20 Best Colleen Hoover Books, Ranked

Best books by Collen Hoover

Share:

Colleen Hoover has taken the internet by storm. This young adult and romance novelist has been publishing books for the last ten years, but after Ugly Love, It Ends With Us and Verity became a sensation on TikTok, everybody knows who she is. Her books and novellas are filled with raw feelings that she draws from her own life and beautiful relationships that feel real and meaningful. So, here are the best 20 Colleen Hoover books ranked. All of these books are page-turners and you won’t be able to put them down!

1. Verity (2021)

If you don’t think romance is your speed, Colleen has a solution. This book is the perfect blend of romance and thriller, to keep you on edge. We follow writer Lowen Ashleigh who is invited to ghostwrite the latest book from bestselling author Verity Crawford after she ends up in a coma. Lowen comes to Verity’s house, hoping to work. But instead of that, she finds secrets, mystery, and a hidden, autobiographical manuscript that has Verity’s most terrible secrets. This book also comes with a trigger warning- abuse, violence, and grief. Verity is perfect to start up reading Colleen’s works because it shows her great romance writing skills but still has an edge.

2. It Ends With Us (2016)

This is Colleen’s most popular book to date. It Ends With Us is a very personal book to the author, dealing with themes of jealousy and generational trauma. Plus, there is a classic love triangle. Lily falls in love with Ryle, a dark, mysterious doctor. But, soon after that, her first love Atlas shows up. This book’s theme is romance, but with very real problems and mature themes. The endnote from the author reveals that the themes for this book were drawn from her own life. This book will be impossible to put down after you start, and no surprise this story is getting made into a romantic movie.

3. Ugly Love (2014)

You are probably looking for your next summer read on this list. I have to warn you this is the saddest book Colleen has ever written. It is simply a book about sad people being sad together, it sounds like a perfect indie film plot. There are many plot tropes in romance books, and if the friends-to-lovers trope is your favorite this is a story for you. It centers around Tate Collins who meets an airplane pilot miles Archer and they set up an arrangement that could go perfect if Tate can stick to two rules Miles has for her. Of course, things get complicated and ugly.

4. Confess (2015)

Maybe you have already seen this story, without even knowing it. Confess was made into a TV series for the Go90 Tv app from Verizon. And, yes the book is much better. This is an emotionally charged book about Auburn Reed, who is determined to rebuild her broken life and wants to make the same mistakes again. But, this is rocked when she meets a moody artist, Owen Gentry. In the begging, their steamy romance unfolds in a typical fashion. Soon, everything comes crumbling down and Auburn must ban Owen and his dark secret from her life forever.

5. November 9 (2015)

This book offers a refreshing take on the one-day-a-year trope. It is a juicy read with slow-burning love infused with serendipity. The story starts when Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, just a day before her cross-country move. Their undeniable and untimely attractions lead Fallon to spend her last day in L.A. with Ben. After that, over time and amidst various relationships and life-changing changes in their separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. In November 9, Colleen poses the question can a love story be called a love story if it ends in heartbreak?

RELATED:

20 Best Books Like Red, White And Royal Blue

6. Hopeless (2013)

Hopeless is one of Colleen’s young adult novels. This might shock you, but before becoming a celebrated romance writer, Colleen wrote exciting thrillers and young adult fiction. We follow a seventeen-year-old Skye who meets Dean Holder, a bad boy with a reputation and secrets. He terrifies her, but also he invokes feelings in her like she’s never had before. Skye tries to keep a distance from him, but he insists on knowing everything about her. And after she finally gives in, she finds out that discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies.

7. Slammed (2012)

Slammed is Colleen’s first book, centering on the thrilling romance of an 18-year-old girl, Layken. After the unexpected death of her father, Layken is forced to be the rock for her mother and younger brother. She is resilient on the outside, but inside she is losing hope. Until she meets Will Cooper, a 21-year-old new neighbor who has a passion for slam poetry. After a life-changing first date, their new relationship comes to a sudden halt. Daily interactions became torcher and they try to find the balance between their feeling and the secrets that keep them apart.

8. Reminders of Him (2022)

This might become one of the best books of 2022 and this is your chance to read it before it goes viral. It is a little different from her most famous romance novels, but it is so grippy you can’t put it down. Kenna Rowan gets out of prison after five years for a tragic mistake. She hopes to reunite with her four-year-old daughter, but everyone is in her way. The only hope comes in the form of a local bartender, Ledger Ward who has secrets of his own. They bond in grief and forgiveness. As their romance grows, Kenna has to find a way to absolve her mistakes and find a future with hope and healing.

9. Maybe Someday (2014)

Maybe Someday is a controversial book that split the reading community with its themes of dissatisfaction and cheating. Also, this book is filled with betrayal, lies, love, and lust. We meet a fun protagonist, Sydney, who finds out her boyfriend had cheated on her with her best friend. She finds solace in her friend, Ridge, a talented writer who lives with his girlfriend Maya. So Sydney is faced with the chance of betrayal, just like she was. Maybe someday she can move on and they can write music together- but moving on is harder than she thought.

10. Regretting You (2019)

Regretting You is a special book on this list, because it deals with the complicated nature of mother-daughter relationships and how different people process grief differently. We follow Morgan Grant and her teenage daughter, Clara, after a tragic accident. After the accident, Morgan and Clara struggle to rebuild their lives and find a way to co-exist. But, it is very hard for them to find a common language as time passes and they fall further apart, and it might be impossible for them to ever fall back together. But, don’t worry Colleen has still packed in some steamy, romantic scenes.   

RELATED:

25 Best Romantic Movies From the 2000s To Watch (Again)

11. Heart Bones (2020)

Heart Bones is a coming-of-age story that feels timeless, even though it is marketed as a young adult or new adult fiction. Our protagonist is Beyah Grim, a girl who grew up in poverty and neglect. She meets Samson who is the polar opposite, he comes from wealth and privilege. The thing that bonds them is that they are drawn to sad things- to each other. They agree to a meaningless summer fling, which gets complicated, full of twists and heartbreak. It is definitely a five-star read, a short, simple, and sweet story that will make you cry and laugh.

12. All Your Perfects (2018)

Moving away from young love stories, this book tells a story of a troubled marriage and the old forgotten promise that has a chance to save it. This is yet another book that deals with betrayal, but this time Colleen battles the theme of infertility as well. All Your Perfects has been called a heartbreaking page-turner, and that is the best description for it. We are introduced to Quinn and Graham whose perfect love is threatened with memories, mistakes, and secrets that have been lingering for years and are pulling them apart. Can a love with a perfect beginning survive a lifetime between two imperfect people?

13. Layla (2020)

Colleen is truly a writing chameleon, and this book is another example. Layla is a paranormal romance, covering themes of eternal love and the afterlife. Leeds and Layla are convinced that they will spend the rest of their life together. But after a terrible attack, Layla is for her life in the hospital. After weeks she recovers physically, but not emotionally. Desperate Leeds takes her to a bed and breakfast where they first met. In the bed and breakfast, things take a turn for the worse. Layla’s behavior becomes bizarre and there are several inexplicable occurrences. Soon, Leeds finds solace in Willow, who is a reflection of what Layla used to be.

14. Losing Hope (2013)

Losing Hope is the second book in the Hopeless saga. But this time we focus on Dean Holder’s story. In Losing Hope we have a peek at his feelings, secrets, and memories. This book shows us that sometimes if we wish to move forward, we first must dig deep into our past. We soon learn that inside Holder’s head there is just remorse, guilt, and hopelessness. Even though this book is about Holder, it still has to be read after Hopeless. The plot is filled with themes of redemption and healing, and this sequel is just as sexy and passionate as the first one.

15. Too Late (2016)

This book is like Verity, it drags you down a deep, dark plot riddled with controversial topics- substance abuse, psychological abuse, and mental illness. We meet Sloan who will go through thick and thin for the people she loves. After being stuck in a relationship with the morally corrupt Asa Jackson, she will do all it takes to get away from him. Sloan is the best thing that happened to Asa and he is the best thing that happened to her, or at least that is what Asa thinks. Asa needs to continue his criminal lifestyle to keep a step in his business. Is it even possible for these to stay together? This book is specially formatted for kindle and is not suitable for readers under 18.

RELATED:

40 Best Romance Anime of All Time (Ranked)

16. Finding Cinderella (2014)

This is another third addition to the Hopeless saga, but with a twist. In this story, Dean and Skye are just minor characters. This is a novella, and it is meant to be read after Losing Hope. It focuses on a steamy high school love story of Dean and Skye’s friends, Daniel and Six. They have an encounter made by destiny, and they profess their love then and there- but this love will only last one hour and will be make-believe. This story is considered a young adult story, but it deals with some very mature topics, so no matter what age give it a chance.

17. Maybe Now (2019)

Even though Colleen has dozen of books and novellas, works in the Maybe series all have a place on the 20 best lists, thanks to their high Goodreads reviews. Maybe Now is the second book in the series, and Maggie gets her moment in the spotlight. Now Sydney and Ridge can be together guilt-free. Maggie is battling her disease, and she finds a list of things she wanted to do, and now she decides to live life to the fullest and accomplish these dreams. She updates Ridge with her adventures and this makes Sydney jealous. So, this book poses an interesting question- can people be friends with their exes?

18. Maybe Not  (2015)

Maybe Not is a novella that chronologically comes before Maybe Now. It is a 160-page novella that offers the best of Colleen in fewer pages. It should be read after Maybe Someday- we follow the hilarious Warren as he takes in a new roommate, Bridgette. This novella is filled with clever humor and it has the trope enemies-to-lovers, which is a fan favorite in the genre. Warren feels an immediate desire, but Bridgette gives him the cold shoulder and aims for friendship. I recommend this as a quick, summer read.

19. Never Never (2017)

This is a three-part story co-written by Colleen and Tarryn Fisher. This is a young adult novel that follows two teens, Charlie Wynwood, and Silas Nash, whose entire memories vanished one day in the middle of class. They have been best friends forever and I n love with each other since they were fourteen. But now, these sudden strangers have to stick together to find out the truth about what happened to them. This is a romantic thriller with light paranormal themes and plot twists that you would have never predicted. And even better, this is a trilogy.

20.  It Starts With Us (2022)

This is one of the most anticipated books of 2022, and it is a prequel to the smash-hit It Ends With Us. This takes the last place, just because it still isn’t out, but it deserves a spot on the best list. This time instead of Lily, we get the story from Atlas’ perspective. If after reading It Ends With Us you want to read more about the characters, this book is a must-read! Is Start With Us feels like Colleen’s reward for the loyal fans of Lily and Atlas. No doubt, this story will make you cry, laugh, and fall in love with Colleen writing all over again.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments