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Quick answer: Read It Ends with Us (2016) if you want Colleen Hoover’s best-known emotional romance, Verity (2018) if you prefer a dark psychological thriller, or Slammed (2012) for a gentler, poetry-filled start. Check the content notes first, because several of her books include domestic abuse and explicit scenes.
Quick facts
Most popular starting point: It Ends with Us (2016)
Best thriller: Verity (2018), explicit and dark
Best gentle start: Slammed (2012), Hoover’s debut novel
Best tearjerker: Reminders of Him (2022)
Content: domestic abuse, grief, strong language and open-door scenes appear in several books
Colleen Hoover became one of the best-selling authors in the world on the strength of emotional, fast-paced novels that spread through BookTok and word of mouth. Her books range from sweet romances to dark thrillers, and her tone can shift sharply from one title to another, so the first book you pick matters. Some readers start with Verity expecting a romance and are shocked, while others pick up It Ends with Us without knowing it deals with domestic abuse. This guide sorts her most popular titles by mood and content so you can choose the right entry point, with honest notes about what to expect. Keep tissues nearby, because many of her books are designed to make you cry.
Table of Contents
The Safe Default: It Ends with Us
It Ends with Us (2016) is her best-known book and the one most people start with. Lily Bloom, a young woman from Maine, meets a charming neurosurgeon, Ryle Kincaid, and her first love, Atlas Corrigan, reappears in her life. The book begins as a romance and becomes a story about a difficult choice in an abusive relationship. It was inspired by Hoover’s own family history and includes an author’s note about it. The 2024 film starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni made it even more widely known. It includes domestic violence and emotional abuse, so approach it with care. If you want a book that can start a conversation, It Ends with Us is the usual first pick.
If You Want a Dark Thriller: Verity
Verity (2018) is a psychological thriller about Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer hired to finish a series for an injured bestselling author, Verity Crawford. In Verity’s home, Lowen discovers an unpublished autobiography with disturbing confessions. It is twisty, tense and very different from Hoover’s romances, and its ending is widely debated. It has explicit sexual scenes and disturbing violence, so it is not for everyone. If you like thrillers such as Gone Girl, Verity is an excellent choice. If you are sensitive to graphic content, skip it or read reviews first.
If You Want a Gentle Start: Slammed
Slammed (2012) was Hoover’s debut. Layken Cohen moves to Michigan after her father’s death and falls for her neighbor Will, who is a slam poet, and then finds out an obstacle that keeps them apart. The book is more innocent than her later novels, with poetry readings, family bonds and a slow build. It is a good starting point for readers who want emotion without heavy topics, although it is still a dramatic book. Sequels include Point of Retreat and This Girl. Slammed is a great introduction to her early style.
If You Want a Tearjerker: Reminders of Him
Reminders of Him (2022) follows Kenna Rowan, who returns to her hometown after five years in prison and wants to meet her daughter, who is being raised by others. It is about guilt, forgiveness and second chances, and it has made many readers cry. It deals with the death of a loved one and a difficult past, so be ready. If you like emotional redemption stories, Reminders of Him is a standout. Another heavy pick is November 9 (2015), a time-twist love story.
If You Want Family Drama: Regretting You
Regretting You (2019) tells the story of a teen, Morgan, and her mother, Clara, whose lives are upended by a tragedy and a secret. It is a mother-daughter story with a romance subplot, and it was adapted into a film. It is a good pick if you like family drama more than steamy romance. It deals with grief and betrayal. Regretting You balances laughs and tears and is a gentle way to see how Hoover handles relationships beyond love stories.
If You Want Steamy Romance: Ugly Love and Heart Bones
Ugly Love (2014) follows Tate and Miles, who agree to a no-strings arrangement while he nurses a hidden grief. It has explicit scenes and an emotional backstory. Heart Bones (2020) is about two young people who meet at a beach and cannot escape their families’ histories. These books are for adult readers who like open-door romance. Ugly Love is among her most popular titles.
Reading Order and Series
Most of Hoover’s books are stand-alones, so there is no required order. Series include Slammed, Hopeless and It Ends with Us and its sequel It Starts with Us (2022). If you want to follow Lily and Atlas’s story, read It Ends with Us first. Sibling novels like Hopeless and Losing Hope tell the same story from two perspectives. You can read her books in any order and still enjoy each one, but check content notes to avoid surprises.
Content Notes and Who Should Skip What
Hoover writes about heavy subjects: abuse, addiction, grief, sexual assault and death. Most of her books carry content warnings in reviews or author notes. If you are sensitive to domestic violence, avoid It Ends with Us or read the author’s note first. If you do not like explicit sex, skip Verity, Ugly Love and Layla. If you are looking for lighter reads, try Slammed or Maybe Someday, which she wrote with Griffin Peterson and which pairs music and romance. Choose according to your comfort level, and put a book down if it becomes too much.
Why Hoover’s Books Are So Popular
Hoover writes fast-moving, emotionally direct stories with short chapters and big twists. Her characters are often ordinary people who face moral choices and painful pasts. Many readers feel that her books make them cry, laugh and think, sometimes within the same chapter. BookTok recommendations and movie adaptations pushed her sales to millions, and she regularly appears at the top of bestseller lists. Critics note that her style is plain, and her romances sometimes rely on dramatic coincidences. But readers say that the emotion feels real, which explains why her books are passed from friend to friend.
How Her Moods Differ From Book to Book
Hoover does not write one kind of book. Some are romances with a happy ending, such as Slammed. Others, like It Ends with Us and Reminders of Him, are emotional dramas with romance. Verity is a dark thriller, and Layla is a supernatural love story with a ghost. Her young-adult-leaning titles such as Hopeless have more teenage characters but explicit content, so they are not necessarily for teens. Understanding this variety helps you pick a book that matches your mood. If you want comfort, avoid Verity. If you want a shock, avoid Slammed.
The Film Adaptations
It Ends with Us became a 2024 film directed by and co-starring Justin Baldoni, with Blake Lively as Lily Bloom. The film increased interest in the book, and audiences debated how closely it followed the story. Regretting You has also been adapted for the screen. Seeing a film can be a gentle way to learn the story if you are unsure about the book’s heavy themes, but the books provide more of the characters’ inner thoughts. If you plan to read and watch, many readers recommend reading first.
Her Book Order and Timeline
Hoover’s career began with self-published novels in 2012. Slammed and Hopeless appeared that year, followed by Point of Retreat and Losing Hope. Ugly Love and Maybe Someday arrived in 2014, and Confess, November 9 and Too Late in 2015. It Ends with Us (2016) was her big breakout, and Verity followed in 2018. After 2019 she wrote Regretting You, Heart Bones (2020), Layla (2020) and Reminders of Him (2022). Knowing the timeline helps you see how her style evolved from sweet to darker and more complex.
If You Like Hoover, What to Read Next
Readers who enjoy her emotional romances often try Emily Henry, Abby Jimenez, Lucy Score or Taylor Jenkins Reid. If you liked Verity, try The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides or The Housemaid by Freida McFadden. If you liked It Ends with Us and want something similar in theme, try A Woman Is No Man or Where the Crawdads Sing. Tracking what you liked about her books, whether the emotion, the twists or the romance, will help you find the next favorite.
Sample Reading Paths by Reader Type
If you love romance and want a safe start, read Slammed, then Ugly Love, then Regretting You. If you want emotional depth, read It Ends with Us, then Reminders of Him, then November 9. If you want suspense, read Verity, then Too Late (which is dark and violent), then try another thriller author. If you want something light, read Maybe Someday, which includes a soundtrack, then Hopeless. No matter the path, read the content warnings first, and pause if a book touches a sore spot.
Reading Hoover Thoughtfully
Because her books deal with abuse, grief and assault, it helps to read them with care. If a story reminds you of your own experience, take breaks, talk to someone you trust and remember that you can stop at any time. The author’s note in It Ends with Us offers context, and resources like the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233 in the United States) are available if you or someone you know needs help. Reading about hard subjects can build empathy and awareness, but your well-being comes first.
Print, E-Book or Audiobook for Colleen Hoover?
Your format can change how a book feels. Print is best if you like to underline and flip back, e-books are handy for travel and night reading, and audiobooks are ideal for long books and for people who prefer to listen on walks or commutes. For Colleen Hoover, a good narrator can add a lot, so try a sample before you borrow. Your public library likely offers all three formats through free apps, and holds let you queue for popular titles. If a book is over 500 pages, many readers find that combining a print copy with an audiobook helps them keep momentum.
How to Tell Whether Colleen Hoover Is Right for You
Before you commit to a long book, test the author’s voice. Read the first chapter or a free sample, and ask yourself whether you want to keep going. Check a few reviews from readers whose tastes match yours, not only the top rated ones. Notice what bothers you, whether it is the pace, the tone or the subject matter, and use that to choose a different starting point. If the first book does not click, try another from this list before giving up, since an author’s books can differ widely. Every reader has a best starting point, and it is not always the most famous title.
Reading Colleen Hoover With a Book Club or Friends
Many of these books are good for group reading because they spark strong opinions. Pick one title and agree on a date, then meet in person or online to talk about it. Questions that work well include: what surprised you, which character did you understand best, and did the ending feel earned? If your group has mixed tastes, offer two or three starting points from this guide and let people choose. A shared read can turn a hard-to-start author into a favorite, and hearing other readers’ reactions often reveals things you missed.
Mistakes to Avoid When Starting Colleen Hoover
A few common missteps can make a good author feel like a bad fit. Do not begin with the longest or most famous title just because it is famous; a shorter, tighter book is a gentler introduction. Do not read reviews that spoil twists, since much of the pleasure comes from surprise. Do not judge the author by an adaptation, because movies and shows often change tone and content. Do not force yourself through a book that bores you after fifty pages; move on to another recommendation from this guide. And do not read everything at once. Spacing books out lets you notice patterns and appreciate how Colleen Hoover writes.
A Long-Term Reading Plan for Colleen Hoover
Once you have found a favorite, build a plan that keeps the pleasure going. Choose one new book every month or two, alternating between a famous title and a lesser-known one. Keep a short note of what you liked about each, such as the pacing, the characters or the ideas, and use those notes to pick the next. Revisit a favorite after a year, since second readings often reveal new details. Join an online community or a local group if you enjoy talking about the books. Over time you will develop your own ranking and your own recommendations for newcomers.
How Long Will It Take to Read Colleen Hoover?
If you read twenty minutes a day, you will finish about 15 to 20 pages, or roughly a 300-page book every two to three weeks. Reading thirty minutes a day cuts that to about ten days. Audiobooks at normal speed run around 9 hours for a 300-page book, so a daily commute of 45 minutes covers it in two weeks. These are rough numbers, but they show that even a busy reader can get through several of the books in this guide in a few months. Set a modest goal, and let the habit build.
Choosing the Right Edition of Colleen Hoover’s Books
Editions matter more than most readers expect. Paperbacks are the best value and the lightest to carry, while hardcovers last longer and often have better paper. Older books may exist in several translations or revised texts, so check which edition you are buying and whether it includes notes, maps or introductions. Omnibus volumes save money but can be heavy, so consider an e-book or audiobook for those. If you are sensitive to content, look for recent editions, which sometimes update language, and read the publisher’s description. For gifts, a clean, attractive edition of a stand-alone makes a good impression.
Giving Colleen Hoover’s Books as Gifts
Books by Colleen Hoover make good presents if you match the title to the person. Ask what they have read and enjoyed lately, then choose a starting point from this guide that fits their taste. A stand-alone or the first volume of a series is safer than a book from the middle. Pair the book with a small extra, such as a bookmark, tea or a gift card for a bookstore, and add a short note about why you thought of them. If you are unsure about content, choose the gentlest option on the list, or give a gift receipt so they can exchange it. A thoughtful recommendation often means more than the book itself.
What to Read If Colleen Hoover Is Not for You
Not every author clicks with every reader, and that is fine. If your first attempt does not work, try a different book from this guide before you give up, since the range within one author’s work can be wide. If you still do not enjoy it, look for writers with a similar subject but a different style, ask a librarian for read-alikes or browse the “readers also enjoyed” lists in your library catalog. You might also come back in a year, since tastes and moods change. Your time is limited, and there are many other wonderful books to read.
Related: 15 Best Clean Romance Novels and 15 Best Thriller Books for Book Clubs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Colleen Hoover book should I read first?
It Ends with Us is the most popular start, but Slammed is gentler and Verity is a thriller.
Do I need to read Colleen Hoover books in order?
No. Most are stand-alones, though It Starts with Us follows It Ends with Us.
Which Colleen Hoover book is the saddest?
Many readers pick Reminders of Him, November 9 and It Ends with Us as emotional.
Is Verity a romance?
It is a psychological thriller with romantic elements, and it includes explicit content.
Are Colleen Hoover books suitable for teens?
Most are for adults. Several include explicit scenes or heavy themes, so check content notes.
What order should I read Colleen Hoover’s books in?
There is no required order. Read It Ends with Us before It Starts with Us, and the Hopeless and Slammed series in order if you want those storylines.
Which Colleen Hoover books have a happy ending?
Most of her romances end hopefully, but the endings of Verity and Reminders of Him are more complicated. Read reviews if an ending matters to you.