But other than that, Holder was everything I remembered from Hopeless. Sweet, thoughtful, funny, and intense. I’m actually kind of pissed that his awesomeness was tarnished by that cheating scene at the beginning of the book. It didn’t feel necessary to me at all; it just made me get off on the wrong foot with Holder. Holder,” he says, pushing the girl off his lap. He struggles to his feet but can hardly stand up straight. He looks at me pleadingly, pointing at the girl, who’s now adjusting her barely-there skirt. “This isn’t… it’s not what it looks like.”

I really like how this one focused more on Les and how Holder dealt with her death. That was definitely a new element that got me interested! In Hopeless, Sky left no secret unearthed, no feeling unshared and no memory forgotten, but Holder's past remains a mystery. But I LOVE the emphasis on Les in Losing Hope. We learn so much about how Holder struggled with Les’s suicide. Sometimes, that extra element made Losing Hope feel like a completely different book from Hopeless (in a good way). It felt like its own story rather than the same story from a different point of view. Holder writes letters to Les in a journal after her death, and just the way he dealt with it was so interesting to read, but also saddening. So many of those letters (and Holder’s thoughts in general) broke my heart in half! Colleen completely jerked my tears around. Or when he’s remembering a conversation Les had with her friend. Les’s friend says that if you just want to kiss a guy, you wear jeans. If you want something more to happen, you wear a skirt or a dress with easy access. Then when Sky wears a dress, Holder completely over-analyzes it.My teeth are clenched, my jaw is tight, and my pulse is pounding in my head. I’ve never hated anyone more than in this moment. The intensity of what I wish I could do to him right now is even scaring me. Sunday Times bestselling author of It Ends with Us held readers spellbound with her novel Hopeless, the story of what happened when a troubled girl named Sky encountered a long-lost childhood friend, Dean. Now, in Losing Hope, we finally learn the truth about Dean Holder. I think the only bummer was that Hopeless was really big on the twists and turns. Those floored me! But in Losing Hope, we already know exactly what the twist is, so that made it slightly less enjoyable.

Hey,” I say, attempting to control the trembling anger in my voice when I hear her crying on the other end. “I’m on my way, Les. It’ll be okay, I’m on my way.”I shake my head, letting him know that he needs to make it an absolute break-up. I’m not looking for him to give her space. I’m looking for him to give my sister permanent freedom. This book was beautiful, and it took me away from my own problems and I was able to hide in Colleen Hoovers world once again. I truly love her books, and her writing alone has given me a love for reading like I never had before, the depth that this story develops to understand Holder is amazing,.. She doesn’t even tell me it’ll be okay when every single ounce of whatever was left inside my chest is propelled out of me the moment I realize that the very best part of me is dead. I must stress again the importance of reading Hopeless first as this book is in effect a companion novel. Several very important scenes are rushed over this time around as they were told in detail previously and nothing needed to be added. This being Holder’s story, the focus is not only on his relationship with Sky but also on overcoming his feelings of grief and guilt stemming from the untimely loss of his sister. Sometimes in life, if we wish to move forward, we must first dig deep into our past and make amends.

While not quite as powerful as the first novel of the series, likely due to already knowing what was going to happen for the most part, Colleen Hoover still manages to tear at the heartstrings of all readers. Haunted by the little girl he couldn’t save from imminent danger, Holder’s life has been overshadowed by feelings of guilt and remorse. He has never stopped searching for her, believing that finding her would bring him the peace he needs to move on. However, Holder could not have anticipated that he would be faced with even greater pain the moment they reconnected.In Hopeless, Sky left no secret unearthed, no feeling unshared, and no memory forgotten, but Holder’s past remained a mystery.

No, babe,” he says nervously. “I’m at Jaxon’s house.” There’s a long pause while he listens to her speak. “I know that’s what I said, but I lied. That’s why I’m calling. Les, I… I think we need some space.” I never looked at people the same way. I never looked at nature the same way. I never looked at my future the same way. Everything went from having a meaning, a purpose, and a reason, to simply being a second-rate version of what life was supposed to be like. My once effervescent world was suddenly a blurred, gray, colorless photocopy. Hopeless was hands down one of the best books I have ever read. It touched me so profoundly and so irrevocably that I walked away a different reader. The story of Sky and Holder is not something that you ever forget – its uniqueness lies in the deep emotions that it makes us feel and in its inimitable writing style. It is truly the perfect book. Losing Hope is its sequel, written entirely from Holder’s point of view, but following the same storyline. It is not a book, however, that could or should be read without reading Hopeless first as several scenes are better understood with prior knowledge of Sky’s story, allowing this book to simply fill the gaps in the timeline and for Holder to finally tell his side of this timeless tale of love, courage and human endurance.What if Sky doesn’t know the rules to “make-out” clothes? What if she’s wearing this dress just for the hell of it? What if she’s just wearing this dress because her washing machine broke and all her jeans were dirty? What if she’s wearing this dress because she didn’t have time to change into jeans before I showed up at her house? What if she’s wearing this dress because she went to some sort of random church today that has service on Saturdays? And beyond all of this, readers get to discover just what happened to Les, how much she knew, and why she did what she did. When she doesn’t respond, I sigh and look up at the ceiling. If she’s on the phone with him, I’ll be pissed. But if she’s on the phone with him, it probably means he’s telling her the break-up was all my fault and she’ll be the one who’s pissed. I wipe my palms on my shorts and open the door to her bedroom, preparing for another heated lecture on how I need to mind my own business. Fine,” he grumbles, attempting to free himself from the hold I have on him. I wait until he looks down at the phone and hits send before I release my arm and let go of his shirt. He puts the phone to his ear and never stops looking at me as we both stand still and wait for Les to answer. Sometimes in life, if we wish to move forward we must first dig deep into our past and make amends with it. In Losing Hope, readers will learn what was going on inside Holder's head during all those moments that left him feeling hopeless and see whether he can perhaps gain the peace he desperately needs.