Review: Confess by Colleen Hoover

Title: Confess
Author: Colleen Hoover
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: 10th March 2015
Pages: 320
Book Source: Simon & Schuster AU

Synopsis: Auburn Reed has her entire life mapped out. Her goals are in sight and there’s no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to find a deep attraction to the enigmatic artist who works there, Owen Gentry.

For once, Auburn takes a risk and puts her heart in control, only to discover Owen is keeping major secrets from coming out. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything important to Auburn, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it.

The last thing Owen wants is to lose Auburn, but he can’t seem to convince her that truth is sometimes as subjective as art. All he would have to do to save their relationship is confess. But in this case, the confession could be much more destructive than the actual sin… 

My Thoughts:

I confess to a little case of Colleen Hoover insta-love after I succumbed to my friend Karen's nagging and read Maybe Someday. I meant to jump straight into Ugly Love but you know best laid plans and all that. So ... Confess 

"The confessions you read within this novel are true confessions, submitted anonymously by readers. This book is dedicated to all of you who found the courage to share them." 

What a dedication. Doesn't that just grab you and suck you right in?? I loved this unique aspect. And it's not just the confessions. In Maybe Someday it was music, in Confess it's the art. 

Owen Mason Gentry (OMG ... HA) is a local artist whose paintings are inspired by anonymous confessions. Auburn answers a 'help wanted' ad in his studio window. I liked them both, I felt the chemistry sparking between them and their growing connection. That doesn't mean I liked everything about them, at times I wanted to slap Auburn for her lack of backbone but I also felt for her and the awful position she'd been manipulated into.

Who else ... Auburn's flatmate Emory was weirdly awesome, a real bad-ass, she needs her own book. Trey, what an asshat, I'd have cheered if he'd been hit by a bus. And Trey's mother ... two-for-one. Confession: I have zero tolerance for abusive manipulators (can you tell??)

Confess includes original artwork by Danny O’Connor and it is beautiful! Check it out here. It defines Owen and provides intimacy between Owen and Auburn, it's a beautiful vehicle for emotion and communication and gives the story added depth.

The only thing that annoyed me was the whore/slut self-talk. I really wish Colleen Hoover wouldn't do that. Is that just my age showing? Whatever, it's so unnecessary. And Trey ... where's that bus? 

Once again CoHo's writing is highly addictive ... real, sensitive and intensely emotional. Confess is hard to describe, it's not just a love story, it's multi-faceted ... love, loss, strength and courage, sacrifice, self awareness and second chances. 

Lucky for me Ugly Love awaits ... time to feed the addiction. 

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