Love to binge CoHo books? This guide to the Colleen Hoover Maybe series of modern romance fiction books tells you everything you need to know before you dive in and/or read your next novel in this very musical series with tropes like rock-star romance and neighbors to lovers.
Get a quick overview of the order of the series, followed by a summary and review of each book’s storyline (by my long-time friend and part-time freelance writer, who read the full series and wrote the first draft of this post), including the characters in each of the three books in the series.
(There’s even some exclusive music!)
Then, I’ll answer frequently asked questions about the Colleen Hoover Maybe series. Lastly, get a printable PDF of all Colleen Hoover books so you can track your CoHo reading.
(If you’re shopping for a present, this book series is a great gift for fans of Colleen Hoover.)
Colleen Hoover Maybe Series Order
For the best reading experience, read the Colleen Hoover Maybe Someday series of books in order of publication:
1. Maybe Someday (2014)
2. Maybe Not (2014)
3. Maybe Now (2018)
In terms of storyline, however, Maybe Not is a companion piece and technically, it can be read after Maybe Someday or after both Maybe Someday and Maybe Now.
Colleen Hoover Maybe Series: Summaries & Reviews
Age Rating: The age rating for the Maybe series is Mature Adults aged 17 and over. That being said, we believe it will best be enjoyed by adults aged 20 to 40.
Below are summaries, reviews, and quotes of the three books in the Colleen Hoover Maybe series. We tried to keep it as spoiler-free as possible; however, since this is a chronological book series, there are necessarily some plot spoilers.
Maybe Someday (Maybe Someday Series Book 1 of 3)
“Sometimes in life, we need a few bad days in order to keep the good ones in perspective.”
- Trigger Warnings: Infidelity
- Spice Level: 1 out of 5 on actual spice; 3 out of 5 on sexual tension
Maybe Someday is the first of three books in the Colleen Hoover Maybe series.
We meet Sydney, whose boyfriend has just cheated on her with her roommate, and her guitar-playing neighbor Ridge, who lets Sydney temporarily stay with him when she no longer can look at said roommate.
Sydney and Ridge become close as she begins writing song lyrics for his band, however as their relationship grows, the fact that Ridge is in a happy and committed relationship with his girlfriend, Maggie, cannot be overlooked.
This story alternates narration between Sydney and Ridge. This method of storytelling is commonly employed by Hoover and is very effective, as Ridge ends up in quite a tug-of-war with his feelings. It enables the reader to fully feel the palpable struggle he’s experiencing.
This book has been criticized for themes of hypocrisy, however, given both that Sydney was a victim of cheating at the start of the book and also that Ridge is grappling with essentially those same tempting thoughts as he and Sydney become closer.
A Colleen Hoover rule that holds true: always expect the unexpected. She has the ability to take what may look like a simple romance novel on the surface and bring in elements of complexity.
In this book, a main character is deaf and a second character has a complex medical issue. Reading about things of this sensitive nature as part of a story where the main focus is elsewhere is one of Hoover’s biggest strengths.
With Hoover’s witty supporting characters and excellent ability to mend themes of love, lust, humor, and real-life problems, actions, and consequences (WITH loads of sexual tension but WITHOUT a lot of her classic spicy love scenes), this is not a book to sleep on.
While I did not find this story as gripping as some of her other works such as It Ends With Us, I fell in love with the characters and identified with the challenging situations in which they found
themselves.
Maybe Someday Music Soundtrack
Note: the ebook and paperback contain a link to the original music for this book! Listen to the official song below:
And listen to the full album on Spotify or below:
Maybe Not (Maybe Someday Series Book 2 of 3)
“The only difference between falling in love and being in love is that your heart already knows how you feel, but your mind is too stubborn to admit it.”
- Trigger Warnings: none
- Spice Level: 2.5 out of 5
Maybe Not is a spinoff novella that comes second in the Maybe Someday series order.
In the first book, Maybe Someday, we met and fell in love with Ridge and Sydney just as they fell in love with one another.
Maybe Not follows their roommates, Warren and Bridgette, who seemed to have a bit of a cryptic relationship in the first book that was never truly defined. Warren is an immature guy who is absolutely hilarious, quick-witted, and doesn’t take life too seriously, while Bridgette is moody, miserable, and a Hooter’s waitress.
They live in the same apartment and while they initially cannot stand one another, as the story progresses we see guards come down and walls crumble as two people learn more about one another, themselves, and their emotions.
Be it known that while Maybe Someday lacked the steamy love scenes that Hoover is known for weaving throughout her books, Maybe Not brings them to the table. We’ve got double the steam in this book and we’re making up for lost time, people.
For those who loved the first book in this series and feel they’ll miss Ridge and Sydney, fear not, they’re here too. They take more of a backseat to Warren and Bridgette as this is their story and they’re in the spotlight, but we do watch Ridge and Sydney’s relationship progress as well.
Maybe Not is a quick and spicy read and, if I have to sum it up in one word, it’s FUN. I thought it was a fun little read and, while it did get a bit repetitive at times, there was also a lot of humor in this book. At the end of the day, I found it impossible not to smile and root for these characters.
Maybe Now (Maybe Someday Series Book 3 of 3)
“It’s the small things people do for others that define the largest parts of them.”
- Trigger Warnings: infidelity, terminal medical diagnosis
- Spice Level: 2 out of 5
Maybe Now concludes the three-part Maybe Now Colleen Hoover series.
The final installment in Colleen Hoover’s Maybe series brings back both happy couples we now know and love, but also puts Ridge’s ex-girlfriend Maggie at the forefront. Told from various points of view, it’s truly difficult to say whose story this is since it bounces between all the characters, but if I had to choose someone I’d say it’s mostly Maggie’s story.
Maggie and Ridge have broken up and Ridge is happily living his life with Sydney, but this book focuses on Maggie and her complex medical diagnosis and how breaking up with Ridge (and subsequently the rest of his clan) brings Maggie’s codependency to light. We learn that not only is Maggie dependent on Ridge, but there is some reciprocity there that is difficult for Sydney to grapple with as she navigates her new relationship.
We also watch Warren and Bridgette grow as both individuals as well as a couple, but I mostly enjoyed the strides that Bridgette took in this book. She still stays true to herself and has a lot of the same traits that make her who she is, but she most definitely softens up a bit particularly toward the end of this book.
Maybe Now features some humor, spicy scenes, a love story, as well as complex medical issues and decisions. I am unsure there are many other authors out there who could take a stab at tying those types of elements up into a neat little bow that is a pleasure to read, but leave it to Hoover to pull it off. This is also, in my opinion, one of Hoover’s cheesiest books. Prepare to cringe a bit during some scenes.
There has been some criticism that this book inaccurately represented Maggie’s condition, as well as some readers saying they were simply sick of reading about Ridge and Sydney, since this is the third book in which we meet them. Fair points, and it’s all a matter of opinion, but overall I liked these characters and felt this was a good way to tie up the series.
Frequently Asked Questions About Colleen Hoover Maybe Series
Below are answers to frequently asked questions about the Colleen Hoover Maybe Series:
For the best reading experience, read Colleen Hoover’s Maybe Someday book series in order of publication:
1. Maybe Someday (2014)
2. Maybe Not (2014)
3. Maybe Now (2018)
In terms of storyline, however, Maybe Not is a companion piece and technically, it can be read after Maybe Someday or after both Maybe Someday and Maybe Now.
Maybe Someday is one of Colleen Hoover’s less spicy books. It rates a 1 out of 5 on actual spice and a 3 out of 5 on sexual tension.
Yes. Maybe Not is the second of three books in the Maybe Someday Colleen Hoover series.
Maybe Someday comes first in the Maybe Someday series by Colleen Hoover. Maybe Not is the second of three books in the series.
No. Maybe Someday is the first of three books in the Colleen Hoover Maybe Someday series.
It is recommended that you read Colleen Hoover’s Maybe Someday (book 1 of 3) first, then Maybe Not (book 2 of 3) second, and lastly, Maybe Now (book 3 of 3).
Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover is the first book in a series of three books; however, it can be read as a stand alone because book two and book three are spinoffs that focus on other characters.
Conclusion
That’s everything you need to know about the Maybe series.
Bonus: Get your printable PDF of the list of Colleen Hoover books in order below to track your CoHo reads.
WANT MORE PRINTABLES?
Get instant access to the exclusive library of dozens of bookish printables when you subscribe to The Literary Lifestyle’s free email newsletter community.
this is really helpful thank you! I can’t wait to get to reading all of theses tonight. (omg i sound so weird so srry but actually ima read this whole series in 2-3 days max)
What book is Maggie referring to in Maybe Now when she says she is reading a book where the characters make lasagna every time they need to talk through something??
Unfortunately, I don’t know. If anyone else who reads this knows, please reply and share your thoughts!