Colleen Hoover is a popular American author who writes genres like mystery, thrill, and romance, but she became widely popular for her sensational romance and spectacular plot twists. Hoover’s series “Slammed Series” took me on a roller-coaster ride of emotions, which kept me engaged, and I was compelled to keep my fingers crossed throughout my reading experience.
Colleen was passionate about writing, and despite having limited resources, she borrowed a laptop in 2011 and started writing the “Slammed” series without looking back. Just like other fellow readers, I was also convinced by the end that the “Slammed” series was a good choice to read in my leisure time. The overall experience could’ve been greater if the last book had some more exciting and new stuff rather than the recap of the previous two books.
Overview of the Series:
Since I am a devoted admirer of contemporary romance, Colleen Hoover covered me and others by publishing this “Slammed” series. I was kept in sheer curiosity in both series about whether the love boat of Will and Layken would reach the harbor or drown in between the seas. The author sparks a glitter of hope one moment that they will be happily united, and the other moment shatters this hope by drawing a glass wall between them.
The series followed a zig-zag of emotions where I was inclined that Layken will have to find someone else for herself but as pages turned, I had to change my opinion. My take home message from Colleen’s series is that life can have surprises for us in store when we are least expecting them.
What you need to Know:
General Info:
“Slammed” is the title of a set of modern love stories penned by Colleen Hoover, telling the romantic tale of a sad girl and a guy facing challenges in life.
Author:
The “Slammed” series is written by “Colleen Hoover”. She has really been good in writing skills, with plots and characters that stand out. She could make her books more like regular stories, but she chooses not to. Colleen Hoover is a great writer who uses passion, hope, creativity, and a strong connection to bring her characters and their stories to life.
Genre:
The slammed series is categorized as a genre of romance. It is an adult romantic fiction series for readers who are fond of reading about love, relationships, friendships, attachments, and affection, like me. The romance genre is not always about flushing with love; it also takes on a journey of surprises, adventures, and heartbreaks.
Age Rating:
This series is recommended for readers aged 17 years or above.
It is an adult fiction novel penned for mature readers.
Books in order:
Slammed series has 3 books:
- Slammed (2012)
- Point of Retreat (2012)
- This Girl (2013)
Characters:
The series is based on these main characters:
- Layken Cohen: A teenage girl who is in high school
- Will Cooper: Cohen’s teacher and later her husband
- Kel Cohen: Layken’s younger brother
- Caulder Cooper: Will’s younger brother
- Vaughn: Will’s ex-girlfriend
Summary of Slammed:
Slammed by Colleen Hoover is narrated under the umbrella of the romantic genre that beautifully unwinds the love story of two main characters, Layken and Will. Layken’s destination takes her to Michigan, where she happens to cross paths with Will, who lives in her neighborhood. Gradually, they became attracted to each other as neighbors but were utterly surprised to learn that Will is Layken’s poetry teacher. This secret was hidden from Will, Layken, and the readers.
Will tells Layken with extreme sorrow that they will have to separate their paths from now on, which, leavingken extremely angry and heartbroken. She was distressed, and all her dreams of living with Will were shattered. Meanwhile, Layken’s mother passes away, who had been struggling with a deadly cancer disease. In the end, a ray of hope could be seen when Will and Layken started dating again for around a year.
| Publisher | Atria Books |
| Published Date | Jan 4, 2012 |
| Literary awards | Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fiction and for Goodreads Author (2012) |
| Series | Slammed (#1) |
| Setting | Ypsilanti, Michigan (United States) |
| Characters | Layken Cohen, Will Cooper |
| Pages | 354 Pages |
| Language | English |
| Settings | Ypsilanti, Michigan (United States) |
| ISBN-10 | 1476715904 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1476715902 |
Review:
I cannot say how hooked this novel kept me from the beginning until the end. This is one of those novels I can invest my time to read repeatedly. The best part is that Colleen has kept the story realistic without overly fantasizing about it.
One powerful message I could grasp as a reader was that we are not flawless and are bound to commit errors. After all, that’s what makes us humans and not robots. Isn’t it? I did not get tired of reading about these endearing characters because the plot is unique and has unexpected twists that add to the enjoyment of this read.
Summary of Point of Retreat:
Point of Retreat is the second book by Colleen Hoover, which recaps Layken and Will’s love story as they have to go through a mountain of challenges to make their relationship work. Both of them are struggling to forgo their pasts. Eventually, Will and Layken start living together with their brothers. Suddenly, life takes a curve when Will’s ex-girlfriend Vaughn comes to disclose a secret that no one was aware of. She made a shocking revelation that she and Will are expecting a child.
Layken’s world turns upside down, and he fears losing Will while Will is torn between two roles. Layken couldn’t stand this news and got jealous of Vaugh. Upon calming down, she realizes that love is nothing without trust. She must let go of her thoughts if she wishes to live in peace. In the end, Layken and Will decide to keep their heads over water by moving on from their pasts and starting to live the life they always manifested together.
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster UK |
| Published Date | February 25, 2012 |
| Series | Slammed (#2) |
| Settings | Ypsilanti, Michigan (United States) |
| Characters | Layken Cohen, Will Cooper |
| Pages | 322 Pages |
| Language | English |
| ISBN-10 | 1476715920 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1476715926 |
Review:
In addition to being a tale of passion and love, Point of Retreat also explores the theme of forgiveness. I was convinced that love is powerful and can heal the wounds caused by various life incidents. The theme of this novel revolves around true love and unconditional compassion.
This edition was the most enjoyable one in the series because, as a reader, I could connect with so many incidents portrayed in this delightful story.
Summary of This Girl:
This Girl is the third and the last book in the Slammed Series by Colleen Hoover, which smoothly narrates the love story from Will’s angle. After withstanding many challenges like a solid rock, Will and Layken are married and living happily. Although Layken is enjoying this happy phase of her life, she is still eager to know about Will’s past.
Will has his eyebrows raised and is uncomfortable to spill the beans. He insists on not disclosing the painful memories of his past. As his wife’s curiosity does not fade away, he gathers the courage to reveal his side of the story, where he discloses his feelings for her. He continues to tell all the past good and bad memories and confesses his raw feelings from the early days of their meetings.
| Publisher | Atria Books |
| Published Date | April 30, 2013 |
| Literary awards | Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Romance (2013) |
| Pages | 306 Pages |
| Language | English |
| Settings | Ypsilanti, Michigan (United States) |
| ISBN-10 | 1476746532 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1476746531 |
Review:
Being a reader, I found the previous two books, “Slammed” and “The Point of Retreat,” more engaging as the story progressed and became fascinating. “This Girl” was a flashback of their love story, which reminded them of all the hardships that Will and Layken went through.
“Love is the most beautiful thing in the world. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the hardest things in the world to hold on to, and one of the easiest things to throw away.“
Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover
Although it was a recap, it got so repetitive that it seemed like a carbon copy of the first book, “Slammed.” Nonetheless, in the end, one valuable message I could extract was that whatever is meant to be will always find a way.
Conclusion:
Slammed” series is a love story with a blend of emotions that kept me on my toes throughout the story. Will and Layken’s bittersweet story turns unexpectedly when Will discovers that Layken is his student. Will does not like the idea of dating his student, so to save his face from humiliation in school, he breaks the news of separating his way from Layken. This kept Layken heart wrecked about having to lose his beau.
Days went by, and they started seeing each other again with the hope that things would work out, but here comes another twist when Will’s girlfriend comes and bombards the news of expecting a child with Will. Layken is shattered again but picks hope when Will assures that things will work out. The story moves forward with a pile of challenges, and at last, they get married, and love wins. This is a gripping series for readers like me who love to unfold surprises while reading.
It is bound to keep you glued too, just like me, to find out the fate of two birds. Happy reading!