{"id":147632,"date":"2025-09-10T23:26:07","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T23:26:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/147632\/"},"modified":"2025-09-10T23:26:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T23:26:07","slug":"colleen-hoover-announces-new-book-dark-thriller-woman-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/147632\/","title":{"rendered":"Colleen Hoover announces new book, dark thriller ‘Woman Down’"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s a good day for BookTok readers \u2013 Colleen Hoover<\/a> is back.<\/p>\n

The \u201cIt Ends With Us\u201d and \u201cVerity\u201d author announced Sept. 10 on the TODAY Show<\/a> that her new book \u201cWoman Down\u201d<\/a> will be out in January. Thanking fans for their patience, she teased this thriller is \u201cprobably one of the darkest books I\u2019ve written so far.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWoman Down,\u201d which publishes Jan. 13, 2026 through Amazon Publishing, seems to be a bit of a meta take on Hoover\u2019s own recent scandals \u2013 it follows an author on the heels of viral backlash over a film adaptation of her books, retreating to a lakeside cabin to find inspiration.<\/p>\n

Hoover is the author of over 20 novels in the romance, young adult and psychological thriller genres. She’s best known for “It Ends With Us,” now a movie starring Blake Lively<\/a> and Justin Baldoni<\/a>, and her novel \u201cVerity,\u201d<\/a> which is being adapted into a movie starring Anne Hathaway<\/a>.<\/p>\n

New Colleen Hoover book \u2018Woman Down\u2019 follows an author after controversy<\/p>\n

In \u201cWoman Down,\u201d author Petra Rose is forced into a hiatus after the backlash, causing missed deadlines and mortgage payments. She searches for inspiration at a remote cabin but instead finds Detective Nathaniel Saint, who arrives with disturbing news and reignites Rose\u2019s creative passion. But as she uses him as her muse for a fictional cop character and Saint becomes invested in her career, the professional lines begin to blur. She feels more inspired and creative than ever \u2013 but at what cost?<\/p>\n

Hoover has been largely absent from the public eye and book communities following the legal firestorm<\/a> surrounding the film adaptation of \u201cIt Ends With Us\u201d<\/a> and its stars, Lively and Baldoni. The book found mainstream success thanks to BookTok popularity, quickly catapulting Hoover to literary stardom. But readers have also criticized Hoover for the book and movie\u2019s portrayal of abuse, which some argued glamorized domestic violence<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In February, the author returned to Instagram<\/a> after deactivating her account amid the controversy. Photos with Lively and Baldoni were notably wiped. In June, she appeared as one of 70 authors co-signing an open letter urging publishers against AI use<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“I just want to say a quick thank you for being so patient and supportive,” Hoover said in a message for fans on TODAY. “This one took me a while to finally get another book out for you, but I’m excited for you guys to read it and go preorder your copy today.”<\/p>\n

Get ready for “Woman Down”: 10 books that read like a Colleen Hoover thriller<\/a><\/p>\n

Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY\u2019s Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram<\/a>, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter<\/a> or tell her what you\u2019re reading at cmulroy@usatoday.com<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n