Get a definitive list of the most spicy Colleen Hoover books. These books are ranked and rated as having the most open-door romance content. She’s sold massive amounts of them (literally millions) in the past few years alone!
Book lovers who crave a good contemporary romance novel will love these books from the reigning queen of the modern love story. So, let’s heat things up!
The Most Spicy Colleen Hoover Books Ranked
| Spice Level: | Book Titles: |
| 5 out of 5 (most spicy) | Ugly Love Too Late Verity It Ends With Us |
| 4 out of 5 (very spicy) | Reminders Of Him November 9 Layla All Your Perfects |
TIP: It Ends With Us is the most recommended of these on TikTok and other social media.
Naming the Spiciest Colleen Hoover Romance Novels
My freelance writer and I read all the Colleen Hoover books in order. We rated them on a scale from 0 (least spicy) to 5 (most spicy). We then compared them only to Hoover’s novels.
What “Spice” Really Means
“Spice” is a term for open-door romance novels. In these novels, the “door” is open to the reader. They describe sexual activity explicitly and/or in graphic detail. It’s also often referred to as “smut” and “steam.”
A rating of 0 out of 5 refers to no spice or closed-door romance. What happens behind closed doors for the characters is not described. It’s like a movie “fading to black” when the characters become passionate.
A rating of 5 out of 5 refers to an abundance of spicy scenes. There is open-door romance and/or very graphic sexual content that is described in detail.
All of the books that made our list of the most spicy Colleen Hoover books have a rating of at least 4 out of 5.
The goal is to give fans of both Colleen Hoover and spicy romance novels a list of the spiciest Colleen Hoover books to read.
For example, there are many spicy books out there that are spicier (like those of Lucy Score for example). But, we’re not comparing them to all other spicy books.
About Colleen Hoover (and Mature Content Warnings)
Regarding Colleen Hoover’s books, it’s also important to note that most of her plots contain highly charged and sensitive topics, including:
- domestic violence
- assault
- forbidden love
- second chances
- controversy
- tragedies
- complex emotional baggage
- intense romantic connections
We call something “spicy” here to mean it’s explicit, not necessarily romantic.
This is important because so many parents want to know the age ratings for Colleen Hoover’s books when they check the spice levels. We want this information to be easily accessible.
Of note, Colleen Hoover does write different books for different age groups in the romance genre:
- Young adult fiction
- New adult fiction
- Adult contemporary fiction for women
That being said, we have tried to adequately describe the spicy scenes for you below. In other words, we say if they are romantic and/or involve sensitive topics.
Reviews of Colleen Hoover’s Steamy Books to Help You Choose (No Spoilers)
Get more details below about these books, including summaries, themes, content warnings, and more.
Ugly Love
New York Times bestseller
Spice Level: 5 out of 5
Ugly Love tells the story of Tate Collins, who meets airline pilot Miles Archer, but they have nothing in common except their mutual attraction. They realize it may be perfect to have a purely physical relationship. He doesn’t want love and she doesn’t have time for it.
But when we learn about Miles’s tragic past and his first love, the future and their simple love get…ugly. It’s an extremely deep and emotional love story you will never forget.
This “no strings attached” type of love story is widely considered to be the spiciest Colleen Hoover book. I agree. It has its share of trauma and emotion. But, the spice here is passionate and not closely tied to the worst trauma.
Related Posts: Full Summary of Ugly Love | Ugly Love Trigger Warnings | Ugly Love Book Review | Ugly Love Character Guide
Too Late
Spice Level: 5 out of 5
In Too Late, Sloan is stuck in a relationship with the corrupt Asa. Nothing can get in her way to find an escape… except Carter. The problem is that nothing can get in the way of Asa staying one step ahead of Sloan… except Carter.
We struggled with this book because it’s extremely graphic sexually but contains sexual assault content and other crimes. So, by saying it’s very spicy, we are alerting you to very explicit content. We don’t consider this to be a light story by any means.
Related Post: Summary and Review of Too Late
Verity
- New York Times bestseller
- USA Today bestseller
- The Globe and Mail bestseller
- Publishers Weekly bestseller
Spice Level: 5 out of 5
Verity has very spicy chapters. It’s a popular thriller that has shocked many readers. They, like me, couldn’t put it down. The crazy plot twists left us with our mouths hanging open.
Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer. She accepts a job ghostwriting for bestselling author Verity Crawford, who is seriously injured.
As she sorts through Verity’s notes, she finds an unfinished manuscript. It startles her with spine-tingling details about Verity’s life, including the night of her accident.
At the same time, Lowen develops feelings for Verity’s husband, Jeremy Crawford. Strange things start happening that continue to confuse and scare Lowen.
This book has dark content. The sex scenes are graphic, but not as dark as the book. I can still recall blushing at the steamy content!
Related Posts: Books Like Verity by Colleen Hoover | Discussion Questions for Verity | Verity Trigger Warnings
It Ends With Us (Book 1 of 2 in the It Ends With Us Series)
- #1 New York Times bestseller
- 2016 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance
Spice Level: 5 out of 5
It Ends With Us is Colleen Hoover’s most popular book. Due to the success of BookTok, it achieved massive popularity years after its publication. It’s also the first of two books in the It Ends With Us book series.
Lily Bloom has graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started a floral business. There, she meets Ryle Kincaid, a stunning neurosurgeon.
Quickly, she becomes his exception to the “no dating” rule. But, she soon learns the dark secret about why he has this rule in the first place.
Lily thinks back to Atlas, the protector of her past. When he re-emerges in her life, the relations among all three become explosive.
The spicy scenes in this insanely popular book are definitely graphic and open-door. At times, the characters’ love is new, passionate, and romantic. But, at times the relationship turns much darker. This is shown in the content, which involves domestic abuse.
Related Post: It Ends With Us Trigger Warnings
Reminders of Him
Spice Level: 4 out of 5
Reminders of Him is about a troubled young mother named Kenna Rowan, who leaves a five-year stint in prison. She hopes to reunite with her young daughter.
However, everyone shuts her out for what she did, except Ledger, a local bar owner. He becomes a bigger part of her life. They must hide their connection to avoid losing the trust of everyone that matters to them. They must also keep the hope of healing broken bonds.
It’s a gripping story of grief, redemption, and forgiveness. It packs an emotional punch and offers a steamy romance. I honestly loved this book in every way. I thought the spice was neither too much nor too little. Most Colleen Hoover fans should be really satisfied with this one.
Related Posts: Reminders of Him Full Summary | Reminders of Him Book Review | Reminders of Him Character Descriptions
Layla
- Wall Street Journal bestseller
- USA Today bestseller
Spice Level: 4 out of 5
Layla is Colleen Hoover’s “ghost story.” It felt a bit odd at first to me with the paranormal elements, then took a twist that made it really suspenseful.
Leeds wants to spend his life with Layla, but he’s torn because she was left a different woman as the result of a violent attack. When they retreat to a “bed and breakfast,” Layla’s behavior becomes downright bizarre. That’s not the only odd thing happening in this place.
When Leeds meets a “guest” named Willow, he starts falling for her. This ultimately leads to him learning the truth about what happened to Layla and the strange occurrences.
There’s definitely spice in this book and it’s definitely unique given the paranormal elements of the plot.
Related Posts: Layla Book Summary and Review | Layla Trigger Warnings
November 9
New York Times bestseller
Spice Level: 4 out of 5
November 9 is the popular love story of Fallon. She is escaping from a painful past, and Ben is an aspiring novelist. They spend one day together before her cross-country move.
As their lives move forward, they continue to meet on the same day each year. Fallon becomes Ben’s unexpected creative inspiration.
However, Fallon discovers that Ben has hidden a big secret that may change how both real life and the novel will end. Their lives intersect in ways you won’t expect. That’s what makes this particular novel so memorable and popular.
This book is a healthy mix of love, emotionally-charged life events, and steamy romance. It’s exactly what Colleen Hoover is known for, so it’s no surprise readers love everything about it.
Related Post: Guide to November 9
All Your Perfects
Instant New York Times bestseller
Spice Level: 4 out of 5
All Your Perfects has some spicy chapters. It’s the popular story of Quinn and Graham, a once-perfect couple who now have an imperfect marriage.
Their future depends on promises made in the past. The promises were made before years of imperfections. The question is whether they can overcome their faults.
This book is very much about sex. But, not in the way you think. It’s about how a couple goes from being carefree in their love life to being burdened by fertility issues. So, yes, there’s spice, but things are also complicated.
COLLEEN HOOVER BOOK LIST
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Frequently Asked Questions
Some of Colleen Hoover’s books are spicy, but others are not. The most sexually graphic books she has published are Ugly Love, Too Late, Verity, It Ends With Us.
Yes. Verity by Colleen Hoover is a spicy book with multiple sexually explicit scenes. It is most appropriate for Mature Adults over age 21.
Yes. November 9 by Colleen Hoover is a spicy book with sexually explicit content. It is most appropriate for adults age 18 and over.
Yes. It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover is a spicy book with sexually explicit content. It is most appropriate for adults age 18 and over, and it should be noted that it is about an abusive relationship.
Yes. Reminders Of Him by Colleen Hoover is a spicy book with explicit content. It is most appropriate for adults age 18 and over.
Conclusion
Colleen Hoover writes a wide range of books. Some are Young Adult fiction without explicit romance. Others are Mature Adult contemporary romance. These books are very graphic, both in their sexual content and their dark storylines.
The most spicy Colleen Hoover books contain pages with explicit romance scenes, as well as physically and emotionally charged relationships. These must-read books include Ugly Love, Too Late, Verity, and It Ends With Us. Some of their content is romantic and some of it is not.
WHERE TO START: I recommend that you start with Ugly Love, Verity, and It Ends With Us. They are very spicy, and they are also three of her most popular books.
Related Colleen Hoover Books and Authors
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