Colleen Hoover is dominating the New York Times Best Seller list with seven of her novels in the top 10 spots for the Paperback Trade Fiction category. She has sold over 20 million books. Her best-seller “It Ends With Us,” has been on the list for 78 weeks straight.
Hoover’s books fall into the young adult fiction and romance genres. Some of her novels can be classified as psychological thrillers.
Hoover appeals to women, some of whom pick up her novels to take a hiatus from the current battleground that is "modern romance." She etches her characters beautifully. Her words take the shape of our most delightful and vicious dreams.
Hoover’s work is captivating, to say the least. After zooming through “Verity,” “Ugly Love,” “Reminders of Him” and “It Ends With Us,” I am frantic to continue with “It Starts With Us,” Hoover’s recently released sequel to “It Ends With Us.”
As I impatiently await the opportunity to read more of Hoover’s work, I put together a ranking of the novels I’ve read so far as well as what I consider to be the best line in each.
1. “Ugly Love”
This book was steamy. I encountered this title on #BookTok — TikTok’s premier book recommendation page — and was not disappointed. “Ugly Love” tells a story of allowing oneself to love again after tragedy. It’s about forgiveness, grief and perhaps what this Hoover novel does best — sex.
Best line: “But the second she opened her eyes and looked at me, I knew. She was either going to be the death of me… or she was going to be the one who finally brought me back to life.”
2. “Verity”
This book had me on the edge of my seat. Audible gasps escaped my mouth as I fiercely turned the pages. “Verity” kept me up at night. This psychological thriller meets romance novel was wild. It is about a struggling writer who accepts what she thought would be a dream job. “Verity” is unique. From what I know, no other Hoover novel possesses similar thrilling dramatics.
Best line: “I find that comforting — that being alone with me in the room still feels like being alone to him.”
3. “It Ends With Us”
“It Ends With Us” tells the story of a battered woman faced with the same cycle of abuse she witnessed as a child. The book shows how sometimes the one we love the most is capable of hurting us the most. Reading this book gives powerful insight into the question, “Why did they stay?” “It Ends With Us” is wonderfully packed with drama, intensity and love; however, it lacks the thrills of “Verity” and the fierce passion of “Ugly Love.”
Best line: “Maybe love isn’t something that comes full circle. It just ebbs and flows, in and out, just like the people in our lives.”
4. “Reminders of Him”
If you are looking for a story of strength, reliance and the complicated intricacies that can follow a relationship, this book is for you. It tells the story of a troubled young mother looking for redemption, a way back into her daughter's life and a man she meets along the way. I placed this one at number four because it was a bit slower than the other three. But it is still an enjoyable, juicy read.
Best line: “I take a drink of my coffee and close my eyes and cry because life can be so fucking cruel and hard, and I’ve wanted to quit living it so many times, but then moments like these remind me that happiness isn’t some permanent thing we’re all trying to achieve in life, it’s merely a thing that shows up every now and then, sometimes in tiny doses that are just substantial enough to keep us going.”
