The Hopeless Series in Order

About the Hopeless series

Series Premise

The series begins with Sky (Holder’s love interest), a sheltered 17-year-old girl who has lived an extremely controlled, isolated life under her adoptive father’s strict rules. When she meets Dean Holder at school, their instant, intense attraction pulls her into a world of freedom, first love, and painful revelations. The story uncovers dark family secrets, childhood trauma, abuse, and the devastating truth about Sky’s past and how it connects to Holder’s own guilt and history. The overarching theme is healing from trauma, the power of love and honesty, forgiveness, and finding hope after darkness.

Main Characters

> Dean Holder — Co-protagonist of Hopeless / Losing Hope; troubled, tattooed, charismatic high school senior with a tragic past. Deeply protective, loving, and guilt-ridden; becomes Sky’s anchor and soulmate.
> Sky (Hopeless) — Protagonist of Hopeless; innocent, sheltered 17-year-old who discovers her traumatic past. Brave, resilient, and deeply loving once she opens up.
> Daniel — Sky’s best friend; funny, loyal, and charming; hero of Finding Cinderella.
> Six — Daniel’s love interest; witty, bold, and guarded; has her own painful backstory.
> Breckin — Sky’s gay best friend; supportive, funny, and a grounding force.
> Later books: Sky & Holder as adults, dealing with marriage, pregnancy, and mental health.

Setting

Modern-day United States, primarily a suburban Texas town (implied Dallas-Fort Worth area):
> High school hallways, football fields, and teen hangouts (first two books).
> College campuses, apartments, and young-adult life (later books).
> Everyday locations: homes, parks, coffee shops, hospitals.
The atmosphere is grounded and relatable — ordinary American teen/young adult life interrupted by dark secrets and emotional upheaval.

Tone & Themes

Emotionally raw, intense, and heartbreaking — classic Colleen Hoover new adult romance with heavy angst, tear-jerking moments, and deep trauma. The tone is passionate, angsty, and vulnerable, with graphic depictions of abuse, grief, guilt, and mental health struggles. It balances darkness and pain with tender, hopeful romance, redemption, and strong messages about healing and self-worth. The series is very emotional (expect tears), steamy in places, and ultimately uplifting with hard-won happy endings.

The series is known for its gut-wrenching emotional impact, powerful romance, and exploration of heavy topics (abuse, trauma, mental health, suicide) with honesty and hope — ideal for readers who enjoy Colleen Hoover’s signature tear-jerker style (It Ends with Us, November 9). It has very mature content (graphic trauma/abuse flashbacks, explicit romance, mental health struggles).