Why is Colleen Hoover So Popular? Problematic Relationships, BookTok & It Ends With Us

[@SavidgeReads]

You will never guess what movie was advertised on one of the ad breaks during this video 😂😂😂

[@whatraereads]

No way!! 😂

[@SavidgeReads]

@@whatraereads yes way!!!! I’m going to have to go and see it now… you and this video made me do it 🤣

[@whatraereads]

I need your fully review! 😂I might to a reaction when the movie is released

[@SavidgeReads]

@@whatraereads hahaha. I’m not really gonna go. I don’t wanna fund her more. Even though I quite like Blake. I’ll be seeing the new alien this weekend instead.

[@whatraereads]

@SavidgeReads tbh that’s my attitude too 😂 part of me is like…I kinda wanna see how bad it is because the marketing and press has been so bad! But I don’t want my money going there lol

[@TheAnitaAlvarez]

I read one of her books ages ago (before she blew up, 2019 or 2018) and thought it was mediocre at best, definitely not my vibe. When she became ultra famous during lockdown I was like "the author of November 9? WHY?", and then I became a bookseller and was shocked at the amount of young teenage girls asking for her books (also a lot of adult women, about my mum's generation). I always joke that I'm a snob, but Colleen Hoover is definitely one of the things I am a snob about for real.

[@whatraereads]

I feel like we had similar experiences because I had the same reaction after reading her books. The response to her stories made me think I was about to read the best book ever written 😂. So glad you mention your experiences as a book seller too because it’s kinda heartbreaking seeing you girls seeking this out as romantic (I just think of myself at that age and know I would have thought the same)

[@TheAnitaAlvarez]

@@whatraereads I picked November 9 for a book challenge thing I was doing with some friends (neeeded a book with a number on the title). knowing it was YA and that I had most definitely aged out of it by then, but I was like "not even teen me would've liked this". To be fair, teen me didn't get the hype for Twilight back then either, so there's that.

[@whatraereads]

@@TheAnitaAlvarez I’m glad you realised they weren’t for you immediately haha

[@TheAnitaAlvarez]

@@whatraereads well, something had to come out of being an obsessive reader since 5yo hahahaha

[@pagesinked]

I only heard about November 9 through Caleb Joseph's channel years ago, and that was before booktok blew up her books. 😅

[@suzannahslibrary]

omg i had completely forgotten about that damn colouring book

[@mekiiiiiiiiii]

Same! 😹

[@whatraereads]

I’m sorry for the jump scare 🤣

[@mjllw2000]

If I see someone reading CoHo I will always give them a bombastic side eye. 😂

[@whatraereads]

Mine is more disappointment 😂

[@suetaylor]

Oh my goodness! I haven't read anything of hers as I'm not a romance girly, but normalizing abusive relationships is not just irresponsible. Young girls need to read that this behaviour is wrong so they can spot such in any of their relationships. Good god girl, sort yourself out Colleen.

[@whatraereads]

👏you hit the nail “GOOD GOD GIRL SORT YOURSELF OUT COLLEEN”

[@superquietbunny]

it is quite dangerous to think that only trauma could make someone interesting or “deep”. what can i say, social media thrives on melodrama, sadly. people should really discover the cozy side of social media lol

[@whatraereads]

I agree, blurring the lines between love and melodrama is dangerous

[@vvitch-mist20]

As a self-published indie author her popularity upsets me, and if I mention it, I'm made to feel like I'm jealous. No y'all. I'm mad because she sucks and people eat it up meanwhile indie authors are languishing in the background and their books are 10x better.

[@whatraereads]

I can imagine how that frustrating for new and smaller authors. I get the feeling she doesn’t care about the subjects as much as she cares about the fact her books are popular and make a lot of money

[@vvitch-mist20]

@@whatraereads It's actually incredibly disheartening lol. Like I'm tempted to start a KZbin channel bc I'm too broke for advertising and the idea of cold calling reviewers to work for free seems weird lol.

[@phangkuanhoong7967]

i think some things deserved to be hated. for me, co-ho books are a fine example. i'm an absolute hater of her books, which aren't romance to me. they're horror novels that are not aware they are horror novels.

[@whatraereads]

Totally agree! Discussion and conversation is so needed with her work because it’s dangerous, I like your point about horror because truly, they are horrific

[@ThandoNdlovu-zr3ld]

I'm not gonna lie any person who unironically likes her books is kind of a red flag to me. 😬😬😬. Don't attack me just my opinion.

[@whatraereads]

I have the same reaction not gonna lie. I think if you read her books and don’t have any negative thoughts after, then maybe it’s time for a closer look at the book lol

[@melodiemorel4507]

did her book get me back into reading 4 years ago ? Yes. Would i still read them now.... no :')

[@whatraereads]

A lot of people have said this too!

[@emmafletcher5044]

If I wasn’t convinced to avoid CoHo before (spoilers…I was and always have avoided) then this did it! Brilliant and informative video! ✌🏻

[@whatraereads]

Thank you so glad you enjoyed it! There are so many other authors (romance ones too) that are much better and less toxic than her so I don’t see why she’s so popular?!

[@tjfmd]

I've never read a CoHo book and I never will. There's too many good books by good authors out there for me to want to waste my time on an author who I've heard so many bad things about. It's wild that she was liking tweets by Johnny during that time!! 😱 I had heard of all the other controversies you mentioned but not that one

[@whatraereads]

I feel the same, my tbr isn’t getting any smaller and why would I read her trashy work (sorry that’s the truth) 🤣 I think she tried to bury the Johnny Depp think lol

[@jesscalea]

I wasn't prepared for the 'Tory' graphic haha I snorted

[@whatraereads]

So glad you caught it lmao 🤣

[@direkeshinro]

Every couple of weeks I see a new Colleen Hoover video essay and I eat it up every single time

[@whatraereads]

Wait did I write this comment ? 😂 I have to watch any Colleen Hoover video I see

[@courtenaywrites]

I have to say, in that first TikTok you showed, I LOVE that remix of Ellie Goulding. That album was my thang in high school!

[@whatraereads]

I had no idea who it was lol - she was so popular around the time i remember her being everywhere

[@courtenaywrites]

@@whatraereads I loved Halcyon!

[@chloe441]

Couldn't have clicked fast enough, my absolute favourite sub-genre

[@cecilialau_]

Oh. I have THOUGHTS on this… The romanticised and glamourised toxicity/gaslighting by the male “love interests” beyond ridiculous. Fair enough, read what you want, but it’s just not okay or justified to market the books as romance. The writing being shite is not helping but oh well… But no tw is undeniably bad with a romance genre marketing. Like, hello?! And good point that it’s mainly white (straight) women who love her books. Not helping our need for diversity when publishing sees the white-centric being popular/“mainstream”… Blake Lively is coming off as delulu “who cares about anything serious”, just not reading the room and making this a rom-com “cute” event with Britney’s dress (like, really? Are we not self-aware??). I think when we talk about the possibility or choice to separate art from artist and who we amplify, authors defo need to be included as well. Bc we want to know their values and morals so we know where they’re coming from in terms of the way they write and the topics. Never read her books (thankfully) but have seen videos from Rachel Oates and others as well. You could not pay me to watch the film, lol. And the promo by everyone, except Justin Baldoni apparently, is an actual disaster. Not addressing the dv at all just “buy my new hair care line and watch deadpool” 🤦‍♀️ - Love the vid, girl 👑🫶

[@whatraereads]

So many good points! It just screams we value money over messaging and it’s not gonna last. I hope we see a shift in people realising this isn’t good writing and IT IS NOT ROMANCE! -the press tour for the film is a disaster and that’s karma sweetie 😏 - I might do a reaction to the film when it’s realised on VOD because I know it’s gonna be shocking

[@cecilialau_]

@@whatraereads haha, I won’t blame you, I get it. Yessss, I just get so riled up, lol, when ppl just get away with “small” things like this where it’s made out to be a matter of taste - and it’s really not…!

[@whatraereads]

@@cecilialau_ I feel like the authors of Twilight and 50 Shades get more backlash and hate for their 'romanticisation' in their books (yes some problematic stuff) - but they wrote a short popular series...Colleen is doing it in every book and she has over 20 and they're all popular!

[@cecilialau_]

@@whatraereads I think being critical can be a good thing for sure, and exactly as you said it’s turned into a “let’s look down on young girls who are dumb enough to watch/read this” (patriarchy always wanting to be the main character in everything)… Hoover has somehow gotten away with it. And I’m honestly baffled, lol. As if that wasn’t enough on its own, but collaborating with Colleen, I’m sorry, they cannot have read the book and thought it was good - Blake Lively seems to be wanting to replicate the barbenheimer of last year as if deadpool and this adaptation is even close to that level (delulu/narcissist much?)… And I heard she thinks playing someone called Lilly Bloom working in a flower shop will get her an Oscar nom, I mean come on. You can’t make that up (almost as bad a plot as the film/book)

[@vkiran3576]

Definitely agreed. Hoover is not even the worst author out there. She is a terrible person but her books are fine, nothing great but readable and mildly entertaining. The marketing for her books is egregious and just plain misinformation. The publishers have to know this, right? How are they getting away with calling those books romance? Atleast label them dark romance with warning labels. Even the new mean girls movie got more hate for not advertising it as a musical.

[@rubeuspotter719]

Never read Colleen Hoover, never will. And I’ve been a part of the book community since 2020/2021

[@whatraereads]

I don’t believe you’re missing much haha

[@jennifermead4420]

Her books are the literary equivalent of watching Jeremy Kyle.

[@whatraereads]

That’s quite an accurate comparison 😂

[@takeherthemoon]

okay everyone always talks about the coloring book, but can we discuss the press on nails that i keep seeing at target that are based on her books??? what are we really doing here and i feel like im going bonkers 😭 it’s not.. as bad? as the coloring book but still weird as hell. if i remember correctly it was olive and june brand? i’ll do some looking and come back to edit if that isn’t right

[@whatraereads]

Omg no way!!! 😂I didn’t even know about that I need to look into this

[@takeherthemoon]

@@whatraereads it is olive and june !! they have ones based on verity now 😭😭

[@whatraereads]

@@takeherthemoon I just looked and they’re so bad 🤣READ THE ROOM PEOPLE

[@mmj3358]

I think someone said it best, Colleen Hoover is for the readers that did not have a wattpad era.

[@whatraereads]

Hahahaha true 🥲

[@Elizabeth-Reads]

Such a great discussion. (And as always I love your editing.) Watching this was as close as I’ll ever get to a Hoover book, before this I had no idea of the controversy, I just have no interest in this sort of book. But I can imagine the appeal if I were a teen girl, a traumatized man, falling so deeply in love that he couldn’t stand the idea of me leaving, the idea I might be able to heal that trauma…teen girl catnip, but oh my gosh, not something they should ever use as a model for relationships. I hope she sees these criticisms and changes her themes.

[@whatraereads]

Thank you so much! I had a lot of fun editing this one ☺️Totally agree with you, it’s that impressionable age when we see things that appear like romance but they’re not. It’s such a dangerous and confusing thing to conflate. I’m glad you’ve been saved from her work lol

[@vvitch-mist20]

She won't. This kind of relationship is super common in romance especially cishet romances.

[@smolexfundie6458]

The first and only CoHo books I read were the Maybe series. I was trying to avoid awkward socializing at a friend’s house and noticed they owned basically every CoHo book ever written. No other books. Just every single CoHo book on one book shelf. So I took and read the first two books within 2ish hours and it really was like reading literary junkfood. Effortless to consume, with basically no(or negative) substance to them. Did I enjoy the experience? I guess? I was chuckling at the absurdity and fanfic vibes of the shallower-than-a-pond characters. I haven’t read a book by her since then. Aside from the sex and abuse and insane dialogue, the story was downright boring??

[@whatraereads]

Her books are so like junk food! Such a good analogy lol - they’re so easy to read too, because the writing is super simple and the stories are so unrealistic 😂

[@AnneSofieLovesMozart]

07:52 made me laugh out loud XD

[@whatraereads]

❤️

[@jenisalwaysreading]

My issue isn't with her books-they're not my cup of tea but they're clearly some people's-and lord knows I enjoy a good toxic relationship in my fiction (perhaps, fanfic, but I shall not speak to that) and there's certainly a time and place for it, but it's the marketing that's to blame. This book isn't romance. Even the book cover with its floral theme is a bit too kitschy for the content. Now an author doesn't often have control of that but she does have control over the narrative that she puts out and I just feel that how she talks about it isn't good enough. Romanticise it in the book by all means, we have critical thinking, we know it's fiction, but speak about it in the real world but drawing a line between the two.

[@whatraereads]

I think a lot of people feel them same, it’s the fact that it’s marketed as romance and ‘sexy’ or ‘romantic’ is what gives people a bad feeling or the ick. And the hype with young girls in Booktok doesn’t help

[@krlmbrtn4684]

I can’t wait to read her book this week and comment on here with an in depth review 😂😂😂

[@whatraereads]

I excited for you 🤣

[@KayAmpersand]

I have so many thoughts on this, Rae, but I will share just one. I have read It Ends with Us and its sequel. The first one was a good book overall, the second I hated. I do not think It Ends with Us romanticized abuse - if anything, it presented a complex picture of how a young woman can get into one and how difficult it is to leave it. It starts gradually and you are in love with this person before you even realize the relationship is bad - this is why the first part of It Ends with Us was a love story (even though the book should not be marketed as a romance story). It is the most common way people get into toxic relationships. (the character is also very young, which is not the case with Blake Lively in the movie). I think the director of the movie Justin Baldoni has been making a really good case about that aspect of domestic abuse, and that the movie is not a romcom, but the rest of the cast have not gotten the message. As a non-fan of Colleen Hoover, I do not understand the mass love she elicits. I also don't have enough knowledge of her other books to make the same argument, so in them, she might be glamorizing abuse (like you mention in Ugly Love), but not in this book.

[@whatraereads]

I actually did read It Ends With Us and I didn’t like the way that it gave Ryle a redemption arc. I think the concept of what she wanted to do was there, but I don’t think she executed it very well because she wanted to prioritise the ‘romance’. I think it’s definitely a trope in her books (but then again I have only read 3, this is what I’ve heard). The sequel seemed like a money grab but I also haven’t read that lol so I can’t give my opinion

[@KayAmpersand]

@@whatraereads I didn't read Ryle as very redemptive but that might have just been me 😆I think I might be more forgiving, but then again, I did not know there was a coloring book attempt, which is just in such poor taste, I can't even! The sequel was definitely a money grab, and honestly was just boring.

[@sallyahmed-o2y]

these types of books are getting more and more popular unfortuantly there is one that contains grooming in my opinion called cry or better yet beg

[@whatraereads]

I think a lot of people see her success and think oh I’ll do the same! And we’re like NOOOOOOO!!!

[@LAWOODSTORIES]

I agree with you on many things but not the Johnny Depp thing. Being accused of something is not the same as being guilty of that thing. Even during the trial he was presumed innocent. So she wasn't giving her support to a violent guy. Depp was declared innocent and if you followed the trial you would have seen that Amber is a psychopath.

[@whatraereads]

I disagree with you on this, I don’t support the way amber was vilified in the media and online. We don’t truly know celebrities so we shouldn’t act like we do. I supported amber then, and I support her now. Colleen has a huge advantage platform and should be mindful of what she is sharing.

[@jeffreyhoungbadji]

Thank you ! it was really interesting

[@whatraereads]

Glad you enjoyed ☺️

[@sbeale276]

Great video, its good to have these discussions as its important to know what’s out there and inform people what they are about. Some just see a well rated book and think yep it must be good (i.e. fifty shades!) and they bam its rocketed up the book charts etc etc. all those good brilliant authors and well written books out there that are being passed by for over rated books, its a shame really.thanks again for great content 😊

[@whatraereads]

Thank you so glad you enjoyed it! I agree, it’s sad that whatever is popular is pushed out and you have to really search for good books if you’re interested in a handful of popular books or authors.

[@zoebrugg7594]

I haven’t read her books and don’t want to, and I hate her books simply because her work is all over booktok or booktube. And by the sounds of it, her work is bad, and a reason I hate popular books.

[@whatraereads]

You aren’t missing much (from what I’ve read) 😂 I have the same reaction when I see VERY popular books, I’m a bit sceptical lol

[@zoebrugg7594]

@@wearesatellites91 Do you even know what a pick-me is? Because I'm just picky and want to read what gets my interest; a.k.a next to no smut, and a story that gets my interest. Many popular books would get my interest, but smut is in them 9 out of 10 times, or upon hearing reviews, they sound like bad or poorly written stories. I'm just picky and love to hate on Twilight like books. ✌🏻

[@mekiiiiiiiiii]

I’ve read Verity a few years ago and really enjoyed it. Looking back it was way too much spice for me. And I read It Ends with Us be, it was a fav book of a friend of mine. Urgh it wasn’t for me. Theeeen I read Layla, I thought it’s like Verity. But what the hell was that 😹 Yeah I think her books aren’t for me. + I’m not a romance girly

[@mekiiiiiiiiii]

Btw ich saw a comment on another video, that the book „The Ministry of Time“ is a rip-off of a Spanish Show with the same name. 😳 It’s a popular book, maybe you could look into it ✨

[@whatraereads]

I think the fact verity was thrilling and mysterious alongside the romance, it made me give her an extra chance (which I regret because ugly love was an abomination 🤣) I’m totally not a romance girl either, they make me cringe and the only ones I’ve like are Emily Henry

[@sashaa_pp]

I used to love Colleen Hoover when I was younger. However, I dont remember which book was it but the character was abuse and her writing was so off. The thought of the character was just wrong and I could tell she didn't know what she was writing about. I stop completely reading her books after that, but I didn't know she will face such a downfall... Maybe I will try to read or re read a book of her that I used to love in the library.

[@whatraereads]

I definitely see the thing people say about her books and stories feeling recycled. It’s kind of the same romance plot points interlaced with toxic behaviours.

[@itadakimonday]

love ur accent so much

[@itadakimonday]

also ur dog is saayausuerr cute

[@whatraereads]

Thank you!!! ☺️

[@toffiet3347]

Ahahahhhahaha, another scouser in the wild. I am weirdly excited to find scouse channels

[@whatraereads]

I love finding other scousers too 🫶glad to have you here ☺️

[@Sarawinky]

i hate coleen hover but i look this video,i agree with you

[@arachnid4910]

Are you Scottish

[@twilightsquire]

Omg yay I've found another Liverpool book girl 🥰 quite literally miss CoHo has been the topic of our group chat this past week because we find her stuff so problematic 🥲

[@whatraereads]

Hello fellow Liverpool book worm! Glad me and my friends aren’t the only ones who think she has problematic themes, seeing a lot of people agree with this gives me hope lol