Born in 1979 in Sulphur Springs, Texas, Hoover began her career as a social worker and teacher. While still working as a social worker, Hoover self-published her first book Slammed in January 2012 and its sequel Point of Retreat one month later in February 2012.

Hoover’s books found acclaim from online book reviewers, which propelled her onto the New York Times bestseller list without the usual support of an agent and a publishing press. Hoover utilized “Booktok” influencers—content creators on TikTok who specialize in literary content—to bring attention to her newly self-published works, and she found unprecedented success as a result. In an article from ABC News, Hoover mentioned that “[t]he book had already come out and I was getting rejection letters after it hit the New York Times” (Chang, Juju & Zucker, Caren. “Emerging ‘New Adult’ Book Genre Puts Smut Fiction on Bestseller Lists.” ABC News, 20 February 2013). This success allowed Hoover to pursue writing full-time, and many of Hoover’s other self-published books have found similar success. Thanks to the power of her loyal audience, Hoover is one of the most successful American writers of the 2010s.