Reminders of Him – Book Review

A troubled young mother yearns for a shot at redemption in this heartbreaking yet hopeful story from #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover.

After serving five years in prison for a tragic mistake, Kenna Rowan returns to the town where it all went wrong, hoping to reunite with her four-year-old daughter. But the bridges Kenna burned are proving impossible to rebuild. Everyone in her daughter’s life is determined to shut Kenna out, no matter how hard she works to prove herself.

The only person who hasn’t closed the door on her completely is Ledger Ward, a local bar owner and one of the few remaining links to Kenna’s daughter. But if anyone were to discover how Ledger is slowly becoming an important part of Kenna’s life, both would risk losing the trust of everyone important to them.

The two form a connection despite the pressure surrounding them, but as their romance grows, so does the risk. Kenna must find a way to absolve the mistakes of her past in order to build a future out of hope and healing.

This is the third book I have read written by Colleen Hoover…and actually, this book is my favorite, written by her! I know It Ends With Us might be teeny weeny better but in my personal opinion, this was really emotional and heartbreaking, just like It Ends With Us.

Kenna Rowan, after five years being in prison was released and returns back to the hometown. She accidentally killed her boyfriend Scotty which was the main reason why she went to prison. But the main reason she returned back to the town was to meet her five year old daughter, Diem, who was now being raised by Scotty’s parents. Scotty’s parents, Patrick and Grace haven’t forgiven Kenna for what she did to Scotty.

Then Kenna meets Ledger Ward, who owns the local bar. But soon she finds out that he was actually Scotty’s best friend and she hoped that through him, she can get in touch with her daughter Diem.

The story is told from Kenna’s and Ledger’s perspective, each describing about their feelings towards each other. Clearly, Ledger hates Kenna for what she did to his friend although he has conflicted feelings towards her. My favorite part would be Kenna’s letters to Scotty, telling him about what her life was like during and after prison and talking about their daughter, Diem thus venting out her emotions and feelings into the letter. Some of the parts in the story were heartbreaking and emotional to read, and you do feel actually sorry for Kenna.

Each of Colleen Hoover’s books give a message, which might be the main reason why her books are popular. While It Ends With Us deals with a sensitive topic of domestic abuse, Reminders of Him talks about growth and forgiveness. I do like how the relationship between Kenna and Ledger slowly develops. Of course, the ending was predictable but then, overall, it was a heartbreaking and emotional story.

At the end of the book is Kenna’s music playlist which is worthwhile listening to!

If you like a family drama that is emotional and heartbreaking and emotional, then I suggest you choose Reminders of Him–worth five stars!