- - Colleen Hoover squashes speculation new book is about her

Clare Mulroy, USA TODAYJanuary 13, 2026 at 11:54 PM

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An author retreats offline after a major scandal involving a movie adaptation of one of her books. Sound like Colleen Hoover to you?

This plot may mirror Hoover’s own controversy – she stepped away from the public eye following the 2024 lawsuits between "It Ends With Us" stars Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively – but the author is making it clear to readers that her new book is anything but CoHo fanfiction.

“Woman Down” (out now from Amazon Publishing’s Montlake imprint) is a romantic suspense thriller about an author forced into a hiatus after public backlash.

“Please, I beg of you, do not try to make ties to my personal life and this story, as there are none,” Hoover writes in an introductory author’s note.

‘Woman Down’ is Colleen Hoover’s ‘darkest’ book yet

"Woman Down" by Colleen Hoover is out now.

Perhaps Hoover has good reason to clarify the book’s firm fictional status. “Woman Down” gets very dark, filled with plenty of infidelity and toxicity that she likely doesn’t want readers ascribing to her personal life.

The novel is adapted from a short story, “Saint,” which first appeared in the now-unpublished anthology "One More Step." Hoover changed the name of her protagonist and added the adaptation angle.

“Just please keep in mind that while writers do take from their own lives, and some of the themes may mirror my own life in ways, this is in no way a replica of my journey or my morals, nor is it a reflection of how I feel about my peers and/or this industry,” Hoover writes in an author’s note in "Woman Down." “This is simply a fun journey the characters took me on and nothing more.”

After skyrocketing to viral BookTok fame, Hoover faced criticism for her portrayal of domestic violence in the book and movie adaptation of “It Ends With Us,” which some fans argued glamorized abuse. In a November interview with Elle, Hoover said that while she respects readers' "passionate opinions," she "would not change a thing because that was my mother's experience" and "It Ends With Us" was just "one woman's story." She also said that she wouldn't write the book today, worried about "scrutiny."

Hence, the introduction to her "Woman Down": “I’m just a writer writing about a writer, but I am in no way advocating for or defending the character’s behaviors and/or thoughts,” Hoover writes in the author's note.

Colleen Hoover says career became ‘more stressful than normal’

Colleen Hoover hosts a fan screening of "Regretting You" at AMC NorthPark 15 on Sept. 26, 2025, in Dallas, Texas.

Hoover also sheds little light on her own hiatus. Nearly a year ago, the author returned to Instagram after deactivating her account amid the controversy when the movie debuted in August 2024. Photos with Lively and Baldoni and of the film’s promotional tour were notably wiped. In November, Hoover admitted to Elle that she doesn't like to talk about the book publicly, either.

"I can't even recommend it anymore," Hoover told the outlet. "I feel like (the lawsuit) has overshadowed it. I'm almost embarrassed to say I wrote it. When people ask what I do, I'm just like, 'I'm a writer. Please don't ask me what I wrote.'"

It’s been nearly three years since Hoover released a new book, her last being the “It Ends With Us” prequel, “It Starts With Us.” In her author’s note, Hoover writes that it’s taken her so long to release a new story because she’s “been trying out new things outside of writing.” From a Hollywood standpoint, Hoover has been busy. The film adaptation of "Regretting You" came out in 2025, and adaptations for two other books, "Reminders of Him" and the wildly popular "Verity" will hit screens this year. Hoover also has her own production company, Heartbones Entertainment.

“And frankly, I needed some space from a career I was beginning to find more stressful than normal,” Hoover writes. “But that changed when I dove back into this story. Rewriting this book gave me back that same joy I felt while writing the original short story.”

Petra, the “Woman Down” protagonist, feels similarly disenchanted with writing. It’s what drives her to a remote cabin on a lake and, ultimately, into the arms of her detective muse.

“I’ve been unable to function since all of this started. I feel like a fraud. I feel like everything I’ve built has crashed down around me and I’m buried in rubble that no one even cares to dig through because they aren’t even curious if I’m suffocating to death. They only want to know who would show up at my funeral after I do suffocate to death,” Petra narrates in “Woman Down.”

Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY’s Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you’re reading at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Colleen Hoover shuts down rumors about new book's real inspiration

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