Colleen Hoover’s New Book Adaptation Has Renewed Discourse Regarding Her Prior Transgressions
By: Alleigh Waskie | Published on: October 4, 2026
Oct. 2, 2026 — The movie adaptation of one of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novels, “Verity,” has renewed discourse surrounding controversies involving the author, including her response to allegations of sexual harassment against her son, despite her continued release of novels centering victims of domestic violence. Additionally, readers have brought up the long-standing argument that Hoover’s novels romanticize abuse and blur the line between abuse and love.
Colleen Hoover has proven to be a powerhouse author in traditional publishing as well as on BookTok, the online community of readers and content creators who share their opinions, recommendations and reviews of books. Despite this, many BookTokers are divided in their opinions of the author. She is often people’s entry point into reading, as her books are popular and accessible, and many readers have praised her for reigniting their love of reading. Critics, however, argue that her books lack depth and are often repetitive, recycling themes of domestic violence without sufficiently exploring their larger impacts.
Feb. 12, 2022, Colleen Hoover’s 21-year-old son, Levi, was called out by a Twitter user who wrote, “Her son also sexually harassed me and she blocked me when I spoke up about it to her.” Further in the Twitter thread, she explained that she was 16, making her a minor at the time of the alleged incident and because they were online friends, “he was fully aware of how old I was cause I always talked about the fact I was still in school.” Alongside these tweets were screenshots of her online connection to Levi and an Instagram direct message informing Hoover of her son’s alleged behavior.
In response to the allegations, Colleen Hoover took to a private Facebook group titled “Colleen Hoover’s CoHort” and disputed the characterization of the incident, saying, “My son and a girl were online friends for several months. They never met in person. He said something to her in a message that made her uncomfortable (he asked her to send him a pic), so she messaged me about it.”
Hoover also claimed that she did not read the Instagram DMs, but when she saw the Twitter post, she reached out and thanked the young woman for making her aware of the situation. She also offered to send her their home address and information for a lawyer if she wanted to take legal action, but the accuser did not press charges.
Hoover’s choice to address the controversy through a private Facebook community sparked further criticism, with some readers calling for boycotts of her books. Critics have argued that although Hoover writes books about women’s experiences with abuse, her response to the allegations conflicted with the empathy and acknowledgment expected from an author whose work frequently addresses those subjects.
In addition to the controversy surrounding her family, Hoover’s books themselves have become a topic of discussion, with some readers criticizing what they see as a romanticization of toxic relationship dynamics.
Her novel “It Ends With Us,” the sixth best-selling book of 2021, has been a particular source of contentious debate. Hoover’s protagonist, Lily Bloom, falls in love with a charismatic and career-driven neurosurgeon, Ryle, despite her first impression of him being formed as she watches him kick a patio chair across a rooftop in anger. Lily is attracted to his honesty and vulnerability, which is evident during their first encounter when they share “naked truths”: hers about her abusive father and his regarding a young patient he lost. Over the course of their relationship, what was initially a consensual sharing of personal baggage develops into an abusive relationship when Ryle begins physically abusing Lily.
On the surface, “It Ends With Us” is a realistic representation of how anybody can become a victim of abuse and it reinforces the message that abuse is never the victim’s fault. By painting Ryle as charming and charismatic, Hoover exemplifies a pattern of manipulation that can make it difficult for victims to leave their abusers.
However, instead of being an entirely effective representation of domestic abuse for survivors, the novel’s central message can become overpowered by the trope-ification of the “surprise villain” and romanticization of boundary-crossing behavior.
Ryle is introduced as a “bad boy,” kicking furniture and engaging the protagonist in an emotionally charged game. Readers are initially presented with seemingly traditional romance tropes, and instead of immediately recognizing his early red flags, we see them how Lily sees them — passionate, persistent and attractive.
Despite her initial refusal of the casual fling he suggests, Ryle continues pursuing her. When he shows up at her home uninvited and carries her into her room, she is excited and curious instead of upset at his lack of consideration for her boundaries. Instances like these can be seen as early signifiers of future abuse and manipulation; however, Hoover initially writes them through a romantic lens, building the stereotypical “alpha male” character that protagonists in other romance novels might fall for.
Furthermore, the marketing of the movie adaptation of the novel drew similar criticism for romanticizing a story centered on abuse, as the film relied heavily on floral aesthetics and lighthearted co-star press to attract a wider audience. Rather than centering the subject of domestic violence during the press run, the movie’s star Blake Lively said, “So grab your friends, wear your florals and head out to see it.”
Hoover also received backlash for the planned release of “The Official It Ends with Us Coloring Book,” which she ultimately canceled after criticism and acknowledged was insensitive.
These controversies raise a larger question about separating art from the artist. Readers can enjoy a creative work while still acknowledging where that art comes from, how it is presented and how it may affect the people whose experiences it depicts.
As someone who has read some of Hoover’s books and genuinely enjoyed “Verity,” I believe it is ultimately up to us as consumers to decide how we want to approach art in a way that remains respectful to those it impacts. Whether we approach creative works through the lens of who created them and where they came from or allow them to take on a life of their own and derive our own meaning from them, it is imperative that we acknowledge the impacts of both. As a reviewer, I still plan on seeing the adaptation, if not to grade its book accuracy and visual translation, then to support Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson in their world domination.
If you or someone you know has experienced domestic violence, please reach out to 1-800-799-7233. Find more information at https://www.thehotline.org/.
Great article, Alleigh!!