Whether you saw her books on your TikTok or perused that intriguing cover in your local bookstore, it's likely you've heard of Colleen Hoover. Known for her heartbreaking, raw romances, Hoover debuted with her novel Slammed, the first book in the series, in 2012. And her success is reflected in the excitement at her upcoming book, It Starts With Us, which already has a Goodreads rating of 4.64, ahead of its release.
But the question comes down to: "What is Colleen Hoover's best book?" None of her books are so much better than others, so much as they are different. While every reader may choose which book they like best, their Goodreads ratings have spoken. While not the most accurate response, these ratings give us a glimpse into Hoover's best books (not including un-released books and/or novellas).
‘Regretting You’
Morgan doesn't want her daughter to end up like her: knocked up and pregnant young. Likewise, Clara wants to be nothing like her mother: boring and typical. The only thing holding the family together is Morgan's husband and Clare's father, Chris. But when he gets into a tragic yet questionable accident, the last straw snaps. It isn't long before the mother and daughter walk separate paths and stray so further apart there may not be a way back together.
Written from a dual POV, Regretting You is an exhilarating romance yet so much more, the pain and the agony of losing a family member and finding love, all in a bundle of 350 pages that will blow your mind. It has a Goodreads rating of 4.22.
‘Ugly Love’
When Tate moves in with her brother, she isn't looking for love, but it doesn't hurt that the man next door is probably the most handsome man she has seen, and to make it better, they share a hard-to-miss mutual attraction. Fortunately, none of them have the time for love. And their friends-with-benefits relationship is made easier by Miles' rules.
Never ask about the past.
Don't expect a future.
They think they can handle it, but when love gets ugly, can they escape its wrath?
A heartbreaking story with a happy ending, Ugly Love is a somewhat controversial book with a Goodreads rating of 4.22. Despite the devastating reasons of grief and regret driving significant actions, the story glorifies the "I can fix him" belief and normalizes comparatively toxic relationships.
‘All Your Perfects’
Quinn and Graham have a perfect love story that everyone covets. Their marriage, not so much. Not that they'd accept it. They're dancing around emotions, doing anything to avoid the issue threatening to upend everything they've created together. When the memories and the mistakes they've made over the years threaten to unleash mayhem on their life, will Quinn and Graham break apart? Or will a forgotten promise change everything?
An exceedingly well-executed marriage-in-crisis accompanies a heartbreaking story with a fabulous ending in Colleen Hoover's All Your Perfects. While the TWs are necessary to check, everyone who isn't affected by them should read the book at least once in their lifetime. The book has a Goodreads rating of 4.23.
‘Point Of Retreat’
After a tumultuous year, Will and Layken finally came to terms with their realities and made a beautiful home together. But when a ghost from his past threatens to destroy everything they've built, Layken is left second-guessing the relationship, while Will does everything in his power to prove his love. Young love faces hurdles that risk upending the lives of the characters and their loved ones in this fantastic sequel to Slammed.
The second book in her iconic Slammed series, Point of Retreat, ranks sixth on the list with a Goodreads rating of 4.24 with over 160k ratings.
‘Hopeless’
Sky and Dean have reputations that rival the others. She knows better than to fall for guys like him, yet she finds herself both captivated and terrified of him all in the span of their first encounter. Dean ignites feelings in her Sky never knew existed, and the intense chemistry they share lights sparks that threaten to resurface buried memories she's better off without. But when she realizes he's not who he claims to be, it's only a matter of time till her life is struck by mayhem.
The first book in the Hopeless series, Hopeless, is somewhat underrated, with a Goodreads rating of 4.29.
‘November 9’
Fallon is all set to fly across the country and leave everything behind. But, while preparing for her flight the next day, she runs into Ben, an aspiring novelist. Their connection is so intense that they spend her last day in LA together, and her creative life inspires Ben's novel. Year after year, through relationships and tribulations, they meet on the same day every year. Until one day, Fallon becomes dubious if Ben has been fabricating his entire life as a ploy to get the ultimate plot twist to his novel.
A heartbreakingly devastating yet shockingly refreshing tale of pain and love, November 9 has a Goodreads rating of 4.29.
‘Heart Bones’
Everything Beyah is today is all thanks to no one but herself. All her parents ever gave her was a sad life and a dismal last name: Grim. She's ready to move on to better things, except for the two-month interim separating her from the future. But when an unexpected death leaves her homeless, she must move in with a father she barely knows. She plans to keep her head down, but her neighbor, Samson, might not be on the same page. When they realize their chemistry is undeniably intense, they decide on a summer fling, but that's not all these polar opposites will experience over the summer.
One of the most underrated books by Colleen Hoover, Heart Bones is an incredible book that will make you rethink your life. The book maintains a Goodreads rating of 4.34.
‘It Ends With Us’
If sunshine were a brand, Lily Bloom would be a brand ambassador. Despite the dysfunctional and abusive relationship between her parents, Lily still holds out hope for love and believes that one day, she will find someone perfect for her. She thinks she's found her soulmate in Ryle Kincaid ... until ghosts from her past threaten to destroy their relationship and the idea of love as she's always known it.
One of her most popular books, It Ends With Us has a Goodreads rating of 4.38, and its sequel, It Starts With Us, is set to release on October 18, 2022.
‘Verity’
Lowen Ashleigh is a broke, struggling author, so when she gets the chance of a lifetime to complete the remaining books in a successful series of a bestselling author who's injured, she should've no reason to hesitate. Except for said author's husband, who she seems to be developing an attraction to. Upon her arrival, Lowen plans to hole up in Verity's office and work herself to the bone ... until she discovers an unfinished biography that reveals secrets that could cause upheaval for the family.
A dark thriller, quote-unquote unputdownable, Verity is a New York Times bestseller that will make you feel all the chills. With a Goodreads rating of 4.42, Verity is one of Colleen's darkest books and ends on a cliffhanger of a lifetime.
‘Reminders of Him’
After five years of serving her sentence for a tragic mistake, Kenna is ready to meet her daughter she never got to see. Diem, the name so uncommon so she could find her little baby girl. But the demons of the past might catch up to her when she meets Ledger Ward, the man she is falling hopelessly in love with and the man who won't let her rebuild the bridges she burned down.
A poignant yet heartwarming love story of a mother yearning for her daughter, Reminders Of Him, is unequivocally the best book by Colleen Hoover and boasts a Goodreads rating of 4.52.