I read through this book very quickly. It was an entertaining and engrossing read. I've noticed this about Hoover's writing. Even if the story isn't great, she has the ability to weave a story that is very intriguing.

What I liked:
1. I liked that one of the main characters was an artist and that the book included illustrations of the paintings that were discussed. The artist who created these pictures is amazingly talented. I also liked the concept of Owen's shop and his work being inspired by people's confessions. The fact that these confessions were actually sent to her by readers is amazing and, in some cases, disturbing.

2. I liked the characters of Owen and Auburn. I understand that some people had issues with the way Auburn seemed so passive, but it made sense to me for the most part. She's a young girl. She's in a new place. She has zero support from her family and hasn't since she decided to keep her son. She is doing the only thing she can think of to stay in his life. Her passiveness rings totally true to me. I like that she seems to be a clever person, as evidenced by her ideas for Owen's business. I wish that this would've been explored more. I liked Owen's character as well, for the most part. His loyalty to his father and Auburn is obvious. We know that he 'knows' Auburn from before, and I realized before the last chapter that it had to be from the hospital when Adam was dying. I also figured out that Owen was the one who painted the picture of the hands...it was the same style as his other pictures...but it was still a sweet reveal.

3. The writing style of Colleen Hoover really appeals to me. There is something so addicting to the way that she can get me hooked from the first sentence. I read this 300+ page book in less than three hours. I liked the structure of the dual perspective as well. It was nice getting both points of view, and they had distinct voices so I wasn't confused as to who I was following at any given time.

What I didn't like
1. Insta-love. I liked their relationship, but I wish it had been developed a little better over a longer period of time. Now, for Owen, he remembers her and we learn that he's thought about her over the years, so his infatuation makes sense to me. But on her side, I'm not sure I believe the almost-immediate fall she has for him...especially when she says herself that she has only had two dates since Adam's death. They even have a conversation about the fact that they essentially just met and how crazy it is that they are so deep in their feelings for each other. I did like their interactions, but I wish there was more of a foundation.

2.The misunderstandings/secrets for the sake of misunderstandings/secrets. Okay. I get that this book is called Confess and that it has to do with secrets. But really, some of the secrets were completely pointless. I don't understand why he wouldn't tell her that he was only going to jail because he was protecting his father. Instead, he Kees that to himself, which also means keeping Trey's true character hidden from Auburn, someone he supposedly loves. That doesn't make sense at all. At. All. He had an opportunity to assure her that he wasn't a drug-addicted criminal and instead he just says, "I really don't want to tell you." Huh? There were other WTF moments as well, but this was one of the biggest for me.

3. The ending. I don't like that Trey pretty much got away scot-free. He physically assaulted her and may have sexually assaulted her if not for Emory. He broke in and ransacked Owen's apartment and planted evidence there to get him into trouble. He manipulated a young girl who was desperate to keep her son in her life by using said child to emotionally blackmail her. But in the end, there are absolutely no repercussions to his actions. And I get that that happens in life. Sometimes bad people get away with doing bad things. But it doesn't mean I have to like it. I really hated Lydia as well. I wish that she had been written a little more compassionately. I feel like it would've made for a stronger story that way. As it stood, it seemed like she was more upset that her son's disgusting actions cost her her grandson than she was that her son is a disgusting criminal. I wish there had been more closure with that relationship.

Wishes:
1. I wish Emory had been given a bigger part. The story was so focused on the angsty love story that it squandered the chance to have a really fun friendship.
2. I wish we could've seen AJ and Owen's relationship develop. We got one little scene with them meeting, and that was it until the very end.
3. I wish there had been an epilogue rather than a second prologue at the end of the story.
4. I wish I hadn't seen all the reveals coming before they happened.

Overall, I was completely engrossed with this story, the same way I am with the other Colleen Hoover books I've read. It's only after the fact as I'm thinking about them do I realize all the things I wish I'd gotten out of them that I didn't. There is just so much promise, that the execution often leaves me feeling underwhelmed after the fact. Of course, that isn't going to stop me from picking up another of her books. Like I said, there's just something addicting about them.