Review: Slammed Series (Slammed, Point of Retreat, This Girl) by Colleen Hoover

Since I read all 3 books within a 2 day period :-), I thought I would do a combined review instead of 3 separate posts so here are my thoughts on each book. Enjoy!

Slammed, Point of Retreat & This Girl
Author: Colleen Hoover
Publisher: Atria Books

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Slammed

Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she's losing hope.

Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.

Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart.

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I really enjoyed Slammed from the very first moment I started reading it. I loved that Will and Layken found this immediate connection with one another. I was so heartbroken for both of them when they realized that there were obstacles that wouldn't allow them to be together. I did not expect the circumstances they would be under that would keep them apart. It was so hard to see them fight their connection while they were falling deeper in love. Every character in this book was fabulous and there wasn't a single one that I had ill feelings towards. I loved how sweet and caring Will was and how strong and mature he was. I loved that Layken was so headstrong and passionate. She knows what she wants and she is always willing to go for it but at the same time she is so respectful of the situation and does the best she can to not be selfish.

I loved the Avett Brothers quotes in the beginning of the chapters and the special meaning they had for Will and Layken. I absolutely adored the theme of this book and the the slam poetry that was incorporated in it. The idea that two people can fight their way to each other through every obstacle thrown there way is such a compelling love story.

Favorite Quote:
"The same glorious feeling I had on that stage...on his dryer...in the booth in the back of the room--it's gone. I can't do it again. I want to run. I need air. I need to feel the Michigan air against my face." ~Layken (Slammed by Colleen Hoover)

IPOD Pick:
"A Drop in the Ocean" by Ron Pope

Point of Retreat

Hardships and heartache brought them together…now it will tear them apart. 

Layken and Will have proved their love can get them through anything; until someone from Will’s past re-emerges, leaving Layken questioning the very foundation on which their relationship was built. Will is forced to face the ultimate challenge…how to prove his love for a girl who refuses to stop ‘carving pumpkins

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Point of Retreat picks up a little over a year after Slammed left off and I was totally satisfied with where Layken and Will were in their relationship. So many monumental things had happened to them over that year and it was clear that they needed each other now more than ever. Of course happily ever after only lasts so long and Will and Layken are facing new obstacles this time. I was easily able to predict what was going to cause problems between them but I didn't expect it to play out the way it did. I certainly didn't expect the things that would happen throughout and towards the end of the book. Even though the primary plot of the book revolved around Layken and Will's strained relationship, there so many other things going on around them too that I really liked because it showed that life was still going on around them and other people have issues and problems.

 I was a little disappointed with the way Layken handled things between her and Will. I felt like she was kind of immature and I didn't care too much for the little tantrums that she would throw. There were a few new characters introduced in this book and I really liked them. I "butterflying" loved Kiersten. She was such a fun character and she made me laugh. There was also a lot more of Gavin and Eddie and they had their own drama going on too. 

This book was written from Will's POV and I think the author did a great job with it. I also felt that she did a great job in the introduction to bridge the time gap between the two books. This was a complex plot which I loved because there was so much depth to the story. I was really satisfied with the ending and where the author took it. Of course, the slam poetry in this book was once again amazing!

Favorite Quote:
"I love being with you so bad
When we aren't together, I miss you so bad
One of these days, I'm going to marry you so bad
And it'll be
so
so
good." 
~ Will (Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover)

IPOD Pick:
"Lucky" by Jason Mraz & Colbie Collait

This Girl

Layken and Will’s love has managed to withstand the toughest of circumstances and the young lovers, now married, are beginning to feel safe and secure in their union. As much as Layken relishes their new life together, she finds herself wanting to know everything there is to know about her husband, even though Will makes it clear he prefers to keep the painful memories of the past where they belong. Still, he can’t resist his wife’s pleas and so he begins to untangle his side of the story, revealing for the first time his most intimate feelings and thoughts, retelling both the good and bad moments, and sharing a few shocking confessions of his own from the time when they first met.

In This Girl, Will tells the story of their complicated relationship from hispoint of view. Their future rests on how well they deal with the past in this final installment of the beloved Slammed series.

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This Girl starts off right where Point of Retreat left off but it is Will telling his side of the events from Slammed to Layken. I really liked the way this was written. Instead of just being Will's version of Slammed, it is written as a flashback with him telling Layken his side of the story. It breaks from the past to the present after he retells a scene from Slammed from his POV and I liked that. It was really fun to go back through the events of Slammed with Will as the MC because there were so many great moments between them in that book and I loved getting Will's perspective during those moments. 

I loved finding out some of the secrets that Will had kept from Layken during that time. The book also extended the events from the end of Slammed so we got a little insight into what happened right after Slammed ended. I absolutely loved reading their first date from his perspective and how he felt and reacted to the poem that she slammed for him. It was beautiful!
The ending to this book and series was really amazing and I was very happy with the direction the author took it. All loose ends were tied up and it left me feeling happy and satisfied.

Favorite Quote:

"This feeling I get when I'm with her...I've missed it. I've missed that feeling of feeling. Somehow, she's the first person in the last two years of my life who gives me any sense of hope about the future." ~Will (This Girl by Colleen Hoover)

IPOD Pick:
"Forever & Always" by Parachute

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Overall, I "butterflying" enjoyed this series and am a huge fan of Colleen Hoover's writing. I fell in love with Will and Layken's story. I laughed with them, I cried with them and I enjoyed every minute I spent with them.

P.S. Read the books and you will understand the "butterflying" reference ;-)

Sources

Synopsis for each book: Goodreads

Cover Photos: Goodreads