Colleen Hoover apologises for ‘tone-deaf’ colouring book based on domestic violence novel

Bestselling author Colleen Hoover has apologised after she announced plans to publish a colouring book based on one of her bestselling novels about domestic violence.

The US author of It Ends With Us announced The Official It Ends With Us Coloring Book on social media on Thursday. But after a furious backlash from readers, she apologised that same day, writing that she could “absolutely see” how the idea was “tone-deaf”. She said her publishers would not be proceeding with the book.

“I hear you guys and I agree with you,” Hoover posted on Instagram. “No excuses. No finger-pointing. I have contacted the publisher to let them know I would prefer we don’t move forward with it. Thank you for the respectful discourse and accountability. Nothing but love.”

Hoover’s publisher, Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, confirmed the cancellation of the colouring book, writing: “We developed this book to be uplifting and empowering, mirroring Lily Bloom’s story; we appreciate the feedback and discourse and have the greatest respect for Colleen Hoover’s fans. Thank you for the honest conversation and passion for the world Colleen has created in her books and the characters within.”

It Ends With Us, which tells the story of a young college graduate who is assaulted by her husband, was based on the troubled marriage of the author’s parents and published in 2016. The novel has sold more than one million copies globally and has been translated into more than 20 languages.

After experiencing a resurgence through TikTok, It Ends With Us became a bestseller in Australia in 2022, topping the bestsellers list six years after it was first released and beating Delia Owens’ Where the Crawdads Sing and Nagi Maehashi’s cookbook Recipe Tin Eats: Dinner.

In October, Hoover released a sequel to the novel, It Starts With Us.