“Go easy on me, Fallon. My heart is fragile.”
I’m right there with you Ben, my heart is fragile too and Colleen Hoover (in true CoHo fashion) did a number on it in this book! I had butterflies, I laughed, I got angry, I got teary-eyed, you name it and it probably happened to me in this book. It’s always a treat to read a Colleen Hoover book, it’s like Christmas when she releases something new! And what a gift this book was, from the unique concept to the engaging characters and the rock-solid writing it was such fun to read (even when she was stomping all over my heart) from start to finish! This is definitely in my top 5 books I’ve read this year.
The concept of this book was so awesome and so unique! Ben and Fallon meet one November 9th when they are both 18, and let me tell you, their first meeting was so cute and will make you instantly fall in love with Ben’s character. They hit it off immediately and end up spending the rest of the day together, it seems like the start of a wonderful relationship. One minor hitch though, Fallon happens to be moving across country that night to try to start over (I won’t spoil anything but due to some unfortunate circumstances her young acting career was cut short). And upon the sage advice from her mother she is determined to not fall in love until she’s found herself first (which according to her mom can’t happen until she’s 23). So while she is appreciative of Ben and all he did for her in the short time they’ve known each other, she is set to part ways from him and start her new life. Desperate to think of some way to see her again, Ben (who happens to be a writer) proposes an ingenious idea:
“What if we meet up again next year on the same day? And the year after that? We’ll do it for five years. Same date, same time, same place. We’ll pick up where we left off tonight, but only for the day. I’ll make sure you’re following through with your auditions and I can write a book about the days we’re together.”
Fallon agrees and they both depart with their ‘homework’ for the year to come. From there we basically we follow Ben and Fallon over the years as they meet up again each November 9th. Part of their agreement is that they are to have no contact with each other aside from that one day and they are encouraged to go out and live their lives during that time. This idea totally fascinated me and I thought it was a brilliant concept. It kept me on the edge of my seat as each new November 9th came around because as a reader we also have no contact with Ben or Fallon during this time. Everything we learn about what happened in the prior year we learn on November 9th along with them. Considering there was a 1-year time jump every few chapters, I didn’t feel like I missed anything, much like them I lived for the ‘next’ November 9th to see what was going to happen (only lucky for us, all we had to do was turn the page to get to the next year, rather than waiting a full year like Ben and Fallon did!). I was always wondering if this was going to be the time where everything fell apart. And as the years go by, you see their connection continue to evolve and how hard it is to part ways again, as a reader it was also hard to say ‘goodbye’ for another ‘year’ when their time was up! And in certain years your heart is going to break and in others it will rejoice. There’s no shortage of feels in this book, that’s for sure!
“For one day each year, I wanted to be this guy who was falling for this girl, because everything about you captivated me.”
As with all of Colleen Hoover’s books, you’re going to fall hard for her characters, both separately and for them as a couple. She just has this amazing ability to make her characters seem so real and full of life, they jump off the page and are people that you totally want to be friends with. This was definitely the case here, as I said earlier I fell in love with Ben right from the start and while there were a few things I got upset with him about, I loved how Colleen Hoover tied everything together so that by the end you still love him. Fallon was also an awesome heroine, I love how she evolved from the self-conscience girl we first met to the strong, confident woman we know by the end. And I loved, loved, loved Fallon and Ben together. Their chemistry was amazing and their quirky little conversations and inside jokes were just pure gold. It was awesome that Fallon was a fan of romance books, that right there instantly bonded me to her and her and Ben’s book conversations were priceless! Any book lover will get a kick out of those little nuggets.
Oh and randomly, there is an easter egg hidden in this book for fans of one of her other books. I won’t say what it is, but I was delighted when I made the connection! It was unexpected but a welcome surprise!
Colleen Hoover is the master of plot twists and there are no shortage of jaw dropping twists in this book. There was one that I saw coming and I thought for sure that was going to be the big one but then she drops another bomb on us that made my eyes bulge out of my head! I had certain suspicions but I did not expect that to happen at all! But I love that about her books, you definitely have to expect the unexpected and even then you’ll probably never see it coming. It really is mind boggling how she can so perfectly weave these stories together, I would seriously recommend a Colleen Hoover book to anyone, they are in a league of their own and I know I’ll always be anxiously awaiting her next masterpiece!
‘I laugh, relieved that she’s… that she simply exists. And that we were lucky enough to exist in the same lifetime, in the same area of the world, in the same state. And that, after all these years, I surprisingly wouldn’t change a single thing about what ultimately brought us together.’
Sigh…. (and yes, for those that read the book, I just said ‘sigh’ instead of actually sighing.)
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One of my favorites from Colleen. Time and time again she writes these unbelievable stories that are so farfetched as to be realistic! She drags you in. She builds you up. Then, she tears it all apart. She breaks your heart. She makes you love, trust and then makes you fall. She seems to like starting off books with a bang of a first sentence. “I wonder what kind of sound it would make if I were to smash this glass against the side of his head.” I read this years ago and try to go back and read it around November 9th because why not?The story goes back and forth between two POV's, Fallon and Ben. They meet up every year on November 9th for 5 years. The premise was different, and although there are similar book/movies out there, this one was a completely different type of story. I wish we got more time with the characters but what we did get of each character, I loved. Fallon and Ben were fascinating characters. Both have flaws and both have things that cause them angst. They are real in their feelings for each other, but as in life, five years can bring many changes and does for both. The protagonist, Fallon is relatable in her insecurities which can translate to any girl with aspects of her body that she does not like. It was also great to see her get over her wallowing and deciding to make something of her career. That get-up-and-go attitude really resonated with me, and I instantly became invested in her story. That and the hilarious and sassy conversation with her father at the start of the book had me hooked.The discussion of ‘insta-love’ and other bookish elements was a great touch. It drags a bit at the beginning but about half way through, it picks and like all Colleen books, has a few sucker punches in there when you think everything is going to end with a pretty little bow but doesn't.
Top reviews from other countries
Kara
I thought I couldn’t love Colleen Hoover any more, then I read this.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 22, 2023
Reading_Tamishly
It’s so worth it!
Reviewed in India on September 2, 2022
Reading_Tamishly
Reviewed in India on September 2, 2022
Trying to calm down knowing what happened 😩
2022 favourite?!
Here’s one amazing read from Colleen Hoover which I feel is so underrated compared to her other books!
A perfect five star read for me for giving me much more than I anticipated from this book.
Yes, I want to read every work by the author and this one was another book I just wanted to read without much expectations. However, how wrong was I in thinking nothing could surpass It Ends With Us!
A story about guilt, regrets, secrets , undying devotion and a romance you would not believe it would affect your unromantic heart this much!
The writing is really good. For a contemporary romance it’s pretty fast paced and I was trying my best to slow down the reading but I just couldn’t.
The story is about taking chances, welcoming second chances, accepting changes, seeing the beauty in imperfections and trying for the best in unexpected moments that life throws on us.
The romance is swoon worthy while it will break your heart making you feel how realistic it is.
Secrets will be revealed. Hearts will be broken. Tears all cried out. But then the ending will hug you with all its generosity that you will feel so good to have read the book!
Definitely recommended 💯
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