by‌ ‌Madison Tringone ‌‘22

A page-turning novel filled with love, regret, and redemption was released just a month ago by New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover. In Reminders of Him, Kenna Rowan, a recently released prisoner, sets out to reunite with her four-year-old daughter, whom she hadn’t seen since the day she gave birth. Kenna returns to the town where everything went wrong, trying to prove to everyone that she’s changed and that her mistake should not define who she is and who she wants to be.

After buying an apartment, she stumbles into a local bar and meets bartender Ledger Ward. Ledger eventually becomes the only person to see Kenna for who she really is, understanding and accepting her flaws. The tension rises when Kenna and Ledger realize Ledger is Scotty’s best friend. The same Scotty that was killed by Kenna when she was his girlfriend five years prior. 

The parallel between Scotty’s parents losing their child and Kenna losing her child is the main focus of Reminders of Him. This comparison shows how different the two losses are and how similar. Scotty’s parents lost their child due to an accident where the driver, Kenna, fled the scene in panic. Kenna found out she was pregnant in prison with a child that was all she had left connecting her to her boyfriend, Scotty. All Kenna wants is to meet her child, but is that wound something the parents of Scotty are willing to reopen? 

Hoover has produced one popular book after another because she is able to convey important themes and deep messages within the formula of romance novels. She has written about domestic violence, tragic accidents, addiction, separation, abortion, murder, and now about possible redemption after prison. 

Hoover never fails to write a quick and compelling read that absolutely consumes readers’ attention. Reminders of Him, released this January, is one of Hoover’s best novels because it discusses the importance of second chances and how hard it is to get back on your feet after going to jail.  

Although novels by Hoover commonly have predictable endings, this is a minor fault because readers have become so connected to the realistic and personable characters. Hoover has a way of storytelling that will win over even someone who has been in a reading slump. 

Reminders of Him is a novel full of heartbreak, hope, and second chances. Even throughout the deep and important messages of the novel, Hoover does not lose sight of the complex relationship between Kenna and Ledger. Hoover always finds a way to incorporate fun and light romance with heavy and flawed characters and stories. 

Grade: A