LOSING HOPE (Hopeless #2) by Colleen Hoover
Release Date: July 8, 2013
Copy obtained from Atria/NetGalley

Synopsis:

Sometimes in life, in order to move forward you must face the past…
#1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover held readers spellbound with her novel Hopeless, the story of what happened when a troubled girl named Sky encountered a long-lost childhood friend, Dean Holder. With Holder’s help, Sky uncovered shocking family secrets and came to terms with memories and emotions that had left deep scars.

Hopeless was Sky’s story. Now, in Losing Hope, we finally learn the truth about Dean Holder.

Haunted by the little girl he couldn’t save from imminent danger, Holder’s life has been overshadowed by feelings of guilt and remorse. He has never stopped searching for her, believing that finding her would bring him the peace he needs to move on. However, Holder could not have anticipated that he would be faced with even greater pain the moment they reconnect.

In Losing Hope, Holder reveals the way in which the events of Sky’s youth affected him and his family, leading him to seek his own redemption in the act of saving her. But it is only in loving Sky that he can finally begin to heal himself.

Review:

This is NOT just a simple retelling of Hopeless! Colleen Hoover once again weaves an emotionally powerful, often painful and always beautiful story that you will not be able to put down. Seeing the events of Hopeless from Holder’s point of view, the reader is given insight into the circumstances surrounding certain tragic events from Hopeless and also into Holder’s actions in Hopeless.

This will be spoiler-free for those who have not yet read Hopeless and because this is being written prior to release day. If you think there is nothing new that can be written about Holder and Sky’s story, you are wrong! Losing Hope is an incredibly sensitive (and very sexy!) book written by a masterful storyteller. Ms. Hoover has actually made me fall more in love with Holder than I already was!

They’re so perfect,” I say. “Like hearts. I could literally stare at your lips for days and never get bored.” – Holder

You will be emotionally drained after reading Losing Hope but it feels oh so good. Make no mistake, this is a heart-wrenching story. But there are no extraneous characters in this story, and no weak plot points. Every character and every event is perfectly meaningful and necessary.

“My attention is constantly homed in on her like I’m a compass and she’s my North.” – Holder

You should definitely read Hopeless first because it is amazing story. With that being said, you will love Losing Hope if you are a fan of Hopeless because it is a passionate, fresh and lyrical story. Enjoy.

About the Author:

Colleen lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys. She released her debut novel, SLAMMED, in January 2012 and the follow-up novel, POINT OF RETREAT, in February, 2012 both of which became NYT’s bestsellers. In December, 2012, she published a standalone novel, HOPELESS, that went on to become a #1 NYT’s bestseller.

As a “Thank you” to her fans, she went on to write the male point of views of both SLAMMED and HOPELESS. THIS GIRL, (Will’s pov plus a lot more) was released in April and LOSING HOPE will be released in July.

She is currently working on two standalone novels, UGLY LOVE and MAYBE SOMEDAY, both of which will be released in 2014.

You can find colleen on Twitter @colleenhoover, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authorcolleenhover and on her blog, www.colleenhoover.com

Giveaway:

Because I am such a huge fan of Colleen Hover, I am giving away a treasured signed copy of HOPELESS. One lucky U.S. reader will win a Rafflecopter giveaway