I don’t know about you, but I feel like everyone and their mom is OBSESSED with Colleen Hoover books. It seems she’s written half of the books people are sharing. So, I decided to see what all of the hype was about. I wrote my thoughts down for those of you who are thinking, “are Colleen Hoover books really worth the hype?”.
Once I read a few of them, I quickly understood why everyone loves them so much. Colleen Hoover does an incredible job of catching your interest from the very beginning. Another aspect that I love is many of her books have a deeper message to them that make you think, ‘what would I do in that situation’?
Below, I explain what I liked about each of the books that I’ve read. I linked each one so you can easily grab your copy if you are interested! Also, know that I am regularly updating this post as I read more of her books so make sure to bookmark this post for updates!
Colleen Hoover books: are they really worth all the hype?
It Ends With Us
It Ends With Us is one of Colleen Hoover’s top-rated books. This one is a much deeper story than I was expecting. However, the story is absolutely beautiful. The book is about Lily, a girl who recently moved to Boston to find herself and start her own business. She finds herself in a new relationship with Rylie Kincaid, a neurosurgeon.
Suddenly, she is falling for someone who she knows doesn’t want the same life as she does. However, as he begins to open up and change his mind, Atlas, Lily’s first love, reappears in her life. You will fall in love with each character. I found myself not knowing who I wanted Lily to choose in the end.
This is a heartbreaking but also life giving story! Colleen Hoover does an incredible job of getting you investing in each of the characters. She tells you about their pasts, their hopes and dreams as well as the darkest aspects of their life. One of my favorite things about this book is how the title of the book ties the entire story together in such a beautiful way. You will only understand if you read the story.
It Starts With Us
It Starts With Us is the sequel to “It Ends With Us” and it is just as beautiful as the first book. If you haven’t read the first book, then skip to the next book I review because this will contain spoilers. This story follows Lily as she begins her new life as a single mom. She and her ex-husband, Rylie, are on good terms and share custody of their. After two years of being separated, she runs into her first love, Atlas. While she is delighted at the potential to finally have the opportunity to date Atlas after all this time, she knows he is the last man that Rylie would want to see her with.
As Atlas and Lily’s relationship develops, we get a glimpse into Atlas’ past and learn more about him and how he got to where he is now. We also get to see how Lily manages falling in love with Atlas all over again while trying to manage a healthy relationship with her ex-husband. This is a deep story that will grip your heart.
This story is just as beautiful as the first book. To go along with all three characters as they each navigate their own deep feelings in this situation is executed so well. It is a wonderful continuation of the original book. If you read It Ends With Us and enjoyed it, this book is a must to know how everything ends and where each character ends up.
Reminders Of Him
This is probably my favorite book that I’ve read of Colleen Hoover’s. Keena, a woman who just finished serving a five year prison sentence for a horrific accident as a teenager, returns to her hometown to start over. She’d rather go anywhere else to escape the judgement of the town, but she has a four year old daughter that she has never met. Kenna has grown but there are people who don’t want her to have contact with her daughter because of the accident. She has to rely on one person, Ledger Ward, the only person open to giving her a second chance.
Reminders Of Him is a story about forgiveness, redemption, family and love. I think Colleen Hoover did a great job keeping you on your toes throughout the story. In my opinion, not being able to predict the ending is one of the keys to a great story. The book is an easy and quick read! You won’t be able to stop reading until you know how things work out.
Verity
Verity is a much darker story than most of Colleen Hoover’s books but I LOVED it! Lowen is a struggling writer on the verge of a financial crisis when she is offered a unique opportunity. When Verity Crawford, an award winning thriller novelist, is in a horrible accident, she is left impaired and unable to continue writing. That’s when Jeremy, Verity’s husband, hires Lowen to continue her writing on her behalf. He invites Lowen to live with their family so that she can continue his wife’s unfinished work.
As she is getting settled in their home, Lowen finds some of Verity’s drafts which reveal a very dark and twisted story based on her family. Lowen doesn’t know what is true or what is made up. While she is uncovering these dark stories, Lowen also finds herself developing feelings for Jeremy. All of this puts her in a difficult and terrifying situation.
This was actually my very first Colleen Hoover book that I read. I will be honest, I’ve been hooked ever since. Verity is a thriller with an intense love story. I will warn you, this book is pretty dark with an ending that leaves you speechless. However, the twist and the end had me in shock which I appreciate in a good thriller story. I hate when I can easily predict the ending and Colleen Hoover did an incredible job with this book
Layla
A deep love story that is thrown into chaos after an ex girlfriend takes matters into her own hands. Leeds and Layla are in the midst of falling in love with each other when a horrific accident happens. Layla is able to recover physically however, emotionally, she really struggles getting herself back to normal. Leeds decides to take Layla back to the bed-and-breakfast where they met to bring a spark back into their relationship.
As things don’t progress as hoped, Leeds meets Willow, another guest at the hotel B&B. They find connections with their shared interests and begin developing feelings for one another. Leeds finds himself torn between helping Willow find answers that she has been looking for and reconnecting with a struggling Layla. Eventually, Leeds has to make a choice between the two women. The problem is that his decision can have detrimental consequences if he chooses incorrectly.
Layla, in my opinion, is an underrated book of Colleen Hoover’s. While it’s not her strongest book, it doesn’t get as much praise as I think it should. It is sort of a mystery/thriller with a side of love story. If you enjoy a good mystery and wild plot twist at the end, then I think you will enjoy this story!
Ugly Love
Ugly Love is a wild love story that will have make you laugh, cry, get frustrated and everything in between. When Tate Collins meets Miles Archer, it doesn’t get off on the best start. The only thing they have in common is her brother which is his best friend and their undeniable attraction to one another. Neither one of them are interested in a relationship. This leaves just sex.
Myles has two rules. Don’t ask about the past and don’t expect a future. If Tate can handle it, this will be a seamless set up. However, as they learn more about each other, things get more intense. Feelings get deeper, conversations get harder creating a messier situation.
This story is my favorite Colleen Hoover story. By far. The twists and turns and intense love affair has me in the first chapter. It is an intense love story. Disclaimer, it is very graphic and the love is intense. But the story underneath is so deep and intense. This is a beautiful story about all of the ugliness of life and the unknowns that can be thrown at you.
November 9
Fallon and Ben meet the day Fallon is scheduled to move across the country to New York. In a turn of events, Fallon ends up spending her last day in Los Angeles with Ben. As their feelings develop quickly and deeply, the decide to meet on the same day every year for the next five years. Wherever their lives take them, they end up each making an effort to see each other on the same day each year. Each year, their feelings grow deeper. It all seems to be a beautiful story until Fallon begins to question Ben’s motives. Fallon doesn’t know if his feelings are true or if she is just the muse for his next big story.
This was a surprisingly good story with an incredible twist at the end. Many people talked about November 9 being one of their favorite Colleen Hoover books and I now understand why. I’ll be honest, I didn’t love it at first because it seemed unrealistic. However, as the story develops and you learn more about both Fallon and Ben, the twist at the end comes out of no where and you don’t know how to understand it without continuing to read the book. I think this is definitely one of my favorite Colleen Hoover books.
Slammed
After unexpectedly losing her father, Layken is an 18 year old teenager who finds herself moving across the country to start a new life with her mom and brother. She appears strong and resilient but inside she is slowly beginning to lose hope. That is until she meets her new neighbor, Will, who is a handsome 21-year old who gives her butterflies and introduces her to the art of slam poetry.
After a deep and meaningful first date, they are slammed with a discovery that forces them apart. While they both have deep feelings for one another, they have to overcome all of the things that keep them from dating while still feeling pulled together. The daily interactions make it almost unbearable for both of them to keep from their relationship from developing and breaking all of the rules. It is only through poetry that they are able to communicate their true feelings to one another.
Slammed is Colleen Hoover’s first book and while I didn’t know what to expect, I read this book in about 18 hours. It was a beautiful and hard book. Both characters have experienced unsurmountable loss and aren’t allowed to be together while feeling a deep love for one another. I was hooked from the beginning and am surprised that more people don’t talk about this book! I think it is a very underrated book of Colleen Hoover’s.
Closing
If I am being completely honest, after reading her books, I do think that Colleen Hoover books are worth the hype. She is great at catching you at the beginning of a story and throwing in a wild twist at some point in the story. Her books are filled with a lot of passion and deep feelings. She makes you feel what the characters are experiencing. She is a very talented writer. If you are interested in reading her books, they are all great. Once you read one, you will quickly want to begin reading the next book.