Best Colleen Hoover books: our TOP-15

Colleen Hoover is an American author whose novels and young adult literature are breaking all sales records and dominating social media. Her stories are dynamic and easy to lose yourself in, featuring everything from sensual romances filled with yearning and young love to detective stories and thrillers that will have you sleeping with the lights on.

Colleen Hoover’s best-rated books held six out of ten spots on The New York Times bestseller list in 2022, which confirms their outstanding success and the love of readers all over the world.

Equally captivating is Colleen’s own story, which undoubtedly deserves a novel of its own: after publishing her debut book “Slammed” in 2012 without any experience or connections in the publishing industry, it became a hit; twelve years later, she has surpassed many of the world’s most famous authors and sold the film rights for her novel It Ends With Us featuring Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively in the lead roles.

Can Colleen Hoover’s best novels be defined as those you should start your acquaintance with? Get ready to pick the outstanding from the excellent. As of October 2022, Colleen had sold 20 million books. So, if you’re confused about where to start, here is an overview of Colleen Hoover’s 15 best ones. Let’s start from the beginning.

“Slammed”, 2012

Colleen Hoover’s first book immediately made it to The New York Times e-book bestseller list in 2012. This novel was nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award in the “Best Young Adult Literature” category. It tells the story of Layken, an 18-year-old girl who lost her father early. She takes on the responsibility of caring for her family: her mother and younger brother. Though seemingly cheerful and strong, Layken struggles with the sudden challenges in her life. Hopelessness and frustration recede when a new neighbor, Will Cooper, a handsome 21-year-old with a passion for poetry and a unique sense of humor, enters her life. Their blossoming love and anticipation of each meeting revive Layken. But… their dates become painful as they try to balance their feelings and a secret that threatens their relationship.

“Finding Cinderella”, 2014

A novella from the “Hopeless” series, though it can also be read as a standalone. It’s about a romantic encounter between two young people brought together by chance. They both decide to play at love, with simple rules: it lasts for a certain time, and everything they do is pretend. Time runs out, and she, like Cinderella, mysteriously vanishes into the darkness. A year later, he can’t stop thinking about her for a moment. Just when Daniel decides that love doesn’t exist, he meets a girl named Six. Fearing to lose this quirky love, Daniel wonders if he has a chance not to ruin his relationship with Six. This novella showcases Hoover’s talent for creating a touching love story.

“November 9”, 2015

Whether you love this book or hate it, Colleen Hoover’s novel is definitely worth reading to form your own opinion. One critic said he read November 9 in one sitting, and his heart pounded the entire time: “The story was SO unique and unexpected that it kept surprising me again and again! I swooned, I fell in love, my heart was broken, and then healed again.”

Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring writer, the day before she is set to move to another part of the country. Spending their last day together in Los Angeles, Ben starts using Fallon’s life events as material for his novel. Every year, the couple meets on the same day. Gradually, Fallon starts to suspect that Ben is hiding a secret that could destroy their unusual bond. If the story has a happy ending, you’ll find out by reading November 9, which isn’t just a novel but a bold experiment by Colleen Hoover. The plot twist at the end will certainly amaze readers.

“Never Never”, 2014-2015

The top 3 Colleen Hoover’s books, co-written with Tarryn Fisher, form the Never Never trilogy:

• “Don’t Forget to Remember Me,” 2014: Lovers Charlie and Silas find themselves at school with no memory of anything, including their love for each other. They try to figure out why they can’t remember anything and how they could have fallen in love. Slowly, pieces of the puzzle start coming together, but the truth they seek isn’t one everyone will like. The plot twists reach epic proportions.
• “Just Remember. Part Two,” 2015: Inevitably, as you seek answers from the first part of the trilogy, you open the second book and… you get even more questions. Intriguing? Absolutely. That’s the magic of Colleen Hoover’s novels.
• “Just Remember. Part Three,” 2015: The long-awaited finale of Never Never. That’s all you need to know — if you’ve read the first two, you’ll definitely buy this one.

The Never Never novels provide a wonderful look at the nature of fate. The suspenseful ending of each part keeps you reaching for the next one. Be prepared, throughout all three books, to question your existing beliefs about love, but it will be a captivating journey.

“Ugly Love”, 2014

If you’re looking for best sellers by Colleen Hoover, Ugly Love is one of them. This isn’t a story of love at first sight, once and forever: he didn’t want attachments, and she didn’t have time for serious relationships. Their undeniable attraction led to passionate, no-strings-attached meetings, seemingly fine for both. But is it easy to stick to the rules — no questions about the past, no plans for the future? And what if one person’s feelings become too intense? Hoover masterfully explores this phenomenon with Tate and Miles in Ugly Love. Expect a whirlwind of emotions right to the very end.

“Too late”, 2016

Too Late proves that Colleen Hoover isn’t just a romance novelist — she also excels at thrillers. This psychological thriller is a perfect choice for fans of dangerous love triangles involving a drug lord and a DEA agent. The book is incredibly gripping and frightening. Sloan begins working for a known drug dealer named Asa to pay for her brother’s medical treatment. Over time, Asa develops an unhealthy obsession with her. When Sloan meets Carter, she feels an instant attraction to him. Sloan finds herself caught between two fires — on one side is Asa, who is helping her brother survive, and on the other is her feelings for Carter, whose life is at risk if it’s discovered that he is an undercover agent. Too Late is truly captivating. The book feels like a powerful blend of Hoover’s strengths: intense plotlines and romantic characters.

“It Ends with Us”, 2016

It Ends with Us and its sequel, It Starts with Us, are Colleen Hoover’s must-reads for those who’ve experienced deep heartbreak caused by loved ones. According to Hoover, It Ends with Us was her hardest novel to write. Recommended for readers 17 and older, as it deals with adult topics like domestic violence and explicit sexual content. Many consider it Colleen Hoover’s best novel, as well as one of her most provocative works. Be prepared to find the following on its pages:

• domestic violence;
• emotional abuse;
• suicidal thoughts;
• child abuse;
• sexual assault;
• death of loved ones;
• toxic relationships;
• gun violence;
• drug use;
• parental neglect;
• child abuse;
• divorce;
• homelessness.

Sadly, Hoover experienced domestic violence as a child, like her protagonist, Lily, who endures her parents’ abuse. It Ends with Us was written to support victims of domestic abuse. This novel is about domestic violence, which could occur in your family or that of someone you know. According to Colleen, the book was written to support victims of domestic abuse. In 2021, thanks to TikTok, the novel gained immense popularity and reached the top of The New York Times bestseller lists. The film adaptation, starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, premiered on August 6, 2024.

The long-awaited novel It Starts with Us, a sequel to the first book, was published in 2022. Lily is torn between her sense of duty toward her child, trying to build a normal relationship with the kid’s father, and the chance to be happy with her first love, Atlas. The storm of emotions, doubts, and spiritual impulses are waiting for readers. The characters’ journey will keep everyone on edge until the book’s final page.

“Verity”, 2018

The novel is a psychological thriller. After turning the last page, it will stay with you for a long time. Lowen, an aspiring writer, receives an excellent offer from Jeremy to complete the remaining books in a bestselling series started by his wife, Verity, who is bedridden after a terrible accident. When Lowen moves into their house, she finds an unpublished manuscript of Verity’s memoirs and accidentally learns details of the author’s life that she never intended to reveal. The manuscript is full of madness and contains a confession to murder. As Lowen and Jeremy grow closer, she wonders whether she should show him the manuscript. Gradually, Lowen starts to suspect that Verity is faking her illness and is roaming the house at night. Lowen realizes she must uncover the family’s secrets for her safety. This book is chilling but truly unforgettable.

“All your perfects”, 2018

How many secrets, untold feelings, and pain can two loving people hide from each other? It’s hard to admit that a marriage is ending when love still lingers. Happiness is replaced by anger and resentment. This story follows Graham and Quinn as they struggle with infertility. When a child comes into their lives, they start re-evaluating their relationship and wonder if they can overcome years of hurt and misunderstanding. It’s one of Hoover’s most heartbreaking works. It’s rare for a romance author to convey the reality of relationship struggles so accurately. Many readers felt seen and heard through this book.

“Without Merit”, 2017

Seventeen-year-old Merit Voss believes her family ignores her. She begins to think she doesn’t deserve love and that no one needs her, so no one will miss her if they’re left “without Merit.” This is the story of the rather unusual Voss family, each of whom hides many secrets. A young girl, Merit, has grown tired of living in a web of lies. But before ending her life, Merit decides to force her family to open up to each other finally. They need to stop lying, acknowledge their problems, and build warm relationships, and Merit needs to open herself to friendship and true love. The book touches on many serious topics, such as mental illness, violence, sexuality, suicide, and more. Throughout, Hoover emphasizes family understanding, the ability to forgive, trust, and pay closer attention to each other.

“Layla”, 2020

This novel marks Colleen Hoover’s first foray into the paranormal. It’s a story about a man named Leeds, who is madly in love with a woman named Layla. He believes he will spend the whole of his life with her, but their unconditional love turns out to be not as strong as it seems. After a brutal attack, Layla ends up in the hospital. She is no longer the same person Leeds once knew. In an attempt to revive their former feelings, Leeds books a room at the hotel where they first met. But with each passing day, the gap between them grows. Leeds meets Willow at the hotel. She calls herself a ghost and captures Leeds’s heart. It seems Willow knows a lot about Leeds — things only Layla could have known. The same Layla who is forgetting more and more details of their life each day… The novel’s unpredictable twists and eerie scenes will captivate you from the very first page.

“Reminders of him”, 2022

An emotional novel about the gripping and heartbreaking story of a young mother who gave birth to her daughter in prison. Due to a judicial mistake, Kenna spends five years behind bars. Upon release, she returns to town, hoping to rebuild her life and reunite with her daughter. Unfortunately, those around her do everything to prevent this. Once close friends have turned their backs on Kenna. Her only ally becomes a man named Ledger Ward, who seemingly shouldn’t have anything in common with her. Between them lies a complicated past, a sense of grief, and a “reminder of him” — someone who was once very important to both Kenna and Ledger, whose memory seems to linger forever. The lovers have to hide their relationship, as it could have negative consequences for Kenna’s daughter’s future.