Hopeless: From the bestselling author of IT ENDS WITH US

17 year old Sky lives with her Mum Karen and has lived a pretty sheltered life due to her being home schooled and her mums dislike for technology. As her best friend Six puts it, she makes the Amish look trendy!! After much persuading from Sky and Six Karen allows Sky to experience her final year of education in a mainstream high school. A chance encounter with another student Dean Holder at has Sky feeling things she never thought possible, and memories she thought were lost begin to resurface. Holder has his own issues and secrets and at times scares Sky but then at the same time she can't stop herself wanting to be with him. When Holders secrets start unraveling some startling truths are revealed which for Sky mean her life will never be the same again!! One of my book friends wrote that reading a Colleen Hoover book is an emotional experience because she builds you up, tears you down and then builds you back up again!! This is my first Colleen Hoover book and I couldn't agree with my friend more. The story builds you up and started out making me think it was a coming of age book, I expected a girl who has lead a sheltered life being shown a sample of the real world with it's cruelness and beauty. The characters were perfection, I instantly liked Sky she was cute, funny and quirky. Her best friends Six and Breckin were amazing side kicks bringing that light relief and comic timing to certain situations. Holder, WOW!! *swoon* !! I feel like he needs his own review. He was a perfect mix of perfection and bad boy. Whilst he was flawed himself he always said the most perfect things. He made me wish he was real and I was eighteen again, I live you Holder :) "Let me inform you of something," he says in a low voice. "The moment my lips touch yours, it will be your first kiss. Because if you've never felt anything when someone's kissed you, then no one's ever really kissed you. Not the way I plan on kissing you." The chemistry between Sky and Holder jumped of the page, I loved them together. The love scenes between them were so real, tender and emotionally charged which made them even more special and OMG the non kiss was pure sizzle!! The story tears you down as secrets are revealed and pasts are realized it brought out all kinds of emotions in me as a reader. One minute I was OMG ing, the next I was crying and then I was hopeful. The story builds you back up again but not by putting a pretty bow on the top and saying they live happily ever after but by giving hope they are survivors and you leave them with the feeling they will get through it all, and to be honest I was left feeling a little inspired by these beautiful characters. "I'm not going to wish for a perfect life. The things that knock you down in life are tests, forcing you to make a choice between giving in and remaining on the ground or wiping the dirt off and standing even taller than you did before you were knocked down. I'm choosing to stand up taller" My only complaint would be that there was no epilogue and I'm a total sucker for a epilogue. I felt so invested in all the characters I just wanted more!! Maybe a tiny glimpse into the future so I knew they were all going to be ok :) Before you start reading this stunning book I would like to give you some advice. Clear your day, once you start this book you will not want to put it down!! I would also recommend you have tissues and chocolate handy :)

I don't think I have the capacity to put into words what to say about this story and Coleen Hoover. I don't think I can do it justice. It has been on my to be read list since the comments started to flow on the Amazon discussion board. I opened the first page and it was titled - Sunday, October 28th - 7.29. I was hooked. I started reading it at 13.13 and finished it 22.45 pm. I read it whilst I was making our tea, I didn't have any conversation with my husband. I just read it. Coleen Hoover just blew me away with this story. "I will not cry the indescribable pain that follows and rips out your heart and gut. I hate you, I hate you I hate you and I combust". When I read this I instantly thought "what has Holder done to her?" is this what the story is going to be about? Young love? Has he broken her heart? As I started to read I could not have foreseen the twist that was coming or the intense subject matter. After been taught at home for years Sky is now finishing her last year at a "real school" Sky is quiet, reserved and her "Mom" has not allowed her to won own a mobile phone, have access to the internet or Facebook. She has only had one true friend 6, her neighbour. Sky does not care about the bitches that she meets at school not matter how hard they try to get under her skin. Sky could not care less about them. They didn't matter. But Sky makes one friend at school, Breckin a gay Mormon and then enter Dean "Holder" - OMG Holder. Hopeless is an incredible story that is layered with many emotions, secrets and pain and at times is it gut wrenching dark but she also blends it with some light hearted moments and I laughed out loud at the banter between Holder and Sky. Colleen Hoover has a tremendous gift. Her writing skill is eloquent, strong and very appealing and her stories just suck you in. You feel the hurt and the pain that these characters had to shoulder and as the story unfolds it just takes hold of your heart. If you have this on your "to be read" list then put it to the top. You won't be disappointed. It is heart wrenchingly wonderful and deserves more than 5 stars.

I really enjoyed this book it was written well and the story was interesting. It was a real rollercoaster of emotions and the development of the relationship between Sky and Holder was lovely, Holder was perfect ( but not in that oh look all the women love him he's so gorgeous,but he only has eyes for me ...like some many in this genre), Sky was strong female charector (which is rare in romance type books) I've given it a 4 out of 5, because this rating system is hard to judge, it would really be good if you coould rate in accordance to genre aswell, because if i was comparing it to other YA/romance type books then it would be a 5. However because its against all type of books its a 4 maybe even a 3.5 for those who prefer more than escape in their reading. I would really recommend this book if you like the genre.

What an absolutely brilliant book. Firstly, don't let the fact that it's a 'teen romance' put you off if you're of an older generation. I'm in my mid thirties and this is the best book I've read all year (and I've read 102 of them in the last 10 months!!!). For me, the book came in three parts. The first part was about a 17 year old girl called Sky who had lived a sheltered life after being home-schooled by her Mum. She decided to enrol at public school for the last couple of years so she could gain some social skills before she moved on with the next chapter of her life. She meets a boy who thinks he knows her from somewhere, and spends quite a bit of time being freaked out by him because she thinks he's stalking her. The second part is the 'romance' part. They get together and all is good. This section contains a few comical lines and their relationship develops into something very sweet and lovely. The third part... WELL! Amazing. This is where the book REALLY picks up. I don't have enough fingers to count the times I gasped and shouted 'OMG!'. I even had to explain to my husband what was going on in the plot because I was making so much noise! I'm not going to give anything away and spoil it though, but this is where the book gets most of its marks from me. How the author thought out such a brilliant, yet for the most part believable, plot is beyond me. In summary, whilst this book is probably classed as a teen romance, the romance part actually takes a back seat to the amazing and brilliant storyline. It's quite gritty and emotional (as well as a little bit saucy in parts) and there are so many twists and turns you'll realise fairly quickly that you're not reading a run-of-the-mill romance novel. 10 stars to the author; I shall definitely be looking out for more of her work!

Awesome read. Full Review: There are so many words I could use to describe how freaking amazingly perfect Holder is. He is swoonworthy and sexy and protective and strong and loyal and romantic and caring and hot-headed and argumentative and witty and .... you get the point, right? Sky is a great MC with a strong voice and an even stronger will. Character development was astounding in this book and both mains were really complex. The writing is phenomenal as I've come to expect from CH. The plot was quite predictable but as Colleen didn't go to huge lengths to disguise her clues I'm guessing she wants the reader to figure it out before Sky does. This book had me in tears - of laughter and sorrow. Some of the dialogue between Holder and Sky was hysterically funny and I was in the major bad books with my hubby because I woke him up several times shaking with laughter. Colleen handles some pretty heavy subject matter in this book and I thought it was very well written. Sympathetic but raw, not glossed over. It was so difficult to read at times but I genuinely felt their pain and a deep emotional connection to them and the story. Really, story telling doesn't get much better than this. Absolutely superb. Some fav quotes: "I nod and hope he backs the hell away from me, because I'm about to have an asthma attack and I don't even have asthma." "...in the time it took him to speak those five words, my heart was shredded and minced, then placed back inside my chest with the expectation that it should somehow know how to beat again." "I'm bored, " he says. "So go home." " I don't want to. What do you do when you're bored? You don't have internet or TV. Do you just sit around all day and think about how hot I am?"

Hopeless is a solid, engaging book - well-written and easy to get lost in. Fans of Colleen Hoover will enjoy her signature storytelling, and it makes for a compelling, enjoyable read. A dependable choice for anyone who enjoys contemporary romance and drama.

Book was brill but whilst reading it it fell to pieces 😣

As my second Colleen Hoover book, we definitely picked a good one. The chapters are gripping and fast paced. There was something happening all the way through the story, keeping you so enticed in the book that it was so hard to put it down! I loved Sky’s character and watching her strength blossom through the book is beautiful. To begin with, Holder feels a little overpowering but trust me when I say within 3 chapters, you see the caring side of him and as the story continues you begin to understand his reasons for outrage. Sky’s story as a whole is one of love, heartache and courage all in one. I was adamant that I knew how it would play out but you could never pre determine the twist or the ending that it has. TW: Bullying, Child sexual abuse, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Rape, Sexual abuse and Suicide

REVIEWED BY SUNNY I was nervous to read HOPELESS as I hadn't had the best experience with my only read to date in the New Adult genre. However, in the genres that I typically love, I have also read some books I haven't liked, so I had to give this genre another chance. The summary for HOPELESS had me thinking this would be a good one to try. When I started this book, I immediately thought, Oh no, here we go again! The issues I had with the other book I'd read in this genre were in the forefront of this book too, and I assumed I wasn't going to like it at all. In fact, I almost gave up on it. But because I was reviewing it for the blog, I decided to read a little bit more before giving up completely. Boy, am I glad I did! Once I got further into the book, it was nothing like my other experience with New Adult and I couldn't put it down! Let me tell you why... Colleen Hoover has an incredible talent with character development. The complex characters in HOPELESS have unbelievable stories to tell. Their past and present are very intriguing, and with the details Hoover uses in her writing, I was really able to get to know them all intimately. When first introduced to Sky, she was difficult to like. The book was written from her point of view, and her thoughts and feelings were well developed throughout the story, but she seemed to lack self-confidence. She allowed people to think things about her that weren't true and didn't stick up for herself. This was hard for me to relate to. However, her sense of humor started to take over. Then, she went on a journey of rediscovery and it became hard not to fall completely in love with her! In this journey, she started to see herself differently and experienced many firsts as she found herself and a new love. Dean Holder (who goes by Holder) was the handsome, dark, and mysterious hero. He was NOT your typical eighteen-year-old! He has had an emotional past that causes his temper to flare. When his temper was in check, he was an incredible young man. Hoover created a passionate, thoughtful character in Holder, and he proved himself time and time again throughout the story. It became apparent why he had a temper, but at the same time, I related to his soft side and understood why he could be the complete opposite--a young man in control of his emotions and capable of so much love! Sky and Holder had issues that needed to be dealt with, as did the secondary characters, which added to the depth of the story. Sky's mom, Brenda, and her best friend, Six, each bring different elements to the plot that helped me see the main characters fully. These characters are going to stay with me for a long time, and I have already started reading LOSING HOPE, the second book in this series, because I wanted more of Sky and Holder! Speaking of more, I am thrilled to be getting it, as both books have been optioned for film. I am not going to miss them! As much as I disliked how the book started, it actually led to absolute brilliance! I loved how everything came together in the end. Hoover couldn't have surprised me more with her plotting. The story was driven by a timeline that was mostly in the present, but took some important glimpses into the past. The cadence created by these visits between the past and present was excellent. It was what got me excited to continue to turn the pages to learn more. I also loved how the story involved suspense. I kept wondering what all of the details meant; meanwhile, Hoover would introduce another element that would get me one step closer to the clarity desired. As one of my fellow bloggers says, it was amazeballs! I loved the symbolism utilized throughout the book. It added such a nice touch to this beautiful story of young love and self-discovery! I was thankful for the journey Hoover took me on to understand why there is such a sense of hopelessness for everyone involved. And finally, I loved how she concluded the journey with incredible discoveries. I am so thankful I didn't give up on this one early on just because I had a bad experience with a different New Adult book. HOPELESS ended up being nothing like my former read. Instead, it gave me a fresh perspective on this genre that will keep me hoping for more just like it. As a matter of fact, HOPELESS may rank up there as one of my top reads of 2013! BOTTOM LINE HOPELESS is a journey into self-discovery and young love with a beautifully characterized heroine and hero. If you are like me and haven't enjoyed the New Adult genre in the past, this one may change your mind. It is a beautiful romantic and suspenseful story that had me turning the pages to get the clarity I needed to fully understand these amazing characters. RATING: A

Sky (17) möchte ihr letztes Schuljahr mit ihrer besten Freundin Six auf einer öffentlichen Highschool verbringen. Blöd nur, dass Six ein Auslandssemester angeboten wird und somit Sky ganz alleine das letzte Jahr meistern muss. Ihr erster richtiger Schultag verläuft nicht gerade angenehm, denn Sky wird nachgesagt, eine Schlampe zu sein, die jede Woche einen anderen Typen hat. Auf gewisse Weise sind die Gerüchte um sie auch wahr, wenn auch nicht so wie alle anderen denken. Sky macht mit Typen rum - aber sie fühlt nichts dabei. Rein gar nichts. Dann begegnet sie im Supermarkt Dean Holder, einem jungen Mann, der selbst einen miserablen Ruf an ihrer Schule hat und das erste Mal fühlt sie etwas. Etwas, das sich gefährlich nach Schmetterlingen anfühlt. Doch Holder ist nicht gerade "Boyfriend"-Material. Er ist zwar unglaublich gutaussehend, aber leider auch sehr launisch. Zufällig begegnen sich die beiden immer wieder und spüren, dass sie mehr als nur das körperliche verbindet... Egal was ich schreiben werde, ich bin mir ziemlich sicher, dass dieses Buch meiner Rezension nicht gerecht wird. Hopeless hat mich vollkommen überrascht, mich mitgerissen, mich berührt und mich sogar zum Weinen gebracht. Dabei bin ich normalerweise kein Mensch, der beim Lesen anfängt zu weinen... Anfangs war ich mir nicht wirklich sicher, was ich von diesem Buch und von der Protagonistin Sky halten soll. Denn zu Beginn wirkt sie distanziert und gehört eigentlich nicht zu der Personengruppe, mit der ich mich im Privaten anfreunden würde. Sie ist meiner Meinung nach eine Protagonistin, die man erst richtig kennen lernen muss, bevor man sie ins Herz schließt. Sky ist unabhängig, stark, ab und an sarkastisch und einfach eine bewundernswerte Persönlichkeit. Und Holder... *träumerischseufz* Holder ist auf den ersten Blick kühl und auch ein wenig angsteinflößend, besonders zu Beginn, da man als Leser seine Stimmungen nicht nachvollziehen kann. Aber dann zeigt er eine andere Seite von sich, eine liebevolle, besorgte Seite und man kann gar nicht anders, als ihm Hals über Kopf zu verfallen. Er hat einfach alles: Charme, das Aussehen, Witz, Einfühlungsvermögen und und und. Besonders gut hat mir hierbei die Chemie zwischen den Hauptcharakteren gefallen. Sie war nicht kitschig, sie war "echt". Als Leser konnte man die Anziehungskraft nachvollziehen, ohne dass diese übertrieben dargestellt wurde. Man konnte die Schmetterlinge in Skys Bauch beinahe fühlen. Und das lag an dem wunderbaren und einzigartigen Schreibstil von Colleen Hoover. Sie hat eine so wunderschöne Art, Gefühle und Gedanken zu beschreiben, sodass man diese nachvollziehen und auch beim Lesen mitfühlen kann, ganz egal ob diese "gut" oder "schlecht" sind. Ab und zu, besonders nach der Hälfte des Buches, musste ich das Buch sogar aus der Hand legen, weil ich einfach zu emotional wurde und die Tränen einfach nicht versiegen wollten. Aber nun nochmal zu Sky und Holder: Für mich sind sie das perfekte Paar. Jeder Einzelne von ihnen hat seine Päckchen zu tragen, aber gemeinsam haben sie alle Steine, die ihnen im Laufe der Geschichte in den Weg gelegt wurden, überwunden und sind an ihnen gewachsen. Wie sagt man so schön: Zusammen sind sie stark. Besonders hat mir hierbei gefallen, dass es kein großes Drama in ihrer Beziehung gab, kein ständiges unnötiges Rumstreiten, keine Eifersucht... Das war zu Abwechslung wirklich erfrischend. Natürlich geht das Buch nicht nur um Sky und Holder und ihre Liebesgeschichte. Es geht um sooo viel mehr. Anfangs ist man verwirrt und vermutet Dinge, Dinge die mir persönlich etwas Angst gemacht haben, aber dann im Laufe der Geschichte ergibt plötzlich alles Sinn und WOW. Das, was am Ende herauskam, hätte ich so auf keinen Fall erwartet. Es ist echt schwierig nicht zu spoilern und ich weiß, dass das alles für euch keinen Sinn ergibt, aber ... KAUFT ES EUCH UND LIEST ES! Ich verspreche euch, ihr werdet es nicht bereuen! Fazit: Dieses Buch ist realistisch, emotional, packend, überraschend und beschäftigt sich mit äußerst ernstzunehmenden Themen (die ich euch natürlich nicht verraten werde). Durch den wunderbaren Schreibstil der Autorin erlebt man als Leser eine Achterbahnfahrt der Gefühle. Man lacht und weint mit den Charakteren, man erlebt mit ihnen die Macht der ersten Liebe und hofft auf ihr Happy End. Ein absolutes MUST-READ Buch!

My fifth? Sixth? CoHo book and she does not cease to amaze me every damn time. Cried my eyes out at usual.

All I can say after reading this book is that Colleen Hoover never disappoints! She makes you go through so many pages as you turn the pages....it's such a beautiful journey, I literally have no words to describe how I feel! Hopeless was an absolute emotional roller coaster! It made me smile, laugh, blush, sob....and it's was fantastic! It's the kind of book you just can't keep down! It kept me up all nigh and I don't regret a moment. It's a pleasure to read such heart melting tale. A love story told so beautifully, it just touches your heart deeply! Kudos to CoHo for writing such brilliant stories! She's currently one of my totally favorite authors! Last but not the least, I LOVE YOU AMAZON! This book was supposed to take 1-3 weeks to get dispatched as its an imported one, but guess what? I ordered it on 29th of December and had it delivered in 6th January! A very speedy delivery! Loved it all!

Comprato come regalo alla mia fidanzata. Ha letto quasi tutti i libri dell'autrice e questo le mancava. Spedizione amazon impeccabile.