Colleen Hoover (Margaret Colleen Fennell) (born on December 11, 1979) is an author of young adult fiction and romance novels.
She published her first novel, Slammed, in January 2012. In December 2012, she published Hopeless, which rose to the top of the New York Times best-seller list. Many of her works have been self-published before being picked up by a publishing house.
Colleen Hoover’s “Reminders of him” is a romance novel also based on contemporary romance and domestic fiction which explores the themes of grief and forgiveness published in 2022. “REMINDERS OF HIM” is written in the chapter-wise division. One from the perspective of the main character Kenna and the other from Ledger, Scotty’s best friend. It consists of 42 chapters and the Epilogue at the end of the novel.
In “reminders of him” a woman named Kenna is released from prison and start to settle in the old town hoping to get custody of her daughter after the tragic incident five years back that caused the death of her boyfriend, Scotty. Kenna’s daughter, Diem, was raised by the Scotty parents, the Landrys. Landrys perceived Kenna as a murderer after their son’s death and are not in favor to meet Kenna with her daughter. As she accidentally met with Ledger, Scotty’s best friend, who has been helping to raise her daughter. Afterward in the novel, Ledger risk everything for Kenna and became the most important person in her life who helped a mother to meet her daughter.
To provide a detailed description of the novel. I parted the novel into 4 sections, section 1 (chap 1-10), Section 2 (chap 11-20), section 3 (chap 21-30), section 4 (chap 31-42).
SECTION 1:
At the beginning of the novel, the main character Kenna released from prison and struggle to settle in the old and cheap apartment. On the same night, she managed to go to the old bookstore that is now a bar. The owner of the bar is Ledger who started o adore this lonely beautiful girl and curious to know about the girl who is she? From where did she come from? Who is sitting lonely at one table? Kenna had an obsession to narrate every incident of her life to her late boyfriend in the form of letters. On the same night at the bar, she unveiled the reality that Ledger is Scotty’s best friend. Being his best friend Ledger had a vital role in the upbringing of Scotty daughter who lives with her grandparents. After rejecting from six places due to her horrible background Kenna managed to get a job in seventh place.
SECTION 2:
Afterward in the next chapters, Kenna started to struggle in order to meet with her daughter who was taken away from her when she was in prison. But when she can make her way to Scotty’s parents. Ledger encountered her and the secret is disclosed that Kenna is no one but Diem’s mother and Scotty’s girlfriend and all he knew that Scotty is died because of her. She started to knock at the door and beg them to meet with her daughter at the same moment Ledger interrupted and threaten her if she make her way again here he’ll call the police. He started to hate this girl, the same girl who last night he admired the most. But Kenna affection for her daughter confused the Ledger. Scotty’s parents were furious after Kenna showed herself at their door but Ledger relieved them by saying that it will not happen again. Somewhere in the Ledger’s heart, there was sympathy for Kenna because he might fall in love with her or he might didn’t have the right to keep a mother away from her daughter, or he might he didn’t want to see Kenna crying all day desperate to get a glance of her daughter. To console her he made her watch the videos of her daughter.
SECTION 3:
Kenna was so grateful to Scotty’s parents for raising her daughter while she was in prison. But Ledger wanted Kenna to leave the town for her own good and her daughter too. But she had not enough money to move therefore Ledger offered a part-time job in his bar which she hesitantly accepted to save money. In the course of the novel, she is reminded the past and wrote letters to Scotty. Kenna put every effort at work to please him. When ledger came to know that Kenna had been writing letters to Scotty he urge her to read for him but she refused. In the meantime, the Landrys filed a restraining order against Kenna which scared her. On the other side Ledger grew a keen interest in Kenna. And Kenna grew a keen interest in her daughter.
SECTION 4:
In the upcoming chapter, Kenna and Ledger got physically and emotionally attached to each other. At last, Ledger persuaded Kenna to read the letter about what happened that night when ledger died. When she narrated the whole story to him he began his interest more in her than before because he knew that she is as innocent and naive as all. But when the Landrys spotted a car of Ledger in front of Kenna’s apartment they get furious until Ledger managed to get that letter from Kenna and handed them over and make them to vanished the prejudices against her. Finally after knowing her part of the story what she experienced that night and what she had gone through last five years made them melt their heart and they accepted her in their and her daughter’s life. In the epilogue, Kenna again wrote a letter to Scotty to tell him about her daughter and her relation with Ledger and her child with him which she named after him, Scotty.
Summing up, I highly recommended you to read this novel It’s an uncomplicated and somewhat predictable story. Kind of a realistic story and many can relate to the affection that mother has for their children. Most importantly for me, I found the central romance to be sweet and convincing. I will admit that I started tearing up at one point while reading this. I don’t know that I’d ever be a big romance reader, but to the extent the mood strikes, I’d say something like this is perfect for scratching that itch.