Review: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
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There is no question that It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover has somehow struck literary gold. At least in the number of readers talking about this book.
And just to be clear – It Ends With Us is book #1 of the It Ends With Us series which is a two-book series. The titles are a bit confusing! Don’t read them out of order. If you’re reading these books, you must start with this one that I’m reviewing right here – It Ends With Us – first!
And if Colleen Hoover’s goal was to spark as many differing opinions as there are people talking about the book, then she truly has found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
I will admit that I was a little late to the CoHo party. It Ends With Us is the first CoHo book I’ve read, and that was a while after everyone else talking about it had already read it.
In all honesty, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to read it. However, my book club took that decision out of my hands by choosing this book as the next book club book a few months ago.
But, I was kind of glad to be forced into reading it because one thing is for certain – It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover has been getting tons of hype. Some good, some bad, and a lot of it just smack dab in the middle.
So my review not only gives you a short synopsis of the book but also my honest opinion on what I thought about it. And of course, my three Rs of book reviews. Should you read, reread, or completely reconsider reading It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover.
So let’s get started. But, before we do that, I’m assuming you do actually know who Colleen Hoover is! If not, I’ve got you covered.
Contents
Who Is Colleen Hoover?
If you read much book news online, especially in some of the book groups on Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms, you’ve probably noticed that Colleen Hoover is referred to as CoHo.
I hope she’s not offended by that! I think it’s kind of a cute nickname that she’s acquired 🙂
Colleen Hoover is an award-winning American #1 New York Times bestselling author of many books and novellas in the romance, young adult, and psychological thriller genres. She lives in Texas with her husband and three boys.
In addition to being a successful author, Colleen Hoover is also the founder of The Bookworm Box, a charity book box subscription service and bookstore.
Summary of It Ends With Us
In this compelling and poignant novel that grips your heart and lingers in your thoughts long after the final page, bestselling author Colleen Hoover weaves a tale of a dedicated workaholic entangled in a seemingly enchanting romance, while her past love continues to cast a shadow on her mind.
Lily’s journey hasn’t been without challenges, but her unyielding determination has propelled her toward her aspirations. Leaving behind her small hometown, she achieved a college education, established herself in bustling Boston with a thriving business, and found herself irresistibly drawn to Ryle Kincaid, a captivating neurosurgeon whose charisma seems too perfect to be real.
Ryle exudes confidence, tenacity, and a hint of arrogance, counterbalanced by his brilliance and an unexpected tenderness reserved solely for Lily. His presence lingers in her thoughts, making an indelible mark. Yet, his steadfast refusal to embrace love raises unsettling questions. While Lily gradually becomes an exception to his self-imposed “no dating” rule, a relentless curiosity nags at her, urging her to uncover the origins of his emotional walls.
As Lily navigates the complexities of her newfound romance, memories of Atlas Corrigan—her first love and a tie to the past she thought she had left behind—resurface with an unrelenting force. Atlas was her confidant, her guardian. With his sudden reappearance, the foundation of Lily’s connection with Ryle begins to quake.
It Ends with Us is an exquisite and poignant exploration of love’s nuances and sacrifices, a narrative that resonates deeply and remains etched in your soul—an enduring gem that stands the test of time.
Review: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
It Ends With Us, along with its sequel book It Starts With Us, has received an unbelievable amount of mention in one form or another since its publication.
And the reviews are all over the board. They range from excellent to extremely negative. And for quite a while after this book was published, I just couldn’t be bothered to see what all the hype was about.
But, eventually, I decided to see for myself what all the hubbub was about.
It Ends With Us – What I Liked
I had huge expectations for this book, mainly because of all the hype it has received over the months. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to all my expectations. But here are the things I did like.
First, I liked the character Lily right from the start. Lily is a 23-year-old girl from a small town in Maine, and I loved her right from the moment that she did what she did while giving the eulogy at her father’s funeral. Can’t tell you what she did here, because…no spoilers! But I did love Lily from that moment forward.
And, I love the absolute silliness of Lily’s full name, given that she wants to be a florist. Lily Bloom. How ridiculously silly that is, and it was somehow perfect.
It Ends With Us – What I Didn’t Like
The titles are confusing. I keep getting them mixed up LOL. This is a two-book series, and the first book is It Ends With Us, while the sequel is It Starts With Us. Seems like it should be the other way around, and my brain just keeps mixing them up! Oh well…..
I did not like Ryle. There were a few moments when Lily and Ryle first met where I could start to feel a little sizzle between them and think at that point that Ryle could be a hot commodity going forward in the book. But that feeling dissipated quickly when Ryle’s true character started to come out.
I did not like the theme of domestic violence. I’m not sure what I expected from this book, but I was completely unprepared for what I got. Reading about abusive relationships doesn’t make for a heartwarming romance in my opinion.
As I was about halfway through this book, I questioned whether I could finish it. And, I certainly had no plans to read the sequel at that point. However, despite my list of “dislikes” here, this book was compulsively readable. I read through it quickly because I just simply couldn’t put it down. Not because I loved it, but because I couldn’t stand not knowing what happened to Lily at the end. Somehow, Colleen Hoover just sucked me in from start to finish. And I’m not really sure that I even liked this book at all.
Most of all, I think I disliked the idea that Colleen Hoover seemed to somehow romanticize the theme of domestic abuse and wrap it all up in what I perceived ahead of time to be a book about a sizzling romance. Abuse is not something to be romanticized in any way. Nor does it make for a heartwarming read.
To be honest, I don’t see what all the hype was over this book. While I did get through the whole thing because I couldn’t NOT read it, I can’t say that I liked it. I kept reading it in the hope that I could get rid of the character that I disliked the most, which was Ryle.
And, it begs the question – do you have to like a book to find it a readable page-turner? What do you think?
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover – Read, Reread, or Reconsider?
Well, and now for my three Rs of book reviews. Should you read, reread, or completely reconsider reading It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover?
Read
I think everyone has to judge this book for themselves. So I say go for it. And, if you don’t read this one, you can’t get to the sequel which is a whole different story (no pun intended)!
Review of It Ends With Us – Conclusion
Despite the fact that I got something somewhat different than I expected here, I still think It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover is a worthwhile read. And, there is a sequel to this book and I, personally, found the sequel much more appealing.
But you must read them in order! Do not read “It Starts With Us” until after you have read It Ends With Us.
I did not care for the theme of domestic violence at all. I thought the situation with Ryle was creepy and I was afraid for the character Lily all the time.
I started out thinking I was going to be reading a romance. After I got going into the book, nothing about it felt romantic at all, and at times I truly disliked it immensely. But overall, It Ends With Us is definitely a love story, but between some damaged individuals.
It wasn’t until after I finished the book that I realized that Colleen Hoover has quite possibly drawn from some personal experiences in writing this book. And maybe it was a means of catharsis for her in some way.
If you’re reading this for book club, grab the It Ends With Us book club questions before your discussion meeting.
And if you like Colleen Hoover’s “romancey” books, hopefully, you’ve also read Reminders Of Him. And, for something a little different, take a look at Verity. It’s a page-turning thriller that you might love, or it might creep you out! Let me know which way it goes.
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