Colleen Hoover began writing her debut novel Slammed in 2011 without plans to publish, inspired by lyrics from the Avett Brothers. She self-published it in January 2012 so her mother could read it on a Kindle. Its sequel, Point of Retreat, followed shortly after. Both books gained popularity after a five-star review from a book blogger, eventually hitting the New York Times Best Seller list. Atria Books republished them, and a third book, This Girl, was released in 2013. Hoover then left her social work job to write full time.

Her next novel, Hopeless (2012), became the first self-published book to reach #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list. A companion, Losing Hope, was published in 2013. She later released Finding Cinderella and Maybe Someday (2014), the latter featuring an original soundtrack.

Hoover collaborated with Tarryn Fisher on Never Never, a thriller romance written in alternating chapters. In 2016, she released It Ends with Us, based on her experience with domestic violence. The book gained widespread acclaim and, by 2019, had sold over a million copies.

A resurgence in popularity came in 2021 due to TikTok’s BookTok community. By 2022, It Ends with Us was again #1 on the New York Times list. Its sequel, It Starts with Us, was published in October 2022 and became Simon & Schuster’s most-preordered book. A film adaptation of It Ends with Us released in 2024 grossed over $250 million, despite mixed reviews. Hoover has since attracted further interest from film studios.

As of October 2022, Hoover had sold over 20 million books. The New York Times called her the best-selling novelist in the U.S., noting the unmatched size and devotion of her fan base.