Woman Down by Colleen Hoover on February 25, 2026
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, Fiction / Romance / Dark Romance, Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense
Pages: 479
Format: Audiobook
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Her words used to set the page on fire. But a viral backlash over her latest film adaptation forced Petra Rose to take a hiatus, resulting in missed deadlines and an overdue mortgage. Branded a fraud and fame-hungry opportunist, she learned the hard way what happens when the internet turns on you. And she’s been uninspired to write ever since. Now, with her next suspense novel outlined and savings nearly gone, she retreats to a secluded lakeside cabin, hoping to find inspiration. It’s Petra’s last-ditch attempt to save her career—and herself. Then he shows up. Detective Nathaniel Saint arrives with disturbing news, his presence igniting a creativity in her she thought long since burned out. Petra’s words return in a rush, and her fictional cop character begins to mirror the very real cop who’s becoming her muse. Their “research” sessions blur the lines between fantasy and reality. Each glance, every touch pulls Petra deeper into a world she thought she’d never lose herself in again. She’s never felt more alive. But inspiration this powerful comes at a cost. When Saint starts taking his role in her career a little too seriously, Petra’s forced to confront the chaos she created. But doing so could cost her more than the reputation she’s been trying to salvage. The reputation the world wrote for her—the reputation only she can reclaim.
For all the hate this book got, I loved it! I was sucked in right away. I absolutely could not put this down and read it in one day. This is just one of those novels that doesn’t require a lot of thought. At first, I wasn’t sure I was going to like the direction it was going, it felt almost ripped from the headlines, but luckily it veered away from that. Petra is also a bit insufferable at times, but were a few twists and turns along the way that surprised me. The story is fast-paced, addictive, and extremely bingeable, with well-timed twists and a strong sense of tension throughout. And while I appreciated how unpredictable the story felt, I was also conflicted for most of the book. Saint was off-putting, Petra made some truly questionable decisions, Shepard kind of sucked, and Mari and Nora oscillated between suspicious and oddly irrelevant. That emotional back-and-forth definitely felt intentional, but it left me unsure of how I felt until the very end.
Four stars for her come back novel. A really good bled between thriller and a little dark romance. Quick, the right kind of weird, and super twisty up until the end! This is a fast-paced read, and if you liked Verity, I think you’ll really like this one too!