If you’re trying to figure out what books are in the Hopeless series, the answer is simple but a little nuanced: Colleen Hoover’s “Hopeless” world includes the original novel Hopeless, its companion/sequel Losing Hope, and the novella Finding Cinderella, which connects to the same universe. Together, they form one of Hoover’s most emotionally charged early romance series.
This guide gives you the reading order, a quick overview of each book, and a few notes on how the series works for first-time readers.
What books are in the Hopeless series?
The Hopeless series is generally understood to include Hopeless, Losing Hope, and Finding Cinderella. The first two center on Sky and Dean Holder, while the novella adds a related story that expands the series’ emotional and character connections.
1. Hopeless
Hopeless is the original novel and the entry point to the series. It introduces Sky, a teenager whose life changes after she meets Dean Holder and begins uncovering painful truths about her past.
The book blends contemporary romance, suspense, and trauma-driven character development. It is the foundation of the series because it establishes the central relationship and the emotional mystery that drives the story.
2. Losing Hope
Losing Hope revisits the events of Hopeless from Dean Holder’s perspective. Rather than functioning as a separate sequel with a new plot, it retells and deepens the original story by showing Holder’s inner life, memories, and emotional responses.
Readers who want a fuller understanding of Holder’s character usually find this book essential. It adds context to the first novel without replacing it.
3. Finding Cinderella
Finding Cinderella is a novella set in the same general world. It is often grouped with the Hopeless books because of its character connections and its place in Hoover’s broader interconnected fiction, though it is shorter and more self-contained than the first two books.
Because it is a novella, it reads more quickly and works best as a companion piece after the main novels. It is not the core of the Sky and Holder storyline, but it helps round out the larger reading experience.
What is the best reading order?
The most common reading order is Hopeless → Losing Hope → Finding Cinderella. That order preserves the emotional impact of the original novel before shifting into Holder’s perspective and then moving to the related novella.
- Hopeless — start here for the main story.
- Losing Hope — read next for Holder’s viewpoint.
- Finding Cinderella — finish with the connected novella.
Some readers choose to read Finding Cinderella earlier because it is shorter and lighter in structure, but the above order is usually the most satisfying for continuity and emotional pacing.
What kind of series is Hopeless?
The Hopeless books belong to contemporary romance, but they also use elements of psychological drama and mystery. Hoover’s style often combines intense emotional stakes with fast-moving scenes and revelations that reframe earlier chapters.
Romance with heavier themes
Although the series includes a central love story, it is not a light romance. The books deal with memory, trauma, family secrets, identity, and the difficulty of trusting other people after painful experiences.
That combination is part of why the books have remained popular: they are emotionally direct, but they also ask readers to think about how the past shapes the present.
Dual perspective and emotional tension
Hopeless and Losing Hope work together to create a layered narrative. The first book withholds information to build suspense, while the second fills in gaps through Holder’s perspective, which changes how readers interpret earlier scenes.
This structure gives the series its distinctive rhythm: discovery first, then reinterpretation.
Main characters in the Hopeless series
The series is character-driven, and its emotional power depends on how readers experience Sky and Holder as individuals before seeing how their histories connect.
- Sky — the heroine of Hopeless, whose search for truth about her life is central to the story.
- Dean Holder — the male lead, whose perspective deepens the mystery and emotional stakes.
- Supporting family and friends — important because the series often uses relationships, not just plot twists, to reveal character.
Because Hoover writes in a highly emotional mode, the characters are often defined less by external action than by what they remember, fear, and choose to reveal.
Major themes in the series
If you’re reading the Hopeless books for more than just the romance, several recurring themes stand out.
Identity and memory
One of the strongest ideas in the series is that identity is shaped by what people know about themselves and what has been hidden from them. The books repeatedly ask how much a person can understand their life when key memories or facts are missing.
Trauma and recovery
The series treats trauma as something that affects behavior, relationships, and self-image. Recovery is not presented as quick or simple; instead, it unfolds through trust, confrontation, and emotional honesty.
Truth and secrecy
Secrets drive the plot, but they also create the emotional conflict. The books show how silence can protect people in the short term while also causing harm over time.
Love as recognition
Romance in the series is tied to being seen clearly by another person. The love story matters not only because of attraction, but because the characters begin to recognize truths about themselves through each other.
How the books fit together
The Hopeless series is best understood as a main novel plus companion perspective rather than a long multi-book saga with many separate plotlines. That makes it approachable for readers who want a complete story without committing to a huge series.
Why Losing Hope matters
Some companion books feel optional, but Losing Hope is especially useful because it changes how the original novel reads. It is not just extra material; it gives emotional and narrative depth to the same events.
Why the novella is included
Finding Cinderella is shorter and more peripheral, but it is often listed with the Hopeless books because readers who enjoy Hoover’s interconnected fiction tend to encounter it as part of the same reading path. Think of it as a bonus connection rather than the series’ core spine.
Who should read the Hopeless series?
The series is a good fit for readers who want romance with emotional intensity, mystery, and a strong focus on character psychology. It may especially appeal to readers who enjoy stories where a hidden past slowly reshapes the present.
- Best for: readers who like emotional contemporary romance
- Also good for: fans of suspenseful relationship-driven fiction
- Less ideal for: readers looking for a light, low-conflict romance
Because the books touch on difficult subject matter, readers who prefer gentler stories may want to approach the series with that in mind.
How the Hopeless books compare to Colleen Hoover’s other novels
Readers often come to the Hopeless series after hearing about Hoover’s broader popularity. Compared with some of her later books, Hopeless is especially notable for its mystery structure and its strong sense of emotional revelation.
If you’re deciding what to read next, you might also look at other Hoover novels with similarly intense relationship dynamics and layered secrets. For example, readers interested in another widely discussed title may want to explore what November 9 is about after finishing this series.
Quick reading guide
Here’s the simplest way to approach the series if you want the full experience:
- Start with Hopeless for the main story.
- Continue with Losing Hope to see the same events from Holder’s side.
- Read Finding Cinderella as a related novella once you know the core characters.
If you want a more detailed breakdown of sequence and placement, you can also check a dedicated guide to what order to read the Hopeless series.
Final thoughts
So, what books are in the Hopeless series? The core reading list is Hopeless, Losing Hope, and Finding Cinderella. Together, they offer a compact but emotionally layered reading experience built around romance, memory, and the power of hidden truth.
If you want a series that combines suspenseful storytelling with intense character emotion, the Hopeless books are a strong place to start.