Colleen Hoover tells us how she really feels about the film version of her bestselling novel ‘It Ends with Us’

A little more than a decade ago, Hoover was a social worker in Texas, self-publishing romance novels from the singlewide trailer she shared with her husband and three sons.

These days, life looks a little different for Hoover, largely regarded as one of the biggest novelists on the planet, with more than 20 million books sold. And this month, she’s talking up the film adaptation of her 2016 book “It Ends with Us,” which is expected to become one of the summer’s blockbusters.

Since 2012, Hoover has published a string of novels about such subjects as domestic violence (“It Ends with Us), childhood trauma (“Hopeless” and “Losing Hope”) and ghosts (“Layla”). Many embrace an epistolary form of storytelling, and most feature at least a few steamy bedroom scenes.

“I tend to like to write about emotional things,” Hoover told the Star. “I like to feel what I’m writing. Even when I set out to write a rom-com, it just turns the opposite direction. It becomes totally emotional.”

Hoover’s fans have bought into the author’s love for high-stakes emotions: On TikTok, ardent readers have filmed themselves tearing through paperbacks and sobbing in real time. Hoover’s fans, who call themselves the CoHorts, are a huge presence on BookTok — and they’ve helped drive Hoover to the top of the New York Times bestseller list.

“I love watching those videos,” Hoover said, “because you never know (this) when you’re writing. I can’t speak for other writers, but I’m not a super-emotional person, so I don’t always know if what I’m writing is actually tracking with readers when they read it. So to see those videos and see they’re feeling the feelings I was hoping they would is always good.”

The movie version of “It Ends with Us” has offered Hoover a new opportunity to see the payoff of her work up close (she also makes a brief cameo early on). The story follows Lily Bloom, a florist played by Blake Lively, and Ryle Kincaid, a neurosurgeon played by Justin Baldoni (who also directed), as they navigate a roller-coaster love affair haunted by their troubled childhoods.

The novel, which has garnered criticism for its graphic depiction of domestic violence, inspired a bestselling 2022 sequel, “It Starts with Us,” which Hoover wrote after she was “inundated” with requests for more of Lily’s story.

“The fan base is just phenomenal,” Hoover said. “It’s my favourite part of this whole thing. I got into this career not really knowing what to expect, and just making friends with people along the way. I’d call most of them my friends — I made my best friends in my whole life from this industry.

“I went six years saying ‘no’ to a sequel to ‘It Ends with Us,’ and then I just got an idea for it one night and said, ‘OK, I can make this work,’” she continued. “That one wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the readers. Every now and then, I’m hearing what they’re begging for.”

Despite some anxiety over the film’s release, Hoover says she’s happy with Christy Hall’s screenplay, which mostly follows the novel’s storyline beat for beat.

“I think this book is definitely a sensitive topic,” said Hoover, “so I just wanted that to translate to the screen. I was super nervous because, you know, it could go very wrong. But I think (Hall) did the work justice, and (the filmmakers) were very sensitive with the material. I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.”

Lively’s involvement with the film has contributed to its buzz. Perhaps best known for her role on TV’s “Gossip Girl,” the actor, who’s married to Ryan Reynolds, is also besties with Taylor Swift (whose piercing ballad “My Tears Ricochet” makes an appearance in the new movie). According to Hoover, the movie wouldn’t have been possible without Lively, who also served as a producer.

“She just brought such an emotion to it,” Hoover said, “like a kind of quiet emotion. I love that in the movie — I think she pulled it off so well. When I saw her in that role, I was like, ‘Oh, you don’t need any advice from me.’”

Hoover’s aware of the criticisms of her work — including the label “trauma porn” — but she knows her books have been therapeutic for some, and she’s looking forward to seeing how her work continues to reach new audiences.

“Some people like to read about dark subjects and emotional things,” said Hoover. “Some people call that ‘trauma porn.’ Some people like regular porn. I don’t shame what you like. Enjoy what you enjoy, read what you want to read.

“This book has helped people make huge decisions within their own lives to protect themselves from dangerous situations,” she continued. “That was never my intention when I wrote it, and getting the emails and messages and meeting readers face-to-face who have been personally impacted or made decisions because of the book is just insane to me. It’s kind of terrifying.

“But it’s also very inspiring, and I hope the film does the same.”