Colleen Hoover has asserted herself as a staple of modern romance publishing during the past two years. With over a dozen books published, she has become popular on the literary side of TikTok (Booktok) for her novels, “It Ends With Us” and “Ugly Love”. Although they’re considered “must-reads” by many influencers, Hoover’s books don’t live up to their reputation.

When I first picked up “Its Ends With Us” during the early days of quarantine, the back cover sold the novel as a lighthearted love triangle about a girl deciding over two men. I was astonished by what the story turned out to be; the further I read, the less it felt like a cute romance novel, and the more it turned into a horrifying story about domestic abuse. I didn’t mind that Hoover was choosing to tell this story, but I thought the way “It Ends With Us” was marketed was unfair and concerning.

Also, I think that Hoover’s writing underwhelmed me as I read “It Ends With Us.” Although I appreciated the novel’s storyline, Hoover’s language did not successfully express the ideas I thought it was trying to, either a problem of simplicity or poor writing.

“Ugly Love,” Hoover’s other popular novel, is similar in story and writing quality. Although Hoover never fails to have a story to tell, her books are often poorly written, and sometimes just cringe-worthy. I think Hoover’s imagination and her writing ability clash in her novels, leaving the reader grasping for more at the end.

Although Hoover’s novels remain popular on Booktok, many other lesser-known authors deliver both the storyline and the quality I found lacking in “It Ends With Us” and “Ugly Love.” Despite having their own charms, Hoover’s books are not ones I would recommend to a friend looking for something new to read.

For those still looking to try lighthearted romances like Hoover’s novels, I would suggest Emily Henry, another popular author on TikTok. Her romances, “Book Lovers,” “People We Meet on Vacation,” “Beach Read” and others are exactly the kind of cute, gentle stories I was looking for with “It Ends With Us.”