If you are an avid reader or an active member of TikTok, you have probably heard the name, Colleen Hoover. The rising popularity of her book, “It Ends With Us,” thanks to #BookTok has gained the author much well-deserved praise. This hashtag has been popular among videos on TikTok that advertise, recommend and review books worth the read.

“It Ends With Us” was first published in 2016, years prior to the circulation of admiration the book has received on the internet. Since the public discovered the book, Hoover and her other books such as “Verity” and “Ugly Love” have also been publicly favored and adored. Having read all three of what some consider Colleen Hoover’s most famous novels, I have one favorite that stands above the others, despite them all being must-reads.

Let us first discuss the book that led Hoover to receive her current status of popularity, “It Ends With Us.” The novel is written from the point of view of the main character, Lily, as she grapples with her past- and present-day love stories. The narrative skill with which Hoover switches back and forth from protagonists of two different ages leaves readers engaged with the story the whole time. Readers feel heartbroken about Lily’s past as Lily herself relives her pain. The plot centers around victims of domestic violence and portrays how easily one can unknowingly get trapped in a similar situation. This emotional rollercoaster places you directly into the main character’s shoes, wondering what to do when someone you love has let you down. This novel is relatable, inspirational and full of conflicting sentiments.

The next novel that I admire and find extremely successful as well as impactful is “Ugly Love.” While the praise for this novel is much deserved, I think that next to the two other novels of hers, this one shines a little less. The novel also takes past and present views on two different love stories for the main characters, Miles and Tate. While Tate narrates the present day, Miles tells the story of his first heartbreak. The first-person narration through a male perspective seems to be an anomaly for Hoover as she does not write in this style often. I think that the characterization of Tate, as well as the character arc behind Miles, could have been strengthened to make an already good plot even better. The story behind the pain of love and the inability to live without it evokes emotions in readers that are unexpected until the end ties everything together.

As of now, my all-time favorite novel written by Colleen Hoover is “Verity,” named after a character in the book that has been rendered unable to finish her last novel. The story is narrated through the first-person perspective of Lowen, the writer hired by Verity’s husband to finish the novel his wife no longer could. While searching Verity’s office, Lowen finds a manuscript that tells the story of Verity’s life from her perspective. Readers get to know more about Verity, how she met her husband and the events that led up to her accident. Each turn of the page develops a surprise with a shocking sentence that has you re-reading to make sure it was read correctly. I love this book because of the complications each of the characters brings to the story and the ending that has you debating among fellow readers which story is telling the truth behind it all. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

Once you have finished a Colleen Hoover book, make sure to look at the cover again– it might tell a more revealing story.