Colleen Hoover is a #1 New York Time Bestselling Author renowned for emotional reads that produce copious amounts of tears. I haven’t read nearly as many of her books as I would like, and I would like to read them all, but this one sounded too good to resist.
It Ends With Us is hard hitting and an emotional read, it will resonate with anyone who has been touched by a similar situation. I think this is a must read for all women from about 15 years of age. It is insightful and powerful, empowering and enlightening and utterly heartbreaking.
I finished the book through a haze of tears, tears that I was expecting after finishing last night with 20 pages to go and knowing the end was going to hurt. I then continued to the Note from the Author (which must be read AFTER the book for spoilerific reasons) and the tears just kept coming. Let me just say that It Ends With Us is a very personal story to Colleen Hoover and I think it shows.
Funnily enough, as I sit here writing this, I just saw a post go across Colleen Hoover’s Facebook page saying that the best way to read a Colleen Hoover novel is to go in blind, now I can’t write a review that allows you to go in completely blind but I will try to leave as much of the story out as I can.
Lily Bloom hasn’t always had it easy but she worked hard for what she wanted and took her chances with a move from her small hometown in Maine to the bright lights of Boston. Her biggest issue with living in Boston is living in an apartment, which means no garden. She has graduated college and works for the biggest marketing firm in Boston but her dream has always been to be a florist.
An inheritance gives her the means to follow her dream and open a florist, which she wants to be unique. Her choice of career change is brave and bold, and her store has to reflect that… and it does.
This book was emotional and powerful on many levels and I’m struggling with how to convey all of that without actually giving too much away.
There was a perfect quote in the first chapter of the book, that I won’t direct quote because I read an uncorrected proof, but basically it says that there are no bad people, just people who sometimes do bad things. I think this is perfect, and it is something that we all need to remember in our lives. It starts to get tricky when you have to draw a line in the sand about what constitutes sometimes, and what happens when sometimes crosses that line.
People do bad things, it doesn’t make them bad people but where does doing bad things in a relationship turn into a bad relationship. I think this is something that people in relationships often struggle with, and people outside of those relationships don’t understand.
Hoover brings a better understanding to these relationships and paints an empathetic picture of the people in these relationships, and draws on the strength of these women rather than the often misconstrued belief that they are weak.
The heart of this novel is love and romance.
Lily and Ryle meet by chance on a Boston rooftop one night, a night that sees them both escaping a bad day for some fresh air. Their meeting is fraught with the electricity of two souls connecting and then cut short by a fateful phone call summoning Ryle back to work. He walks out of her life after a short while getting to know one another and sharing truths they don’t usually share with other people.
A chance encounter brings them back together months later and the sparks ignite, sparks they both fight because they want very different things but where the heart is concerned the fight is often futile.
All of the change in Lily’s life has her thinking of her childhood, which leads to reading old journals and remembering an old flame. Imagine her surprise when she runs into him at a restaurant one night….
It Ends With Us is powerful and emotional, looking at family and relationships in-depth; exploring the complex layers of relationships and the beliefs that are formed by our childhoods. Well worth the read, definitely worth the tears and one that I will be recommending to everyone!
Thanks to Simon & Schuster 25 of our Beauty and Lace club members will be reading and reviewing It Ends With Us so please be aware there may be spoilers in the comments.
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!
Tnanks Michelle for the review, as usual really, really want to read this. Hope I’m lucky enough to be chosen to review.
Thankyou for the chance to read It Ends With Us written by Colleen Hoover.
I initially thought what a strange title for a book, I was so wrong as readers of this book will discover.
This book is beautifully written all the elements a reader could want in a book, happiness, regret, sadness and love.
Readers will laught at some things and cry at others,
The book flows wonderfully,
As I was reading it suddenly occurred to me the author had experienced or someone close to her had experienced this problem ( can’t say what it is don’t want to spoil for readers ) and in the notes from the author at the back of the book I was correct.
I started this book and I will admit I read all day I could not put this book down.
I highly recommend this book and I will be reading Colleen Hovers other books she has written
It Ends With Us is a book that I literally stayed up half the night to read. It is a book that you cannot put down.
The characters grabbed me straight away.
There’s Lily Bloom, a young woman who is working hard at making the best life she can for herself.
She moved from her home town in Maine to Boston, and she dreams of one day owning a florist shop.
One night, she meets a young man named Ryle, when she is out on an apartment rooftop (both are there to get some fresh air and clear their heads after the rough day they’ve each had).
They talk for a while, and get to know each other before Ryle is called away for work (he is a neurosurgeon at a local hospital).
They each go their separate ways, but their encounter leaves a lasting impression on them both.
So when they are reunited by chance months later, after Ryle’s sister Alyssa begins working for Lily, they decide to get to know each other better.
They begin a relationship which starts off slow, but soon becomes more serious..
I just want to mention that I loved the firm friendship Lily has with Alyssa; she’s a fantastic character, and added a lot to the over-all story.
I really don’t want to say much more about the storyline; I wish I could write just what makes this book so amazing, but I would spoil it for others and that is not what I want to achieve.
It is highly emotional, and very, very beautiful.
It makes you think about things in a different perspective, and it is a story that you will think about again and again.
Colleen has outdone herself with this.
The Note From The Author right at the end of the book added the cherry on the top (but read it after you have read the book because there are some spoilers in there, just as an FYI).
This book deserves all of the stars. I would love to see it adapted to a movie too..
It Ends with Us is an emotional read , at times I had to pause to catch my breath, I did not want to put it down and read it in one night.. It is full of hard truths, honest, beautiful, and harsh. I wish there was more to the ending, as it felt rushed.. but I also realize that this is as much Lily’s story as it is a love story, if not more so. Reading this as one woman’s journey, which everyone should read. Highly recommend ! An emotional read that affected me,
It Ends With Us is an emotionally powerful book that is very painful and raw.
The story is told from the main character Lily Bloom’s perspective. A young, hard working woman who has moved from Maine to Boston and is keen to succeed in life, love and in the new flower business she has started up.
Lily seems like she has her act together, but there are shadows in Lily’s life. And through Lily’s eyes the reader experience her history, her past agonies, her current disappointments and fears, as well as her very complicated relationships with the people in her life.
Lily’s story is well told because it is not just a black and white rendering, it delves into the greyness of Lily’s complicated adult encounters. It considers the psychology of people and ultimately it is not judgmental. The quote,”There is no such thing as bad people. We’re all just people who sometimes do bad things…”sums up the essence of the book.
From the start its clear that Lily is a sensitive and feeling soul who even in the worst situations tries very hard to understand and empathise with others. But ultimately that is not enough to shield her from the realities of her life.
It Ends With Us is gut-wrenching, and it will bring you to tears, but it is also a must read…
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover.
Lily is the central character, she is 23 and narrates the book. She is a motivated, strong, resourceful and witty person, telling her story with a touch of humour. After her Father’s death she reflects on her past. She has written letters to Ellen DeGeneres in a diary throughout her childhood.
We are taken through her past as she re reads the diaries, the ones written in her teenage years about her first love Atlas.
Back in the present Lily meets Ryle a neurosurgeon who is sensitive, brilliant and rich. We follow her present relationship with Ryle while following the past relationship with Atlas.
When Atlas suddenly reappears it throws Lily into confusion. She has choices to make!
The book also deals with a social issue in a clever way showing the reader not only the impact it has on the victim but the family too..
The book is hard to put down! You want to find out what happened in her past, while following the new love she has found with Ryle.
Who will Lily chose? You have to keep reading to find out!
Thoroughly recommend this book.
When I finished this novel, words like courageous, powerful, hopeful, moving, realistic, all kept swirling around in my head. This is a very difficult review to write, because it’s a brilliant novel, and it feels hard to convey the emotional strength of Hoover’s writing without being as skilled a writer as she herself is. Also, it’s a novel hard to write more than a sentence about without a spoiler!
So. This is the story of Lily, who was raised in an abusive household, and is determined to have a life different to her mother’s. It’s the story of Ryle, who has an aversion to relationships that may or may not be based in childhood trauma. And to some extent it’s the story of Atlas, Lily’s first love and the survivor of a different kind of abuse.
One of the reasons this novel is so moving is that the characters are living, breathing people. Their hopes and dreams are real; their fears and failings equally so. They behave in ways we understand or recognise, and they react in completely believable ways. Hoover has drawn from some events in her own life, but they would not resonate without her incredible gift for characterisation.
In some ways this novel is quite dark. It does not shy away from some brutal scenes, and considerable trauma for the characters. I would suggest that people who have experienced abuse might want to approach this novel with some caution; they may find it difficult to read. It shines a light on the question of why people accept particular behaviours, and acknowledges that people are neither just that behaviour, or always easily identified.
To write a novel which deals with the issue at the heart of this book sensitively and yet without pussy footing around is quite extraordinary. Many people will come away from this novel feeling that their understanding of difficult relationships is greatly deepened.
Ultimately, though, I found this a very positive novel. I was completely involved in the lives of the characters, struggled with their difficult choices, and was ultimately very moved by where Hoover left them. This is an extraordinary novel, and I recommend it very very highly.
I too have just read It ends with us , and I found it a very compelling book, it deals with a subject…. along with many others…. why do people stay with people in a marriage, when and if it does not seem to be working out… how can they take what is dealt to them all in the name of love…. Now having read the book, I can understand more about human nature… This is a very compelling book, and I feel that the author may have had compelling knowledge. and already lived thru part of it, or has been very close to someone who has many years ago, confided in her about their marriage, then found she has married, and the same set of circumstances, but not really. are arising…, It gives us laughter, and sorrow, and many ups and downs along the way, but the part of the novel that is so heart rending is How do I handle this now? am I like my mother? or can I see my way clear. Years before lilly met a young teen, 19 years, and befrended him, then lost track of him, only to turn up when she is married and least expects it.. at least she has him to fall back on when all else seems to fail.. good reading… and look forward to others by Colleen Hoover.
It Ends With Us is the first Collen Hoover novel I have read, as a crime fan I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was emotionally griping, for those of you who have not read a Collen Hoover novel, hang on to your hat and grab some tissues.
It Ends With Us explores the highs and lows of Lily’s relationships both past and present. Lily first meets Ryle a handsome neurosurgeon on a roof top in Boston. After the death of lily’s father, she reflects on her past and reads her childhood dairy which introduces us to Atlas. The three characters intertwine throughout the book as we dive deeper into their relationships, emotions explode. Lilys friendship with Alyssa is the type all girls desire one with strength and without judgement, which helps to balance the story. I enjoyed Lily’s witty homor at the beginning of the novel and admired her courageat the end.
Hoover has a beautiful writing style, she does not shy away from a very dark and comfronting topic, while exploring the physiologically and emotions involved. It Ends With Us is an honest and powerful story which I didnt want to but down.
Wow this book sounds amazing, My girlfriend read this has not stopped raving about it… id love to read this