Dean Holder’s Side of the Hopeless Story

Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover is the second book in the Hopeless series and tells the events surrounding Sky and Dean Holder from Holder’s perspective.

Readers who experienced Hopeless through Sky’s eyes are given a very different emotional view of the same relationship here.

Simon & Schuster explains that Hopeless revealed Sky’s story, while Losing Hope finally reveals the truth about Dean Holder, including the guilt, memories and family history that shaped him long before he and Sky reconnected.

Dean Holder

Holder carries a heavy sense of responsibility for events from his childhood.

For years, he has been haunted by the memory of a little girl he believes he failed to protect.

That guilt becomes a major part of his identity.

Even when he does not speak openly about the past, it affects his choices, relationships and emotional state.

When Sky returns to his life, Holder believes that finding her might finally give him the peace he has been searching for.

Instead, reconnecting with her forces him to face painful memories and emotions he has spent years trying to manage.

The official publisher description makes Holder’s guilt and need for redemption central to the novel.

A Companion Novel to Hopeless

Losing Hope is not simply a traditional sequel that begins after Hopeless ends.

Much of the novel revisits the same broad events from a different point of view.

That makes it best described as a companion novel as well as the second book in the series.

The major difference is perspective.

In Hopeless, readers understand the relationship primarily through Sky.

In Losing Hope, they enter Holder’s internal world.

This gives additional context to his reactions, decisions, anger, guilt and emotional attachment to Sky.

Love, Guilt and Redemption

One of the strongest themes in the novel is guilt.

Holder has spent years believing that if he could find the person he lost, he could somehow correct the past.

But the book gradually explores a more complicated idea: healing is not the same as erasing what happened.

Holder has to face memories he would rather avoid and understand that love cannot simply undo trauma.

The publisher describes his journey as one of redemption and healing, especially through his relationship with Sky.

Holder and Sky

The romance between Holder and Sky is central to both Hopeless and Losing Hope.

However, seeing that relationship from Holder’s perspective changes the emotional experience.

Readers learn what he notices, what he hides and why certain moments affect him so strongly.

Because the novel revisits events from Hopeless, it is much more rewarding after reading Book 1 first.

Readers who start with Losing Hope may encounter major revelations from the previous book without the original buildup.

Family and the Past

Holder’s family history also becomes much more important here.

The novel shows how the events surrounding Sky affected not only Holder but also the people closest to him.

His relationship with his sister Les is particularly important to understanding his emotional state.

The story deals with grief, guilt and the long-lasting effects of painful family experiences.

These elements make the book considerably heavier than a simple contemporary romance.

Mature and Sensitive Themes

Losing Hope deals with difficult subjects, including:

• Childhood trauma
• Abuse
• Grief
• Suicide
• Guilt
• Loss
• Family trauma
• Emotional distress

These subjects are important to the plot and character development.

Readers who may be sensitive to these themes should consider checking detailed content warnings before reading.

The novel is fiction and should not be treated as a substitute for professional mental-health or trauma support.

Hopeless Series Reading Order

For the clearest reading experience:

1. Hopeless
2. Losing Hope
3. Finding Cinderella
4. Finding Perfect

Simon & Schuster officially identifies Losing Hope as Book #2 of Hopeless.

Why Read Losing Hope After Hopeless?

Readers who enjoyed Hopeless will find that Losing Hope adds emotional context rather than simply repeating the same story.

Holder’s perspective explains:

• His connection to Sky
• His guilt
• His history
• His relationship with Les
• Why he reacts so strongly in certain moments
• How the events affect him internally

This companion structure makes the book especially appealing to readers who enjoy alternate-POV novels.

Who May Enjoy This Book

Losing Hope may appeal especially to readers who enjoy:

• Colleen Hoover novels
• Emotional contemporary romance
• Alternate-point-of-view stories
• Companion novels
• Second-chance emotional journeys
• Character-driven romance
• Stories about grief and healing
• The Hopeless series

About Colleen Hoover

Colleen Hoover is a #1 New York Times bestselling author whose novels include It Ends with Us, It Starts with Us, Verity, Ugly Love, and Reminders of Him.

Simon & Schuster identifies her as the author of more than twenty-three novels and lists Losing Hope among the books in her Hopeless series.

For readers already invested in Sky and Holder’s story, Losing Hope provides the emotional perspective missing from the first novel and deepens the events of Hopeless through Holder’s memories, guilt and love for Sky.