Regretting You

by Colleen Hoover

From #1 New York Times bestselling author of It Ends with Us comes a novel about family, first love, grief, and betrayal that will touch the hearts of both mothers and daughters.

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.

• ISBN10: 1542016428
• ISBN13: 9781542016421
• Publish Date: 10 December 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Montlake
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 366
• Language: English

Reviews

[Molly J(Cover To Cover Cafe)]

Holy Hell. The Queen has done it again. I'm talking about ALL THE MOTHERFUDGING FEELS. From smiles, to tears, to anger and back again, this mother/daughter relationship story is perfectly written in every way. It made me long for my own mother to still be here so I could hug and tell her thank you for all she did for me and wanting the best for me.

The characters in this story are fan-friggin-tastic. Hoover chiseled them with so much realism, with so much emotion, with so much perfection. I fell in love with Clara, seeing myself as a teenager in her, with Morgan, seeing so much of my own mother in her, with Jonah, hello, Hoover, thank you for THAT book boyfriend, with Miles, can I kiss him and marry Jonah, and even with Chris. The secrets, the pain, the love.....all of it made this book the best one I read in 2019.

If you've never been introduced to Colleen Hoover's work before, grab this one. You'll want a box of Kleenex with you, and maybe even a bottle of whiskey to chase the pain away. It's beyond just a simple recommendation. It's an amazing novel that will leave you breathless and wanting more. Once again, Hoover has created a magnificent novel that will suck your soul right out of your body and hold it captive long after the last page is read.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, Publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*

[anastasia]

this was incredible

[liz089]

Loved it. Great characters, good story, lots of feelings.

[Linda]

Beautifully written!
Heart-wrenching.
(Yes, my heart literally hurts right now!)
Amazing fictional mom.
Dramatic but realistic teen daughter.
Heartache.
CoHo totally did it again!

2nd time reading:
Yeah, I still stand by what I wrote above. I think this is CoHo's BEST. I have so many sections highlighted because this story is so profound, and so beautiful.

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

4.5 stars

This book left me breathless. This is my fourth time reading Hoover, and she is a word maestro. Her stories, which I have read so far, elicited a wide range of emotions, which varied from screaming, crying, laughing and smiling. Her latest novel Regretting You had the same effect.

The story started out with a glimpse in the lives of four teenagers two of whom were related by blood. They appeared to be happy, but things were not as they seem. A life-changing event occurred that changes the whole dynamics of their relationship. Fast-forward seventeen years later, two of the four teens, Morgan and Chris were married and they have a daughter named Clara. Everything thing appeared to be going well, but then tragedy struck and Morgan and Clara’s life would be forever changed.

One moment I wanted to scream at Morgan and Clara and next I found myself sympathizing with their plight. Morgan refuses to be forthright with her daughter, and Clara’s rebellious streak reared its ugly head. This led to a breakdown in their relationship. Their actions, however, were a product of the tragedy that had invaded their lives. The situations they faced daily proved more than they could handle and they ended up making choices, which hurt each other.

Told from alternate POVs the story propelled me into the minds of Clara and Morgan. Their pain resonated within me, which allowed me to understand the reasoning behind their actions, not that I agreed with them all.

The author introduced an element of romance, which I enjoyed watching develop. However, I took issue with Clara’s actions in navigating her new relationship. There was one particular thing she did that made me angry, all because she wanted to get back at her mother. I found her actions irrational and irresponsible. Regarding Morgan’s relationship, I am glad she got her second chance.

Morgan was the epitome of what a good mother should be. Everything she did was out of love for Clara. She sacrificed her happiness to ensure that her daughter never made the mistakes she did.

Conclusion/Recommendation
Regretting You is a poignant story of infidelity, betrayal, grief, sacrifices, love, healing, forgiveness, honesty, friendships and family. It was beautifully written and one I would recommend to adults and young adults.

[Lynn]

3.5 stars

This novel is reminiscent of the author's Hopeless novels, specifically when the narrative focuses on Clara's point of view. Unfortunately, this observation didn't warm to this story in the way Sky and Dean's did. 

Coho loves to surprise her readers and this novel falls into this category. The twists and turns were a mix of unexpected and anticipated making the narrative fascinating. Morgan doesn't want her daughter to end up how she did at the same age. Clara has her own views on what she wants to do with her life, therefore it's an explosive scenario waiting to blow up in their faces. Only the fallout has a much wider impact as lies and deception are revealed. 

While the plot threads kept me entertained and interested, the dialogue let the side down for me. There's only so much teenage petulance I could stand and Clara's behaviour became rather boring in a repetitive way. Her immaturity shines through unlike Miller, who is more grounded for his age. 

For me, the outstanding characters are the male supporting ones rather than the female protagonists. Miller is mature far beyond his years and Jonah is a caring, compassionate man. I liked how they both manage to defuse volatile situations because of their ability to see issues from many angles, unlike the females. As mother and daughter, Morgan and Clara are poor communicators especially between themselves so it's not surprising the pair clash. Thankfully, there comes a time when the dust has settled and everyone moves forward with more insight and understanding. 

I've always found the author's sense of humour rather strange so the final chapter and ending made my eyes roll. If it's supposed to be funny, it sadly missed the mark with me. However, one or two incidents within the novel which did make me laugh, lifting the overall atmosphere. 

Overall, a soundly written and solid novel. Those familiar with Ms Hoover's book will love Regretting You however, it failed to hit the spot for me enough to elevate it to a higher star rating. 

***arc generously received courtesy of Montlake Romance via NetGalley***

[Cocktails and Books]

I don’t know how she does it, but Colleen Hoover can jump between genres and give a masterful story. Morgan and Clara’s story wasn’t easy, but the author does it with perfection.

[kimbacaffeinate]

The story centers on Morgan Grant and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Clara. Hoover’s characters become real to the reader and you’ll connect emotionally and think about them long after you’ve finished their story.

We briefly learn about Morgan as a teen. Meet her friends, then boyfriend, now husband and sister before fast-forwarding to present day and Morgan’s birthday party.

Hoover gives us both Clara and Morgan’s perspectives as Clara navigates a new relationship and both mother and daughter enter unchartered waters when their lives are thrown of course. Old friends, secrets, misunderstands, resentment, truths and more unfold.

While the story only offers us a brief glimpse into the lives of Clara and Morgan, Hoover offers depth, insight and such raw emotions. She allowed me not only to connect to Morgan but also to Clara and to understand this young woman’s actions and emotions.

Regretting You touches on love, healing, faith, family, truth, and forgiveness. It was beautifully done. This is a book I would gift my daughter, a friend or a colleague. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer