Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover Review

**IF YOU HAVE NOT READ HOPELESS DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW**

Instead, read Hopeless, immediately.

Here, I'll even help you, you can get it riiiiight.. HERE.

THEN.. when you're done with it, come on back to this post :)

6 GINOURMOUS Stars!!!! (can I give 7? how about 10?)

I liked this book, I LIVED this book, I absolutely loved this book.

From GoodReads:

"In the follow-up to Colleen Hoover’s #1 New York Times bestseller Hopeless, the charming and irresistible Dean Holder tells the passionate story that has melted thousands of hearts.

In Hopeless, Sky left no secret unearthed, no feeling unshared, and no memory forgotten, but Holder’s past remained a mystery.

Still haunted by the little girl he let walk away, Holder has spent his entire life searching for her in an attempt to finally rid himself of the crushing guilt he has felt for years. But he could not have anticipated that the moment they reconnect, even greater remorse would overwhelm him…

Sometimes in life, if we wish to move forward, we must first dig deep into our past and make amends. In Losing Hope, bestselling author Colleen Hoover reveals what was going on inside Holder’s head during all those hopeless moments—and whether he can gain the peace he desperately needs."

My Thoughts:

For me, Hopeless was one of those books that I could not put down until it was finished, seriously, I read it in a day. It is still definitely one of my top 5 books, one of the very best ever in the whole wide world.

However, Losing Hope, completely one-upped my love of Hopeless, and I wasn't sure that was even possible.

This is not a typical "same story/different POV" book, do not be fooled, it is FAR FAR more than that. Losing Hope takes you through ALL of Holder, from Les' suicide forward, to when he thinks he sees Hope in that store, from every heart wrenching discovery, to every amazing moment, and on to a perfectly beautiful ending (and more to the ending that we didn't know in Hopeless!). So no, this is not just a different POV, it may be the same story, but it has never been shown like this, and there is SO much more added to it.

This is Holders story, through and through. This is HIS book, the story from Hopeless wasn't completely the main focus, Holder is. It starts with the day before Les commits suicide, and continues from there. The effect of Les' death on Holder is what defines his entire story. We watch him go through every stage of grieving, and how he tries to move on from it all.

"I want her to know how her selfish decision affected me. How hopeless she left me. Literally hopeless. And completely alone. And so, so incredibly sorry."

I want to say almost the first 40% of the book was basically a never-before-seen part of the story. It is all Holder coping with Les' death, what really happened with the fight that had him living with his dad, how he really ended up back home with his mother, etc.

Interlaced through the whole book, Holder is writing entries to Les in a blank notebook he had discovered in her closet. 

"I'm sorry, Les. I'm so sorry I let you go on pretending that you were okay when obviously you were so far from it."

Holders inner struggle with everything going on is absolutely heartbreaking. Writing to Les is helping him deal with her death, as well as comprehending the thought that he may have found Hope again, meanwhile, meeting Sky is helping him cope with the loss of Les. But, at the start, losing Les, leaves him practically re-living losing Hope.

"Every single thing I think or see or do or say reminds me of Les. Then every single time I'm reminded of Les, it leads to thoughts of Hope. Then every single time I think about Hope, I'm reminded of how I let them down..

..I sure as hell feel pretty fucking hopeless right now."

One thing that I adored about this book, was Daniel, Holders best friend. He is amazingly loyal, and absolutely hilarious. I loved his part in Holders healing, and how much he was there for his best friend. The banter between Holder and Daniel adds a perfect break from the seriousness of this book, kind of how Six added to Hopeless. 

"I could act all pissed off and walk in front of you like a bodyguard, even though you're bigger than me. And if anyone tries to approach you I'll punch them in the face. Please?"

Can I also throw out there that I am in LOVE with the fact that Sky/Hope is reading SLAMMED to Holder?! 

I cannot possibly do this book justice in a review. The only way you will truly feel the massive book-hangover I will be suffering for the next year is to read Losing Hope for yourself. As much as I loved Hopeless, I can definitely say that I loved Losing Hope even more. The "gasp!" factor may not be there for the main story, after already knowing the twist from Hopeless, but let me tell you.. there are even more "GASP!!!!" moments that we were not aware of in Losing Hope.

Yet again, Colleen Hoover, you have delivered a book that deserves EVERY SINGLE 5 star review, facebook post, tweet, and "I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!" that I'm sure have flooded your feeds since the first ARC was released. I can not wait to read what is to come from you next!!

Quote that gave me chills:

(one of.. because god knows there were a million..)

"My heart feels heavy and my mind even heavier as the pieces of the puzzle slowly begin to fit together, right down to her name. 'The sky is always beautiful...' "