colleen: ALL YOUR PERFECTS." Kirkus Reviews, 15 May 2018. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A538294110/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=31498500. Accessed 13 Jan. 2020.
Hoover, Colleen WITHOUT MERIT Atria (Adult Fiction) $16.00 10, 3 ISBN: 978-1-5011-7062-1
With the help of unusual houseguests, a teenage girl who tries to rebel by airing her family's dirty laundry cleans up her act instead.To Merit Voss, the white picket fence around her house is the only thing normal about the family it contains. She lives in a converted church with her father, stepmother, and siblings, and although her parents have been divorced for years, her mother still lives in the basement, struggling with social anxiety. No one in her family is religious, so her brother Utah updates the church marquee every day with fun facts instead of Bible verses. Merit is less accomplished than her identical twin sister, Honor, so she likes to buy used trophies to celebrate her failures. But Honor seems to have a fetish for terminally ill boys, so it's a surprise to Merit when Sagan, who is perfectly healthy, kisses Merit after mistaking her for her sister--and then reveals that he's living in their house. Soon they have another houseguest, Luck, whose connection to the family makes Merit even more convinced she's living in a madhouse. So why is everyone so angry at her? Merit has a love/hate relationship with her sister. She's conflicted by her feelings for Sagan, who leaves intriguing sketches (illustrated by Adams) around the house for her to decipher. She's simultaneously intrigued and repulsed by Luck, who annoys her with his questions but is also her confidant. She can't sit through dinner without starting a fight; she's been skipping school for days; and when she decides to give her whole family the silent treatment, Sagan is the only one who notices. In fact, he and Luck are the only people in the house who recognize Merit's quirks for what they really are--cries for help. And when Merit takes drastic measures to be heard, the fallout is both worse and much better than she feared. Hoover (It Ends With Us, 2016, etc.) does an excellent job of revealing the subtle differences between healthy teenage rebellion and clinical depression, and Merit's aha moment is worthy of every trophy in her collection. This quirky, complex, and frustrating heroine will win hearts and challenge assumptions about family dysfunction and mental illness in a life-affirming story that redefines what's normal.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 8th Edition APA 6th Edition Chicago 17th Edition
"Hoover, Colleen: WITHOUT MERIT." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Aug. 2017. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A500365045/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=c1843bd5. Accessed 13 Jan. 2020.
Without Merit
Colleen Hoover. Atria, $16 trade paper (384p) ISBN 978-1-5011-7062-1
In this surprisingly serious look at the experience and consequences of untreated mental illness, Merit Voss's eccentric family amplifies her typical teenage angst as she tries to shield herself with dismissive, defensive humor. Her bubbly twin sister, Honor, keeps falling in love with terminally ill boys. Her reclusive mother has not left the basement for years, and her preening stepmother (her mom's former oncology nurse) lives upstairs. The recent appearance of Sagan, a perfect example of a dreamy stranger, in the household awakens strong jealousy in Merit when she assumes he is Honor's boyfriend. Merit keeps repeating how much the town hates her family, but her depressive slide into dropping out of school does not allow any proof of social rejection. Finally fed up with her family's willful ignorance of her problems, she drunkenly pens a letter that exposes secrets, including an explanation For her chilly relationship with ambitious, chipper older brother Utah. When her suicide attempt is foiled, the whole family has to learn to cope with these revelations. The romantic thread between Merit and Sagan is flimsy but stays intact through to the end. Hoover relies a bit too much on pat conversations to resolve resentments, but her characters are lively and her honest approach to difficult issues makes this contemporary novel more solid than its fluffy feel suggests. (Oct.)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 8th Edition APA 6th Edition Chicago 17th Edition
"Without Merit." Publishers Weekly, 21 Aug. 2017, p. 97. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A501717338/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=1cc61380. Accessed 13 Jan. 2020.
Erin Fehres
When was the last time a book just stuck with you? I mean, really, really stuck with you? For months after finishing this book, I would find myself thinking about the characters. I’d be at a stoplight and would find my eyes watering because their story was just that beautiful.
All Your Perfects Colleen Hoover
Something to love about Colleen Hoover books is that the characters are real people. A lot of romance novels are meant to make you smile, but are not always realistic. And there is nothing wrong with that—who doesn’t love those kinds of books? However, sometimes, people want to read about a real, gritty relationship. Colleen Hoover manages to deliver that in every single one of her novels, none more so than All Your Perfects.
Graham and Quinn have one of the best meetings in romance book history—certainly one that hasn’t been done very often. Now, to avoid spoiling the book, I won’t go into too much detail about it, but it was both wonderful and tragic. Their story is told in alternating chapters, one in the present and one in the past. The way that Hoover wrote it gives so much insight into their relationship without dragging at all.
I feel it’s only fair to warn readers now, this book will make you cry—I guarantee you. Ensure you have tissues ready, maybe lock your dog or cat in the room with you so that they can help you pick up the pieces of your broken heart. That being said, as with all Colleen Hoover books, the ending will leave readers with a smile on their tear-soaked faces. Before that happens, however, be prepared to hit rock bottom.
Honestly, I could go on and on about this novel, it was, without a doubt, my favourite Colleen Hoover novel to date, and it may be one of my favourite reads this year. I grinned like a fool, I sobbed, and at the end of it, I am not ashamed to admit that I hugged the book to my chest.
My Takeaway: All Your Perfects was devastatingly wonderful, a look into a real relationship and the work that it takes to have a successful marriage. Definitely a must read romance of 2018.
All Your Perfects is now available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.