Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover

Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover
Series: Slammed #2
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Publication Date: August 10th 2012
Series: Bought

Layken and Will have managed to overcome the obstacles that threatened to destroy their love, proving that they are destined for one another. What they are about to learn, however, is that the things that have brought them together may be the very things that ruin their connection forever...

Layken is left second-guessing the relationship whilst Will is jumping over hurdles to prove his love for her. What the young lovers discover about themselves along this journey may change their entire world, and the lives of those who depend upon them the most...

After I'd finished reading Slammed, I hurried off to grab the next two books in the series because I knew I had to read them straight away. I'd been warned to grab some tissues before going into this one - so I did - and I definitely needed them because this one was just as emotional - maybe slightly more - than the first one. And it was also just as amazing.

The one main thing that I think made this book better was that it was told from Will's POV. I absolutely adore Will and I'd been dying to get inside his head during Slammed so I kind of started jumping around when I realise Point of Retreat was told from his POV.

So after everything that happened in Slammed, Lake and Will are finally together (*cheers*). But what the two of them don't realise is that their relationship is about to be put to the test again. 

As much as a love Lake, there were times in this book when I just wanted to shake some sense into her. I get why she stormed off and was upset with Will, but did she really need to ignore him for that long? No, Lake. You didn't! But I do really love her character. Lake is getting used to her new role after the events at the end of Slammed and she seems to be coping well with everything. Lake is a tough character and she's got a lot of inner strength, but she's insecure about herself and her relationship with Will which causes quite a few problems in this book.

Oh, Will. I didn't think I could love you anymore than I already do, but this book proved me wrong. Getting to hear from Will actually helped me understand his character a lot more, and also allowed me to fall completely head over heels for his character. Will is just one of the sweetest guys ever and it broke my heart seeing him basically tearing his hair out to prove himself to Lake when she was acting like a 5 year old. It's so obvious to everyone but Lake that he cares about her deeply, and I just wanted to see them together again. Will has always got everyone else's best interests before his and he's so sweet that he just wants to help everyone.

So in Point of Retreat, Will heads back to college and it turns out his ex - who dumped him days after his parents died and completely broke his heart - was in his class. And obviously she's a complete bitch who tries everything she possibly can to win Will back and break up his relationship with Lake. She's constantly flirting with him and I really wanted to punch her. Eddie and Gavin had their own problems going on which were inter-twined with the bigger storyline because Eddie and Gavin are a massive part of Will and Lake's lives. 

The addition of Kiersten and Sherry to this book added a hell of a lot. Kiersten was like a mini Eddie and I loved her so much! She was so hilarious and was always coming out with something that made her seem older than she actually was. Sherry was... strange, but she was a fantastic character. She was there for Will and Lake when they really needed her, and she was amazing.

Colleen Hoover sure knows how to write soul-destroying twists. At about 60% there was a heart-wrenching twist that left me unsure of what was going to happen to a few of the characters. Honestly, I was preparing for the worst and I just didn't stop crying.

And then the ending also had me in tears because I was freaking happy. I love Will and Lake and that ending was just perfect for them. And also, Gavin and Eddie are adorable <3

Overall, Point of Retreat was a fantastic follow up to Slammed. It was so much more emotional, soul-destroying and beautiful than the first one and I adore Colleen Hoover's writing now. I'll definitely be buying ever single book she writes now.