Ever since I was in elementary school, I have always loved reading fantasy books. I loved getting lost in the amazing worlds and characters in these sorts of novels. Because I have consistently loved fantasy books, I never really branched out into other genres. Many people have tried to convince me to read contemporary romance novels, but I’ve always felt that I wouldn’t be interested in cheesy romance. Last year, my friend had me read a book by Colleen Hoover, an award-winning romance author, and I was hooked from the start.
I still don’t like reading cheesy romances, but the reason why I love Hoover’s books is because they take romance to a whole different level. Her characters are very relatable and she includes devastating plot twists. My favorite Hoover book, and the first book of hers that I read, is It Ends With Us. This book follows the story of Lily, a woman in her 20s who meets and falls in love with a guy named Ryle. As the story progresses, the reader learns more about this love interest and ends up falling in love with him as well. However, you soon learn that Ryle has anger management issues and tends to lash out and hit Lily when he gets stressed. As the reader becomes attached to Ryle in the first half of the novel, Hoover depicts the true struggles of having to end an abusive relationship with someone you’re still in love with.
Another one of my favorite books, Ugly Love, also has shocking plot twists that had me at the edge of my seat. The main love interest, Miles, initially seems like a cold, closed-off guy. However, as the story continues, his tragic past is revealed. Miles had a girlfriend in high school that he truly believed he was going to marry. His girlfriend became pregnant, and the day after the baby was born, they all got into a car crash. The crash ended up killing Miles’s son, and his girlfriend soon left him due to the PTSD she experienced. Miles then swore off love until he met the main character, Tate.
I recommend everyone try reading Colleen Hoover’s books. Even if you are not fond of romances like me, Hoover does an amazing job of getting you attached to the plot and characters in her books.