Heart Bones — A Review
Title: Heart Bones
Author: Colleen Hoover
Genre: New Adult / Contemporary Romance
First Published: 2020 (later reprints) Kirkus Reviews+2Goodreads+2
Premise & Plot (Spoiler-Light)
Beyah Grim has spent much of her life fending for herself. When she returns home one evening from work, she finds her mother has died from an overdose. With nowhere else to go for the summer before she heads off to college with a scholarship, she reluctantly reaches out to her estranged father, who she barely knows. Kirkus Reviews+2Barnes & Noble+2
Her father lives in Texas with a new wife and a teenage stepdaughter, Sara. Beyah moves into their summer house on a peninsula, trying to stay low and get through the two months until she can leave. Kirkus Reviews+2World of Bai+2
Next door lives Samson, a brooding, wealthy young man. Their lives are strikingly different—poverty and neglect on Beyah’s side, wealth and privilege on Samson’s—but they’re drawn together through their shared wounds and vulnerabilities. They agree to a summer relationship (“stay in the shallow end”) without expectations, but as layers of the past unravel, secrets force them to confront more than they bargained for. World of Bai+4Kirkus Reviews+4heididischler.com+4
As the summer deepens, Beyah’s trust is tested, and Samson’s hidden truths begin to emerge. The novel explores how heartbreak, identity, family, and the struggle between survival and redemption play out in the fragile space of “in between.” Jeeves Reads Romance+4bookvibe.com+4heididischler.com+4
Strengths & Highlights
- Emotional resonance. Many readers praise Hoover’s ability to tug on heartstrings—Beyah’s backstory, her losses, and her resilience give the book emotional weight. bookvibe.com+4heididischler.com+4GoodeyReads+4
- Slow burn & intimacy. The romance between Beyah and Samson builds gradually and has moments of quiet connection rather than constant drama. Jeeves Reads Romance+2World of Bai+2
- Themes of class, damage, and survival. Hoover isn’t shying away from showing how poverty, trauma, and neglect shape decisions and character. The contrast between Beyah’s life and Samson’s is used to probe judgments and hidden layers. Confetti Bookshelf+5Kirkus Reviews+5floweringpages.com+5
- Accessible, fast read. The prose is straightforward and the narrative moves briskly. Many reviewers finished it in a few hours. floweringpages.com+3heididischler.com+3Laurie Is Reading+3
- Plot twist / revelations. Hoover includes a twist (e.g. regarding Samson’s true circumstances) which reshapes how earlier choices are viewed. GoodeyReads+3heididischler.com+3World of Bai+3
Critiques & Limitations
- Emotional flatness for some. Some readers feel the emotional impact doesn’t land fully—characters’ pain or growth can feel muted rather than visceral. Laurie Is Reading+2Confetti Bookshelf+2
- Predictability / clichés. The summer romance, mysterious brooding love interest, class divides—some critics say parts of the plot feel familiar or expected. Laurie Is Reading+1
- Character development uneven. While Beyah is generally well fleshed out, some supporting characters are seen by reviewers as more archetypal or less dynamic. Laurie Is Reading+2GoodeyReads+2
- Pacing issues. In parts, pacing slows, or the buildup takes longer than some readers prefer. The Nerdy Gourmet+1
- Emphasis on romantic resolution. Some critiques argue that the novel focuses more on the romance arc and reconciliation than deeper exploration of trauma or systemic factors. Laurie Is Reading+3World of Bai+3floweringpages.com+3
Critical Opinion & Reception
- Kirkus Reviews calls it “humorous, poignant, and always life-affirming,” and highlights how the novel examines how poverty pressures choices and complicates morality. Kirkus Reviews
- Confetti Bookshelf gave it ~3.5 stars, noting it falls in the “middle of the Hoover pack” for them, typical of her page-turner style with some predictable elements. Confetti Bookshelf
- Some bloggers and reviewers express disappointment relative to Hoover’s stronger works, citing emotional distance or parts that feel undercooked. Laurie Is Reading+2The Nerdy Gourmet+2
- Conversely, fans on forums like Reddit praise it as a favorite, noting they cried, felt the connection, and loved Samson’s character. Reddit
Suggested Blurb / Excerpt for Your Site
“With raw vulnerability and a touch of hope, Heart Bones follows Beyah’s reluctant summer with a distant father, a brooding neighbor, and a tangled web of past wounds. When two broken souls meet, love becomes their fragile refuge — until hidden truths threaten to pull them apart. A read for those who believe hearts can heal, even when they’re cracked.”