BOOK REVIEW: November 9 – by Colleen Hoover

Title: November 9
Author: Colleen Hoover
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
First published: November 10th 2015
Finished reading: December 10th 2015
Pages: 320

“When you find love, you take it. You grab it with both hands and you do everything in your power not to let it go. You can’t just walk away from it and expect it to linger until you’re ready for it.”

Those who follow my blog already know I’m not a big romance fan and I normally tend to stay away from the genre. But since I was in a increasing reading slump at the time I picked up this novel, I tried beating it with by stepping out of my comfort zone. And Colleen Hoover‘s magic worked! I already knew her work was good since people kept recommending it to me and I really enjoyed her writing style in the novellas Never Never Part One and Two. But November 9 is simply brilliant. The character development is perfectly done and I absolutely LOVED the prose. Trust me, romance is really not my thing, but Colleen Hoover was able to even make the romance scenes entertaining for me. And that dirty book talk: YES!!! I think every book blogger will be able to connect to a story after seeing the vocabulary used:

“Don’t stop” I tease in a seductive voice. ” Give me more, Ben. Did you read eBooks or…” I run my finger slowly down his chest.”Hardbacks?”
He pulls his hands behind his head and a smug look washes over his face. “Oh, they were hardbacks, all right. And I’m not sure if you’re ready for this, but…I have my own TBR pile. You should read it, Fallon. It’s huge.“

Yes, this is a sexy scene and it didn’t even bother me because of the book talk. A miracle! A minor flaw is that part of the plot and plot twists is not that original, but to be honest I just didn’t care. Colleen Hoover has personally proven to me I can enjoy a genre I normally don’t like and I will definitely start reading more of her work soon!

When Fallon meets her father for lunch before she travels to New York the next day to start a new life, a stranger steps in when her father keeps talking down on her. Ben, an aspiring novelist, poses as her boyfriend and gives him a lesson. After Fallon’s father leaves the restaurant, Ben also convinces Fallon to spend the day with him. They both know it’s Fallon’s last day in L.A. and Fallon doesn’t want to fall in love until she is 23… Still, it soon shows that they are attracted to each other even though they have just met. Both decide to not give up their individual dreams and agree to meet each other exactly one year from now in the same restaurant they first met. November 9 is now their new tradition, where the two will meet again each year even without having exchanged phone numbers or email. Will they be able to put their feelings on hold for this long? And will they be able to meet again and again until Fallon feels old enough to have a relationship?

I loved the plot, the character development of the main characters and especially the prose. Colleen Hoover has a way of writing that simply sucks you into the story and makes you forget all around you. November 9 is entertaining, well written and has just the right dose of humor, drama and romance. Before saying no to this novel, remember that I normally don’t like romance either! Colleen Hoover is a welcome exception and I thank her for letting me enjoy yet another genre.