17 Authors for Readers Who Can't Get Enough of Colleen Hoover

One word: secrets. Annie Fremont is surrounded by them. She and her father are forced to return to the coast of Maine (and the scene of her mother’s mysterious death) after acquiring a strange antique for their business that causes some changes in her father’s personality. Annie is going back to her family’s estate to help her father deal with a future colored by a devastating diagnosis but she can’t help but feel as if the past is demanding her attention as well.

Moonhill is a spooky place. Annie’s aunt and grandfather soon dictate when and how often she can see her father. Left to ponder her new circumstances, she can’t help but notice another mystery of her new home, Chase. He works as a groundkeeper and seems haunted in his own way. Things are not making sense to Annie, including her strange attraction to Chase. Buckle up for some sweet paranormal romance in this novel that begins a series if you are left wanting more.

On the surface, Sarah and Adam have it all. Sarah is a successful attorney that’s recently been named a partner in the firm that she works at. Adam, on the other hand, is struggling a bit with his lackluster writing career. Well, maybe things aren’t going all that well for them. Truth be told, Adam has been spending more time at their lake house in the country. It’s no wonder that he and Sarah have begun to grow apart a bit.

But when Adam’s mistress is found dead at the property, the tragedy brings the two back together. Well, it would almost have to—because Sarah’s acting as her husband’s attorney. If you’re in the mood for messy drama, and an even messier murder, The Perfect Marriage is the perfect pick for you.

 

To the outside world, Kate and Pete have the perfect life, and the perfect family—but the fact of the matter is, neither of them have been emotionally invested in years. Kate grappled with postpartum depression after having their children, but Pete seemed to take little to no notice of his wife’s emotional struggle. As they grew further apart, their common interests and emotional connection began to whittle away. 

Despite this, when Pete doesn’t return from work one day, Kate is shocked. They have two children together, a home to maintain—and all Pete’s left her is a note. Despite the note’s brief explanation, Kate isn’t willing to take it as gospel. She goes out of her way to uncover the truth of her husband’s disappearance, for better or for worse. 

Cat has come a long way. After many exes, she has finally found the One, is getting married and beginning a future in Italy. But in order to have a fresh start, Cat visits her past partners to make peace with how those relationships ended.

Unfortunately, Cat has unintentionally left a wake behind her. When all her past loves are found dead, the spotlight is on Cat. If Cat didn’t do it, then who? And why? Journey with Cat, her biographer and those who know her best (and worst) to find the real killer and see if her wedding day will ever happen.

Try to tell me the first line of this book doesn’t have you curious. “Pretend I’m not already dead.” I mean, how can you not start reading when this could go in so many different directions?

Ultimately, this book aims to depict how forging relationships can lead to a vibrant and full life. Mary and Nix have been best friends since childhood, so going on a summer vacation to Greece together seems like a no-brainer. But it is during this trip that their friendship comes to an abrupt close. Mary is left confused yet determined to find out what went wrong when she travels the world and makes the acquaintance (and then some) of many men along the way. Mary’s physical and emotional journey will indeed lead to a destination that provides some closure to her previous friendship with Nix and what it means to be alive.

After twenty years as a naval wife, and having three children, Grace Bennett isn’t quite sure who she is anymore. She and her husband, Steve, have recently moved to Washington for the sake of Steve’s naval career. Now, on the cusp of her fortieth birthday, Grace is determined to rediscover who she is. 

Steve is gone most of the time, and their three high-school aged kids are walking the well-worn and difficult path of being the new kids in school. If all of this wasn’t enough to deal with, Grace becomes aware of Steve’s shocking secret—and insists that he shares the truth with their kids before he ships out. 

Now here is an author that has built quite a catalog of works in the romance genre and this novel is where most fans begin. This love story is super poignant and the tears will flow so get the tissues handy.

Louisa has a decent life. She lives in a nice village and has a nice family and a nice boyfriend. She does need to secure a job to help her family pay the bills and finds herself working for a not-so-nice man named Will. But Will has his reasons for being bitter after his life changed from being a world class athlete to a paraplegic after an accident. Will challenges Louisa in her views of everything from love to life. While Will may not have access to the life he wants to lead, he will not allow Louisa to settle for mediocre anymore.

The Air He Breathes delves into sensations of loss, healing, and the joy and confusion that come with finding love unexpectedly. The novel follows Elizabeth and Tristan, two individuals whose lives have been shattered by tragedy.

Elizabeth, grieving the death of her husband, is attempting to rebuild her life in the small town of Meadows Creek. Meanwhile, Tristan, a brooding widower with a troubled past, is struggling to come to terms with the loss of his wife and child. The two wounded souls find themselves drawn to each other, their shared experiences creating a unique bond that transcends the pain they carry.

If you got a text from your ex right now, would you answer them? Would you heed their request to meet up with you? Would you do them the most urgent and awkward of all favors—pretend that the two of you are back together while their parents are in town? I sure as heck wouldn’t—but Kian Andrews does, despite the fact that Hudson broke his heart. 

Still, while dinner may have been its own challenge, it only grows thornier as Kian winds up linked to Hudson for the upcoming wedding season. Normally Kian wouldn’t agree, but when it becomes clear that he may be able to make contacts that could help his career, he resolves himself to tolerate the situation—even if it means dormant feelings rearing their ugly head. 

McKenna wouldn’t return to her hometown unless she absolutely had to—but unfortunately, she absolutely has to. When her entire life goes up in smoke, she returns to the tiny Tennessee town that she left so long ago. 

Not everything there is as she remembers it—but Sheriff Maddox Hatley sure is. It may have been ten years since they saw one another, but they left under less than ideal circumstances, and McKenna’s return isn’t exactly smooth sailing. 

Hook Shot revolves around professional basketball player, Kenan Ross, and rising sports agent, Lotus DuPree. Kenan is a charismatic and successful athlete known for his prowess on the court, while Lotus is a determined and ambitious woman navigating the competitive world of sports management. When their paths cross, sparks fly. 

As Kenan and Lotus tentatively enter a relationship, they find themselves at a crossroads, grappling with the overlap of their professional lives and their personal happiness. 

Why wait until your midlife to have a crisis? Don’t limit yourself. Considering the last few years, I think we’re all due for a little crisis. I’ll throw my name on that list—as would Josh, the main character of James Bailey’s The Flip Side. 

Every part of Josh’s life has just been upended: his job, his relationship, his living situation. He doesn’t know what to do with his life—but that’s alright. He finds a coin, and decides that that coin is going to make all of his decisions for him. This lighthearted romance is perfect for fans of Notting Hill and Love Actually. 

Sean and Ally are both excellent doctors, but their personalities clash. Ally is a self-assured, skilled professional—but Sean disagrees with her holding the position that she has. Sean and Ally may be able to find a way to work together, but personally, they can’t stand one another. Their friend Will tries to match them up despite this—but will it work? 

Full disclosure: this is a sequel and so consider this a twofer. You can certainly go back to Before Us once you finish After Us since there is a tie-in with the first book’s characters. However, this story stands alone nicely as well.

Told in alternating chapters from the points of views of each love interest, this book is easy to get into because the romance in this story is enmeshed with so many other high emotions. Melissa and Javier are both grieving for different reasons. If you know anything about the five stages of grief, then you know that there is a lot more to it than sadness. Cue anger and denial. The question is whether Melissa and Javier finding each other in a dark time is healing or harmful?

I’m a sucker for a clever device for telling a story. West employs the concept of a young woman prepping flowers at various venues over the course of a year. Nine to be exact. It may seem fun to attend so many events in this way but Sophie really dreams of going to design school.

BTW, flowers aren’t the only thing these events have in common. Sophie keeps running into Andrew at each and every one. This is problematic as she has a job to do and applications to fill out so love is the last thing on her mind. And isn’t that when they say falling in love happens, when you didn’t go looking for it? You are cordially invited to see how these events play out in Sophie’s best laid plans.

Are you a fan of angst? Romance? The movie Groundhog Day, or the series Russian Doll? If so, See You Yesterday is your next best read. Barrett Bloom is hoping that her freshman year of college will be a vast improvement on her time in high school. Besides, after high school, what could possibly be worse? 

Well, it turns out college can be worse. Barrett’s first day, September 21st, is a veritable disaster. It’s one unfortunate situation after another, and when she falls asleep in the common room of her dorm, she dreads the day ahead…Until she wakes up on September 21^st—again. Barrett is trapped in her first day of school, and if that wasn’t difficult enough, it turns out that she isn’t alone. 

Who says romance is just for the single ladies? Here is the tale of Teagan, a mom who has resigned herself to living in the town she thought she would outgrow and raising a teen by herself. It’s not how she saw her life going but it could be worse, right?

Then it gets worse. The friend who broke her heart a lifetime ago is back in town with his own teen and his regrets over a failed marriage and the way he left his hometown in the first place. Can they help each other get through this tough season of their lives? Or even better, is this the opportunity for them to re-do the past, perhaps a chance to find more to life than getting through?