Thursday, July 3, 2014

Mini-reviews: This Girl and Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover

Title: This Girl (Slammed #3)
Author: Colleen Hoover
Published: April 30th 2013
Add It: Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

There are two sides to every love story. Now hear Will’s.
Layken and Will’s love has managed to withstand the toughest of circumstances and the young lovers, now married, are beginning to feel safe and secure in their union. As much as Layken relishes their new life together, she finds herself wanting to know everything there is to know about her husband, even though Will makes it clear he prefers to keep the painful memories of the past where they belong. Still, he can’t resist his wife’s pleas and so he begins to untangle his side of the story, revealing for the first time his most intimate feelings and thoughts, retelling both the good and bad moments, and sharing a few shocking confessions of his own from the time when they first met.
In This Girl, Will tells the story of their complicated relationship from hispoint of view. Their future rests on how well they deal with the past in this final installment of the beloved Slammed series.

My journey with Colleen Hoover and NA lit started in May 2012. Slammed is one of my favorite character growth and family-related stories, Point of Retreat is one of my favorite guy POV’s and sob-my-heart-out books. I love Colleen’s writing and Will, Lake, Caulder, Kel, Eddie, Gavin and everyone else so much. While I was happy to be back in the Slammed world and felt like this was such a neat way to give the other POV of the same story, I was slightly underwhelmed.

We get some new scenes and the whole thing with Vaughn, lots of insight into Will’s behavior in Slammed. Some fights go down, some really swoony scenes and our couple finally gets their HEA. The ending was just the best as it always is with Colleen’s stories. I enjoyed it a lot as a whole, but I didn’t necessarily love this one. Really happy that I read it, but nothing in this series can surpass the amazingness that was Point of Retreat.

Overall rating: 3.4 out of 5
Stars: ★★★


Title: Finding Cinderella (Hopeless #2.5)
Author: Colleen Hoover
Published: October 14th 2013
Add It: Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

A chance encounter in the dark leads eighteen-year-old Daniel and the girl who stumbles across him to profess their love for each other. But this love comes with conditions: they agree it will only last one hour and it will only be make-believe.
When their hour is up and the girl rushes off like Cinderella, Daniel tries to convince himself that what happened between them only seemed perfect because they were pretending it was perfect. Moments like that with girls like her don’t happen outside of fairytales.
One year and one bad relationship later, his disbelief in insta-love is stripped away the day he meets Six: a girl with a strange name and an even stranger personality. Daniel soon realizes the way he pretended to feel about Cinderella and the way he really feels about Six may not be so different after all. Especially when the two loves of his life end up being one in the same.
Unfortunately for Daniel, finding Cinderella doesn’t guarantee their happily ever after…it only further threatens it.

This book.. This. Book. I have never been a particular fan of novellas. I read them when they’re a part of a series I absolutely adore (and still most likely end up forgetting to actually read them) or when they’re about some of my favorite characters from a series. It must be hard to connect with new characters in a novella and I think it may just be something that people aren’t that interested in. Finding Cinderella proved to me that novellas can be everything you wish for and even more.

I did NOT see the main twist coming (ofc the Cinderella aspect is predictable, but the baggage that comes with Six? Holy smoke!) and it leaves the door open for so many possibilities and rumor is that there may be something more from Six and Daniel. About these two, Six is a girl I’d love to be best friends with. She is loyal, hilarious, fun, snarky and she is a good friend. Those of you who have already read Hopeless know that she is very protective of Sky and honestly? I may or may not have a girl crush on her. As for Daniel, dude. Dude!!! Swoon, big time. Their banter is natural and fun. Moreover, I adored Daniel’s family. I hope that if you haven’t tried Colleen’s work yet, you’ll give her books a try. She is one of my favorite authors! Her humor & unique perspective on life in general shine through every scene she has painted for us.

Overall rating: 4.0 out of 5.0
Stars: ★★★★

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22 comments:

  1. I've yet to read any Colleen Hoover's work yet but I've heard so many great things about it. Looking at your enthusiasm, I feel like I'm definitely missing out. I'm not much of a fan of novellas either but it surprised me that it brought about much emotions and love from you. I'm so going to go to my local bookstore tomorrow and hunt for copies of Slammed and Point of Retreat. Great mini-reviews! :)

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  2. I'm also quite difficult with novella, but isn't it awesome when it's that great? I always love to be surprised like that too! Too bad that book 3 wasn't as good. But it sounds like a great series.

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  3. I really, really, really need to get started with Colleen Hoover. I feel like I'm the only one around here who hasn't read a single thing from her yet. *gets bricked* I promise I'll start with Slammed, especially since you say it has the best character growth. I would love some of that, yes!

    Faye at The Social Potato Reviews

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  4. Wow, there seem to be a lot of books by Colleen Hoover, because I swear I see her everywhere. I definitely have her on my list of authors to read when I am older. They sound brilliant!

    Lovely reviews, Siiri! <33

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  5. I'm not a novella person, nor am I a Colleen Hoover person (Maybe Someday AGH), but I WILL try Slammed. Someday. I WILL, SERIOUSLY.

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  6. I have avoided This Girl because I hate books told in another POV, but I've heard some great things about it. I'm glad you liked it enough to rate it 3 stars.

    Also, yes! I loved loved Finding Cinderella! I put off reading it, but I just sat down one afternoon after a study session and couldn't stop reading it at all. I was amazed by how well developed the characters were despite it being just a novella. I was completely taken by surprise by Six's revelation as well. I'm with you! Need more Daniel+Six.

    Lovely reviews, Siiri!

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  7. Colleen Hoover is one of those authors that everyone seems to love! I've only read one book by her, Maybe Someday, but I really enjoyed it. Maybe I should pick up her other books, too :)

    Great reviews, Siiri! <33

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  8. I totally agree about This Girl I loved both Slammed and Point of Retread but there are so many things in This Girl that were unnecessary. I was really annoyed by that. I haven't read that other series but I have heard so much about it. I'm so glad you enjoyed Finding Cinderella. I'll have to read it soon. Great reviews, hon! <3

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  9. This Girl does not interest me at all, and I love Colleen Hoover. I'm just not a fan of same story, different POV. A few new scenes doesn't cut it for me. Except for Breakable, I liked that one.
    I wanna try Finding Cinderella on audio just because Jason Carpenter narrates that and I really like his voice.

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  10. I haven't read any of Colleen Hoover's books yet, but there's so much hype around them and I'm anxious to read and experience them for myself, and this sounds like a great place to start! Thanks for sharing, and, as always, BRILLIANT reviews! <3

    ~ Zoe @ The Infinite To-Read Shelf

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  11. I'm ashamed to say that I still haven't read the Slammed series or Finding Cinderella and Losing Hope. I think I'm just not prepared for the ugly cry that I know is coming. I'm even putting off Ugly Love for that reason.
    I'm so glad you enjoyed both novellas, Siiri!

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  12. DUDE YES THE CURVEBALL IN FINDING CINDERELLA. I was like, what. The. Hell. It's crazy that the author was able to pack so much into such a small novella!

    I actually thought that Point of Retreat was the worst of the Slammed series (still liked it, but didn't think it was quite as good as Slammed or This Girl). A bit too much angst for me, I think.

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  13. I loved This Girl but agree nothing can surpass the pure awesomeness that was point of retreat, NOTHING. LOL

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  14. I enjoyed Hoover and can't wait to read some more,

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  15. Le sigh. I've been holding a grudge against Colleen Hoover ever since Maybe Someday, to the point I don't even want to praise any of her other books, which I love. Hopefully Ugly Love will bring her back into my good graces. But, in the fairness of honesty, I really enjoyed both of these books. Very swoony and romantic. Glad you did too!

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  16. I've yet to read any books by Colleen Hoover but I've heard nothing but great things! I'm looking forward to jumping on the bandwagon soon.

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  17. Slammed was amazing! Point of retreat was a meh for me…I forgot why, though. It's been a long time since I've read it. I enjoyed This girl a lot, it was sooooo romantic and the butterflies jus kept coming. I've never been a fan for the opposite POV, it's just flashbacks and all, but colleen hoover can write!

    www.lite-rate-ture.com

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  18. I still haven't gotten around to reading This Girl and I LOVED Slammed and Point of Retreat. I read them back-to-back a couple of years ago. AND I haven't read anything else by Hoover. But I have the first book in the Hopeless series. I'm SO glad you loved the novella. I'm a novella maniac when they're from series I love, but it seems like most people avoid them entirely. So yay for that. Even though you probably don't read them as much as I do. Anyhoots, great reviews, Siiri! I'm going to have to make time for This Girl SOON(ish) ;)

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  19. I absolutely LOVED Daniel after Finding Cinderella, I shipped the couple so hard even more than Sky and Holder! They were just so freaking adorable and Six was the best girlfriend one could have. Lovely review, I still need to read the whole Slammed series!

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  20. This Girl wasn't as good as Slammed and Point of Retreat for me either, Siiri, but still nice to see them get their HEA. I adored Finding Cinderella too, but I suspected the twist. Didn't know there might be another book for these two. Wonderful reviews, my dear! :)

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  21. I'm such a loser, I haven't read this series. But I love your review and I'm so convinced to read it now. Thank you

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  22. POINT OF RETREAT was your favorite in the Slammed series? I'll forever and always love the first book. THIS GIRL was nice, but I agree, it wasn't anything amazing. I'm happy to leave Will and Lake to their HEA now. OH Daniel's book! That story packed punch. I didn't see the twist coming either! It broke me a little bit. But I'm so happy they found each other again.

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