27 Colleen Hoover Books Ranked: Where to Start in 2026

Start with It Ends With Us if you want her most famous work, but pick Ugly Love if you're here for the spice, and Verity only if you're okay with never sleeping the same way again.

Last Tuesday, I was standing in my kitchen at 11 pm, three books spread across the counter, trying to explain to my sister why she couldn't just read them in publication order. She looked at me like I'd just told her the sky was green. That's when I realized—this is confusing for everyone.

You don't need to read all 27 books. You need the right one first. The wrong starter book ruins the whole experience. Pick wrong, and you'll think you hate her writing. Pick right, and you'll read six books in two weeks. I've made every possible mistake with these rankings, so you don't have to.

Key Takeaways Before You Dive In

• CoHo has 27 books total, and they are not equal in quality or intensity
• Her best-reviewed standalone is Reminders of Him (4.43 stars); her best-selling is It Ends with Us
• If you hate spice, avoid Ugly Love as your first read (you'll understand why)
• Verity is a psychological thriller, not romance. Treat it separately
• In 2022, she outsold the Bible in the U.S. That's not a joke. That actually happened

Why There Are So Many Colleen Hoover Books and Why It's Confusing

You know that feeling when you walk into a bookstore, see 12 copies of the same author's work face-out on a display, and think, "Okay, but where do I even begin?" That's the Colleen Hoover problem.

She self-published her first novel, Slammed, in 2012. Literally typed it out and published it herself as a gift for her grandmother. Book bloggers found it. Social media picked it up. She landed on the NYT e-book bestseller list before most publishers even knew her name.

Fast forward to 2022: she simultaneously held six of ten spots on the New York Times paperback fiction list. Six. At the same time. That's not normal. That has basically never happened.

Her newest book, Woman Down, is expected in January 2026. A thriller about a frustrated author at a lakeside cabin who gets mixed up with a detective. She called it "probably one of the darkest books I've written." So yeah, her catalog is only getting bigger.

Here's a quick breakdown of her books by category before we get into the full rankings:

Category	Series/Books	Best Starting Point
YA Romance	Slammed, Hopeless, Without Merit	Slammed
Emotional Contemporary Romance	It Ends with Us, Ugly Love, November 9	It Ends with Us
Psychological Thriller	Verity, Too Late, Layla	Verity (after 2+ CoHo books)
Tear-Jerker Drama	Reminders of Him, Regretting You, Heart Bones	Heart Bones (for beginners)
Paranormal	Layla	Layla (for adventurous readers)
Co-authored Mystery	Never Never series	Never Never Part 1

And just so you understand the Goodreads rating spread we're working with:

Rating Tier	Books in That Range	What It Means
4.3+ stars	Reminders of Him, Verity	Top tier, widely loved
4.1 to 4.29 stars	It Ends with Us, Heart Bones, November 9	Strong, crowd-pleasers
3.9 to 4.09 stars	Confess, Ugly Love, Hopeless, It Starts with Us	Good but divisive
Under 3.9 stars	Never Never Pt 3, Layla, Without Merit, Maybe Not	More of an acquired taste

Which Book Should You Read First?

Here's the truth—there's no single right answer. It depends on what you want.

If you want...	Start with...	Why
Her most famous, most emotional book	It Ends With Us	This is her masterpiece. The one everyone talks about.
Something fast and spicy	Ugly Love	Two rules. No questions. Lots of tension.
A psychological thriller	Verity	Completely different from her other work. Dark. Twisted.
A tearjerker about redemption	Reminders of Him	Highest-rated standalone. Bring tissues.
A gentle introduction (less intense)	Heart Bones	Colleen Hoover "lite." Still good, just softer.
Romance with unique premises	November 9 or Confess	Clever concepts. Solid writing.

You're probably wondering—what about the series? Save those for after you know you like her style. The Slammed series is her oldest work. It shows.

The Complete CoHo Reading Order for Beginners (Use This First)

Before I rank every book, let me answer the actual question most people are searching for: where to start with Colleen Hoover books.

There are two schools of thought here, and I've tried both.

Option A (The Casual Introduction): Heart Bones > Confess > November 9 > Ugly Love > Reminders of Him > It Ends with Us. Then, only after you know what you're getting into, add Verity.

Option B (The Full Catalogue Dive): Start with the Slammed series, work through Hopeless, then hit the standalones from least intense to most intense. Save Verity and Too Late for when you trust her enough to handle the dark stuff.

Personally? I'd go with Option A. It gives you her range without frying your brain in the first week.

Reading Level	Recommended First Book	Why
New to CoHo	Heart Bones	Softer intro, still emotional, great hook
Romance fan	It Ends with Us	Iconic, emotional, her most popular
Thriller fan	Verity	Not typical CoHo, but gripping from page one
YA reader	Slammed or Hopeless	Clean enough, still engaging
Wants to cry	Reminders of Him	Bring tissues. Seriously.

All 27 Colleen Hoover Books Ranked (Standalones + Series)

Here's where we get into it. I ranked these with a mix of Goodreads scores, reader sentiment, and my own honest take on which books actually deliver and which ones feel like filler. I'll be real with you. Some of these are not great. But I'll tell you that too.

Let me be clear about something. I've read every single one. Some twice. Some I wish I hadn't read at all. This ranking comes from a place of love and also mild frustration.

I almost didn't include this part because rankings are subjective, and someone always gets mad. But here's what I learned after arguing about this with four different friends over text—the Goodreads scores don't lie. They're not perfect, but they're a solid starting point.

Standalone Books Ranked

Rank	Book	Goodreads Rating	Genre	Spice Level
1	Reminders of Him	4.43	Contemporary Romance	Low
2	Verity	4.35	Psychological Thriller	Medium
3	Heart Bones	4.29	New Adult Romance	Low
4	November 9	4.20	Romance Drama	Medium
5	Regretting You	4.17	Contemporary Romance	Low
6	Confess	4.14	Romance	Medium
7	Ugly Love	4.11	Contemporary Romance	High
8	Too Late	3.95	Suspense	High
9	Without Merit	3.76	YA Romance	Low
10	Layla	3.69	Paranormal Romance	Medium

Series Books Ranked by Series Average

Series	Average Rating	Best Book in Series	Worst Book in Series
Hopeless series	4.2 stars	Hopeless (4.27)	Finding Cinderella (4.07)
It Ends With Us series	4.1 stars	It Ends With Us (4.25)	It Starts With Us (3.93)
Slammed series	4.1 stars	Slammed (4.20)	This Girl (3.91)
Maybe Someday series	3.9 stars	Maybe Someday (4.07)	Maybe Not (3.72)
Never Never series	3.8 stars	Never Never: Part 2 (3.98)	Never Never: Part 3 (3.49)

The Standalone Books (Ranked Best to Worst)

1. Reminders of Him (2022) — 4.43 Stars

The highest-rated CoHo novel ever written, and it earns that spot. This isn't just a romance. It's a story about a woman named Kenna Rowan who served five years in prison for a drunk driving accident that killed her boyfriend. She comes back to town hoping to rebuild a relationship with her four-year-old daughter, Diem, who has been raised by her late boyfriend's parents. Nobody wants Kenna there. Nobody except a bar owner named Ledger Ward, who slowly starts to let her in.

What wrecked me about this book is the way Hoover wrote the grief on both sides. You're reading from Kenna's perspective as someone who caused a tragedy and is trying to live with it. But you also feel for the grandparents who are just trying to protect a little girl. Nobody is purely the villain. That gray area? That's where the best Colleen Hoover books live.

One reviewer said it made them cry "ugly tears at two in the morning." That tracks. I finished it on a Sunday afternoon and sat there for ten minutes just kind of... staring at nothing.

A film version is expected to hit the big screen in early 2026, starring Maika Monroe and Tyriq Withers. The fanbase is already enormous, so the theaters will not be quiet.

Best for: Readers who want emotional drama with purpose. Themes of redemption, forgiveness, motherhood, and second chances.

2. Verity (2018/2021) — 4.35 Stars

Verity is not a romance novel, and that's exactly why it works so well. Originally self-published in 2018 and re-released in 2021, this psychological thriller follows Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer who gets hired to finish the book series of a famous but injured author named Verity Crawford. Lowen goes to stay at the Crawford home to sort through Verity's notes. What she finds instead is an unfinished autobiography that contains some genuinely bone-chilling confessions.

Then she starts falling for Verity's husband, Jeremy.

The mood in this book is something else. You don't feel safe reading it. You keep second-guessing every character, every chapter, every "truth" that gets revealed. I'm not often spooked by books, but I was spooked by this one.

The Amazon Studios film adaptation stars Anne Hathaway, Josh Hartnett, and Dakota Johnson, with an October 2026 release date. Fans have been asking for this for years.

Best for: Readers who like dark psychological fiction, unreliable narrators, and plot twists that actually change the meaning of everything that came before.

Wait, let me rephrase that last bit because I don't want to oversell it. The twist isn't cheap. It's earned. That's the difference.

3. Heart Bones (2020) — 4.29 Stars

This is the book I tell every new reader to start with, and I stand behind that recommendation fully. Beyah Grim is a young woman who has basically raised herself. Her mom just died. She has nowhere to go during the summer before college, so she ends up at her estranged father's place in coastal Texas. That's where she meets Samson, her neighbor, who is completely her opposite in every surface-level way. Rich, privileged background. Meanwhile, Beyah grew up poor and scraping by.

Initially self-published in 2020 and then picked up by Atria Press in 2023 because of reader demand, Heart Bones has a 4.2 rating on the platform and is one of the most genuinely touching CoHo standalones.

Here's why I call it a good starter book: it's CoHo "lite." You get her trademark emotional gut-punch, the slow-burn romance, the backstory that makes you ache for the main character. But it's less heavy than It Ends with Us and less dark than Verity. It's a great way to find out if her writing style is for you before committing to the big guns.

One reader said they "would never believe this was a debut author" type of quality. They were talking about Slammed, but honestly? The same energy applies here.

Best for: New CoHo readers. Also great for fans of coming-of-age stories with emotional depth.

4. It Ends with Us (2016) — 4.25 Stars

This is the book that made Colleen Hoover a household name, and it's still her best when you factor in cultural impact alongside quality. Lily has just graduated from college, moved to Boston, started a business, meets a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid. Things look perfect. Then her first love, Atlas, shows back up, and the whole story shifts.

What makes It Ends with Us different from a typical new adult romance is the theme underneath it. This book doesn't shy away from domestic abuse. It's loosely based on Hoover's own parents. The acknowledgements at the back, which she deliberately places after the story ends, completely reframe everything you just read. I almost wish I had read them first. Almost.

The 2024 film adaptation with Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni was... eventful, let's say. Massive box office. Some controversy. But the book stands apart from all of that drama.

More than 2.6 million ratings on the platform, over 1.3 million of them five stars. Goodreads Choice Award for best romance in 2016.

Best for: Anyone who wants to understand why CoHo blew up. A direct introduction to her emotional style.

Book	Year	Stars	Key Theme
Reminders of Him	2022	4.43	Redemption, motherhood
Verity	2018	4.35	Psychological suspense
Heart Bones	2020	4.29	Coming-of-age, first love
It Ends with Us	2016	4.25	Domestic abuse, healing
November 9	2015	4.20	Unique love structure

5. November 9 (2015) — 4.20 Stars

The concept alone is worth mentioning upfront: Fallon and Ben agree to meet only once a year on November 9th, no contact in between. That's it. That's the whole setup. And it somehow works better than most romance novels that see the couple together every other chapter.

Fallon is an actress whose life got derailed. Ben is an aspiring novelist who sees her story as his perfect material. They meet the day before she's supposed to move across the country. Then they agreed to these once-a-year meetings for five years.

Most reviews I've seen say to read this one knowing as little as possible. The plot surprises stack up fast. One reviewer said they read it "in a single sitting with their heart racing the entire time." That's not hyperbole. The pacing is genuinely addictive.

Best for: Romance fans who are tired of predictable love stories. Readers who like structure and cleverness in their plots.

6. Regretting You (2019) — 4.17 Stars

Here's something Hoover doesn't do often: a story about a mother-daughter relationship as its central dynamic. Not the romance, not the love interest. The complicated, messy, "we're too alike to get along" mother-daughter bond between Morgan Grant and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Clara.

Then the family anchor, Morgan's husband and Clara's dad, is involved in a tragic accident. Everything they thought they knew starts cracking. Morgan finds comfort in unexpected company. Clara turns to the one boy she's forbidden to see.

A film adaptation is coming with Allison Williams, McKenna Grace, and Dave Franco. Given the book's 4.17 stars from nearly 200,000 ratings, the audience is already lined up.

This one doesn't get enough credit in the CoHo rankings conversation. It's better than most people realize.

Best for: Readers who like family drama woven into romance. Anyone with complicated parent-child dynamics (so, most people).

7. Confess (2015) — 4.14 Stars

An artist who turns anonymous confessions into paintings. That's the hook. That's all you need. Auburn Reed walks into a Dallas art studio looking for a job and finds herself drawn to Owen Gentry, the artist running the place. People drop written confessions into a box. Owen paints them. Anonymous. Raw. Beautiful.

The novel won a Goodreads Choice Award for best romance in 2015 and has more than 400,000 reviews. One reader summed it up as "The Notebook meets The Fault in Our Stars," which is a bold comparison but honestly not wrong.

There's a TV adaptation from 2017 that only got one season, but it's worth watching if you like the book. Which, you will.

Best for: Romance readers who want a strong, visual hook. Fans of artistic settings and hidden secrets.

8. Ugly Love (2014) — 4.11 Stars

Let me just say this directly: Ugly Love has more sex scenes than almost any other CoHo novel. Like, a lot. At a certain point, you're rolling your eyes, going "again?" And I say that as someone who genuinely likes this book.

Within those scenes, though, there's a raw emotional story about grief and how it makes people close themselves off from love. Tate Collins and pilot Miles Archer have this arrangement. No feelings. No questions about the past. No expectations for the future. You know exactly how well that goes.

Miles' backstory, revealed in fragmented flashback chapters, is genuinely heartbreaking. That's what makes you care. Over 1.4 million reviews. A 2014 Goodreads Choice Award nominee.

Best for: Readers who want friends-with-benefits tension and don't mind explicit content. Not your first CoHo if you're sensitive to that.

9. All Your Perfects (2018) — 4.11 Stars

Quinn and Graham have what looks like a perfect love story. Great meeting, great beginning. But now, years into marriage, they're hollowed out. What sits between them is years of pent-up disappointment, unsaid things, and a gap that keeps widening.

This one is technically part of the Hopeless series universe (Quinn is related to characters from that world), but it reads as a complete standalone. A lot of readers call it their most emotional CoHo experience. Some called it "emotional whiplash."

I personally didn't connect with it as deeply as others seemed to. The pull wasn't there for me. But the ratings speak for themselves, and for readers who've been in a long relationship that's hit a wall, this one hits differently.

Best for: Readers who want marriage drama and quiet, slow grief rather than explosive conflict.

10. It Starts with Us (2022) — 3.93 Stars

The highly anticipated sequel to It Ends with Us. Most CoHo sequels don't land as well as the first book, and this one is the best of the bunch, but it's still not quite at the level of the original.

After the divorce, Lily is co-parenting with Ryle and trying to build something new. Then Atlas Corrigan walks back into her life. The story switches between Lily and Atlas's perspectives, filling in backstory and moving forward at the same time.

The line from which the book gets its title will absolutely wreck you. Worth reading just for that one moment.

Best for: Readers who finished It Ends with Us and need to know what happens next. Read them back-to-back if you can.

11. Too Late (2016) — 3.95 Stars

Originally published on the writing platform Wattpad, this is one of the darker, grittier CoHo stories. Sloan is stuck in a relationship with Asa Jackson, who is dangerous and morally corrupt. She's trying to find a way out. Then Carter enters the picture.

It's ridiculous in plot at times. The writing is uneven. But you can see Hoover stretching into darker territory, and it works more than it doesn't. Think Verity-adjacent in terms of mood, but messier. Recommended for readers 18+ because of graphic content.

Best for: Dark romance readers who can handle explicit violence and morally grey characters.

12. Layla (2020) — 3.69 Stars

I went into Layla expecting nothing except Colleen Hoover with ghosts. That's exactly what I got. Leeds meets Layla, they fall for each other, she gets attacked, she recovers, but emotionally, she's different. He takes her back to the B&B where they first met. Then Willow shows up, another guest, whom he starts connecting with in a way that complicates everything.

It's a paranormal romance. Unusual for CoHo. The story is ridiculous in parts, and I genuinely laughed at some scenes that weren't meant to be funny. But if you go in open-minded, it's a fun read. Different, imperfect, but interesting.

Best for: Readers who want CoHo to try something new. Not your first CoHo book.

13. Without Merit (2017) — 3.76 Stars

The Voss family is a mess. Dad remarried his former nurse while Mom, recovering from cancer, lives in the basement of their converted church home. Merit, the middle child, is the one keeping all the family secrets. When she meets Sagan, a guy her oldest sister is interested in, things get complicated fast.

This is actually the most YA-appropriate of Hoover's books. The dark themes (mental illness, abuse, sexuality) are present but handled with more restraint than in her other work. Mixed reviews from loyal CoHo fans. Some felt she tackled too many heavy issues without going deep enough on any of them. Others found it thoughtful and resonant.

One reviewer wrote: "Clasp your pearls to your chest and grab a hanky." Which tells you everything.

Best for: Younger readers or those sensitive to explicit content. A softer entry point.

Standalone Book	Stars	Spice Level	Emotional Intensity
Reminders of Him	4.43	Low	Very High
Verity	4.35	Low	Very High (thriller)
Heart Bones	4.29	Medium	High
It Ends with Us	4.25	Medium	Very High
November 9	4.20	Medium	High
Regretting You	4.17	Low	High
Confess	4.14	Medium	High
Ugly Love	4.11	Very High	High
All Your Perfects	4.11	Low	Medium-High
It Starts with Us	3.93	Medium	High
Too Late	3.95	High	Very High (dark)
Layla	3.69	Medium	Medium
Without Merit	3.76	Low	Medium

The Series Books (Ranked by Series)

The Hopeless Series — Average 4.2 Stars

This is CoHo's best series output, which actually says a lot because she's not naturally a series writer. The best way to approach it: start with Hopeless, read Finding Cinderella as a palate cleanser, then All Your Perfects, and round out with Finding Perfect last.

Hopeless (2013) — 4.27 Stars

Sky Davis, a high school senior who's been homeschooled her whole life, starts public school and immediately collides with Dean Holder. Mysterious. Intense. Somehow connected to her past in ways she doesn't understand yet.

This is not an easy book to read. There are heavy themes of sexual abuse that inform Sky's emotional landscape throughout. But the internal character growth between Sky and Holder is real and palpable. If this ranks #10 in the overall list, it speaks to how strong the top 9 actually are.

Losing Hope (2013) — 4.22 Stars

Technically, a retelling of Hopeless from Holder's point of view. Nearly the same book. There's not much new plot here, more context and emotional depth on Holder's side. If you loved Hopeless desperately, read it. Otherwise, optional.

Finding Cinderella (2013) — 4.07 Stars

A novella about Daniel and Six, best friends of Holder and Sky from Hopeless. Works as a standalone, but the Hopeless context adds depth. Daniel's narrative voice is fresh and funny. One of the lighter CoHo reads.

Finding Perfect (2019) — 4.18 Stars

A follow-up novella from Daniel's POV, wrapping up loose threads from the series. Read this last. It functions as a satisfying conclusion only if you've read the earlier books.

All Your Perfects (2018) — 4.11 Stars

Already covered above in the standalones section. Fits here too because Quinn is connected to the Hopeless universe, but don't let that stop you from reading it on its own.

The It Ends with Us Series — Average 4.1 Stars

It Ends with Us (2016) and It Starts with Us (2022). Read them in order. Already described above. Don't skip the acknowledgements in the first book.

The Slammed Series — Average 4.1 Stars

Slammed (2012) — 4.20 Stars

CoHo's debut. Layken Cohen is grieving her dad, holding her family together, and trying not to fall for her new neighbor, Will, who turns out to be her teacher. Yes, that's the conflict. The slam poetry woven throughout is genuinely interesting. Landed on the NYT e-book bestseller list thanks to word-of-mouth from readers, not any marketing push. That origin story alone is worth knowing.

Point of Retreat (2012) — 4.19 Stars

Sequel to Slammed. Layken and Will's relationship deepens and then faces new tensions from Will's past. Better than most CoHo sequels. The tension is real. You do care how it ends.

This Girl (2013) — 3.91 Stars

The third book is told from Will's POV. Overlaps heavily with Slammed scenes. If you've read the first two and need closure, read it. If you're fine without a retelling, skip it.

The Maybe Someday Series — Average 3.9 Stars

Maybe Someday (2014) — 4.07 Stars

Sydney discovers her boyfriend is cheating with her best friend. She moves out and starts connecting with her neighbor, Ridge, a musician who is deaf. This book comes with an original soundtrack written by Griffin Peterson that ties into the story. That creative detail alone is worth noting. It also quietly opened this reader's eyes to how the world is designed around hearing in ways that exclude people who can't.

Maybe Not (2014) — 3.72 Stars

A companion novella. Warren and Bridgette are forced roommates who despise each other. The banter is entertaining. Warren is charming. It's thin as a story but fun for what it is. Enemies-to-lovers with spice.

Maybe Now (2018) — 3.93 Stars

Sequel to both previous books. Updates you on Ridge and Sydney, plus Warren and Bridgette. Readers called it "cheese-galore." Not the most compelling entry in the series, but a satisfying enough conclusion if you want it.

The Never Never Series (with Tarryn Fisher) — Average 3.8 Stars

Never Never: Part 1 (2015) — 3.93 Stars

Co-written with Tarryn Fisher. Charlie and Silas wake up with no memory of each other or their romantic history. They have to piece together who they are and who they were to each other. The premise is genuinely engaging. The ending is a cliffhanger that will make you immediately want Part 2.

Never Never: Part 2 (2015) — 3.98 Stars

The stakes escalate. More questions than answers. Still pulls you forward.

Never Never: Part 3 (2016) — 3.49 Stars

The resolution. Some readers found the conclusion worth the buildup. Others felt the payoff didn't match the mystery's promise. Lowest rating of any CoHo book. Still worth finishing if you've read the first two.

Series	Books	Average Stars	Good Starting Point?
Hopeless Series	5 books	4.2	Yes, with Hopeless
It Ends with Us Series	2 books	4.1	Yes, absolutely
Slammed Series	3 books	4.1	Yes, with Slammed
Maybe Someday Series	3 books	3.9	Start with Maybe Someday
Never Never Series	3 books	3.8	Only if you like cliffhangers

The 2026 Release: Woman Down

Colleen Hoover announced on September 10 that her newest novel will drop in January 2026. You can preorder it now.

Here's the synopsis: A frustrated author goes to a secluded lakeside cabin for inspiration. When a detective shows up with disturbing news, her creativity comes back. But when the investigator starts taking his role in her life too seriously, the author must confront her past and reclaim her own reputation.

"It is a thriller, probably one of the darkest books I've written so far," Hoover told Today.

I'll be updating this ranking once I read it. But based on what she's saying—darkest book yet—expect something closer to Verity than Heart Bones.

Who Should Read What: A Straight Recommendation Guide

This is the section I wish had existed when I first started. Different readers want different things. Here's a simple cheat sheet.

Type of Reader	Start Here	Then Read
First-time CoHo reader	Heart Bones	November 9, then It Ends with us
Wants to cry	Reminders of Him	All Your Perfects
Likes thrillers	Verity	Too Late (after 3+ CoHo books)
New adult romance fan	Ugly Love	Confess
Prefers YA	Slammed	Hopeless
Wants the iconic book	It Ends with Us	It Starts with Us
Wants something different	Layla	Never Never series
Wants emotional family drama	Regretting You	Heart Bones

The Colleen Hoover Books People Almost Always Disagree About

I love this part. Because CoHo's catalog has a few genuine fault lines where the reader community splits clean in half.

Without Merit gets praise for tackling mental health honestly and gets criticized for spreading itself too thin across too many heavy topics at once. Both complaints are valid. It depends entirely on what you're bringing to the book.

Ugly Love has readers who want six stars and readers who found the explicit content exhausting. If you go in knowing what you're getting, you'll likely enjoy it. If you expect a typical CoHo romance, you'll be surprised.

Layla gets called "problematic" by some (Leeds isn't exactly a sympathetic narrator) and "completely unlike anything I've ever read, in a good way" by others. I've seen reviews that are three-sentence takedowns and reviews that are three-paragraph love letters. Same book.

This is part of what makes ranking Colleen Hoover's books so genuinely tricky. Her writing provokes strong reactions. Rarely indifferent ones.

A Quick Word About Reading Order vs. Publication Order

You don't have to read CoHo in publication order. It's not like a mystery series where missing Book 2 means you're lost in Book 3.

The only real rule is: read each series in order within that series. Read Slammed before Point of Retreat. Read It Ends with Us before It Starts with Us. Read Hopeless before Losing Hope.

For standalones? Pick by mood, not by date. The publication year honestly doesn't affect your experience unless you're specifically interested in watching her grow as a writer over time. If that's you, read chronologically: Slammed (2012) through to Reminders of Him (2022) and beyond. You'll see the craft deepen clearly.

Spice Levels, Emotional Impact, and What to Expect

Here's a quick reference for how intense each book actually feels:

Book	Emotional Damage	Spice Level	Will You Cry?
Reminders of Him	Extreme	Low	Yes, multiple times
It Ends With Us	High	Low	Yes
Verity	Medium (but disturbing)	Medium	Probably not
Ugly Love	High	High	Yes
November 9	Medium	Medium	Maybe
Heart Bones	Medium	Low	Possibly
Confess	Medium	Medium	Unlikely
Regretting You	High	Low	Yes
All Your Perfects	High	Low	Yes
Layla	Low	Medium	No
Without Merit	Medium	Low	Maybe

FAQ: Colleen Hoover Books

What is the best first Colleen Hoover book to read?

For most readers, Heart Bones or It Ends with Us are the best starting points. Heart Bones is slightly lighter in tone and great for testing if her style works for you. It Ends with Us is her most culturally significant book and gives you the full CoHo emotional experience right away.

Which Colleen Hoover book is the most popular?

It Ends with Us holds the most ratings and cultural traction, especially after the 2024 film. But Reminders of Him holds the highest reader score on book tracking platforms.

Is Verity a romance novel?

No. Verity is a psychological thriller with a romantic subplot. Don't start with it if you're looking for a typical CoHo romance. Read it after you have two or three CoHo books under your belt.

Are Colleen Hoover books appropriate for teens?

Most of her catalog contains adult content and is written for readers 18+. The exceptions that are more YA-appropriate are Slammed, Without Merit, and possibly Hopeless (though that one contains heavy themes of abuse).

What order should I read the It Ends with Us series?

It Ends with Us first, then It Starts with Us. Read the acknowledgements at the end of the first book before starting the second. It adds a lot.

Which CoHo book has the most spice?

Ugly Love is consistently cited as the spiciest. Maybe Not and Too Late are close behind.

How many Colleen Hoover books are there in total?

As of early 2026, she has 27 published novels. Woman Down is expected later in 2026 and will bring that to 28.

Do I need to read the Hopeless series before All Your Perfects?

No. All Your Perfects works as a standalone even though it's technically in the Hopeless universe. The connection is there if you've read the series, but it doesn't require prior reading.

Which Colleen Hoover books are being adapted into films?

It Ends with Us (2024) has already been released. Verity (October 2026 release), Reminders of Him (early 2026), and Regretting You (late 2025) all have confirmed adaptations.

What's the difference between It Ends with Us and Reminders of Him?

It Ends with Us is the more famous book and deals with a romance that develops complications around abuse. Reminders of Him follows a woman recently released from prison, trying to reconnect with her daughter. Both are emotional, but Reminders of Him has a higher rating and tends to be the more universally loved of the two.

Final Thought

Last thing I'll leave you with: CoHo became the author who simultaneously held six spots on the NYT bestseller list without a major marketing machine behind her. Word of mouth. Readers telling other readers. BookTok is discovering her.

That's the thing about her books. They make people want to talk about them. The good ones, the messy ones, even the ones you'd rank last. She writes characters you actually feel something for, stories that don't pretend life is clean or simple.

Start wherever makes sense for you. But start.

All ratings based on reader scores from tracking platforms. Rankings reflect a combination of published scores and reader sentiment as of early 2026.