No matter what Colleen Hoover wrote after her three-year hiatus from publishing, it was bound to make headlines, regardless of whether it seemed to mirror some of the most-talked-about events in her own life.
The New York Times bestselling author, 46, and Amazon Publishing released her new dark romance thriller, Woman Down, on Tuesday, January 13. Filled with twists and turns, the story centers around frustrated author Petra Rose, who escapes to a remote hideaway to write her next suspense novel after “viral backlash over her latest film adaptation,” according to the synopsis. At the lakeside cabin, she finds inspiration in Detective Nathaniel Saint as “their ‘research’ sessions blur the lines between fantasy and reality.”
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Some fans in the know about Hoover’s life beyond the page initially assumed the novel would hint at the ongoing legal drama between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni surrounding the 2024 film adaptation of Hoover’s beloved 2016 novel It Ends With Us. However, Hoover wants to set the record straight before readers dive into Woman Down, clarifying in her author’s note that they should not “try to make ties to my personal life and this story, as there are none.”
With Woman Down officially on shelves now, Hoover speaks exclusively to Parade about the inspiration behind the book, whether there’s more to Petra’s story after the end and who she’d love to cast in a movie adaptation of the novel.
Woman Down began as a short story called Saint, which you published in 2020. What made you want to revisit this story years later and transform it into a full-length novel?
I had so much fun writing the short story, but I was limited to a certain word count for the [One More Step] anthology. I had to force myself to end the story, even though I knew at the time I wanted to make it a full-length novel. After the short story released, I had so many discussions with readers who also wished I had made it a full-length novel. So it’s always been the goal since it first published, it just took me a while to give it room to breathe and grow.
How did you approach the process of expanding your short story into a novel?
I knew a lot of readers would know the primary plot twists already, so I started with coming up with additional plot twists so the ones who read Saint would feel like they were reading something somewhat new to them if they were to pick up Woman Down. I also decided to add a couple of neighbors into the mix, so I then went in and rewrote a lot of scenes so that the new characters were included. I expanded on thoughts and descriptions since I rarely go back and do that with the novels I write because of deadlines. I’m not a big user of metaphors, and I’m not a very descriptive writer, but having the time to rewrite this one gave me a chance to play with my writing in ways I never have before. I thought the writing would feel tedious since I knew the story, but it actually turned out to be the opposite.
It's been more than three years since you published a new book. Why was Woman Down the story to bring you back to writing after your hiatus?
I think I was drawn to it because it didn’t feel like pressure. It felt like I was just making something I enjoyed creating a little more enjoyable. I didn’t have to invent a storyline because it had already been published, so it became the project I focused on the most when I didn’t have the headspace or the time for an entirely new storyline. Luckily, the anthology was a limited release for charity and the story was taken down after the timeframe ended, so for most readers, this book will be brand new.
What challenges did you face when getting back into the groove of writing a novel after taking a break?
I don’t think it ever felt like I took a break, because I was still working. I just shifted focus to the film industry for a while. I had a short amount of time between co-writing the script for Reminders of Him and the actual production of the film, so I used that to focus on rewriting Saint and turning it into Woman Down.
I’ve found the choice to do more with my films has been a challenge, because it limits my time to write novels. I love writing in long stretches, so if I don’t have at least a month ahead of me with no plans, I find it difficult to start a new book. I think that’s why Woman Down is the one I finished, because the bones were already there, so I was able to work on it in shorter spurts. But I’m learning to manage my time better between jobs, so hopefully the length between releases won’t be as long in the future.
Amazon Publishing
Woman Down follows an author who struggles with the effects of her success and fame. While readers might notice some similarities between your career and Petra’s, you emphasize in your author’s note at the beginning of the book that the story has no ties to your own personal life. Where did you draw the line when it came to allowing your experiences as an author to inform the character of Petra and her storyline?
I wrote the author’s note last, after all the rewrites were done, because I felt like, if anything, my experiences were starting to mimic the rewrites I had already incorporated. I wrote this original story years before I had an adaptation, and Petra has always been an author. Without giving too much of the plot away, let’s just say I think the blurb for the book has more similarities to my life than the actual book itself does, but blurbs aren’t meant to give away too much. And even if I felt like writing a book about all the experiences I’ve been through, I think that’s part of the beauty of writing fiction. It’s a lot of imaginary stuff based on what may or may not be a lot of real experiences the author did or didn’t go through.
I didn’t feel any certain way about how or what I should write, or where I should draw a line, because ultimately, I felt Petra’s and my experiences aren’t even comparable, but some of our feelings probably are. That’s just the risk of being acquainted with a writer. You might find a little of yourself in their books if they find you interesting enough.
This book features a lot of wild twists and turns. Other than pure entertainment, what do you hope readers take away from this story?
I can’t really say because it would give away some major plots in the book.
Would you ever revisit the character of Petra to give readers an update on her after the events of Woman Down, or do you see her story as finished?
Every time I finish a book, I think I’m finished. But I’ve gone back and written many sequels for characters I assumed I was done with, so I’ll never say never.
Woman Down takes on a darker tone and includes more thriller elements than many of your books. Should fans expect you to continue in this vein with future releases, or do you plan to return to the romance-centric themes readers associate with you?
I love writing darker books. This one and Verity and Too Late were so much fun to write, but I find that I love switching themes between novels. And I love that my readers are so supportive of that and don’t box me into one genre. I’m hoping the next book I finish is a beautiful, heart-wrenching love story, because my soul needs a shift away from the darkness for my next book.
Many of your novels have been adapted into feature films. Have you considered making a movie version of Woman Down, and who would be in your dream cast if the book made it to the big screen?
I’d love to see most of my books adapted into films, and Woman Down is one of my top three choices. As far as cast, that’s so hard to say. I don’t see people when I write—only a blur of personality. But I will put it into the universe that a goal in life I haven’t reached yet is to have Parker Young star in one of my adaptations. It is only January though, I think I’ll put that on my vision board.
Woman Down is available now wherever books are sold.
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