Review: Losing Hope

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.

Title: Losing Hope (Hopeless ~ Book 2)
Author: Colleen Hoover | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website
Publication Date: July 9 2013
Publisher: Atria Books

Length: 336 Pages
Add it to your TBR Pile: Goodreads
Buy It: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Source: ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Cover Love: As Colleen has said, there is no better Dean Holder than Griffin Peterson.
Point of View: 1st person, following Dean Holder

My Rating: 5 Stars

“I let everything I’m seeing sink in because this is what I want to remember the most.  I want to remember exactly what she looks like the second she hands over a piece of her heart.”

There are authors that come around that you really like.  There are even authors that come around that you can easily say you love and will read anything they ever write.  And then there is Colleen Hoover.

For me she has been permanently placed in her own category, in which she stands above the crowd.  Colleen has an almost magical way with words, they draw you in, they make you feel every single emotion along with her characters, and they can even rip your heart out... but in the end you find yourself thanking her for every last second of it.

“What are the chances that the only two girls in my life I’ve ever loved… I’ve lost?  It’s killing me piece by piece every single day.”

I know a lot of people are frightened of 're-tellings'.  They are afraid that the same story from an alternate point of view will be filled with a lot of the same old same old.  I can guarantee you that you will not be thinking that when you are finished with Losing Hope.  This is very much Holder's story.  Yes, we get the same great scenes that we all know and love from Hopeless, but beyond that we get so much more.

We learn so much about Holder before he meets Sky,  Holder during Sky, and even a little bit of Dean after where Hopeless ended.  I just feel this intense needed to make sure I get across that this is a whole new story.  Please do not shy away from reading it because you think you know the story.  Because I can guarantee you that even if you think you know the twists and turns that lie ahead, they are not all exactly how they seemed.

“I’m scared if I kiss her too soon, it’ll feel like every other kiss she’s ever received.  She’ll feel nothing.  I don’t want her to feel nothing when I kiss her. I want her to feel everything.”

Colleen is the master at finding a way to incorporate a new perspective of thoughts and feelings without taking away from the original story.  How is it accomplished here?  With the use of letters.  Holder decides that he is going to write to Les, he misses talking with her.  Honestly, a stroke of genius.  This is a way for us to get a glimpse into his relationship with Les.  Obviously the story could not be altered to allow Les a larger part in the story but this way we really get to know her.  And the emotion that is poured into those journal entries is enough to bring you to your knees.  The anger, the passion, the confusion he is feeling.  You experience every single moment with him.

“When a guy loves a girl, especially his sister, he’s supposed to know what makes her smile and what makes her cry.

But I didn’t.   And I don’t.  So 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.

-H”

Honestly, I could go on and on here, but I think you understand.  There are not enough stars or adjectives available for me to use in order to describe my love for Losing Hope.  There is only so much gushing that can go on before you get bored and move on to the next review.

However, if I can leave you with only one thing it would be me begging you to read both Hopeless and Losing Hope.  These two stories will wrap around your heart and will stay there forever.  You will be moved to tears on more than one occasion, you will laugh, you will ugly cry (guaranteed), but in the end you will be forever in Colleen's debt.  Because, you will have been touched by just a little bit of her magic.

“ I know I told her that she’s never really been kissed before, but until this moment I had no idea that I had never really been kissed before.  Not like this.  She’s my lifeline.  Every kiss, every movement, every moan, every touch of her hand against my skin.  She’s my saving grace.

My Hope.

And I’m never walking away from her again.”