It Ends With Us

I must say "IT ENDS WITH US" is really an interesting book. It literally made me emotional and wonder about many things at the same time. Must read.

The book begins with the meeting of our two main characters: Lily and Ryle. Lily finished her studies and thinks about her future as Ryle is a skilled neuro surgeon. When love blooms between both of them, and they are close to their marriage, enters the hurricane in the form of a guy named Atlas, who was an integral part of Lily's past and her first love. This brings significant changes in Ryle and and unleashes the dark side of him. What follows after that makes up the book. This book was originality at its best! Really, every line came to life and it elicited so many conflicting emotions in my heart. I honestly don't know whether to feel sad or hopeful for the ending of the book. The characters were amazing and well crafted with layers and layers inside them. The first person narrative of Lily is perfect and gives an insight into her past and her feelings. The book's main theme is physical abuse that too from the person whom we love the most. It was conveyed well and the book was paced decently. Although this is no mystery or thriller, this book glued me to its content and manner of writing, and few books do that to me. Give this book a shot and be ready for the tide of emotions as you navigate through broken hearts, flawed souls and ocean of tears.

I expected a frivolous romance novel, but I must say this one surprised me. The story is about Lily Bloom, who grew up in a household where her father physically and sexually abused her mother. In spite of the abuse, Lily’s mother doesn’t leave her husband, which leads Lily to believe her mother is weak, and Lily swears never to end up like her. As an adult, Lily meets a neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid – he is charming, loving and committed. But over time, Lily discovers a side to him that brings her dangerously close to repeating her mother’s cycle. After reading this book I was confused as to how I felt about it. On one hand, there is a clear depth to it; the book talks about abusive relationships in a raw, vulnerable way that makes you think about the mental and emotional trauma involved, as well as the complexity of such relationships. On the other hand, there is also a lot of what I see as juvenile romance – irrational, childish expectations from relationships, overflowing emotion, tantrums, rapid switches between extreme highs and lows, and levels of drama that no rational adult would ever subject themselves to. I also struggled with Ryle’s character in the early stages of their relationship. In the beginning of the book, he goes to great pains to emphasise how much he hates relationships (which in itself is no sin), and yet the second he meets Lily his entire personality flips and suddenly he is willing to do anything to be with her – and once that happens, he is the sickeningly sweet picture of an overly devoted boyfriend who wants to spend every moment complimenting his girlfriend and wanting to have babies. What brought about this drastic change?? Honestly, I found this transformation hard to believe. After reading the book, my aversion to romance novels remains unchanged, but I did find myself feeling much more empathy for victims of domestic abuse – the author’s own experience in an abusive home lends so much more authenticity to the experiences her characters go through – I witnessed how our tendency to judge people who go back to their abusers might not always be warranted, for although it seems black and white, the complexity of abusive relationships is not easy to navigate. There are several reasons why one might go back to them without being weak or brainwashed, and I myself have become far more sympathetic to the need to listen and understand before making assumptions and judging someone who is in that same position.

**There is no such things as bad people. We are all just people who do bad things** ✨"It Ends with Us" ~The story revolves around Lily, who stays strong and fights for what she wants and Ryle, an neurosurgeon who is stubborn and arrogant at times. ~The love between Lily and Ryle takes a drastic change from Disneyland to Horror house, in just a fraction of second. The things I specifically liked in this book are: 1. One heartfelt conversation between Lily and her Mother. 2. The innocent love story between Lily and Atlas shared from Lily's journal which becomes the main element of this book. 3. Epilogue of this book has the whole of my heart!!💖 🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁 ✨"It Starts with Us" ~The story of this book revolves around Lily and Atlas. ~The details about Atlas's life that went missing in the book is totally covered in this book. ~It ofcourse is a sweet happy ending❣️ Things I liked in this book are: 1. The Lil therapist of Atlas. 2. Theo and Josh - adorable brats. 3. One short conversation between Lily and Marshal. 4. The owe read by Atlas - cutest💝 Things I loved from both the books together: 1. Non judgemental and understanding talks between Alyssa and Lily. 2. The love of Alyssa and Marshal. **Never accept any kinda abuse infused in the name of Love**

The supporting characters, including Ryle and Atlas, are also well-crafted. Ryle is depicted with complexity, showing both his charm and his darker side, which adds depth to the narrative. Atlas, on the other hand, serves as a contrast to Ryle, representing a sense of safety and love that Lily craves. Hoover’s writing is engaging and accessible, with a balance of poignant moments and lighter, humorous scenes. The pacing is well-maintained, keeping readers invested in Lily’s story from beginning to end. Overall, “It Ends with Us” is a thought-provoking and heart-wrenching novel that sheds light on important issues while delivering a captivating story. It’s a book that will stay with readers long after they’ve turned the last page.

It was good

3.5 stars Trigger warning: domestic abuse, childhood trauma My first Colleen Hoover book that I really wanted to read. And it turned out different from what I expected. I liked this book, mainly because of the easy and engaging writing style. But there are certain things I didn't like. And those things could have been handled in a more sensible way, and then this book would have been wonderful because it's a good, thoughtful story that conveys a strong message without being preachy. It started off on an interesting note. I liked the main characters, the way they met and their conversation, but then Ryle, a neurosurgeon who seemed like a very focused guy, behaves and keeps behaving in a ridiculous manner (like a beggar, really). The 'Make it stop’ scene is cringeworthy. Plus, there are so many unnecessary sex scenes. There could have been several other ways to make them fall for each other. And then there's Atlas. That teenage love story (of Lily and Atlas) was sweet. But it was implausible. I mean that poor, homeless guy is almost 19 and his situation was portrayed like he was some 13-14 year old boy who is alone and unable to find food/water, and doesn't know what to do. It would have been nice if his 19 yo character was a little independent or at least tried. Because I loved how Atlas’ character turned out in the second half. In fact the second half of this book is really interesting and sensible. Lily and Atlas bonding is very special actually (both as teenagerd and adults), and just for Atlas, I'm going to read the sequel, 'It Starts With Us’. ‘...sometimes the things that matter to you most are also the things that hurt you the most.' The ending is satisfying, and for a change, the epilogue is so nice, which felt necessary. Overall a good, engrossing read!

Colleen Hoover's "it ends with us" is the story of Lily bloom, a girl with simple aspirations. After a disastrous eulogy at her father's funeral, she comes for fresh air in the nearby building, where she meets ryle, a neurosurgeon, and they hit off instantly, sharing their "naked truths" with each other. Having grown up in an abusive household, Lily fears relationships and, ryle on the other hand doesn't have time for relationships. So they decide to take it slow. She accepts him with open arms only to find herself in a situation like her mother, who she has, all her life, considered weak. What will she do? Will she stand up for herself or bear in silence? The language of the book is simple and smooth. The pace is moderate. Even though the tone progresses to be emotional, having started in a light tone, the humour defuses the emotions. It felt repetitive and dragging after a while, but the quarter part of the book makes up for it. Teenager Lily's diary is the emotional connect of the book. Her voice is too touching and sympathetic, that I found myself tearing up for her. I liked her more than the grown up one. Some of Lily's actions, while seemingly stupid are justice from her perspective. And I am adding Atlas to my never ending list of favourite characters. Kudos to the author for writing a character so amazing that you can't help but fall in love. The book turns manipulative when concerned to ryle. From the moment he was introduced, he gave out Christian grey vibes (read: creepy). Whatever be your past, abusing a person is no excuse for it. Even though the author tries hard, I couldn't just feel sympathetic towards him. "Women redeeming abusive men and making them better person" is a trope that I absolutely hate. Women aren't possessions that you try to win. And I am so glad that the author didn't turn this book in the cliched way. Even though the ending felt rushed, I was so glad for Lily. The last part of the book takes you on an emotional rollercoaster. It makes up for all the flaws in the book Overall a clean read. Plot : 4/5 Cover : 4.5/5 Title : 3.5/5 Language : 3.5/5 Overall : 3.75/5