If you’re a book-lover with a TikTok Account, you’re well-aware of the rave going on there around Colleen Hoover books. Some absolutely love her books and some find them corny, but you can’t deny that her books have gradually become our guilty pleasure. Hoover portrays torrid love stories and complex human nature eloquently, and that makes her one of the best romance writers of this generation.
Getting started with this author isn’t really easy. She has written plenty of standalones and it’s natural for a new reader to get confused about where to start. Here, we’ve listed five best Colleen Hoover books – plus one – vetted by our team of romance junkies. Let’s take a look.
It Ends with Us
Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up — she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.
Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.
As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan — her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.
Why you should read it:
The book tactfully handles a sensitive subject like domestic abuse. If you’re someone who wants to experience a heart-wrenching romance that makes you ugly sob while you’re exploring a controversial topic with a shocking plot twist, this might be the right book for you.
Verity
Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.
Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity’s notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn’t expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity’s recollection of what really happened the day her daughter died.
Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents would devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen’s feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife’s words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue to love her.
Why you should read it
Looking for a torrid romance set in a gothic backdrop? Verity is the right book for you. There’s suspense, there’s drama, and there’s enough tension to keep you hooked till the last page!
Ugly Love
When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she knows it isn’t love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.
Never ask about the past.
Don’t expect a future.
They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.
Hearts get infiltrated.
Promises get broken.
Rules get shattered.
Love gets ugly.
Why you should read it
This is one of the books that can perfectly portray love and heartbreak. It’s a story of two lovers learning to forgive the other while also forgiving themselves. The storytelling is unique with crazy plot twists.
November 9
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 L.A. 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?
Why you should read it
This book is another banger by Colleen Hoover that portrays a strong yet complex love story, and teaches us about forgiveness and acceptance. We see two characters growing through trials year after year and how they handle different shades of life.
If you’re a fan of the movie ‘One Day,’ you should pick up this book. But beware of the twist in the end!
Reminders of Him
After serving five years in prison for a tragic mistake, Kenna Rowan returns to the town where it all went wrong, hoping to reunite with her four-year-old daughter. But the bridges Kenna burned are proving impossible to rebuild. Everyone in her daughter’s life is determined to shut Kenna out, no matter how hard she works to prove herself.
The only person who hasn’t closed the door on her completely is Ledger Ward, a local bar owner and one of the few remaining links to Kenna’s daughter. But if anyone were to discover how Ledger is slowly becoming an important part of Kenna’s life, both would risk losing the trust of everyone important to them.
The two form a connection despite the pressure surrounding them, but as their romance grows, so does the risk. Kenna must find a way to absolve the mistakes of her past in order to build a future out of hope and healing.
Why you should read it
This is deemed as one of the best works of Colleen Hoover. The story revolves around a woman and her path to finding herself. It’s a tale about her devotion toward her loved ones and how she navigates the difficult crevices of her life and grows through them. If this sounds inspiring to you, maybe it’s time for you to pick up this book.
It Starts with Us
Lily and her ex-husband, Ryle, have just settled into a civil coparenting rhythm when she suddenly bumps into her first love, Atlas, again. After nearly two years separated, she is elated that for once, time is on their side, and she immediately says yes when Atlas asks her on a date.
But her excitement is quickly hampered by the knowledge that, though they are no longer married, Ryle is still very much a part of her life—and Atlas Corrigan is the one man he will hate being in his ex-wife and daughter’s life.
Switching between the perspectives of Lily and Atlas, It Starts with Us picks up right where the epilogue for the “gripping, pulse-pounding” (Sarah Pekkanen, author of Perfect Neighbors) bestselling phenomenon It Ends with Us left off. Revealing more about Atlas’s past and following Lily as she embraces a second chance at true love while navigating a jealous ex-husband, it proves that “no one delivers an emotional read like Colleen Hoover” (Anna Todd, New York Times bestselling author).
Why you should read it
If you loved ‘It Ends with Us,’ you should read ‘It Starts with Us’. That’s it. That’s the only reason. It’s the best portrayal of a second chance at love, and you’re bound to enjoy this thrilling love story.
Have you read any of these books? What other Colleen Hoover books are on your list of favorites? Let us know in the comments below!
You can also check our other fiction book reviews here.
