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| Categories | Women’s Literature & Fiction |
| Author | Colleen Hoover |
| Publisher | Atria (August 2, 2016) |
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 384 pages |
| Item Weight | 10.4 ounces |
| Dimensions | 5.31 x 0.9 x 8.25 inches |
I. Book introduction
In this “brave and heartbreaking novel that digs its claws into you and doesn’t let go, long after you’ve finished it” (Anna Todd, New York Times bestselling author) from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of All Your Perfects, a workaholic with a too-good-to-be-true romance can’t stop thinking about her first love.
SOMETIMES THE ONE WHO LOVES YOU IS THE ONE WHO HURTS YOU THE MOST
Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town where she grew up—she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. And when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life seems too good to be true.
Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.
As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan—her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.
An honest, evocative, and tender novel, It Ends with Us is “a glorious and touching read, a forever keeper. The kind of book that gets handed down” (USA TODAY).
Editorial Reviews
“Colleen Hoover reminds readers that love is a fragile thing, built from courage, hope, and tears. Every person with a heartbeat should read this book.” — Kami Garcia, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“It Ends with Us isn’t an ordinary love story. It will break your heart while filling you with hope, and by the end of this gripping, pulse-pounding novel, you’ll be smiling through your tears.” — Sarah Pekkanen, International bestselling author of Perfect Neighbors
“It Ends With Us is a brave and heartbreaking novel that digs its claws into you and doesn’t let go, long after you’ve finished it. No one delivers an emotional read like Colleen Hoover.” — Anna Todd, New York Times bestselling author of the After series
“What a glorious and touching read, a forever keeper. The kind of book that gets handed down.” ― USA Today
“It Ends with Us tackles [a] difficult subject…with romantic tenderness and emotional heft. The relationships are portrayed with compassion and honesty, and the author’s note at the end that explains Hoover’s personal connection to the subject matter is a must-read. Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of the survivors.” ― Kirkus, STARRED REVIEW
“Fans of Hoover’s emotional stories, conflicted characters and intense romances will gleefully devour her new novel. If you’re a Hoover newbie, this is a great place to start. It Ends with Us is a perfect example of the author’s writing chops and her ability to weave together uplifting, romantic and somber plotlines. No matter your level of fandom, readers will love and respect protagonist Lily and learn something from her struggles.” ― RT Book Reviews (4 starred review)
“Best-selling Hoover’s latest valiant and compelling…novel packs her trademark emotional punch… The power and pain of the relationship will stay with readers even as Hoover offers hope.” ― Booklist
“Colleen Hoover brilliantly tackles a very tough subject matter with brutal realness and honesty that left us stripped completely raw… Confidently a 2016 Top Recommendation and Must Read.” ― Rockstars of Romance
“It Ends With Us is one of the most powerful books of 2016 and one of the most raw, honest, inspiring, and profoundly beautiful stories I’ve ever read. It’s one of those books that EVERYONE should read.” ― Aestas Book Blog
“emotional, unforgettable and extraordinary…Colleen Hoover deserves all the accolades this story will bring…. remarkable, different, honest, heartbreaking and at times agonizing reading. This is not an easy book to get through but by God, it’s rewarding…one of the best reads of this year,” ― TOTALLY BOOKED BLOG
“tackles tough subject matter with a deft and confident hand” ― Huffington Post
“her most daring novel to date…one hell of a story.” ― NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
“[an] epic summertime read. With complex characters, a heartbreaking premise and drama aplenty, it’s the perfect companion for a day at the beach.” ― Brit + Co
“The BEST book this author has ever written. It’s so incredibly deep, and sincerely explores a complex struggle between what you feel, and what is real. 5++++++ STARS. Favorite book of the year!!!! <— Yes. I said it. 5 PLUS STARS!” ― Maryse’s Book Blog
Colleen Hoover may have written her best novel yet. Hoover’s latest novel, It Ends With Us—is a heartrending and powerful exploration of the different sides of domestic abuse. It is one of the most honest and inclusive novels written about the issue that I have ever read. It was an emotional rollercoaster that kept me reading past my bedtime. — Joni Andersen (Librarian)
About the Author
- Colleen Hoover (born Margaret Colleen Fennell on December 11, 1979) is an American author of young adult fiction and romance novels. Many of her works have been self-published before being picked up by a publishing house.
- Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times and International bestselling author of multiple novels and novellas. She lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys. She is the founder of The Bookworm Box, a non-profit book subscription service and bookstore in Sulphur Springs, Texas.
- Hoover was born on December 11, 1979, in Sulphur Springs, Texas, to Vannoy Fite and Eddie Fennell. She grew up in Saltillo, Texas, and graduated from Saltillo High School in 1998. In 2000, she married Heath Hoover, with whom she has three sons. Hoover graduated from Texas A&M-Commerce with a degree in social work. She worked various social work and teaching jobs until starting her writing career.
- In November 2011, Hoover began her first novel, Slammed, with no intention of getting published. She was inspired by a lyric, “decide what to be and go be it”, from an Avett Brothers song, “Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise.” Because of this, she incorporated Avett Brothers lyrics throughout the story. Slammed was published in January 2011. After a few months, the novel was reviewed and given 5 stars by book blogger Maryse Black, after which sales rapidly took off for Hoover’s first two books.
- In December 2012, Hoover published Hopeless, which rose to the top of the New York Times best seller list
- In 2021, Hoover experienced a surge in popularity due to her heart wrenching stories and characters and the attention from the #BookTok community on TikTok. In January 2022, her 2016 novel It Ends with Us was #1 on The New York Times best sellers list.
- For more information and for a schedule of events, please visit colleenhoover.com.
- To contact Colleen and her team (Her team’s name is Stephanie), please email hooverink@outlook.com
II. [Reviews] It Ends with Us: A Novel (1) By Colleen Hoover
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1. Amazon Customer: Everyone Needs to Read This Now!
“In the future . . . if by some miracle you ever find yourself in the position to fall in love again . . . fall in love with me.”
I’m going to start this review off with this statement: I didn’t cry while I was reading this book, but I did cry several days later when I was looking back on Lily’s story. That shows how emotionally charged this story is, along with the true power behind Colleen’s writing. I’m not going to give away any spoilers because you need to go into the book blind. If you want to know what happens, there are definitely some reviews out there that tell you the big twists and turns. But take my advice and don’t spoil this book for yourself. It will lose a lot if you go in knowing exactly what to expect. So seriously, don’t do it to yourself. Just let the beauty of Colleen’s writing sweep over you and sink in.
“All humans make mistakes. What determines a person’s character aren’t the mistakes we make. It’s how we take those mistakes and turn them into lessons rather than excuses.”
This is honestly not only one of the best reads of 2016, but also one of the most (if not the most) empowering. I want to give this book to every man, woman, and even teenager (it’s definitely a NA/adult read) and tell them… READ THIS NOW! Do you want to know why? Because this book carries with it a very strong message, one that shows strength and courage that many people might not have at the time, but after reading will understand and gain. I honestly don’t know if there has ever been a time when I was prouder to be reading the heroine’s story due to her choices. Ultimately though, Colleen Hoover wrote a book that everyone can take something away from. Colleen always writes such unique stories, and this one is certainly no exception. But the one thing I will say is that this is truly her best book yet.
“Just because someone hurts you doesn’t mean you can simply stop loving them. It’s not a person’s actions that hurt the most. It’s the love. If there was no love attached to the action, the pain would be a little easier to bear.”
Lily’s story is one that I never wanted to stop reading. If I know that I’m going to need to read a book in multiple sittings (which was the case with this book), I usually try to find a good place to stop. One in which, nothing major is happening and nobody is facing some drastic/perilous moment. Well you see the problem with this book is the fact that there is literally NO. GOOD. STOPPING. POINT! None! There was never a part where I felt safe in letting this book sit overnight because I knew that the story and the what if’s would play endlessly in my mind. So I stayed up and read it all in one sitting because I simply couldn’t stop. Lily was someone that I connected to right from the get go. I knew as soon as the book started that I would like her, and that never once stopped while I was reading. However, I didn’t realize how much her character would affect me while I was reading. As I said before, after I was finished reading, I couldn’t have been prouder of her decisions. The strength she had throughout the story to go through what she did, but also her resolve and conviction just made me constantly cheer her on. Lily is truly one of the most admirable characters that I have ever had the pleasure of reading about, and that admiration goes extraordinarily deep.
“Life is a funny thing. We only get so many years to live it, so we have to do everything we can to make sure those years are as full as they can be. We shouldn’t waste time on things that might happen someday, or maybe even never.”
I mentioned it briefly above, but this book has a very powerful message, and this message is actually carefully woven into the story from page 1. You obviously don’t realize it when you start reading the novel, but it’s there when you look back after finishing. And this is also why I’m going to reiterate the importance of going into the story blind, because just as unexpected and emotional it is for the reader to read and witness what Lily goes through, it is even more unexpected and emotional for Lily. This is where this book truly shines, because you as a reader feel like part of the story. There’s a very slow burn while reading, one in which we get to know characters and see the develop in the ways that we as humans get to know each other…but then Colleen rips that metaphorical rug out from under all of us, and shocks us with one revelation after another. But you know what? That’s exactly how life is sometimes…sometimes you never see things coming in a million years and you have to figure out how to deal with these radical changes you never thought would happen.
“It stops here. With me and you. It ends with us.”
Where this book really got me though was the meaning of the title. Throughout the entire time I was reading, I kept wondering what the title meant. Because come on…this is Colleen Hoover and literally EVERYTHING has some significance (no matter how small). And when I got to the part of the story where the title finally made sense, guys let me tell you…this had an impact on me like no other. I just sat there with my book in my hands staring at the page for a solid 5 minutes. It is the perfect title for the perfect book.
“Fifteen seconds. That’s all it takes to completely change everything about a person. Fifteen seconds that we’ll never get back.”
I connected with this book in my own way, and for that I am extraordinarily thankful to Colleen Hoover for even writing this book. The author’s note at the end was just as powerful and amazing as the rest of the story, but it shows just how personal this story was for her to write. I applaud Colleen for writing this book and not “making things easy” for the main character or glossing over the “bad parts.” This is an incredibly realistic book that makes you realize many things and leaves an imprint on your soul. It’s important to remember that everyone must make extraordinarily difficult decisions in their life, and not everyone will agree with them. If this book even empowers one woman to take steps in making an important decision, the Colleen Hoover did her job. And I count myself lucky to have had the honor of reading this story because I am a changed person because of it!
Happy reading 🙂
2. CHRISTY Reviews: It Ends with Us: A Novel (1)
Want the naked truth about It Ends with Us? Reading this book will change your life. It’s so different from any of Colleen Hoover’s other books. You can tell it’s heavier, more personal, just more. This book is deep. It’s profound. It’s a book that needs to be read. I’ll repeat: THIS IS A BOOK THAT NEEDS TO BE READ!
This story is moving. It will make you think about things that are uncomfortable to think about. It will lift your heart, devastate you at times, make you proud, fill you with sorrow and make you smile. It will move you. It’s powerful and intense in the best way, but also has hopeful and lighter moments. The story itself is one that has been heavy on my heart from the moment I finished it.
Sometimes, I read a book and it’s so beautiful, influential and emotional I will cry just thinking about the characters and their story. Not in a bad way necessarily, I just get that moved and that emotional while thinking about it. That is this book. Trying to find the words for this review is bringing me to tears. It’s hard to explain the story completely spoiler free, but this isn’t a ‘sad’ book. It’s a strength book. Because dealing with the issues in this story took so much strength.
I’m not going to talk about the actual story at all, but I will speak a bit about the characters. Lily. Speaking of strength, Lily may be the strongest heroine that I’ve read about. Your strength is really tested when you are put in a hard situation where your choices are impossible. I loved Lily so much. I was proud of Lily and the choices she made. I want to be Lily when I grow up.
Fifteen seconds. That’s all it takes to completely change everything about a person. Fifteen seconds that we’ll never get back.
There are two men in this story, but please don’t think this is a triangle book. It’s not. It’s hard to explain, but it’s not. Ryle is a charming guy. He’s a giving person. He’s got a lot of great attributes. I’m not sure if I’ve ever felt so conflicted over a character as I did him. Atlas is the type of man I always have a soft spot for as a reader. His story gutted me at times, but he is also a character with a lot of strength and so much beauty. I loved Atlas from the second I met him and that love never stopped throughout the book.
“Lily?” he whispers, looking at me sincerely. “You just might be the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Aside from the three main characters in the story, Lily’s mom played a prominent part. Their relationship played an even bigger part. Ryle’s sister and Lily’s best friend Alyssa was one of my favorite characters in this book. When things got hard she was there. One line she said in the book, to Lily just solidified the type of woman she was. Coleen always writes that one side character that you love so hard in her stories, and Alyssa was that character for me. I can’t not mention Ellen, because, well, it’s Ellen. That part was brilliant. It made me smile every time Ellen was mentioned.
When reading this book, there were moments I struggled between not being able to tear my eyes away from the page, and others I had to take a breather because I couldn’t handle what was going on.Parts of this story left me so heartbroken and others lifted me up so high. There are some parts that are just so powerful I could only read them in awe. This is it. This is why I read. Books like this.
All humans make mistakes. What determines a person’s character aren’t the mistakes we make. It’s how we take those mistakes and turn them into lessons rather than excuses.
Colleen Hoover is an author who truly has a way with words. She killed this book. I’ve read and loved all of CoHo’s books. Some of her earlier books are some of my all-time favorites. I’ve enjoyed all of her latest books, but this is by far the best book she’s ever written. And it’s tied with Hopeless as my own personal favorite book by her. And that is saying a lot, because Hopeless is one of my top books ever.
If you only read one book this year, let it be It Ends with Us. Everyone needs to read this book. 5+ star favorite. Completely unforgettable and highly recommended!
“It stops here. With me and you. It ends with us.”
3. Anne Z: I have been staring at this computer screen for a good hour now trying to find the right words
The reality of this book has left me speechless. I have been staring at this computer screen for a good hour now trying to find the right words. And that is after I spent a good 6 hours in my couch reading it. This is not the kind of book that can easily be put down to be read later, there are no good spots to stop. Once you start it becomes incredibly difficult to take a break.
The story is complex. It is raw. It is honest. It is sad. It is painful.
It shows the reality of human nature. The reality that we are not black and white, simply good or bad. The vast majority of us fall somewhere in the middle- people that make mistakes.
It Ends with Us is told through Lilly’s eyes. It is told in the present tense but we also get glimpses into her past as she reads journal entries from when she was a teen.
Lilly is brave and strong. But also as vulnerable as any other woman out there. I was rather impressed with her character, with her sense of self and her ability to prioritize. She had many hard choices to make and she made them well. They were hard, very hard… and there will be a small part of you, as there was a small part of her, who will wish different, but you will know that she did the right thing in the end.
Riley is amazing! I absolutely loved him. And he is the perfect example of how things are not always as they seem. But most importantly, of how often there is so much more to someone’s story than we know. Everyone has a past and everyone is -for better or worse- defined by that past. I believe with all my heart that Colleen Hoover chose the right ending for both Lilly and Riley, but I do not believe someone like Riley should be treated with hatred. I felt his pain, specially in the end.
Atlas was pure perfection. There are so many kids out there in the world like him. How wonderful would it be if there were more Lillys?!
All in all this was a fantastic read. Super emotional. Heart wrenching.
When the book was over though something did not feel right. The last 3-4 pages felt rushed. Lilly ‘jumped ship’ too fast.
And all that being said, I feel I should mention something I did not see mentioned anywhere and I was certainly not told myself: if you have been in a abusive situation (parents/partners/other) and still have hard days, don’t read unless you are having a good day. I will be honest and say that had I know what the book was about before reading it I would not have read it. I felt in the end of this book similarly to how I felt when I finished reading The Problem with Forever two months ago (another book I started without knowing what it was going to be about)- reliving memories better forgotten. It was far to real, and if you, like me, can relate to the main female character in either of those books, you also know you need to be in the right frame of mind while reading it…
4. KATERINA Reviews: It Ends with Us: A Novel (1)
I honestly don’t know how I feel.
There are times I am angry and times I am sad. And then I’m both. And it’s the worst, because there is a war raging inside me, and the winner side keeps changing. How is it possible to switch from denial to sorrow to fury to acceptance in a heartbeat?
“There is no such thing as bad people. We’re all just people who sometimes do bad things.”
I did my best not to cry. I felt sick, but I clenched my jaw and forced myself to keep reading, trying in vain to ignore the tremors that ran through my body. But when the last chapters came, and Colleen’s note in the end, I couldn’t take it any more. I dissolved into angry, hot tears, and I checked my chest to make sure my heart was not bleeding. Lily’s story had a lot to teach. I think I died a little when I realized that sometimes love is not enough. Regret, good will, they’re not enough to fix some wounds. On the contrary, they make them deeper.
“Just because someone hurts you doesn’t mean you can simply stop loving them. It’s not a person’s actions that hurt the most. It’s the love. If there was no love attached to the action, the pain would be a little easier to bear.”
It Ends with Us is the most personal and daring and painful book Colleen Hoover has ever written. Abuse and domestic violence are a delicate subject, and when I found out they were this book’s main theme I thought about not reading it. It was a moment of cowardice, a moment I didn’t want to witness this side of relationships. But I owed it to myself, as a person and as a woman to proceed. Because pretending a problem doesn’t exist does not make it disappear. There will be spoilers below so if you haven’t read It Ends with Us, you should probably stop here.
“Fifteen seconds. That’s all it takes to completely change everything about a person. Fifteen.”
Naked truth coming. I was one of the people who don’t understand. The people who, when they hear about abuse, the first thing that occurs to them is why doesn’t she leave him? Why does she let her fear guide her, and she’s so selfish that makes her children witness such horrors inside their home, that was supposed to be their sanctuary? But what we should ask is what is wrong with him? Instead of making excuses and trying to justify him, we should take a moment and consider how she feels, and the difficult decisions she has to make. Ryle broke my heart into millions of pieces. I fell in love with him, and I kept wishing that Colleen would delete these words, these scenes that hurt me and disappointed me and shattered my belief in happy endings. A part of me, a part I tried to smother, a part I am ashamed that exists, wanted him to change. To try harder, and for Lily to let him try harder. Me, who judged them for not leaving. In the end, I felt sorry for Ryle. For losing the love of his life, for destroying his only chance at happiness. I don’t forgive him, I just wish that a magic wand would make everything better.
“So much gravity, pushing down on my emotions. Everything shatters.
My tears, my heart, my laughter, my soul. Shattered like broken glass, raining down around me.”
Lily is a hero. She had dignity, and courage and strength. At first I was judging her mother for staying, but witnessing through Lily’s eyes her challenges, feeling her heartbreak and her dilemmas, made me regret all the ugly things I thought. Loving the person who hurts you is a greater torture than the physical act itself. And damn it I loved Ryle, and I hated Colleen for that. I hated her for making me swoon and laugh when she was about to shatter my soul. The Katerina that started It Ends with Us is a different person than the Katerina that finished it. Remorseful, destroyed, wiser.
“Life is a funny thing. We only get so many years to live it, so we have to do everything we can to make sure those years are as full as they can be. We shouldn’t waste time on things that might happen someday, or maybe even never.”
- A part of me wants to forget this raw, powerful, inspirational, beautiful and ugly book. But the dominant part, even though it suffers, is glad I read it and learned.
- To every single person out there, READ IT.
- To every woman in Lily’s place, BE BRAVE AND BOLD.
- To Colleen Hoover, THANK YOU. For sharing this with us. With me.
“Just keep swimming.”
5. HEATHER K Reviews: It Ends with Us: A Novel (1)
NOT a Colleen Hoover fan-girl but this was GORGEOUS! **Spoiler-free**
I have a confession to make here, folks:
I dismissed Colleen Hoover years ago and I haven’t read anything from her since.
It’s true. Three or four years ago I went through a string of so-so to bad Colleen Hoover books, and I decided to just put her out of my mind. I ignored her new releases, and I lumped her into my mental pile for authors who are “not for me.”
Recently, one of my friends wanted to buddy read this book. I thought, “Gah, pay full price for a book I’m not going to like?” However, I sucked it up and sort of grumbled about it, but I decided to give it a go.
And this book blew me away.
The Colleen Hoover I last read wasn’t writing books at this caliber. This was a whole different level.
For one, there are none, and I mean NONE, of the tired romance tropes presents in this book. In fact, this book was a little more woman’s fiction than romance, if I’m being honest. While I guess it can still be classified, genre-rules-style, as romance, it is more about Lily’s life experiences and the lessons that she learns about herself than anything else. There is a romance present, but I don’t think it is the main focus of the story. While I’m not typically a women’s fiction fan, I think that if this book took any other trajectory, it wouldn’t have been as powerful.
I typically don’t read reviews before starting a book. In fact, I didn’t even read the blurb for this one, or if I did, I forgot it before starting to read. I liked that. I think going in blind with an open mind and minimal expectations is the way to go. Though the twists and turns aren’t 100% unexpected, the author very much succeeded in pulling the rug out from under me on more than one occasion.
I’m usually not a fan of books where people say, “Wow, that made me think. This book is a thinker.” I usually just roll my eyes internally because I assumed that the readers are being played like emotional pawns. I know, I’m judgy. But in this case, yeah, I was thinking a whole hell of a lot. It made me reevaluate how I perceive others and their relationships, and it made me rethink my biases. People are always know-it-alls until they are in the situation themselves, and then it doesn’t seem quite as simple.
The author made one right decision after another with this story. I think that is the key to its success. The author made a relatable, human character in Lily, and gave each supporting character their positives and negatives. There are no villains here. No easy answers. Colleen Hoover also made an insanely smart decision to have only Lily narrate the story. There was no other choice, really, but it gave readers a laser-focus on her, which is where our focus deserves to be.
While this book has a positive ending, it is also a story that can be described as gritty, difficult, hopeful, powerful, and crushing, all at the same time. It is a long story, but it has a fast-pace with plot elements thrown in at the right times to keep interest engaged. I couldn’t put the book down from the moment I got into the groove, and I read this story all night until the last page. The dedication is also important to read, but make sure you do it after you’ve finished the story and not before.
Colleen Hoover impressed me so much with this story. It made me rethink a lot of things, but most of all, it made me rethink how I judged Colleen Hoover years ago. I won’t dismiss her so easily again.
6. TINA Reviews: It Ends with Us: A Novel (1)
It’s easy to Judge when you have never lived it.
I truly enjoyed this book with such a powerful story and a sad reality for some of us.
It’s easy to judge people when you have never experienced what they are going through.
We judge parents when they can’t control their children in public until we become parents then we now why it can be hard at times.
We judge a person when they don’t leave their abusive partner when it’s obvious they are hurting them. Why would you stay with someone who hurts you physically or emotionally?. It’s not until we go through it that it clicks.
My dad was a working alcoholic. He would work Monday through Friday and every Friday night he would go out get drunk and come home to let my mom and his 5 children know what a bunch of disappointments we were to him. When were little he would mostly aim the psychological abuse at my mom. Then when we were in our preteens he started emotionally abusing us. He would yell throw things around and release all the rage he had to us verbally. We asked my mom to leave him many times but she didn’t.
I swore I would never let a person do that to me and swore I would never be like my mother. At 18 I move in with a boyfriend and left him after enduring 2 years of physical abusive with him. I had become what I feared the most my mother only difference was my dad never hit my mom. I was beaten by the man I loved.
It never gets better. It only gets worse.
I didn’t have a anybody to help me. One day I just woke up and realized that I couldn’t do it anymore and left. Did I looked back absolutely but I was lucky that I realized that he would never change and I loved me too much.
7. JESSICA S Reviews: It Ends with Us: A Novel (1)
*Contains Spoiler* A Must-Read!!
This was my first Colleen Hoover read and I am impressed! The writing and story was beautiful and heartfelt. It was such an easy read and left me wanting more of Lily’s story.
I read many reviews on here with many complaining that it was “unrealistic” and “not believable”, And even one saying that “Ryle’s character wasn’t congruent with that of an abusive man”. When I’m fact, there are many men out there just like Ryle. Women who are charming, handsome, and loving but have a switch that just turns and they are suddenly abusive, then the switch turns again and they are apologetic. It. DOES. Happen. Just because you haven’t experienced it doesn’t make it unbelievable or fake.
As someone who experienced verbal and physical abuse first-hand from their ex-partner, I can attest that it does happen. And the desire to want to stay with your child’s father because you think you can handle it, or because you try to rationalize that the food has outweighed the bad, or because you have always dreamed of raising your children together with their father instead of having a broken home…. These are all REAL thoughts and experiences that many women have when dealing with an abusive partner. You try to rationalize their behavior or make excuses and stay when you should leave. It all happens. And this story shows that side of it. It gives you a glimpse into the emotional state of the abused and why they sometimes stay… why they don’t call the cops or report it… why they have a hard time letting go when they are in love or think they are in love. I understand that internal struggle when you are pregnant with their child but want them to be a better person. I recognize that moment after having their child that you realize that even if you want to help the person and think you can handle the bad, that it’s finally time to leave the relationship for the sake of your child.
This story has been beautifully written and brought back so many memories of my past experiences. It also helped shed a light on some of my own feelings that I hadn’t been able to put into words before.
I cannot wait to dive into more CoHo books. Thank you Colleen, for writing this story. I completely understand what you said in your notes about how you wanted to write Ryle’s story differently because you wanted it to be different for him. I felt that too while reading it. I loved seeing him go from never wanting relationships to trying them because of Lily, and the steps he took to change given his history and his young child life. I didn’t want his character to do what he did and wanted the happily ever after with Lily. But just like you said, I understand why it needed to be written. And I thank you for writing on behalf of all of us who have experienced this.
8. K.L.GRAYSON Reviews: It Ends with Us: A Novel (1)
Dear Colleen,
I find it fitting that I write this review as a letter to you the way Lily would write to Ellen. Don’t ask me why, I really don’t know. What I do know is that I haven’t been on Goodreads in nearly six months and it’s entirely your fault that i’m here now. So, if i stumble upon a poor review on one of my books and end up in the fetal position on my kitchen floor surrounded by Ding Dong wrappers, well, I’m blaming it on you. I’ve even given my husband instructions to bill you for the psychiatry bill if that happens.
On Friday I had a hysterectomy. It wasn’t the worst day of my life, but it certainly wasn’t the best. One chapter of my life–quite possibly the best chapter–ended. The surgery itself took twenty minutes. Twenty minutes. Can you believe that? Twenty minutes to take out the uterus that carried my three beautiful babies for a total of twenty eight months. Twenty minutes to change my life. Don’t feel bad for me, that’s not what I want. The offending organ had to come out, I knew this. But it didn’t make it any easier. It didn’t make the finality of the situation any easier. In all honesty, for a couple of minutes I didn’t just feel like a chapter was ending, more like an entire flipping book. Maybe my life isn’t made up of chapters, maybe it’s part of a duet, or a trilogy? Either way, part of my story was over.
Over a matter of several hours, I slowly woke up from surgery and at one point I remember sitting there and just staring at the wall paper in my hospital room.
My uterus was gone.
Mauve diamonds.
The wallpaper was covered in mauve diamonds.
That’s the most hideous color, don’t you think? Mauve. Not quite pink. Not quite maroon.
I counted seven hundred and fifty three diamonds before I allowed the first tear to fall. But I wasn’t just crying for losing a part of my body, and I wasn’t crying for losing the ability to carry more children. I was crying because some women don’t even get to experience what I’ve gotten to experience. Some women never get to have babies. They never get to feel them grow in their bellies. They never get to see the slimy little monsters as they tumble their way into this world.
And I did.
I got to do all of that three times.
So why was I so upset? What the hell was my problem? I should be grateful, right? Happy?
My husband slept soundly in the chair, snoring softly, but at some point my cries must have woken him up. He stirred and I did the only thing I could do … I grabbed your book. You see, it was sitting on my bedside table. I buried my nose between the pages and when my better half asked me if I was okay I simply peeked over the top of the book and whispered, “Colleen. She did it again.”
I didn’t need to say much more, he knows my obsession with your words and I found myself grateful. Grateful that he knew your books make me cry and grateful that you inadvertently allowed me to grieve. And that’s what I did. I read your book and I grieved. I cried when Lily cried. I cried when Ryle cried. And even when no one was crying, I still cried simply because I needed to and I could and no one thought twice about it because i was reading and that’s what i do when i read. It was my outlet, my excuse for the tears that wouldn’t go away, the tears that kept falling despite my desperate protest.
I cried for all of the Lily’s in the world, and the Ryle’s too. I cried for the Atlas’. And I cried for the Kirby’s (that’s my name. No i’m not named after a vacuum, or a cream puff)
But you see, I didn’t want to cry. I didn’t want to be upset. I have three beautiful children whom I love with my entire heart. My body did it’s job extremely well and that is something to be proud of. But why wasn’t I proud?
Naked truth?
I’m selfish.
I wanted one more baby even though my husband didn’t. I wanted one more baby when there are women out there that can’t have any at all.
So why am I telling you this? My story is nothing like Lily’s. Not even close.
But maybe it is …
She wanted something she shouldn’t want. I wanted something I couldn’t have. She had a decision to make … one that would change her life. So did I. She made a decision that was right for her and for her life at that particular time.
Ditto.
But the real reason I’m telling you this is because for two days I was drowning and It Ends With Us was my lifeline. It’s what I grabbed when I needed to stop thinking … it’s what I grabbed when i needed to cry … and when i finally finished the book and put it down, it wasn’t mauve diamonds that I saw … it was my smiling children.
My three beautiful smiling children … and my niece Lily.
— Kirby
9. YUN Reviews: It Ends with Us: A Novel (1)
“We all have a limit. What we’re willing to put up with before we break.”
When was the last time a book just completely slayed me, cutting me so deep and evoking such strong emotions? It feels like my heart has been filled, then broken, filled, then broken. In the end, I’m stunned by what I read.
It Ends with Us starts out innocently enough. We follow the courtship of Lily and Ryle. He is handsome, successful, and so thoroughly smitten by Lily he can barely think. He makes advances while claiming he doesn’t do relationships. She rebuffs him while secretly pining for him. Really, it’s all fun and a bit frivolous, your standard romance.
But then we arrive at the core of this story, which I won’t spoil because it’s best to read it from Colleen Hoover’s own words. I’ll just say that the main topic in here is something that a lot of books try to tackle, but very few do right. Hoover’s portrayal is brutal and compelling, and it’s hard to look away. Her nuanced approach makes the whole thing ring true, and she brings a humanity to it that is both sobering and heartbreaking.
I read this book years ago when it first came out, and I remember thinking highly of it, though not much else. So when I read it again this time, I admit I was shaken by how hard it hit me. I think it’s because I’m older now and have more experience with love and relationships, so I’m able to appreciate this story even more.
My suggestions if you’re going to read this book: have a box of tissues ready and don’t skip the author’s note at the end. I sobbed my way to the finishing line, then read the author’s note and sobbed some more. This is a riveting and worthwhile read, though at times difficult, and it showcases Colleen Hoover at her best, taking her contemporary new adult genre and elevating it to soaring heights.
10. CANDACE Reviews: It Ends with Us: A Novel (1)
Phenomenal!
This book will make you fall in love, rip your heart out and force you to reconsider your preconceived ideas about abuse. This is the most moving book that I’ve read in a LONG time. It was absolutely addicting, but so difficult at times. I don’t cry very often, but this one had me crying big, fat tears.
It’s been a couple of days since I finished ‘It Ends With Us’ and I’m still thinking about Lily’s story. It’s one that’ll hang with you. In so many ways, her story gutted me. Yet, it was also inspiring.
Lily grows up in an abusive household. After watching her mother suffer for years at the hand of her father, she tells herself that she’ll never allow any man to treat her that way. She grows into a strong and independent woman, leaving behind the horrors of her childhood…Or so she thinks.
Despite everything she’s promised herself, Lily finds herself in an abusive relationship. The behavior and cycle is so insidious that you almost can’t believe what is happening. Ms. Hoover manages to weave the violence into a relationship that is otherwise seemingly perfect. It is so skillfully written that you won’t want to believe what you’ve read.
I found myself making excuses for the abuser. I didn’t want to believe that he wouldn’t change. For the first time, I could understand why women make excuses for abusers. I can only imagine how strong that pull must be in reality if I felt so strongly about a fictional character.
I am in awe of Lily. Her strength and conviction blew me away. I don’t think I would’ve been strong enough to do what she did. She was an amazing character.
This was a beautiful and heartbreaking book. I recommend it to everyone. It is a must read.
III. [Quote] It Ends with Us: A Novel (1) By Colleen Hoover
![[Reviews - Quotes] It Ends with Us - A Novel (1) - Colleen Hoover](https://bookquote.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Reviews-Quotes-It-Ends-with-Us-A-Novel-1-Colleen-Hoover.jpg)
The best book quotes from It Ends With Us: A Novel (1)
“There is no such thing as bad people. We’re all just people who sometimes do bad things.”
“Not a lot of people have the courage to say what they’re actually thinking.”
“It stops here. With me and you. It ends with us.”
“You can stop swimming now, Lily. We finally reached the shore.”
“All humans make mistakes. What determine a person’s character aren’t the mistakes we make. It is how we take those mistakes and turn them into lessons rather than excuses.”
“Sometimes an unexpected wave comes along, sucks you up and refuses to spit you back out. Ryle is my unexpected tidal wave, and right now I’m skimming the beautiful surface.”
“You’re only human. And as humans, we can’t expect to shoulder all of our pain.”
“Just because someone hurts you doesn’t mean you can simply stop loving them. It’s not a person’s actions that hurt the most. It’s the love. If there was no love attached to the action, the pain would be a little easier to bear.”
“Just because we didn’t end up on the same wave, doesn’t mean we aren’t still a part of the same ocean.”
“Sometimes we have to share it with the people who love us so we don’t come crashing down from the weight of it all. But I can’t help you unless I know you need it. Ask me for help. We’ll get through this, I know we can.”
“We’ll still give them what they want, of course. But we’ll also give them what they don’t know they want.”
“I think about how sometimes, no matter how convinced you are that your life will turn out a certain way, all that certainty can be washed away with a simple change in tide. ”
“Cycles exist because they are excruciating to break.”
“He pulls back to look down at me and when he sees my tears, he brings his hands up to my cheeks. “In the future… if by some miracle you ever find yourself in the position to fall in love again… fall in love with me.”
“It takes an astronomical amount of pain and courage to disrupt a familiar pattern.”
“Preventing your heart from forgiving someone you love is actually a hell of a lot harder than simply forgiving them.”
“Sometimes it seems easier to just keep running in the same familiar circles, rather than facing the fear of jumping and possibly not landing on your feet.”
“I feel like everyone fakes who they really are, when deep down we’re all equal amounts of screwed up. Some of us are just better at hiding it than others.”
“I think that’s one of the biggest signs a person has matured—knowing how to appreciate things that matter to others, even if they don’t matter very much to you.”
“In the future, if by some miracle you ever find yourself in the position to fall in love again . . . fall in love with me.”
“Sometimes, even grown women need their mother’s comfort so we can just take a break from having to be strong all the time.”
“It’s not a person’s actions that hurt the most. It’s the love. If there was no love attached to the action, the pain would be a little easier to bear.”
“Life is a funny thing. We only get so many years to live it, so we have to do everything we can to make sure those years are as full as they can be. We shouldn’t waste time on things that might happen someday, or maybe even never.”
“I don’t know how he calmed me down without even talking, but he did. Some people just have a calming presence about them and he’s one of those people.”
“And when you love someone, seeing them sad also makes you sad.”
“Fifteen seconds. That’s all it takes to completely change everything about a person. Fifteen.”
“And as hard as this choice is, we break the pattern before the pattern breaks us.”
Book excerpts: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
Chapter One
As I sit here with one foot on either side of the ledge, looking down from twelve stories above the streets of Boston, I can’t help but think about suicide.
Not my own. I like my life enough to want to see it through.
I’m more focused on other people, and how they ultimately come to the decision to just end their own lives. Do they ever regret it? In the moment after letting go and the second before they make impact, there has to be a little bit of remorse in that brief free fall. Do they look at the ground as it rushes toward them and think, “Well,crap. This was a bad idea.”
Somehow, I think not.
I think about death a lot. Particularly today, considering I just—twelve hours earlier—gave one of the most epic eulogies the people of Plethora, Maine, have ever witnessed. Okay, maybe it wasn’t the most epic. It very well could be considered the most disastrous. I guess that would depend on whether you were asking my mother or me. My mother, who probably won’t speak to me for a solid year after today.
Don’t get me wrong; the eulogy I delivered wasn’t profound enough to make history, like the one Brooke Shields delivered at Michael Jackson’s funeral. Or the one delivered by Steve Jobs’s sister. Or Pat Tillman’s brother. But it was epic in its own way.
I was nervous at first. It was the funeral of the prodigious Andrew Bloom, after all. Adored mayor of my hometown of Plethora, Maine. Owner of the most successful real-estate agency within city limits. Husband of the highly adored Jenny Bloom, the most revered teaching assistant in all of Plethora. And father of Lily Bloom—that strange girl with the erratic red hair who once fell in love with a homeless guy and brought great shame upon her entire family.
That would be me. I’m Lily Bloom, and Andrew was my father.
As soon as I finished delivering his eulogy today, I caught a flight straight back to Boston and hijacked the first roof I could find. Again, not because I’m suicidal. I have no plans to scale off this roof. I just really needed fresh air and silence, and dammit if I can’t get that from my third floor apartment with absolutely no rooftop access and a roommate who likes to hear herself sing.
I didn’t account for how cold it would be up here, though. It’s not unbearable, but it’s not comfortable, either. At least I can see the stars. Dead fathers and exasperating roommates and questionable eulogies don’t feel so awful when the night sky is clear enough to literally feel the grandeur of the universe.
I love it when the sky makes me feel insignificant.
I like tonight.
Well… let me rephrase this so that it more appropriately reflects my feelings in past tense.
I liked tonight.
But unfortunately for me, the door was just shoved open so hard, I expect the stairwell to spit a human out onto the rooftop. The door slams shut again and footsteps move swiftly across the deck. I don’t even bother looking up. Whoever it is more than likely won’t even notice me back here straddling the ledge to the left of the door. They came out here in such a hurry, it isn’t my fault if they assume they’re alone.
I sigh quietly, close my eyes and lean my head against the stucco wall behind me, cursing the universe for ripping this peaceful, introspective moment out from under me. The least the universe could do for me today is ensure that it’s a woman and not a man. If I’m going to have company, I’d rather it be a female. I’m tough for my size and can probably hold my own in most cases, but I’m too comfortable right now to be on a rooftop alone with a strange man in the middle of the night. I might fear for my safety and feel the need to leave, and I really don’t want to leave. As I said before… I’m comfortable.
I finally allow my eyes to make the journey to the silhouette leaning over the ledge. As luck would have it, he’s definitely male. Even leaning over the rail, I can tell he’s tall. Broad shoulders create a strong contrast to the fragile way he’s holding his head in his hands. I can barely make out the heavy rise and fall of his back as he drags in deep breaths and forces them back out when he’s done with them
He appears to be on the verge of a breakdown. I contemplate speaking up to let him know he has company, or clearing my throat, but between thinking it and actually doing it, he spins around and kicks one of the patio chairs behind him.
I flinch as it screeches across the deck, but being as though he isn’t even aware he has an audience, the guy doesn’t stop with just one kick. He kicks the chair repeatedly, over and over. Rather than give way beneath the blunt force of his foot, all the chair does is scoot farther and farther away from him.
That chair must be made from marine-grade polymer.
I once watched my father back over an outdoor patio table made of marine-grade polymer, and it practically laughed at him. Dented his bumper, but didn’t even put a scratch on the table.
This guy must realize he’s no match for such a high-quality material, because he finally stops kicking the chair. He’s now standing over it, his hands clenched in fists at his sides. To be honest, I’m a little envious. Here this guy is, taking his aggression out on patio furniture like a champ. He’s obviously had a shitty day, as have I, but whereas I keep my aggression pent up until it manifests in the form of passive-aggressiveness, this guy actually has an outlet.
My outlet used to be gardening. Any time I was stressed, I’d just go out to the backyard and pull every single weed I could find. But since the day I moved to Boston two years ago, I haven’t had a backyard. Or a patio. I don’t even have weeds.
Maybe I need to invest in a marine-grade polymer patio chair.
I stare at the guy a moment longer, wondering if he’s ever going to move. He’s just standing there, staring down at the chair. His hands aren’t in fists anymore. They’re resting on his hips, and I notice for the first time how his shirt doesn’t fit him very well around his biceps. It fits him everywhere else, but his arms are huge. He begins fishing around in his pockets until he finds what he’s looking for and—in what I’m sure is probably an effort to release even more of his aggression—he lights up a joint.
I’m twenty-three, I’ve been through college and have done this very same recreational drug a time or two. I’m not going to judge this guy for feeling the need to toke up in private. But that’s the thing— he’s not in private. He just doesn’t know that yet.
He takes in a long drag of his joint and starts to turn back toward the ledge. He notices me on the exhale. He stops walking the second our eyes meet. His expression holds no shock, nor does it hold amusement when he sees me. He’s about ten feet away, but there’ senough light from the stars that I can see his eyes as they slowly drag over my body without revealing a single thought. This guy holds his cards well. His gaze is narrow and his mouth is drawn tight, like a male version of the Mona Lisa.
“What’s your name?” he asks.
I feel his voice in my stomach. That’s not good. Voices should stop at the ears, but sometimes—not very often at all, actually—a voice will penetrate past my ears and reverberate straight down through my body. He has one of those voices. Deep, confident, and a little bit like butter.
When I don’t answer him, he brings the joint back to his mouth and takes another hit.
“Lily,” I finally say. I hate my voice. It sounds too weak to even reach his ears from here, much less reverberate inside his body.
He lifts his chin a little and nudges his head toward me. “Will you please get down from there, Lily?”
It isn’t until he says this that I notice his posture. He’s standing straight up now, rigid even. Almost as if he’s nervous I’m going to fall. I’m not. This ledge is at least a foot wide, and I’m mostly on the roof side. I could easily catch myself before I fell, not to mention I’ve got the wind in my favor.
I glance down at my legs and then back up at him. “No, thanks. I’m quite comfortable where I am.”
He turns a little, like he can’t look straight at me. “Please get down.” It’s more of a demand now, despite his use of the word please. “There are seven empty chairs up here.”
….
Note: Above is an excerpt from the book “It Ends with Us: A Novel (1) by Colleen Hoover”. If you find it interesting and useful, don’t forget to buy paper books to support the Author and Publisher!
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