November 9 by Colleen Hoover

Beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover returns with an unforgettable love story between a writer and his unexpected muse.

Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist.

Can Ben’s relationship with Fallon—and simultaneously his novel—be considered a love story if it ends in heartbreak?

Paperback, 320 pages

Published November 10, 2015

by Atria Books

2/5 stars

I jumped on the CoHo train recently, having read Verity and It Ends With Us, I continued with November 9. Lots of buzz on IG for all her books but this one followed the bookish theme I’ve been reading this month. I figured it was the perfect beach read while I was on holidays.

I’ll just start by saying I am going against popular opinion of November 9. That’s not to say the book was a complete waste. I enjoyed the twist—it threw me for a loop because I didn’t see it coming, and it explained a number of things that happened. And I appreciate how the story addressed issues of grief, loss, and physical flaws.

However, Instalove is just not my thing, the YA feel didn’t help either. But ultimately my biggest problem with November 9 was Ben.

Right from the get go Ben comes off as arrogant, controlling,and untrustworthy. He is pushy even to the point of telling Fallon what to wear and how she should feel. His behaviour, and the way he continually treated Fallon with disrespect, was my major issue with the book—especially since the narrative seemed to actually support his actions.

Finally, the chapters aren’t numbered. Weird I know, but really minor compared to the rest

I switched over to the audiobook for 90% of the book (I can't read on a plane), with an excellent narrator I was able to finish though if I continued to read the book I most likely would have dnf it.

I'll continue on my journey to read Colleen Hoover's back list, like I said the 2 I've read I really enjoyed.

This  book was part of my 2022 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge (#22)