Colleen Hoover Picks Her Riskiest, Most Romantic Novels

Photo-Illustration: Vulture

This article was originally published on October 25, 2022. The film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel It ends with us is now in theaters.

Even if you’ve never read a Colleen Hoover book, chances are you’ve seen one—if not on a bookstore or library shelf, then maybe on the New York Times shelf. Hours Bestseller lists (as of fall 2022, more than half of the top ten paperback fiction titles bore her name) or on TikTok (where her readers regularly work themselves into emotional frenzies), she is the best-selling author in America today and likely for the foreseeable future.

Although Hoover’s career was marked by “overnight success,” his popularity took years to build. His first novel, Slammedwas self-published in 2012, but it wasn’t until 2021 that her books really began to gain worldwide recognition, and since then her fan base, which has dubbed itself the CoHorts, has grown both in number and level of devotion. On the heels of her 2022 novel It starts with usthe successful sequel to It ends with usWe asked Hoover to annotate his catalog, offering perspective and memories on a collection of books that a growing number of fans consume so avidly.

Slammed This was my first novel, but at the time I didn’t think of it as a novel. I was just writing a story in my spare time. I had three young boys and a full-time job as a child nutrition specialist for WIC. My days were long and in the evenings I had the boys, so after I put them to bed I would take some time to myself and work on the book. I loved talking to the characters. They sucked me in pretty quickly and since I had no knowledge or experience with editing, I didn’t think about what would happen once I finished writing their story. It took me about three months to write before I finished the book and started the editing process. There was no pressure at all because I didn’t think anyone was going to read it. Now when I write, I know people are going to read what I write and it can go to my head. It adds a little bit of external pressure that wasn’t there with Slammed.

Layla The book involves the paranormal, and I don’t really believe in the paranormal, so it was a challenge to write a book about something that I want readers to find believable when I don’t think I do. I wrote several outlines but nothing stuck until I decided to make the main character skeptical. At first, when Leeds first started communicating with Willow, I wasn’t convinced by his reaction. It wasn’t until I rewrote the scenes between him and Willow to reflect how I would personally react – skeptically – that I realized that’s what the book needed. That’s when I finally connected with the book – when I could put myself in the main character’s shoes. I probably won’t tackle the paranormal again, although I’m happy with where the book is going. It was hard for me to get into it, and I like to write things that I’m passionate about.

This answer varies depending on who is asking the question, but lately I recommend Reminders of him the most. This is a good example of what people get out of my books because the characters are flawed and relatable and the story tugs at the heartstrings. It encompasses a little more of the heartache, emotion, and struggle of the characters than my other books do. I wrote it at the height of the pandemic, which is maybe why I put the characters through so much pain and torture. It was a reflection of how I felt about the world at the time. If readers are drawn to this one, they might enjoy moving on to the rest. Unless they are a big thriller fan. If that is the case, give it a try Truth first. But Truth is super dark and very different from my other novels, so if someone is not used to reading this type of book, I would tell them to avoid it.

Certainly It ends with usalthough Truth comes in second. It’s so funny to me because It ends with us And Truth are two completely different books: It ends with us It’s more of an inspiring read that tugs at your heartstrings. Truth is dark, twisty, and can be an uncomfortable read at times. I like my readers’ tastes to be on opposite ends of a reading spectrum, and I especially like it when their two favorites are books that have nothing in common. It reinforces my decision not to stick to one genre.

Slammed This was my first experience writing a book, so when the twist happened, I was surprised myself. I remember sitting at my computer writing the scene, and when someone who shouldn’t have been there showed up, I felt shocked and unprepared. Sometimes when I write, I feel like I’m watching a movie and just describing what I see. In fact, before I became a writer, I read screenplays instead of watching movies. I enjoyed it as much as watching a movie, but it only took half the time. I think that’s why I write with less detail and tend to keep a fast pace with twists and turns, because those are the best stories to write—the ones that surprise me.

Truth was the first major leap outside of my usual genre. Before TruthI had written young adult and contemporary romance, but the books always fit neatly into a romance genre. Truth was so different from my other books, so I wasn’t sure readers would follow me into a completely different genre, but they most certainly did, and I couldn’t be more grateful. As a writer, my dream has always been to write what I want to write.

Probably all of them. I’m my own worst critic, so I never feel like my books are at a point where they can’t get better. But I’ve learned a lot over the last decade of writing, so if I had to choose, Without merit This would definitely be a book I would rewrite. I handled the situations with Utah’s character in this book in a way that I wouldn’t have handled with the knowledge I have now.

All your perfect ones is probably the saddest book I’ve written, but the bond between Quinn and Graham is one of my favorites. By the end of the book, I wanted the best for both of these characters, which is why I ended up tying their story into my Desperate series. It gets confusing because All your perfect ones is a standalone book, but if readers want a glimpse into Quinn and Graham’s future, they should definitely follow along. All your perfect ones at the top of the news Finding perfection.

Anywhere near water. Whether it’s a lake, a beach, or a pool, I always feel inspired by the sound of water. My problem is that once I start a book, I like to be in that place every day to write until I’m done. So it’s hard for me to start writing a book on vacation or on a plane, or anywhere else that won’t be a permanent place for me. I tend to tie the feelings of the book to the place where I started writing it, so when I start a new book, I try to find the constant in the water.

I love it when readers hold authors accountable on TikTok. Myself included. Whether it’s for phrases we’ve used in the past that we’ve learned are no longer acceptable, or readers expressing their desire for more diversity and representation. I appreciate them speaking up. I’m always striving to be and do better, and TikTok is a platform that allows an author to learn how they can and should improve.

If ever an idea came to me, Truth. It was a lot of fun to write. It was my first foray into thrillers after years of writing romance, so it felt fresh and new and free. Not that writing romance feels constrained, but I like to change things up. Until TruthI only really changed the age ranges of my characters, and I hadn’t played with an entirely new genre yet. The book kept me busy for two whole months, at least 12 hours a day. There are a lot of different directions a sequel could go in, and the ending (and the extra ending) leave me with a lot of room to explore. As it stands, I’m happy with how it ended, but I sometimes toy with the idea of ​​writing a book about the Truth crew character.

It ends with usI have received so many messages from readers who have been deeply touched by this book, and I will never get tired of it. I love that so many people can connect with a story inspired by my mother, and that I was determined to write. My mother is one of the strongest women I know, so it was hard for me to reconcile the independent mother I knew growing up with the woman who stayed with an abusive man for two years when I was little. I couldn’t understand how she could stay in that situation, so I wrote this book to see it from her perspective. It was hard to put myself in my mother’s shoes because I realized that I was somewhat judging her experience, and that judgment came from a place of inexperience. In writing this book, I was able to see how difficult that relationship must have been for her, loving someone who treated her badly at times, and then somehow finding the strength to leave that situation with two young daughters and no financial support. I intended to write a book inspired by her abusive marriage, but I think in the end things took a different turn and I started writing a book inspired by her strength.