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Regretting You

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Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Romance (2020)
Morgan Grant and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Clara, would like nothing more than to be nothing alike.

Morgan is determined to prevent her daughter from making the same mistakes she did. By getting pregnant and married way too young, Morgan put her own dreams on hold. Clara doesn’t want to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Her predictable mother doesn’t have a spontaneous bone in her body.

With warring personalities and conflicting goals, Morgan and Clara find it increasingly difficult to coexist. The only person who can bring peace to the household is Chris—Morgan’s husband, Clara’s father, and the family anchor. But that peace is shattered when Chris is involved in a tragic and questionable accident. The heartbreaking and long-lasting consequences will reach far beyond just Morgan and Clara.

While struggling to rebuild everything that crashed around them, Morgan finds comfort in the last person she expects to, and Clara turns to the one boy she’s been forbidden to see. With each passing day, new secrets, resentment, and misunderstandings make mother and daughter fall further apart. So far apart, it might be impossible for them to ever fall back together.

363 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 10, 2019

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About the author

Colleen Hoover

75 books710k followers
International and #1 New York Times bestselling author of romance, YA, thriller, women's fiction and paranormal romance.

I don't like to be confined to one genre. If you put me in a box, I'll claw my way out.

My social media username is @colleenhoover pretty much everywhere except my email, which is colleenhooverbooks@gmail.com

Founder of www.thebookwormbox.com charity and Book Bonanza.

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5 stars
246,636 (41%)
4 stars
222,046 (37%)
3 stars
101,516 (16%)
2 stars
20,770 (3%)
1 star
7,167 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36,246 reviews
Profile Image for Nilufer Ozmekik.
2,521 reviews51.4k followers
July 29, 2023
Again another upgraded review with my dream cover! (Thanks to my amateurish graphic skills)

IIIIIIIIII LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVEEEEEE ITTTTTTTTTTTTT SOOOOOOOOOO MUCCHHH! And I decided to name this book “Loving You” with fuchsia colored cover (of course it’s my favorite color)
You want to see my version of cover. Here it is ha ha ha!


COLHO!!! You’re my all-time favorite romance writer who can perfectly create both YA and adult stories and thankfully with this book, you gave us two different amazingly heart wrenching and emotional stories.

And I finally understand why you chose “ORANGE” as a cover color you queen of sarcasm!
I waited too long to get this book into my hands and definitely hate all the lucky readers who are chosen to read it before me!!

It was more painful than waiting for GOT’s last season for whole 2 and 5 years (we all know how it resulted! I threw away my TV from window and cancel my HBO membership!), listening Matthew McConaughey’s Oscar speech, eating brussels sprouts for dinner ( because there is nothing in your fridge and you need to fill your stomach to consume more booze!), listening my besties’ and husband’s burping contest (yes, I have to find better friends and educate my husband with raw meat)! So yes, I celebrate the release date with too much champagne and next day, I started my reading with a heavy head (I thought some construction company rented my brain cells and start to build a skyscraper inside my brain!)

THOUGHTS:
At the end of first quarter COLHO terribly punched us! (Some kind of same twist we got from the beginning of “All your perfects” but this one cut deeper to me, to entire characters of the book and my entire neighborhood because I read this book aloud to educate my environment and guess what my mother and sister in law already start wearing matching t-shirts that words printed on: -We love you COLHO- and of course they stole her books from my library but I forgave them because I changed the covers with Lord of the Rings series just teaching them some manners!)

I think I rooted more for YA romance parts because Miller and his grandfather stole my heart from the beginning. Miller and Clara’s love story started with an obstacle like “Maybe Someday” book has. But it resolved faster and we reach for the good parts, seeing their attraction and falling in love with each other.

I’m not gonna talk much about the story but I want to tell how this book made me feel: It made me cried several times, it made me pissed off, it made me excited, it made me sigh million times, it made me smile, it made me laugh, it made me scream and finally IT MADE ME FALL IN LOVE WITH
THIS BEAUTIFUL CHARACTERS AND THIS FANTASTIC BOOK!

I had a sh**ty romance year because most of my favorite romance writers released what the hell is that kind of disturbing, disappointing books. And some of them released their thriller debuts (actually they were good but I still wonder why they gave up creating emotional, tear jerker, pant melting romance stories?)

I can only say that: I loved Morgan’s strength and standing for her daughter to save her from emotional turmoil even it makes her look like an unlikable mother.

Jonah was a little doormat hero but he was still adorable, trustworthy, humble guy. I adored how he raised Elijah and how he treated with respect and caring to Morgan.

Miller ( I also love the beer brand) is my raising star and his final gesture made me want giving him 5 gazillion stars! And Clara’s smartness, toughness, maturity to face the depressing ( at some parts she pissed me off and completely lost her control which made me sad for Miles but she was still likable and better character from most of the YA characters I’ve read lately) situations earned her several brownie points which I wanted to share her but I already ate them.

OVERALL: Thanks to my staring Queen (take a look her beautiful staring photos at her instagram account) who never ever disappoint me with her talented writing and memorable!

Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:

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Profile Image for Alex ✰ Comets and Comments ✰.
173 reviews2,862 followers
December 26, 2019
“I’ve only ever wanted to be with you.”

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If books were dresses, Colleen Hoover comes out with the ones WITH pockets!!!
_______________

A Story You Won't Regret
Every single time I pick up a CoHo book, I get pulled into such a distinct feeling. It's a nostalgic, hopeful, smiling-through-the-tears feeling that I can never find elsewhere. Regretting You exceeded my expectations and completely annihilated me. There is so much to be said of how well-crafted and beautiful this book was and I don't even know where to begin...

"Sometimes when we’re alone, he looks at me in a way that makes me feel empty when he looks away."


Let me start by suggesting that you should read this book with no prior knowledge of what the story entails. This is why this review is going to be spoiler-free, because that is honestly the only way you get to experience all the shocking and heartfelt moments for what they truly are.

Morgan and Clara's story are both so different but the way they weave together is flawless. Colleen Hoover always writes more than just a simple boy meets girl romance book. The main aspect of this book that I loved was the way Morgan and Clara loved and struggled with each other. This book could be read by a father, a mother and a daughter - it has a different tale to tell for each I think. Her writing is exceptional in this especially because she dealt with two completely different characters undergoing two completely different story arcs and developments. I could clearly distinguish between the voices and the separate accounts of grief.

“Dinner is ready. Go tell them before he gets her pregnant.”


You always get a mixture of humor, love and loss with CoHo books and this did not fail to go above and beyond that. Also, I do think this can be placed on the boundary of YA and NA. (I'd personally agree with the YA Contemporary rating).At first, I worried that I wouldnt be able to appreciate the romance stories within this book because I was too invested in the actual plot of the family, but I could not have been more wrong. The romance in this made my heart pitter-patter just like a CoHo book always does. I swear, Colleen outdoes herself every year.

It's weird writing this review because I usually have to go through pages and pages of highlights and notes that I made so that I can end up with a clear and succinct review to express my thoughts but I had close to no notes/highlights for Regretting You. That's how unputdownable this was. I was a 4 am in the morning type of crazy when I realized I had finished 80% of the book in less than a day. That's the worst kind of obsession with CoHo books, you end up reeling because you just swallowed the entire story up and now you're left having to wait for the next time she decides to grace us with a novel.

“I didn’t think our first kiss would be like that,” he says quietly.
“Like what?”
“Sweet.”
“How did you think it would be?”
His eyes wander to the few remaining customers still lingering. “I can’t show you in here.”


I absolutely loved this and my adoration of how this woman can take a story and make a masterpiece never fails to leave me stunned.
Profile Image for Christy.
4,101 reviews34.6k followers
November 6, 2021
5 stars

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Regretting You just made it’s way into my top 3 Colleen Hoover books. I loved it so much. It was a beautiful story with many different themes. It was a mix of young adult and contemporary romance. It’s one of those books that you can’t put into one box.

This book felt like I was reading 3 separate stories at once, yet they came together seamlessly. It was the story of a mother and teenage daughter and their changing relationship. The story of young love. And the story of a grieving woman navigating an adult relationship while looking for answers.

I know that sounds mismatched and kind of vague but it needs to be. As a matter of fact, PLEASE don’t read the blurb to this book. I didn’t, and I’m so glad I didn’t. I feel like it gives so much away that is much more impactful if you don’t know what direction the story will take.

I really loved the romances in this book, but my favorite part was the mother/daughter relationship. Morgan and Clara go through so much, but they go through it together. Morgan is a mom who will do anything to protect her daughter. She’s selfless, unwavering, and so strong. I loved her so much. And I also loved watching Clara grow change. Sometimes life throws a lot at you, and all you can do is get through it. And get through it she does.
“That’s a lot of pressure for someone your age.” Miller rests a hand on my cheek. “You’re only sixteen and look what you’ve been through. Life doesn’t play favorites.”

This is one of my favorite Colleen Hoover books, and I have no doubt it will make my favorites list for the year. It was a beautiful journey, that was heartbreaking and heartwarming all at once. It was emotional, real, raw, and made me feel so much.

This is a book about grief, betrayal, and heart break. But it’s also a story about love, forgiveness, and moving forward. Life isn’t easy. But there are people in your life that make it easier and all around better. Regretting You is a captivating and refreshing story of a mother and daughter. It’s a story about all different kinds of love and I adored it. A new five star favorite!
“I’m confident that I’ll never spend a single second of my life regretting you.”

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Profile Image for Yun.
546 reviews27k followers
February 16, 2022
I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Colleen Hoover. I just never know what I'm going to get with her, so I always approach her books with caution. And I'm happy (and relieved) to report that Regretting You was a complete win for me.

We follow mother/daughter duo Morgan and Clara. Morgan had Clara when she was only 17, and put her dreams on hold to raise her daughter. The two love each other, but often clash due to their strong personalities. When tragedy strikes the family, the two must put aside their differences and try to come to terms with their new circumstances.

This story has all the best of Colleen Hoover. It delves into the complex relationship between a parent and a child, the challenges of growing up and seeking independence, and how to move on after tragedy. It's a rich sketch of the tapestry of life, with the messiness of everyone's feelings and expectations, and what happens when they all collide.

I found the passages around communication and misunderstandings to be particularly poignant. They underscore both how easy it is to let feelings of hurt and resentment build up over time, as well as the difference it can make to approach a loaded interaction with calmness, kindness, and honesty.

The supporting characters in this book are real highlights. Miller and his gramps are both so sweet and sarcastic, and they steal every scene they're in. They provide the perfect comfort to Clara through her anguish and heartbreak. It makes me wish they were real so that I could have them in my life.

I seem to either love Colleen Hoover's books (most of the time) or find them extremely questionable (every once in a while), and I'm glad this fell in the former camp. Right now is a stressful time, and this was the perfect heartwarming story to pull me away from that. It's comforting to read about love and kindness making a difference, and that there will be time again for happiness after tragedy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
See also, my thoughts on:
Verity
It Ends with Us
Layla
~~~~~~~~~~~~

Profile Image for Arini.
857 reviews2,013 followers
July 15, 2021
Unpopular Opinion

Who’d have known I was signing myself up for a disaster when I picked this up, le sigh.

2.5 Stars

This was a MESS, and I’m having a serious case of NEBRASKA headache. Being in Clara’s head made me want to commit murder. I’m sorry, but despite understanding the whole situation, I just CANNOT with this book!!!!!

The whole plot was messed up. Everyone ended up with the wrong person because of some shitty circumstances. It was also predictable, but in a way that still took you off guard when the twists happened because they were full of hard truths and just so tragic. The characters, despite all the good things y’all were saying, were flawed (which was a good thing) but also a pain in the ass. Except, for Miller of course. 💁‍♀️

The mother daughter relationship that y’all praised this book for (and maybe I don’t have a place to judge because what do I know about being a parent??) grated on my nerves. I didn’t like the way they treated each other. It was really hard to root for either of them when you, being the reader, knew what was going on. The misunderstanding was frustrating to no end.

Here’s what I did like. The duo pair romance worked surprisingly well despite one being an adult and the other as young adult. The ending was so heartfelt and adorable. The last 30% of the book was the only time I felt emotional and not full on rage. Meanwhile, the writing was seamless and addicting. I’ve read the majority of CoHo’s books, and at this point I know not to doubt her story telling skills.

(Read as an Audiobook)
Profile Image for chan ☆.
1,130 reviews54.7k followers
October 17, 2021
ngl, i enjoyed this. i wish it had leaned more into the messiness but overall this was solid. mostly bc i have pretty specific taste in tropes (mutual pining jazzes the hell out of my jollies) and this worked for me.
Profile Image for David Putnam.
Author 18 books1,763 followers
December 1, 2020
I liked this book a great deal, mostly because the writing craft is so strong. It’s written in two points of view, the daughter and the mother. It’s in present tense, which makes the story more immediate. This could easily be a five star for me but unfortunately I read this book after The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and Daisy and The Six, both stellar books and a difficult act to follow.
Regretting You, is easy to drop into and the details helped to keep me in the “fictive dream.” The story described things I could relate to. The conflict took seventy pages to get to, (the four C’s, conflict, complication, crisis, conclusion), laying the foundation or motivation for the story. I didn’t mind because the writing craft is so strong.
I would recommend this book.
David Putnam author of the Bruno Johnson series.

Okay, part of the way I rate a book is, "After thought." Do I find myself thinking about the book after I finish it. I have since moved on to reading other books and this one keeps coming back on me. This book was a real emotional roller coaster. I even went back and reread the last fifty pages, the payoff for all the lovely motivation the author laid down to support it. If I were to sum the book up in two words I'd have to say emotional and unflinching. With "After Thought," I'm elevating this book to a solid five stars and highly recommending it.
Profile Image for demi. ♡.
206 reviews271 followers
March 25, 2020
❥ 3.5 / 5 stars

[ UPDATE : 15 December 2019 - FULL REVIEW ]

If you’ve seen my ratings of CoHo’s books before, you might already see that I’ve never gave her books lower than 4 stars. But..... why is this book different? Let me tell you.


First of all, a warning. Regretting You is teeming with dramas as always as her previous books (maybe a little bit more than the older ones, I guess) so if you want to add some drama to your life and in case you don’t mind being upset because of its story, just go for it. But if your life is already stressful enough, I suggest you pass it since it also actually gave me a headache.



Okay, I’m getting to the point now. The reason why I gave it only 3.5 stars is that there are a few things in the story that bothered me.


The first and most frustrating one is the character named ‘Clara’ or the daughter. I know she’s only a 16/17-year-old girl so being hot-tempered or childish sometimes is kinda understandable but I just can’t stand the way she thought of her mom. It seems like she had prejudice against her all the time. Whatever her mom did or said was always wrong to her. And it got me like ‘Can’t you just stop whining and listen to your mom?’ because it was really annoying.


Oh, and I don’t like her decision to do that action after finding out something that night, either. (if you know what I mean) That was the stupidest decision EVERRRR. If you to revenge someone, find some ways more creative!



Next is the plot. I don’t know what others think but it’s sort of repetitive and predictable to me that I can predict what would happen next in the story and when the supposed-to-be twists actually occurred, I didn’t even surprise. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed by that because I truly want CoHo to prove my predictions wrong but unfortunately, she didn’t.

(Sometimes I think that maybe I was being under her desk while she was writing this. If not, maybe I read too many books. LOL)


Furthermore, some parts in the book were quite boring since nothing happened much. I think it could be shortened.

(No offense but I mostly mean Clara’s parts. I don’t want to know about her. Period.)



Next next next, this is not even important but...... WHY DIDN’T MORGAN READ THOSE LETTERS?!!!!!!!!


I waited and waited until the end of the book, keeping thinking when she would read them because I really wanted to know what it said inside and it turned out that BOOM! she didn’t read them and even worse, she teared them into pieces. WHATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT? ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!!!!!!!!! You made me so curious and then, you turned your back on me. THANKS.



However, although this is not one of the best of CoHo’s books, it’s still in the mediocre list when compared to other books and I still recommend it because even if there is something in the book that bothered you, trust me, you’d still enjoy it because of her writing that makes the book so addicting and unputdownable. Plus, it might help get you up from reading slump. (like me, for instance. I have to thank her for that.😂)



In short, it’s a not-that-great-but-absolutely-fun read.




P.S. Please tell me that I’m not the only one who laugh at this....

“He feels like a professor of my body, and I feel like an inexperienced student.”


Don’t know why though but it’s funny and kinda cringey to me.
2,039 reviews24 followers
February 16, 2020
Regretting You is a story that depicts family life. It introduces us to four characters Morgan, Chris, Jenny (Morgan's sister) and Jonah (Chris's) best friend. These four have spent every waking hour together as a group since graduating high school.

We are taken through their early relationships to the adults and people they have become.
Chris and Morgan are now married and have a teenage daughter, Clara who is 17. Jenny and Jonah are now the parents of a two month old baby boy.

You also get the story of Clara and the beginnings of her relationship with Miller.

From the beginning of the story, you get hints of what is happening with these four and find out that Jenny and Chris are having an affair and the baby that she has told everyone that is Jonah's is actually Chris's.

So there is a lot going on BUT instead of reading something adult I thought it read more like an intense immature teenage storyline.

Morgan was happy to blend in with the wallpaper. She was one of those people who didn't grow up and I thought her issues were down to not pursuing her life the way she wanted to. Clara said she "lacked passion" and she did but that was because she allowed that to happen. Morgan was a typical ostrich and buried her head in the ground when issues arose. Instead of being that person she wanted to be she continued to be "part of the wallpaper". I would have liked her character more if she had matured in this story. Instead, she became an adult version of the teenager.

I thought the plot needed expanding. I needed to understand and know more about Chris and Jenny's affair. Why? It had been going on for a long time. When did it start and how did it develop?

When Jonah and Morgan finds letters and cards written by Jenny to Chris, it was time to man up and read them and get some answers. Instead, she tore them up when realistically anyone in her position would want to read them especially being a scorned wife. Throughout the story, Morgan asks herself "why didn't she see it"? Good question because as a reader I would have liked to understand more about that also. Maybe those letters would have given her the answers, help with some closure and deal with the anger.

What about Jonah? Didn't he deserve more? Jenny was clearly pregnant with Chris's child when she slept with Jonah and her motivation was to pass the baby off as his. Too may weapon's being used in this story without a clear idea of motive.

Avoidance of facts was clear by all of these characters. Avoidance of the affair, avoidance of the child that was fathered and avoidance of living up to their real feelings. Immature in their actions and read like angsty 17-year-old teenagers instead of 30+ adults.

So this was a no from me. I needed more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Bibi.
1,288 reviews25 followers
October 12, 2021
*Outstanding*

The simplicity and consistency of the storytelling is the strongest aspect of this book. With faultless pacing from the very first page,
we meet characters who are in the midst of defining moments predicated on a single decision. When fate dealt its hands, that tapestry provides the backdrop for a story with much heartache, but also hope and growth and love.

The thing I most appreciate is how Hoover kept a distance, never manipulating the situation. To take a premise such as this without embellishments or distractions is nothing short of masterful storytelling.

This book is one that should be read without spoilers so I'm not even going there. Suffice to say it dealt with weighty issues which, considering the enormity, were handled with respect to both the characters and THE READER.

At the tail end, and as if she knew we needed a good laugh, Hoover throws us a bone with the mockumentary which was the perfect antidote to the many heartaches and tears we'd just experienced. Unexpectedly, I exited the lives of these characters with a sigh of joy instead of a heavy heart. Thank you!
Profile Image for jessica.
2,572 reviews43.1k followers
December 14, 2019
ive never given a CoHo book fewer than 5 stars and im sure as heck not gonna start now.

what really surprised me was how much i enjoyed the family aspect of this. i really love how CoHo portrays her romance, so i was worried the focus on the mother/daughter relationship would detract from that, but it doesnt!

if anything, focusing on two different romances is what bothered me (if i can even consider it bothersome - which i probably cant). i really appreciate both them. i actually wish she had written two separate books and given each pairing their own story, just so i could have that much extra time with them. but i understand how each character connects and i think the story does benefit from it.

so again, another wonderful book by the queen of romance and human connection.

4.5 stars
Profile Image for BernLuvsBooks .
900 reviews5,013 followers
January 16, 2020
4.5 Gave Me All The Feels, Emotional Stars!

Simply put Colleen Hoover does it again. This book about grief, love, friendship and family took me on such an emotional roller coaster. I loved the characters - CoHo has such a way of making her characters come to life. It feels as if you know them. I definitely felt that here.

There is a dual romance that worked really well within the story. You will find yourself invested in both these relationships and rooting for the characters to have a true shot at some well deserved happiness. The mother-daughter relationship represented really resonated with me and touched my heart.

Doesn't Hoover have a gift for thinking up the BEST leading men?! She knows how to make you fall for these fictional characters as if they were real. Both Jonah and Miles stole my heart. They now have a special space for themselves amongst my most beloved "book boyfriends". Trust me - you'll fall for them too. Just remember I claimed Jonah first! 🥰

So if I loved this book so much, why then the picky 4.5 rating you ask?! I don't want to give away any spoilers BUT there was one piece of the story that was left unanswered and this girl wanted in on the first hand knowledge - badly! I closed my kindle with a thud of aggression at NOT having the satisfaction I wanted. Why CoHO, Why? Your characters might have been fine with it but this reader wanted, no I needed, that closure! 😉 Still, I can't really hold it against you. You know just how to get to me and I'm here for whatever you decide to write next girl!

A HUGE thank you to Colleen Hoover, Montlake Romance and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an arc of this book!
Profile Image for Reading_ Tamishly.
4,880 reviews3,004 followers
June 23, 2023
*top 1 disappointing read of 2019*
This is so messed up.
Really messed up.
And I am seriously questioning myself why I enjoyed it.

I am happy about these in the book:
The writing style is amazing, fast paced and gripping.
The characters are realistic and well-developed.
The plot sucks but yes, it rightly tells that we do mess up our lives and we cannot decide who we fall in love with; some things are better left buried between families.

The thing with Colleen Hoover's books is that once you start reading it, you just cannot stop no matter what the story is, no matter how flawed the characters are, no matter how gross/cringy some scenes can get to and no matter how toxic the relationships are. I do love the sense of not being able to stop reading her books even though I get to seriously consider why I am reading such books.

The emotions hit hard in this one too.

The story is all about cheating and infidelity in the first place. No. No. No. Do not even try to convince me it's all about the emotional stuff between a mother and her teenage daughter. It's there but the teenage daughter is angry because of all the fking sht her parents and her aunt committed all their lives with all the cheating/infidelity and that too amongst the family. Yes, everything starts from there.

The plot:
Morgan is married to Chris after getting pregnant at 16-17 years of age. Clara is the daughter. Jenny is Morgan's sister, Clara's aunt. Jonah is Jenny's husband. Elizah is the newborn, Jenny's kid (actually Chris' child. Yes, sisters doing this to each other and their husbands being attracted to the sister of their wives. Wow!).
There's always a sexual tension between Morgan and Jonah whenever they are together. Chris and Jenny die in a car accident all of a sudden. Morgan and Jonah discover that they were cheating behind their backs. Jonah discovers Elizah is not his child. Morgan gets to know this as well.
Clara manipulates Miller (the guy she's in love with) to sleep with him (cringy dialogues and sex scenes alert!) when she comes to know of her mother's affair with Jonah. And that too around the time of funeral of both her dad and aunt.

The book sends a very wrong message trying to convince that whatever the heart desires is correct even if it hurts your husband, your sister, your kid and that even cheating/infidelity has its own good reasons. What the hell. Seriously?!

Regarding the main characters:

Of course, as a human being I understand the so called 'emotions' of knowing how your sister and husband has been cheating behind your back this whole time but hey, are you doing anything different? You hooked up with your dead sister's husband right after her funeral.

And Clara? The teenage daughter. Wow. You seriously know how to hurt a guy. Miller doesn't deserve you. Of course, every adult you are close to have been cheating and you are so lost. I get that. But you being disrespectful to your mom and your aunt's husband is something I don't like at all.

I won't lie I really enjoyed reading this book but I feel like I am loving something I must hate because it's so damaging and harmful to read about. Well, toxic to be precise.

I hate all the characters. I hate the plot behind. I hate the message the author is trying to convey through this book.

I just cannot like a book based solely on the writing style. I don't want to sympathize with characters and themes which are really morally disgraceful and harmful.

I will have to think a million times before picking up another of her books.

Maybe.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Holly  B (Short Break).
879 reviews2,409 followers
December 11, 2019
4.5 STARS

You get a little bit of everything....

A story full of emotion, both a mother's and a teenage daughter's POV, authentic characters and some sticky situations that may have you questioning their decisions, motives, and wondering how many more secrets are lingering in the past.

This story was easy to fall into and I became invested in the mother/daughter journey which is full of life lessons, drama, regrets and trying to hold it all together.

At times I was shocked and teary-eyed. I was asking myself, "How would I handle this?" There are also moments of humor, holding my breath for the next chapter and hoping for the ending I wanted so badly!

I won't give anything away, but this one is beautifully done with the right amount of drama and a few shocking revelations! Get ready!

Thanks to the Publisher for my review copy. OUT on December 10, 2019

 

 
Profile Image for EmBibliophile.
588 reviews1,801 followers
June 17, 2020
5 stars

Fun fact; I hate orange. I just hate the color with passion and the fact that this book acknowledges how awful the color is so satisfying. Because I can completely relate!!! It took me so long to finally buy the book because of its color, yes I could be that shallow sometimes!

Dealing with grief is hard. The dealing with grief in this book was the worst!!

I don’t want to say much about the book. But I need to say that I’ve felt a huge amount of anger. What happened in this book made me so angry and hurt. This book is written from two POVs, a mother and her daughter. I definitely enjoyed the mother’s chapters more. And as much as Clara was annoying, I kinda understand her? I mean, she’s a teenager after all, so I guess that’s how they act? I don’t know, it feels like it’s been so long since I’ve been a teenager myself!!

Colleen’s writing was really good and captivating. I loved the way she wrote this book and how everything was handled with care, respect, and not rushed. This book could’ve easily gone wrong, but it didn’t and for that I’m glad. I loved Jonah a lot! I loved the couples’ relationships. They were so heartwarming. I even loved the mother/daughter journey. I have to admit that I was really frustrated tho. The miscommunication was killing me slowly, like just please talk?! This book was heavy but heartwarming at the same time.

Song recommendation:
Dark four door by Billy Raffoul
Things we lost in the fire by Bastille
Memories by Maroon 5
Slip by Elliot Moss
Profile Image for Gabby.
1,439 reviews27.7k followers
March 26, 2022
4.5 Stars
Wow, this story is incredible. I will admit, after discovering this book is YA (or at least has a POV from a sixteen year old character) I was trying to lower my expectations, because I haven’t been a huge fan of Colleen’s past YA books. But this book is exceptional.

I went into this book completely blindly, which I love to do with Colleen Hoover books because her stories are so surprising and she’s able to write so many plot twists into a contemporary story, it’s fascinating. So I recommend jumping into this book without knowing much, all you need to know is that it mainly centers on a mother/daughter relationship and that it will make you cry.

The only reason I hesitate to give this a full five stars is because I wasn’t super obsessed with the YA romance in this book, I never really am when it comes to YA romance for some reason so that’s probably just a me thing, but I was 100% here for the adult romance happening in this book. This book also really hit me emotionally and I cried a few times. This book described grief in such a raw and honest real way it hurt my heart to read at times. I think Miller’s grandpa is my favorite character in the book, he’s just so awesome.

HUGE thanks to Kristen Dwyer for sending me an ARC copy, I appreciate you!!!
Profile Image for Ishika .
198 reviews594 followers
February 6, 2022
“I’ve believed in you since the moment I met you. I believe in myself now that I’ve finally left you.”


Reading this book was painful. I still can't feel my eyes after they got stuck as I was rolling them the entire time. Words can't express how much it hurts rn. The fact that I wasted my time reading this book is enough to make me want to quit doing everything important in my life and reflect upon all the bad choices I have made. You might have heard of "curiosity killed the cat but satisfaction brought it back". In my case curiosity killed the and satisfaction killed itself.

“I guess that happens when you become a mother, though. Your focus is no longer on yourself. Your life becomes all about this beautiful tiny little human you created.”


After reading 8 of her books (remember the cat died so take my advice and don't go after curiosity ever) I think I might have cracked the code of Co-Ho's plots. So if you want to write a book as successful as any CoHo book follow these steps:

STEP 1: Make the main female character as pitiable as possible. Add some sad backstory to that and you are done. The character gets sympathy and you get money. Win win for both.

STEP 2: Make the main male character as sexy as possible so that the woman has to fall for him. Then make him as trashy as possible.

STEP 3: There has to be a car wreck.

STEP 4: Add some 0 dimensional side characters who are only there to make the mcs realise their mistakes.

STEP 5: Remove the word diversity from your dictionary.

STEP 6: Make every character cry after every 10 pages.

STEP 7: Trauma trauma trauma...Add never ending trauma.

THAT'S IT. YOU ARE DONE. PREPARE FOR A 4+ STAR RATING.

“Right after something tragic happens, you feel like you’ve fallen off a cliff. But after the tragedy starts to sink in, you realize you didn’t fall off a cliff. You’re on an eternal roller coaster that just reached the bottom. Now it’s gonna be up and down and upside down for a long, long time. Maybe even forever.”


I don't think I need to explain why I hate this book but I will. Clara is Morgan and Chris's daughter who was born when they were really young. But her parents never gave up. They worked hard to make her life as normal and happy as possible. Her mom even gave up on her dreams for her. Being a teenager myself I know how sometimes I don't like what my parents do. But that doesn't mean I'm going to start hating them and blaming them for everything that's wrong in my life. My mother gave up on her dreams and her career for me and my siblings too but she was never dependent on us for anything in her life. And that's what I don't like about Morgan. She was totally dependent on Chris for everything.

Morgan really needed a break from everything that was happening. Everyone acting like they were suffering more than her made my blood boil. Jonah fucking didn't even love Jenny that much and he spent 17 years away from Chris without being in touch with him so still calling him his best friend and saying that he was suffering from his loss made me want to commit murder. And then there's this one scene where he gives up on Elijah because apparently he's not his son but then after few days when Clara goes to his house and says maybe 2-3 lines and suddenly he's full of love for this kid just like that. If he loved the kid so much then I don't think he would have abandoned him for so many days. And on top of that forgetting that the woman he gave that kid to was suffering more than him and he never even apologized to her. Like how selfish could someone be?

And yeah then we have Miller and Clara. I can't tell you how much I wanted to punch and kick and stab her again and again and again. I have read so many ya books but I have never seen the level of stupidness that girl had. Also I hate these people for insulting the colour orange. It's a great color :/.

I really wanted to know more about Chris and Penny and why they did what they did. And when their affair started and how. The ending was rushed and a very bad one.
_________

I'm done.

Profile Image for Larry H.
2,606 reviews29.5k followers
December 30, 2019
I’m fighting some sort of cold/flu thing and my sleep patterns are all messed up, so I read Regretting You in a few hours the other night and early into the morning. Nice to be crying when you can’t really breathe!!

Morgan was 17 when she gave birth to her daughter, Clara. She and her boyfriend Chris got married when they found out she was pregnant, and the course of her life was different than she imagined it would be. Although she wishes she would’ve been able to finish college and get a job, she doesn’t regret the years she spent taking care of her daughter.

Now, 16 years later, she wonders what’s next. Clara seems destined to follow in her footsteps in ways that make Morgan worry she’ll repeat her mistakes. It’s only when Chris gets involved that he can keep the peace between them, and try to keep Clara on the right path.

But when Chris is killed in an accident, it upends their lives in many ways, and Morgan isn’t really sure what to do now. Clara is testing her in every way and Morgan is trying desperately to protect her daughter from truths that might destroy her. Should Morgan sacrifice her relationship with her daughter to protect her, though?

As Clara falls madly in love with a boy that her parents thought was a bad influence, she is buffeted by feelings of anger, grief, and guilt. And Morgan finds herself turning to the one person she shouldn’t, but at 34, doesn’t she deserve a future, too?

"The day I found out I was pregnant, I stopped living life for myself. I think it's time I figure out who I was meant to become before I started living my life for everyone else."

Hoover once again delivers a story with rich character development, strong emotions, and situations that could happen to real people (even though you hope not). There aren’t a lot of surprises in the book but I couldn’t stop reading it, even as it kept getting later and later!

I don’t love it when the plot of a book turns on people’s assumptions and failures to communicate with one another—and boy, is that the case here so much—but Hoover gets you so wrapped up in these characters it doesn’t matter.

This is the fourth of her books I’ve read in the last few months. (I've also read Verity, It Ends with Us , and Ugly Love .) I’m thankful she’s written a bunch, because I am a huge fan!

See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.

You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
Profile Image for Ashley .
231 reviews
February 29, 2020
UPDATE: 5-31-19 My name is Ashley, and I approve this cover. *two thumbs up* The cover was just revealed on Colleen's Instagram

Dear Montlake Romance,
I hope this finds you well. Please DO NOT put awkward people on Colleen's covers. It's tacky and off brand for her. Don't think I didn't look up your other covers...I did.. Please do right by the queen.

Let's recap: NO PEOPLE ON COLLEEN'S COVERS.

Best of Luck,
Ashley
Profile Image for Ceecee.
2,285 reviews1,900 followers
January 21, 2020
So, what have I learned? CoHo ain’t for me. No sir. Nope, nope, nope. Regretting(buying)you. I’m done.
Profile Image for abigail ❥ ~semi-hiatus~.
255 reviews655 followers
May 26, 2022
1 Star but really Zero stars
“Resentment is a heavy load to carry through life.”

And I resent reading this.
This book was NOT good—cringe and not well written. I could not stand ANY of the characters. All of them—selfish, naive, annoying, accusatory, ignorant. This book really said MISCOMMUNICATION or lack thereof communication if any AT ALL. Seriously, just fucking SPEAK, it's not that hard. The plot? Yeah, where was it? Everything that happened was just stupid and immature. Very much would like to set this book on fire but sadly I don't own a physical copy.
Profile Image for Cardan Greenbriar.
90 reviews1,011 followers
January 25, 2020
CoHo, sweetie, you need to do something about your obsession with car accidents in your books
Profile Image for Corina.
807 reviews2,456 followers
May 9, 2023
UPDATE: my re-read was as good as the first time. If you haven't read this book yet, I can only recommend it!! So many feelings!!!


I must admit I picked up this book with the expectation that it wouldn’t be more than a DNF. I clearly opened this book with low expectations. But I was shocked when I read on and on and couldn’t put it down. I finally had to, at around 29% to go to bed, but those first 29% were AMAZING. At this point I already had a good idea that this book might actually turn into a 5 star read for me.

There were many scenes between Morgan, the mother and Jonah that squeezed my heart, and I got all gooey because the feelings just overwhelmed me. Their memories of eyes locking, emotions just short from igniting, touches that went beyond anything either experienced before, an undercurrent that was deep and real, touched me in the most profound way. And being someone’s first choice, maybe even his only choice – struck me deep!!! Their interactions gave me goosebumps. And my thoughts are rambling just thinking about it all.

Clara’s own love story wasn’t less impactful. It was all about first love. And a backstory that made me go aww. Their interactions were the cutest at times. And the entire story was so well done. Not OTT as man other YA love stories, just genuine and fitting for a teenagers first go at a relationship. The epilogue, you’ll know what I mean with it, made my heart explode!

THE COMBINATION OF BOTH, A YA ROMANCE AND A WOMEN’S FICTION ROMANCE – WORKED INCREDIBLY WELL. BOTH PLOT LINES WERE EMOTIONAL, TOUCHING, AND ENDEARING. THE OVERALL ARC, THE PLOT THAT MADE THEM COME TOGETHER, WAS THE ONE THAT CHANGED IT ALL. WHAT A TWIST.

Reading Regretting You gave me the highest appreciation for the author’s skill. The way she put all the pieces together, was incredibly well done. I was completely unprepared for the turns this book took. And was totally floored by all the emotions and touching moments throughout the story.

I feel like the overall story line, and the combination of the two love stories, will be something any romance reader can connect with and appreciate. As I mentioned above, I’m not a CoHo fan, but I love a great story, and this book is an easy 5 star story for me. So, if you ever had doubt about picking up a CoHo novel, this one is the BEST one to start with.

You won’t regret it.


Profile Image for Paige.
152 reviews323 followers
December 11, 2019
I went into this novel not knowing much about it except having read the basic description of the book, and I recommend doing the same...knowing little as possible!!! I really loved it and couldn't put it down. It is very character driven and the dialogue is sharp.

Thirty-four year old Morgan begins to see her life as predictable and struggles with her identity as a housewife. Her teenage daughter, Clara, feels like she is treated with too many rules but respects her parents wishes. That is, until an unexpected event occurs leaving their family in shock. How can they be honest with each other when the trust has already been broken? Can they find redemption and heal their relationship?

Chapters alternate between the mother, Morgan, and her her daughter, Clara. It starts off at Morgans high school graduation party and reveals Morgan's realization that she is pregnant. After this first chapter, everything takes place during Morgan's life as 34 year-old -mother and Clara's life as a 16 year-old on the brink of 17 years old.

Topics include- underage drinking, marijuana usage, teen pregnancy, teen sex

**I think this is my new favorite Colleen Hoover novel.**
Profile Image for Canadian Jen.
540 reviews1,734 followers
April 16, 2020
I don’t totally regret reading this but upon reflection, this isn’t my type of read.
Hoover’s writing is engaging and fast paced but I just always feel like I need more- more of an emotional connection; more depth to her characters; more depth to the themes she attempts to tackle. And everything just works out far too conveniently.

This, for me, was more of a YA read as it was structured in half with the daughter’s perspective, and the other, the mom’s.
I’ve heard Verity may be a step up to what I’m looking for, but that’s likely our relationship over. Sorry Hoover, no hard feelings. I’m just not your audience. Too much mushy gushy, is just not my thing.
3⭐️
Profile Image for Lindsey  Domokur.
1,483 reviews120 followers
December 17, 2019
This book stabbed me in the heart, just like each and every Colleen Hoover book does, this one was just a lot earlier than the others. This isn’t your traditional romance novel, but don’t worry, CoHo won’t leave you wanting for more. Regretting You is about the relationship between a mother and daughter and how they navigate personal tragedy. The reason I love Colleen Hoover’s writing so much is that no matter what, I find a way to relate to her characters. Yes, I know, you’re thinking “Wait, what? You related to Verity!?” Well, maybe I’m a crazy pants too, but I digress. This book is filled with miscommunications and second chances, pain and healing. As parents we always want to do what is best for our children, but maybe what we think is best, really isn’t. Once again, Colleen’s writing stresses the importance of communication in any relationship. I adored this book and love that she was able to write something outside the box yet again. She continues to evolve her writing while staying true to who she is.
Profile Image for Grecia Robles.
1,591 reviews406 followers
November 7, 2022
*** 4 Orange STARS ***

Tengo un hate-love con Colleen Hoover pero SIEMPRE termino leyendo sus libros y este ya vieron que no fue la excepción.
No me llamaba nada la sinopsis cuando lo la léi dije ay nooo drama, pero que puedo esperar de CoHo, pero me sorprendió y me gustó.

No quiero hacerles spoiler para no arruinar su lectura pero no me voy a poder contener ya que ninguna de mis amigas quiere leer este libro y esta es mi única vía de desahogo. ARE WARNED.

HISTORIA

La historia trata sobre Morgan una mujer de 34 años que quedó embarazada muy joven y ahora es está casada con una hija adolescente.
Y Clara la hija de Morgan.
Cuando la tragedia las golpea con la muerte del Chris el esposo y respectivo padre su relación se tambalea al parecer él es el único pegamento en su relación y no saben cómo afrontar el dolor de la pérdida juntas.

Mientras iba leyendo y me iba enterando de cosas dije mmm No lo sé Rick pero esto ya lo he visto antes y oh REVELACIÓN claro que sí es demasiado parecido a Caer en Tentación una novela mexicana del 2017 en la que yo estaba traumada (si viste esa novela ya sabes de que se trata el libro)
Recuerdo como me indignaba las cosas que le hizo el fucking marido a la protagonista y son los mismos sentimientos que me provocó este libro.



No puedo creer que las personas sean tan egoístas, deshonestas, no les importe destruir a los demás con sus acciones.

En esta historia tenemos dos parejas protagonistas una adulta y una adolescente.

Disfruté más la historia de Morgan y Jonah la adulta, me causaron más sentimientos, en los dos había más anhelo, amor que no lo podían manifestar, miradas.
Era ese tipo de amor que siempre estuvo latente pero hasta que era el momento correcto para ellos se dio.



No es que la historia de Clara y Miller no fuera bonita y no me gustara todo lo contrario pero la de Morgan y Jonah era más profunda y la opacaron.

PERSONAJES

MORGAN: Para mi ella es la PROTAGONISTA, lleva el peso de la historia y sin duda mi personaje favorito, es una mujer que siente vacía a pesar de tener una familia perfecta, ha dejado todo por ser madre hasta sus propios sueños.
Es una mujer con un carácter más suave, es conciliadora, tiene ese lado tierno y amoroso. Nunca ha sido realmente feliz, no ha tenido un propósito en la vida y quiere encontrarlo.

Y todas las cosas que le pasaron no las merecía.

JONAH: Él también me gustó mucho y sufría demasiado viendo a la mujer que amaba con su mejor amigo.
Era serio, reservado un poco frío de pocas palabras pero sus acciones hablaban por él.
Es que CoHo sabe hacer protagonistas realistas que cometen errores pero te roban el corazón.

CLARA Ella es mi menos favorito en muchas partes me fastidiaba y cometió muchas burradas a causa de la ira.
Mi yo adolescente la hubiera entendido y comprendido porque pasé una situación similar con mi mamá pero JAMÁS me comporté como ella lo hacía yo si recuerdo que sufría y lloraba por la noches.
Pero mi yo actual estoy totalmente de lado de su mamá.

MILLER Él es un ser de luz que cada vez que salía resplandecía todo esta historia que era drama everywhere.
Me gustó mucho e hizo mi lectura más ligera.

Bueno Colleen otra vez me debe el epilogo as always, o sea odio que no cierre las historias y que nos deje con ganas de saber más.
Si Jonah y Morgan tuvieron más hijos, si ella realizó sus sueños de ir a la universidad y que estudió que fue de Clara y Miller you know.
También quería saber que decían las benditas cartas.
Esta va a ser mi queja eterna con CoHo
Profile Image for ❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books.
2,335 reviews9,339 followers
December 14, 2019
regretting-you

Regretting you was one of my most highly anticipated reads of December. As soon as it went live I was off like a rocket one clicking!! And it lived up to everything I hoped it would.

No words can describe how much I loved this.

Straight away I fell under Colleen Hoover's spell, aliens could've taken over my little spot in the world and I never would've noticed. This book took me on such a such profound, emotional journey that life ceased to exist..And this is why I love reading as much as I do.

This easily by passed 5 stars and went right to one of my most favourite reads of 2019!! What a way to celebrate December!!
Profile Image for PoppyflowerJJ .
229 reviews
November 19, 2022
4/ 5⭐
1/5 🌶️
3/5 😭

Every time I read a book by Colleen I think it’s amazing. Her characters are likeable, the writing style fluid and easy, and the story lopes along nicely. This book is full of love, loss, mending, finding who you are, family, friendship, and trust. I loved all the emotional conversation between Clara and Morgan. I think every 16 year girl needs a Miller.

Quotes:

“I wonder if humans are the only living creatures that ever feel hollow inside. I don’t understand how my body can be full of everything bodies are full of—bones and muscles and blood and organs—yet my chest sometimes feels vacant, as if someone could scream into my mouth and it would echo inside of me.”

“For some reason, sadness in music eases the sadness in my soul.”

“Feeling anything remotely good makes me feel like a shit human considering the circumstances of the past week.”

“Our relationship isn’t always going to be sunshine and roses, but whenever there’s a break in the storm, I need to take advantage of those breaks. No matter what mood I’m in or what’s going on in my own life, I need to bask in these moments of sunshine with Clara.”

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