CONFESS by Colleen Hoover
Atria Books | Paperback
On-Sale: 03/10/15
Paperback ISBN: 9781476791456, $16.00
eBook ISBN: 9781476791463, $7.99
320 pages
CONFESS
BY COLLEEN HOOVER
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, a new novel about risking everything for love—and finding your heart somewhere between the truth and lies.
Auburn Reed has her entire life mapped out. Her goals are in sight and there’s no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to find a deep attraction to the enigmatic artist who works there, Owen Gentry.
For once, Auburn takes a risk and puts her heart in control, only to discover that Owen is keeping some major secrets from coming out. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything important to Auburn, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it.
The last thing Owen wants is to lose Auburn, but he can’t seem to convince her that truth is sometimes as subjective as art. All he would have to do to save their relationship is confess. But in this case, the confession could be much more destructive than the actual sin…
MY REVIEW
★★★3.5 stars★★★
When it comes to creativity, individuality, and some of the most memorable dialogue, there is no one person that comes close to Colleen Hoover. Not to mention the consistency. Here is what I honest to God thought about Confess....
I started off absolutely loving it. Colleen always manages to give each and every one of her novels a thing, something special. It may be a small thing, but Colleen Hoover has perfected the art of turning the insignificant, significant. She gives everything meaning, and she does this effortlessly. This book was no exception. The confessions, the artwork...it was genius. The entire concept screamed Colleen Hoover. I also loved the idea of fate, and the connection between Owen and Auburn. A connection Owen chooses not to share. True, that decision was just a very small detail of the plot, but it’s the weight of those small details that makes each story Colleen creates real, special, unique, and believable.
What I did have some difficulty loving (and what kept me right at about 3.5 stars) was the plot.
It ran away.
It started off really good, the conflict building between Auburn and Trey. Trey’s shared history with Owen. All of this was beautifully woven together. Even Owen's backstory intricately deepened his connection with Auburn by linking their own unique tragedies. Not by sharing the same experiences, but by sharing the same pain.
Loss.
However, throw all of that in with drugs, arrests, shady cops and legal battles, and you have a whole damn lot going on all at once. It made it hard to get the development any one issue needed when there was so much to juggle. I was overwhelmed, and it took a little away from the realism. I didn’t feel like I was reading the same book I started. All the drama took on a life of its own.
I remember when it all started to unravel, and every conflict seemed to peak at once, I was thinking, "How in the hell is all this going to be wrapped up with the few pages left.” There wasn’t enough time to do all the concurrent storylines justice.
The first half and final chapter were definitely my favorite, but somewhere in between, it lost some cohesion. With less going on, more of those things could have been interwoven more closely with the story creating a deeper connection.
BUT...
The emotions that were expressed through the truly genuine dialogue was inspiring. It was some of Colleen’s best work yet. I highlighted so many beautiful words. The creativity of what she did with the confessions overshadowed a bunch of minor nuances that were easy to overlook. It’s easy to forgive a few plot issues when the writing is that damn good!
Fans of Colleen Hoover are NOT going to be disappointed. Sure, it may not be your favorite, but to say this book was anything even close to bad would be ridiculous. Her consistency astounds me. Think of all the books she has written. To have her track record, is absolutely insane. Even if she is statistically predestined to have a dud, this book was not it. It may not have been my favorite, but the standard I have come to expect from Colleen Hoover was definitely met. Everyone who reads Confess is going to (I promise) find something in it that they love. <------That right there is a success!
So, if I was a little indifferent, why in the hell did I make a book trailer?
Despite anything I may not have liked about Confess, it still inspired me. Colleen Hoover’s talent inspires me. The originality and creativity she wove into this story inspires me. My trailers are only as good as what inspires them.
Colleen Hoover is responsible for that.
READ ON!
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Enter for a chance to win!
Visit Atria’s Tumblr page from 3/9 – 3/22 to enter to win a grand prize of a signed framed print of one of the images in the book plus a signed copy of CONFESS or one of the runner up prizes, one of four signed copies of CONFESS.
About the Author:
Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Slammed, Point of Retreat, This Girl, Hopeless, Losing Hope, Maybe Someday, Finding Cinderella, and Ugly Love. She lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys.
Find Colleen online:
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