BOOK REVIEW: “It Ends With Us”
by Colleen Hoover

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ABOUT THE BOOKS (from Amazon):

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.

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In “It Ends with Us,” Colleen Hoover has crafted a novel that is as powerful and impactful as it is heart-wrenching. As someone who has worked in a domestic violence shelter for the first five years of my career, I approached this book with a mix of anticipation and concern, understanding the delicate nature of the subject matter and its potential triggers.

From the outset, Hoover masterfully weaves a narrative that is both intimate and insightful, capturing the complexities of love, pain, and resilience. The protagonist, Lily Bloom, is not just a character on the pages; she becomes a living, breathing representation of courage in the face of domestic violence. Through her eyes, we experience the tumultuous reality that so many endure in silence.

The novel, while a work of fiction, is anchored in authenticity. It’s an unflinching look at the cyclical patterns of abuse, the emotional turmoil, and the difficult choices that victims often face. However, Hoover does not leave us to dwell in the darkness. Instead, she threads a narrative that balances the harsh truths with an empowering message of self-worth and strength.

What truly sets this book apart and elevates it to a 5-star must-read is the author’s note at the end. Hoover reveals that many of the scenes in the book were adapted from her own mother’s experiences with domestic violence. This personal connection brings a profound level of realness to the story, serving as a reminder that behind each account of domestic violence is a deeply personal history.

“It Ends with Us” is a book that transcends its pages to touch the heart deeply. It challenges the reader to look beyond the surface of love and relationships, and it provides an important dialogue on an issue that’s all too prevalent but often hidden. Colleen Hoover doesn’t just tell a story—she ignites a conversation about survival, healing, and the unyielding hope that enables us to say, “It ends with us.”

This book is a beacon of understanding and an ode to those who have experienced similar stories. Hoover’s work reminds us that while no two stories of domestic violence are the same, the courage to tell them is a collective stride towards ending the cycle of abuse.