Colleen Hoover Books in Order
By the Ember team · Updated June 2026
Colleen Hoover has written more than 25 books since she published Slammed in 2012. Most are standalone contemporary romance novels. She has four main series: Slammed (3 books), Hopeless (3 books), Maybe Someday (3 books), and It Ends With Us (2 books).
If you are new to her work, start with It Ends With Us, Verity, or Ugly Love. Those three are the ones readers either love or use to decide Hoover is not for them. If you want something lighter, try Maybe Someday. If you are committed to reading everything, go in publication order starting with Slammed.
Short answer
Colleen Hoover has written 25+ books since 2012. Start with It Ends With Us (contemporary romance, medium heat), Verity (psychological thriller), or Ugly Love (friends-with-benefits angst). Read the Slammed, Hopeless, and It Ends With Us series in publication order.
Where to start with Colleen Hoover books
If you want emotional weight and real-world stakes
It Ends With Us
This is the book that made Colleen Hoover a household name. It handles domestic violence with care and nuance, and the ending will wreck you in the best way.
If you want a dark psychological thriller
Verity
The only Hoover book that is not strictly romance. It's twisted, unsettling, and the kind of book that makes you text your friends at 2 AM asking if they've read it.
If you want angst and friends-with-benefits tension
Ugly Love
Miles is emotionally unavailable. Tate falls for him anyway. The dual timeline structure reveals why Miles is the way he is, and the payoff is worth the pain.
If you want music and creative chemistry
Maybe Someday
Sydney and Ridge write songs together. The book has an actual soundtrack you can listen to while reading. It's Hoover at her most romantic.
If you want slam poetry and teacher romance
Slammed
Her debut. The writing is rougher than her later books, but the core story is solid and the slam poetry adds something different to the usual contemporary romance formula.
It Ends With Us series
It Ends With Us
Published 2016
Lily meets Ryle, a neurosurgeon who doesn't believe in relationships. They fall anyway. Then her first love, Atlas, reappears, and Lily has to make an impossible choice about her future.
It Starts With Us
Published 2022
The sequel focuses on Lily and Atlas after the events of It Ends With Us. Told from both perspectives, it answers the question readers have been asking since the first book ended.
Slammed series
Slammed
Published 2012
Layken meets Will when she moves next door. He's magnetic, passionate about slam poetry, and completely off-limits once she discovers he's her new teacher.
Point of Retreat
Published 2012
Will's point of view. The sequel picks up where Slammed left off, following Will and Layken as they navigate the complications that nearly tore them apart.
This Girl
Published 2013
A companion novella that retells the Slammed story from Will's perspective, with new scenes and closure for longtime fans.
Hopeless series
Hopeless
Published 2013
Sky meets Dean Holder, and the chemistry is immediate and overwhelming. But both of them are carrying secrets, and the truth about Sky's past will change everything.
Losing Hope
Published 2013
The same story from Holder's perspective. Read Hopeless first, then Losing Hope for the full emotional impact.
Finding Cinderella
Published 2013
A novella featuring Daniel, a side character from Hopeless.
Maybe Someday series
Maybe Someday
Published 2014
Sydney discovers her boyfriend is cheating. Her neighbor Ridge is a musician who communicates through notes and lyrics. They start writing songs together, and the connection becomes something neither of them expected.
Maybe Not
Published 2014
A novella featuring Warren, Ridge's roommate, in his own unexpected romance.
Maybe Now
Published 2019
The conclusion of Ridge and Sydney's story, picking up years after Maybe Someday.
Standalone novels
These books are not part of a series. Read them in any order.
Ugly Love
Published 2014
Confess
Published 2015
November 9
Published 2015
Too Late
Published 2016
Without Merit
Published 2017
All Your Perfects
Published 2018
Verity
Published 2018
Regretting You
Published 2019
Heart Bones
Published 2020
Reminders of Him
Published 2022
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Frequently asked questions
What order should I read Colleen Hoover books?
Colleen Hoover has written 25+ books since 2012. Start with It Ends With Us (contemporary romance, medium heat), Verity (psychological thriller), or Ugly Love (friends-with-benefits angst). Read the Slammed, Hopeless, and It Ends With Us series in publication order.
Which Colleen Hoover book should I read first?
Most readers start with It Ends With Us (contemporary romance with emotional weight), Verity (psychological thriller with dark romance elements), or Ugly Love (angsty friends-with-benefits). If you want something lighter, try Maybe Someday. If you want slam poetry and teacher romance, try Slammed. Most of her books are standalone, so you can start almost anywhere.
Are Colleen Hoover books standalone or series?
Most Colleen Hoover books are standalone. She has four main series: Slammed (3 books), Hopeless (3 books), Maybe Someday (3 books), and It Ends With Us (2 books). The standalones include Verity, Ugly Love, Confess, November 9, Regretting You, and Reminders of Him.
What are the It Ends With Us books in order?
The It Ends With Us series has two books: It Ends With Us (2016) and It Starts With Us (2022). Read It Ends With Us first. The sequel picks up after the first book ends and is told from both Lily's and Atlas's perspectives.
What is the heat level of Colleen Hoover books?
Most Colleen Hoover books are medium heat. They have explicit sex scenes, but the focus is emotional connection rather than graphic detail. Ugly Love and Too Late are spicier than average. Verity has dark sexual content that some readers find intense. Her early books like Slammed are lower heat.
Sources
Bibliography and series order verified as of June 2026.
- Colleen Hoover Official SiteUsed for official book list and series information.
- Goodreads Colleen HooverUsed for publication dates and series context.
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