Colleen Hoover returns to shelves on January 13, 2025, with Woman Down, a psychological suspense novel that deliberately echoes-but does not replicate-the viral storm that followed the 2024 film adaptation of It Ends With Us.
The novel centers on Petra Rose, a bestselling author who flees to an isolated cabin after online fury engulfs the movie version of her latest book. There she meets Detective Nathanial Saint, whose arrival jump-starts her stalled creativity while dragging her into a tangle where fiction and reality blur. Publisher Amazon’s Montlake imprint promises a steep price for Petra’s reclaimed muse.
Amanda S. Bennett reported that readers may assume the plot mirrors Hoover’s own experience when Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s legal feud eclipsed It Ends With Us at the box office. Hoover rejects the parallel. “I think people might expect this book to mirror my life more than it does,” she told News Of Losangeles. “Overall, there are very few similarities between my life and this book.”
From Short Story to Stand-Alone Suspense
The concept began almost ten years ago as a brief piece “before my career had really taken off,” Hoover said. Revisiting it amid heightened scrutiny proved “cathartic.” She admits writers inevitably bleed into their characters, yet stresses she neither endorses Petra’s choices nor shares her research methods.
Key Differences Between Author and Character
- Location: Hoover writes in one consistent spot, refusing to relocate mid-project because she relies on scattered notes and hundreds of index cards.
- Method: She never role-plays characters and rejects the idea that firsthand experience is essential for authentic storytelling.
- Subject Matter: “I definitely do not want to step into the shoes of my characters, considering they all experience a good deal of drama and/or trauma,” she said.
Life After the Spotlight
Hoover told Elle in November she is now “embarrassed” by the It Ends With Us film and no longer recommends it. “I’m almost embarrassed to say I wrote it,” she said, explaining that she sometimes hides her profession in casual conversation.
The author removed social media from her phone two years ago, citing damage to her mental health and creativity. “The negativity surrounding any subject or post… tends to put me in a headspace that doesn’t leave me feeling creative,” she told News Of Losangeles. Still, she believes connection with readers remains vital and anticipates finding healthier avenues once Woman Down releases.
What Comes Next
While Hoover has shifted energy toward screenwriting and producing, she vows books will stay central to her career. “Writing can be so rewarding, but being in the public eye can also sometimes make it terrifying,” she said. “I’ve always come back to it. So far.”
Woman Down is available for preorder and hits stores everywhere on January 13, 2025.
