photo credit: Solbe Lim
Best-selling author Colleen Hoover’s name isn’t hard to recognize. Her fandom has spiked over the past year due to “Booktok”; a group of Tiktok users who post book reviews and recommendations. With Hoover’s romance novels being such a hit, it’s the perfect opportunity to create a top-five list of her books.
5. “Heart Bones”
This teenage audience-based novel begins by showcasing the troubled life of a teenage girl named Beyah. The reader is introduced to Beyah’s mom, a drug addict, who then overdoses, abandoning Beyah. Beyah has no other option except to reach out to her father who lives in Texas, who she hardly knows, asking to go live with him. Beyah meets a guy named Samson, who she immediately hates. However, they start to develop an unspoken bond. The story follows the adventures of the two, and the secrets that Samson is hiding from her. I was not expecting what Samson had been concealing. I would give this book three out of five stars.
4. “Ugly Love”
This book dives into the filthy side of love and encapsulates heartbreak, tragedy and affection. The main character Tate meets her brother’s friend Miles, and there is an immediate physical attraction. What takes Tate by surprise is how little Miles has to offer. His hidden past has left him incapable of feeling true love, but that does not stop Tate from wanting to pursue their undeniable connection. As Tate and Miles get to know each other on a deeper level, more of Miles’ past is revealed, which jeopardizes their relationship. Towards the end of the book, I was in shock by finding out what secret Miles has been hiding. I’d rate this book a four out of five stars.
3. “It Ends With Us”
This heart-wrenching story touches on the damage that love can do. The story interchanges between the main character Lily’s past love with Atlas, and the current relationship she is pursuing with Ryle. As much as Lily misses her past with Atlas, she has been thriving with Ryle. But everything changes when Atlas comes back into Lily’s life, making her question who the right love is for her. It puts her and Ryle’s relationship to the test and leads Ryle to make an unforgivable mistake. The novel hits deep on very sensitive topics such as abuse but sends across a meaningful message. I was in tears at the end of this book, and it truly was written beautifully. I would give this book five out of five stars.
2. “November 9th”
This story had a very intriguing plot to keep readers hooked the entire time. A girl named Fallon meets a writer named Ben at a restaurant, the day before she leaves for Los Angeles. They have an unquestionable connection, so Fallon decides to stay with him for the night. They agree to meet up every year on the same date they met, November 9th, at the same restaurant. The more time that goes on, the more Fallon is able to discover how Ben is linked to her past, making her skeptical about how they can continue their relationship. The plot twist took me by surprise and dropped my jaw. I would give this book five out of five stars.
1. “Verity”
This novel has a very different take than her usual books, mixing both romance and thriller together. Aspiring writer Lowen is given an offer by Jeremy Crawford to complete a book that his wife Verity had been writing before she got seriously injured. Lowen was offered to stay at the Crawford household to get access to Verity’s office. In that office is where Lowen found Verity’s manuscript, which reveals many secrets that Verity has been hiding. Along with this, the more time Lowen spends at Jeremy’s house, the more her connection with him develops. The story takes a horrifying twist making the reader question what the truth is. I was on the edge of my seat as the plot started intensifying and I was able to read it in one sitting because of how engaging the story was. I would rate this book five out of five stars.
