In the world of contemporary romance, Colleen Hoover has become a phenomenon. The popular author is known for her ability to create engaging and emotional stories, redefining modern-day romance novels. With millions of books sold, a strong presence on BookTok, and a loyal fan base, Hoover has become a literary powerhouse.
But beyond this gut-wrenching and page-turning romance novels is a real person – a former social worker, mum, and self-publishing author. Who is Colleen Hoover? And how did she manage to take the book world by storm, earning the spot of the #1 New York Times bestselling author, among many other titles and awards.
From Texas Roots to Self-Published Stardom
Colleen Hoover’s background will most likely surprise you. She was born in Sulphur Springs, Texas, on the 11th of December, 1979. Her journey from a small town girl to a renowned writer shows her resilience and passion for storytelling. But what’s the shocking part of her background?
Maybe it’s the fact that she didn’t grow up dreaming of literary fame – working everyday jobs, including social work. She eventually turned to writing in her early thirties and we can say that her career as a social worker influenced her knowledge and understanding of emotions, relationships, and humanity. Which of course, we can see in her works.
With no prior experience in writing, her love for storytelling fueled her decision to create, and she did. She self-published her first novel – Slammed – in 2012 with no expectations whatsoever. It was created as a personal story to be shared with friends and family, but life doesn’t always go the way we plan.
In just a few months, the book quickly gained traction, particularly due to her constant use of social media. She used platforms like Facebook and Goodreads to connect with people reading her book. We cannot also undermine the impact of the storyline itself, one filled with relatable characters, romance, and poetry, which captured the attention and hearts of readers.
Hoover’s career turned around for the better when she released her second novel – Hopeless – in 2012. A beautifully written story about two young people with tragic pasts who, through their love for each other, discover the lessons of trust, love, and life.
Once released, it earned the #1 spot on the New York Times bestseller list, and from there, she made a breakthrough into traditional publishing.
The BookTok Effect
Discussing Colleen Hoover’s success story won’t be complete without mentioning the positive effect the BookTok community had on her career. BookTok is TikTok’s literary community, and once they started creating videos about her works, her popularity soared higher in the literary world.
Hoover sold over 14.3 million copies of her books in 2022 with the help of BookTok which shows just how many fans she has managed to gather on the app. Her books became a sensation on TikTok, known for bridging the gap between teens and adults.
Readers started by posting their reactions to It Ends With Us and Ugly Love, sharing catchy captions, quotes from the books, reviews, and even reading vlogs. These videos went viral over and over again and she was crowned the queen of BookTok at some point. The BookTok saga is definitely a big part of Hoover’s success story.
What Makes Her Books So Addictive?
Critics have had a lot to say about her simple writing style, emotionally charged narratives, or plot twists. But her fans, the CoHorts don’t care – because Hoover manages to create something that goes beyond the typical traditional fiction and romance. Her ability to evoke deep emotions and create relatable characters makes each story feel personal.
She writes about pain without exploiting it, tackling difficult subjects authors tend to run away from. She creates flawed but relatable characters alongside a realistic love and not your typical happily-ever-after. Themes include domestic abuse (It Ends With Us), addiction (Without Merit) and grief (Reminders of Him).
Many readers say they feel seen when they read her books. Which is not surprising as she has managed to create characters and plots that transcend the pages of her books. The books feel like they were written from pain, and are not just about it, keeping readers hooked from the very beginning.
Final Thoughts
Colleen Hoover has become a popular name in the literary world, known for creating stories readers can relate to. Her success story is one that is encouraging, showing that it doesn’t matter when you start. What matters is that you get it done and let the universe do its thing.