‘Reminders of Him,’ a Book to Film Review

How easily are we willing to forgive others, and if we are, how far are we willing to forgive those who have hurt us the most?

‍ ‍Reminders of Him, a contemporary romance written by Colleen Hoover, reminds us (no pun intended) about the power of forgiveness and the possibility of a new beginning.

What is Reminders of Him About?

*contains spoilers

After pleading guilty and spending five years in prison for the vehicular accident that took her boyfriends life, Kenna Rowan finds herself back in Wyoming with one mission in mind: to meet the child she bore in prison, but never got a chance to raise.

Kenna is messy. She harbors a complicated past, but behind her scrappy exterior, her brooding demeanor and a guilty plea lies a loving woman: a woman who continues to carry the weight of her mistakes, even if it comes at the cost of her own happiness.

A world wind romance

Kenna Rowan and Scotty Landry seem to have it all: a picture-perfect relationship nurtured by a world wind romance. It all comes to a halting end however, when an innocent ride turns into a fatal car crash, one that ends up taking Scotty’s life.

In a state of panic (and under the impression that Scotty is dead), Kenna flees the scene. She doesn’t know however, that he was still alive when she left. He could have even survived, had she stayed.

While Kenna’s intentions were pure, her actions ultimately contributed to the loss of a life. The guilt she feels is catastrophically larger than any guilty plea she declares to in court. It’s a guilt that stays with her… in the five years she spends in jail and in every moment that follows after her release.

Reminders of Him Movie

Colleen Hoover’s popular book was successfully turned into a film adaptation, and the movie released in theaters on March 13, 2026. Directed by Vanessa Caswill, the movie follows the same storyline with some reasonable and fitting changes.

Reminders of Him (2026) stars Maika Monroe as Kenna Rowan, Tyriq Withers as Ledger Ward and Rudy Pankow as Scotty Landry. A talented ensemble of actors completes the cast, including Zoe Kosovic (Diem), Monika Myers (Lady Diana), Nicholas Duvernay (Roman), Lainey Wilson (Amy), Lauren Graham (Grace Landry) and Bradley Whitford (Patrick Landry).

You can view the Reminders of Him trailer here and now stream it on Amazon Prime or Apple TV.

A Problematic Storyline

Reminders of Him is not particularly one of my favorite Colleen Hoover books as I found certain character dynamics problematic in relation to their given circumstances.  While the theme of forgiveness has the capacity to convey such a powerful message, the truth is that not everyone is so easy to forgive in the first place. Some of the characters in this book felt quick to forgive and this felt disproportionate to how someone might forgive another person under the circumstances that exist in this story.  

For context, the story follows Kenna (Monroe) as she begins a turbulent and arduous journey to re-connect with Diem, her and Scotty’s daughter, the one she gave birth to in prison but never got the chance to raise. In the process, she begins to form a kinship (and eventual romance) with Ledger (Withers), Scotty’s best friend and close caretaker to Diem.

Throughout Kenna and Ledger’s time together, we pay witness to the ups and downs of their relationship, which seems to be heavily impacted by Ledger’s torn feelings about the girl he’s beginning to fall in love with: can he trust her? Can he convince Scotty’s parents that she’s a good person?

In theory, the romantic portion of this storyline is cute but logically speaking, how realistic is it?

There are moments in the book (and in the film) that made me feel like Ledger has forgiven Kenna before she’s even opened up to him or reveled the intricacies of the role she played in Scotty’s death. Sure, we’re all different and who’s to say how each of us might react or behave under these particular circumstances but at least from afar, it seems rather unlikely for someone to forgive so easily (and proceed to fall in love with) the person who is responsible for so much grief in your life.

Maika Monroe as Kenna Rowan

While I have some issues with this book, I have to say that Maika Monroe’s portrayal of Kenna was spot on. She exudes such a scrappy exterior and a fiercely powerful determination. Her messy appearance in combination with a sort of numb and brooding quality is a perfect reflection of the complexities she feels on the inside, honoring so perfectly who she is at the core.

The Meaning Behind the Color Yellow

Throughout the course of the story, it’s revealed that Diem’s favorite color is yellow. The color symbolically represents Diem’s presence and the reminder of a love that existed between her parents, Kenna and Scotty. The film pays tribute to all of this, by incorporating the color yellow in different ways.

We see yellow in the scene where Kenna and Scotty first meet. Behind a counter, Kenna is seen wearing a yellow headband along with a yellow lanyard and name tag. Scotty enters the store wearing a yellow t-shirt. He smiles at her as he proceeds to look at some of the items on a nearby shelf (which happen to be yellow as well). The plastic plate he holds up is yellow. There are yellow pineapple cups and yellow plastic wine glasses. Not to mention, that they are both blonde. Coincidence? I think not.

In the famous car scene, Kenna and Scotty happen to be listening to the song “Yellow” by Coldplay before the fatal crash.

While the loss of Scotty is the source of Kenna’s pain, Diem becomes a beautiful reminder of the love that both Kenna and Scotty shared in the first place.

It’s no coincidence that yellow happens to be their daughter’s favorite color. Yellow is often associated with sunshine and a state of joy. This perfectly embodies Diem, as she seemingly represents a light in Kenna’s life, in spite of all the pain that Kenna has been forced to overcome.

Kenna and Ledger’s First Encounter

Kenna and Ledger’s first encounter takes place at the bar that he now owns and works at. The film’s adaptation however, takes a more flirtatious route when it comes to their initial conversation.

She steps into (what she believes to be) the old bookstore that Scotty and her used to frequently visit. Disappointed to find out it’s now been turned into a bar, she takes a seat and orders a non-alcoholic beverage. Ledger takes immediate notice of her. She’s quiet, somber and incredibly mysterious. They make small talk and begin to converse. Over the course of the night, they proceed to make out, and it’s then that she realizes who he is: Scotty’s best friend who she never got the chance to meet.

In the movie however, this initial interaction (the part where they just talk) feels unnecessarily flirtatious. There’s also no make-out session so the culmination of her finding out who he is feels uncomfortably melodramatic when she looks at him in the back alleyway of his bar and says “you’re Ledger.”

Grace and Patrick Landry

Some differences in the movie also came in the way that Scotty’s parents were portrayed.

In the book, Ledger describes how difficult it is for Patrick (Whitford) to maintain a conversation about Scotty without crying or retreating from the moment. One of the last scenes in the book however, signifies a moment of healing when Patrick is finally able to sustain a conversation about Scotty and even proceeds to laugh as he remembers something endearing about him. In the movie, this moment falls flat, largely because Whitford doesn’t fully lean into the external expression of grief throughout the movie, a characteristic that seems to be very prevalent in the book.

On the other hand, Grace’s character is described as being more compassionate and generally soft towards Kenna in some of the ending scenes of the book. Specifically speaking, there’s a moment in the novel that takes place in the kitchen of her house (the day where Kenna finally gets to see Diem). Colleen Hoover describes this moment in a way that makes us feel Kenna’s discomfort but it’s Grace that consoles Kenna, encouraging them both to find the strength to move past their differences and start over again. Personally speaking, I didn’t really care for the characterization in this moment as it felt very unrealistic (considering the circumstances). Sure, you can certainly forgive, but the way it was presented to us in the book felt like it came too easily, in my opinion. At the same time, we are all different and the beauty about reading (or watching movies) is our ability to interpret literature (or film) so differently.

When it came to this scene, the movie adapted a subtle change, one that felt more impactful and realistic. In the movie, Grace comes across a bit harsher (understandably so) and it generally feels more appropriate in relation to her grief and the mixed feelings she has for Kenna in the first place.

‍ Themes

In Reminders of Him, Colleen Hoover praises the human experience in a way that highlights our own imperfections. Through flawed characters, complicated situations and innocent mistakes, Hoover reminds us that survival and resilience are instinctual characteristics that we can all put into practice. Every one of us is stronger than we think and capable of overcoming more than we know.   

Friendship and forgiveness are two themes that take center stage, particularly in the dynamic between Ledger and Roman, his bar employee and long-time friend, who ultimately encourages Ledger to not misjudge Kenna and to certainly not feel dictated by other people’s opinions of her. Played by actor Nicholas Duvernay, Roman (in many ways), serves as the unspoken hero of this story, especially when it comes to the reassurance of Ledger and Kenna’s relationship.

Loss and grief become recurring themes, especially in a story that reminds us just how painful (but equally healing) the memory of a lost loved one can be. We see this theme come into play throughout the course of varying moments, and it’s impactful to see just how differently everyone navigates the feelings that come with loss.

A New Beginning

At the core, Reminders of Him is about forgiveness. How easily can we forgive, when forgiveness can place us face-to-face with some of the most unforgivable acts? Colleen Hoover challenges our thoughts by introducing us to a series of characters who, in spite of their flaws, remind us that we are all equally deserving of love… and new beginnings.  

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