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It ends with us, book 1.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 9 Reviews
• Kids Say 38 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Mature, uneven, steamy romance takes on tough issues.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that It Ends With Us is a contemporary romance by popular author Colleen Hoover, who has attracted a lot of attention from book influencers on TikTok. This adult book (which was adapted into a movie in 2024) isn't marketed to teens, there's a lot of teen appeal here, not just in the sexy…

Why Age 16+?

Detailed, erotic descriptions of adults having sex mention genital and manual pe

Witnessing physical abuse throughout childhood is a strong theme. The narrator d

"F--k," "s--t," "d--k," "c--k," "dammit," "bitch," "whore," "asshole," "boobs,"

Adults occasionally drink wine and beer, not to excess but mild drunken behavior

Rare, incidental mentions of consumer products, usually to establish character.

Any Positive Content?

Breaking a familiar cycle is very difficult; it's much easier and less scary to

Lily is a model of compassion, perseverance, and empathy. She helps a schoolmate

All characters read as cisgender, heteronormative, able bodied, neurotypical, an

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Detailed, erotic descriptions of adults having sex mention genital and manual penetration, manual stimulation, thrusting, tremors, entering, pulling out, moaning, biting, tremors, jerking with release, a tongue on a breast, and detailed descriptions of kissing with tongue and caressing. Teen sex in the past is described vaguely with kissing and breathing. Characters talk and think a lot about romance and having sex. Condom use is mentioned once. Sex is used to intimidate when a man arouses a woman by penetrating her with his fingers and while doing so pulling hard on her hair, squeezing her throat, and asking her questions out of jealousy.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Violence & Scariness

Witnessing physical abuse throughout childhood is a strong theme. The narrator describes her father slapping, choking, attempting to rape, and knocking her mother to the floor. She also hears him beating a friend with a baseball bat and the sound of bones breaking. In the present the narrator is pushed down stairs, head butted, bitten, nearly raped, hit, and knocked down by her husband. Blood, pain, and fear are described without being gory. Mention of past suicidal thoughts and holding a razor to a wrist. A character reveals scars on the arms from receiving cigarette burns. Past instances of children accidentally shooting and killing a sibling. Sex is used to intimidate when a man arouses a woman by penetrating her with his fingers and while doing so pulling hard on her hair, squeezing her throat, and asking her questions out of jealousy.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

"F--k," "s--t," "d--k," "c--k," "dammit," "bitch," "whore," "asshole," "boobs," "crap," "Jesus," "Jesus Christ," and "holy hell."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Adults occasionally drink wine and beer, not to excess but mild drunken behavior is shown. A few times drinking hard liquor or drinking to excess happen and result in violence. A character smokes marijuana once.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Positive messages.

Breaking a familiar cycle is very difficult; it's much easier and less scary to stay in the cycle you know, even if you know it's not a good one. Instead of wondering why women stay in abusive relationships, we should wonder why men are abusive. Character isn't the mistakes you make, because everybody makes them; character is taking your mistakes and turning them into lessons, not excuses. There's no such thing as bad people; we're all just people who sometimes do bad things.

Positive Role Models

Lily is a model of compassion , perseverance , and empathy . She helps a schoolmate who doesn't have a place to live by giving him food, clothing, and shelter and doesn't judge him by his housing situation. She understands how other people feel and becomes better and putting herself in others' shoes. She works hard to achieve her dream and doesn't give up even when it's hard. Atlas is a good model of humility and integrity . Once he becomes successful he doesn't brag or make a big deal about it, he just keeps doing what he loves. He's very patient with Lily and never pressures her or acts inappropriately when she's not romantically available.

Diverse Representations

All characters read as cisgender, heteronormative, able bodied, neurotypical, and White. One minor character is gay.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Parents need to know that It Ends With Us is a contemporary romance by popular author Colleen Hoover, who has attracted a lot of attention from book influencers on TikTok . This adult book (which was adapted into a movie in 2024) isn't marketed to teens, there's a lot of teen appeal here, not just in the sexy stuff but also in the extended passages from the narrator's high school diary. Sexual content includes erotic and specific descriptions of sex between adults including genital and manual penetration, manual stimulation, thrusting, tremors, entering, pulling out, jerking with release, and more. Sex in the past between teens is described vaguely mentioning only kissing and breathing. Domestic violence is a very strong theme, with the narrator remembering growing up seeing her father hit and abuse her mother many times, including almost raping her mother once. As an adult the narrator experiences abuse at the hands of her husband like being pushed down stairs, pushed or knocked against hard surfaces, and needing stitches after being head-butted. Sexual stimulation is used to intimidate by being threatening while causing sexual arousal. A past thought of suicide mentions holding a razor to a wrist. A character shows arms scarred with marks from cigarette burns. Strong language includes "s--t," "c--k," "d--k," and "f--k." A character smokes marijuana once. Adults drink beer and wine with some tipsiness shown. Excess drinking and drinking hard liquor are always followed by violence. An author's note at the end lists a resource for victims of domestic violence and a link to resources for people who are unhoused.

Where to Read

Parent and kid reviews.

• Parents say (9)
• Kids say (38)

Based on 9 parent reviews

Worst book I’ve ever read

What's the story.

IT ENDS WITH US tells the story of Lily Bloom, a 23-year-old who recently moved to Boston after graduating college. One night she meets Ryle, a handsome 30-year-old who's almost completed his neurosurgery residency. As Lily is getting to know Ryle and trying to figure out her feelings for him, she's also trying to understand her past and find the courage to pursue her dream by reading the diary she kept when she was 15, in high school, falling in love for the first time, and bearing witness to her father's physical abuse of her mother. When she coincidentally runs into her first love again, a lot of feelings come back to the surface. Feelings that threaten everything Lily is building with Ryle.

Is It Any Good?

The writing in this contemporary romance is a bit uneven, with corny, overused phrases and predictable cliches. Author Colleen Hoover is at her strongest, though, in the diary entries the narrator reads from when she was 15 years old. They add a lot of emotional honesty to It Ends With Us , and make narrator Lily easy to understand and root for.

Of course the sexy stuff has built-in appeal, but teens will also enjoy imaging what their own lives might become after high school. And the author's honest treatment of tough subjects like being unhoused and domestic violence will foster empathy and understanding, and add depth to what would otherwise be a pretty standard romance novel.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the sexy stuff in It Ends With Us . Is it too much? How much is OK in books and other media? Is it a big deal?

What about the violence? Domestic violence is a difficult subject. Does the author handle it well? Did you learn anything about it? Check the author's note in the back if you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence.

Was there anything about Atlas' housing situation as a teen that surprised you? How does being 18 and still in high school make it harder for him to find help?

How is Lily a model of compassion , perseverance , and empathy ? How is Atlas is a good model of humility and integrity ? Why are these important character strengths?

Book Details

• Author : Colleen Hoover
• Genre : Romance
• Topics : Friendship , Great Boy Role Models , Great Girl Role Models , High School
• Character Strengths : Compassion , Empathy , Humility , Integrity , Perseverance
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : Atria
• Publication date : August 2, 2016
• Publisher's recommended age(s) : 18 - 18
• Number of pages : 384
• Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), iBooks, Kindle
• Last updated : November 8, 2022

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

The Literary Vault

Book Reviews, Recommendations and so much more

Book Review: “It Ends With Us” – Colleen Hoover

December 5, 2023

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

Book Review: “ It Ends With Us ” – Colleen Hoover (Romance Books By Colleen Hoover)

Discovering “It Ends With Us” by Colleen Hoover on BookTok was like stumbling upon a hidden literary gem. The enthusiastic recommendations and passionate discussions about the book on the platform created an irresistible allure. Intrigued by the fervor surrounding it, I couldn’t resist the temptation and decided to dive into the novel. From the very first page, I was captivated by Hoover’s storytelling prowess. The emotional depth, the raw authenticity of the characters, and the exploration of complex themes resonated with me on a profound level. It was a reading experience that went beyond expectations, leaving me utterly blown away by the power of the narrative and reaffirming the magic of stumbling upon a book that touches the soul in unexpected ways.

In “It Ends With Us” by Colleen Hoover, the story revolves around Lily Bloom, a young woman with a traumatic past who, despite her best efforts to build a new life, finds herself entangled in a tumultuous relationship with neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid. The narrative unfolds in layers, revealing Lily’s personal struggles, her resilience, and the complex dynamics of her relationship with Ryle. As the plot progresses, the novel addresses heavy themes, particularly domestic violence, shedding light on the impact of such issues on individuals. The story becomes a poignant exploration of love’s complexities, forcing Lily to confront difficult decisions and challenging her understanding of what it means to truly stand up for oneself. With unexpected twists and emotional depth, the novel takes readers on a journey that goes beyond the conventional boundaries of romance, offering a profound exploration of human resilience, personal growth, and the intricacies of love.

In “It Ends with Us,” Colleen Hoover skillfully crafts a narrative that stands out for its emotional depth. The novel delves into the intricacies of love, handling challenging subjects with a rare sensitivity and nuanced approach. One of the highlights is the significant character development, especially that of Lily Bloom, whose growth adds layers of complexity to the unfolding story. Hoover masterfully explores various types of relationships, offering a realistic portrayal of their challenges and nuances. The engaging writing style further enhances the reading experience, with Hoover’s prose drawing readers into the narrative effortlessly. The book also addresses thought-provoking themes, such as domestic violence and personal strength, prompting readers to reflect on their own beliefs and values. Amidst all these elements, the well-paced plot emerges as a page-turner, seamlessly blending romance and personal struggles to create a compelling and unforgettable tale that captivates readers from beginning to end.

The novel grapples with weighty themes that could be distressing for certain readers, particularly due to its intense depiction of domestic violence. For those seeking a lighter reading experience, the emotional challenges presented in the narrative might prove overwhelming. While the story is undeniably engaging, some readers may find certain plot twists predictable. However, the true strength of the novel lies more in the profound emotional journey it unfolds rather than in surprising twists. The impact of the story is highly subjective, varying based on individual experiences and perspectives. Some readers may deeply resonate with the themes, connecting on a personal level, while others may find them too intense or triggering. Additionally, for those inclined towards a more traditional or lighter romance, the novel’s emphasis on emotional exploration may overshadow the romantic elements, potentially influencing their overall reading experience.

Book Review and Rating:

In conclusion, “It Ends with Us” stands out as a powerful exploration of love and personal strength. Its emotional depth and realistic portrayal of relationships contribute to a captivating narrative. While some may find the themes intense, the novel’s thought-provoking nature and engaging writing make it a worthwhile read for those seeking a contemporary romance with substance.

If you enjoyed reading this book review, please like, comment, follow, and share. Subscribe to my newsletter to stay tuned for more book review s and Young Adult Book Recommendations .

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Book Review: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

By Yasi Agah Posted on 9.9.21

CW: domestic abuse

Have you ever witnessed your friend or family member in a toxic relationship? Have you yourself ever been in a toxic relationship? To an outside perspective it seems impossible why anyone would ever stay in an unhealthy relationship. But to the person inside the relationship…it’s not that easy. In this story, Lily Bloom (yes, that is her adorable name) is a free-spirited Maine native with a seemingly normal life…until she meets Ryle. 

After she graduates with a business degree from college, she moves to Boston and decides that she wants to pursue her dream of opening a flower shop (Yes. You read that correctly. Again – adorable). When she moves to Boston she meets a mysterious man, Ryle Kincaid, a smooth-talking neurosurgeon with a sprinkle of mystery. Lily and Ryle hit it off with a flirtatious rooftop encounter and have an immediate connection – Lily thinks that she’ll never see him again but she has no idea what’s in store. Ryle turns out to be the love of her life and she can see a future with him. However, a wrench gets thrown into her life when a past flame and her first true love, Atlas, comes back into her life. On the outside, Lily’s life seems amazing. She has a beautiful doctor boyfriend, has an incredible career and is living out her dreams. But on the inside, there’s much more to the story. Check out Colleen Hoover’s thrilling romance novel, It Ends With Us , for a story about how love doesn’t always turn out the way you think.

AH. This book had me on the edge of my seat the entireee time. It was a rollercoaster of emotions, going back and forth between the men in Lily’s life and constantly thinking – why doesn’t she leave if she isn’t happy? I won’t give away any spoilers but there is a heavy theme of domestic abuse throughout this book and helps show the internal debate that women have when they’re in a toxic relationship. It’s extremely easy to see someone in an abusive relationship and think “why doesn’t she leave already?” but it’s truly not that simple.

Based on true events from the author’s life, this book outlines the terrifying cycle of domestic abuse and the effects it can have on women for generations to come. It Ends With Us is an eye-opening and suspenseful story that shows how all consuming and catastrophic domestic abuse can become. This book showed me the insider’s perspective to a terrifying situation and the rationale that women use to stay in unhealthy relationships – it is never as easy as it seems. There were many moments throughout this book that left me teary eyed and I wouldn’t be surprised if it did the same for you. It’s a binge read that somehow breaks your heart and then puts it back together.  If you know someone who has experienced domestic abuse and needs help, please check out the resources at the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Here is their website https://www.thehotline.org/get-help/ and you can call 800.799.SAFE (7233).

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The Crimson Books

It Ends with Us Review (2016): Unveiling the Irresistible Impact

In this comprehensive ‘It Ends with Us’ review, we delve into the enthralling narrative crafted by Colleen Hoover. Join us as we explore the emotional depth, thought-provoking themes, and the profound impact of this remarkable novel.

‘It Ends with Us’ by Colleen Hoover has taken the literary world by storm with its poignant story and unforgettable characters. In this review, we uncover the reasons behind its widespread acclaim and its ability to resonate with readers worldwide.

One of the most striking aspects of ‘It Ends with Us’ is its ability to address sensitive topics with compassion and authenticity. Colleen Hoover masterfully navigates themes of love, loss, and personal growth, leaving readers with a profound understanding of the complexities of human relationships.

The characters in ‘It Ends with Us’ are richly developed, each with their own unique struggles and vulnerabilities. Through the protagonist’s journey, Hoover presents a thought-provoking exploration of the intricacies of domestic abuse and its impact on individuals and families.

Hoover’s writing style is both eloquent and captivating, drawing readers into the story from the very first page. The narrative unfolds with a perfect balance of heart-wrenching moments and hopeful glimpses, keeping readers emotionally invested until the very end.

‘It Ends with Us’ is not just a novel; it is a call to action. By shedding light on important social issues, Hoover encourages readers to reflect on their own lives and make a positive change. This thought-provoking book has the power to spark conversations and inspire empathy, making it a must-read for anyone seeking a transformative reading experience.

In conclusion, ‘It Ends with Us’ is a gripping and emotionally-charged novel that leaves a lasting impact on its readers. Colleen Hoover’s powerful storytelling and exploration of complex themes make it a standout work in contemporary fiction.

Whether you’re a fan of romance, drama, or thought-provoking narratives, this book is sure to captivate and resonate with you long after the final page.

It Ends with Us Buying Options:

Disclaimer: This blog post may contain affiliate links. If you click on these links and make a purchase, The Crimson Books may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

About the Author

Emma Thompson is a passionate bookworm with a deep appreciation for literature across various genres. With a degree in English Literature, she has a keen eye for analyzing and dissecting the intricacies of a book’s themes and writing style.

Emma has been an active reviewer for over five years, sharing her insights and recommendations with fellow readers.

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• About the Book

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of IT STARTS WITH US and ALL YOUR PERFECTS, a “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) about a workaholic with a too-good-to-be-true romance can’t stop thinking about her first love.

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 ).

It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover

• Publication Date: August 2, 2016
• Genres: Fiction , Romance , Women's Fiction
• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Atria Books
• ISBN-10: 1501110365
• ISBN-13: 9781501110368

Book Review: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Last Updated on August 20, 2023 by Louisa

In the enthralling novel It Ends With Us, bestselling author Colleen Hoover showcases the complexities of love and highlights the profound strength required to break free from the cycles of abuse.

I was excited to read It Ends With Us after reading her highly acclaimed thriller novel, Verity, and had high expectations from page one.

With her signature style of delivering emotional depth and raw storytelling, Hoover’s It Ends With Us promises to be no different.

It immerses you in a gripping narrative that challenges societal norms and delves into the depths of human resilience.

Through the eyes of an unforgettable protagonist, It Ends With Us takes readers on an emotional rollercoaster, exploring all the twists and turns of complex relationships, personal boundaries, and the power of self-love.

If you’re thinking of reading It Ends With Us but you’re not sure if it’s right for you, here is my complete and honest book review of It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover.

Affiliate Disclosure : This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through any of these links. 

Book Review of It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

It ends with us by colleen hoover book review.

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover is a powerful and emotionally charged novel that delves deep into the complexities of love, personal identity, and the strength to break free from toxic relationships. It Ends With Us is a prime example of Colleen Hoover’s talent for crafting compelling and addictive stories that resonate with readers. The story follows Lily Bloom, a young woman who finds herself torn between two men: Ryle Kincaid, a handsome and charismatic neurosurgeon, and Atlas Corrigan, her first love and the person who knows her best. As Lily navigates the intricacies of love and relationships, she must confront her past and make difficult choices that will shape her future.

Reviewed by Louisa Smith

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover is a compelling and emotionally charged novel that explores the devastating effects of abuse and the strength of self-love.

What I liked

Colleen Hoover’s writing style is yet again as captivating and addicting as her other novels, drawing you into Lily’s world and evoking a range of emotions as you navigate your way through the story.

The raw and emotive portrayal of Lily’s journey tugs at the heartstrings, immersing you in her joys, struggles, and heartbreaks.

I enjoyed how Hoover tackles tough topics with sensitivity, highlighting the impact of domestic violence and the importance of self-worth but in a way that doesn’t come across too upsetting.

One of the strengths of It Ends With Us lies in its realistic and relatable character development.

Lily’s growth throughout the story is both believable and inspiring, reminding you of the resilience and strength within yourself.

Hoover has successfully navigated the complexities of relationships with nuance, shining a light on the blurred lines between love, loyalty, and personal boundaries.

The novel also offers a glimpse into the challenges and pressures of college life, portraying friendships, parties, and academic stress in a believable manner.

The authenticity of these elements adds depth to the narrative and enhances the your connection to the characters’ experiences.

What could have been better

While It Ends With Us is an engaging and well-written novel, it does share some common tropes found in college romances and can be somewhat predictable in places.

The on-and-off nature of the main characters’ relationship was a bit frustrating at times, and so I don’t recommend this book for readers seeking a more stable and linear narrative.

Additionally, the book contains toxic dynamics that can be triggering for some readers, so again if you’re not into dark romance or toxic relationships, this is not the book for you.

Some of the supporting characters in the story lack the same depth and development as the central relationship, with the focus primarily centered on Lily’s journey.

However, I did find it was easier to delve deeper into the complexities of Lily’s personal growth and decision-making process by having the attention on her throughout the book.

Similar Works

If you’re not sure whether It Ends With Us is right for you, then I would say you would enjoy it if you enjoyed reading The Deal by Elle Kennedy and Wait For You by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

These books also touch on themes of young love, personal growth, and the challenges of navigating relationships during college.

Related Reading: Books Like It Ends With Us

It Ends With Us Trigger Warnings

It Ends With Us contains trigger warnings of;

• Spousal Abuse / Domestic violence
• PTSD/depression/anxiety
• Death of a family member
• Sexual assault
• Attempted r*pe
• Explicit scenes
• Implied suicide
• Alcohol abuse

Romance Tropes

It Ends With Us features the following romance tropes :

• Adult Romance
• Contemporary Romance
• Medical Romance
• High School Romance / College Romance
• Friends to Lovers
• Second Chance Romance
• Strong Female Lead
• Wounded Hero

Where to find it?

You can find It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover in most good bookstores. Or you can purchase a copy from any of these links.

View it on:

The Verdict: Would I Recommend It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover?

It Ends With Us is a romance novel that will have your heart feeling it all. It’s both a heartbreaking and thought-provoking novel that explores the complexities of love, personal identity, and the courage to break free from toxic relationships.

While it shares similarities with other college romances, it offers a unique and impactful perspective on these themes.

While It Ends With Us contains some trigger warnings and themes that some readers may find triggering, particularly if they are sensitive to depictions of domestic violence or abusive relationships, it has been done with sensitivity in mind.

Overall it’s yet another novel that showcases Colleen Hoover’s ability to craft compelling stories filled with raw emotions and relatable characters.

Have Your Say…

Now you know what I think, it’s time to let the Epic Book Society know what you think. Have you read It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover? Share your opinion of the book in the comments.

The Details:

• Pub Date:  August 2nd, 2016
• ISBN:  1501110365
• Page Count:  384
• Publisher:  Atria Books

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About Louisa Smith

Editor/Founder - Epic Book Society

Louisa is the Founder, Editor, and Head Honcho of Epic Book Society. She was born and raised in the United Kingdom and graduated from the University for the Creative Arts with a degree in Journalism. Louisa began her writing career at the age of 7 when her poetry was published in an anthology of poems to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee. Upon graduating university, she spent several years working as a journalist writing about books before transitioning to become a Primary School Teacher. Louisa loves all genres of books, but her favorites are Sci-Fi, Romance, Fantasy, and Young Adult Fiction. Read more Louisa's story here .

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It Ends with Us | Colleen Hoover | Book Review

“And as hard as this choice is, we break the pattern before the pattern breaks us.” –        Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us

It Ends with Us is my first Colleen Hoover book and I must say that it surpassed all the expectations that I had for it. I remember my sister reading this exact book, and her telling me that it is her favorite book. I laughed at her because I thought it was some cheesy romance tale that has nothing to hold on to.

But oh boy, if only I knew what I was getting myself into. It was such a good read that it even made it to my top 10 books of this year. It also has several strong life lessons embedded in its plot structure that will certainly teach you a thing or two. 

The story as it goes

Lily is a small-town girl with big dreams who decides to leave her small-town life in Maine and move to Boston. Life has never been really easy for her, but that doesn’t matter. She has big plans for herself. She goes to college and starts her business in the big city.

Before long, Lily stumbles upon the handsome and charming Ryle Kincaid, a neurosurgeon making the big bucks. He is smart and intelligent, though a tad arrogant, and has a strictly ‘no relationships’ policy.

But only for Lily, he seems to have let go of his rule. Even though everything is going great with Ryle, Lily seems to hang on to thoughts of Atlas, the guy who was her first love; the guy who really understood her.

And now, when Atlas seems to have magically reappeared in her life, the carefully built relationship that she has with Ryle seems threatened.

So, who will it be? Ryle or Atlas?

The writing

Coming to how the story is structured, it has everything that makes a good novel. A great one. I love everything about the characters – major and minor . They have been written so well and with a lot of thought behind every one of them. I love that we also get to see their development throughout the story. 

In It Ends with Us, we started with a simple story but we ended it with so many thoughts running through our minds that we cannot come to one conclusion. We do not know whether we liked the ending or not. We just know that we cannot get enough of it no matter how many times we re-read the novel. 

The topic of abuse is something that I have always wanted to educate myself more about and to learn to look at it from a lot of perspectives and not just my own. This book gave me exactly that. I was able to read and understand domestic abuse from the perspective of a mother, a daughter, and of a wife. 

I have always asked myself why the victims are not willing to just get up and leave, and in a way, I judged them for their decisions even though I had no idea of what they are going through. But after reading this book, I came to realize that abuse or having an abusive partner is not just as simple as it looks. 

It is a situation that can cause generational trauma and when it involves a mother and father, the case is even more complicated. Should the mother walk out on her husband even though she does not have any financial security for herself and the child? Or should the mother stay and endure the abuse if it means giving financial stability to the child? 

The only response that I can conclude is that children should never be raised under such circumstances because the effects that they see in their parents will forever scar their childhood and they will carry this trauma throughout their adulthood. If domestic abuse is something that you want to go more in-depth with, this is one of the books that you need to add to your reading list. 

Also, coming to the main men in It Ends with Us, are you Team Atlas or Team Ryle? I am Team Atlas all the way because he is someone that has lived up to the standards that I have set for what a life partner should be like. 

Spoilers ahead! Skip this paragraph if you don’t want to read them

Although my heart breaks for what both Ryle and Atlas had to go through in their past, I will never side with someone who resorts to abuse because of his traumatic experience. With this, I am in a dilemma between these two. They both deserve second chances, but who deserves it more? Read the book, and help me decide. 

It Ends with Us is the kind of book that cannot be predictable. I was biting my nails waiting for what is going to happen next. The ending was also something that I did not see coming. I was rooting for both Atlas and Ryle so even before I reached the final page, I know that I will be okay with whatever happened.

While others may think that this book is merely a love triangle between Ryle, Atlas, and Lily, it is so much more than that. It shows us what it means to love and allow yourself to be loved even though you have been hurt time and again by the one person you trust the most. It also shows us how society is narrow-minded and superficial. 

What would it mean for a woman to leave her husband? Society will jump and harass the woman for this activity because it was never a man’s fault. 

Personally, if you have not started with any Colleen Hoover books, and are planning to do so, might I suggest you give this one a read? I think this is the book that will set the tone for how you read the next books by the author. Also, we are getting a sequel to this book so I am quite excited about that prospect. I have a lot to look forward to, and I hope the author does justice to the characters because I do not want to be disappointed! Let’s look forward to not being ruined and shattered by what is to come. 

Some of my favourite lines from It Ends with Us, and ones that I believe have so much meaning behind them are: 

“There is no such thing as bad people. We’re all just people who sometimes do bad things.”

“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.”

“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 love. If there was no love attached to the action, the pain would be a little easier to bear.”

Can’t wait to read it? Buy your copy of It Ends with Us.

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About the Author

Enrida lakiang lyngdoh.

Hello, my fellow bookworms, I am Enrida Lakiang Lyngdoh but you can call me Enri or Enrida. I am an ardent traveller but unlike most people, I travel differently, and that is, through the pages of a book. I love walking and being one with nature while taking aesthetic bookstagram pictures. Oh! I am also one of those readers who likes to write and highlight as much as I can in any book that I read. If you are a true reader, never forget to carry a book wherever you may go. I cannot imagine the horror of waiting for someone if there is not a book to accompany me with. Until then, Happy Reading my dear loves.

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The hunting party: where friendship ends, fear begins | lucy foley | book review, human acts | han kang | book review, five survive | holly jackson | book review, related articles, pyre | perumal murugan | book review, the whistling witch | mayur kalbag | book review, manohar kahani | raghu srinivasan | book review, a matrimonial murder | meeti shroff shah | book review.

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Awards & Accolades

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New York Times Bestseller

IndieBound Bestseller

IT ENDS WITH US

by Colleen Hoover ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 2, 2016

Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of...

Hoover’s ( November 9 , 2015, etc.) latest tackles the difficult subject of domestic violence with romantic tenderness and emotional heft.

At first glance, the couple is edgy but cute: Lily Bloom runs a flower shop for people who hate flowers; Ryle Kincaid is a surgeon who says he never wants to get married or have kids. They meet on a rooftop in Boston on the night Ryle loses a patient and Lily attends her abusive father’s funeral. The provocative opening takes a dark turn when Lily receives a warning about Ryle’s intentions from his sister, who becomes Lily’s employee and close friend. Lily swears she’ll never end up in another abusive home, but when Ryle starts to show all the same warning signs that her mother ignored, Lily learns just how hard it is to say goodbye. When Ryle is not in the throes of a jealous rage, his redeeming qualities return, and Lily can justify his behavior: “I think we needed what happened on the stairwell to happen so that I would know his past and we’d be able to work on it together,” she tells herself. Lily marries Ryle hoping the good will outweigh the bad, and the mother-daughter dynamics evolve beautifully as Lily reflects on her childhood with fresh eyes. Diary entries fancifully addressed to TV host Ellen DeGeneres serve as flashbacks to Lily’s teenage years, when she met her first love, Atlas Corrigan, a homeless boy she found squatting in a neighbor’s house. When Atlas turns up in Boston, now a successful chef, he begs Lily to leave Ryle. Despite the better option right in front of her, an unexpected complication forces Lily to cut ties with Atlas, confront Ryle, and try to end the cycle of abuse before it’s too late. 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.

Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-5011-1036-8

Page Count: 320

Publisher: Atria

Review Posted Online: May 30, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016

ROMANCE | CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE | GENERAL ROMANCE

Share your opinion of this book

More by Colleen Hoover

BOOK REVIEW

by Colleen Hoover

More About This Book

SEEN & HEARD

LOVE AND OTHER WORDS

by Christina Lauren ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 10, 2018

With frank language and patient plotting, this gangly teen crush grows into a confident adult love affair.

Eleven years ago, he broke her heart. But he doesn’t know why she never forgave him.

Toggling between past and present, two love stories unfold simultaneously. In the first, Macy Sorensen meets and falls in love with the boy next door, Elliot Petropoulos, in the closet of her dad’s vacation home, where they hide out to discuss their favorite books. In the second, Macy is working as a doctor and engaged to a single father, and she hasn’t spoken to Elliot since their breakup. But a chance encounter forces her to confront the truth: what happened to make Macy stop speaking to Elliot? Ultimately, they’re separated not by time or physical remoteness but by emotional distance—Elliot and Macy always kept their relationship casual because they went to different schools. And as a teen, Macy has more to worry about than which girl Elliot is taking to the prom. After losing her mother at a young age, Macy is navigating her teenage years without a female role model, relying on the time-stamped notes her mother left in her father’s care for guidance. In the present day, Macy’s father is dead as well. She throws herself into her work and rarely comes up for air, not even to plan her upcoming wedding. Since Macy is still living with her fiance while grappling with her feelings for Elliot, the flashbacks offer steamy moments, tender revelations, and sweetly awkward confessions while Macy makes peace with her past and decides her future.

Pub Date: April 10, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-5011-2801-1

Page Count: 416

Publisher: Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2018

GENERAL ROMANCE | ROMANCE | FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP | CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

More by Christina Lauren

by Christina Lauren

THE FRIEND ZONE

by Abby Jimenez ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 9, 2019

An excellent debut that combines wit, humor, and emotional intensity.

A woman refuses to be with her soul mate, but life intervenes, making her choice harder and more heartbreaking.

Josh meets Kristen with a bang, literally, when she slams on her brakes and he runs into her. There's minimal damage, so she disappears. Minutes later they discover that their best friends are engaged to each other and they were slated to meet that day at the fire station where Brandon and Josh work. Josh is immediately smitten, but Kristen has a boyfriend, Tyler, who’s deployed overseas. Counting down the days until he gets home for good, Kristen adamantly puts Josh in the friend zone, refusing to acknowledge their growing closeness and her spiking attraction. Then Tyler reenlists, effectively breaking up with her. Kristen and Josh sleep together, but she slams the door on his hope for a real relationship, telling him it will never be more than a friends-with-benefits situation. Josh thinks Kristen is mourning the end of her relationship with Tyler, but really, Kristen realizes Josh is her perfect match. Unfortunately she also knows Josh wants children, which would be nearly impossible for them due to her malfunctioning reproductive system. The two reach a painful impasse, but when tragedy strikes, they find themselves reevaluating their relationship. Josh knows he’ll never be happy without Kristen, but he’ll have to think outside the box to convince her to take a chance on them. Jimenez tackles a myriad of issues in her debut and hits each one with depth and sensitivity. Kristen’s take-no-prisoners attitude is smart and sassy and perfectly balanced by Josh’s easygoing resourcefulness, though at times her lack of transparency while jerking him around makes her seem more immature than self-sacrificing .

Pub Date: July 9, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-5387-1560-4

Page Count: 352

Publisher: Forever

Review Posted Online: April 27, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2019

GENERAL ROMANCE | ROMANCE | CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

More by Abby Jimenez

by Abby Jimenez

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Book Review: It Ends With Us - Colleen Hoover.

Genre: Fiction/ Romance novel/ Contemporary romance.

Rating: 5/5 stars.

DISCLAIMER :

TW: Sexual assault.

CONTAINS SPOILERS.

Finally, know that this book shouldn’t be read before going to bed, trust me it will prevent you from sleeping.

“There is no such thing as ‘bad people’. We’re all just people who sometimes do bad things.”

Hello everyone and welcome back! Today's book revolves around Colleen Hoover...that’s it. Hoover is known for a variety of her books, the most popular of them being this one. Now, I've never been a fan of the Romance genre but I do enjoy books that make me bawl my eyes out. This book was definitely one of them. It Ends with Us was a success both critically & in the eyes of fans, winning the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance.

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. 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.

I’m going to divide the review into two parts –

1-3 stars – As I mentioned earlier, I'm not a fan of Romance novels. So, my initial thoughts were that this book follows the pattern of After and 50 shades . I know they’re not the same but this is basically the storyline – A rich man and a not-so-rich woman fall in love. The woman later finds that the man has grown from a traumatic childhood that led him to be an abusive, unstable person when it comes to relationships. While reading Part One, I noticed this pattern and felt annoyed to have picked this book.

3-5 stars – It was after reading Part Two that I felt the triggers. Yet, I kept going because I had a feeling that the ending would slap my face and it did. It was the last chapter that broke me. Reading Ryle’s emotions had me *CRYING SO HARD* that I wanted Lily to take her word back. When I read “It stops here. With me and you. It ends with us.”, I was done. I felt a stab in my heart. Not because of what Lily decided (she made an awesome decision) but because I saw Lily and Ryle separate. Till the epilogue, I told myself “If Lily & Atlas got back together, I'd be happy” until it actually happened, and I don’t think I was up for it. This was because the epilogue kind of left me confused. I wanted a little more about it. I wanted to know how Ryle would react to this because I cannot get over Ryle and Lily (T_T) though I know how he’d possibly react because now they are divorced.

Although the characters are fictional, they have elements of realism in them –

Lily 's was the most powerful character. Her character may not be relatable to everyone, but it still managed to reach out. She was resilient and courageous. Brave and bold , just like her mother asked her to be.

Ryle was charming. A thriving neurosurgeon who’s willing to be better for Lily? YES. I honestly felt extreme sorrow for him but there’s nothing that could be done for his behaviour.

Atlas was a sweet one. He was just the perfect guy Lily deserved.

Alyssa and Marshall – God. They helped me laugh through the overwhelming moments of the story. The friendship between Lily & Alyssa was the sweetest.

I must say, the author really poured her soul into this book. I underestimated this book to be a typical romantic story but oh no, I was so wrong. Also, the author’s note left me with another wave of shock. Overall, this novel is an emotional rollercoaster that will surely leave any reader stunned.

“Fifteen seconds. That’s all it takes to completely change everything about a person. Fifteen seconds that we’ll never get back.”

Thank you and happy reading :)

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Stop Praising Colleen Hoover’s ‘It Ends With Us.’ Here’s What You’re Missing

Content warning: This story contains graphic descriptions of rape and sexual assault .

The quote on the cover of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, It Ends With Us, claims, “Every person with a heartbeat should read this book.” It was the  sixth best-selling book of 2021 ,  BookTok is going nuts  over it and USA Today called it “ the kind of book that gets handed down .” Its much-anticipated sequel, It Starts with Us, is set to be released next month.

The novel centers on the relationship between Lily and Ryle, a young newlywed couple who live in Boston. Lily is a successful entrepreneur, and Ryle is a gifted neurosurgeon. Both had traumatic childhoods: Lily grew up witnessing her father physically and sexually abuse her mother and was eventually victimized by him herself; when Ryle was 6 years old, he accidentally shot and killed his beloved older brother with a gun that should never have been accessible. Both halves of the couple are, understandably, haunted by their pasts.

Early in their marriage, Ryle begins to physically abuse Lily. Hoover offers a compelling perspective on how the violation and blurring of boundaries over time creates a dynamic in which victims lose the ability to see their situations clearly. Readers who ask, “Why would she stay with him?” may find some insight in this book.

Though cocky and manipulative from the start, Ryle is portrayed as a man who desperately wants to be good but is tormented by inner demons. This is, of course, a tired cliché that’s too often applied to abusive men. The first two incidents of abuse occur in “heat of the moment” scenarios in which Ryle loses his temper. Lily suffers cuts, bruises and a concussion severe enough to render her unconscious, but tells herself that “all humans make mistakes” and that “everyone deserves another chance.”

The third incident, however, reveals Ryle to be sadistic, pre-meditating and cruel. It is not an example of a poor tortured soul who loses control; on the contrary, it’s a chilling portrayal of a calculated and violent sexual attack.

Ryle discovers Lily has kept a small gift—a refrigerator magnet—given to her by her high school boyfriend. This enrages him with jealousy, and when she returns home that evening, he is waiting for her in the dark, holding the magnet. He initiates a sexual encounter with Lily, and while digitally penetrating her with one hand and pulling her hair to the point of pain with the other, demands she tell him who gave her the magnet. She asks him to stop because he is hurting her, and he responds by choking her and forcing himself upon her. He then pauses and directs her to take her shirt off and read aloud to him a recent newspaper article about the ex-boyfriend’s current success; this is frightening and humiliating for Lily, but she is too afraid to disobey. What follows is a rape attempt that results in multiple physical injuries including a scream-inducing bite and a head-butt that knocks Lily unconscious. Throughout the attack, Ryle is “disturbingly calm.”

During the time Lily is unconscious, Ryle “snaps out of it,” then expresses remorse. But there’s a logic problem here: Ryle never “snapped into it.” He planned this attack. He set it up, waited for Lily, then carried it out almost methodically. He even claims, during the rape attempt, he is doing it because “I haven’t proved to you how much I love you.” This is not a good guy with a bad temper—this is a monster. And now, there’s a complicating factor.

While being treated in the ER for her injuries after the attack, Lily learns she is pregnant. She enters another cycle of agonizing over what to do, whether there’s any hope for their family, how to reconcile the fact that she still loves Ryle with the knowledge he will turn on her. Ultimately, Lily remains strong and decides to divorce Ryle, to break the cycle (thus, “it ends with us”). If the book ended there, we could cheer her survival and courage.

But at the end of the novel, which takes place a year later and which Hoover clearly intends to be a redemption scene, we see Lily and Ryle, amicably divorced and co-parenting their daughter. In that scene, Ryle, who is a violent sex offender, is picking up the baby for “his days with her.”

Lily can’t be given a pass for not understanding the danger of this situation. She even asks, “What kind of mother would I be if a small part of me doesn’t have concern in regard to your temper?” Ultimately, she reasons that “despite what has happened between us in the past, he’s still this baby’s father. He has the legal right to be a father, no matter how I feel about it.”

This isn’t necessarily accurate. Section 31A of the Massachusetts state legislature notes that where physical or sexual violence has occurred between parents, any form of unsupervised visitation or custody with the abusive parent is considered “ contrary to the best interest of the child ” and generally not permitted. The fact that Lily doesn’t press charges doesn’t change the reality of what happened; it just means reality isn’t documented.

Lily ultimately decides that “parents have to work through their differences and bring a level of maturity into a situation in order to do what’s best for their child.” But Ryle is not a guy who simply “has differences” with his child’s mother—a disagreement about allotted screen time or number of hours spent in daycare. He’s a dangerous criminal with a history of manipulating and victimizing women.

One reviewer described this book as “ raw, honest, inspiring, and profoundly beautiful .” It could have been—it maybe almost was. But like too many books and movies, It Ends With Us feeds into the very structures of toxic masculinity that it purports to combat. It romanticizes red flags and glorifies a charismatic-but-dangerous man ( he’s complicated! he’s damaged!) and it ultimately delivers a decidedly anti-feminist message.

Lily’s decision to co-parent with Ryle is not redemptive; it’s a blatant shirking of the barest parental responsibility—the responsibility to protect her daughter. Colleen Hoover has no moral or ethical obligation to write role models, and we don’t need to agree with the actions of a fictional heroine. But the scope of Hoover’s platform and the age of her readers renders her books fair game for honest critique, and for reasons I still don’t understand, It Ends With Us keeps getting a pass.

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It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover Summary and Review – What’s this book all about?

23 Feb It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover Summary and Review – What’s this book all about?

Purchase on bookshop.org and support local bookstores

Lily Bloom, the protagonist of “It Ends With Us,” navigates the turbulent waters of love and relationships against the backdrop of her traumatic past. Lily grows up witnessing domestic abuse in her family, which shapes her views on love and relationships. As an adult, she moves to Boston and starts her own business, a flower shop. There, she meets Ryle Kincaid, a neurosurgeon with a strict no-dating rule. However, their intense attraction leads to a passionate relationship.

The narrative weaves between Lily’s past and present. In her teenage years, Lily forms a deep connection with Atlas Corrigan, a homeless boy she finds living in a vacant house next to hers. Their relationship is marked by innocence and understanding, providing Lily with a sense of hope and love.

As Lily’s relationship with Ryle intensifies, she finds herself confronting the realities of her past. Ryle’s unexpected violent outbursts reveal a pattern of behavior that mirrors the domestic abuse Lily witnessed as a child. Torn between her love for Ryle and her desire to not repeat her mother’s life, Lily faces the difficult decision of whether to stay or leave.

Characters of It Ends With Us:

Lily Bloom : Lily is a resilient and ambitious protagonist. Her journey from her troubled childhood, marked by domestic abuse, to her struggles and triumphs as an adult, encapsulates the theme of overcoming adversity. Her character’s evolution is a testament to the strength required to confront painful pasts and uncertain futures.

Ryle Kincaid : Ryle is charismatic and driven, but his complexities are gradually revealed as the story unfolds. His character embodies the nuances of a person struggling with inner demons and past traumas. Ryle’s actions and their impact on Lily are central to the novel’s exploration of the cycle of abuse.

Atlas Corrigan : Atlas is Lily’s first love and a symbol of her past. He represents a stark contrast to Ryle, embodying kindness and understanding. His role in Lily’s life is pivotal, as he is both a memory of her past struggles and a beacon of hope for a better future.

In-Depth Analysis

Strengths : Colleen Hoover’s narrative style is a key strength of the novel. Her ability to portray raw emotions and complex characters with depth makes the story engaging and thought-provoking. The novel excels in its honest portrayal of domestic abuse, avoiding romanticization and instead offering a realistic and unflinching look at its impact.

Weaknesses : Some readers might find the narrative pacing uneven, particularly in the latter half of the book. Additionally, the use of flashbacks, while effective in providing backstory, can at times disrupt the narrative flow.

Uniqueness : The book stands out for its unapologetic exploration of difficult themes. Hoover’s approach to portraying the realities of domestic violence, and the strength it takes to escape such situations, sets the novel apart from typical romance narratives.

Literary Devices : Hoover employs a first-person narrative, allowing readers to deeply connect with Lily’s emotions and thoughts. Flashbacks are used to reveal Lily’s past, juxtaposing her childhood experiences with her present-day challenges.

Relation to Broader Issues : “It Ends With Us” contributes to important conversations about domestic abuse and the often-hidden struggles victims face. It challenges societal stigmas and provides insight into the psychological complexities surrounding abusive relationships.

Book Evaluation

Potential Audience : The book is best suited for adults who appreciate emotional, character-driven stories. It’s particularly resonant for those interested in narratives about personal growth, resilience, and the complexities of human relationships.

Comparisons : The novel can be compared to works like “A Woman Is No Man” by Etaf Rum and “Big Little Lies” by Liane Moriarty, which also explore themes of domestic violence and resilience.

Recommendations : “It Ends With Us” is highly recommended for readers seeking a powerful and emotional story that offers more than just a romantic narrative. It’s a poignant exploration of the human spirit’s capacity for strength and renewal.

Thematic Analysis

The novel’s primary themes include the cycle of abuse, resilience, and the complexity of love. Hoover skillfully illustrates how past traumas can shape individuals’ lives and relationships. The theme of resilience is prominent, as Lily’s journey demonstrates the courage required to confront painful realities and make difficult choices for one’s well-being.

Stylistic Elements

Hoover’s writing style is straightforward yet emotionally rich. She balances moments of intense drama with quieter, introspective passages, allowing readers to fully engage with Lily’s inner world. The dialogues are realistic and effectively convey the characters’ emotional states and motivations.

Bibliographic Information

• Author : Colleen Hoover
• Title : It Ends With Us
• Publisher : Atria Books
• Publication Date : August 2, 2016
• ISBN : 978-1501110368
• Genre : Contemporary Romance, Fiction

Questions with Answers

• Answer: The primary theme is the cycle of domestic abuse and the resilience required to break free from it.
• Answer: Flashbacks are used to reveal Lily’s past and provide context for her present-day decisions and emotions.
• Answer: Ryle is portrayed as complex and troubled, embodying the nuances of a person with inner demons. Atlas represents kindness and hope, highlighting a contrast in Lily’s life experiences.

Other Reviews and Ratings

• Goodreads Rating : 4.7/5
• Amazon Rating : 4.8/5

Summary of Other Reviews : Reviews generally praise the book for its emotional depth and realistic portrayal of difficult themes. Some criticisms revolve around the pacing and the use of flashbacks.

Purchasing Links

https://bookshop.org/a/1289/9781501110368

Books in the Series

It Ends With Us It Starts With Us

About the Author

Colleen Hoover is an American author known for her bestselling novels in the contemporary romance and young adult genres. Her works often explore complex emotional themes and feature deep character development.

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Theresa Smith Writes

Delighting in all things bookish, book review: it ends with us by colleen hoover, it ends with us….

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 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, and maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily, but Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing.

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.

With this bold and deeply personal novel, Colleen Hoover delivers a heart-wrenching story that breaks exciting new ground for her as a writer. It Ends With Us is an unforgettable tale of love that comes at the ultimate price.

This book contains graphic scenes and very sensitive subject matter.

My Thoughts:

It Ends with Us is a novel that I read some time ago but put aside to review later. Even now, I find it difficult to put my thoughts into words, but it’s such an incredibly important novel that I feel it necessary to write up a review, even if it is only for my own benefit. I want to acknowledge how incredibly brave it was for Colleen to write a novel like this, so intensely personal to her, yet I feel that in doing so, she might have helped countless women either think about their own situations or perhaps put elements of their own history into a context that allows them a little clarity and distance.

Right from the opening dedication, you know that you are about to read a deeply confronting novel.

“For my father, who tried his very best not to be his worst. And for my mother, who make sure we never saw him at his worst.”

I cried right then. And I continued to cry at intervals throughout. While this novel stirred up so many emotions within me, many of which I had long buried in the hopes of never thinking about them again, in no way do I regret reading It Ends with Us. Suppression is not a pain relief. Colleen is not usually given to words of wisdom, but in It Ends with Us, she tells it like it is:

“Cycles exist because they are excruciating to break. It takes an astronomical amount of pain and courage to disrupt a familiar pattern. 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 have long been a fan of Colleen Hoover, right back to when Slammed was self-published. She is unique, funny, hard hitting, and unafraid to use her words unflinchingly. I can’t imagine what she must feel like after a day of writing, but I personally appreciate her efforts! It Ends with Us has nudged Ugly Love off the top of my Colleen Hoover favourites list, but they both share similarities in the way she doesn’t shy away from bringing deep emotional pain to the fore:

“When his lips meet mine he fifth time, they don’t leave. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me to him. My body is tired and weak, but it remembers him. My body remembers how his body can soothe everything I’m feeling.” “When he pulls back and looks down on me, I don’t even have to say anything. Our eyes, locked together, speak more naked truths than our mouths ever have. My eyes are telling his that I can no longer stand being touched by him. His eyes are telling mine that he already knows.”

It Ends with Us shows the grey matter within relationships ruled by domestic violence. It’s so easy to look from the outside in and dictate what a person ‘should have done’. But not everything is black and white and in shading Lily’s and Ryle’s relationship with a penetrating grey, Colleen puts us, as readers, in the uncomfortable position of not really knowing what to do. Of not being able to jump up onto our soap boxes and shout: ‘What is wrong with you Lily?’, because we can see, with such awful clarity, exactly what is wrong with her and why she is so very torn. It Ends with Us is an incredible exploration of the darker side of some relationships; not only with those we choose to spend our lives with, but with our parents as well.

“My father was some of these things, too. He wasn’t very compassionate toward others, but there were times we spent together that I knew he loved me. He was smart. He was charismatic. He was driven. But I hated him so much more than I loved him. I was blinded to all the best things about him thanks to all the glimpses I got of him when he was at his worst.”

These were such defining thoughts for Lily but they are defining words for any child who has had a violent parent. I won’t lie here, this novel cut me to the quick and grated along so many raw nerves. But I’d read it again in an instant. It’s a powerful novel with a very important message.

Well done Colleen Hoover for always writing the stuff that so many people don’t even want to talk about.

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3 thoughts on “ book review: it ends with us by colleen hoover ”.

It sounds like both reading this book and writing a review was hard for this one. I think you did a very good job. I have had this one on my ipad to read for some time now. I’m feeling like I should give it a go after your review. Thanks for drawing my attention again to this novel and author I am yet to try.

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You’re right on both counts with hard level! But I recommended this to my bookclub and one member read it and thought it was excellent, a very intelligent and realistic portrayal of domestic violence. (There’s only three in our bookclub, including myself!) Just keep some tissues handy! But I usually do with any novel by Colleen! 😉

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It Ends With Us: A Review

It Ends with Us

I’m going to do my best to keep this portion of the review without spoilers (though I make no promises when answering “Is It Ends With Us based on a true story?” below).

The novel is expertly crafted in telling the story of the main character Lily Bloom, a 23-year-old spirited young woman living in Boston.

She meets Ryle Kincaid, a 30-year-old gorgeous neurosurgeon one night when hanging out on a rooftop of a random building. The chance encounter sticks in both their minds.

They reconnect quickly when they meet again months later when she is opening her own business (a flowers shop- with a name like Lilly Bloom, it was always fated).

Their reconnection is swift, all-consuming, and a little scary in its intensity.

But that’s young love, right?

Parallel to this story is the one Lily tells via diary entries of her first love Atlas, a young homeless boy she met in high school who she helped out.

Her abusive father often came after her mother, and Atlas returned that helped her on more than one occasion (and in a lot of different ways). 

These two love stories go through some massive arcs as Hoover winds them around and through each other, making you fall in love with all the characters in a way that invests you fully in their lives.

As in life, their circumstances and choices sometimes leave them without any pain-free options, and it stings.

“ Preventing your heart from forgiving someone you love is actually a hell of a lot harder than simply forgiving them. “ – Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us

Without giving too much away, I will say that Lily has to reckon with the choices her mother made about Lily’s abusive father when she was faced with similar circumstances.

As sad as the situations described sometimes are, they are told with Hoover’s trademark candor (or to use a term coined in the book, by telling naked truths).

Despite the heart-wrenching story, to me, the book is a hopeful one of breaking cycles, finding your true love story, and recognizing that just because things look different than you planned, it doesn’t mean they can’t be wonderful. 

Overall this is an emotional read of a romance novel with a strong message. If you’re a fan of Colleen Hoover’s novels, or if you are even just a fan of sadder love stories, It Ends With Us won’t disappoint. 

Once you’ve finished the book, make sure you check out these It Ends With Us book club questions to discuss the novel with your reading group!

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‘It Ends With Us’ Review: Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni Deliver In Nuanced Feature Take Of Colleen Hoover Bestseller

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The first feature adaptation of a novel by author Colleen Hoover, It Ends With Us , is hitting the screen this weekend in what is expected to be a major crowd pleaser for her legion of female fans. The movie, aptly in the hands of Jane the Virgin actor-turned- Five Feet Apart filmmaker Justin Baldoni , who also stars here, captures the emotional complexities of relationships mired in domestic abuse and why women decide to stay — or not.

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What Baldoni gets right, just like the novel, is relaying a tale of how many relationships that begin with the utmost love can unfortunately sour. What fans of the book will immediately notice is Baldoni’s deft touch in handling some of the more violent scenes on the page with a certain politeness — until the end, when Lily fully experiences a rude awakening. In addition, Hall’s screenplay largely sticks to the original dialogue in Hoover’s novel.

As streamers have cannibalized once prime box office genres, Sony has made it a mission to revitalize such features, in this case a romance drama, one which we’ve haven’t seen in quite some time. Delivering here a polished adaptation by an immensely popular author and novel, Sony and Wayfarer Studios, both of which co-financed, have a big opening weekend in store, some box office sources believing that a $40M-plus opening for It Ends With Us isn’t out of the range of possibility.

Should readership have any qualms with this mostly spot-on transformation, their reservations may be with some additional quirky comedic moments from Ryle’s sister Al l ysa (played by Saturday Night Live vet Jenny Slate). In addition, there are some lines by Lily when she first meets Ryle that don’t exactly hit. References come across a little disjointed as the characters were aged up from Hoover’s novel. Ryle’s absence may also be felt in a scene that discloses a tragic event in his past.

A chance rooftop meeting between Lily and Ryle — which forecasts more about Baldoni’s leading man than women might take in at first watch — sets up their reconnection a few months later after Lily achieves her childhood dream of opening a flower shop. When she gets the keys to her Bostonian building, who should walk in to volunteer and help but Allysa. Begging for work because she is bored and married to a well-off entrepreneur Marshall (Hasan Minhaj), Allysa promptly commits to helping Lily out down to cleaning out the building. Closer to opening the shop, who should walk in with Allysa’s husband to help hoist decorations but her neurosurgeon brother, and this rekindles the spark between Ryle and Lily.

Flashbacks to Lily’s teenage years set up the story of her first love, Atlas Corrigan (Alex Neustadter), who resurfaces when Lily meets her mom for dinner at Root, a restaurant that the grownup Atlas (Brandon Sklenar) now owns. This marks one scene slightly tweaked from the book in which Lily recognizes Atlas by a familiar scar on his hand on-screen versus first looking him in the eye in the book. Root’s décor and overall atmosphere subtly connects Atlas and Lily because it echoes how Lily decorated her childhood bedroom, and now her flower shop.

Ryle’s latent volatility shows itself in three separate scenarios, and Baldoni as a director plays the first two out in a fast-paced nature, while the third sequence includes a fuller, more grave reveal, one in which Lily has more clarity. Readers are well acquainted with these moments, and might be thrown by how they’re portrayed in speedy multiple angles and quick cuts before they see the final flashback. However, Baldoni’s style here is to capture the mentality of a woman who has been abused, and who often times tries to rationalize such tragedy. The story plays very well to that angle.

RELATED: Ryan Reynolds Vs. Blake Lively At The Box Office: ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ To Slay Again With $50M, ‘It Ends With Us’ To Begin With $23M-$30M+ – Preview

The first instance entails Ryle leaving a frittata in the oven too long for breakfast. As he goes to grab it in a rush barehanded, Lily goes from laughing to sprawled on the floor; put there by surprise force. The sequence disorients the viewer, making it look like Ryle’s flinching reaction to the heat turned into a push that put Lily on the floor.

Confrontations by Atlas of both Lily and Ryle sets up another act of violence, which plays out in similar filmed fashion to the first. These first instances of Ryle’s violence will have the viewer questioning what really happened at first, like Lily does. In between the first and second altercations, Lily marries Ryle.

RELATED: ‘It Ends With Us’ New York Premiere Red Carpet Photos: Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Justin Baldoni, Brandon Sklenar & More

As Lily, Lively balances empathy and assertion. Her grace and calmness give way to quiet resolve as Lily faces down her and Ryle’s demons. Lively still sparkles with a hopeful joy in between the serious scenes, which lays the foundation for her convincing resilience.

Sklenar takes on the stoic nature of Atlas with ease. On the surface, his blue eyes and breezy nature contrast with Ryle’s intensity, but Sklenar as Atlas can meet Ryle’s anger with his own fierce protection of Lily.

Complicated relationships are a theme throughout Hoover’s work. Amazon MGM is turning her book Verity into a thriller. Given the clean and hopeful ending in which Lily has come to terms with herself and her choices, some fans may clamor for another installment between Lily and Atlas. There could very well be one in Hoover’s It Starts With Us , the 2022 sequel, which watches Atlas and Lily get a second chance at a relationship after she’s had time to adjust to her next chapter. This installment, though, stays powerful with the choice to keep Lily independent at its conclusion.

Title: It Ends With Us Distributor: Sony Release Date: August 9, 2024 Director : Justin Baldoni Screenwriter: Christy Hall Cast: Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, Brandon Sklenar, Isabela Ferrer, Alex Neustadter, Jenny Slate, Hasan Minhaj, Kevin McKidd, Amy Morton Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 2 hr 10 min

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It Ends With Us

Where to watch.

Buy It Ends With Us on Fandango at Home.

What to Know

Earnestly performed if marred by clunky dialogue, It Ends With Us is surprisingly at its most graceful when handling the more provocative elements of its melodramatic source material.

Critics Reviews

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Justin Baldoni

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The 8 biggest differences between the 'It Ends With Us' book and movie

• Warning: This article contains major spoilers for "It Ends With Us."
• The Blake Lively movie is an adaptation of Colleen Hoover's novel of the same name.
• The central story remains the same, but there are some notable changes from the book.

The book-to-screen adaptation of one of BookTok's most popular reads , "It Ends With Us," was released in theaters on Friday.

Based on Colleen Hoover's 2016 novel of the same name, the film stars Blake Lively as florist Lily Bloom, whose chance meeting with charming neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid (played by Justin Baldoni) sparks an intense connection.

As Lily begins to see sides of Ryle that remind her of her parents' relationship, a figure from her teenage years also reenters the picture: Atlas Corrigan (Brandon Sklenar), her first love.

As with any book-to-screen adaptation, there have been changes — some big, some small.

"Every change that we made was christened by Colleen herself, and none of the changes were made lightly," screenwriter Christy Hall told Business Insider in an interview.

"But this is, I feel like this is the absolute best offering that we could give," she added.

Here are eight of the biggest differences between the "It Ends With Us" book and the movie.

All of the characters have been aged up in the movie.

In Hoover's book, Lily is 23 years old and a recent college graduate when she first meets 30-year-old Ryle.

Her other love interest, Atlas, is described as two-and-a-half years older than her.

But in the film, the characters are played by actors significantly older than them — Lively is 36, Baldoni is 40, and Sklenar is 34.

Hoover has previously said that she "messed up" by making the characters in the book too young.

She has said that her involvement in the movie allowed her to correct her mistake.

"Back when I wrote 'It Ends With Us,' the new adult (genre) was very popular," she said, per Today . "You were writing college-age characters. That's what I was contracted to do. I made Lily very young. I didn't know that neurosurgeons went to school for 50 years. There's not a 20-something neurosurgeon."

Lily and Ryle's initial courtship looks a little different in the movie.

In the book, readers see Lily and Ryle's will-they-won't-they romance play out over several months after they reconnect when Ryle's sister, Alyssa (Jenny Slate), gets a job in Lily's flower shop. Lily sprains her ankle one day, leading Alyssa to call on her brother for help.

Ryle repeatedly pleads with Lily to agree to a one-night stand. While Lily initially is steadfast in her refusal to be another one of Ryle's girls, she eventually decides to go for it. However, an exhausted Ryle then falls asleep in Lily's bed.

This leads to frustration on both sides, which comes to a head on the night of Alyssa's birthday. The two agree to compromise and have a trial run of a relationship. They go to bed together but don't sleep together.

Things play out a little differently in the movie. After Ryle and Lily are reintroduced at the flower shop, the pair join Alyssa and her husband Marshall (Hasan Minhaj) on a night out in Boston involving watching a Bruins game, karaoke, and bowling.

Some flirting ensues and at the end of the night, Lily agrees to kiss Ryle after he says that it's all he needs from her to stop him pursuing her further. After this, the pair continue to flirt and end Alyssa's birthday as in the book.

Lily's journal entries addressed to Ellen DeGeneres are completely omitted.

It would be an understatement to say that former TV staple Ellen DeGeneres has a significant role in the book, with Lily harboring an obsession with the TV host.

Once Atlas begins hanging out at her house after school, the two teens bond over watching the show together, and a quote from DeGeneres's "Finding Nemo" character — "Just keep swimming" — becomes their way to comfort each other during difficult times.

All of this is downplayed in the movie, however, with almost all references to DeGeneres removed .

There's a different reason Atlas is homeless in the movie.

In both the book and the movie, Atlas moves into the abandoned house backing onto the Bloom property after being kicked out of his mom's house.

In the book, Atlas tells Lily that he's also a victim of abuse; his stepfather burned him with cigarettes, and his mother didn't stand up for him. When he tried to return home after running away, his mom told him to stay away as it would upset his stepfather too much.

However, the book doesn't mention the abuse Atlas has suffered at the hands of his stepfather. Instead, when Atlas confronts Lily in the restroom of his restaurant, it's implied that his mom, like Lily's, was abused by her husband.

Ryle's proposal to Lily comes later in the movie.

In the film, Ryle's proposal comes on the same day Alyssa gives birth. Ryle realizes that he wants to spend his future with Lily and gets down on one knee to propose to Lily in the hospital room.

Book readers will know that the night that Alyssa's baby is born ends differently for the couple.

Already married at this point in the book — they elope to Vegas — Lily returns home to a seething Ryle who has read through all her teenage journal entries. His verbal and physical attack on her at this point becomes her breaking point, and she takes refuge at Atlas's house.

Atlas's restaurant has a different name in the movie but still links back to his and Lily's relationship.

Atlas's restaurant in the book is named Bib's, which stands for Better in Boston. This phrase is written on the souvenir magnet Atlas gave Lily when they were teenagers.

The restaurant has been renamed Root in the movie. However, it's still an homage to Lily, as audiences see a flashback in which a teenage Lily teaches Atlas about the importance of plant roots.

Lily learns of Ryle's traumatic childhood from Alyssa rather than Ryle himself.

The revelation that Ryle accidentally shot and killed his brother when they were young children is one of the book's most shocking twists.

Ryle opens up about the traumatic incident, which he says causes his rage-filled episodes after he physically abuses Lily.

Feeling sympathy for him, Lily decides to forgive him, and the two discuss how Ryle can work through his anger.

In the film, Alyssa fills Lily in on the Kincaid family's dark secret only after Ryle's third and final attack on Lily. By this point, the pair have separated.

In the movie, Lily and Ryle know that they are going to have a daughter.

In the book, Lily doesn't know the gender of her baby until she's holding her newborn in her arms, which makes her decision to ask Ryle for a divorce moments later even more poignant.

It's not until it dawns on her that she has a daughter who could grow up watching her mother be abused by her father that she decides to end the generational cycle of abuse.

This realization leads to the film's emotional climax, in which Lily breaks Ryle's and her own hearts to protect her daughter.

In the film, both of them know that they are going to have a daughter beforehand, which plays down the emotional gravitas of the scene.

• Main content

• Entertainment
• Here’s How the <i>It Ends With Us</i> Movie Adaptation Differs From the Book

Here’s How the It Ends With Us Movie Adaptation Differs From the Book

I t’s no secret that Colleen Hoover ’s novel It Ends With Us is beloved by the author's global fanbase. The emotionally charged book, which Hoover said was inspired by her mother leaving her abusive father when she was a young girl, was first published in 2016 but went viral during the pandemic in 2021 thanks to BookTok. All told, it has sold 6.9 million copies (print and ebooks combined) since it debuted . Hoover’s novel centers on the story of the whimsically named Lily Bloom, a florist trying to escape her traumatic past, who embarks on a romance that takes a dark and dangerous turn. As her new relationship begins to disturbingly replicate the cycle of abuse in her life, Lily encounters an old friend from her past, whose presence helps her realize what she wants for her future.

Now, Lily’s dramatic story will play out on the big screen, with a movie adaptation of the same name starring Blake Lively as Lily and directed by Justin Baldoni. Baldoni also co-stars as the film’s villain Ryle, Lily’s handsome but volatile partner, whose outsized anger issues turn abusive as their whirlwind romance develops into a marriage and parenthood. In an interview with Today , Baldoni said that staying true to Hoover’s story with the film adaptation was a top priority for him.

Read more : Why We Can’t Stop Reading Colleen Hoover’s Trauma-Filled Novels

“I’ve been a fierce protector of the book and Lily’s story and her emotional arc, and not wanting to change it much,” Baldoni said. “That's what I promised Colleen: I will protect this book.”

In the movie, Lily has moved to Boston for a fresh start, to fulfill her dream of opening her own flower shop while attempting to escape the dark memories of her turbulent childhood. She has a chance encounter with Ryle (Baldoni), a handsome neurosurgeon, that turns into a passionate relationship once they meet again after his sister Allysa (Jenny Slate) coincidentally begins working at Lily’s shop. Though Lily is overjoyed with her new relationship, Ryle’s erratic outbursts of anger trigger recollections of her father’s violent abuse of her mother, as well as deeply hidden memories of Lily’s first love, a boy named Atlas, whose own troubled home life bonded the pair for life. The movie explores their young love with flashbacks of a young Lily (Isabela Ferrer) and Atlas (Alex Neustaedter). The relationship becomes dangerous when Ryle’s bouts of anger turn violent towards Lily, especially once the now grown-up Atlas (Brandon Sklenar) re-enters her life after nearly a decade of no contact. After Lily learns that she is pregnant, she’s determined to break free of the trauma of her past to create a better future for herself and her baby.

Read more : Breaking Down All the It Ends With Us Drama

For the most part, the film hews closely to the book, but there are some concrete differences that screenwriter Christy Hall made in adapting the story for the screen. In an interview with E! News , Hoover acknowledged the necessity of these changes. 

“With every adaptation, things have to change," Hoover said. "You're trying to condense this whole storyline into a film, so there were some changes to make the flow better.”

Here, we’ve rounded up all the major changes that were made in the film adaptation of It Ends With Us and how they differ from the book.

There’s way less Ellen DeGeneres in the movie

In the novel, Ellen DeGeneres is a huge figure throughout Lily’s life. As a young girl, she loves watching DeGeneres’ show so much that she tunes in every day after school and writes her journal entries in the format of letters to the talk show host. When she begins spending time with Atlas, the pair bond while watching DeGeneres’ show together and have an affinity for the movie Finding Nemo because DeGeneres voices the character of Dory. Their connection over DeGeneres follows them into adulthood; Lily continues to journal as though writing letters to DeGeneres and later gives her daughter the middle name Dory.

In the film, DeGeneres is largely absent. While Lily is seen journaling throughout the film, it’s not revealed what format those entries are taking. The only reference made to DeGeneres in the movie is in a flashback scene when young Lily and Atlas are seen briefly watching her show together.

Ryle and Lily are older in the movie

One of the changes that fans contested vocally when the film adaptation was announced was the ages of Ryle and Lily. In the book, Lily is 23 and Ryle is 30; when it was announced that Lively, who is in her 30s, would be playing Lily, fans were quick to point out the age difference. (Baldoni is 40.)

Hoover has defended aging up the characters up for the film adaptation, going so far as to say that the ages of Ryle and Lily in the movie are more realistic for where their characters are in life. 

“As an author, we make mistakes,” she said an interview with Today . “There’s no 28-year-old neurosurgeons, you know? You go to school for 15 years. And so to make corrections to what I messed up in the book, we aged the characters up somewhat.”

Hoover also made the case that having the characters be older was better for grappling with the heavy issues that the characters were dealing with.

"Eight years ago, when I wrote the book, new adult was huge and everyone was wanting to read characters in their very early 20s,” she told E! News . “And this is such a tough subject matter that putting young, young characters on screen just didn't feel right to us. So I think aging them up was such a great move, and it worked so well on film.”

Atlas’ restaurant gets a name change

In the book, Atlas tells Lily that his dream is to move to Boston because “everything is better in Boston.” Later, when they meet again by chance, it’s at his restaurant, BiB, an acronym that pays homage to their conversation about “better in Boston.” For the film adaptation, however, the restaurant is called Root, in reference to a conversation the two have about the strength of an oak tree and its roots.

Hoover said that the decision to change the restaurant’s name for the movie was because there wasn’t enough time to make sure that the “better in Boston” moment would resonate.

“It stood for something in the book that became a big thing for Lily to show how much she meant to him," Hoover said in an interview with E! News . "So that changed to Root in the movie because we didn't have as much time to put in all of the things that happened in the book to make that significant moment happen in the movie…changing it to Root went back to a conversation they had as kids in the film [from which] you get the same feels that you got in the book.”

Some characters don’t make the jump from the book to the screen

The impossibility of including every aspect of a novel in a film means that some details will inevitably be cut; for It Ends With Us, that meant the exclusion of a few minor characters. In the book, Lily’s friend Devin helps to bring about their first night together and her roommate and eventual employee Lucy are part of her life, but they did not make the cut for the movie. Additionally, although Lily meets Ryle’s mother and father in the book, they are not included at all in the movie.

And though these changes were made, fans are still eager to see the film (which, if they’re worried, stays fairly true to Hoover’s story). For some, seeing the story play out in a new medium—and then getting to debate the merits of each—is only adding to their excitement. On X (formerly Twitter), user @estelleokunlola wrote: “I want to go and watch It Ends With Us with someone that’s as interested in the movie as I am. Bonus points if they’ve read the book so we can agree to disagree on how bad or good the adaptation is.”

Buy Now: It Ends With Us on Amazon | Bookshop

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Write to Cady Lang at [email protected]

'It Ends With Us': Five major changes between the book and movie

Spoiler alert! The following story contains major plot details about the "It Ends With Us " book and movie (now in theaters).

Blake Lively is back on the big screen.

The “ Deadpool & Wolverine ” actress has her first leading role in four years in “It Ends With Us," the hotly anticipated adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s 2016 novel . Like the book, the movie follows a flower shop owner named Lily Blossom Bloom (Lively), who falls in love with a dashing neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni), and reconnects with her stoic childhood sweetheart, Atlas Corrigan (Brandon Sklenar). The romantic drama also features a star-studded supporting cast, with Jenny Slate as Ryle’s sister, Allysa, and Hasan Minhaj as his brother-in-law, Marshall.

Directed by Baldoni, the heart-wrenching film is a largely faithful retelling of Hoover’s book, grappling with the insidious nature of domestic violence and cycles of abuse across generations. Here are some of the biggest changes from page to screen:

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What's the biggest difference between the 'It Ends With Us' book and movie?

Perhaps the most significant change between the book and movie is in how Lily perceives Ryle’s abuse. Through a series of quick cuts and deceptive camera angles, the film plays on Lily’s uncertainties: Did Ryle actually mean to strike her after burning his hand, or was that just an accident? Did Lily merely slip on the stairs during an argument, or did Ryle deliberately push her? Lily is continually in denial until the movie’s final third, when a disturbing montage shows her husband's assaults as they really happened.

But in the book, Ryle's misconduct is not a gradual realization for Lily. Instead, she calls him out after each incident and warns him that she’ll leave the next time he abuses her. She first tries to leave him after her violent fall, but then chooses to forgive Ryle, who’s traumatized by his brother’s death. She reasons there is good in him, and that he can still change. But when Ryle later tries to rape her and she lands in the hospital, Lily decides she’s had enough.

Does the novel end differently than the film?

The book draws out Lily’s breakup with Ryle, as he flees to Europe for three months and she confronts him upon his return. (“I wish this baby wasn’t yours,” Lily says angrily, after he shows up at her apartment unannounced.) They eventually agree to divorce, and the novel ends with a scene of Ryle and Lily amicably co-parenting, just before she rekindles her flame with Atlas.

The movie ends on a similarly romantic note, as Atlas and Lily run into each other at a farmers market and decide to give romance another shot. But it also adds much-needed closure for Lily and her mother, Jenny (Amy Morton). Jenny endured a lifetime of abuse from her husband, and Lily resentfully tried and failed to eulogize her dad at his funeral.

Toward the end of the film, Lily and Jenny visit her father’s grave along with Lily’s young daughter, Emerson. After Lily leaves her blank eulogy notes on his tombstone, the Bloom family embraces and walks away. It’s a poignant moment for the three generations of women, signaling a fresh start as they leave their trauma behind them.

Does Ellen DeGeneres make a cameo in 'It Ends With Us?'

If you haven’t read “ It Ends With Us ,” you could never imagine what a huge role Ellen DeGeneres plays in the story. (Yes, really.) In the book, young Lily recounts her entire childhood in a series of journal entries addressed to the former daytime talk-show host. Lily and Atlas also remind each other to “ just keep swimming ” – a hopeful mantra by DeGeneres’ “Finding Nemo” character, Dory. As adults, Atlas even gifts Lily a signed copy of DeGeneres’ memoir, “Seriously … I’m Kidding.”

Wisely, the movie does away with the whole DeGeneres conceit. The comedian’s reputation has been sullied since “It Ends With Us” was published in 2016, and her talk show fizzled out amid scandal in 2022 . Instead, Lily and Atlas’ high-school courtship is now told through a series of straightforward flashbacks.

Although, there is still one DeGeneres Easter egg in the film: The first time Atlas comes over to Lily’s house, she’s on the couch watching “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”

Which book characters don't appear in the movie?

Streamlining the story from page to screen, a few memorable characters have been cut along the way. The film axes Devin, Lily’s gay BFF who makes Ryle jealous by pretending to be her boyfriend. There is also no Lucy, Lily’s former roommate who winds up working at her flower shop. Ryle’s mom and dad are missing from the movie as well: Instead of getting engaged at his parents’ apartment, Ryle now proposes to Lily in Allysa’s hospital room shortly after she gives birth. (Sorry, but did he really have to upstage his sister like that?)

How old are Lily (Blake Lively) and Ryle (Justin Baldoni)?

Fans of “It Ends With Us” were initially miffed by Lively’s casting. After all, Lily is described as having “red hair and fair skin” in the book, whereas Lively is unequivocally blond (a fact that the movie hardly disguises). Also, Lily is 23 and Ryle is 30 when the novel starts, while in the movie, both characters are in their mid-30s.

Baldoni and Hoover recently defended aging up the characters, saying it would naturally take a long time for Ryle to become a prominent board-certified neurosurgeon. They also wanted Lily to be someone with life experience, who is comfortable and confident in herself by the time she meets Ryle.

“I’ve heard people say, ‘Why wouldn’t you just leave? Why would she stay?’” Baldoni told Variety magazine last month. “We know that abuse happens to women of all ages. But it also happens to powerful women. It happens to very strong women. It happens to affluent women.”

Domestic violence resources: How you can get help

If you are a victim of domestic violence, The  National Domestic Violence Hotline  allows you to speak confidentially with trained advocates online or by the phone, which they recommend for those who think their online activity is being monitored by their abuser (800-799-7233). They can help survivors develop a plan to achieve safety for themselves and their children.

Safe Horizon's  hotline offers crisis counseling, safety planning, and assistance finding shelters 1(800) 621-HOPE (4673). It also has a  chat feature  where you can reach out for help from a computer or phone confidentially. 

Survivors can also call the New York City  Anti-Violence Project's  24/7 English/Spanish hotline at 212-714-1141 and get support. If calling is not safe but email is possible, make a report at  avp.org/get-help  and leave safe contact information, and someone will reach out.

It Ends With Us: 10 Big Differences Between The Colleen Hoover Book And The Movie

How does the film compare to Colleen Hoover's novel?

Spoilers are ahead for the book and movie It Ends With Us as well as Colleen Hoover's sequel novel, It Starts With Us .

There’s no question that the release of It Ends With Us was incredibly anticipated, especially for the millions who have read Colleen Hoover’s novel. Now, the movie starring Blake Lively , Justin Baldoni and Brandon Sklenar is out for everyone to see, and while this book-to-screen adaption is faithful to its source material, there are some key differences.

The Flashbacks Are Not Framed Through Journal Entries 

In the book It Ends With Us – which is told in first person from Lily’s perspective – all of her flashbacks are framed through journal entries. When she was in high school she used to write letters to Ellen DeGeneres in her journal, and as an adult, when her relationship starts with Ryle, she goes back to them. Throughout the book, she reads these entries, and the audience learns about her love story with Atlas. The journals are also a point of contention when Ryle finds them later in the novel.

During the movie, there is a shot of a journal in a flashback, however, we don’t see Lily go back to them as an adult.

Atlas' Restaurant Is Called Root Instead Of Bib's 

Bib’s is the name of Atlas’ restaurant in the book, and it stands for “Better in Boston,” which is something he told Lily when they were kids. So, when he opened his business, he named it after the saying that kept both of them moving forward. However, in the film, it’s called Root.

Colleen Hoover told me during an interview about It Ends With Us with CinemaBlend that she actually really liked the switch:

I actually was relieved when they changed the name of the restaurant. It felt like [Bib’s] didn't translate as well into film. Like in the book, there was a lot more that went into what the word Bib’s meant to both of them, but we couldn't bring all of that onto film. So just relating it to their conversation when they were digging in the flower beds when they were younger, I thought was a beautiful way to rename that restaurant.

The scene the author is referring to shows Atlas and Lily gardening, and her telling him about how important the roots are. It’s a touching conversation that solidifies the two as grounding figures in each other’s lives, so it adds immense meaning to the name “Root,” just like Bib’s did in the book.

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The Boston Magnet Is Not A Big Deal

When Ryle found out that Atlas named his restaurant after his relationship with Lily in the book, he realized that the Boston magnet she had might be connected to her first love. In the confrontation that led to Lily going to the hospital, he asked about the magnet after reading a magazine story where Atlas revealed the name’s meaning.

That, mixed with him reading Lily’s journals is what led to his violent outburst.

In the movie, it’s solely the magazine article that starts the incident that ultimately leads to Lily leaving Ryle to find Atlas and go to the hospital.

Lily Goes To Atlas At Root Instead Of Calling Him 

After Ryle’s most dangerous outburst, Blake Lively’s Lily got out of their apartment and found Atlas at Root, that’s how it went down in the movie.

However, in the book, she called him and he picked her up. Just like in the film, Atlas left his phone number in Lily’s phone case. In the novel, however, she memorized it and called him to come get her. Meanwhile, in the movie, we don’t know if she remembered the number or not, she simply went directly to him.

Atlas Notices Lily's Tattoo

In the book It Ends With Us , readers know that Lily’s heart tattoo on her collarbone is a symbol of her relationship with Atlas. He carved her an open heart when they were kids, and she got it inked onto her skin when she was in college. However, in the novel, Atlas never saw it. 

He saw the tattoo for the first time in It Starts With Us , the sequel to It Ends With Us . 

– Spoilers for It Starts With Us ahead. –  

In It Starts With Us , Atlas and Lily are dating, and they’re on the way out for the night. When he saw her exposed collarbone, he had a visceral reaction, because while the tattoo is for him, there are bite scars around it that are from Ryle. To that point, here’s how Atlas reacted in the second novel: 

‘I heard you tell the nurse he bit you, but I wasn’t close enough to see that…’ Atlas pauses midsentence and swallows hard. ‘I wasn’t close enough to see that you had the tattoo and that he bit…’

In the film It Ends With Us , this whole conversation essentially happened in the hospital scene Atlas is talking about in the second book. While Lily was having her checkup after a terrifying moment with Ryle, Brandon Sklenar’s character saw the tattoo for the first time and asked her about it. 

Lily's Mom Does Not Move To Boston

Lily’s mom plays a slightly bigger role in the book than she does in the film. After her husband (and Lily’s dad) died, she moved to Boston to be closer to her daughter in Hoover’s novel. It’s never explicitly said if that happens in the film, and when she goes out to dinner with Ryle and Lily, Blake Lively’s character does note that her mother is visiting not moving.

All The Fights Happen At Ryle's Apartment Rather Than Lily's 

This change begins with the fact that Ryle has his own apartment next to Marshall and Allysa’s in the movie. In the book, he lives with them. So, both the intimate and violent scenes between Ryle and Lily happen at her apartment in the novel (except the last one, which happened in the new apartment they shared after they got married).

During the movie, all three instances of domestic violence as well as the pair’s intimate moments happen at Ryle’s apartment.

Lily Dosen’t Stay At Atlas’ Home For Days

When Lily went to Atlas, she ended up staying with him for a while before feeling OK enough to go back to her apartment in the novel. This led to her meeting some of Atlas' friends, and learning that Cassie, the girlfriend he mentioned during their first run-in at the restaurant, was not real.

Considering there’s no way the movie could fit every detail from the book into it, it’s not shocking that this piece was cut. In the film, we saw Atlas' home, which looked like an apartment (he’s a homeowner in the book), and the two bond. However, it’s not done in as much detail as it is in the book.

Allysa Tells Lily About Emerson Instead Of Ryle 

Much like the novel, it’s revealed that Ryle accidentally shot and killed his and Allysa's brother Emerson when they were kids. In the book, Lily found out about this through Ryle.

This is a major difference in the film. Instead of Ryle telling this story to Blake Lively’s character, Jenny Slate ’s Allysa did. The story comes with Allysa telling her friend that as much as she wished she could forgive her brother, if she didn’t leave him, she wouldn’t talk to her again.

The Last Line Is Different Because Finding Nemo Isn't A Big Part Of Atlas And Lily's Story 

One of Pixar’s best movies , Finding Nemo , plays a vital role in Lily and Atlas' story in the book. They both latched onto the saying “just keep swimming,” because they had gone through traumatic experiences when they were younger. So, at the end of the novel It Ends With Us , Atlas tells Lily:

You can stop swimming now, Lily. We finally reached the shore.

There are Easter eggs for Finding Nemo in the film, however, there’s no direct talk about it. So, when we got to that final scene where Atlas and Lily run into each other, this is how their conversation went:

Lily: Are you with anyone?

Atlas: No, not yet.

And that’s how the film ended.

Overall, the film It Ends With Us is quite faithful to the source material, and the overarching story is the same. However, there are a handful of key changes that differentiate this project from Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively from Colleen Hoover’s novel.

To see the project on the 2024 movie schedule for yourself, you can catch It Ends With Us in theaters now.

Riley Utley is the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. She has written for national publications as well as daily and alt-weekly newspapers in Spokane, Washington, Syracuse, New York and Charleston, South Carolina. She graduated with her master’s degree in arts journalism and communications from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Since joining the CB team she has covered numerous TV shows and movies -- including her personal favorite shows  Ted Lasso  and  The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel . She also has followed and consistently written about everything from Taylor Swift to  Fire Country , and she's enjoyed every second of it.

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It Ends With Us Took a Controversial Approach to Domestic Violence. The Movie Doesn’t Shy From It.

It does make one key blink-and-you’ll-miss-it change..

On Friday morning, Sony announced that its Colleen Hoover adaptation It Ends With Us had done very well in previews , and that the movie’s opening weekend box office was looking so darn good it might even challenge the summer juggernaut Deadpool and Wolverine for the No. 1 spot. That would be a fun Barbenheimer -ish girls-against-boys story, elevated by the fact that the movies’ respective stars—Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds—are married. The promotional campaign for It Ends With Us has leaned into the female-ness of Hoover’s audience: The trailer for the film , which is a romantic drama about a woman who had an abusive father and who falls in love with a very handsome but (it turns out) abusive neurosurgeon, featured the song “My Tears Ricochet,” a real scorned-woman weeper by Lively’s friend Taylor Swift. Some theaters are showing the film as a “girls’ night out” promo .

Meanwhile, online, the cast members of It Ends With Us —Lively, who plays the story’s heroine, Lily Blossom Bloom; Jane the Virgin ’s hunk Justin Baldoni, who plays Lily’s abusive husband, Ryle Kincaid, and directed the film; Jenny Slate, who plays Lily’s best friend, Allysa; and Brandon Sklenar, who plays her first love, Atlas Corrigan—are seemingly either ginning up some kind of fake drama for PR purposes or are actually mad at one another over creative differences that popped up during the production and promotion of the movie. ( Nobody really knows , which means that if it’s fake, the gambit is going perfectly.)

All of this momentum means a lot of unsuspecting people are about to get CoHo’d. The frankly baffled tenor of some early reviews of the It Ends With Us movie shows how firmly women’s culture is still siloed off from the mainstream. Anyone who’s at all familiar with Colleen Hoover would already know that consuming her books puts you at serious risk of whiplash. And there are a lot of us who are familiar with Colleen Hoover: The most popular author of the 2020s, she’s sold 50 million copies worldwide . It Ends With Us is the most popular of them all, the bestselling novel of both 2022 and 2023 — despite the fact it came out in 2016. (Even now in 2024, it’s back atop this week’s New York Times bestseller list.)

How did Hoover become so dominant? As Laura Miller wrote for Slate in 2022 , the “queen of BookTok” publishes across a huge range of genres, interspersing ample clichés and clunky inventions (“Lily Blossom Bloom”? “Atlas Corrigan”?) with stories of trauma that are so stark and upsetting you read the page twice to make sure you got it right. (Hoover used to be a social worker and had an abusive father, much like Lily Bloom.) Reading a CoHo (as her fans, the CoHorts, call her) is not like cracking a more traditionally constructed romance novel, where you know that a happily ever after is on the way. Colleen Hoover might do almost anything to you, so you better be ready.

The herky-jerky approach of Hoover’s books has led to some confusion in the past. In early 2023, Hoover’s plans to put out an adult coloring book based on It Ends With Us drew intense criticism. (A coloring book? About domestic violence?) She canceled the launch, calling herself “tone-deaf” on Instagram. (She kept the Olive and June collab, which put her name on nail polish themed to her books; you can buy colors called “Lily Blooms,” “Atlas,” and “Corrigan.”) Already, think pieces about the apparent mismatch between the movie’s marketing and its very serious subject matter are out there, with more surely to come.

The movie hews quite closely to the book, aside from sprinkling in some topical references (Lily joking that Ryle looks like a “crypto bro,” or Ryle proposing to Lily by asking, half-seriously, if she wants to “wear a white dress and have my babies,” an apparent reference to tradwife culture) and omitting some of the book’s more regrettable gimmicks. We do fine without young Lily’s habit of writing diary entries addressed to Ellen DeGeneres, the book’s bizarre multiple mentions of the strength of “ marine-grade polymer ,” and the fact that the smoking gun that sets Ryle off the last time he abuses Lily before she leaves him is a magnet that teen Atlas gave teen Lily that refers to how everything is “Better in Boston.” In the book, Ryle figures out that Atlas’ restaurant is named “BiB” because it’s a reference to this saying, which was a shibboleth between the two teens when they were yearning for escape from their small town. Some credit is owed to whoever read the book and decided the movie should instead use a little heart tattoo on Lily’s collarbone—a reference to a trinket Atlas carved her, from an oak tree they talked about once, all of which inspired movie Atlas to call his restaurant “Root”—as the telltale clue that brings everything to a head. At the very least, this swap elevated the aesthetics of Lily’s character—a witchy, dreamy, overalls-wearing thirtysomething obsessed with nature, basically a walking Taylor Swift album cover—and demoted the supposed romance of Boston, the mystique of which plays way too big a role in the book given that we are talking about … Boston.

People around BookTok and Romancelandia have been debating whether the representation of domestic violence in It Ends With Us is “bad” for readers for a long time —so long that some CoHorts have dreaded the advent of this movie, for the way that it would inevitably revive a debate they see as exhausting. Among the common critiques: Ryle is written as way too attractive before Hoover flips the switch and shows him as abusive. The book lauds Lily for getting away from him, which may make people blame domestic violence victims who don’t manage this, rather than blaming the abusers. It also makes getting away look way too easy: Not only does Ryle’s sister, who’s Lily’s best friend, immediately support Lily in her choice, but Ryle himself, at the end of the book, readily agrees to give Lily a divorce, immediately after she gives birth to their daughter, Emerson. Ryle, in both the book and the movie, is a character who inspires a surprising amount of empathy, for an abuser. That’s because his core, Walk Hard –esque trauma is that, as a child, he accidentally shot and killed his brother. (Maybe Colleen Hoover’s real “message” is Everyone: Lock up your guns . On that, we can all surely agree.)

And then there’s the fact that this serious story about abuse is also a romantic love triangle, something that may surprise non-book-reading moviegoers shocked by Ryle’s dark turn in the second act of the movie. Will Lily pick this handsome neurosurgeon, who may or may not get over his childhood trauma and stop hitting her when he gets triggered by jealousy of her old flame? Or will she go with the good guy she met in adolescence, who somehow went from being a teen kicked out of his house by his mother to eight years in the Marines, to, via an unknown source of funding, becoming the chef and owner of the best new restaurant in Boston? Yes, Lily is abused and grew up watching her mom get abused, but she’s also beloved. She has Allysa, and her mom, and Atlas for backup. When Atlas hugs Lily on the street, as they say goodbye in the movie, he utters words straight from the book, words destined to be highlighted by 21,048 other Kindle users: “In the future … if by some miracle you ever find yourself in the position to fall in love again … fall in love with me.” (Book readers know: She will.)

The very fact that Lily, a resident of abortion-friendly Massachusetts—everything is Better in Boston!—decides to keep that pregnancy, which she discovers in the emergency room after her husband tries to bite her tattoo off , and manages to both have this wanted baby and divorce her unwanted husband, is another bit of unreality. In the film, the characters are older, and the script inserts a scene with Lily worrying about her biological clock, which makes this choice make a bit more sense. But still—when Blake Lively cuddles that little baby and kisses her head and says, “It ends with us,” then repeats, “It ends with us,” you could be forgiven for groaning a bit. Good thing Lily Bloom’s mother is ready and willing to do child care! Lily has a quirky, and bizarrely successful, flower shop to run.

The movie does make one more key change, though you could be forgiven for missing it. In the book’s final scene, Atlas and Lily run into each other on the street, and Lily lets Atlas know that she is divorced and available by dropping a reference to a custody arrangement: She and Ryle are still sharing the child. In the movie, Lily tells him: “It’s just the two of us.” This, Baldoni has said, was a change he and the screenwriter made in conversation with No More , the advocacy group they worked with, and was a way for the film to face up to the question of whether Lily really should have shared custody with Ryle, given his serious anger issues and propensity to violence. But the choice also makes movie Ryle into an abuser who knows he’s not good for his family and fades off into the sunset—a different kind of hero, but a hero nonetheless.

The change might sit oddly with readers, given that in the second book in this series, It Starts With Us , which follows Lily and Atlas’ romance as it develops from the end of It Ends With Us , there is co-parenting galore. But, while writing Starts , Hoover did seem to have taken some of these critiques of the first book to heart. In that book, Lily mentions again and again her luck in having a support system to lean on to make it as a single mom, and Ryle does not go gently into that good divorce. He’s jealous and controlling and omnipresent, and stops being at all attractive to Lily, becoming, instead, the biggest problem she has.

You can say a lot about Colleen Hoover, but it’s rare for a writer adjacent to romance to take a onetime love interest and make him so distasteful. But that’s Colleen Hoover for you—she’ll try anything, for good or for ill. If this movie does as well as it’s projected to do, we will surely be seeing It Starts With Us on our screens in a year or two. Maybe by then, a few more viewers will know what they’re in for.

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‘It Ends With Us’: Your Reading Continues Here

Whether the Blake Lively movie brought you to the Colleen Hoover universe or you’re a longtime CoHo fan looking for more emotional, spicy stories, these novels are for you.

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By Sarah Wendell

In the past few years, no writer has dominated the best-seller list quite like Colleen Hoover . The prolific author was one of the breakout stars of the self-publishing boom over a decade ago, and her global following has only grown with BookTok’s embrace of her novels. Now Hoover — CoHo to her fans — is setting her sights on the silver screen, with the release of “It Ends With Us,” the first film adaptation of one of her books; the movie, starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, opens in theaters Aug. 9.

Hoover’s fans adore her books for their emotional intensity: The stories often revolve around themes of trauma, resilience and hope, and the characters’ tragic histories and passionate struggles provide a catharsis that readers describe as not merely heartbreaking, but heart-stomping-into-smithereens. While she is commonly billed as a romance writer, Hoover also mixes in Y.A., thriller and horror, always with plenty of spice and drama. You can see her influence in the ample selection of new books that aim to walk a similar line — or by glancing around your local bookstore, where you can spot many covers that have gotten the “CoHo treatment.”

Whether you’re new to Hoover’s work and looking to see what all the fuss is about, or yearning for some more high drama and emotional intensity while you wait for her next book, all of these options will keep you reading way past your bedtime.

Book vs. movie, let me be the judge

It ends with us , by colleen hoover.

If you’ve heard of one of Hoover’s book, it’s probably this one, which has spent a whopping 165 weeks on the New York Times best-seller list . Lily, a florist, is initially dazzled by Ryle, an enigmatic neurosurgeon. But painful moments from Lily’s childhood begin to echo into her present as she slowly realizes that Ryle’s charm belies an explosive temper — and when Atlas, her first love and her last tie to a life she’d left behind, reappears.

Take me deeper into the CoHo universe

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