Book Review: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Summary

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.

Review

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).

Yasi Agah

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Yasi Agah is a born and raised Californian living out her dreams in New York City. She loves to read, write, listen to podcasts, and teach yoga. Becoming by Michelle Obama makes her cry every time she reads it.