3.5 Stars 
 I didn't think that this day would come. That one day I would read a CoHo book and just not love it. I honestly didn't think that it would have been this book. Of course with Colleen not having a release for over a year, there was high anticipation for Without Merit. I had heard through the grapevine that this one was supposed to be more fluffy and not the "rip your heart out" kind of book that Colleen usually writes. 
 I don't write too much about the subject matter in reviews for Colleen's books. I feel like her novels are best to go in blind, so here's what I'm going to say about this: 
 1.	This is relevant and necessary to be discussed, especially with teenagers and young adults. 
 That's one of the things that I enjoy most about reading Colleen's books. What she writes about is completely relevant with what's going on in the world and she does it so damn well. For this I applaud her for. This particular subject matter is just not something that I find relevant to me and my life, therefore it didn't resonate with me as much as say someone that's never had experience with this, or is younger(teenager or early 20's). 
 2.	Colleen can create heartache like no one else 
 Despite this not being my favorite book by her, I was surprised to find myself tearing up. Some of you may find that hard to believe that I did that in this book. It obviously doesn't have the gut punch of emotions as say Ugly Love or November 9, but I love how Colleen can so easily string words together that allow the reader to feel whatever the character is going through. And trust me, there's a lot of characters going through a lot of crap in this one. 
 3.	Each CoHo book teaches a life lesson 
 Ugly Love reminds us that no matter what happens in life, we can move on. November 9 teaches us that forgiveness is a powerful gift. It Ends With Us teaches us that we can be a survivor and end the cycle, and in this book we learn that everyone is going through something. Again, one of the reasons I love Colleen's books so much is that she can create characters that go through incredible strife and come out hero's. 
 This just wasn't for me. I wanted more. I needed the gut punch that she usually delivers. I felt like this was very familiar to It Ends With Us as far as perception. It was just OK for me. But any book written by Colleen is still leaps and bounds better than ever other author out there. She is just a superb writer and isn't afraid of pushing the envelope. I was just looking for something laying below the surface that was going to come up and grab me at the very end....and there just wasn't. 
 So if you haven't read a book by Colleen and are afraid of jumping into the deep end head first, you might want to give this one a try over one of her heavier novels. This is also a really good book to give to a teenager as it addresses a lot of issues that are very much apparent in today's society(sexuality, mental health issues, family dynamics, etc). 
 I buddy read with my co-blogger Shannon(go check out her review, it's fabulous), and she put it best. This is not a romance novel. This is a coming of age novel. If you go in expecting this all-consuming love story that is CoHo's typical, then you may disappointed. But if you go in expecting this to be a coming of age story, then you may be more satisfied. 
 I just want to mention that I have mad respect for Colleen. I love her diversity and with that you aren't going to reach every single reader. I was one of those readers. This actually just makes me more hungry for her next release! I can't wait to read what she puts out next, because I guarantee it will blow me away. 
 **ARC provided in exchange for an honest review