Colleen Hoover knows romance. She knows relationships. She knows how to pull at our heart strings, make us laugh, make us cry, and long for love. We all know It Ends with Us, Reminders of Him, and Verity. But this underrated Colleen Hoover book deserves more hype than it receives.
*SPOILER FREE
This site contains affiliate links, view the disclaimer for more information. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no added cost to you.
Heart Bones is arguably one of most underrated Colleen Hoover books that’ll pull at your heart in more ways than one. It follows high school graduate Beyah Grim. Beyah comes from poverty. With an addict mother and an absent father, she’s had to grow up fast.
Following the loss of her mother and no one to turn to, Beyah reaches out to her father and decides to stay with him for the summer at his home on a Texan peninsula before she starts school. Despite her difficult past, she plans to attend Penn State on a full ride for Voleyball in the fall.
As the summer unfolds in this picturesque beach town, Beyah meets Samson. Samson is the good-looking but mysterious boy living in the luxurious house next door to her father. What Beyah doesn’t realize, is that her and Samson have more in common than she initially expects. Neither of them are good at letting down their walls, which is why they agree to stay in the shallow end and keep things light and casual between them. Only, that’s easier said than done.
While their romance dominates the story line, there is way more to this book than love. It’s filled with themes and messages that’ll likely resonate with the majority of us. It’s heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time, even more so than her other books. Here’s why it is the most underrated Colleen Hoover book and why it should be your next read.
#1 IT’S ABOUT MORE THAN JUST LOVE
Heart Bones is about more than love. It’s a romance novel, yes. But, the underlying themes are not only about love. They’re about friendship and self-discovery. It’s about first impressions and how there is always more to a person than our initial judgements. It’s about how one’s past does not define their future.
Thrusted into her father’s world, Beyah spends the summer in a Texas beach town. Her father’s lifestyle is different, nothing like what she’s used to. Beyah’s used to struggle. She’s felt real pain and grief at a young age.
When she meets Samson, she makes quick judgements and forms assumptions about him instead of making an effort to get to know his character. Beyah’s jaded. She acts based on her first impressions and keeps people at arm’s-length to avoid getting close to them.
Getting close to someone new means being vulnerable, which isn’t easy for someone with a traumatic past such as Beyah’s. But in keeping her walls up, she doesn’t realize that deep down, Samson hurts in the same ways she does.
She guards her heart and so does Samson. While they’re love story unfolds, the messages surrounding friendship, overcoming difficult pasts, and finding good in life despite painful experiences, makes this the most underrated Colleen Hoover book.
#2 THE SETTING IS PICTURE PERFECT
If you want an escape, Heart Bones may be perfect for you. It takes place on a peninsula in Texas. A luxurious beach town that serves as a summer vacation spot for the wealthy.
What’s better than a love story in the heart of summer? The ocean and the lavish town filled with wealthy families enjoying their stays at their summer homes, paints a picture perfect setting.
This underrated Colleen Hoover book sucks you in from the very beginning. It’s easy to follow the characters as they spend their time on the beach and enjoy summer break by the ocean. It’s a beautiful setting that juxtaposes the inner conflict both Beyah and Samson battle throughout the story.
#3 THE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT IS SPOT ON
One of Colleen Hoover’s greatest strengths, is writing characters with depth. She writes relatable characters who struggle and learn to overcome their pasts and the difficulties life throws at them, something we all strive to do.
Beyah and Samson have felt similar pain in their lives. They’ve built impenetrable walls around their hearts to avoid the the pain that comes with loss. Like attracts like in this book. Samson and Beyah are both broken despite what they let others see.
They relate to one another on a deeper level and encourage each other to open up, which shapes the story and it’s themes. We see them learn to overcomes their pasts and slowly attempt to open their hearts to one another, which allows their romance to unfold.
But even more significant than their romance, is the development of their friendship and emotional bond. The connection they form with one another helps them both learn to let down their walls. As they learn to be vulnerable, they self-reflect. This helps them figure out who they are and who they want to be, which makes you root for them along their journeys.
#4 IT’S RELATABLE
Colleen Hoover books always seem to trigger our emotions. I credit this to her ability to write relatable characters and relatable stories.
Beyah and Samson both have difficult pasts and have experienced loss and grief at young ages. It’s likely that many of you have gone through difficult times in your lives and have had to deal with losing a loved one or feeling defined by your past in some way.
Others of us have dealt with heartbreak and know what it’s like to guard our hearts and fear emotional vulnerability. We know what it’s like to shy away from opening our hearts to someone new.
Colleen Hoover’s ability to write characters that have gone through real shit and are forced to deal with experiences many of us have personally been through, makes it easy to connect with the characters. You’ll want to root for them through all the ups and downs, making this book well worth the read.
#5 IT’LL GIVE YOU BUTTERFLIES
This book has much more depth than your surface level romance novel, which is why it will give you butterflies. Colleen Hoover knows how to hit her story beats with this book.
Due to Beyah and Samson’s difficult pasts, the romance takes a while to unfold. It’s a slow-burn, but that makes it all the more captivating. Their subtle moments of eye contact, lingering looks, light touches, and fleeting moments of vulnerability with one another, makes every interaction worth the wait.
It’s not the steamiest Colleen Hoover book. It’s not Ugly Love. But, having to wait until the third act for them to finally let their guards down enough for their romance to culminate, will pull your heart in all directions.
The slow-burn aspect of this book makes sense with Beyah and Samson’s past experiences. It takes time for them to slowly lower their guards around each other, which is relatable for those who have been through heartbreak and pain. It shows us that emotional connection is just as important as a physical connection when falling in love.
The slow-burn makes it feel more real and it’ll make you root for Samson and Beyah’s love story despite the barriers that threaten to separate them.