The novel November Nine, written by Colleen Hoover was, ironically, published on November 10th of 2015. It fits right along with the genres Hoover is very well known for: contemporary romance and young adult fiction. 

The book opens with a meeting between two characters- a girl and a guy, both seemingly ordinary- and they instantly hit it off with one another. However, as fate would have it, the day they come across each other also happens to be the day on which the girl, Fallon, plans to move across the country to continue her lifelong goal as an actress. Unwilling to let this bring an end to their story, the two agree to meet each other on every anniversary of that exact date, November 9th. As both of them agreed they should each pursue their own dreams without letting the other stand in the way, there was zero contact between the two in the duration of the remaining 364 days. Sticking to the plan, Fallon and Benton proceeded to spend less than twelve hours together on the ninth of every November following for the next four years. On their fifth year (technically fifth day) together, just as they make the ultimate decision to try for a real relationship despite having dreams that pull them in different directions, a big secret that has weighed down Fallon’s life is uncovered and their relationship takes a turn- is it for the worst?

As the plot and characters maneuvered their way through ups and downs, the audience was given perspectives of both Fallon and Benton, our two main characters. Alternating back and forth with each chapter, we got to see the thoughts of both figures. 

Speaking of the two, the chemistry between them was very vibrant and made the story enjoyable to follow along. In my opinion, they complemented each other well without giving off the air of “textbook perfect soulmates.” It is revealed that the female lead, Fallon, has a particular distaste for “instalove”- a concept in which two people feel a spark or connection upon first meeting (similar to love at first sight). Despite the fact that it can be concluded that instalove is exactly what was described in their relationship, this does not ruin its appeal.

Diving deeper and taking a closer look at the actual storyline, there is a mix of emotions embedded in different pages as a typical book, specifically romance novel, would. Each negative chapter is rivaled by the warm feeling given in its following chapter. The book also contains a plot twist nearing the end which was, in short, well-done, but I am still not too sure if I agree with the way the storyline was concluded. Although the presence of an approaching plot twist could be felt in the pages leading up to it, it was neither underwhelming nor overwhelming. As all plot twists typically tend to do, it threatened the predicted ending of the book. However, to me, it feels like it was simply wrapped up and solved within a very minimal amount of time as the book was coming to a close.

November Nine, although being among Colleen Hoover’s earlier-written stories, is near the top of a large percentage of CoHo-novel enjoyer’s favorites lists. Pulled from Goodreads, Angela says, “November 9 is a beautiful book with a wonderful message. It’s a novel filled with so much passion, humor,  with such a dreamy aspect that leaps off the pages and pulls you in. November 9 was my most anticipated New Adult book of the year, and again Colleen Hoover didn’t let me down. By the end of November 9 I promise your heartstrings will have been pulled in every single direction.”

Overall, as I commonly love Hoover’s books, this one is no different. I believe that it is one of her more well-known books for good reason, and it is a good addition to the shelves of anyone who often finds themselves engrossed in contemporary romance.