Confess: A Novel

There are five stages you go through while reading a Colleen Hoover novel. The first stage is excitement. Excitement over the fact that you are about to read a story written by a genius author that never ever disappoints, writes from the heart, and submerges you in a world that you have not yet experienced. The second stage is wonder. Wonder that your senses are on overload when you are knee deep in this world and find characters you relate to, dialogue that squeezes your heart, and pieces of yourself in the woodwork. All you can do is be in complete awe. The third stage is Love. Now that you have read this book and have concluded it another masterpiece you are in complete and utter love with what she can do with people, with life, with romance, and with words. The fourth and least fun stage is depression. You become depressed because you just finished this incredible book and now you miss the characters and the story and the EVERYTHING. You think to yourself: “I have to move on from this?” You feel like there is no way in H-E-Double Hockey Sticks you could ever read anything again and you don’t read anything else again. You keep your word and are stubborn, that is, until you get to the last stage: acceptance. When you are finished and your book hangover is getting better you realize it is going to be OK. You get a little Noah Calhoun-ish and you realize you will read again. It isn’t over. It’ll never be over. Because another Colleen Hoover book will come and life will be complete again. So is the life of a Cohort. Learn it, live it, love it. And ALWAYS read it! Confess is yet another novel that changes your life in ways you never thought possible. Besides being an epic romance, immensely heartfelt, and beautifully written, Confess holds inside it the true definition of the human spirit combining the painstaking honesty of life, the determination of individuals, and the selflessness and sacrifices that come with family. And if that wasn’t enough to fill your bookworm heart with joy in this novel she has added the element of art to further open up your view of the world. Confess is about young adults Auburn and Owen living in Texas and doing their own versions of surviving. Owen is an artist using the world’s deepest and sometimes darkest confessions looking for a new receptionist and Auburn is looking for a second job. After witnessing her appreciation for his art and after falling deeply in love with his talent Owen and Auburn quickly fall in like but the road to falling in love and being together becomes extremely rocky as they hit many bumps and unforeseen challenges along the way. Both Owen and Auburn may be what each other needs but with secrets getting in between them their happily ever after seems miles. I loved this book for its unique story, its beautiful artwork from artist Danny O’Connor, and its beautiful characters that have planted roots right in my heart. If you haven’t decided to read it yet take it from a professional bookworm like me: Read it now! You will not regret reading this amazing story from one of the masters of the New Adult genre!

Colleen Hoover is back with another beautifully written book, she really has perfected her craft.She has really has perfected writing beautiful characters with tragic pasts, that's pretty much her "thing". Colleen writes it in a way that you don't end up feeling completely depressed after learning their "secrets". I really appreciate that about her,that she can write drama and pain without making my chest hurt with anxiety pains. I really genuinely hope she writes forever. :) Let me start off with my synopsis of the Confess: Our main characters are Auburn and Owen. Auburn at her young age she has lost everything important to her, she knows what needs to be done to rebuild her life and she won't let anything get in her way of that.Even if that means cutting Owen out of her life completely. Owen as well knows exactly how it feels to lose everything you care about. The last thing he wants to lose is Auburn. He's an Artist who uses the theme of Confessions. Anonymous people leave their confessions for him, now it's his turn to confess. (I'm ending my synopsis there because I'm really struggling with not posting spoilers.) Let's talk about the gorgeous cover because I move on to the actual review :) I really love the whole artsy vibe, and the color choices were beautiful. . The paint,colors and art theme on front instead of having people on the cover was a very smart choice. Different, but I love it. Like always I'm going to start with the positive things about Confess ( or my favorite things about it). The Anonymous confessions!!! OH MY GOD, some of them were so incredibly sad,but some were really great. "Every day I’m grateful that my husband and his brother look exactly alike. It means there’s less of a chance that my husband will find out that our son isn't his.". The whole idea of strangers leaving their confessions in a box for Owen is an interesting concept. I of course was crying within five minutes of reading this book,just so many emotions were felt in the prologue alone.So I was very anxious to see what had become of Auburn. From the the moment Auburn appears on the page, she had me. We meet her when she's 15/16, the love that she shows in a time of tragedy is so beautiful.The fact that she is able to go on with her life after such a great loss, on top of other radical changes in her life, is inspiring to say the least. I believe most if not all of us can relate to her in some way. We all go through trials and tests of our strength throughout our lives, finding your purpose in the end is what's important. Auburn knows her purpose, she never falters from it, she never loses track of her goals. Even with Auburn and Owens immediate connection, her goals come first,no matter what. As someone who's been through her far share of crap, I really respected her. Another thing I loved was Auburn and Owens instant connection.It was undeniable and powerful, there was no way they would've been able to ignore it.It really hurt my heart that Auburn had to cut Owen out, understandable but heartbreaking none the less. I just flat out loved Owen,literally everything about him. He's an Artist with his work .We quickly learn that both characters have their own confessions. I loved Owens passion,his strength,and the sacrifices he makes for the ones he cares about. Despite the past he struggles in letting go of, he seems like a genuine good guy, he just sometimes goes about things in the wrong way. I also really enjoyed how he talked about Auburn, with genuine affection, and never negative toward or about her. It was as if he genuinely respected her, it wasn't all about sex for him. I believe for him he really needed to get over his guilt over his past. Holding onto that guilt was just causing him to enable certain people and their screw ups. I understand sacrifice but he really to learn the difference between what's worth the sacrifice and what's not. “She deserves better. So much better.She deserves me.If only she knew that.” I just had to do happy dances whenever he said such heartfelt things, If you've read my reviews before this, then you know how much I love dual point of views. I believe having dual narration really helps you get to know the characters. You're better able to understand their reasoning behind their pain and decisions better. It's hard for me to relate to both of characters when I'm only getting one perspective, so I seriously appreciate getting both POV. Colleen is one of the few others authors that I really succeeds at writing both male and female perspectives realistically. What I wasn't too crazy about was that I felt like the secret Owen was keeping was a little hyped up. It was a big deal of course, but I personally didn't feel like it was relationship altering. I'm sure many people will disagree, it's just my opinion. I don't feel like that lessened the story for me, it's just something that annoyed be a bit. I do wish we were given a flash forward chapter at the end,I always appreciate those. I still loved the ending, I just would have enjoyed a little something from the future. I'm such a brat I guess haha. I think that's all I can say about the book without giving too much of the plot away. All in all Confess was a beautiful book. I recommend it to anyone who loves a story about people working to overcome some rough s***.

“Some secrets should never turn into confessions. I know that better than anyone.” As any Colleen Hoover fan out there, I was so excited when these arrived at my doorstep, but then afraid to open it because I knew it would break my heart all over again. And I tell you, it didn’t disappoint. I was heartbroken, not even five minutes into the book and not even through the prologue yet. I was contemplating on continuing reading cause some of the first words you’ll see are “Part One” and I was like, “does this end in a cliffhanger?” because I couldn’t take cliffhangers, especially if the release dates are so far apart. Lucky for all of us, it is a standalone. :) “In order to be embarrassed, a person has to care about the opinions of others first.” There are a lot of things I liked about this book. First, the art. The art here are just lovely and to incorporate the art into the story and really show what it looked like brought in a lot more emotion and understanding of each of the confessions or inspiration behind them. “Surface friends” is what I call it. When your friendship is merely a facade and you’re enemies on the inside. Then there were the confessions. The book said that all these confessions were real, and I couldn’t believe it at first, but when I think about all these confessions some more, I see why the need to use real confessions rather than make up some. It makes people connect more with the story and realistically, makes you feel that kind of “normalcy” that Auburn felt when she first read those. “If these are all true, then maybe my life isn’t quite as bad as I think it is.” And then there are the characters and the witty banters. I had mixed emotions regarding Auburn. I don’t know if I like her that much cause I didn’t like how she did and thought about a few things, but I do know I wanted to throttle her for most part of the book. I mean, I get her situation and all, but couldn’t she think of a better solution, a more long-term one rather than succumbing to the demands of others all the time? I don’t like pushover characters, and for the most part, in this book, she was one. She also frustrated me to the point of taking breaks in between a few later chapters because she was indecisive and just seems to be settling in with what she had. :( “I think love is a hard word to define. You can love a lot of things about a person but still not love the whole person.“ Owen. What can I say? He was a dream! I was bracing myself for that confession he was going to say, it turns out it wasn’t that big. That major secret I thought would blow my mind just earned him brownie points in my book. Really, he was just being this caring and helpful son and that doesn’t make his confession against him at all. And if the major secret is the one involved with Adam, I admit that was a total mind-fuck moment but in a really wonderful way. I really loved Owen, and the depth of how he cared about Auburn and his love for her and his family… *sigh* Confession: I didn’t like Auburn that much (and this is probably the reason of the rating below) but Owen makes up for her character. I think the ending is not really an ending and I’d like to read maybe a novella of what happened to their relationship after all those issues cast aside. I’d like to think Trey would want revenge on both of them, and I would really like it if both Trey and his mother would pay for the years of mental abuse they did. “… but sometimes in order to save a relationship, you have to sacrifice it first.” The concepts of family, love and most of all, fate. The concept of family was a tricky one. Here on one side, we see a sort of messed up group of people who thinks a lot of themselves and shows love only to their family by blood. On another side, we see Auburn who is less confident and is trying to go after the only family member she has in Texas because she left her siblings and her parents in another part of the country. And to the side, we see Owen struggling and basically doing everything he can to maintain a relationship with the only family member he has left. It’s mind boggling, ironic, and really sad. “Selflessness. It should be the basis of every relationship. If a person truly cares about you, they’ll get more pleasure from the way they make you feel, rather than the way you make them feel.” Love. As romantic stories go, this was mostly predictable. I did think of a few things the story could go over in my head while reading chapters and I am happy to say I did predict a few outcomes, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s just maybe, I’m used to being surprised by this author that I didn’t see that coming. So yeah, surprised maybe a word for it after all. :) Lastly, fate. I am one of those people who, like most, believe in this kind of thing. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be, right? I loved the concept of fate here. Wherein she had one past lover who maybe brought her together with her second fate. It’s hard to understand this concept and I am really happy that it was so easily shown in this book. “If we’re meant to be together and fate really does exist, maybe one of these days she’ll wind up at my door.” You may not understand it, you may not know how it came about, you may not have a valid reason for any of it- it’s just that when it happens, “that could be fate, you know”. That, in itself, is beautiful. With it’s realistic portrayal of life, family, death, love and fate, Confess will most definitely reel you in, make you laugh, make you wonder, break your heart and leave you breathless. “I’ll love you forever. Even when I can’t.”

“I love you so much.” His voice is breathless and full of fear. “I’ll love you forever. Even when I can’t.” My tears fall harder at his words. “And I’ll love you forever. Even when I shouldn’t.” You know you’re in for quite the ride when you get that kind of emotion just in the prologue! Confess is another gem by Colleen Hoover, one that will grab your heart from the very first page and not let it go until well after the last page. This book will run you through the gamut of emotions from heartache to joy to anger to light hearted and everything in between. I love how Colleen Hoover has the ability to give you such a deeply emotional scene and then immediately follow up with a scene that’ll have you chuckling with laughter and have it flow so seamlessly and naturally. I am a huge fan of everything I’ve read by her and I just love the warm fuzzy feeling I get when I am reading one of her books. All of her books are so wildly different and I never know what to expect when I read a new one, but one thing I know to expect is a deep satisfaction when I am through. Colleen Hoover never disappoints and Confess is no exception to that! ‘I could tell her how I know her. Make her realize why I have this overwhelming urge to protect her. But some secrets I’ll take to my grave, and this is definitely one of them.’ I’m not going to say too much regarding the plot of this book because this one had me guessing the entire time. There were several big reveals and twists that I did NOT see coming and I loved being surprised like that! I had plenty of theories going on but they pretty much all turned out to be wrong. I was glad I was wrong too because what ended up happening was so much better than the stuff I was coming up with in my head. I love how she totally brought the book full circle from the beginning to the end and when you read that last chapter and realize all that happened because of that one moment, it gives a whole new lens on everything you just read. I’m still replaying in my head everything that was affected by that one moment and it’s so awesome and amazingly sweet. “I’m scared I’ll never feel this way anyone else,” I whisper. He squeezes my hands. “I’m scared you will.” In true Colleen Hoover fashion Confess features incredibly realistic, believable and quirky characters that you’ll immediately fall in love with. Auburn was great, she was incredibly mature and strong due to all she’s been through at her young age. As a reader I immediately connected with her and was totally invested in seeing things work out for her. And I LOVED Owen, he was such an awesome character and I totally felt the instant connection between him and Auburn. He was so quirky and eccentric, he definitely seemed like a much older soul than he was. But learning of his past and all he’s been through I can totally see why that is. Him and Auburn were totally adorable together and my heart hurt for them when things kept piling up that threatened to keep them apart. When they were together though I loved how sweet and playful their exchanges were: “I had fun tonight,” I tell him. He smiles. “I had funner.” We’re both smiling, almost cheesily, until I straighten up and decide to close the door for good this time. “Good night, Owen.” “Good night, Auburn,” he says. “Thank you for not correcting my grammar.” “Thank you for not killing me,” I say in response. There are also some great secondary characters, I loved Auburn’s roommate, Emory. She was seriously kick a$$! And there were a few characters that made me so mad! I suppose that’s what they were there to do, so I’d say they were successful! But all of these people combined just come together to create a wonderfully well rounded story that just feels so real because of all of these fantastic characters. One thing I totally love about all Colleen Hoover books is her ability to write such simple sentences or thoughts that make you stop in your tracks and say “whoa” because they are so deep or thought provoking. I’ve seen someone refer to Colleen Hoover as a word ninja and I thought that was a totally appropriate description! She is able to just sneak in these little nuggets when you least expect them and it’s one of the things I look forward to the most when I am reading one of her books. Lots of great life advice in CoHo books!! I really enjoyed this book and I’m still basking in that warm fuzzy feeling even though I finished it yesterday. If you’re looking for a frame of reference to her other books, I’d say this one had of a similar feel to Slammed, but the story was completely new and fresh. It had more twists and turns and I promise it’ll keep you guessing right up to the end. But I think that you’ll definitely be satisfied and love that full circle feel you get when you’re done. You truly can’t go wrong with a Colleen Hoover book!

THE STORY: Becca: I actually went into Confess completely blind, having read the synopsis quite some time ago I decided to avoid reading anything else so that I could go in with an open mind and no premonition of what was to come. Besides knowing that it would have something do with Art I was clueless. That is my favorite way to go into a book (movies too!) This approach really worked with how Colleen Hoover built this story. Bits and pieces about both main characters lives are introduced throughout the story until at the end we have a complete picture of not only their past, present and future, but also a clear picture of who both Owen and Auburn are. I really cannot reveal too much about the story without spoiling it, but I will see that as things were revealed Lisa and I were texting back and forth “OMG!” and then “OMG AGAIN!!” (and by the way for those who have read this.. pun intended on the OMG!) Oh and by the way… that prologue?! It is one of the most beautiful things I have ever read, it sets the tone for the entire story and once I read that I was completely hooked! I was so enraptured by Confess that I did not want to put it down! Once again Colleen Hoover has worked her epic, magic, writing genius and my love her has grown grown even more! “I love you so much.” His voice is breathless and full of fear. “I’ll love you forever. Even when I can’t.” My tears fall harder at his words. “And I’ll love you forever. Even when I shouldn’t.” Lisa: CoHo, you can do no wrong in my eyes. You continue to blow me away with your creative writing style, insanely gorgeous words, and knack for pulling your readers in instantly and never letting go. Becca’s definitely right about that prologue. It was so, so beautiful. Sweet, and sad, and definitely set the stage for story. Like Becca, I went into this story with no idea whatsoever about what I was going to encounter. I rarely read descriptions, so this is the norm for me. I just love going into a story with a blank slate. And with Colleen especially, this always pays off. The way she tells a story with so many questions, then revealing bits and pieces throughout, is one of my very favorite things about her. It definitely encourages the “I cannot stop reading!!!” behaviors we all struggle with from time to time. ;) She’s like a light, unwittingly brightening up the darkest corners of a man’s soul. THE CHARACTERS: Lisa: This beautiful story is told through the alternating points of view of both Auburn and Owen. (Oh, how I love me some dual narration!!) Auburn has relocated recently, living with a girl she just met in a small apartment near the salon where she works. She has her entire life planned out for her… minus the part where she needs more money. And fast. She stumbles upon an art studio looking for an assistant where she can make some major money, so she immediately agrees to the job. This is where she meets Owen, the studio’s owner. Owen was a bit of an enigma at first. Even though we have the pleasure of his voice for a lot of the book, at the beginning I wasn’t quite sure on how I felt about him. He had a few secrets, and I unsure of whether I would want to smack him or hug him as the story progressed. This is one of the things I love most about Colleen Hoover and her ninja writing skills… so many secrets that really keep you guessing until they are finally revealed… and then… SO MANY FEELS! Good feels, bad feels, ugly feels… she brings them all out of me! Oh, Colleen… how you torture me so! Owen smiles, and I suddenly wish we were in the cleaning aisle, because someone is going to have to mop me up off this floor. Becca: So many feels is right and this book had them all! I would go from grinning, to crying and then to irrationally angry as I read! But these were all good things because each emotion was an integral part of the story! I liked Auburn a lot, she was so strong and her perseverance was one of the things I loved the most about her! As I learned more about her, my heart went out to her. She worked so hard for everything and never gave up on what she wanted, no matter how hard it was. Lisa is right about Owen, I wasn’t too sure about him either. My head couldn’t decided if it should trust him, but my heart was screaming at me to do so! His creative mind was absolutely beautiful! The way that he thought and spoke was as if his words were painted with colors and it was magical. The art work/paintings are such a major part of this book. Because we had an E-ARC we did not get to see the paintings and it made me so sad :( Luckily, I received my pre-order in the mail shortly after finishing and I immediately searched through to re-read the passages and look at te art work… OMG the paintings are AMAZING!!!!! I seriously just stared at them and petted them while my brain soaked them in! By the way, the Artist’s name (not it’s not Owen LOL) is Danny O’Connor :D I tilt my face toward her neck and inhale the scent of her. If her smell had a color, it would be pink. Sweet and innocent with a touch of roses. OVERALL: Becca: Once again, Colleen Hoover has amazed me! She is so talented and her writing speaks to my soul. I will continue to devour any and everything that she writes because her ability to incorporate real characters and beautiful stories packed with so many feels keeps me coming back for more! I had a serious book hangover after reading Confess, I was still so in love with Auburn and Owen and the amazing art that I had to give my brain and heart time to recuperate! If you have not read this yet, DO IT! Trust me, I don’t think that you will be disappointed! Lisa: As I’ve said before and will continue to say, I always rate books based on how they make me feel, and not necessarily on any technical aspects. Because of this, I have zero hesitation about rating this book a full 5 stars. I loved it. From page one I connected with this book, and it never faltered. I’m continually blown away by Colleen Hoover’s talent in writing such realistic and shockingly-defined stories. Her mind is a powerful tool, and I feel lucky to have the chance to experience it when reading her books. Once again, Colleen has made me feel things. ALL the things. And I couldn’t be happier. If you enjoy Colleen’s books (Are there really people out there that DON’T enjoy her books?!) this is one you will not want to miss!

Colleen Hoover is well-known for including innovative and artistic features in her novels. Whether she is collaborating with a musician or artist, writing poetry or writing in the lyrical style, Hoover’s creativity makes her stories unique and special. In the past, she successfully collaborated with recording artist Griffin Peterson for Maybe Someday. Peterson wrote and recorded several songs that are included in the story. I found that listening to each of the songs while I was reading Maybe Someday greatly enhanced my reading experience. Colleen Hoover has now collaborated with artist Danny O’Conner to create paintings that are included in Confess. Hoover also asked her readers to submit anonymous confessions – real confessions – some of which were chosen to be included in Confess. In this story, anonymous confessions are left at the door of artist Owen Gentry, and he uses these confessions as inspiration for his paintings. Pictures of Danny O’Conner’s paintings are found throughout the novel. Confess is a deeply moving story about two individuals who each have a past shrouded in mystery. Twenty-year-old cosmetologist Auburn Reed recently moved from Portland, Oregon to Dallas, Texas. She needs a second job so she can afford to hire an attorney. Twenty-one-year-old Owen Gentry is desperately in need of an assistant to help in his art studio. Auburn notices the “HELP WANTED” sign in the window of the art studio first. Then she notices a sign that reads CONFESS. Finally, she notices a multitude of confessions – each written in different handwriting – which cover the windows of the studio. When Owen opens the door of his art studio to find Auburn reading the confessions, it felt like fate was throwing these two characters together. Colleen Hoover’s writing is top-notch in Confess. One of her greatest strengths is her ability to weave an unforgettable story, and Confess is unforgettable in the best kind of way! Owen Gentry and Auburn Reed both have their own secrets. In fact, there is a lot of mystery surrounding the main and secondary characters. It didn’t take long for me to realize this, and if you are anything like me, your head will be full of questions as you read this novel. If you didn’t already know this about Colleen Hoover, you will find out she is an expert at slowly unwinding her story, giving readers small bits of information until you finally have the full picture at the end of the novel. Confess was not easy for me to read. I have read every novel Colleen Hoover has published, and Confess has a darker feel to it than most of her previous novels. My emotions were all over the place while I read this story. Parts of Confess left me feeling very sad. I felt anger. Angst. But I also felt hope, and there were plenty of moments where I caught myself smiling, laughing and feeling joy. There are huge reveals in Confess. Twists in the storyline. I am still intrigued by the confessions submitted by real people like you and me – most of them are profound and heartbreaking. And O’Conner’s paintings are incredible. Confess is a very special novel that is well-deserving of 5 stars. You won’t want to miss reading this latest novel from author Colleen Hoover!

Auburn Reed is back in Texas after five years and comes with a completely mapped out agenda. She's got one goal in life for which she would sacrifice everything, and mistakes are not allowed. While she's looking for a job to help her add to her measly beautician pay, the "Help Wanted" sign on some random gallery comes as a disguised blessing. When Auburn shows up at Owen Gentry's doorstep, he can't believe his eyes. He remembers Auburn clearly after all those years, even though she doesn't seem to recognize him. But he isn't ready to share his secret with her yet. And neither will Auburn share with him the reason why she's back in Texas when she so clearly hates this place. "My mother says there are people you meet and get to know, and then there are people you meet and already know." Soon, both their secrets start to weigh heavy on their shoulders, and the fact that they just don't have the guts to confess slowly destroys what the two of them have, and ultimately Auburn drifts further and further away from her goal. Auburn knows she has to keep away from Owen in order to remain on the right track, however right it feels whenever she is around him. What I loved about this book: The unusual storyline and characters The emotional overload The twisted plot What I felt needed improvement: The story was less believable and realistic than in other Collen Hoover novels The main characters were sweet and elaborate, but lacked in strength and perseverance. Colleen Hoover is probably my favourite author. Every time a new book of hers come out, I can't wait to immerse myself in her writing, because picking up a Colleen Hoover book is like picking up the key to an entire universe built entirely with words. Every story she writes moves me with an undeniable power. "I love that she is embarrassed. In order to be embarrassed, a person has to care about the opinions of other first. That means she cares about my opinion, even if only a fraction." The first chapter was gut-wrenching already. I mean, Collen Hoover novels generally are ugly causes of crying, but never that early on. After that he storyline was pretty unpredictable, and as per tradition with Colleen Hoover, a perfectly executed alternating 1st person POV will give you more and more insight into Auburn and Owen's minds, and explain what shaped them to be the way they are now. Be prepared for quite a few unexpected twists. "I'm scared I'll never stop comparing my life without him to how my life was when I was with him." Owen was definitely a peculiar character. He was definitely different from all the other characters we know from Colleen Hoover's books as he is a dreamer, an idealist, a modern poet even, who is kind of lost and who has no real plan in life given that it played him over so many times. He is the perfect image of sadness, and he is the one that gives the whole book a melancholic aftertaste that I've never had in any other CoHo book. But I can't blame him for it one second. He's also very vulnerable, and extremely emotional - which translates into his work. His meeting Auburn again after all those years is something he takes as a sign, and this sign suddenly gives him a purpose that he is hell-bent set on fulfilling. That's when his manly side come to life, although he never leaves the essence of his personality behind. "She seems a lot like me. A loner, a thinker, an artist with her life. And it appears as though she's afraid I'll alter her canvas if she allows me too close. She doesn't need to worry. The feeling is mutual." As I said, I've never really been confronted to a male character like that before, and while the jury is still out on whether I liked it or not, I definitely felt it gave the book a certain edge that I saw as quite refreshing. Auburn was also a rather unexpected character. I liked that she was just as sweet and caring as Owen, but she was also a major pushover throughout the book. She is so dead set on achieving her goal, but it doesn't look like she's really fighting for it. It's ridiculous to see all the things she sacrifices in the hopes that it will help her get closer to her goal, when she could have fought harder from the start. She actually lives a quite miserable existence and I refuse to believe that's the only way she can manage. Her whole situation seems extremely awkward to me, and I have trouble connecting with her because of that. (view spoiler) "I'm scared I'll never feel this again with anyone else," I whisper. He squeezes my hands. "I'm scared you will." I felt like the end also come a tad too easily, so I have to say I was slightly disappointed. The story moved entirely too fast towards the end, and I would have enjoyed a longer read, with a less hasty conclusion. Also, I really liked this story, but in the end, I don't think it is as good as the other latest Colleen Hoover novels. It was a great read with the typical Colleen Hoover charm, but the characters were a bit too dreamy, and the storyline just bordered on unrealistic. I'm not in any way saying I didn't enjoy it, but I very much prefer reading about characters and storylines I can relate to and connect with, which I found a bit hard to do with Confess .

I always feel anxious when I sit down to write a review for one of Colleen Hoover’s books because I know no matter what I say, I will never be able to do justice to her words and the way they affected me. For the first time ever I did not read the synopsis of this book. I avoided all teasers as best I could so I would be able go into Confess fresh and with no preconceived notions. What a wonderful decision that was. I savored every minute of this beautiful, unique, and utterly compelling story. Once again Hoover captivated me with her distinct writing style and ability to deliver a phenomenal story that made me laugh one moment and cry the next. Confess is the story of Auburn Reed and Owen Gentry. Auburn has not had the easiest life, but she is focused on her future and doing what she needs to do. When she stumbles upon Owen’s studio, covered in intriguing confessions and with a help wanted sign, she can’t resist taking the well-paying job. Owen finds himself immediately drawn to Auburn. There is something about her that makes him need to know her better. Owen stirs up feelings in Auburn that she hasn’t experienced in years. Their connection is undeniable, but will their secrets destroy them before they even have a chance at a future? I was already nursing a broken heart for Auburn before I had started the first chapter. Most of her life was mystery, but she was clearly unhappy and struggling with her current situation. To have gone through what Auburn did at such a young age was unimaginable. On top of the heartache she had endured, she was mistreated by the people who should have understood her pain the most. Auburn was placed in a difficult position, and her conflicted feelings were so palpable. I greatly empathized with her and desperately hoped that she could find a happy ending that would allow her to have everything her heart desired and deserved. Owen. Sweet, loving, generous Owen. I feel like I need to shout from the rooftops how much I adored that man. His art was powerful and evocative, but it was his heart that touched my soul. I was in awe of him and what he was willing to give up. My head was screaming and my heart was aching with the unfairness of the situation. He understood Auburn in a way that I’m not even sure she could explain, and when they were together I couldn’t stop smiling. I loved their witty banter. There was a quiet beauty when they were together that just felt right. I couldn’t stop the tears streaming down my face as the story progressed and I knew what was coming. The story as a whole was fantastically unique. I loved how the art was incorporated though the confessions and brought such life to the book. I still can’t look at some of the pieces without tearing up at their meanings. Some of the confessions made me laugh and some hurt my heart, but no matter my reaction I appreciated the bravery of everyone who shared them. Confess was a work of art in itself. I was fascinated by the way Hoover entwined Auburn and Owen’s lives and revealed their stories little by little. This was an emotionally charged and wonderfully captivating book that stole my heart. Hoover’s writing is truly one of a kind.

وصل الكتاب بحاله ممتازه. كنت متردده اشتريه بسبب انه الغلاف مو ذوقي لكن دائماً اثق بروايات كولين انها بتكون رائعه و بصراحه الغلاف عالحقيقه احلى! حبيت انه الخلفيه مطفيه و العنوان مكتوب بلمعة و صراحه النبذة مره جذبتني ، متحمسه اقرأه🩷

気に入ってるようです!

Avete presente le camere insonorizzate? Me ne servirebbe una proprio adesso, perchè ho voglia di urlare. Ho voglia di urlare perchè la vita è una m**da, ma Colleen riesce sempre a fartela vedere a colori. Quando pensi che abbia toccato l'apice del successo, ecco che lei tira fuori dal cilindro qualcosa come questo . Io ogni volta sono in seria difficoltà, perchè riesce sempre a toccarmi il cuore. La trama non è mai scontata o banale. Inoltre ci mette dentro sempre qualcosa in più che ci fa avvicinare alla storia quatti quatti. Per Maybe Someday c'erano le canzoni. Qui ci sono quadri . Bellissimi e intensissimi quadri . PS: Nella versione in cartaceo del libro in inglese sono a colori *_* fantastici! Io sono completamente persa per questa scrittrice, è inutile. Auburn Mason Reed e Owen Mason Gentry . Due persone. Lo stesso secondo nome. La stessa età. Una corsia 13 del supermercato. Una tela. Dei colori. "Una solitaria, una pensatrice, un'artista della sua vita." -Owen Non volendo, Owen ha descritto anche se stesso in queste 9 parole. Perchè lui è una persona forte, piena di talento, dolce, altruista oltre ogni immaginazione, generoso, amorevole, fedele. E il destino ha messo Auburn sulla sua strada non perchè lei lo salvasse , ma perchè si potessero salvare . "Ho paura che non proverò niente di simile con nessun altro" -Auburn "Io ho paura che tu lo faccia "-Owen Io penso che questo sia il primo caso in cui non mi sono innamorata follemente del personaggio maschile di turno, ma io mi sia innamorata dell'intera trama e di tutti -o quasi- i personaggi. Mi spiego meglio: Owen poteva essere messo solo in questo libro, solo con una protagonista femminile di questo calibro e solo con una storia di contorno del genere. Questi due ragazzi sono sbocciati nelle avversità come nessun altro ha mai fatto prima di loro. Owen, come le sue tele, sembra essere stato disegnato sui pensieri della Hoover, che ha plasmato un nuovo maschietto capace di metterci KO al primo round. Auburn è stata messa sulla sua strada per un obbiettivo ben preciso. Trovare la felicità e portarla nella vita di Mason Gentry. "Mi preme la mano sul cuore "Nessuno merita di entrarti dentro senza prima riuscire ad entrare qui"". -Owen Questo è il.. dunque vediamo.. quinto?! Si, il quinto romanzo della Hoover che leggo e posso senza dubbio dire che è la storia più incasinata e più difficile che io abbia mai letto. Ho sofferto dal prologo fino alla fine. È stato come se migliaia e migliaia di coltelli venissero messi piano piano nel mio cuore, martoriandolo e facendomi perdere sangue e lacrime. Per quale motivo questo libro mi ha colpito così tanto? Perchè non c'è scelta: è la vita che sceglie per te. E in alcune situazioni, come questa, come mille altre, si può solo essere spettatori. Perchè Colleen Hoover si andrà ad infilare sempre nelle situazioni più di m**da che la vostra mente possa concepire, e riuscirà SEMPRE a uscirne profumata e fresca come un fiore di campo. "Lascio ricadere la testa, chiudo gli occhi e sento il cuore cadere nel palmo delle mani" -Auburn Ho sofferto per Adam, ho sofferto per Owen, ho sofferto per suo padre, ho sofferto per Auburn, ho sofferto perchè la vita gli ha dato una mano di merda, ho sofferto per Gatto-Owen, ho sofferto per le confessioni, ho pianto per quella stramaledettissima lettera. "Quanti giorni abbiamo passato insieme?" -Owen "Sette" - Auburn "E allora com'è possibile che io mi stia già innamorando di te?" -Owen Io ogni volta che devo recensire qualche suo libro sono sempre in seria difficoltà, perchè le sensazioni che mi trasmettono sono così intense e uniche che non riesco mai a condividerle del tutto. Ma forse questo succede perchè alcune emozioni non vanno condivise. Vanno tenute dentro di se e vanno elaborate, assimilate. Devono essere vissute in prima persona per poter capire davvero quello che ci stiamo perdendo di questo libro. Poche parole scritte non possono assolutamente rendere giustizia a questo romanzo, che è decisamente uno dei più belli che io abbia mai letto quest'anno o in qualsiasi anno che ho trascorso. Il confronto con gli altri romanzi di questa scrittrice è sempre molto duro, perchè ognuno è speciale a modo suo. Certo è che Colleen non smette mai di stupirci, e io spero che non lo faccia mai. "Mia madre dice che ci sono delle persone che incontri e impari a conoscere, e poi ce ne sono altre che incontri e conosci già" -Auburn

Colleen Hoover ne déçoit jamais! Ce livre est magnifique, beau et profond! On s'attache aux personnages à une vitesse folle et on ne peut pas le poser. C'est ce genre d'histoire qui nous prend et nous fait ressentir tellement de choses qu'on ne s'en remet pas tout de suite !

I guess I should start this post by stating that I am indeed a fan of Colleen Hoover (I particular love Ugly Love and Maybe Someday) so it wasn't any great surprise to me that on reading Confess I loved this also. . . However, I did not account for how much I would fall in love with this story! I don't want to spoil the ending for you all - but just wowzers!! OMG the ending is one of the most breathtakingly bittersweet and beautiful things I have ever come across! Ever! Seriously people it is that amazing. If you don't normally read Colleen's work (firstly, why?! are you insane? Go read Confess and Ugly Love NOW!) read this book just for the experience of an absolutely perfectly plotted ending that is beautifully written. I think the thing that I adored about the ending the most was that I genuinely had no idea of the connection right up until it was revealed - which is a rarity. Although, again this really shouldn't have surprised me as this is one of the reasons that I like Colleen's writing, she doesn't write straightforward romance stories, there is always a quirk or a twist. Now, I have read some people's reviews of Confess that feel that the book gets kind of lost in the middle and although I can see why they would feel this way - I absolutely do not. I love the fact that the story doesn't feel rushed - and that isn't to say that it drags in any way or form! I appreciate that by giving Auburn and Owen time to develop as a couple, and it wouldn't have made sense to have some of the later events happen (especially because at this point the reader doesn't know the full connection to the past these two share) if they didn't have the chance to grow together. Also, a lot happens in this book, I personally don't really know what more people could want to happen - but then that's just me! Owen's character is definitely swoon worthy and I really enjoyed him as the main love interest. He certainly proves himself and his love of Auburn at several points in the book - which is really good to see (sometimes when I'm reading a romance novel I literally sit there and say "why him?" because there is nothing I hate more than a love interest who doesn't deserve the reader's, let alone the character's, time of day!). Owen's character is really what I would call a 'stand-up-guy', and I appreciate this, he acts out of love and loyalty in regards to his father and Auburn. My only criticism of him is that because we don't know the connection between him and Auburn, occasionally, he comes off sounding a little creepy or OTT. But hey-ho I'll take this small character flaw because it is actually redeemed in the last chapter of the book, so I'm not complaining that much! I re-read Confess after starting this review to refresh my memory and the end still made me tear up - the story is truly beautiful in its wholeness. Honestly, there are parts of this book that I don't particularly like, or don't connect to, but the ending, or rather the connection between Owen and Auburn, for me absolutely (110%) negates all of those small things. I think the link between the two and the ending chapters are a tribute to Colleen's ability to craft a, near, perfect love story that extends beyond the physical and even emotional and reaches instead into the soul.