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 Owen is keeping 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…
Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: March 10, 2015
Pages: 320
Genre: NA contemporary romance
My Rating: 5 stars
My Review: Something I've recently realized is that Colleen Hoover does this thing where she makes me inexplicably love her books even if I don't love every part of it. Maybe this sounds vague because other authors are like this for you, but what I mean is that multiple aspects of her books can make me really disgruntled, her books end with such a punch to the heart that I end up not even caring about the things that previously bothered me.
Let's take Confess for example. The beginning threw me off when I noticed Colleen frequently repeating herself or overemphasizing a character's traits (Auburn's youthful innocence) when the story wouldn't have been compromised without them. (Might I add these repetitions and overemphasizing disappeared as the story continued, but they puzzled me when they were there because that weren't typical for Colleen.) Down the road as Auburn and Owen's relationship grew, I thought it was kind of instalovey, which I do not prefer in romance novels. Additionally, Owen's constant ability to know the reasons behind Auburn's behaviors, although she never voiced them, was questionable (IMO). These aspects of Confess made me doubt how much I would love the book as a whole.
Don't let me fool you; despite the issues I mentioned above, I was enjoying this book splendidly! I found so many aspects of it more than redeeming. The confessions made the story extremely unique and it was executed brilliantly when combined with Danny O'Connor's artwork! I admired how self-aware Auburn and Owen were of their feelings and behaviors, things that would typically be considered "unrealistic" or bad decisions. Through their self-awareness, you were able to see just how they rationalized the things they did, and I absolutely love that in characters. I also loved how quirky and fun Owen was. You don't see that as often as you would expect to in a lead character, especially a love interest, so he was a refreshing character. This book even promotes body-positivity and motherhood, which is fantastic.
After the plot started climbing, I was flipping through the pages faster than you can say Oh My God (see what I did there, fellow Confess readers?) and as the plot was closing in on the end I was thinking, This is a wonderful story! I'll probably give it four stars of happiness! But then, just as Colleen's books always do, the last chapter happened and it tugged on my hard heartstrings so hard it nearly burst from my chest. With that, I was like FIVE STARS! Five incredible, forever-even-when-I-can't loving stars! And then I cried because that's what I do when I love something so much.
I guess in my heart (ya know, the one Colleen mutilates multiple times a year) I always knew this was the main reason for my constant five-star ratings of her novels, but it only just hit me that this is why she is my favorite author. (Excuse me for being slow to the game, guys.) Apart from the obvious aspects like her being a great storyteller with a knack for creativity, her endings never fail to make my heart ache, sing, break, and cry all at once. Colleen's contemporary novels are so memorable, loved, and well-received by me and thousands of other CoHorts because she makes you feel everything.
After the plot started climbing, I was flipping through the pages faster than you can say Oh My God (see what I did there, fellow Confess readers?) and as the plot was closing in on the end I was thinking, This is a wonderful story! I'll probably give it four stars of happiness! But then, just as Colleen's books always do, the last chapter happened and it tugged on my hard heartstrings so hard it nearly burst from my chest. With that, I was like FIVE STARS! Five incredible, forever-even-when-I-can't loving stars! And then I cried because that's what I do when I love something so much.
I guess in my heart (ya know, the one Colleen mutilates multiple times a year) I always knew this was the main reason for my constant five-star ratings of her novels, but it only just hit me that this is why she is my favorite author. (Excuse me for being slow to the game, guys.) Apart from the obvious aspects like her being a great storyteller with a knack for creativity, her endings never fail to make my heart ache, sing, break, and cry all at once. Colleen's contemporary novels are so memorable, loved, and well-received by me and thousands of other CoHorts because she makes you feel everything.
Have you read Confess? Did some aspects irk you too? Did you love it to death anyway? I would love to hear what you thought!
Until next time,
Holly
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