{ARC Review) Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

Title: Maybe Someday
Author: Colleen Hoover
Published: 18th March 2014
Age Group: New Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: Paperback ARC provided by Simon & Schuster Australia for honest review
Rating: 4/5

BLURB:
She's all about rules. He lives by none but his own. When these two meet, the results could be disastrous.

When Marisol Everly’s friend Rory sets her up with Fin Herald, Marisol doesn't expect that it will amount to anything, .but that was before she saw Fin's searing blue eyes and mischievous smile. Not to mention, he seems absolutely fascinated by her mundane life. He's everything that a girl could want, but there's something else that ripples under the surface of his flirty behavior. Something darker. Something that fascinates Marisol, but scares her at the same time. Is she willing to risk falling into an abyss she might not get out of?

A Cute Romantic Story With Quirky Secondary Characters

REVIEW:
The story:
After discovering that Hunter, her boyfriend of 2 years has ben cheating on her with her roommate Tori, Sydney finds herself homeless. That is until the mysterious guy across the courtyard, Ridge, lets her move into the spare room. They both share a passion for music and as Ridge is suffering from major writers block, Sydney collaborates with him to write some beautiful songs. As the continue to work together, their attraction grows and soon it becomes difficult to deny their felling for one another. There's just one problem, Ridge has a girlfriend. Maggie is sweet & funny and impossible not to love. 

Sydney and Ridge's chemistry is unbelievably powerful, and every scene between them had me choked up - some of the most poignant scenes I've read in some time. The musical element of the story was beautiful and elegantly written. I was captured by the lyrics and connection between Sydney and Ridge was incredible. So if I loved this story so much why not 5 stars? One word: cheating. For the most part this is a 5 star book, but couldn't get past the cheating element. Rather than this book focussing on the music like I thought it would, the main story line follows Ridge and Sydney as they try to deny their attraction so Ridge doesn't cheat on his girlfriend. However I personally feel that cheating isn't just about kissing or sex, it can also be emotional - and Ridge & Sydney were guilty of that. 

The characters:
Sydney is brokenhearted over being cheated on and after learning that Ridge has a girlfriend she's determined not to be like Tori. I also loved that she was determined to stand on her own and not ask her parents for help - she wanted to be strong and independent and by the end I felt she did achieve this. Although she doe have many setbacks along the way.

Ridge is a dedicated and selfless character is many ways. He's committed to staying with Maggie, and supporting her in her choices. He wants to protect her and be there for her and I truly respected him for that. But he's far from the perfect guy and he does make a lot of mistakes, which in many ways made him more realistic.

The secondary characters where also really well written. Best friend and roommate Warren was funny and had such a presence in every scene. And of course there's Maggie, Ridge's girlfriend. I actually think she was my favourite character. She's vibrant, friendly and one of the most understanding and forgiving characters I've seen! Which made the cheating even harder to ignore.

The romance:
I am so torn of the romance, because on the one hand it was simply breathtaking, and on the other, the cheating. While I wanted Ridge & Sydney to be together, how it happened just didn't work for me. After what Sydney went through with Tori & Hunter cheating behind her back, I found it difficult to sympathise with her now that she was doing the same thing with Ridge. And despite the fact that they both tried to ignore their feelings, what they did was still wrong. And this made me so sad, because all of the scenes between Sydney and Ridge where incredibly sweet and touching and melted my heart. But then I'd remembered Maggie and their whole relationship felt somewhat tainted.

The writing:
There's no doubting the quality of Colleen Hoover's writing, and this book is no exception. The story is so emotionally intense and allows you to connect well with the characters and their lives. I also loved the integration of the music and lyrics into the story - it gave a new and special way for the characters to express their emotions. Just beautiful!

FINAL WORD:
Maybe Someday is a bittersweet romance and an incredibly powerful and poignant story. The musical element was so unique and enhanced every emotion the characters where feeling! Sydney and Ridge have such an intense chemistry which was simply beautiful to watch. Minus the cheating, this book was perfect!

CONTENT:
Sexuality: medium / several discussions about sex, minor sex scene
Violence: mild / a few punches
Language: medium / several f words
Drugs & alcohol: medium-strong / min characters get heavy intoxicated

18 comments:

  1. Before this I was excited. Now I'm SODAMNEXCITEDICAN'TEVENTBREATHE. I'm so ready for more Colleen Hoover! I need her in my life now. I've heard so much about this mysterious musical aspect? I'm probably going to read this next! Thank you so much for the amazing review! You've gotten me pumped. ;)

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    1. Haha YAY!! Colleen seriously knows how to put the feels into her books, and this one is no different!! Hope you enjoy it too :)

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  2. Okay so I only skimmed this since I am hoping to read this one this weekend and I want to be completely and totally surprised! But I am really glad to hear you enjoyed this one and I cannot wait to read it! I feel like I've been waiting forever!

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    1. Totally understand that, and with this one there was a major plot point that I decided not to mention, even though it happens early on, because it's just one of those things you need to discover for yourself as it's revealed. Hope you enjoy it :)

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  3. I skimmed because I plan to pick it up, but read enough that you have me excited. I almost want to one click, but I must get through March Take Control first.

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    1. Haha, there are just too many books to read! Hopefully you can get to this one soon!

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  4. I love your style of review. How you lay it out about the characters, the story, the romance. I really like it.
    The story sounds interesting and because the cheating was a factor so much in the review, I would like to read it for myself.

    Great review!
    Mary

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    1. Thanks Mary!! The cheating was a big part, but for me it was the only thing I didn't like, so overall I really loved the story!

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  5. Maybe Someday is very bittersweet, and I completely understand why you felt so torn. What a complicated story! Great review, Amy!

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    1. Complicated is a great way of describing the relationships in this book!

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  6. Great Review Amy! I loved Maggie as well. I really loved this story, and the musical aspect as well. I can see why you felt torn, because I wouldn't want to be in Maggie's position either. This story was very sweet, touching, and an emotional read for me.

    Lindy@ A Bookish Escape

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    1. I think that's why the cheating bothered me, because Maggie was such a lovely character and I really felt sorry for what she went through. But overall it really was a beautiful story!

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  7. Wow great review Amy. I haven't read this book yet but maybe in the distant future after school gets out for me I will pick this one up. I really enjoyed your review and am really happy the cheating didn't taint your entire outlook on this book. I do get what you're saying though, cheating is never okay and if you cheat on someone after you've been cheated on that is a bit low. Touching review! Hope you have a great week and had a great weekend!

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    1. Thanks Sharrice! I'm so happy that the cheating didn't taint the entire book either. I could understand where all the characters where combing from, and I think that's what made the difference!

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  8. Great review Amy... I understand your concerns about the cheating element but I am glad you still enjoyed the story. That was a fantastic review and you have made me want to read this so much more!

    Naomi @ Nomi’s Paranormal Palace

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    1. Thanks Naomi! Hopefully you'll get a chance to read this one soon :)

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  9. Awesome review Amy! I just love Colleen Hoover and can't wait to start this one. The musical element sounds incredible, not just a playlist. I can't remember the last time I was so excited to start reading. It's a pity the storyline does involve cheating, I can imagine it would have been a five star read then.

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    1. The musical element was awesome! It just gave a really unique and creative element to the whole story! Hope you enjoy it too :)

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