It Ends With Us Book Review!

Posted On August 2, 2021

Hi Readers! I have got another review for you all! This weekend I finished reading Colleen Hoover’s most highly read & rated romance novel ‘It Ends With Us’. Usually I am not a fan of the romance genre, as I have quite so stated on numerous occasions. But, this book just slayed me! I was going in with a biased view, because I had hated the only other book of Colleen Hoover which I had read – Verity. But, this one swooned me over & it was a lovely surprise. Because this is a more on the simplicity side, I will keep this review short.

~~GOODREADS DESCRIPTION~~

Sometimes it is the one who loves you 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 in Maine where she grew up
— she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost 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.

~~THOUGHTS~~

CHARACTERS

All the characters are memorable & I loved this about the novel. Lily Bloom is simply the perfect protagonist. Her raw emotions on every page are what stuck with me the most. Atlas Corrigan was of course, the most considerate & kind person. Definitely my favourite person in the novel. Ryle Kincaid started off as a hot shot neurosurgeon, but of course nothing lasts when it sounds so perfect. His portrayal was astute & just what the story needed. Alyssa might just be my second favourite character. I loved all her attributes & I felt as if she was my best friend while I read the book. The only weird thing was Lily’s age. She is only 23 when all the story happens & I felt that was a bit too young.

WRITING STYLE

Firstly, the romance, love & sex side of the story is so well written, and keeps the reader wanting to come back for more. Be it the new romance & sexual tension between Lily & Ryle at the beginning or the childhood mutual crush between Lily & Atlas. Even Alyssa & Marshall’s relationship with each other is so chill & entirely goals! Usually, the writing with this genre is either too cheesy or plain cringe. I have learned that it takes a lot of effort on the author’s part to make it look effortless on the reader’s part. That’s why I respect romance authors.

Sure, the story was predictable. It is easy to guess if Lily would stay or leave, but all those pages where she is in a dilemma does leave a bit of a mystery to it. It was also easy to decide if she will be with Ryle or Atlas at the end. But, the point of the book was never that, which I think is wonderful. Another genius move was the way it was written with time gaps. It was fast paced for 85% of the novel. Towards the end, it did feel a bit dragged out, but I suppose I will let that slide.

IMPORTANT LESSONS

I love how you don’t figure out the meaning behind the title till the end. And, I loved why it was the way it was. The kind of focus it has put on the impact of domestic abuse & violence, gives so much clarity on the heinous reality of it. In the novel, it is mentioned that you cannot make the decision of staying or leaving for the person who is suffering, because you are outside of the situation. It is easy to judge & ask why didn’t she leave him, but when you are actually in that situation, the author has shown how complicated it is to take a decision. For this main reason, this book has got most of the stars from my review.

I also liked how Atlas’ situation is portrayed to tell us about the glaring injustice young homeless people face. We see how Atlas has gone through every possible route to find a home, but nothing worked out, which is why he was forced to live in an abandoned house without any power or electricity or water. Throughout the novel, we see how rich people donate to charities & how important it actually is to do that.

We also see how important mental health is in this book as well. Ryle had a traumatic childhood, because of which he had anger & control issues. In almost every book that I read, there is always some aspect highlighting the significance of mental health, and I think that’s necessary & brilliant.

Another minor thing which I also loved was how Lily followed her dream & opened a floral shop. I always love stories where people quit the jobs where they are unhappy to do something they love & succeed in it.

So, yes, I admit it. I loved reading Colleen Hoover’s It Ends With Us. I have rated it at 4/5 stars!

Until next time,