★★★☆☆
Fallon and Ben meet on November 9th, the day before Fallon is scheduled to move from Los Angeles to New York City. Despite an instant connection, they are both in a place, especially Fallon, where it doesn’t make sense to be together. The two hatch a plan to go “no contact” except for reuniting on the anniversary of the day they met for the next five years, giving each other the freedom to pursue their dreams without feeling like they are holding each other back.
I liked this one better than my most recent Hoover read, Without Merit, but it doesn’t rank up there on the level of Ugly Love or Verity. It had many elements I typically enjoy about Hoover’s books – an interesting premise, a unique first meeting between the love interests, and several memorable lines about falling in love.
Among the quotes I noted in this one: “When you find love, you take it. You grab it with both hands and do everything in your power not to let it go.” Another one I paused to write down: “You deserve more than a secondhand I love you.”
However, there were a few things that annoyed me about November 9. Ben wasn’t my favorite character – he came across as phony and a tad overbearing, like when he insisted on Fallon wearing a dress he picked out to dinner because he was paying. Umm, no. Not cool.
Another thing that bugged me about November 9 was the “twist” it took. It was unnecessary and, for the first time, resulted in me not rooting for a love connection. The premise was interesting, but instead of being shocking and unexpected, the execution seemed lazy.
Even with these flaws, I’m still a die-hard CoHort. CoHo can count on me to continue making my way through all of her books.
For more reviews of books by Colleen Hoover, check out the Colleen Hoover category linked here.