Complete reading list — every CoHo novel and series, from Slammed to It Ends with Us, organized so you never miss a book.
About Colleen Hoover
Colleen Hoover — known to millions of fans as CoHo — is a Texas-born author who started out self-publishing her debut novel Slammed in 2012 and became one of the most widely read fiction authors in the world within a decade. Her rise to mainstream fame was turbocharged by BookTok, where readers championed her emotional, gut-punch storytelling to audiences of millions. Hoover writes contemporary romance and psychological thrillers that refuse to look away from difficult subjects: domestic abuse, grief, addiction, and the complicated arithmetic of love and self-worth. Her prose is propulsive, her characters feel lived-in, and her plots routinely leave readers crying in public. Whether you pick up the slow-burn romance of Ugly Love, the domestic thriller Verity, or the culturally defining It Ends with Us, you are signing up for an emotional experience that does not let go easily. She has published over twenty novels, all of which have hit bestseller lists worldwide.
Editor’s Take — Ruben Montané
CoHo builds the emotional investment before she detonates it
Colleen Hoover’s actual skill is not the twist or the cry-worthy moment — it’s the setup that makes the twist land. She is unusually good at getting you to genuinely care about characters before anything terrible happens to them, which is harder than it sounds and rarer than the BookTok hype suggests. The emotional gut-punches in It Ends with Us and Verity only work because she spent the first third of each book making you feel something real for the person about to be hurt.
Her prose is not literary and makes no pretence of being so. It is fast, it is easy to read, and it does exactly what it needs to do. This is a feature, not a flaw, for readers who want to be taken somewhere emotionally rather than challenged stylistically. The books that get criticism — and some of that criticism is fair — are the ones where the romantic dynamics veer into territory that sits uncomfortably for some readers. It’s worth knowing that going in, particularly for It Ends with Us and Ugly Love.
The two-book test: read It Ends with Us if you want emotional contemporary romance with real stakes; read Verity if you want a psychological thriller. They are her two strongest and most different books. If you like one and not the other, you will know exactly which shelf of her catalogue belongs to you.
Who This Is For
—Readers who want to feel something overwhelming, quickly — not analyse something slowly
—Anyone who wants contemporary fiction that doesn’t shy away from difficult subjects
—Readers who liked The Fault in Our Stars and want a more adult, darker version
—People who want books they can read in a weekend and talk about for a month
Who This Is NOT For
—Readers who get frustrated when romantic leads make questionable decisions repeatedly
—Anyone sensitive to depictions of domestic abuse, toxic relationships, or trauma presented romanticised
—Readers who need literary prose — style here is workmanlike, not artistic
—People who don’t want to cry — this is not a casual reading experience
Before You Start Colleen Hoover
Her series books (Slammed, Hopeless, It Ends with Us) need to be read in order; her standalone novels are fully independent. Verity is a psychological thriller with a genuinely unsettling ending that is disputed — there are two valid interpretations and the internet has strong opinions on both. If you read it, avoid spoilers completely. Note: most CoHo books contain explicit sexual content and heavy emotional themes including domestic violence — not young adult fiction despite a large teenage readership.
Series Books
Read series in order — standalones can be read independently.
It Ends with Us Series
1
It Ends with Us
2016
The book that defined a generation of romance readers. Lily's story tackles love, cycles of abuse, and the courage it takes to choose yourself.
Auburn helps an artist who accepts anonymous confessions as painting inspiration. Secrets, art, and a complicated romance intertwine.
November 9
2015
Fallon and Ben agree to meet just once a year, every November 9th. A fan-favourite with a twist readers never see coming.
Without Merit
2017
Merit Voss discovers her unusual family is hiding far more secrets than she imagined. A more introspective, character-driven CoHo.
All Your Perfects
2018
A marriage under strain from infertility and grief, told in then-and-now chapters. One of Hoover's most mature and heartbreaking novels.
Verity
2018 / 2022
A struggling writer discovers a disturbing manuscript in the home of bestselling author Verity Crawford. CoHo's most acclaimed thriller — deeply unsettling and compulsively readable.
A mother and daughter both falling apart after a family tragedy — told from both perspectives. Quieter and more domestic than most CoHo, but devastatingly real.
Heart Bones
2020
Beyah has never had stability. A summer on the lake with Samson might change that — if she lets it. A steamy, emotional summer romance.
Layla
2020
Leeds returns to the bed and breakfast where his girlfriend Layla was shot — and meets someone occupying her body. A genre-blending supernatural thriller-romance.
Reminders of Him
2022
Kenna returns to town after serving time in prison — and tries to reconnect with the daughter she's never known. Raw, redemptive, and beautifully written.
Most fans point to It Ends with Us or Verity depending on what you're after. If you want a deeply emotional romance that confronts difficult real-world themes, It Ends with Us is the answer. If you want a psychological thriller that will mess with your head for days, Verity is the one. Both are peak CoHo.
Do CoHo books need to be read in order?
Her series books — Slammed, Hopeless, Maybe Someday, and It Ends with Us — should absolutely be read in order. Her standalone novels are completely independent and can be read in any sequence you like. You won't miss anything by starting with Verity before Confess.
Is Colleen Hoover appropriate for young adults?
Her books are written for adult audiences and contain mature content: explicit sexual scenes, domestic violence, addiction, trauma, and other heavy themes. Many teenagers read and love her work, but parents should be aware that CoHo novels are not young adult fiction in the traditional sense. They are new adult and adult contemporary.
Where should I start with Colleen Hoover?
It depends on what you're in the mood for. Start with It Ends with Us for emotional contemporary romance with a gut-punch ending. Choose Verity if you want a psychological thriller. Pick up Ugly Love for a quicker, steamier read. November 9 is another beloved entry point with a satisfying twist.
What books are like Colleen Hoover?
For similar emotional contemporary romance: try The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han (lighter, sweeter, perfect for CoHo fans who want less angst), People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (funnier, similar emotional intelligence), or Beach Read by Emily Henry. For CoHo's darker thriller side, try The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides or Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Taylor Jenkins Reid (Daisy Jones & The Six, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo) hits the same emotional highs.
Why is Colleen Hoover so popular on BookTok?
CoHo's books hit the exact emotional notes that translate well to short-form video: shocking plot twists, devastating endings, relatable romantic angst, and characters who feel instantly real. It Ends with Us went viral on TikTok in 2021 — nearly a decade after it was first published — because readers kept capturing their emotional reactions on camera. The community that formed around her work ("CoHo Stans") became one of the earliest and most influential BookTok communities.