In Colleen Hoover’s November 9, she begs the question, does fate exist?
Your book club is all but guaranteed to fall in love with Ben, the aspiring novelist, just as fast as Fallon does. Ben and Fallon meet on Fallon’s last day in LA, but they promise to see each other every November 9 for the next five years – with absolutely no contact in between. Told over the course of five November 9ths, this novel tackles themes of love, forgiveness, chance encounters, and vulnerability. These November 9 book club questions will have your book club debating whether true love or fate exists.
Our November 9 discussion guide includes ten book club questions, a synopsis, and selected reviews. Once you’ve finished your discussion, head to the end of this guide for three books like November 9, and pick out your next book club read.
November 9 Synopsis
November 9, Colleen Hoover
Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in Los Angeles together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist.
Can Ben’s relationship with Fallon—and simultaneously his novel—be considered a love story if it ends in heartbreak?
10 November 9 Book Club Questions
1. Fallon hates “insta-love,” but that’s exactly what happened with her and Ben. Was it believable how fast the two fell for each other?
2. If you were in the same situation as Fallon and Ben, would you continue to meet on November 9 each year?
3. “One thing I always try to remind myself is everyone has scars,’ [Fallon] says. ‘A lot of them even worse than mine. The only difference is that mine are visible, and most people’s aren’t.”
How did scars, both physical and emotional, affect the various characters?
4. Fallon and Ben almost got together after the death of Ben’s brother, but Fallon left Ben because she believed that was best for him. Did you agree her choice? Should she have stayed?
5. After Miles dies, Ben begins a relationship with his widow, Jordyn. Do you think the two were a good pair? How do you think Miles would feel about this?
6. If you were Fallon, would you forgive Ben for starting the fire? Would you forgive him for keeping this a secret as long as he did?
7. “We don’t get to choose our parents, and parents don’t get to choose their children. But we do get to choose how hard we’re willing to work in order to do the best of what we’re given.”
Do you think Ben’s mom did the best with what she was given? Did she have any other options?
8. How did your opinion of Fallon’s dad change after reading Ben’s letter?
9. How believable do you think the plot was? Can you really fall in love with someone you only see once a year?
10. It seems like it was fate that Fallon and Ben were both at the same cafe at the same time. Do you believe in fate?
Selected Reviews for November 9
“The perfect blend of sexiness, emotion, and intrigue. It’s Colleen’s best, most exciting book to date… Ben and Fallon’s story is irresistible – I couldn’t help but fall in love with them from the very beginning. Their chemistry leaps off the page with humor, passion, and an endearing realness. Moreover, Hoover enlivens the story with her intangible magic where every moment feels larger than life, meaningful, and somehow entirely novel in its approach.”
“I’m not saying this is the last of Hoover’s works I’ll pick up, but I do notice that the storylines are starting to run together for me and it feels like she’s writing to a formula where twisty scenarios are a requirement and the emotions and drama are shoved so much at you that it’s hard to take them seriously. And the twists don’t feel like genuine revelations, not for me anymore… It just doesn’t feel genuine or real to me.”
“Very middle-of-the-road with this one. Some parts were really captivating while other parts were a total miss and quite cheesy. I struggle with the high-stakes drama inner monologues and dialogues that seem so intense and dramatic much too quickly. The story itself was good and heartfelt, I just wish the execution was a bit more realistic or calm. The writing feels jumpy and too hyper at times.”
“Colleen Hoover once again made me speechless. Everything about this book is surreal, splendid, emotional, unique, and filled with unexpected twists. I think it’s better to start to go into this blind and figure out what the story is all about… All the twists give me mini heart attacks and I have to pause for a while and let it all sink in… This book is hands down amazing and by far the best out of all Colleen Hoover’s books.”
3 Books Like November 9
If your club is mad for CoHo, then be sure to check out our list of the best Colleen Hoover books. It includes all of her books, ranked and rated, with a synopsis for each. We also have guides for It Ends With Us, It Starts With Us, Reminders of Him and Verity. We’ve also got guides for Emily Hendry’s Book Lovers and People We Meet on Vacation.
Someday in Paris, Olivia Lara
“Over the course of twenty years, Zara and Leon are destined to fall in love again and again. But will they ever find a way to be together?”
Just like November 9, Someday in Paris deals asks the question: does fate exist? Someday in Paris is a beautiful book that will steal your heart with its mesmerizing story.
Love and Other Words, Christina Lauren
Just like Fallon, Macy Sorensen doesn’t want a relationship – but everything changes when she meets Elliot Petropoulos.
Told in alternating timelines of Then and Now, Then shows us their young love bloom before it ends in heartbreak, leaving the two to become strangers. The Now picks up after a chance encounter as Macy and Elliot learn the truth of what really happened all those years ago.
Maybe In Another Life, Taylor Jenkins Reid
Maybe In Another Life tells the story of a “young woman whose fate hinges on the choice she makes after bumping into a new flame.”
Hannah’s life seems to depend on whether or not she accepts a ride from her high school boyfriend, Ethan, after a night out at a bar. Maybe In Another Life follows two concurrent storylines – one where Hannah goes with Ethan and one where she doesn’t, leading to two very different lives.
Maybe In Another Life asks the question, is there such a thing as a soul mate?
If you like Reid, then check out our book club guides for The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Jones & the Six and Malibu Rising.
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