If you’ve been seeing the name Colleen Hoover pop up on your book recommendations, check this out! Although the summer is almost halfway done, it’s never too late to add more books to your TBR (that’s bookworm code for “to be read list”). And it’s certainly not too late to give CoHo books (that’s bookworm code for Colleen Hoover) a try if you haven’t already. While the #1 New York Times bestselling author mainly writes romance novels, Hoover is also known for her psychological thrillers — what a combination! If you want to give her work a try but have no clue where to begin, here’s a guide to 10 of her most popular books based on Goodreads ratings and reviews.
#10: Maybe Someday
This adult romance novel begins with everything working out for Sydney, but books can’t simply be about people being happy, right? She’s having a fun time living with her best friend, her relationship is going well, and music from across her balcony keeps her spirits high. Then Sydney discovers that her amazing boyfriend betrayed her by being unfaithful, and suddenly her world falls apart. Luckily, she still has the music across her balcony to maintain some of her happiness, but her curiosity grows for who can be producing such beautiful sounds. Ridge becomes Sydney’s hope that maybe someday — see what I did there — she can move on, follow what truly makes her happy, and feel true love. This is the first book in Hoover’s Maybe series, which has Maybe Someday (#1), Maybe Not (#1.5), and Maybe Now (#2).
If you’d like to start this series, you can find a copy of Maybe Someday here!
#9: Hopeless
Another one of Hoover’s romance novels, Hopeless, draws a more young adult audience through the teenage protagonist Sky. After maintaining her I-don’t-need-a-boyfriend reputation for so long through her sarcasm and angstiness, Sky’s life changes when she starts to feel things for Dean Holder. She is afraid of the feelings that come up every time she interacts with him or even sees him, but something also draws Sky to him. Dean is also interested in Sky, and their mutual interest unlocks discoveries about who they each truly are. This is not your typical high school romance novel; there are several trigger warnings that you may want to be aware of before starting this book. But, if you like what you hear, the good news is that this is another one of Hoover’s series: Hopeless (#1), Losing Hope (#2), Finding Cinderella (#2.5), and Finding Perfect (#2.6).
However, if you want to give this series a try, here’s Hopeless to get you started.
#8: Regretting You
Unlike most adult romance novels, Regretting You focuses on the relationship between a mother and daughter. Clara and her mother Morgan want nothing to do with each other, but the only person that can bring them together is Chris — Clara’s father and Morgan’s husband. Since Chris is the stabilizing force of the family, things fall apart between Clara and Morgan after Chris gets into a terrible accident. This novel goes into both Clara and Morgan’s lives, the love that Clara finds, and the healing that Morgan goes through. The mother and daughter learn more from each other about grief and forgiveness, but most importantly it’s a story about love.
Click here for an emotional yet refreshing novel about love, betrayal, and relationships of all kinds.
#7: Layla
Shifting gears quite a bit, this Hoover novel is best described as combining the genres of romance, paranormal, and thriller. This is very much not Hoover’s typical writing, so if you don’t usually enjoy chick-flick-styled books, this may intrigue you! Layla begins with the character of the same name fighting for her life not long after meeting love interest Leeds. While Leeds falls head over heels for Layla not long after meeting, it’s clear that Layla’s recovery from a near-death experience is still life-changing. Trying to rekindle the romance before the devastating incident, Leeds makes loving gestures that are responded to by Layla’s abnormal behavior. Leeds vents to Willow about his concern for Layla, but Willow is also a woman who could lean on Leeds for support. Who will Leeds choose to help, and what choice will be catastrophic for them all?
This standalone novel can be found here for those interested in this twisted plot.
#6: Confess
Back to Hoover’s main genre of adult romance, Confess follows the story of Auburn, a woman seeking a fresh start. As she tries to maintain a blank canvas, she can’t help but notice Owen, who works at an art studio called Confess — see what I did there with blank canvas and art. At Confess, people do as the name suggests and make confessions, then Owen creates art based on these confessions. Cool, right? Despite how attractive Owen seems to her, Auburn realizes as time goes on that Owen is not who he says he is. However, emotionally, it may be too late to try and erase Owen out of Auburn’s life. Although you may think you’ve read this and have it all figured out, the plot of this novel goes against every assumption or expectation you could make.
Want to see what happens with Auburn and Owen? See more here.
#5: Reminders of Him
Despite this novel beginning with a woman who just served several years in prison, this too is a romance story. After she is released from prison, Kenna goes back to the place of her mistakes as she seeks to reconnect with her young daughter. Since it is a small town with big opinions, everyone is against Kenna — everyone except Ledger, owner of a local bar. Ledger is the only one who Kenna believes can help her get closer to her daughter, but what she doesn’t expect is to get closer to Ledger herself. They both know the risks that come with their bond, but will that knowledge be strong enough to keep them apart?
Interested in this emotional read? Click here to find a copy of Reminders of Him.
#4: November 9
If you like books that have anything to do with books or writing, this may be the Hoover book for you. Fallon is supposed to move across the country when she meets Ben, who is trying to write a novel. They get to spend Fallon’s last day together before she moves, and Ben is even inspired to write thanks to her. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end, and Fallon has to move. Luckily, they stay in touch and decide to get together on the same day each year — November 9, like the title — until Fallon doubts that Ben is being honest with her. Though it may not seem like this book could be filled with plot twists, it most certainly is!
Looking for plot twists, love, and potential heartbreak? Look no further: here’s November 9.
#3: Ugly Love
While most CoHo books have an element of… well… spice to them, Ugly Love takes steamy to a different level. In this passionate romance novel, Tate meets Miles who is a pilot. Both of them know that a real relationship will not form, certainly not love, which leaves them only with physical attraction and lust. While they both understand these conditions, Tate cannot stick to the rules, and things get ugly. Hoover shows the painful sides to love, lust, and heartbreak through this novel.
If you want to give this standalone powerful novel a try, look on our website for a copy.
#2: Verity
Speaking from experience as an avid reader of psychological thrillers, you will not be disappointed by this novel. Verity perfectly combines the genres of romance and thriller through the story of Lowen and Jeremy. Lowen, a writer, meets Jeremy, whose wife is a bestselling novelist (Verity Crawford) currently bedridden from an injury. As Lowen prepares herself for a potentially life-changing start to her career, she arrives at the Crawford home and starts going through Verity’s rough drafts to discover an untouched manuscript. Verity’s autobiography uncovers Verity’s thoughts about her marriage to Jeremy and, more importantly, her memories of their daughter’s death. To spare Jeremy the pain of Verity’s thoughts, Lowen keeps this manuscript a secret — until she develops feelings for Jeremy. Verity is infused with plot twists, passion, romance, and genuine confusion about what is really the truth.
You have seen this book trending in popularity for a reason; get your copy now!
#1: It Ends with Us
This is the ultimate CoHo book, and although it was published in 2016, it has recently grown in popularity among fans of the romance genre. Lily, a do-it-yourself kind of girl, came from a small town and worked her way to making her own business. In Boston, she meets Ryle, a neurosurgeon who doesn’t have the best first impression but is still drawing Lily in. However, she finds out that Ryle is strictly against being in a relationship, and Lily wonders how this came to be. She thinks back to her first love, Atlas, and reminisces about her past. Suddenly, when Atlas returns to her life, Lily questions exactly what and who she wants. Because It Ends with Us became such a success, Hoover will be publishing this novel’s prequel called It Starts with Us later in 2022.
If you want to see what the talk is all about and prepare for Colleen Hoover’s most recent publication, order your copy of It Ends with Us right away!
Looking for more romance authors? Check out our History of Romance post here.
