The #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller that People Magazine calls “a poignant, addictive read.”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 … 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.
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-4.5 stars –
It has been more than three years since I last read a book by Colleen Hoover. That is a long time, and Regretting You has reminded me that I need to get back and read the books that have been released since then. I finished this book in two sittings. It was so engaging and I just couldn’t put it down. This book is told in dual POV, that of the mother Morgan and her sixteen year old daughter Clara. Morgan had Clara when she was a teenager, and doesn’t want Morgan to make the same mistakes she made. However, Clara is a good girl that mostly follows the rules. However, when tragedy strikes this family, Clara does what a lot of teens do in this situation, which is to act out.
I absolutely loved that we got to follow the story from both the mother and daughter. It felt like two stories but it was integrated perfectly. You could feel the heartbreak and it brought me to tears many times. Morgan is trying to find herself, and come to terms with things from her past. Clara is conflicted and blames herself for the death of her father. Regretting You was a refreshing and original read. It was about family, forgiveness, and moving on. It also had romance that I enjoyed a lot. It felt natural and not fabricated. It wasn’t perfect, and the characters didn’t act the way I expected, which I loved. It was unpredictable, which had me on the edge of my seat. I would love a sequel because I hated saying goodbye to the characters, and I am very curious to see where they all end up in the future. I am ready to go back and read all the Colleen Hoover books that I missed out on.
Finding passion in life after fulfilling everyone else’s dreams. Time to live life for herself after living through the aftermath of loss.
This is a lesson on love and the effect it has on everyone’s lives.
Overall:
Once again I find myself enraptured by the words Colleen has gifted me, the reader. Hook line and sinker, I’m so caught up in this story just like all the others she’s written before this one. I tell you this woman is gifted in the creative department. It’s no wonder she’s a best selling author. She makes reading fun and entertaining. This story is simple and easy to read, yet the emotions and feelings that it creates in me is complex and complicated. Colleen hits all the marks for what it takes to captivate her readers. For me anyway.
Colleen is really good at writing the emotional side of her characters. I’m not sure I have any heart strings left to pull after reading all her books. I can’t imagine sitting down for the first time to read one of her books then decide to read them all from start to finish. I’d be a puddle of goo after draining my life source of emotions. Yet I wouldn’t want to miss out on each one. I don’t envy anyone who hasn’t yet discovered Colleen’s books because to sit down and start from the beginning would require a bulk size box of tissues. I got a little teary eyed during the video. Sniff. Sniffle.
I see so much of Colleen’s personality shine in these characters actions and words. The scene with the picture sounded very much like something Colleen has done. I hate how Colleen has me reflecting on myself with her good hearted characters. They sicken me with there ability to have each other’s back. I’m jealous of them. It makes me want better for myself by surrounding myself with these types of individuals only I don’t know how to find them.
BTW orange isn’t the worse color. I think it’s yellow.
Favorite quote: “The search for myself is becoming my favorite part of my new journey.”
‘Regretting You’ was a compelling description of:
Grief, forgiveness, compassion, and redemption; of
The beginning and the end of love; of
Romantic love and familial love; of
Coming to understand those you love are not as perfect as they seem or as perfect as you want them to be, but loving them anyway; of
The struggles of parenting and even though you want nothing more than to do what’s best for your children, sometimes, you still get it wrong; of
Being a teenager trying to navigate emotions, teenage years, and wanting to be independent, but thriving for direction. Of needing to rebel, but also needing to be reeled in, taken under a wing and being told, “You will be alright.”; of
Doing what you think is best for others while giving up what’s best for you, and learning how that hurts everyone involved; of
How tragedy, loss, and betrayal can feel like the end of the world, leaving you with two choices, drown or swim; of
Finding the power within yourself to walk away, and accept the hurt, because that’s what’s best; because walking way might be the only way you win.
‘Regretting You’ was unforgiving in its truth, ruthless in its emotional impact, and refreshingly inspiring!
I listened to the audiobook of this title and the narrators were wonderful. You follow both Mom and Daughter where secrets are uncovered and they both go through their own growth. I liked that you got both sides of young love and then second chance love but the story wasn’t as engaging as I’d hoped. Without giving away too much, I just wanted some areas to be explained more especially between the husband and the sister in law. Overall it was a good book and kept my attention.
Honestly could not put this book down. 2nd book I’ve read by the author and all I can say is wow. So well written and filled with unexpected twists and turns that were realistic at the same time. Highly recommend!
Did you ever reach a point in your life where you started living it for someone(s) else? This book may make you think about that … or other things. But you figure that out (and feel free to report back).
It starts out interesting enough but sucks me in pretty hard before long.
Ended up finishing this in one sitting because there was absolutely no putting it down. Another completely addictive read from CoHo.
I’d actually love if this were made into a mini-series … it’s got all the makings, loads of drama, rebellious teen, hot-mess adults, humor … plus, I’d get to see that orange prom dress.
I can’t find any reason to give any less than 5 stars.
Note:
I listened to the audiobook. I don’t love the voice of Morgan, but the other narrator is awesome. Overall it’s still a good listen—and I’m very picky. 4-star performance, 5-star production, as I detected NO issues, dead air, feedback, etc., which seems rare lately.
Epic story, major book hangover. This book is achingly heartbreaking and beautiful. My emotions are all over the place while reading and after. Epic story, I know I’ll be rereading it soon.
Colleen Hoover completely annihilated me with Regretting You, my expectations were shattered from page one and I couldn’t be happier. Every time I read a CoHo book I think “she cannot possibly top this one” and every time I am wrong.
“I’m confident that I’ll never spend a single second of my life regretting you.”
As with any of Hoover’s books the romance is always perfection yet, what I most loved about this book was the mother/daughter relationship. I didn’t know much about this book going into it except what the blurb said which wasn’t much. I recommend you do that too, don’t read the reviews just dive in headfirst and discover the magic and heartbreak that is Colleen Hoover.
The family dynamic would be impossible for most people but the relationship between the mother and daughter fizzed with realism. I loved the characters and wanted them to come good in the end. Well written, sad and uplifting. A great read.
A really good read… however, I would take away half a star if I could because, for a romance novel, this one was lacking a very necessary and powerful ingredient: sensuality. This story – aside from the mother-daughter dynamic – is a duo romance, nicely told but didn’t scintillate. The love-making was just bland sex, quick, basic, and about as satisfying as slam-bam: no foreplay, no words of affirmation, no food for one’s imagination. Moreover, Ms. Hoover could have been more descriptive of her character’s appearance, especially the guys: height, size, eye and hair color, etc., something to stir one’s soul, heighten the effect.
Yet, her story-telling is terrific, well-paced, and interesting.
What would have truly made for a sensational ending, for me, would have been a final chapter with Clara and Miller at the prom and how they get it right later that night for loving, sensual, passionate, and mutually satisfying sex after the disastrous first-time virginity-losing night.
Too much to ask of seventeen-year-olds? Okay then, how about that same prom night, while the kids are away, the 30-somethings Morgan and Jonah have a special night – with sensuous details!
Morgana gets pregnant at the age of 17 and marries her high school boyfriend. Now her daughter Clara is almost 17. Morgan is hoping her daughter won’t repeat her history. Clara’s father and Aunt die in the same car crash. YaY family drama, i love it. Colleen Hoover is becoming a favorite. This book grabbed my attention for the very beginning and didn’t let go. The main characters are lovable and i felt so sorry for them. The narrators did a good job. This book just reinforces my idea of reading or listening to all of Colleen’s books.
Such an amazing book, err 3 in 1!!!
ALL THE FEELS! I was aware of the main plot twist since I read the blurb beforehand. However, I was not prepared for the emotions this creation would rip out of me. Wow!!! This book shattered a whole world so fast, but the way they melded it back together was insanely beautiful.
There really is more like 3 stories in 1 here as we go back & forth a bit from the main characters younger years vs. present day & the mother daughter side of things. Ok, so honestly there are a few more than 3 if we really focus on each of the major pieces to this world Hoover has created, but the main players are mainly the big plot twists that grip you even though you already know they’re coming. You feel them, anticipate them, & yet they still hit you upon their reveal. Anyone who knows me KNOWS I tend to stay far away from the books that shatter your heart & soul to the very core, but their are a few authors who manage to do so in such a beautiful way you simply can not deny them access to do as they please. Colleen Hoover has proven she is one of them for me. I could not stop reading, did not want to put it down. This creation of hers literally took my breath away a few times as my mind attempted to catch up to my emotions. Again, I read the blurb. I was aware. BUT the execution of what was foretold still pounced as stealthy a predator in the wild. No matter how well we may believe we have dealt with our pasts & moves on these characters prove that sometimes we choose to believe things happened one way/for another reason yet when we reflect later realize we missed key facts or ignored them all together. Minor details that had huge impact on our futures. Love this book!!!! I will definitely be reading more books by this author. I also hope she might bring us a bit more of these characters at a later date. I would enjoy an update on their life happenings very much!
A gut wrenching tale of lost love, love lost, and all that lies between. A story of coping, and growing. Of life lost, and new life. All the feels are in this book that you can imagine. Old love, new love.
This book kept me engrossed even during the ‘mundane’ parts. Very well written.
Colleen Hoover is my discovery for 2021! This book was fabulous and I adored both the mother and the daughter’s story.
Whenever I’m about to embark on one of Colleen Hoover’s books I go into it right from the beginning already knowing I’m going to enjoy it. I don’t think I’ve ever read one that turned me off. They all have some sort of twist in the plot. I like that. Her heroes always seem like they could be my best friend. That is the way I felt about both Jonah and Miller. They just seem so real. I highly recommend this book if you love books about real families, their hopes and dreams, their tragedies, and how they cope with it all. Colleen’s books are awe-inspiring.
A beautiful, emotional story about a mother and daughter finding their way back together. About dealing with tragedy. And about allowing yourself to have a second chance.
The teen romance in this is also wonderfully done.
Loved every page and I cried towards the end, when I rarely cry with books.
I have a bone to pick with Colleen Hoover. Every time I pick up one of her books, I can’t put it down until I’m finished. I get no sleep. My performance at work suffers. It’s a terrible and wonderful affliction, to be so immersed in a story.
Regretting You is no different. In fact, I think it might be my favorite so far, which is funny, because when I read the synopsis I didn’t think I would like it at all. It sounded like a family drama, and I much prefer romantic drama. But a blogger said that it actually has TWO romances, so I bought it. It does, indeed, have two romances and I loved both of them. The family drama is very compelling also. Do yourself a favor, skip the synopsis and just read the book.
Gut wrenching in the sense I’m left feeling incredible sadness for so many characters and experiences yet so filled with love and hope for what could be in the future.
Colleen Hoover has hit me in the feels once again with this poignant tale. She has a knack for creating identifiable and intriguing characters and then weaving them into an absorbing storyline. Romance is an important aspect in the plot, but the heart of Regretting You is the complicated relationship between a mother and daughter.
I was drawn to Morgan, a stay at home mom who has happily devoted her life to nurturing her family. Let’s face it. Parenting is a hard and often thankless job. As the mother of three daughters, I can attest to the fact that the bond between mothers and daughters can be wonderful but also tenuous at times, particularly as they approach adolescence. Morgan has difficulty connecting with her rebellious 16-year-old daughter, Clara. The story is told from dual perspectives, which I welcomed because it allowed me to better accept each character’s shortcomings. In some ways, this is a coming of age story for both Clara and Morgan.
Regretting You is filled with an aching longing to be truly seen and appreciated. Combine that with the secrets, misunderstandings, heartbreak, and grudges that come to light and I was riveted. Another winning emotional tale from the versatile Hoover.
Regretting You is another great story by Colleen Hoover. She is the master of tearing my heart apart while simultaneously filling it up with hope and love.
It’s difficult to say much about this book as I don’t want to give away spoilers, as this story unfolds beautifully.
I’ll just say this readers; you get two fantastic romance stories, along with another about the love between mother and child. Oh, and one really cool grandpa.