User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
“I love you more in this moment than any moment that has come before it.” 
This book was a raw and emotional reminder of why I read romance. It reminded me of the small magic within the big hardships we conquer for love. This speed-train of a novel hit me hard enough for it to become one if not the best of my reads this year. All Your Perfects acted very slowly like a vice on my heart and before I knew it - it had taken it and shattered it. I shall now write a resemblance of a review whilst picking up the pieces.
“If you only shine light on your flaws, all your perfects will dim.”
“I’m a grammar snob. It should be your perfections.”
“That’s what makes me like it. The one word they misuse is perfects. Kind of ironic.”
________________
The Story Emotional whiplash, Ms. Hoover. That is what awaits every single person that picks up this book you've created.
I'm still crying. I finished this book at 4:06 in the morning and I'm still sitting here re-reading some of the paragraphs and sobbing to myself. I don't think I have ever
not regretted reading a book like this one. (Sorry for the double negative, it's one of those days, bear with me)
I don't plan on writing a small ass summary of what this book is about or a blurb. I can't, because nothing I can possibly write will do it justice. I also recommend going into this one blind. Let it hit you full force, you may be on the ground for the next couple of days - but I guarantee you, it's worth it. At least it is for me.
" Sometimes I look at him and feel such an overwhelming appreciation for him, I almost want to write thank-you notes to our exes."
Sometimes, I think I appreciate Colleen Hoover when she marries the romance genre with sensitive and usually, skirted upon topics within literature. This very rarely is approached in today's writer society and so, it's colossal in it's results.
I don’t five star often. In fact, those of you on here that are accustomed to my reviews know that it literally psychically hurts me to five star a book. That book would have affected me in such a way that every time I go back to loving it, there would be that familiar sting of worship. Not because I hate loving books, but because to me that last star is the seal of perfection. That last star means that I would take that book into fresh hell and back and still hold it like it’s everything beautiful in life. And near nothing - not even Shakespeare wrote perfection.
I’ve also found that every book has many little imperfections. The Old Bard of Avon included in this, but it’s about how all those tiny little imperfections (this metaphor is becoming very rhythmic with this book’s title) wrap up to
make it perfect. That’s that last star - in a world where nothing can be perfect, that last star is handed to how beautiful an author can execute it's imperfections.
"I recently concluded that there’s no other explanation for how you and I could end up on the same planet, in the same species, in the same century, in the same country, in the same state, in the same town, in the same hallway, in front of the same door for the same reason at the exact same time. If God didn’t believe in me, then I’d have to believe you were just a coincidence. And you being a coincidence in my life is a lot harder for me to fathom than the mere existence of a higher power.”
The Romance 
Here's where I think Colleen Hoover will win and lose some readers with this book:
It's real.
It. Is. So.
Real.And in reality, happily ever afters don't come by the kilogram.
"If a scientist could figure out how to align the heart with the brain, there would be very little agony left in the world."
The focus of this book was partly infertility. However, in my opinion - I think it was more so
hope. It was inextricably embedded with every chapter. Hope is a fucking horrible thing that humans feel. Even more so, when there's nothing you can do to help you get what you are hopeful for.
This love that Graham and Quinn shared was messy, beautiful and absolutely filled to the damn brim with hope. Their story showed an ugly truth to life, that hope isn't always something to lean on, rather something to keep close. There were some aspects in this book that I will talk about in the next section, only because I'm making everything above that last section spoiler free.
I thought this story was chemical, it broke my heart in the best way and as much as I hurt - I didn't want it to end. I didn't want to leave Quinn and Graham. I wanted to see every detail of what their lives would turn out to be.
“What’s the secret to such a perfect marriage?” The old man leaned forward and looked at me very seriously. “Our marriage hasn’t been perfect. No marriage is perfect. There were times when she gave up on us. There were even more times when I gave up on us. The secret to our longevity is that we never gave up at the same time.”
Trigger Warnings [Please Do Not Read This Section If You Don't Want To Be Spoiled For The Book]
There are a lot with this one. Some blatantly obvious, and some hidden under the surface:
-Grief
-Self Harm
-Infertility
-Infidelity
-Anxiety
-Miscarriage
-Self Hate
I want to address one of the above that links to all of the above.
The CheatingCheating in romance books are a hard pass for me and very rarely do I overlook it, unless the character walks away from whoever they have been cheated by. Because THAT is a good role modeling system for any young people that decide to read this book. I would hate for younger me to read a book where one of the MC forgives the other for cheating on them.
Yet, here I am - giving this book five stars.
This is not a bash on anyone that disliked this book because of this, nor does this in any way make your opinion inconsistent. We all feel differently when we read, and that's one of the most beautiful things about reading.
All this is, is an explanation.
Please note: Cheating is never justified. (view spoiler)
[
1) When we find out that Graham cheats on Quinn with a girl from work named Andrea. “I never slept with her, Quinn. We just . . . it never got that far. I swear.” He kissed her two work days, and only told Quinn because she found out.
2) Quinn DOES NOT make any excuses to justify his action. "He didn’t sleep with her? Does that make a difference? Does it hurt less? No. Does it make me less angry at him? No. Not even a little bit. The fact is, Graham was intimate with another woman. It wouldn’t matter if that consisted of a conversation, a kiss, or a three-day fuck-a-thon. Betrayal hurts the same on any level when it’s your husband doing the betraying."
3) Graham gives a false reason as to why he did it, which he later on told Quinn the truth in his letter. His initial reason was "the whole time I had my eyes closed, I pretended it was you.”.
4) Quinn ONCE AGAIN did not make any excuses for him and called him out on his bullshit.
“So it’s my fault? Is that what you’re saying?” I turn my whole body toward him in my seat. “You don’t get the attention you want from me, so you find someone who reminds you of me? I guess as long as you pretend it’s your wife, it shouldn’t count.” I roll my eyes and fall back against my seat.
5) Ater Grahams explanation of why HE fucked up and his address that their marriage is collapsing in that house, we hear this “I am not blaming you for what I did. It’s my fault. It’s my fault. I did that. I fucked up. But I didn’t fuck up because I was attracted to her. I fucked up because I miss you. Every day, I miss you.
6) Quinn ONCE AGAIN calls bullshit stating that even through her depression and grief and infertility - "a good husband loves his wife through the good and the bad times. A good husband stands at his wife’s side through sickness and health, Graham. A good husband—a husband who truly loves his wife—wouldn’t cheat on her and then blame his infidelity on the fact that he’s lonely.”
7) Later on we find out why Quinn forgives him and she clearly states "The reason HE allowed himself to fuck up is because he gave up on us."
I am not in anyway justifying infidelity, because even in this case it was hard for me to get over. But what let me get over it was the fact that even the book didn't justify it. Sure, Quinn may not blame him - but the author opens up account for US to blame him. Additionally, for Graham to blame him. Through the love we see that he shines on Quinn is beautiful and magical - until it's not. But that's life. Cheating happens in life, but justifying never should.
We get Quinn's depressive state and her self hate through her not blaming Graham. She is so broken at the time that she understands why he did it. I understand why he did it. That does not in any which way make it okay. She forgives him because his infidelity is one of the lesser evils in their whole clusterfuck scenario. Yet, she know's it's him that fucked up and not her.
(hide spoiler)] “You say that like marriage is a Category 5 hurricane.” “Not all the time. But I definitely think there are Category 5 moments in every marriage.”
Rating: really liked it
"When you meet someone who is good for you, they won't fill you with insecurities by focusing on your flaws. They'll fill you with inspiration, because they'll focus on all the best parts of you."I'm going to take a moment here to state upfront how raw this review will be, because this book focused on a subject that has made my heart both hard and tender over the years- infertility. I put off reading this book until the last second before a review was needed (I'm so sorry if I made you nervous Ariele!) because I was unsure of how it would affect me. Would it put me in a funky reading slump? The short answer is no, it didn't, and I'm 100% glad I took a chance on reading
All Your Perfects, because I have never consumed a novel that felt so intimately crafted toward myself as a reader before.
"If you only shine light on your flaws, all your perfects will dim."My intent is not to make this review all about me, but about the book, so if you want to discuss anything regarding mine and my family's personal journey (or need someone to talk to about your own), please feel free to send me a private message and I would be glad to do so. Regarding the format of the novel, I was grateful that Hoover chose to have the story unfold via alternating past and present tenses; we learn from the past how Quinn and Graham met and came to the point they are in present time, while also getting an inside glimpse into their current fragile situation. The present day tense, while excellent and beyond well done, was extremely emotional to read, and just as I would get to the place where I felt like I couldn't breathe, Colleen would switch gears to a happier time and I eased into a more comfortable state. Guys, I can't express enough how unique of a reading experience this created. For those readers who have been through a similar journey, or may be going through it now, this story is crafted in such a way that it is sensitive to those hurting while acknowledging that pain and giving it the validation and understanding it deserves.
I don't want to give anything away, so I won't go into plot specifics, but it goes way below surface level and discusses a myriad of issues and concerns that people deal with on the journey through infertility (or just fertility issues in general). All the insensitive comments of well meaning people, the guilty internal struggle when everyone around you is having babies, the expense that comes along with pricey fertility treatments that may or may not work, and the mental health decline as you pull out of yourself and get lost in a downward spiral of depression and self-deprecation is all touched on. Before you shake your angray fist and scream "But what about adoption!", don't worry, that's discussed as well. I found myself crying throughout almost the entire book, but especially during those moments that felt carved from my very being and placed into Quinn and Graham's narrative. I remember those nights when Mr. Humphrey (bless him, he really is the best) would hold me close and tell me that I was enough and that he wouldn't give up on us. That moment in the story where the old man tells Quinn that the secret to a long happy marriage is for both spouses to never give up at the same time is SO true, and it broke me to read that after living it.
I'm grasping at straws here, because I don't know what to say to convince you to read this book.
Did I say enough? Did I mention all the right things? It could be that this book was so special to me because it was personal on many levels, so maybe it won't speak to you in the same way that it did me, but I have a feeling that
All Your Perfects will give many readers a similarly satisfying experience as I had. The sign of an excellent read is when it challenges you while draining you physically and emotionally, and I haven't quite felt this way since I read
It Ends With Us back in the day. Maybe one day I'll get the chance to meet CoHo in person and let her know just how grateful I am that she put pen to paper and brought the shame associated with infertility out of the darkness and is taking a stand against removing the stigma associated with it. If you are hurting and you feel it isn't the right time to pick this one up, trust me,
I get it. However, if you do choose to read it, I'll be right here and offer a virtual shoulder to cry on if and when you need it. <3
*Review copy provided via the publisher.
Rating: really liked it
To the author and any reviewer who justified hero’s cheating, blaming it on heroine:
Has it occurred to ANY of you that she was going through depression???
And he was SUCH a good guy and loved her SO much that instead of realising the love of his life is clinically depressed he cheats on her and then justifies this by claiming he was thinking of HER all the time.
Did she blame him for her miscarriage? No. She rather told him it’s not his fault. Did he return the courtesy and told her HIS cheating was not her fault? No. He blamed her for HIS weakness.
She lied to him about sickness? Anyone stopped and thought may be she’s NOT lying but she really is mentally sick? Instead of getting her help he cheats and everyone is blaming her and excusing him???
It is unforgivable to cheat on someone. And to cheat and abandon your spouse in illness??? NOTHING can redeem you.
I’m the residential bitch here, but I solemnly pray all of you who support this BS, never come to a hard time in your life when you go into depression and then get blamed for it and get abandon and betrayed by your spouse. That would be the only way you’d know what the heroine was feeling, but honest to God, no one deserves it.
Disclaimer: I HAVE read this book. So my judgement is as valid as any of yours. I was polite enough not to rate this one star like it deserves, however that changes now.
Also people who felt the need to personally tell me to read this book first: 1) reading the book didn’t change my perspective of cheating, 2) It didn’t make the it suddenly NOT cheating and 3) it didn’t make the author’s and most readers callous treatment and attitudes towards mental illness and depression any less callous.
Peace out!
Rating: really liked it
SPOILERS AHEAD -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
The guy is a cheater and the book is 300 pages of angst, depression, sadness and betrayal and everything gets “solved” in the last 20 pages lol ok
Ps - Question time : Can Colleen Hoover write a book where the main character doesn’t go trough something traumatic and/or suffers through the entire book ????? because in ugly love the guys treats the heroine like absolutely shit and in the end he realizes that he’s actually in love with her (so romantic, especially when he calls her his ex’s name in the middle of sex #goals), in November 9 the mc is a burn victim (I think, I tried to block that awful book out) and she falls for the guy that was involved in her accident, in another book the heroine is an abusive relationship ... She’s constantly writing the same book with a different problem, it goes like this the heroine has a problem(infertility/abusive relationship/ deeply insecurity, then a guy come to rescue, they can’t be together(they can but they have to suffer so it’s more #romantic), angst for pages, then everything is solved in the last few pages and happily ever after, there you go!!! you have a cliche, basic af Colleen Hoover book, Congrats !!! #killme
Rating: really liked it
“I used to be fine when I was alone. But now that I have you, I’m lonely when I’m alone.”
“What's the secret to a perfect marriage?'
'Our marriage hasn't been perfect. No marriage is perfect. There were times when she gave up on us. There were even more times when I gave up on us. The secret to our longevity is that we never gave up at the same time.”
Rating: really liked it
I changed my mind about writing a review about this book and decided write an open letter to Colho!
Dear Colho,
Firstly I’m so sorry that I gave five stars to your book. If goodreads application let me borrow five more stars to give this book, I happily do that!
Secondly thanks for nothing because I’m looking like an alien with blotchy face, red eyes, streaked makeup ( thankfully I’m living in L.A. and most women with extra Botoxed faces and plastic surgeries look worse than me so I easily hide myself in the crowd! )
I think I’m masochistic and I’ll discuss this with my new and 18th shrink: because anytime I start one of your works: I just cry. Even looking at the cover create same affect on me. After I read “ Slammed” I cried for two days and after reading Hopeless, I started to throw things against my wall when I’m replying the word “ Why” like a barking dog. After “ November 9” my cries turned into howling.
And All your perfects is realistic story about not so perfect couple who are estranged and when they build walls between them, ruining every beautiful memory they’ve created in years, only a small box of letters help them go on!
Their story takes the piece of your heart and after reading that you’ll never be the same person again.
The most important thing I like about it, everything was so real, natural , it’s about the marriage, it’s about struggle, it’s about unconditional love and it’s about learning to forgive each other but mostly learning to forgive yourself.
Well, I’m speechless because you took out my words and use yours to stab my heart and gave me an incredible emotional roller coaster, and finally made me heal with your epilogue.
You’re the white queen of romances ( your Siamese twin Tarryn Fisher shows the ugly parts of romance as the dark queen :))
Thank you for your words, your efforts and your talent and sharing your gift with your readers.
Best,
Nilufer
Rating: really liked it
no idea how to feel about this. it was a little too relatable and yet not relatable at all??
Rating: really liked it
*Possible spoilers*
Quinn, our heroine, is infertile and consequently, she spirals into a depression that widens the disconnect between her and, Graham, her husband. The reader is then taken on a journey through Quinn’s five stages of grief.
Hoover interspersed past and present to bring us this couple’s story and it’s quite blatant that incorporating their “then” was an attempt to bring much-needed levity to a book that is intensely melancholic. A melancholy I’m sure was meant to tug at our heartstrings; and while it didn’t move me to tears as it did other reviewers, I was sympathetic toward Quinn and wished she would get help for depression and PTSD. Otherwise, this story was quite forgettable.
Rating: really liked it
“Our marriage hasn’t been perfect. No marriage is perfect. There were times when she gave up on us. There were even more times when I gave up on us. The secret to our longevity is that we never gave up at the same time.” Colleen, you made me cry! I hate you, no I love you so much but please stop making me sad... :'(
---------------
Colleen Hoover shared an Excerpt from "All Your Perfects". ❤
http://allyourperfects.com/#excerpt
Open the link and then click "Read an Excerpt". 🙂
--------------
OMG somebody, please hold me!!! A new book from my all time favorite author!!! YAY! 😍
Expected publication: July 17th 2018
Rating: really liked it
✨ This is a spoil-free review✨
♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
“When you meet someone who is good for you, they won’t fill you with insecurities by focusing on your flaws. They’ll fill you with inspiration, because they’ll focus on all the best parts of you.” ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
This book is so deep, I think saw Adele rolling in it. Listen, between me and you, I think Colleen Hoover’s main purpose in life is to step on me.
My evidence: She constantly steps on me with her:
🡆
Soul-crushing plots
🡆 Unforgettable characters
🡆 The romance
🡆 I forgot the rest because I was too busy being STEPPED ON Honestly, why do I bother with the human life?? I might as well become a part of the floor so Colleen Hoover has an ACTUAL reason to step on me. Like YouTube has so many tutorial videos on so many things. Maybe someone out there felt nice enough to upload a tutorial video on,
“How to become a part of the Floor?”Now you’re probably thinking,
“What’s wrong with this girl?¿?¿?” Well, read a Colleen Hoover book and then come back to me.
I went into this book as prepared as I ever could be. I knew I was going to sob, swoon, be sucked into the plot, and drool over the writing. However, I was oblivious to the fact that this book was also preparing itself for me. I think it was preparing to activate every emotion in my smol body and leave me completely defenseless.
In other words: this book fucked me up so good, I don’t know the difference between the wall and the ceiling. I am utterly DEVASTATED.
♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
“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. They pick at them, little by little, until they rip wide open and that’s all we become to them. One giant, gaping flaw.” ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
All Your Perfects, is the type of book that will immediately grip your soul from the beginning and hold onto it until the very end. Maybe even longer than that.
I think It’s still holding onto me because my heart don’t feel right. I felt every word, on every page, in every chapter. I lost the amount of times I cried because somehow this book brought out this feeling I never knew I had deep within me. Like I don’t even know what suddenly came over me but let me tell you….that feeling ain’t pretty. It’ll make you want to hurl things across the room, scream for 5 years, and kick chairs. And I realized that no matter how bad the emotional damage is, I’d still re-read it. Yes, you read that correctly. In fact, several times because apparently I love being stepped on.
I had a bit of rough time trying to write a review that’ll do this book justice. I lasted approximately 5 minutes before deleting everything. I bet my non-existent cat can write a better review than me because wow whatever I typed out was NOT English. I blame it on the fact that I always found it hard to review a book that has touched my smol heart so dearly. This is a heavy book that deals with issues that REAL people face in the world and it is just so well-written.
Let me repeat that in all caps:
VERY WELL-WRITTEN.You know it’s good when you find yourself so enamored by the plot that you end up skimming through the whole page because you want to know if everything and everyone is okay. I don’t know why I torture myself like this but hey this is the life, us, readers signed up for. You hate spoilers but your eyes are like
“yeah right let’s skim. You know you wanna do it. Let’s do it. It won’t hurt.” Hint: it WILL hurt.
♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
“I probably didn't notice because sadness is like a spiderweb. You don't see it until you're caught up in it, and then you have to claw at yourself to try to break free.” ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
Now, onto the actual review.
Warning: My thoughts are a mess which means this review will be a mess. Please proceed with caution. Colleen Hoover is one of those authors that could literally write a book about anything and I’ll buy it. In fact, if she wants to publish a book about elephants eating chocolate chip muffins….I’ll probably judge a little but I’d still buy it. I’m that loyal. My bank account may not support my life as a reader but it gotta learn one day that Colleen Hoover is queen and exceptions need to be made.
The reason why I’ll buy any of her books in a heartbeat is because of the way they make me feel. There’s something about her plots that demand my heart to think about it for days. Weeks. Months. Years. I’m not surprised that this book isn’t any different from the rest of her books. I was just mostly surprised of the tremendous toll it really took on me. Like I’m not fine. At all. Will I ever be? I don’t know. This story…...YOU have NO idea what’s waiting for YOU. This book made me feel like it was a paper shredder.
All it did was shred me to tiny little pieces. And then shredded those tiny little pieces into even more tinier little pieces. 🌸 PLOT 🌸
☂
What is this book about? Well, I hope you’re sitting down because it’s about to get real. This was a captivating yet messy story that will make every cell in your body explode. We know that in most fairy tales, once you have a ring on your finger, you’ll live happily ever after. In this story you’ll find out that in real life; it does not work like that. There is no definitive list of “dos or don’ts” or like any easy steps to achieve a happily ever after. If you want a happily ever after then it’s going to take some effort to keep the love burning in a world filled with countless things that can stifle it.
☂ “All your perfects”, is told in alternating past and present chapters. In the past, you’ll learn about how Quinn and Graham meet when their worlds are crumbling apart, fall in love, and deciding to build a future together. In the present, you’ll learn about how Quinn and Graham are struggling to hold on to their happily ever after. They struggle to mend their relationship because they face a lot of challenges that threaten their broken marriage. In this story, you’ll learn that there is no manual on how to fix a marriage or make it perfect. And it’s up to Quinn and Graham to choose whether they’ll overcome or succumb to the challenges. Whether they’ll step out of the constraints of the norm and be willing to forge a new path. Either together or alone.
☂ And look, it’s not entirely designed to make you cry but there are funny moments.
☂ THAT IS ALL I AM SAYING
☂ I went into this book blind. I don’t want to reveal too much of the plot but I want you to know that this is a story that will hit some readers harder than the rest of us. As someone who has never been married; I’m speechless. I’m gutted. I’m heartbroken for those who ACTUALLY deal with half of the things that occur within this book. I just……..wow. I’m sending a bunch of virtual hugs your way.
🌸 CHARACTERS🌸
☂ what can i even say?
☂ HOW DOES ONE EVEN EXPLAIN THEIR LOVE FOR A CHARACTER? I’M ASKING FOR A FRIEND.
☂ I can definitely tell you this: from pages 1 to 306, I felt every emotion.
☂ I felt their heartbreak, frustrations, anger, love, happiness, hopes, loss and expectations. I felt every single emotion as if I were THEM. My own mother questioned me. She asked me, “who hurt you?”. I replied back, “I don’t even know.”
☂ I won’t reveal ANYTHING about Quinn and Graham. I’ll let them tell you who they are through their own story.
☂ Then feel free to join me in the “floor life”
🌸 WRITING🌸
🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌
☂ Name a better way to explain yourself other than using emojis??? I am waiting.
☂ Colleen Hoover always leaves me breathless when it comes to her writing.
☂ She’s just phenomenal.
☂ The ability to weave a story with such raw emotion. It gives me the CHILLS
🌸 TRIGGER WARNINGS🌸
☂ You will find a lot of things within this book but this is what I picked up so far. Feel free to correct me :)
•
Infertility
• Depression
• Miscarriage
• Infidelity. 🌸 OTHER THINGS I LOVED🌸
☂ i loved everything.
☂ I can start from page 1 until page 306
☂ y’all got time??
♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
“We’re also going to have bad days and sad days and days that test our resolve. Those are the days I want you to feel the absolute weight of my love for you.” ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
Well.
That’s it folks.
I’m going to go crawl into my bed and spend approximately 2 years sobbing over this book and the pain it brought upon me.
Before I leave.
You should already know what to do :)
☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺
Pre-review: "what's your greatest accomplishment" me: colleen hoover liked two of my reviews.
also me: we're practically best friends now
☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺
me calculating how bad the emotional damage would be if i read this book: 
Rating: really liked it
ARC provided by Atria Books in exchange for an honest review. “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 his mistakes just prevented me from ever 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.”
Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Youtube | Twitch
The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.Buddy read with Kayla! ❤
Rating: really liked it
6 STARS I’ll be honest, I was scared going into this book. I knew it was going to be angsty. I knew I’d cry. From friends who had read it, from seeing comments here and there, I expected pain. What I did not expect was to be
completely broken, and it's safe to say that I have never felt pain like I did while reading
All Your Perfects. Sure, I’ve had my heart crushed in books before, but not like this. Never like this. I’m still reeling. This story is powerful. A raw, poignant portrait of the breakdown of a marriage. And man does it hurt, it hurts because it’s so indescribably real! From start to finish, the reality of this couples issues suffocate you. Page after page it gets harder, grittier, deeper, until you’re so consumed you can’t exist outside of the story. It becomes everything—all you see, breathe, feel. Wholly compelling, so very very
very real. Honestly, the BEST BOOK I’ve read in 2018. I don't think I'll ever get over it.
All Your Perfects is the kind of novel where you know the difficult road traveled leads to a lesson that permanently marks you. And that’s what it did to me. It marked me, leaving cuts and bruises and bloody hand prints all over my heart. I can’t describe it. It physically affected me. Mentally drained me. Emotionally scarred me. It was a reading experience I can’t do justice. And I’m so breathless from it. So moved by it. So fucking wrecked. It’s a crazy feeling. So much of me is almost numb as I write this review (it’s the day after I finished), but so much is also alive. I’m looking at my husband, thinking things, deep things, and I feel a perspective shift happening inside me. Graham and Quinn’s story has such sorrow in it but it also such profound hope, and that's what truly shined in the end.
Moving from past to present,
All Your Perfects shows us Quinn and Graham's budding relationship at the start, while also flipping to the decaying state their marriage is currently in. And man, you’re ravaged by this couple. It’s brutal yet exquisite as you read about these two people who were once so in love, so happy, so free and fun and fantastic that are now completely consumed by pain and sadness, hopelessness and frustration. I know that I felt tortured by it, itchy inside of my skin. My heart bled and pounded and cried, and at times felt like it was trying to claw it's way out my chest. I was so deeply affected by this couples struggles. What happens to Quinn and Graham, can happen to anyone, and that's why it's so painful. There is not one moment of unbelievability in this story. Every word is an accurate portrayal of what can happen in a marriage when you focus on the things you can’t have, when you begin to let the negatives frame your outlook and consume you.
Colleen Hoover is a strong writer and storyteller. This is only my 4th book of hers—I’ve read
Slammed, Hopeless, It Ends with Us, and now
All Your Perfects—and I’m so impressed.
All Your Perfects feels like a story that people need. I truly think this book will help couples. It’ll change perspectives, open eyes, heal marriages, make you assess your heart and actions. It's powerful. I’m still so very overwhelmed by it, and I know I haven’t said much about the plot but I’m giving nothing away. This is
THE BOOK OF THE YEAR. It’s beyond anything you'll read. Just dive in, feel all those feels. I’ll know I’ll never forget this story. It’s seared on my soul, in my brain. I’ll remember the vivid details, the tangible feelings it induced. It's everything. Unforgettable. Truly profound. Absolutely heart wrenching. Incredibly beautiful. And I just loved it. I love it with every fiber of my being. I can't recommend it enough. GO. READ.
Rating: really liked it
[Infertility, cheating, and on scene miscarriage. (hide spoiler)]
Rating: really liked it
"Sadness is like a spiderweb. You don't see it until you're caught up in it, and then you have to claw at yourself to try to break free."
°•*⁀➷
Colleen has written about a lot of heavy things, but I think this one may have hit the hardest for me. I'm not really sure why, because I've never felt the way Quinn does, nor do I think it would be crippling for me to not have a family of my own one day, but I felt every second of her pain. So deeply. I had to put this book down several times simply because I didn't know if it was the right kind of sad.
There's always been a difference between crying over a book and a book making me cry. And this one really toed the line. But isn't that a sign of a good artist? I've always found crying to be a release of feelings I didn't need to hold onto anymore, and I got a whole lot of feelings out with this read. I think Quinn and Graham reminded me of my parents, in the way they acted around each other, and I needed to get pent up feelings about that out.
Graham, I couldn't even be mad at him. I'm hurting so much, simultaneously, for both of them and the situation they've found themselves in that I just couldn't find it in me. There's something Quinn thinks, "A person can understand a behavior without excusing it" and I think that's the best way to put it.
It was truly so hard to get past chapter 22. But this is such a reality for so many women that I felt as though I needed to see how this continued. How anyone continues after the hardest day of their life. How anyone can even manage it.
As Graham points out, in every piece of devastation, there's so much happy we don't remember. This book isn't excluded from that. We jump between the past and present to show that. My favorite thing about C. Hoover books is that they all involve some kind of writing. A letter, a book, a journal (it just further proves how much writing for us means to her). The letters in this one remind me a lot of Reminders of Him. I know this was written first, but I read Reminders of Him first, and they both carry the same message. That when you can't talk about things with the person you love, you should write them down. It might just save something. A marriage. A life. A relationship you never thought you could have.
The most important thing that I took from this book was the line, "I'm learning how to wear my struggle as a badge and not be ashamed of it." I've struggled a lot with my mental health over the last four years, and the thing I've found helps the most is this. Recognizing my feelings, experiencing them, crying them out if I need to, and never being ashamed of them.
There is so much in life that we can't control that sometimes I think we forget there is a lot that we Can. Quinn and Graham are a reminder that we Can make anything out of our circumstances, that some dreams don't come true... but we Can always make new ones.
- Paige
Rating: really liked it
well, you think i would have learned my lesson by now and decided to take better care of myself mentally and emotionally. but here i am, reading another CoHo book that has, yet again, broken me. immediately after finishing this, i ate half my weight in mint chocolate ice cream and cried through one and a half boxes of tissues. this is the inevitable result of a CoHo book, ladies and gentlemen.
the book blurb is a bit ambiguous, so i will keep my review vague as well. i will say, though, that the struggles this couple went through were not something that i have ever read about before, nor was it something that i have experienced personally. regardless, i found it so easy to empathise with these characters and have my heart hurt for them. it took me awhile to warm up to them, quinn in particular, but goodness, how my heart ached for them throughout this.
in true colleen hoover form, this story perfectly explores the emotions that draw two people to each other and the emotions that, even during the most horrible of circumstances, keep them together. i love how she describes the real and heavy side of love, but always shows how hopeful that love can be, as well. she makes me love love, the good and the bad of it. this just came out and im already dying for her next book!
↠ 5 stars
