Story Insights: Reminders of Him
Reflections of the remnants from one terrible mistake.
Colleen Hoover is one of my favorite romance authors. I’ve read several of her books, including the It Ends With Us series and my favorite, Verity. Since this is another standalone book that was adapted into a movie, I wanted to quickly consume it before the movie premiere to then watch in theater and compare which is better (historically the book is always better). I recklessly decided to make a bold move and bump Reminders of Him up to the top of my lengthy TBR list, and I’m glad I did.
Book Summary:
A troubled young mother yearns for a shot at redemption in this heartbreaking yet hopeful story from #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover. After serving five years in prison for a tragic mistake, Kenna Rowan returns to the town where it all went wrong, hoping to reunite with her four-year-old daughter. But the bridges Kenna burned are proving impossible to rebuild. Everyone in her daughter’s life is determined to shut Kenna out, no matter how hard she works to prove herself. The only person who hasn’t closed the door on her completely is Ledger Ward, a local bar owner and one of the few remaining links to Kenna’s daughter. But if anyone were to discover how Ledger is slowly becoming an important part of Kenna’s life, both would risk losing the trust of everyone important to them. The two form a connection despite the pressure surrounding them, but as their romance grows, so does the risk. Kenna must find a way to absolve the mistakes of her past in order to build a future out of hope and healing.
Considered Reads Summary:
After a series of troubling decisions resulting in an act of fear and confusion, Kenna makes the worst mistake of her life, concluding in five years’ prison, the loss of her beloved boyfriend Scotty, and the haunting of her fault in unpredicted ways. While in prison Kenna gives birth to their child and is immediately stripped away from her newborn. Once she is released, Kenna returns to Scotty’s hometown in attempt to reconcile with his parents and meet her 5 year old daughter, Diem. She unexpectedly runs into Scotty’s best friend, Ledger, on day one and there is instant attraction between the two that becomes a real threat to the purpose they both bear. As Ledger gets to know Kenna’s truths, he risks everything to prove Kenna’s worthiness.
Hoover creates emotionally complex and relatable characters in all of her novels all while creating easily digestible stories. There’s no surprise this is another page-turner determined to bring tears to your eyes.
Audience Match: Romance fans and those who enjoy book to screen adaptations.
Quiet Question: When a grave mistake is made by others, how quick are you to judge before knowing the full story?
Mood: Remorseful
Pacing: Fast
Our Rating: 4.75 - A quick, easy, and touching read with relatable characters. A quarter point off for the slight ick that Ledger’s viewpoint of Kenna brought at times.
Favorite Quote(s):
“There are people who find peace in forgiveness, and then there are others who look at forgiveness as a betrayal.”
“So, you decide right now, right here. Are you gonna live in your sadness or are you gonna die in it?”
“It was a stark realization that no matter how much you love someone, you can still do despicable things to them.”
“Who tf am I to make that kind of judgement?”
Comparable Titles:
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid
Where the Crawdads Sing - Delia Owens
Verity - Colleen Hoover
