Heart Bones - Colleen Hoover

 

                                                                         (4.5 Stars)

Who said heart did not have any bones?

The good news is you do not have to have earned a PhD to know if hearts in fact do have bones but the bad news is that Colleen Hoover may have broken mine. For the second time.

PSA don’t come for me. I said in my last blog about authors I won’t be reading from again that Colleen Hoover as booted of my If she writes it, I’m reading it list. However, I mentioned I was reading Heart Bones so here I am with the damage done to my heart yet once again. Case closed.

I honestly think that Heart Bones is a hidden gem which needs to have more recognition and light put on it.

‘It Ends with U’s is a monumental read but because that's now being made into a movie - which couldn't come any sooner - a lot of older, plus newer releases by Hoover are being seen as insignificant due to the success of the duology. Maybe it’s just me but honestly where is the hype around this book. If ‘It Ends with Us’ was an ode to all the domestic abuse survivors out there, then Heart Bones is for all the ones that grew up in poverty that had no ends.

However, I will go on about the later. Let’s get into the book of Samson and Beyah.

I didn't even know that Beyah was a name, so imagine how relived I was when Hoover actually put a pronunciation of the name in the book.

Beyah pronounced Bey-uh.

Extreme poverty challenging extreme wealth is the focal point of this whole book. In short, Beyah is the product of a one-night stand between Janean & Biran. Beyah's life goal is to get the hell out of Kentucky where everyone either works a mediocre job like a robot with no actually happiness or becomes a drug addict like her mother.

Well, when said mother dies and Gary Shelby (rank) ends the tenancy, Beyah has two options left. Go back to her father wherever the hell he may be, or live out in the street. One phone call later, she was being flown out all the way to Houston.

Now Beyah is living in Houston with her step mother (Alana) who's the best and a step sister (Sara) who's not a cheerleader mean girl. Oh, and a boy who lives next door called Samson who’s duped rich kid. Maybe he's not actually. Plot twists forever.

This story is the epitome of secrets. Love heartbreak and finally, finally, a happily ever after if not, a traditional one. A part of me wishes this had an epilogue even though the ending was kind of an epilogue. And another part of me wishes you know that there was another bore gobble all in all, I think it ended how it should have it should have ended.

First and foremost, it was so refreshing to see that Brian was more involved than most fathers in other stories I have read considering the dynamic they were in. Brian sent money for Beyah’s tuition, her needs and even a cell phone but those thigs never reached to Beyah because self-centred Janean was using those means to access her own. That money either ended up being sniffed or flowing through Janean’s veins. For crying out loud, Beyah didn’t even tells Brian her mother has passed, she just gave a reason and she went to him. It’s like a soothing balm put over a sore wound when they finally bonded after all those years. So, even though they did both drift a part a little bit the older Beyah got, he made sure to be there when she needed. Oh, and he was. Trust me.

The first meeting on the ferry. From where Beyah came from, $20 from a man meant do me a favour and it wasn’t like a ‘Throw the trash away’ kind of favour. A more degrading one if you will. Can I say that in 2024? I’m so scared……..but anyways when the first meeting happened, Beyah saw Samson all wrong but that’s okay because big sister Sarah was on the mission to make them a summer fling anyways.

Beyah only came for the summer. Samson was also leaving on August 3^rd so they agreed that this would stay in the shallow end to avoid broken hearts, sad endings and hard goodbyes. But like a wise Samson once said, ‘you can drown in the shallow end to’. Or something like that. Don’t quote me. Slowly but surely, something starts to form. Beyah who’s never got a free-ride, genuine hug or been loved doesn’t know what these feelings are or how to handle them. Meanwhile, Samson is battling his own deep secrets.

My heart dropped when Beyah fond out the truth about hurricane Ike, finding Ray’s body and just the catastrophic situations that Samson was going through on his own. The legal system is so messed up regardless of where you go. That wasn’t Samson’s house? Yup. Makes a lot of sense.

I loved how Samson was the reason for Beyah starting law school and I especially loved how she was the only one counting on Samson when he came out after 4 years.

Beyah still lived her life in college, made friends and parties but she just always had done it with a niggling in the back of her throat or head. Samson. Or Shawn Samson I should stay.

Colleen kept reeling me into his sort specially since that meeting when a guy he knew called him Shawn then asked hoe long it’s been since he got out. I knew Samson had more to him then.

Couple of things. Thank God there wasn’t the mean step-sister/mother act. I’m so over it. Also, I’m always grateful for a nice abrupt ending. Read it – it’ll make more sense. Finally, Beyah believed in Samson for the 4 years no on else did. I want someone like that but you can’t always so I am my own Beyah. Everyone should be their own Beyah.

I loved the ending. Beyah came to get Samson. He made sure to ask if she still went to college, they kissed and he had a home. Yes, that’s right. Majorie’s left her home for Samson. He did free jobs, noted them down and got something out of his good even if his stupid little teenage days got him into trouble.

My heart you ask? In absolute tatters. This was a fantastic read and stories like this don’t make you feel as if you’ve got yourself in a real bad situation. For everyone out there who is going through poverty, I’m a firm believed that everything will sort itself out. If only  I applied this theory to my life.

Sigh. Another Colleen read that turned me into a sobbing mess.

Job updated? Pending. TBR shelf update? Hold on there guys.

I have started and then finished Lucy Score’s ‘Things We Left Behind’ in two days. May or may not have pulled an all nightery and doing the same with ‘Things We Hide From The Light’. I 100& understand why this book is so long and I want more. Unless it’s a badly written story, there’s nothing such as a long book. Ever. The Spanish love deception is one of these books. King of Wrath is another one. Heart bones is one of those books. Lucy Score is definitely one of those too.

Time to fess up, not too many posts ago I even wrote at the end that a Lucy Score is coming to the big screens movie and I have some thoughts on it which is true. I did. I was going to dish them out but life caught up and I started read this series wayyyyy later than I first anticipated. Truth’s out guys. Sue me.

I’m writing the review as a bulk for the series. 37% through Nash and Lina’s story. Consider me puddle. Can’t put them down. Don’t want to. 

Help me get a job. 

Love you all.

Mwah. 

Vivian.

Don’t forget to keep reading, because as long as you do, it’s making a struggling authors day that much better. Reach for the starts of success.