Harlan Coben gets honest about writing 'Gone Before Goodbye' with Reese Witherspoon

By Areeba Sheikh
October 25, 2025

Harlan Coben reveals what persuaded him to co-author a book with Reese Witherspoon

'Wary' Harlan Coben sings praises of Reese Witherspoon's literary work

Harlan Coben has revealed how it felt writing a book with Reese Witherspoon.

For those unaware, the 63-year-old American writer has written 35 books, including Nobody’s Fool, Tell No One, and The Woods. He also wrote TV series such as Missing You and Fool Me Once.

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Speaking to PEOPLE magazine, Coben admitted he has several best-selling books to his credit but he never thought of co-authoring a novel before Witherspoon approached him for the thriller Gone Before Goodbye.

Articulating his thoughts, he said, "I've known Reese for about a decade now. And she's fangirl-ed, I've fanboy-ed. I'm a big fan of her, she's read and watched all mine, I've read and watched all of hers and been a fan of the work that she's done for books in general."

Notably, the Big Little Lies star is the founder of the Hello Sunshine media company that supports and encourages women-centric stories and runs the Reese Witherspoon Book Club.

Cementing her posting in the entertainment world by securing several accolades, such as an Academy Award, a BAFTA, and a Golden Globe Award, she is also an avid reader and torchbearer of literature.

Coben confessed when Witherspoon sought him out with a story idea, he could not resist giving her his seal of approval.

"She came to my apartment, and I was a little bit wary. I love Reese and I know how smart she is, but I'm not the guy who does the collaborations. And she told me the story, and I was like 'dang, that's good, we could do something with that,’” The Innocent author noted.

It is pertinent to mention that Gone Before Goodbye hit shelves on October 14, 2025.


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