A Bittersweet Confession dedicated to Colleen Hoover ♥ Review

• Confess
• Colleen Hoover

• Publisher: Atria Books (March 10, 2015)

• ISBN-13: 978-1476791456
• Genre: New Adult
• Purchase: Amazon | B & N
• Source: Personal Purchase
• 
  
• Synopsis: A new novel about risking everything for love—and finding your heart somewhere between the truth and lies. At age twenty-one, Auburn Reed has already lost everything important to her. In her fight to rebuild her shattered life, she has her goals in sight and there is no room for mistakes. 
• 
  
• But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to find a deep attraction to the enigmatic artist who works there, Owen Gentry. For once, Auburn takes a chance and puts her heart in control, only to discover that Owen is keeping a major secret from coming out. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything important to Auburn, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it. To save their relationship, all Owen needs to do is confess. But in this case, the confession could be much more destructive than the actual sin.

When I first heard about Colleen's new book..

Now that I have actually read it..

• First Thoughts: *drumroll* I must confess I've never been this much disappointed in a novel this year than I have with this one. I've seen only one negative review of this book out of probably 600+ so I might be the minority that's having issues with CoHo's latest novel. I haven't read a book that has me quite frustrated this year, this might be it.  Have you guys read every work of the author that you love, and you're anxiously waiting for their new release - but then their new novel is is the biggest let down ever? It happened twice already, first with Khaled Hosseini, and now Colleen Hoover.. I usually do like her work except I didn't like Slammed or Hopeless as much. I had high expectations for Confess, I wanted to love it. I did like it though for the most part, it's a nice attempt. I couldn't put it down - it was a quick and addicting read that I had to finish it.

• I love the concept of Confess, secrets made into real life confessions that are inspired to make art .. That's NOTHING like I have ever read before, I totally fangirled at the concept. Did I mention, the book is ACTUALLY COLOR CODED WITH THE ARTWORK? I want to own it just so I can stare at the pictures. I just realized there's actually a girl's face on the cover of the lettering.. Now, that's creative and something unique as well. When I first started reading along and the male lead Owen mentioned he has some crazy secrets that he's hiding that relate to Auburn, I thought he was reincarnated from someone in Auburn's past.. Yes, don't ask - I feel silly for thinking there would be a paranormal aspect to Confess.

"She would be shocked if she knew how much of her past has affected my present, which is why I won’t be sharing the truth with her. Some secrets should never turn into confessions.”

• I didn't like Auburn as much as I liked Owen - I love both of their names too, Owen's my favorite male lead name after reading the book Just Listen. I'm giving too many book names, let me stop. They're both independent characters, and I like that the male lead is an artist, I can relate to him since I have an inner artist in me. I related more to the male lead than the female, which isn't really a bad thing. Owen is a complete stranger, yet, Auburn enters his studio looking for a job. Turns out the studio is also his apartment, yep I would so run out of there. It has the same dumb heroine concept of Hopeless except it's worse here.. She even invites him to her bedroom for coffee when no one's home. IT'S ONLY THE FIRST MEETING. He could be a serial killer. SHE WOULD NEVER INVITE HIM UP IF HE WAS A FOURTY-FIVE YEAR MAN WHO ACTUALLY LOOKS OLD. Am I seriously going to go through this again?

• Hate is a strong word, so I must confess I quite strongly disliked the instant love and the romance. It didn't work for me.. It was just some love at sight, which isn't REALISTIC. I can understand why Owen had such a strong connection because of his secrets but WHY AUBURN? I want to pull my hair out .. The romance itself did not make me cringe, but the instant love and the connection did. I did not get the romance, it didn't connect with me. It was way too intense by the second meeting.. Their feelings were all over the place.  What happened to the relationships that took time to develop? I did not expect this from the author, she usually takes time for the romance to develop. It wasn't a cheesy romance though, I loved the dialogue and the conversations they had.. but it was too deep when you're meeting someone for the first time. The insta love does depress me because the plot and concept is wonderful. The love triangle made me cringe as well, I didn't like Auburn running back and forth switching men. Just choose one, and move on with your life instead of weeping about it.. There are more difficult decisions in life to make.

•  Colleen is a wonderful writer, even when one of her books don't appeal to me as much, her writing always engages the reader. Confess is an original work for the most part minus the instant love, the concept is different from everything she has previously written. I actually like some parts of this a bit better than Maybe Someday which is my most FAVORITE novel of hers. There are some major parts that are flawed that prevented it from being a great novel, atleast for me. This is her most unique novel yet.. but it's flawed.

• Overall: The confessions aspect of the novel is fantastic, it's obvious it has to do something with Auburn from the blurb of the book. The actual confession is not that bad at all.. I was expecting something that would pull my heart out of my body, but, instead I received disappointment.. I don't believe it would have shocked someone that much, I was just slightly surprised mainly. I don't think authors should cause so much excitement for that secret, when it can't be executed as well. If the insta love and the strange love triangle wasn't there, it could have been her best novel yet. My high expectations will forever be the end of me.. I have decided officially, I have no favorite authors unless I love ALL of their books. I still have hope in her next novel November 9; however, I must confess, my expectations will be much lower.

Sincerely, heartbroken reader.

P.s It's not explicit like most NA novels, I might haven't loved this, but people probably will eat it up esp. NA fans.

P.s.s I'm ready for the backlash.. Bring it.

Recommended for fans of Hopeless, and Slammed.

• Shukran for reading this! Leave your blog links in the comments & I'll be sure to check them out & follow :) Stay in tuned pretty creatures.. 
  
  
  “Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness.” —George R.R. Martin 
  
  Personal Instagram | Beauty Instagram | Tumblr | Bloglovin | Goodreads

  femmmefatalee@gmail.com