Member Reviews
One of the things I love about Colleen Hover's writing is that in each novel she explores a different issue and consequently makes me think at a deeper level. This novel is no exception. It is the story of Quinn and Graham, a couple who meet in an usual way and find love. But.... is love enough? The book alternates chapters between their past when they first meet and fall for each other to chapters in their present where their marriage is on the brink of ruin despite their love. At the heart of their issues is Quinn's inability to conceive and her struggles with monthly disappointment and how that impacts their lives. Both Quinn and her husband make mistakes and both strive to understand each other but sometimes it's just not possible in that moment. The character of Graham is well written and truly swoon worthy. He fights with all he's got to keep Quinn's love even when at times he is a bit clueless to her struggles. There is a great deal of humor in this novel which lightens the mood considerably at times. I enjoyed Quinn's relationships with the secondary characters such as her sister and mother. At first, I worried that her mom was too one dimensional but at the end of the day her mom's brutal honesty with Quinn saved her character by giving her more depth. I highly recommend this novel but be prepared to sit down for the long haul because it's hard to put down.
Colleen Hoover has done it again with All Your Perfects.
This story had me all in my feels from the very beginning. Graham and Quinn meet during a difficult time but you can tell there was an instant attraction. Within time a relationship develops and they are both young, in love, carefree and can’t wait to spend the rest of their lives together. I loved the fact that this book was written in past and present so you could see the how the relationship develops and slowly destructs as well.
“Isn’t that what I wanted, though? For him to stop fighting so hard for something that will only bring him more misery?”
“We’re all full of flaws. Hundreds of them. They’re like tiny holes all over our skin. And like your fortune said, sometimes we shine too much light on our own flaws. But there are some people who try to ignore their own flaws by shining light on other people’s to the point that the other person’s flaws become their only focus.’’
I’m not married but this book taught me a lot about relationships and marriage. How two people enter a marriage with the best of intentions and even though they love each other, love isn’t always enough. Sometimes loving someone means possibly letting them go. I pretty much devoured this book in 24 hours. I HAD to see how everything with Graham and Quinn would unfold. This was a tough book to read at times because you could feel the characters pain. I was so sympathetic for Graham and Quinn as they were both suffering silently in different ways. THis story was an emotional roller coaster and the last few chapters DID ME IN as I read. Make sure you have tissues handy.
I loved how this book touched on certain topics that are sensitive for women as well. There are so many expectations that are placed on women and I loved how this book handle the topic. A woman can be anything she wants, wife, mother, housewife, ceo, world traveler. We are more than just our reproductive system but enough with the PSA.
Long time fans of Hoover will definitely enjoy this story. The story was passionate, realistic and poignant. The words just flowed and it will be a story that I won’t forget anytime soon. This has become my second favorite book after “Hopeless”. It gave me all the old school feels that I love and I highly recommend that everyone read this book!
Like everyone else I'll follow the general thought process about going into this blind and not reading any reviews prior to reading the book. Honestly the reviews won't help you fully appreciate this book.
Only reading it will. The blurb covers all you need to know about this book. Madam Hoover always has a few tricks up her sleeve and the woman can still snag you right into her web with the book opening. It did me, both times I read it. The book is told from a then/now viewpoint. For some it may be an issue, for others not so much. There were a couple times I wanted continuity but that was just me, admittedly I flipped ahead to the now chapter and then flipped back to where I left off. Impatient me. This is a character based story, you're looking at two normal people naked, flaws and all, under a microscope. You see Quinn, her struggles, hear her self talk and if you're like me want to bat her in the head a time or two, but you go with it. Graham, same. I actually related a little more to Graham than I did Quinn for my own reasons. I think everyone will see both sides of the coin in this story. I'm going to hold my thoughts on the last part of the book until post publication.
There is nothing new under the sun, but leave it to Colleen Hoover to change that.
*arc from NetGalley and Atria with many thanks for an honest review. *
Colleen Hoover does it again! Her stories always seem to turn a very difficult topic into something that makes you identify, appreciate, and feel for the characters. In All Your Perfects, Quinn and Graham have been married for years. They met under not-so-great circumstances but ended up dating and having a fairytale romance. However, once married, established, and becoming the typical married couple they experience a living nightmare to many: infertility. The story flashes between their life before marriage, to there current situation of marriage deterioration, guilt, devastation and blame due to not being able to get pregnant.
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"We are who are circumstances turn us into."
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After reading All Your Perfects, I couldn't stop thinking about was how relatable this story is. I think a lot of married couples (or those who have been together long enough for the newness to wear off) can identify with this story in some way. It may not be as devastating and as extreme as what Quinn and Graham are experiencing, but it gives the reader hope that fizzling relationships can find their flame again.
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"You could love your wife more than any man has ever loved a wife, but one harrowing battle with infertility could turn a couple's love into resentment."
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Colleen Hoover always does a fantastic job of creating a romantic read that sucks you in. All Your Prefects made me smile, cry and wish I was a part of Quinn and Graham's love story in the beginning, pray for them in the middle, and cheer for them in the end.
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"If you only shine light on your flaws, all your prefects will dim."
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Thank you Arielle at Atria books for the chance to review this wonderful story.
The review contains what might be possible triggers for some readers at the END of the review.
Just when I thought CoHo couldn't write anything better than It Ends With Us, which is one of my all-time favorite books ever, she goes and writes the brilliance that is All Your Perfects. This book, you guys!! I almost have no words to describe it, but that could partially be because I'm so overwhelmed with ALL the emotions and feels this book gave me.
I know that there is nothing Hoover writes that I won't read, but this is a truly special book, and as far as the actual plot, I personally think you need to go into it mostly blind, and I'm glad that the book synopsis didn't give everything away because there are so many things about the story that you just need to go in and feel for yourself and just become the big, sobbing mess like I was. However, the subject matter(s) in the book could be very hard for some readers, parts actually were for me, but after reading it, I felt as if CoHo saw right into my very heart and soul and understood every nuance of what I felt about some of these issues. It was brilliantly and sensitively handled and healing in a way. But because these are possible triggers for some readers, I'm going to list them at the end of my review in BOLD so if you DON'T want to know what these triggers are, then make sure you skip them at the very end of my review!!
If there is one thing that Hoover does, it is to make you feel every single emotion of the characters. That is exactly what happens here with Quinn and Graham as they go through the ups and downs of their relationship after being married for a decade. It is just so riveting and at times so heartbreaking, that I felt like I was being shattered to pieces as I read everything that was unfolding. From someone who has been in a marriage filled with ups and downs and its shares of imperfections for over 20 years, I can say without a doubt that Hoover's portrayal of marriage was so real and just so very relatable. I honestly appreciated that since many books tend to leave out the imperfect, messy, awful, and REAL side of marriage and romantic relationships.
Saying "I Do" doesn't mean that married life is going to be a fairy tale like so many books depict, and Hoover's novel was just gorgeous and perfect and beautiful because she shows how marriage is not all romance and flowers but it is often a big damn mess even when the couple loves each other and are soulmates! Wow, Hoover really shows that being committed in a marriage is hard work, especially when there are serious issues that can try to tear a couple in pieces and how working on being in the marriage is not easy at all since marriage involves two very flawed people.
There is a message in All Your Perfects about loving, forgiveness, and relationships that is so valuable even to someone like me who has been in a committed relationship with the same person for almost 25 years. Read this book! You won't regret it! You'll love it...you'll cry and be devastated and you'll be a mess like I was but then you'll appreciate the beautifulness of this book. I know this is one book that I'll be reading again and again. All Your Perfects is more than deserving of 5 perfect stars! I don't know what Hoover has in store for us next, but I'll be waiting with bated breath to read it because I know it will extraordinary, as always.
**Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for my advanced reader copy in exchange for my fair and honest review.**
*Triggers That Might Be Challenging to Some Readers*
The book tackles the topics of infertility and the associated grief and depression, miscarriage and the associated grief and depression, and infidelity.
I don't care what this author write, I just know I'm going to be sucked into this book from page one and and until the very last page. Ms. Hoover is a brilliant storyteller and her books will make you feel and live through her characters' eyes! And All Your Perfects just did that.
I felt every emotion, angst and heartbreak that Quinn and Graham go through. But first, let me start out by saying that All Your Perfects had one of the best prologue. I loved it. It's the start of Quinn and Graham's relationship. Jump ahead years later, their marriage begins to crumble, and both being in denial does more damage than good.
I won't spoil their story, because this is a book that will have you rushing through it, because you are dying to know if they ever get a HEA! I love the "NOW" and "THEN" point of views. Getting Graham and Quinn's backstory and then jumping into present, was just so much angst (but good angst!). The ups and downs throughout this entire book had me on edge. My heart broke for different reasons for this couple.
Overall, this book is another fantastic read that proves that on the surface of any relationship or marriage--it may look perfect on the outside, but behind closed doors, people do struggle through life and just trying to stay afloat.
REVIEW: 5 STARS
"My husband's heart is my saving grace, but his physical touch has become my enemy."
This book had all the emotions you could and would normally expect from Colleen Hoover. In the wrong hands, with the wrong words....this plot could have easily become way too commercial - overdone per se, a dramatic ruse to lay it on thick in order to make you feel something. But Colleen's adept use of her words, her balance of humor and wit, mixed with truth and love, she delivered this story with an emotional punch that was gut wrenching. With a journey that was seductively painful, my heart was volleying between heartache and joy. I loved the way she wrote this.
There truly is nothing more fantastic than finding a book you immediately connect with. And true to CoHo style, that's exactly what I got with this one. We already know that Colleen can write an epic romance. I'm sure I've said that a time or two, so this one was honestly no different for me. I know my review won't really stick out in a sea of 5 STAR reviews, but I can definitely tell you how it made me feel. This one worked so well for me. Their emotions, their circumstances, their reality; while it was nothing I have personally dealt with, my heart hurt right alongside theirs. This one was so hard to read, but it was beautifully written.
"At this point, I don't really care how we met. I only care that we met."
We're always so focused on the depth of our own pain; how it hurts or has affected us. Sometimes we are too caught up in our pain that we fail to see the other person's pain. Their struggle. Their questions. It was heartbreaking as I watched this consuming love tumble before me, from something that was so strong and exciting to something on the tragic edge of heartbreak. Colleen did such a good job painting the emotional truths in this story. My heart, it stopped beating a few times...I struggled for breath and the gasps were loud and often. I alternated between swooning over Graham's love and silent pleas for understanding of Quinn's actions. It was hard to reconcile from one chapter to the next, and my heart was caught stammering a few times. I was trying to gain level ground after having a love so perfect, break so. . . .perfectly. I couldn't imagine their sense of desperation, so I wanted to shake it loose. I wanted to scream and say STOP IT!! But I watched in dread as everything slowly faded away, and then I was the one left feeling this unfamiliar sense of loss and desperation.
I love that Colleen's stories are not predictable. If you think about it, she always has a twist - and it's not always for the good. I love that she makes it so true to life for me that I can empathize with the emotions, and I can get mad at the actions, and I can cry with the pain....because it's so real. It's unpredictable, and yet relatable because you can connect with these characters through their troubles and watch as they navigate the unknown. Was I angry at Quinn for her feelings? For her actions? For her selfishness? YES....1000% yes. But the way Colleen spelled out their feelings; the way she brought us into Quinn and Graham's perfect world - little by little, allowing us to fall in love while simultaneously ripping us apart, causing us to suffer right along with them? This allowed a tug of war of sorts with my heart and I loved that aspect of their story. It was laid out perfectly and I enjoyed it so much.
If you follow Colleen anywhere, you see her personality shine in everything she does. Whether it's sarcastic, heartfelt, serious, or crazy, she always has a unique outlook and way of explaining situations. So when she transfers her thoughts into her characters' voices, it makes me see another side to an otherwise open and shut case. I think it was showcased rather brilliantly in this story.
Once again, Colleen has altered my reality and belief on things. She changed the course of my heart. I desperately want to say so much more about this book, but the journey is there to be experienced and if you don't experience it blindly, then you're going to miss out on the buildup. On the growth. On the pain. On the truths.
Hindsight.
Tunnel vision.
Perception.
Any way you look at it, this read was one of reflection and understanding. I may have wanted to shake Quinn a few times, but I couldn't blame her as much as I wanted to. Circumstances delivered harsh realities, and that will change even the strongest of souls. I'm pretty sure I held my breath for the last 20% of this story. I knew there were tears in there, but I fought them....until I could no longer deny them.
"Something so perfect could never become a regret."
~BEE
I'm going to admit right up front that this author's work does not always wow me (don't listen to me though, she has legions of fans that would vehemently disagree!). This one though, hit the mark, and I flew through it in two days! It definitely helped that my interest was piqued by the opening chapter (a specialty for Ms. Hoover) and the issue of infertility (which I struggled with). I enjoyed the way the book was told in alternating chapters of when Quinn and Graham met, and where they are seven to ten years later. The emotions of both main characters were so well written that I could feel them as though I were experiencing them. The issue of motherhood, and why someone is not a mother by a certain age or time after marriage, is such a common stigma (STILL) in society. I hope books like this will cause people to pause before blurting out "when are you going to have a baby?". Quinn's mental health resulting from her infertility was heart breaking, yet it was Graham who I really felt for. He tried so hard to help her, but had no idea how to do it. You will have the whole gamut of feelings while reading this one, and I hope you will be as satisfied as I was with the ending (warning: have tissues handy when the envelopes are opened!). The only real downfall for me was that this falls into the genre of new adult, which is not really my thing. I don't really enjoy all the descriptive sex (which I find to be a trademark of most new adult). I don't consider myself a prude, but I much prefer to use my imagination instead of reading every act. This is my personal pet peeve, and certainly nothing against this book (or the new adult genre).
An important, emotional book about a marriage struggling with infertility that I hope will shed light on the topic of motherhood. This one was well worth the read.
All Your Perfects is a love story that takes in all the marriage vows…for better, for worse, in sickness and in health, etc. Ms. Hoover’s story is of a never-ending love that is pushed to the brink by loss and depression.
All Your Perfects is perfectly told in dual time periods by Quinn. Through her, we see the unlikely start to her relationship with Graham, their over-the-top love, and the painful crumbling of their marriage.
I found Quinn and Graham’s situation painful. They grow distance from avoiding the elephant in the room. The misinterpretations that result from the avoidance are just as heartbreaking as the stupidity that results from the growing distance. Quinn’s perspective made everything feel hopeless. Without Graham’s point of view, their relationship seems doomed.
All Your Perfects is a beautiful story about love, commitment, and the impact of unfulfilled dreams and plans that didn’t work out. At times the book felt too hopeless to continue, but the mystery of the wooden box, and the power it held, kept me engaged. I appreciated the irony of Quinn and Graham’s siblings having the life they envisioned. I didn’t care for the stereotypical relationship Quinn had with her mother, but it was insightful of how Quinn approaches relationships in general. Juxtapose to that is Graham’s relationship with his family, which is built on a foundation of presumed positivity and support. The story culmination is unbelievably powerful in its revelation of Quinn. Another moving, memorable novel from Ms. Hoover, All Your Perfects left me raw, emotional, and ultimately in awe.
“If you only shine light on your flaws, all your perfects will dim.”
All Your Perfects is a wonderfully written insight into marriage; into how life in all its myriad of technicolour can affect us as individuals as well as impact the love, friendship and relationship we have for and with that one significant other. Colleen Hoover writes an honest, touching and heartbreakingly accurate insight into how a devastating reality can make or break the happiness and dreams of two people who love each other fiercely.
‘A lot of people can’t pinpoint the exact moment they fall in love with another person.
I can.
It just happened.’
Quinn and Graham seemingly had it all. A love so strong borne out of meeting under difficult circumstances. Compassion turns into passion. Attraction turns into love. Everything is beautiful, fun and their lives together, just beginning. This is a story of adulting, of facing those life obstacles that throw a spanner into your dreams. Life doesn’t always play out as you wish it to, neither does it discriminate or justify itself. Sometimes what we crave to fulfil a want or an ultimate perceived happiness just never comes to fruition. How we overcome, ‘survive’ and deal individually as well as a couple paves the path for what’s to come as a consequence.
“I miss you, Quinn. So much. You’re right here, but you aren’t. I don’t know where you went or when you left, but I have no idea how to bring you back. I am so alone. We live together. We eat together. We sleep together. But I have never felt more alone in my entire life.”
These characters stole our hearts, they burrowed deep and we laughed alongside them and cried our eyes out for and with them. Colleen Hoover is a master of the written word, she’s proved that once again. She has her own unique way of writing a romance with relevance and truth; where nothing feels apologetic. Graham has a soul that’s truly beautiful and he loves with honesty and intensity. His depth of character was astounding. Yes he has his flaws; but his perfects outshine them. And are they actually flaws or mere desperation? Quinn has lost her way, her identity and her vision. What she craves to fulfil her dreams is out of reach and so everything else fades and a hard non-caring exterior is erected. She never loses sight of her love for Graham though, a love that guides decisions and actions which come from a place of despair and hope that is lost.
‘…it’s hard to admit that a marriage might be over when the love is still there.’
Marriage is not easy; anyone who tells you that marriage is filled with sunshine, rainbows and unicorns is living inside that exact fairy-land they’re describing marriage as. Marriage can be hard on the best of days no matter how filled it is with love, respect and companionship. A marriage can be tested on a daily basis or during those moments when life gives you lemons. What you make of them is the important part for survival. It’s the weathering of the storm, the dancing in the rain and the running for shelter hand in hand that’ll determine whether that storm makes or breaks that bond. A bond that doesn’t necessarily transcribe to a love lost. Merely an inability to find that love underneath the rubble afterwards.
“We’re all full of flaws. Hundreds of them. They’re like tiny holes all over our skin. And like your fortune said, sometimes we shine too much light on our own flaws. But there are some people who try to ignore their own flaws by shining light on other people’s to the point that the other person’s flaw becomes their only focus. They pick at them, little by little, until they rip wide open and that’s all we become to them. One giant, gaping flaw.”
Colleen Hoover writes a story filled with those dreaded sensitive subjects that affect so many of us. More than you’d think. You never know the struggles of another until you’ve walked in their shoes as they say. There are no rose coloured glasses here; rather she’s held a mirror up to real life and as the title suggests; with an emphasis on the fact that we all have flaws. We all have wonderful intentions, altruistic behaviour and beautiful characteristics but we also share the flaws. And as Colleen Hoover so eloquently writes; it’s what you decide to place the most emphasis on that’ll truly shine and guide how you live, how you feel, how you act and how you chose to treat others.
“If this is what our marriage is…if this is all it will ever be…just me and you…will that be enough? Am I enough for you, Quinn?”
This story was raw, highly emotional and so incredibly soulful whilst filled with angst and breaking hearts. It’s a story of love and remembering what love is and how to find -the happy- again focusing on all the perfects.
“I have loved you every single second of every day since the moment I laid eyes on you. I love you more now than I did the day I married you. I love you Quinn. I fucking love you!”
Colleen Hoover has done it again: another amazing book that had me hooked from page one!
I didn’t think I could ever love a Colleen Hoover book as much as I love Confess, but All Your Perfects is my new favorite.
Something I love about Colleen’s books is how real, raw and flawed her characters are. Romance books have a tendency to bring all these perfect characters who have some challenges, but once they get together their relationship is perfect forever (which I’m good with, I love books like that as well!), but it’s definitely not what All Your Perfects is about.
Relationships aren’t like Disney movies, so All Your Perfects really spoke to me for being such an accurate portrait of them. Hoover’s ability of bringing characters to life was stronger than ever in this book and I believe it’s something anyone who’s ever been in a long term relationship will be able to relate to. It’s impossible not to sympathize with the characters even when you want to hate them.
All Your Perfects is told in the present and in flashbacks from the beginning of Graham and Quinn’s relationship. They first meet in what feels at the time, like the worst moment of both their lives and their connection is evident from day one. In the present, they still love each other deeply, but life as a couple isn’t so easy for them anymore. As they dance around the D word, they have to start asking themselves whether love is really enough, how much they’re still willing to fight for each other or whether sometimes you just have to let go and move on.
All Your Perfects is a beautiful, heartbreaking tale of true love and the challenges it can bring couples throughout the years. It’ll make you feel all the things and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Five stars out of five for me.
“The problem is, love and happiness are not concordant. One can exist without the other.”
All Your Perfects is a book that made me feel every emotion in the world. It broke me, and it healed me, and it made me not feel so lonely. I wanted to hug my iPad, and throw my iPad. I wanted to give it five stars, and I wanted to give it one star. I swear, this book made me feel everything. And even though I had problems with some of the content, I still think this book is super important. And the subject matter of this book is something I’ve never read about before, and it’s a topic that we need to be normalizing and start discussing more.
I’m going to put the trigger and content warnings below this paragraph! But if you want to go into this book completely blind, like many of Colleen Hoover’s readers do, please do not read my review. Plus, honestly? If you don’t have any triggers, it probably is best to go into this book blind. I won’t post any spoilers about the events of this book, but the rest of my review will talk about what this book is centered around.
“Our marriage didn’t collapse. It didn’t suddenly fall apart. It’s been a much slower process. It’s been dwindling, if you will. I’m not even sure who is most at fault.”
Trigger and content warnings for: infertility, miscarrying, depression, grief, cheating, loss of a loved one in the past, abuse, a self-harm scene involving cutting with glass, and a really gross comment about how stay at home moms are looked at as bad because of “feminism and all that”, and another really questionable paragraph about how therapy/therapists aren’t helpful for the main character that I felt was done really poorly.
All Your Perfects is a hard-hitting book about a topic I’ve never read about before; infertility. And this book is told in alternating chapters, from past and present, where we see a couple fall in love, but we also get to see their marriage break apart because they cannot become parents. We get to see the guilt, the grief, the depression, and all the other dark things in between. This is a hard book to read, so please use caution going in.
Full disclosure, as I get older and older, I think about wanting to become a mother more and more. I know that our world and the society we live in also enforces that we should become “younger mothers” and gross things like that, but on top of this added pressure I also feel like my clock is ticking because many of my family members have had to have hysterectomies as result of a hereditary health issue. And the older I get, the more and more I can almost hear that clock ticking. When I was younger, I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to have kids, but more and more I think it is something I want in my life. So, needless to say, this book hit me very hard and had me really introspecting my thoughts and feelings after every page.
“It’s funny how you can be so happy with someone and love them so much, it creates an underlying sense of fear in you that you never knew before them. The fear of losing them. The fear of them getting hurt. I imagine that’s what it’s like when you have children. It’s probably the most incredible kind of love you’ll ever know, but it’s also the most terrifying.”
And the juxtaposition of seeing Quinn and Graham when they meet in the most fated meeting of all time, to their marriage completely falling apart because they both feel so much guilt, makes for a reading experience I don’t even have words for. Side note: CoHo writes the best first chapters in existence. Every one is a mini masterpiece that completely draws the reader in and enthralls and captures them, and All Your Perfects was no exception.
I easily and effortlessly fell in love with Quinn. Everything she was going through, and the way that CoHo wrote about it, felt like such an accurate depiction of depression. I felt for her constantly and my heart is still filled with so much empathy for this fictional character.
Graham, on the other hand, was much harder for me to fall for. And even though some of his actions were really beautiful and selfless, I never fully loved him because some of his other actions were so nasty and selfish. And I get it, we are all human, we all make mistakes and do bad things sometimes, but it his mistakes just prevented me from ever fully rooting for him. Graham does some really abusive stuff in this book that is never told like it’s abuse, too.
But seeing these two main characters stories weave and unweave together, apart, and sometimes a weird mixture of the two, made for a really unique reading experience, and one that I thoroughly enjoyed while reading. I know CoHo isn’t for everyone, but her writing always completely captivates me.
“I wish I could say I’m sorry for wanting a baby more than I want him. But that wouldn’t help, because it would be a lie. I’m not sorry.”
My favorite thing about this book is the discussion about how heavy of an emphasis we put on women to have children, especially women that are getting older, and women that are married, but still without kids. I mean, I’m not sure about you all but all the adds that pop up on my Facebook and Twitter? They are all for pregnancy and/or children things. Quinn literally deletes all social media in this book because of her mental health from the constant pressure it put on her. And that’s something we don’t talk about as a society either. Plus, how we perceive woman are inherently broken if they can’t, or choose not to, birth children. From sexualizing wide hips and big breasts, to a million other things that inherently mean “motherhood” is something so ingrained in our society, but so taboo to speak about. This book really made me step back and think, and feel, and reflect. And that’s something that normal romance books never do.
Overall, this was just like all of the rest of Colleen Hoover’s books, whether I love them or hate them, I can’t put them down. I read this in two sittings, mostly while crying my eyes out, but nothing could stop me from flipping the pages. And again, this topic was really close to my heart and something I think about a lot. I implore you all to use caution when picking this book up, but I also implore you all to do so.
“If you only shine light on your flaws, all your perfects will dim.”
All Your Perfects is a clever title that is explained early on in the novel so I won't spoil that. The book is about a couple - how they meet, how a relationship develops and how they deal with what life has in store for them. Its a very emotional read that, depending on the reader's life experience, will impact readers to varying degrees. With themes of infertility and infidelity (to name just two) there's a lot to add to the emotional intensity of the novel. I think fans of Colleen Hoover will get what they expect from her latest novel.
Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for my free galley.
Every. Prefect. Star!!! Have you ever read a book that touched you in such a profound, almost soul crushing way? Where you didn’t want to keep reading because it hurt so much, but couldn’t stop yourself from reading at the same time? That’s been me from the moment I started reading ALL YOUR PERFECTS by Colleen Hovoer.
It’s heartbreaking and devastatingly relatable for me. For so many paragraphs and pages I felt like Colleen had dug into my head and pulled my thoughts, feelings and experiences straight out of it then put them to paper. I sent pictures of some of the pages to my friends and they asked me “WHY ARE YOU READING THAT” knowing how much it would hurt me. There were many times when I felt like it was too much and that I didn't think I could keep reading. But I couldn’t seem to stop myself from continuing.
I’m not a fan of trigger warnings so I'm not going to state what the trigger is, just that there is one. I personally like to go into Colleen’s books blind. I almost never even read her synopsis before starting a book. Even if I had read this one, it wouldn’t have prepared me for what I was about to go through. I will say this, anyone who has been married for more than just a few years will be able to relate to this story. Regardless of whether you've been through this couples particular turmoil.
Colleen has written one of the most beautiful and important stories that I’ll ever read. I feel that this story needed to be told and I wouldn’t have trusted anyone else to do it justice. It was real and raw and everything I needed but didn’t want to read. I’ve lived this life, so thank you for writing about (spoiler) and doing it right!
This was a quick read that kept me interested and hooked into the characters’ stories from the very beginning. I really liked how the relationship was revealed throughout the novel through flashbacks and the present. The fact that this book focused almost completely on the thoughts/voices/stories of the two main characters made me feel highly connected to both main characters. I will absolutely recommend this novel. I think it can be a positive light for anyone in a relationship, it deals with the raw, real elements of life and marriage in a way that is both heartbreaking and healing.
I absolutely loved this book and this couple. Colleen Hoover is a brilliant writer and in this story she truly captures that emotional relationship of a couple dealing with fertility issues and the strain that time can take on a relationship. Told in alternating time lines, the reader gets to watch this couple, Quinn and Grahman, who are falling apart in the present, fall in love in the past. She leaves you rooting for them, and hoping that they will survive the pain they are facing. I adored this story and I feel that this is one of the best books I have ever read by Hoover ( and I'm a huge fan)! Thank you for writing a story that really understands that way that time can impact a relationship and that hope and love are important ingredients in a relationship. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
I read Colleen Hoover in her early years as a writer and somehow moved away from her work. After reading All Your Perfects, I plan on catching all of Hoover's books I have missed! This is one of the best books I have read in a long time.
In Graham and Quinn, Hoover develops a couple who truly loves one another. Even though they meet in the most turbulent of situations, they find each other as if it is fate. I fell in love with them, as characters, immediately. When they begin to have problems in their relationship, which is the focus of the story, I rooted for them even though it was clear they were both making mistakes.
This book is so well written that the reader feels what the characters feel and truly wants them to find their way back to one another. I simply couldn't put it down. Add this to your must-read list this summer.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this amazing ARC.
All. The. Feels.
Oh my heart took a bit of a punch with this one. Not only did the main focus deal with something personal to me, so all the feels Quinn was going through were real to me. Took me back in time for a bit.
My heart was not only breaking for Quinn, but for Graham as well. You can see he is trying to keep his marriage together, you can tell he loves Quinn. It's hard to see the love she has for him as her sole focus was on something else and I kept wondering if all the damage she was doing for her end goal would be worth it in the end if she lost her marriage in the process. How did she think she could get it back to where it was before the spiral if she did zero work to help keep it.
There was a time I truly was pissed at the way the characters went, but was happy to have them come back. The letter portion was so amazingly heart-breakingly good.
I couldn't see how Quinn could overlook what Graham had done so quickly. I know I couldn't, even if my head was so far gone. I just couldn't overlook that.
Man. I finished this book in under 3 hours, at around 2:30 in the morning. I haven’t consumed a CoHo book so quickly since Maybe Someday. It was a shock to me. I didn’t expect to be as invested as I was.
I don’t really ‘do’ women’s fiction. Probably because I don’t connect to the characters. I’m unmarried, childless, etc. So it’s almost impossible for me to attempt to relate to or understand the trials and tribulations the people in these stories go through. Most often, I’ll shelve books in this category under the “no thank you” file and move on. But, this is Colleen Hoover. And even if I haven’t loved every book she’s published, I think she’s a brilliant writer and at the end of the day, I will always give her stories a chance.
Up until this point, I could easily rank my favorite Colleen books:
1) Maybe Someday (impossible to be dethroned)
2) Hopeless
3) Losing Hope
4) Maybe Not
5) Finding Cinderella
I knew 100%, without a doubt that I may enjoy All Your Perfects well enough. But I was confident I’d probably rank it somewhere with the others.
I’ve had this eARC on my Kindle for weeks. WEEKS. Why? See above. Add to that an insanely long and rough book slump. Plus, the idea of a book about a failing marriage. Ew. No. So it sat. And then finally last night, I figured, “What the hell? I can’t sleep. I’ll just try a bunch of books until I pass out.” And then Quinn started speaking and I was hooked.
All Your Perfects has all of the elements of a Hoover story. Humor, adorable romance, quirky elements, etc. And, my favorite part: her lead men. This is what she does best. She doesn’t write the typical romance bad boys, billionaires, rock stars, or other cliche roles. No. She makes a man in an average/decent job desirable. She turned a fucking accountant into top book boyfriend/husband material.
But at its heart, this story is gut-wrenching. Heartbreaking. Emotionally exhausting. I can’t go in depth about what exactly has brought Quinn and Graham’s marriage to the damaged state it currently resides in without spoiling essentially everything. Just know that it’s refreshing to see an author tackle aspects that others don’t understand, experience, or sometimes even speak of. It’s truly eye-opening, especially for someone like myself. In no way is this an easy read. My heart was in my throat from beginning to end. I was sad. I was angry. And there was one or two parts that ALMOST got me to cry. I felt like I knew Graham and Quinn. I felt like I was part of their lives. The story alternates between past and present, so you get to watch them fall in love. And then you watch as their relationship continues to fall apart. I think that’s exactly why it hit me so hard. There are ups and downs. The past seems perfect and happy, so the reader is uplifted. Then it shifts to present day and the melancholy tone is enough to break your own heart. Back and forth this goes until you are tempted to skip to the end to see just how Hoover chose to end their tale. (I didn’t but I wanted to a number of times!) I’ve always admired Colleen’s gift of writing characters with minimal physical descriptions, but with so much personality that you cannot help but see them as real beings. She has brought Quinn and Graham to life and I’m positive I’ll never forget them.
I plan to reread this soon. Once I manage to process it all. But this time, I kind of want to read the past chapters first. Then, go back and read the present day ones. Obviously I’ll never know for sure, but I’m curious to see if the impact is different being read chronologically.
To say I enjoyed and loved this story is an understatement. With All Your Perfects, Colleen Hoover has made the imperfect beautiful. Her readers will once again appreciate that she’s created characters they can relate to. She proves that happiness can be achieved even if we aren’t able to complete the ‘perfect’ life we’d envisioned for ourselves. I forgot to mention until right now that this has become my all-time favorite CoHo novel. Ridge and Sydney have finally been dethroned.
I loved every single word in this book. It completely broke my heart to go through Quinn and Graham's issues with them, as if I were the one feeling all the feelings. Colleen Hoover is one amazing bizotch.