If you’ve spent time on Book Tok, in a Kenyan bookshop, or scrolling through bestseller lists over the past few years, you’ve almost certainly run into Colleen Hoover books. She’s one of the most-read authors in the world right now, known for emotionally raw romance and psychological thrillers that readers describe as impossible to put down.
Whether you’re a longtime “CoHort” filling gaps in your collection, or you’re just discovering her after watching It Ends with Us or Reminders of Him, this guide walks you through her entire bibliography — in the order she recommends reading it.
Who Is Colleen Hoover?
Colleen Hoover didn’t set out to become a novelist. She spent years working in social work in small-town Texas before she wrote her debut novel, Slammed, mostly so her mother would have something to read on a newly gifted Kindle. She self-published it in January 2012, expecting little — and within months it had climbed onto the New York Times bestseller list, an almost unheard-of outcome for a self-published book at the time.
From there, her output rarely slowed down. She’s since written more than twenty novels and novellas across contemporary romance, young adult fiction, and psychological thriller, several of them landing at the top of bestseller lists simultaneously. In 2021, a new generation of readers discovered her through Book Tok, sending older titles like It Ends with Us back onto bestseller charts nearly five years after publication. She’s sold well over 20 million books worldwide and was named one of Time’s 100 most influential people in 2023.
The Complete Colleen Hoover Books List (In Reading Order)
The Slammed Series
- Slammed (2012) — Her debut. Eighteen-year-old Layken becomes the sole support for her mother and younger brother after her father’s sudden death — until she meets Will, and poetry and love reshape her grief.
- Point of Retreat (2012) — Layken and Will’s story continue as buried truths about Will’s past resurface.
- This Girl (2013) — A companion novel told from Will’s perspective, revisiting the same story from a new angle.
The Hopeless Series
- Hopeless (2012) — A homeschooled girl navigates public high school for the first time and uncovers painful truths about her past. This was the first self-published novel ever to top the New York Times bestseller list.
- Losing Hope (2013) — A companion novel retelling events from a different character’s point of view.
- Finding Cinderella (2013, novella) — A short story set in the Hopeless world.
The Maybe Someday Series
- Maybe Someday (2014) — Two musicians write songs together and slowly fall for each other, complicated by loyalty and heartbreak. The book came with an original companion soundtrack.
- Maybe Not (2014, novella) — A side-story companion to Maybe Someday.
- Maybe Now (2018) — The continuation of the Maybe Someday story.
Standalone Novels (2014–2017)
- Ugly Love (2014) — A steamy, emotionally charged romance about a man guarded by a painful past and the woman determined to break through his walls.
- Confess (2015) — A romance built around anonymous confessions in an art gallery, later adapted into a seven-part online series.
- November 9 (2015) — Two strangers agree to meet on the same date every year for five years, letting their relationship unfold one day at a time.
- Never Never (2015, digital; released as one novel in 2023) — Co-written with Tarryn Fisher. Two teenagers wake up with no memory of their own relationship and have to piece their lives back together.
- It Ends with Us (2016) — Hoover’s best-known and most personal novel. Florist Lily Bloom’s relationship with a brilliant but volatile neurosurgeon is complicated by the reappearance of her first love. Inspired by domestic violence Hoover witnessed growing up, and later adapted into a 2024 film starring Blake Lively.
- Too Late (2016) — A darker, suspense-driven romance exploring obsession and toxic love.
- Without Merit (2017) — A story following a deeply dysfunctional family, told from the perspective of a daughter trying to find her place within it.
Verity & All Your Perfects Era (2018–2020)
- Verity (2018) — A psychological thriller about a writer hired to finish a bestselling series after its original author is left unable to write, and the disturbing manuscript she discovers in the process. Widely considered Hoover’s darkest and most suspenseful book. A film adaptation is set for release in October 2026.
- All Your Perfects (2018) — A story of a marriage told across two timelines, exploring the strain infertility places on a couple’s relationship.
- Finding Perfect (2019, novella) — A companion story to All Your Perfects.
- Regretting You (2019) — A mother-daughter story about grief, secrets, and rebuilding trust after tragedy. Adapted into a film released in 2025.
- Heart Bones (2020) — A coming-of-age romance about a young woman spending one transformative summer in a wealthy, unfamiliar world.
- Layla (2020) — A romance with supernatural undertones, following a couple whose relationship is upended after a violent attack.
The It Ends with Us Sequel & Beyond (2022–2026)
- It Starts with Us (2022) — The direct sequel to It Ends with Us, picking up Lily and Atlas’s story and became one of the most pre-ordered books in its publisher’s history.
- Reminders of Him (2022) — A woman rebuilding her life after prison tries to reconnect with her daughter and the family that blames her for a tragedy. Adapted into a film released in March 2026.
- Woman Down (2026) — Hoover’s most recent release.
Short Stories in Anthologies
- “A Father’s Kiss” — featured in The Kiss: An Anthology of Love and Other Close Encounters
- “Saint” — featured in One More Step
- “The Dress” — featured in Two More Days
Colleen Hoover Movie & TV Adaptations
| Year | Title | Hoover’s Role |
| 2017 | Confess (mini-series) | Executive Producer |
| 2024 | It Ends with Us | Executive Producer |
| 2025 | Regretting You | Executive Producer |
| 2026 | Reminders of Him | Screenwriter & Producer |
| 2026 (Oct) | Verity | — |
Where Should You Start Reading Colleen Hoover Books?
If you’re new to Colleen Hoover, here’s a simple entry point based on what you’re drawn to:
- Want the book everyone’s talking about? Start with It Ends with Us.
- Prefer mystery and suspense over romance? Verity is the one to pick up.
- Looking for lighter, classic romance? Ugly Love or November 9 are great starting points.
Frequently Asked Questions
It Ends with Us is her best-known and best-selling novel, especially after its 2024 film adaptation.
Her own recommended order starts with the Slammed series, followed by Hopeless and Maybe Someday, then standalone titles, the It Ends with Us duology, and the rest of her standalones, ending with Woman Down.
Yes — it has one direct sequel, It Starts with Us (2022).
She has published more than 20 novels and novellas since 2012, plus several short stories in anthologies.
Many of her book’s deal with mature themes like domestic violence, abuse, and trauma, and are generally recommended for readers aged 14 and up.
Looking to build your Colleen Hoover collection? Books Point stocks a rotating selection of her most-loved titles in great secondhand condition, at prices that make it easy to collect the full series. Message us on WhatsApp to check current stock.
