Woman Down

by Colleen Hoover

In this twisty thriller from New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, a frustrated author looks for her muse in a remote hideaway, but what she finds defies all expectations…and reality.

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.

Genres: Thriller, Colleen Hoover, Romance, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Audiobook

315 pages, Paperback

First published January 13, 2026

About the author

International and #1 New York Times bestselling author of romance, YA, thriller, women's fiction and paranormal romance.

I don't like to be confined to one genre. If you put me in a box, I'll claw my way out.

My social media username is @colleenhoover pretty much everywhere except my email, which is colleenhooverbooks@gmail.com

Founder of www.thebookwormbox.com charity and Book Bonanza.

Reviews

[Christa Anne]

CoHo is writing fanfic about herself now? Wild.

[Abbie Konnick · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 🌟 my first CoHo in a LONG time!! 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!

[Matt · Rating 1 out of 5]

more like Woman, put the pen Down

[Sophie]

yeah idc ill be reading this

[emilybookedup · Rating 3 out of 5]

need to put my full thoughts together but this is a 3 star for me. didn’t dislike it but is not my fave of hers—hard to beat her impressive catalog!

pro tip: go in expecting a romantic suspense. this is NOT a thriller!!

what i liked: in true CoHo fashion it was a quick binge, addictive and easy to follow, had some good twists about 2/3 in and had a fun ending.

what i didn’t like: it was a bit darker/vulgar (the middle of the night and window scenes😳) than i was expecting and had a trope/plot that’s one of my least faves to read (trying to avoid spoilers). hard to get past that, but might not be an issue for others as its based on my personal reading taste

i’m really eager to see how people react to this one when it comes out 👀👀👀 Colleen starts the book off with a very clear statement, saying this is nothing about her personal life and to please do not draw any conclusions from it… but with the main character being a writer trying to work through a loooong writers block after a dramatic book adaptation it’s going to be inevitable that readers make comments about it. keep that in mind going in!! ❤️

thanks to Amazon for the gifted early copy. this is out mid Jan and is a fun quick binge!

[Casey Reads 🌸 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt like the beginning of this story felt very similar to a certain real life situation involving a certain movie. I also felt like it was a plea to reviewers to not be so mean. Literally like the 1st quarter of the book was about that. It was ironic that it made me feel bad for writers, yet I still cannot lie & give this book a good rating. I have enjoyed a lot of her books, but this is probably one of her worst. So if she ever reads this review, I hope she doesn’t take it personally as I still have loved many of her other books.

Someone described this as fanfic about herself and I gotta say I agree with that definition, because that is exactly how the book felt. But not in a good way. To me, I found it very boring.

The ending could have been exciting, but then it all turned out to be boring too when we find out the motives. Trying not to give too much away so saying that in a very vague way.

Overall, this was not a winner for this author. But I will still read everything new she writes!

———
Pre-read: So many bad reviews already? Idc I will still be trying this one and hoping I enjoy!

[Delaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Verity or Too Late are your favorite CoHo reads, this one will be your next fave! An expanded story from her novella Saint (published in 2020 in the one more step anthology) longtime fans will see familiar themes from that novella and be SO HAPPY with all of the new details.

In true Colleen fashion, each chapter is quite a time. Typically you expect the twists to hit you at the end, but Colleen sprinkles little reveals at crucial points of the book that just keep you insanely hooked. I read this book in one sitting as soon as I got it in the mail. Completely unputdownable!!!

So happy to have Colleen publishing her stories again, and I look forward to the next.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC

[chantalsbookstuff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well romantic and suspense is what you'll get with this one. I thought it was pretty good. Not one dull moment and it kept flowing. Nice twist, not super jaw dropping but still tense enough to pull it through.

[Ana | SheSaidYestoBooks · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author’s note saying that this book is not about her life actually annoyed me a lot. Not gonna lie. It felt like she was underestimating our intelligence. An author dealing with a scandal after a book to movie adaption??? This book is clearly ABOUT HER!! We all watched happening, Colleen. There is no way of denying this.

However, my 1 star review isn’t even about that but the fact that this book had never grabbed me. Nothing really happens for 30% of the book other than the main character (or maybe Colleen herself!) venting about her life after the scandal. I felt like the author wrote this book trying to redeem herself in the public eye, but this isn’t the place for it. DNF.

[ଘRory]

The blurb is giving Verity’s unhinged older sister meta vibes ☠️

[Aaru ♡]

the first para sounds a LOT like her life with the it ends with us backlash...ahhh never thought I'll be excited for a colleen hoover book but here I am

[Lauren Self (lauren.shelby.reads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 65%. This book gave me the ick.

[Mirelleisreading · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’ve read better fanfics by a 13 year old

[hollyreadit · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s a DNF for me. I blame myself, I went in expecting Verity, but this is more romantic suspense and I honestly rolled my eyes too much to take the MC seriously. Give this a try if you like romantic suspense, don’t if you are wanting a thriller. Also, the beginning authors note saying don’t compare this to my life, and then proceeding to write about an author dealing with a scandal after a book to movie adaption kind of annoyed me. But all this is just me! Give it a try if you like romantic suspense.

[Dallas Strawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Colleen Hoover is back, baby; and she came to slay.

WOMAN DOWN is quite possibly her darkest book yet. If you thought Verity pushed the boundaries, buckle up babes because Detective Nathaniel Saint is about to ruinnnn you in entirely new ways like you’ve never expected.

We meet Petra Rose, a bestselling author grappling with intense writer’s block after a series of career controversies. Desperate for inspiration, she retreats to a secluded lakeside cabin to finally knock out her next novel; one centered around a dangerously attractive cop. And then, at 5 a.m., life imitates art when a very real super hot detective knocks on her door to investigate an accident in the neighborhood.

From that moment on, Woman Down doesn’t let go. It moves at a breakneck speed.

The book is packed with Colleen Hoover’s signature emotional trauma, gut wrenching heartache, and deeply layered characters whose flaws and secrets will leave you gasping as you turn the pages. This may be her first published novel in three years, but it’s crystal clear the queen has not abandoned her throne.

She absolutely wrecked me; delivering twist after twist I never saw coming, all building toward a jaw-dropping, doozy of an ending that still has me reeling. I literally just finished this book, and all I want to do is go back and read it again. That’s how fun… and traumatic, it is.

[♡Heather✩Brown♡ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thanks for the gifted book. Okay this is 101% romance .. I was expecting some thrills. Nope. It was torture and I’m not sure how I got 100 pages in 🫣. Also the note saying this is not about her life and to not draw those conclusions is just batshit crazy, because most of it is from her life. We all watched it happen ??? Whaaat? I was all invested in the first few chapters but then douchebag Detective dude showed up and ruined the whole book. Then I accidentally read a 1 star review which told me what the end was (Could have guessed that tho.) So DNF for me. Loved Verity and Too Late but this book is not those.

Oh I forgot but I LOVED them neighbor people - the owners of the rental 😂😂😂👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[Rachel | rachelturnsthepage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colleen Hoover is back with her first book release in 3 years!

Before diving into my review, I want to mention two things:

1. I want to emphasize that this book leans more on the romantic suspense side than the thriller side of the genre. If you go in expecting nonstop action and crime-solving, this might not be your vibe, but if you love tension, secrets, and a romance with a dark edge, you’ll probably fly through it.

2. If Colleen Hoover isn’t usually your style, this may not be the book that wins you over. I’m just sharing that so it reaches the readers who will enjoy it most.

WOMAN DOWN follows Petra, an author facing intense public backlash, who retreats to a secluded cabin to write her next release. When she arrives, she meets a real-life muse: Detective Nathaniel Saint. Lines blur, secrets unravel, and Petra finds herself struggling to separate what’s real from what might be part of her own story.

Immediately, I could tell this would be a polarizing one. Petra makes a lot of questionable decisions and is pretty unlikable at times, and I think her choices will absolutely frustrate some readers. I also felt like there was a little too much inner monologue compared to what I remember from her other books (but I could be wrong), and when you already don’t love a character, that can make it harder to stay connected. I wish she had cut out about half of the first three chapters, but after I finished the book, I understood why she felt like she needed to expand this section (being vague because of spoilers).

That said… in classic CoHo fashion, I could not put this down. The pacing is addictive, the tension builds steadily, and she creates an atmosphere that feels tense and isolating in the best way. I loved how the story kept that constant “something isn’t right here…” feeling, and the romantic elements added another layer of intensity.

She builds suspense throughout the book that had me tearing through the pages to find out what would happen next, and somehow, she always delivers twists I never see coming!

Will warn you though, some parts are pretty vulgar and morally grey … kind of like a train wreck but you can’t stop looking 🫣

If you're a fan of the movie FEAR (with Mark Wahlberg and Reese Whitherspoon) or her book TOO LATE, then I would give this one a shot!

Many thanks to Amazon Publishing & Hunter PR for my advanced copy

3.75⭐️

[brittany:)]

Anyone diving into this today?!?!👀…..I’m lowkey hoping it gags me like Verity did😭

[Dutchie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t realize I was a CoHo fan, but apparently I am because I totally pick up every single one of her novels.

The film adaptation of Petra’s last book crashed and burned, which has led her to have a complete writers block on her next novel. Typically she is able to turn out these novels every six months, but it has been close to a year since the last one. She has an idea for a book and takes her usual writers retreat at a cabin by a lake in hopes to find inspiration. Let’s just say she finds that inspiration.

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.

This falls more into the romantic suspense/dark romance category, not a thriller as the blurb would suggest. This one is a bit darker than most of her other novels.

There seems to be mixed reviews on this one as most readers either love it or hate it.

[Tami]

Woman Down is Colleen Hoover’s next novel, coming out January 13, 2026. It started as a short story called Saint in the One More Step anthology. Colleen has now taken that short story of about 18,000 words and rewritten it into a full-length book of 100,000 words. She explained that what began as a simple extension turned into a complete rewrite with new characters, extra twists, new storylines, and a new title so readers know this is a different experience. One difference is the heroine’s name, which has changed from Megan Andrews to Petra Rose. Another difference is the setup: in the short story the heroine was facing writer’s block, while in the novel Petra is also dealing with backlash from a movie adaptation of her work.

Colleen has described Woman Down as the darkest book she’s ever written. It’s also worth noting this one will be published through Amazon, so the ebook will be exclusive to them (including Kindle Unlimited), though print copies should be available in bookstores.

The story begins with Petra Rose, once a well-known author. After the film adaptation of her book received strong backlash on the internet, she retreats to a lakeside cabin in a last attempt to save her career. There she meets Detective Nathaniel Saint, who arrives with “disturbing news” and unexpectedly becomes part of her writing process. Since Petra already has a police officer in her draft, Nathaniel fits right in, and soon their “research sessions” start crossing the line between fiction and reality.

📌 Author’s clarification: Colleen said Woman Down has nothing to do with the publicity around her previous adaptations. She explained that she first wrote the story ten years ago as a novella called Saint. The main character is still a writer. Colleen said she often uses writing as therapy, so her thoughts and feelings appear in her books.

In Woman Down, the heroine faces backlash because a main character was removed from the movie of her book. Fans blame her for it. Colleen said this idea came from something that almost happened to her. A few years ago, one adaptation nearly cut a character, and she was afraid readers would turn against her. That fear gave her the idea for the story. She began writing this book two years ago. She said it was not added later to build conspiracies or to sell more copies.

Colleen said she writes only for herself. It took her years to start writing again, and she is very excited to finally have a release. The book helped her through a dark and disappointing time. She said she is both proud and horrified by the choices her character makes. Reworking the story was fun and also helped her release frustrations.




⚠️ Warning for Safety Gals: The original short story (Saint in the One More Step anthology) included on-page cheating. The heroine was married with two daughters and had both an emotional and physical affair with Nathaniel. It is not yet clear if Woman Down will keep that storyline, but some readers may want to know this before going in.

[lenaleest · Rating 3 out of 5]

So uhm yes, I don’t know exactly… 🤣
It was quite enjoyable but I’m still wondering what the plot was of this story. It did not feel like a thriller for me but I also didn’t hate it.. So i’m leaving it at a 3 star read. I think my expectations where a bit to high because of Verity being one of my favorite thrillers which probably wasn’t a good thought to start with. This review doesn’t make sense whatsoever but my brain is braining.. 🤣🤣🤣

[Meghana Kaza · Rating 2 out of 5]

this is NOT a thriller colleen

[mady ૮₍ ˶•⤙•˶ ₎ა · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate this book.

I have read ALL of colleen's books and can say I am a fan enough. I was excited for a release since her hiatus but this is worst one she has written. Thriller is not her thing. I noticed a trajectory-hoover hit a peak at it ends with us and dropped so far down hill with her recents like heart bones, reminders of him, and now...this. I genuinely am baffled she thought to publish this- it's giving money grab. The common issue is that her latest releases lack depth her earlier releases have.

The premise for "woman down" is just...bad. I dont know if she's trying to relate to the century intentionally but her age is showing and it's giving a millennial (or boomer in this case) trying to relate to gen Z. it blurs the lines too much between (colleen's) real life and fiction.

It's a freaking self insert! girl be so for real: "this isn't about me, the character is so different from me" the projection is showing. not writing a book for 2 years since the cancellation of the adaptation blah blah literally having the same title of what's supposed to be a FICTIONAL book. [colleen speaking through] Petra says, "this book is personal. I feel the need to read every review about it because so much of it was drawn from my own experience" HONEY WAIT TIL YOU READ MINE!

I'm so irked by the lust im not even gonna call it a romance. what do you mean a cop is showing up to her house 1) after hours 2) out of uniform and just kissing her after this being the second time talking to her. both weirdos. there was also nothing "sexy" about her being brutalized in the middle of the night. the only thing I can still say is colleen is still good at plot twists (Shepard) but I did already predict the connection to Nora. I think there's also a plot hole because didn't Nora know Petra was kissing/hooking up with a cop and she knew that cop was Saint???

Colleen is also trying this new narrative thing where she starts a chapter with the end of the last chapter. I enjoyed it the first time when it contradicted each other: "it was dark" to "it was light" but she kept doing it and was repeating what she said instead of adding something new. over it.

And to top it all off, the ending was terrible.

I have not given a book a genuine one star in a long time (minus haley Pham) but this deserves it. Will I still be getting a copy for my shelf? yes. Will I still be reading every book by hoover? yes, 13 year old me has committed.

edit: I really dont want to put this on my damn shelf

[marioncoin | coin.reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

on dirait un prank de 384 pages
j'ai du mal à croire que j'ai lu ce que je viens de lire

tout manque cruellement de crédibilité, j'ai tellement détesté ma lecture,
et pardon mais je suis hyper décontenancée, et je vois personne en parler mais je rêve ou la go nous a fait des placements de produits dans son bouquin ?

un seul conseil : passez votre chemin

[Lindsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh, well she wrote another book.

[Madison Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was SO excited for this release—partly because it’s been a long time since she’s put out a new book, but also because I was curious how I’d feel about her writing now that I’ve read so widely beyond my initial CoHo era. Add in the fact that this is a psychological thriller/romantic suspense (one of my fav genres, and one I think she generally does well), and my expectations were definitely high.

Overall, I had a good time with it 💜 If it had been written by almost any other author, I probably would’ve landed around 3 stars—but it’s Colleen Hoover, and I’m biased, so here we are. Without getting into her controversies or any real-life parallels people have pointed out, I do think this was a solid, enjoyable read.

The story is fast-paced, addictive, and extremely bingeable, with well-timed twists and a strong sense of tension throughout. That persistent “something isn’t right” feeling kept me hooked, and the writing was atmospheric and eerie in a way that worked really well. The characters were vivid and memorable, even if, as a whole, the book never quite reaches Verity levels for me—which is def the gold standard when it comes to her thrillers.

One of my favourite elements was the “book-about-a-book” trope. I loved the reflections on writing, creativity, and the inner life of an author—it added an extra layer that made the story more interesting beyond the suspense alone. I also disagree with reviews calling this her darkest work yet; Too Late still very firmly holds that title in my opinion 😅

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.

Speaking of the ending: it didn’t completely blow me away. I think I spent so long waiting for the ball to drop that I built up higher expectations than what ultimately happened 🤷🏽‍♀️ Still, it was satisfying enough and didn’t ruin the experience for me.

All in all, this was a highly enjoyable read. I understand why some readers are hesitant or critical, but as a die-hard CoHo fan, I just clearly can’t quit her. I really hope she keeps writing now that she’s emerged from the shadows a bit; I’ll always be ready and waiting for her next release!!!

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't normally condone cheating, or even want to read anything about it, but in classic Hoover fashion, Colleen managed to suck me in and keep me engaged despite my reservations.

There was just something about this book, this storyline, these characters, that were hard to resist, hard to ignore, and hard to put down.

The thrill of it all, the turn the story took, was well worth anything else. Add in what had to be, despite the intro, some connection for CoHo with the underlying storyline, and it all made one appealing story that kept me eagerly turning the pages wanting more.


*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

[Genni]

DNF.
I was really looking forward to this one :(
I didn’t care of the hype around CoHo and just wanted to read her latest book. Unfortunately this left me very disappointed. My DNF is based on the writing itself. The plot is promising but the writing is not for me…


For example- chapter 3 starts with:
“Writers block can suck a dick.”

There’s a time and place, and it’s not even the words as much as the where and when- to me this is written more like a diary or journal entry than a book for the masses.

I chose this as an audiobook as it is offered as such via KU, unfortunately it is one of my least favorite narrators so this doesn’t help my enjoyment.

Sorry not sorry- this one goes back 😑

[Mateo · Rating 1 out of 5]

I do not even know where to start except with this: Raya, honey, you need therapy. Not a little self care and journaling. I mean professional help. Because the decision making in this book is so wild that I started questioning my own reality. You meet a man, he shows up at your cabin, scares you on purpose because he thinks that is what you want, literally attacks you, leaves marks on your body, and you are hiding in the bathroom like a frightened raccoon. And then two minutes later you are like, okay yes, let’s hook up. Ma’am. That is not tension. That is a case study.

Then the book finally drops the one piece of drama that had me sitting up. Surprise. This girl is married with kids. And I was like okay, now we have mess. I am invested. The problem is it takes half the book to get there, and once it gets there, the story still manages to get even weirder in the most pointless way. Because now the married man is acting like she is ruining his life, like he is not the one who asked for the affair. The hypocrisy was screaming. He is all “do not question me,” and I am all “run, woman, run,” because nothing about this is normal.

And just when you think it cannot get more unhinged, he shows up at the cabin again while her husband and kids are there, just to intimidate them. And then somehow it gets worse, because she is with her husband like married couples are, and this man is outside the window staring at her, and she is into it. Into it. Not afraid. Not alarmed. Just fully accepting that a stranger she met two days ago is outside her window during marital activities. That is not romantic. That is a true crime documentary.

Now let me tell you why I am mad. This book is advertised as a thriller. There is no thrill. There is confusion, there is secondhand embarrassment, there is a deep desire for the plot to become something. But thriller? No. Because the big reveal is that this man was basically hired to stalk her as “inspiration” to write a new book. That is it. He is not a detective. No one in town knows who he is. He is just a paid weirdo who pushed it too far because apparently the assignment was “be creepy,” and he said, “Say less.”

And the ending is… nothing. They confront each other. She writes the book. The end. He does not even tell the husband. And the whole “married with kids” storyline was basically smoke and mirrors. The book finishes and you are left sitting there like, what was the point of any of this? Answer: there was not one.

Also, there was a whole accident set up early on that could have been an actual twist. We never found out what happened, it just got waved away as fake. Excuse me. That could have been the plot. He could have been a murderer. It could have been accidental. It could have made her morally conflicted. It still might have been ridiculous, but at least it would have been a thriller. Instead, we got nothing. Zero. I wasted time and I cannot get it back, but I can get a video review out of it, so at least my suffering had content.

Last note. I am seeing people online calling this great and I am genuinely concerned. What crack are we smoking, and how do I get paid to join that train? Because if influencers are getting checks to lie, I would like to submit my application. This book was worse than Reminders of Him, and I said what I said.

And honestly, the real villain here is that Colleen clearly does not have friends. Because a real friend would have stopped this at chapter three. A real friend would have said, “Baby, put the laptop down. Step away from the cabin. This is not it.” A real friend would have told her, “You are too talented for this. We need to either rewrite the entire plot or we need to kill someone. Preferably someone who deserves it.”

Because I am sorry, but this book reads like everyone around you said “Yes queen” instead of “No ma’am.” And that is why Colleen, we need to connect. I will not lie to you, honey. I will not gas you up and call it a thriller when nothing thrilling happens. I will not let you send a stalker to a cabin and call it romance. I will tell you the truth, gently if possible, loudly if necessary. Verity proved you can deliver. This one proved you need an honest friend in the group chat.

[Natalie Meagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Girl, what the hell?