4.70

5

Feb 19, 2016

This book was really heavy. If you tear out most of the pages, it's not as heavy. But when you do that, the book just doesn't make any sense.

4

Aug 01, 2016

Preventing your heart from forgiving someone you love is actually a hell of a lot harder than simply forgiving them.
4 1/2 stars. Holy crap, what a book. This is unlike anything Hoover has written before. I have so many emotions right now that it's hard to know where to start, but I think everyone should read this book. That's right: everyone.

I could easily give everything away. I could, but I won't. If you go looking for lots of reviews, it won't be hard to work out what It Ends with Us is Preventing your heart from forgiving someone you love is actually a hell of a lot harder than simply forgiving them.
4 1/2 stars. Holy crap, what a book. This is unlike anything Hoover has written before. I have so many emotions right now that it's hard to know where to start, but I think everyone should read this book. That's right: everyone.

I could easily give everything away. I could, but I won't. If you go looking for lots of reviews, it won't be hard to work out what It Ends with Us is about. And if you do, you should still read it, but I think it's better if you don't. I think you should go into this book knowing as little as possible. Just realize that this is something very different from Hoover's usual new adult romances (that I admittedly have had all kinds of problems with).

So I don't want to say too much, but this is an extremely powerful story and it's not what most people will be expecting. It gets its power from the singular first person narrative (I'm honestly not a big fan of the alternating male/female POV romances) and we experience everything through Lily's eyes. When she falls in love, we fall in love; when her heart is broken, our heart is broken; when she gets it all wrong, so do we.

I cannot stress how important and damn smart this book is. There is no black and white characterization - it's much deeper and more complex than that, and therefore, far more emotional.

It peels back the layers of characters and relationships to do something that so many other authors have tried and failed to do - to make you understand a situation that for most people makes no sense. It's very sad, painful and exceptionally honest. My heart hurt while reading it and I almost cried several times.

As well as all this emotion and sadness that I'm being coy about, Hoover also brings out some of her very best writing. Little gems of honesty about human nature and relationships that are all the more painful because of their resounding truth. It's such a quotable book, but unfortunately most of the quotes are spoilers, so I shall refrain from posting them.

There's so many great things to mention, but I keep getting distracted by my feelings. The narrative is interspersed with letters that Lily wrote as a teenager and they are addressed to Ellen Degeneres - a strange touch that ends up being absolutely perfect. Shit, just writing this review and remembering the story is an emotional experience.

And then there's the absolutely fantastic female friendship. I want Allysa to be my best friend. Hoover clearly knows her audience of 16-25 year old women, creating characters with their quirks and habits - Allysa, for example, is a self-confessed "Pinterest whore", which made me laugh. But seriously, she is the best friend ever and she says one of the most perfect lines in this book.

Anyway, I'm just going to start rambling soon because I read this book in a whirlwind of emotions throughout a single day. I've been up since a ridiculous time and I need to go sleep now. But really, give this book a chance. I thought it was excellent.

Trigger Warnings: (view spoiler)[Domestic abuse (physical, occasionally graphic). Attempted rape. (hide spoiler)]

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5

Jan 12, 2015

::: SPOILER-FREE REVIEW :::


Fifteen seconds. That’s all it takes to completely change everything about a person. Fifteen seconds that we’ll never get back.
HOLY WOW! It Ends With Us is one of the most powerful books of 2016 and one of the most raw, honest, inspiring, and profoundly beautiful stories I've ever read. It wasn’t anything like what I expected, but it delivered so much more than I ever hoped for. This is the kind of book that I want to give to every woman and just be like… READ ::: SPOILER-FREE REVIEW :::


Fifteen seconds. That’s all it takes to completely change everything about a person. Fifteen seconds that we’ll never get back.
HOLY WOW! It Ends With Us is one of the most powerful books of 2016 and one of the most raw, honest, inspiring, and profoundly beautiful stories I've ever read. It wasn’t anything like what I expected, but it delivered so much more than I ever hoped for. This is the kind of book that I want to give to every woman and just be like… READ THIS BOOK. NOW. Come to think of it, all the men should read it too. EVERYONE should read this book. Absolutely everyone. It's a story of unshakable love and finding the strength to make the right choice in the hardest situation. I honestly don't think I've ever been prouder of a heroine. I've loved Colleen Hoover's books for a long time because she always writes unique stories... and this one left a lasting mark on my heart. It is a MUST-READ!!

This is a completely spoiler-free review . I'm not even going to add the blurb or tell you what this book is about. It's a Colleen Hoover book. That should be enough to tell you it's amazing. But I really feel that you should just dive into this book without knowing anything about the plot. To be honest, I'm the usually the kind of reader who likes to know every little thing about what to expect in advance, but I've really learned to trust Colleen's writing and her storytelling so even I went into this book without knowing anything at all... and I was blown away by the story!

This book is unputdownable. You'll notice as you read that there are no good stopping points. None at all. I began reading it late at night and every time I tried to put it down to go to sleep, I just had to get back up and keep reading because I couldn't stop thinking about it. I didn't finish until almost 5AM but my gosh was it ever worth it!

Of all the heroines I've ever read, Lily was most certainly one of the ones I admired the most. I knew loved her from the first few pages, but having finished the book, I truly couldn't be prouder of her. Her strength and conviction over the course of this story made her into a heroine I'd want every girl and woman to read about and look up to. She was so real and vulnerable as we all are, but the strength with which she took control of her life was admirable on such a deep level. I just wanted to hug her and cheer. I don't think I've been this proud of a fictional character before.

There's an incredibly powerful message in this book that is very subtly woven in from the start. It begins in the first chapter, but you don't yet realize how significant each of these moments truly are... and as you read more, these pieces of the story come together forming a scenario that gives such a raw, honest portrayal of an incredibly relevant issue. I'm not mentioning it on purpose because I don't want you to expect it. The fact that it's unexpected for you as the reader is very important because it's also unexpected for the heroine. As she begins to realize what kind of situation she's in, so do you. And this realization very much allows you to experience her journey with her.

The only thing I want to address head on is the question of the 'love triangle' because a few of you have read the blurb and have asked about it. All I want to say is to please try and move away from that thought. I don't want to spoil the plot at all, but that is so not what this book is about. That is not the point, or the focus. Whatever it is you're thinking this book is, just trust me -- it's so much bigger than that. Seriously, trust Colleen. I did.

As a romance reader, I found this book incredibly refreshing. As much as I adore the romance genre (and I really do), it sometimes can get a little repetative. As both an avid reader and a blogger, I'm always looking for books that step outside the lines a little; ones that do something different or take the issues a little deeper. This book represented exactly what I wish I could be reading all the time -- not this literal story, but just the fact that it went in such a different direction and gave me such an unexpected story that left me with such a strong message.

One of the things that intrigued me the most and had me wondering when I heard about this book was what the title really meant -- and there's this very specific moment when the title is echoed in the story that just had such a strong impact as I read it. That was my cheer moment. I just sat back and went 'woah!'. The title is truly perfect.

In order to write this review, I went back over the book a second time and one thing I noticed strongly was how many intricate layers there were to the story that I couldn't possibly have known about in my first read. I loved that this is one of those books you experience differently (in a good way) both the first and second time though.

I have to say that this book would make a seriously amazing movie. I could picture every scene so clearly as I read. This is also such an incredibly relevant story for many people -- whether they've personally been through what happened to Lily or they know of someone who has -- so I really do hope that one day this makes it to the big screen.

My copy of this book is literally filled with highlighted quotes in every single chapter but I made a conscious decision not to add any to this review because I really truly do not want to give anything away about the story. Just trust me and jump into this story blind. I promise that it is a reading experience you don't want to miss.

This began as one of my most highly anticipated books of 2016 and it is now of my top favorite books of the year. I was unable to put it down from the moment I started reading and I know that this is one of those profoundly beautiful and unforgettable stories that will stay with me for a long time. I highly recommend it to everyone !
That’s what fifteen minutes can do to a person. It can destroy them.
It can save them.
Rating: 5+ STARS! Standalone.

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5

Jan 11, 2015

5 + brave and bold stars!!!



Want the naked truth about It Ends with Us? Reading this book will change your life. It’s so different from any of Colleen Hoover’s other books. You can tell it’s heavier, more personal, just more. This book is deep. It’s profound. It’s a book that needs to be read. I'll repeat: THIS IS A BOOK THAT NEEDS TO BE READ!

This story is moving. It will make you think about things that are uncomfortable to think about. It will lift your heart, devastate you at times, make 5 + brave and bold stars!!!



Want the naked truth about It Ends with Us? Reading this book will change your life. It’s so different from any of Colleen Hoover’s other books. You can tell it’s heavier, more personal, just more. This book is deep. It’s profound. It’s a book that needs to be read. I'll repeat: THIS IS A BOOK THAT NEEDS TO BE READ!

This story is moving. It will make you think about things that are uncomfortable to think about. It will lift your heart, devastate you at times, make you proud, fill you with sorrow and make you smile. It will move you. It’s powerful and intense in the best way, but also has hopeful and lighter moments. The story itself is one that has been heavy on my heart from the moment I finished it.

Sometimes, I read a book and it’s so beautiful, influential and emotional I will cry just thinking about the characters and their story. Not in a bad way necessarily, I just get that moved and that emotional while thinking about it. That is this book. Trying to find the words for this review is bringing me to tears. It’s hard to explain the story completely spoiler free, but this isn’t a ‘sad’ book. It’s a strength book. Because dealing with the issues in this story took so much strength.



I’m not going to talk about the actual story at all, but I will speak a bit about the characters. Lily. Speaking of strength, Lily may be the strongest heroine that I’ve read about. Your strength is really tested when you are put in a hard situation where your choices are impossible. I loved Lily so much. I was proud of Lily and the choices she made. I want to be Lily when I grow up.
Fifteen seconds. That’s all it takes to completely change everything about a person. Fifteen seconds that we’ll never get back.
There are two men in this story, but please don’t think this is a triangle book. It’s not. It’s hard to explain, but it’s not. Ryle is a charming guy. He’s a giving person. He’s got a lot of great attributes. I’m not sure if I’ve ever felt so conflicted over a character as I did him. Atlas is the type of man I always have a soft spot for as a reader. His story gutted me at times, but he is also a character with a lot of strength and so much beauty. I loved Atlas from the second I met him and that love never stopped throughout the book.


“Lily?” he whispers, looking at me sincerely. “You just might be the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” 
Aside from the three main characters in the story, Lily’s mom played a prominent part. Their relationship played an even bigger part. Ryle’s sister and Lily’s best friend Alyssa was one of my favorite characters in this book. When things got hard she was there. One line she said in the book, to Lily just solidified the type of woman she was. Coleen always writes that one side character that you love so hard in her stories, and Alyssa was that character for me. I can’t not mention Ellen, because, well, it’s Ellen. That part was brilliant. It made me smile every time Ellen was mentioned.



When reading this book, there were moments I struggled between not being able to tear my eyes away from the page, and others I had to take a breather because I couldn't handle what was going on.Parts of this story left me so heartbroken and others lifted me up so high. There are some parts that are just so powerful I could only read them in awe. This is it. This is why I read. Books like this.
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. 
Colleen Hoover is an author who truly has a way with words. She killed this book. I’ve read and loved all of CoHo’s books. Some of her earlier books are some of my all-time favorites. I’ve enjoyed all of her latest books, but this is by far the best book she’s ever written. And it’s tied with Hopeless as my own personal favorite book by her. And that is saying a lot, because Hopeless is one of my top books ever. 



If you only read one book this year, let it be It Ends with Us. Everyone needs to read this book. 5+ star favorite. Completely unforgettable and highly recommended!
“It stops here. With me and you. It ends with us.”
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5

Jan 05, 2016

It Ends With Us... Wow I really don't know what to truly say about this novel. This review will be a little light because, like most CoHo books, you'll want to go into it with little to no information. I went into this book thinking it was going to be this one thing, and it turned out to be the complete opposite.

IEWU follows Lily, a girl in her early twenties, who has never had it easy. Though coming from a family that was better off she has always had to work for the things she's wanted. After It Ends With Us... Wow I really don't know what to truly say about this novel. This review will be a little light because, like most CoHo books, you'll want to go into it with little to no information. I went into this book thinking it was going to be this one thing, and it turned out to be the complete opposite.

IEWU follows Lily, a girl in her early twenties, who has never had it easy. Though coming from a family that was better off she has always had to work for the things she's wanted. After graduating college she gets up and moves to Boston and hopes to start her own business. While there she meets and falls for Ryle, a thriving neurosurgeon who is determined to be the best in his field. The two hit it off hard, and things seem almost too good to be true. Ryle is everything that Lily is not. He is forward, assertive, and stubborn. He is also a lot of thing Lily is; he is strong, passionate, and motivated. Though the two have an immediate connections and sparks fly, the two decided to take their time getting to know one another. Lily is such a beautifully written leading lady. I loved getting to grow with her and be apart of her journey. I loved hearing her thoughts and seeing how she processed things. When I was first reading and got to the point where she does her journal entries, but she does them so they are letters to Ellen DeGeneres, I thought I wasn't going to like that aspect of it. The first few had me thinking "this is a little cheesy", but the more I got into it the more I started to enjoy them. They really tied Lily's past and present perfectly together. As Lily's and Ryle's relationship pushes forward she finds herself looking back at those entries and thoughts of her first love Atlas resurface. Atlas was her first everything and was the biggest impact on her life. Atlas was the homeless boy who found his way into the abandoned house next door. Atlas and Lily as teens formed an unlikely friendship. Sharing everything and having a bond that no one around them seemed to understand. Spending every possible moment together and having so many stolen ones the two were kindred spirits. When Atlas reappears in the story it truly threatens everything Lily and Ryle have. (not a spoiler it's given he eventually will). Both Ryle and Atlas bring such important and different aspects to this story. I think CoHo manages to make them both such polar opposites, but at the same time manages to make them mesh so well.The characters in the book, main or side, all feel so realistic and authentic.

When it comes to the plot there is almost nothing I can say about it. I hope everyone will do the same to keep things from getting spoiled. The story is an emotional roller coaster from start to finish. It's one of those books that you will have a thousand theories about and all of them will be wrong. I kept trying to guess what I thought might happen next and in classic Hoover style she managed to surprise me. This book was solid from page one and was steady throughout, but around the 80% mark is where things really took a turn (in the best way possible).  IEWU hit me on such a personal level. I didn't expect this book to impact me so hard. It had everything I wanted from a New Adult read. It's very classic CoHo, but it also branches out somewhere she's never been before, but she does it with such ease. She manages to weave these heavy moments with ones that will make you swoon, laugh, and then cry. My favorite part of this book though, was the author's note. Usually author's notes are at the beginning of the story, however it is so important that this one was left for the end. It took a book that was good and made it exceptional! God, this note effected me like so few books have. It made me cry fifty times harder than the entire book or anything Colleen's ever written.



Finding out how important this book was for her to write will hit you hard, but I hope she also knows how important it is as a reader to read. Knowing where an author gets their ideas from can change your whole outlook on a book, and this one... this one broke me.

Thank you Colleen Hoover for continuing to gift the reading community with your words. ...more

5

Aug 08, 2016

Dear Colleen,

I find it fitting that I write this review as a letter to you the way Lily would write to Ellen. Don't ask me why, I really don't know. What I do know is that I haven't been on Goodreads in nearly six months and it's entirely your fault that i'm here now. So, if i stumble upon a poor review on one of my books and end up in the fetal position on my kitchen floor surrounded by Ding Dong wrappers, well, I'm blaming it on you. I've even given my husband instructions to bill you for the Dear Colleen,

I find it fitting that I write this review as a letter to you the way Lily would write to Ellen. Don't ask me why, I really don't know. What I do know is that I haven't been on Goodreads in nearly six months and it's entirely your fault that i'm here now. So, if i stumble upon a poor review on one of my books and end up in the fetal position on my kitchen floor surrounded by Ding Dong wrappers, well, I'm blaming it on you. I've even given my husband instructions to bill you for the psychiatry bill if that happens.

On Friday I had a hysterectomy. It wasn't the worst day of my life, but it certainly wasn't the best. One chapter of my life--quite possibly the best chapter--ended. The surgery itself took twenty minutes. Twenty minutes. Can you believe that? Twenty minutes to take out the uterus that carried my three beautiful babies for a total of twenty eight months. Twenty minutes to change my life. Don't feel bad for me, that's not what I want. The offending organ had to come out, I knew this. But it didn't make it any easier. It didn't make the finality of the situation any easier. In all honesty, for a couple of minutes I didn't just feel like a chapter was ending, more like an entire flipping book. Maybe my life isn't made up of chapters, maybe it's part of a duet, or a trilogy? Either way, part of my story was over.

Over a matter of several hours, I slowly woke up from surgery and at one point I remember sitting there and just staring at the wall paper in my hospital room.

My uterus was gone.

Mauve diamonds.

The wallpaper was covered in mauve diamonds.

That's the most hideous color, don't you think? Mauve. Not quite pink. Not quite maroon.

I counted seven hundred and fifty three diamonds before I allowed the first tear to fall. But I wasn't just crying for losing a part of my body, and I wasn't crying for losing the ability to carry more children. I was crying because some women don't even get to experience what I've gotten to experience. Some women never get to have babies. They never get to feel them grow in their bellies. They never get to see the slimy little monsters as they tumble their way into this world.

And I did.

I got to do all of that three times.

So why was I so upset? What the hell was my problem? I should be grateful, right? Happy?

My husband slept soundly in the chair, snoring softly, but at some point my cries must have woken him up. He stirred and I did the only thing I could do ... I grabbed your book. You see, it was sitting on my bedside table. I buried my nose between the pages and when my better half asked me if I was okay I simply peeked over the top of the book and whispered, "Colleen. She did it again."

I didn't need to say much more, he knows my obsession with your words and I found myself grateful. Grateful that he knew your books make me cry and grateful that you inadvertently allowed me to grieve. And that's what I did. I read your book and I grieved. I cried when Lily cried. I cried when Ryle cried. And even when no one was crying, I still cried simply because I needed to and I could and no one thought twice about it because i was reading and that's what i do when i read. It was my outlet, my excuse for the tears that wouldn't go away, the tears that kept falling despite my desperate protest.

I cried for all of the Lily's in the world, and the Ryle's too. I cried for the Atlas'. And I cried for the Kirby's (that's my name. No i'm not named after a vacuum, or a cream puff)

But you see, I didn't want to cry. I didn't want to be upset. I have three beautiful children whom I love with my entire heart. My body did it's job extremely well and that is something to be proud of. But why wasn't I proud?

Naked truth?

I'm selfish.
I wanted one more baby even though my husband didn't. I wanted one more baby when there are women out there that can't have any at all.

So why am I telling you this? My story is nothing like Lily's. Not even close.
But maybe it is ...
She wanted something she shouldn't want. I wanted something I couldn't have. She had a decision to make ... one that would change her life. So did I. She made a decision that was right for her and for her life at that particular time.
Ditto.
But the real reason I'm telling you this is because for two days I was drowning and It Ends With Us was my lifeline. It's what I grabbed when I needed to stop thinking ... it's what I grabbed when i needed to cry ... and when i finally finished the book and put it down, it wasn't mauve diamonds that I saw ... it was my smiling children.

My three beautiful smiling children ... and my niece Lily.

-- Kirby ...more

5

Sep 21, 2016

Phenomenal!

This book will make you fall in love, rip your heart out and force you to reconsider your preconceived ideas about abuse. This is the most moving book that I've read in a LONG time. It was absolutely addicting, but so difficult at times. I don't cry very often, but this one had me crying big, fat tears.

It's been a couple of days since I finished 'It Ends With Us' and I'm still thinking about Lily's story. It's one that'll hang with you. In so many ways, her story gutted me. Yet, it Phenomenal!

This book will make you fall in love, rip your heart out and force you to reconsider your preconceived ideas about abuse. This is the most moving book that I've read in a LONG time. It was absolutely addicting, but so difficult at times. I don't cry very often, but this one had me crying big, fat tears.

It's been a couple of days since I finished 'It Ends With Us' and I'm still thinking about Lily's story. It's one that'll hang with you. In so many ways, her story gutted me. Yet, it was also inspiring.

Lily grows up in an abusive household. After watching her mother suffer for years at the hand of her father, she tells herself that she'll never allow any man to treat her that way. She grows into a strong and independent woman, leaving behind the horrors of her childhood...Or so she thinks.

Despite everything she's promised herself, Lily finds herself in an abusive relationship. The behavior and cycle is so insidious that you almost can't believe what is happening. Ms. Hoover manages to weave the violence into a relationship that is otherwise seemingly perfect. It is so skillfully written that you won't want to believe what you've read.

I found myself making excuses for the abuser. I didn't want to believe that he wouldn't change. For the first time, I could understand why women make excuses for abusers. I can only imagine how strong that pull must be in reality if I felt so strongly about a fictional character.

I am in awe of Lily. Her strength and conviction blew me away. I don't think I would've been strong enough to do what she did. She was an amazing character.

This was a beautiful and heartbreaking book. I recommend it to everyone. It is a must read.

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4

Apr 17, 2016

*Spoilers*

I did not see that coming.

Which I think is the whole point.

Ever since I was fifteen, I promised myself I would never get into a relationship with someone before I knew what they looked like angry. Are they the type to grow exasperated and leave the room, shout their lungs out or… aggressively hit their loved ones?

I’m very happy with the way Colleen Hoover dealt with the subject of abuse. It’s very well explored and the connection between Lily and her mother so beautiful yet so sad. *Spoilers*

I did not see that coming.

Which I think is the whole point.

Ever since I was fifteen, I promised myself I would never get into a relationship with someone before I knew what they looked like angry. Are they the type to grow exasperated and leave the room, shout their lungs out or… aggressively hit their loved ones?

I’m very happy with the way Colleen Hoover dealt with the subject of abuse. It’s very well explored and the connection between Lily and her mother so beautiful yet so sad. But mostly beautiful because of how well they end up understanding one another.

To be completely honest, I wanted to stay way away from this book. The last CoHo books I had read – UGLY LOVE and NOVEMBER 9 – annoyed me with their cheesy lines and insta-love-dovey. But this… this is something else entirely.

I loved how it follows Lily for several years and how we even get access to her past. It not only made her character much more three-dimensional—real, but it also showed sides of her we otherwise would never have seen. She is so strong and wise. So motivated and ambitious. So good and compassionate. I loved her. And truth be told, I want to be her.

I think this book has truly renewed my faith in Colleen Hoover. I almost gave up on reading her books for ever, but then impulsion struck me and I succumbed to this one as well. Very glad I did. I hope you will, too. It’s worth it.

PS. The title is one of the most well thought of that exist. When the author used the sentence in her novel, all kinds of emotions welled up inside me.

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5

Dec 16, 2016

If you need me I'll be sweeping up all the pieces of my shattered heart. Dear God! It's amazing how you can read a story that is simultaneously gut wrenching and beautiful. I'll be honest, I managed to make it through this ENTIRE book without shedding a single tear... until I hit CoHo's note/acknowledgements at the end and ugly cried. The fact that this story had so much basis on real life events that meant so much to her shined through in her writing.

Clearly you can guess the ending of the If you need me I'll be sweeping up all the pieces of my shattered heart. Dear God! It's amazing how you can read a story that is simultaneously gut wrenching and beautiful. I'll be honest, I managed to make it through this ENTIRE book without shedding a single tear... until I hit CoHo's note/acknowledgements at the end and ugly cried. The fact that this story had so much basis on real life events that meant so much to her shined through in her writing.

Clearly you can guess the ending of the story (to some degree) by the title, but a majority of what makes this story so breathtaking is the journey there. "It Ends With Us" caused me to look at domestic abuse in ways I never allowed myself to in the past. As a society we are quick to judge women (and men) who stay in abusive relationships without taking into account what the process really is like for them. We get a slight glimpse into the fragile situation of how incredibly difficult it is to leave a dangerous relationship when you love the person who is causing you harm. I won't say more for fear of ruining the reading experience for someone else, but this book was so much more than a flimsy romance novel. Highly recommended! (Maybe I'll stop ugly crying by the time you've finished reading it.) ...more

5

Mar 05, 2016

I honestly don't know how I feel.

There are times I am angry and times I am sad. And then I'm both. And it's the worst, because there is a war raging inside me, and the winner side keeps changing. How is it possible to switch from denial to sorrow to fury to acceptance in a heartbeat?
“There is no such thing as bad people. We’re all just people who sometimes do bad things.”
I did my best not to cry. I felt sick, but I clenched my jaw and forced myself to keep reading, trying in vain to ignore I honestly don't know how I feel.

There are times I am angry and times I am sad. And then I'm both. And it's the worst, because there is a war raging inside me, and the winner side keeps changing. How is it possible to switch from denial to sorrow to fury to acceptance in a heartbeat?
“There is no such thing as bad people. We’re all just people who sometimes do bad things.”
I did my best not to cry. I felt sick, but I clenched my jaw and forced myself to keep reading, trying in vain to ignore the tremors that ran through my body. But when the last chapters came, and Colleen's note in the end, I couldn't take it any more. I dissolved into angry, hot tears, and I checked my chest to make sure my heart was not bleeding. Lily's story had a lot to teach. I think I died a little when I realized that sometimes love is not enough. Regret, good will, they're not enough to fix some wounds. On the contrary, they make them deeper.
“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 the love. If there was no love attached to the action, the pain would be a little easier to bear.”
It Ends with Us is the most personal and daring and painful book Colleen Hoover has ever written. Abuse and domestic violence are a delicate subject, and when I found out they were this book's main theme I thought about not reading it. It was a moment of cowardice, a moment I didn't want to witness this side of relationships. But I owed it to myself, as a person and as a woman to proceed. Because pretending a problem doesn't exist does not make it disappear. There will be spoilers below so if you haven't read It Ends with Us, you should probably stop here.
“Fifteen seconds. That’s all it takes to completely change everything about a person. Fifteen.”
Naked truth coming. I was one of the people who don't understand. The people who, when they hear about abuse, the first thing that occurs to them is why doesn't she leave him? Why does she let her fear guide her, and she's so selfish that makes her children witness such horrors inside their home, that was supposed to be their sanctuary? But what we should ask is what is wrong with him? Instead of making excuses and trying to justify him, we should take a moment and consider how she feels, and the difficult decisions she has to make. Ryle broke my heart into millions of pieces. I fell in love with him, and I kept wishing that Colleen would delete these words, these scenes that hurt me and disappointed me and shattered my belief in happy endings. A part of me, a part I tried to smother, a part I am ashamed that exists, wanted him to change. To try harder, and for Lily to let him try harder. Me, who judged them for not leaving. In the end, I felt sorry for Ryle. For losing the love of his life, for destroying his only chance at happiness. I don't forgive him, I just wish that a magic wand would make everything better.
“So much gravity, pushing down on my emotions. Everything shatters.
My tears, my heart, my laughter, my soul. Shattered like broken glass, raining down around me.”
Lily is a hero. She had dignity, and courage and strength. At first I was judging her mother for staying, but witnessing through Lily's eyes her challenges, feeling her heartbreak and her dilemmas, made me regret all the ugly things I thought. Loving the person who hurts you is a greater torture than the physical act itself. And damn it I loved Ryle, and I hated Colleen for that. I hated her for making me swoon and laugh when she was about to shatter my soul. The Katerina that started It Ends with Us is a different person than the Katerina that finished it. Remorseful, destroyed, wiser.
“Life is a funny thing. We only get so many years to live it, so we have to do everything we can to make sure those years are as full as they can be. We shouldn't waste time on things that might happen someday, or maybe even never.”
A part of me wants to forget this raw, powerful, inspirational, beautiful and ugly book. But the dominant part, even though it suffers, is glad I read it and learned.
To every single person out there, READ IT.
To every woman in Lily's place, BE BRAVE AND BOLD.
To Colleen Hoover, THANK YOU. For sharing this with us. With me.
“Just keep swimming.” ...more

1

Aug 15, 2016

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

“What a great time to have a dissenting opinion about a book written by an author with a particularly rabid fanbase!” said no one ever. In case we haven’t met and you’re seeing this review due to the new IN YO’ FACE! Goodreads format which shares reviews/updates to your feed errrrrrrrry single time one of your friends likes or comments on them, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kelly . . . .



Also, I spoil things, so back away Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

“What a great time to have a dissenting opinion about a book written by an author with a particularly rabid fanbase!” said no one ever. In case we haven’t met and you’re seeing this review due to the new IN YO’ FACE! Goodreads format which shares reviews/updates to your feed errrrrrrrry single time one of your friends likes or comments on them, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kelly . . . .



Also, I spoil things, so back away quickly if you don’t want this one to be ruined for you.

My glaring 1 Star in a sea of 5s probably makes it pretty clear that I detested this book, but please refrain from fetching your torches and pitchforks for a moment and take note that not only did I just 5 Star a CoHo Story two weeks ago (as well as shoved it down everyone’s throats I possibly could), but also I want to make all of the sexuals with Miles Archer and will fight anyone for dibs on his imaginary lurv making. I didn’t pick this up in order to hate on it. I’m one of you . . . . sometimes. Definitely not this time, but lots of times. And this is why I don’t ever give up on Hoover novels. I never know how I’m going to react.

Allow me to explain what went wrong for me with this one . . .



Let’s start with the obvious annoyances that seem to be in nearly every NA book that drive me batshit before getting to the real nitty gritty. First, the character names. Ryle, Lily Bloom and Atlas???????



Is it against the law to not use absolutely ridiculous (â„¢Ron2.0) names in these books????

Second . . . .

“Your lips. I love how they’re as red as your hair.”



According to Google (all hail Google) less than 2% of the world’s population has red hair, and yet 99.998% of all NA leading ladies do. Just stahp.

Third, non-existent chemistry. In this story Lily and Ryle meet by chance on a rooftop after experiencing respective miserable days. In a matter of minutes Lily goes from worrying the stranger on the roof could be a psycho killer/rapist to getting into his super sexy (NOT) pick-up lines . . .

“If you wouldn’t sleep with someone you just met . . .” His eyes meet mine again. “Exactly how far would you go?”

Ewww. She already said thanks but no thanks freakshow so STFU.

Now let’s move on to the real big issue. I took a gander at my friends’ reviews before I started typing this and noticed my buddy Chelsea was the only other naysayer in the batch. She summed it up perfectly when she talked about the massive amounts of emotional manipulation that was forced down the readers’ throats in order to make them feel all the things.

It’s a running joke with my friends/family/co-workers that I have a robot heart. And for the majority of the time it’s true. I generally experience two emotions – happiness and annoyance. But even a robot like me can be manipulated into having a feeling/crying the ugly tears like a Kardashian once in a blue moon (*cough Me Before You cough*). This time, though? It was like a flashing neon sign . . . .



To begin with, our first leading male Atlas is a homeless teenager who Lily befriends/eventually loses her virginity. In case you don’t get the writing on the wall, Atlas is being set up as the most perfect perfection that ever perfected. He’s also the way to getting the “raised in an abusive household” plotline uncovered. Like in all NA stories, Atlas and Lily are torn apart. Lily moves on with her life, graduates college, yada yada, and, as mentioned above, meet-cutes super creeper Mr. Right 2.0 on the roof. Mr. Right 2.0 is not only another most perfect perfection that ever perfected, but he’s also rich and a neurosurgeon and very obviously husband material even though he’s never had a girlfriend (also after dating only six months), annnnnnnnd due to their mutually busy schedules not really knowing the guy.

It wasn’t too hard to see where the story was going to go (and no, I hadn’t been spoiled because I didn’t read any reviews or the synopsis, I just auto-request everything by Hoover from both NetGalley and the library). Basically this was a story about domestic abuse and making excuses not only the first time he knocks your ass down “on accident” but also the second time when you wake up after “falling” down the stairs and hearing his sob story about a superbadawful that effed him up as a kid and then agreeing on a policy where “When you’re upset, just walk away. And I’ll walk away” (because THAT’S going to fucking work) and then saying “It’s okay, Ryle. It’s okay. You were angry, it’s okay” and making sure even when you’re bleeding profusely out of your fucking skull and are concussed and have quite possibly just been raped by your own damn husband that you get taken to an emergency room in a hospital other than the one where your bastard abuser works in order to protect his ass as well as explaining “sometimes the reason women go back is simply because they’re in love” and in case all that wasn’t e-fucking-nough you add in a whoopsie baby (another NA per usual) to serve as the wake-up call that maybe it’d be a good idea to ditch this zero and eventually find you a hero, buuuuuuuuuuuut you just come to an agreement regarding visitation and whathaveyou rather than involving the court and much needed supervised interaction because you know he wouldn’t hurt the baby since it’s obvious he loves her . . . .



Nope.

I’m well aware I’m going against the grain here. I give zero fucks. Don’t bother trolling me to tell me how stupid I am (especially if you’re a teenager who has lived a privileged lifestyle and never experienced anything contained in this book for yourself). I went to the wholesale club yesterday and stocked up on big ol’ batch of . . . .



I will be using it freely.

Many thanks to the library for having nearly every book I ever want to read – especially books like these that are only approved to fangirling 5 Star reviewers prior to publication.
...more

5

Feb 22, 2018

You guys are always telling me this author writes vaguely shitty romance novels and is unbelievably overhyped... and yet this masterpiece exists? I call bullshit because this was masterful.

If you have read this book and also follow my reviews, you know the topic of abuse is one I sort of talk about a lot. this book got it right. this book got it so, so right. So let’s talk about why.

character work
I knew I would love Lily from the moment she stood up at her abusive father’s funeral and You guys are always telling me this author writes vaguely shitty romance novels and is unbelievably overhyped... and yet this masterpiece exists? I call bullshit because this was masterful.

If you have read this book and also follow my reviews, you know the topic of abuse is one I sort of talk about a lot. this book got it right. this book got it so, so right. So let’s talk about why.

→ character work ←
I knew I would love Lily from the moment she stood up at her abusive father’s funeral and refused to speak. And oh boy, was I right. Lily works so well as a protagonist because she isn’t the archetype. She has been through abuse herself and she is so, so sure it would never happen to her. She would leave if even one thing happened. She would. ...But then she doesn’t. She reads as absolutely, totally real. And her character development? Fucking iconic.

→ friendship focus ←
Something that really bothers me a lot in romances like this is that a romance tends to save the protagonist, and I think this book - despite marketing that made me concerned this trope would rear its ugly head - does the opposite. The lead friendship here between Lily and Alys is so 20/10 and so important. And even though there is a touch of romance, I think the book is very explicit about it not being healthy for Lily to jump right into a new relationship. I appreciate that a lot.

→ narrative treatment ←
I think this is one of the only books I have ever read that actually seems to understand that abuse is a mortal sin. The wild thing is, aside from his moments of extreme rage, Rylin never appears to be that bad of a guy. He apologizes every time. He continuously seems to account for Lily’s feelings. But his actions against her are enough. There is no question in the narrative on whether she was being unempathetic: Lily was right to leave, no matter how he treated her in the aftermath. And I think that means a lot to me, how his character is nuanced but also irredeemable for Lily.

I mean, aside from these three things, everything about this novel was basically good - the writing is extremely clean and easy-to-read, there are some really really funny moments, the romance that does end up occurring is genuinely sweet, and it's overall a win - but on a personal level? I am destroyed. This book is not just good, this book is Fantastic. and that's my opinion. goodnight.

Blog | Goodreads | Twitter | Youtube ...more

5

Jan 12, 2015

OMG Pls read Colleen's latest post...
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bza_RYegc...

--------------------

GOODREADS - 2016 BEST ROMANCE WINNER!!! :)
https://www.goodreads.com/choiceaward...

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This book is a masterpiece…



“Life is a funny thing. We only get so many years to live it, so we have to do everything we can to make sure those years are as full as they can be. We shouldn't waste time on things that might happen someday, or maybe even never.”

I won’t summarize this book to OMG ???????????? Pls read Colleen's latest post... ????
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bza_RYegc...

--------------------

GOODREADS - 2016 BEST ROMANCE WINNER!!! :)
https://www.goodreads.com/choiceaward...

--------------------

This book is a masterpiece…



“Life is a funny thing. We only get so many years to live it, so we have to do everything we can to make sure those years are as full as they can be. We shouldn't waste time on things that might happen someday, or maybe even never.”

I won’t summarize this book to you because this is a Colleen Hoover book. She doesn’t need an introduction. She is Colleen Hoover. Her name is enough reason for me to read her books… <3

But you should know just one thing about this book…

“THIS BOOK WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE…“

This book will make you realize whatever bad things you live in your own life that we shouldn’t give up from ourselves … We just have to keep swimming until we reach the shore…

This book given me a lot of things to think about… And I never found myself a situation like Lily did. But when I start to read this book I felt that like I was the main character in this book. Colleen made me feel Lily’s all good and bad moments. One time I found myself laughing out loud and another time I found myself crying with her… And I must warn you, you’ll cry like a river… I even cried when I read Colleen’s note end of the book.

I finished the book almost 36 hours ago and I’m still trying to gather myself. I'm really stuck right now with my own thoughts. I wanna tell you more about this book but words will only fail me because it’s really so hard to write a review about this book. It’s so damn hard. But nothing I said won’t be enough to explain how powerful is this book… Nothing will never ever enough to express my love about this story... So please stop losing time and read this amazing book. Trust me you won’t be regret for reading it. ;)

Colleen Hoover, thank you very much for this unforgettable story. THANK YOU! <3

Ps. If I have a bad day I’ll think about this book. And if life gets me down, I’ll just keep swimming until I reach the shore… <3

“In the future . . . if by some miracle you ever find yourself in the position to fall in love again . . . fall in love with me.” He presses his lips against my forehead. “You’re still my favorite person, Lily. Always will be."



--------------------------------

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

“Maybe love isn't something that comes full circle. It just ebbs and flows, in and out, just like the people in our lives. Just because we didn't end up on the same wave, doesn't mean we aren't apart of the same ocean.”

“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.

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

“I feel like everyone fakes who they really are, when deep down we're all equal amounts of screwed up. Some of us are just better at hiding it than others.”

"I start shaking my head, wanting the last fifteen seconds to go away. Fifteen seconds. That’s all it takes to completely change everything about a person.Fifteen seconds that we’ll never get back."

“It stops here. With me and you. It ends with us.”







...more

4

Aug 02, 2016

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

As a member of the human species with a Y chromosome, I admit that the allure of the romance novel eludes me, even though I'm a particularly hopeless romantic myself. The thought of reading about a prolonged courtship isn't something to get all excited about. After all, how many peopleout there are actually interested in hearing about my own misadventures in the dating arena?



On second thought, don't answer that.

So when I started diving intoIt Ends with Us: A Novel by Colleen SPOILER FREE REVIEW

As a member of the human species with a Y chromosome, I admit that the allure of the romance novel eludes me, even though I'm a particularly hopeless romantic myself. The thought of reading about a prolonged courtship isn't something to get all excited about. After all, how many people out there are actually interested in hearing about my own misadventures in the dating arena?



On second thought, don't answer that.

So when I started diving into It Ends with Us: A Novel by Colleen Hoover, I expected pages of the same old trite that have filled thousands of romance novels ever since the first caveman dragged the first cavechick by the hair back into his stone-age pad. Wouldn't you know it? I wasn't disappointed in the slightest. Let's take a brief rundown of the requisite elements and see if this novel has them:

Girl Meets Boy - CHECK
Boy is Impossibly Handsome - CHECK
Boy is Impossibly Rich - CHECK
Boy is Impossibly Talented - CHECK
Boy has Mysterious Name - CHECK
Boy is Emotionally Aloof - CHECK
Girl Tries To Deny Feelings For Boy She Just Met - CHECK
Boy Makes A Move - CHECK
Girl Pretends Not To Like It - CHECK
Boy Says Something Clever and Sexy - CHECK
Boy and Girl Have Wild, Raunchy Sex - CHECK

Okay, the last one actually doesn't happen for a good while owing to the tried-and-tested phone-call-interruption-just-when-we're-about-to-do-it cliche, but it's still there.

Here's a description of when the two lovebirds first meet:
I feel his voice in my stomach. That's not good. Voices should stop at the ears, but sometimes - not very often at all, actually - a voice will penetrate past my ears and reverberate straight down through my body. He has one of those voices. Deep, confident, and a little bit like butter.

Here's another one:
This guy is beautiful. Well-manicured, smells like money, looks to be several years older than me. His eyes crinkle in the corners as they follow me, and his lips seem to frown, even when they aren't.


Now, why would I give four stars to a book that overuses so many tropes?

Because Colleen Hoover knows her audience so well it's almost criminal. Her writing is clean and lucid. The protagonist is fleshed-out. The story tugs at the heart. Everything else can be forgiven.

And by the end of the first half of the book, it becomes painfully obvious that this novel is not about romance. It's about heartache.



Our protagonist is a 23-year old wannabe florist named Lily Blossom Bloom (yes) who meets brooding neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid (again, yes). Lily's father has recently passed, and she's trying to come to terms with her less-than-stellar relationship with dear ol' dad. Flashbacks are interspersed throughout the book via Lily's high school diary, and we quickly find out that her first love was a homeless guy named Atlas Corrigan (for the last time, yes) who lived in an abandoned shack near her childhood home. To say that dad and Atlas did not get along is an understatement.



Lily is a smart and driven woman, and it shows through her personality. She balances the pleasures of love with the pleasures of work. A couple chapters in, she decides to pursue her dream and open a flower shop:
"Sweet, life, pink, spring." I repeat. And then, "Allysa, you're brilliant!" I stand up and begin pacing the floor. "We'll take everything everyone loves about flowers, and we'll do the complete opposite!"
Nice one, Lily.



But of course, this wouldn't be a good novel if all we ever read about is how good Lily is getting it at the office and in the bedroom. Midway through, disaster strikes.

I won't say what kind of disaster, but there's quite a few of it, both in present time and in the flashbacks. And then there's love. And then there's disaster. And then there's love. And then there's disaster. And then there's love.

This book may overuse so many things we've come to expect of romantic comedies, but when I figured out the real message Colleen wanted to impart, I swept all the small things under the rug. This novel is a heartfelt plea for the readers to empathize with men and women who are caught up in relationships that are causing them turmoil and pain. It's a call to have an open mind when confronted with a similar relationship in the real world, both for the man, the woman, and their families. Finally, it leaves us with a beautiful if not sad moral lesson that the right thing to do may sometimes also be the hardest thing to do.
People say that teenagers don't know how to love like an adult. Part of me believes that, but I'm not an adult so I have nothing to compare it to. But I do believe it's probably different. I'm sure there's more substance in the love between two adults than there is between two teenagers. There's probably more maturity, more respect, more responsibility. But no matter how different the substance of a love might be at different ages in a person's life, I know that love still has to weigh the same. You feel that weight on your shoulders and in your stomach and on your heart no matter how old you are.
The book is peppered with phrases like the one above, and the more I read, the more I got the feeling that the words were coming from the author's mouth and not the protagonist's.

At the beginning and end of the novel, there is a personal message left by the author, and the motivation for this book suddenly becomes clear. They say writing is a private and cathartic process, and for Colleen, this certainly was extremely private and cathartic. It must have taken a lot of effort to write. It's only fair that it took a lot of joy to read. ...more

1

May 10, 2016

2.5/5 this book sends a really important and worthwhile message, but it's not necessarily enjoyable.

IT ENDS WITH US was not what i expected it to be. i started the novel knowing next to nothing about the storyline except that it's a colleen hoover book (NA romance) and that it's good (my friends kept raving). but if i'm being honest, i was a little disappointed. i was hoping for a light read with lots of ~FEELZ~ but instead i got something much more intense – not bad, just unexpected.

the main 2.5/5 ♡ this book sends a really important and worthwhile message, but it's not necessarily enjoyable.

IT ENDS WITH US was not what i expected it to be. i started the novel knowing next to nothing about the storyline except that it's a colleen hoover book (NA romance) and that it's good (my friends kept raving). but if i'm being honest, i was a little disappointed. i was hoping for a light read with lots of ~FEELZ~ but instead i got something much more intense – not bad, just unexpected.

the main plot revolves around abusive and toxic relationships within families. it really opened my eyes to the emotions of those in these types of situations and helped me gain a lot of perspective. because of this, i think it's important for everyone to read this, but i can't say if you'll like it.

for the majority of this novel, i DIDN'T like it. i was definitely interested and curious, but i didn't care for the characters as much as i thought i would. i was frustrated and annoyed at the situations, and some of it felt artificial, rushed, and sterotypical. it all seemed so... fictional. usually the romance satisfies me, but even that didn't do it. buuuuuut it wasn't so much that i didn't NOT like it. it was simply okay when i expected it to be ~amazing~.

(view spoiler)[
there were two romantic tropes that bothered me because i don't like the tropes themselves and because i didn't think it was executed THAT well: insta-love and love triangle.

ryle was too good to be true; a hot, young, smart, compassionate, arrogant, sensitive, rich guy suddenly appears and falls head over heels for our main character. they – somehow!! – meet again and this time he's literally BEGGING to have sex with her. suddenly, this fuckboi wants to be in a committed relationship and plans on having kids with our lucky lady. um......... okay????? i didn't feel anything for their relationship and ryle seemed like a plot device to me. and when she didn't leave him the first time, i knew i KNEW he would do much worse again. and i didn't feel surprised when it happened; i didn't feel surprised when she asked for the divorce – a little relieved maybe, but not surprised.

then there's atlas, who i felt had more depth than ryle and lily but also not thaaaat much. he was probably my favorite character, but i felt his story (the letters) were kinda.. anti-climactic? their relationship was confusing to decipher, but i still loved them. it made me sad to think lily didn't end up with atlas IN THE FIRST PLACE but i guess that would make the whole purpose of the book redundant.
(hide spoiler)]

even though i didn't enjoy the process of reading this book, i'm grateful to have read it. there are some books you read for pleasure and there are some you read to gain knowledge and perspective. this is the latter. ...more

2

Aug 08, 2016

I. Am. DONE.



I do NOT like books that manipulate me. I do NOT like authors who think it teaches life lessons by making everything literally the WORST scenario possible. I do NOT like books that I endorse, tell 100 people to read (when I'm at 47%) because it was so amazing-wonderful-addicting-beautiful, and then have to eat crow because a million dreadful things have to happen to get to the fucking point.

And for those who ADORED this book, do NOT come at me and tell me I am wrong, didn't
I. Am. DONE.



I do NOT like books that manipulate me. I do NOT like authors who think it teaches life lessons by making everything literally the WORST scenario possible. I do NOT like books that I endorse, tell 100 people to read (when I'm at 47%) because it was so amazing-wonderful-addicting-beautiful, and then have to eat crow because a million dreadful things have to happen to get to the fucking point.

And for those who ADORED this book, do NOT come at me and tell me I am wrong, didn't understand the message, whatever. I do NOT like being manipulated (SEE ABOVE) when I was already okay with how things would eventually turn out. I didn't need five more fucking stabs in the stomach to get the fucking message.

For those who keep talking about all their feelings and how they are having trouble writing a review because of all their feeeeeelings...that's manipulation you're feeling, people. And I am so mad I don't care who I'm offending. I loved the idea behind this book. I did. And even though I felt so much love in one way, I was okay with the devastation everyone spoke of. But then-All. That.



SHIT.

I will never forgive Hoover for this. Ever. I think I am FINALLY done this time. I am ALWAYS the black sheep on her books...and I have no fucking clue why I keep coming back for more. Probably because I loved Miles (THE ONLY BOOK I'VE EVER LOVED BY HER, making me the opposite of everyone, yet again) so much and want another win...but there's only so much bullshit I can ingest per author and she might have just met her quota.



And it's this author's twisted sense of life lessons we need to learn. Oh, and PS, I LOVED BOTH GUYS SO MUCH IT HURTS-so don't even try that one on me.

Sorry, guys. I slept on it, and I was even madder today. And I assume my attitude concerning this novel will only get worse, so it's best I post today and let it be.

For more of my reviews, please visit:


...more

5

Jan 09, 2015

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

I am a mess. Torn. So, so goddamn conflicted. Broken over the what-ifs of this book. Filled with sorrow. Proud.

I feel manipulated. Tricked. Heartbroken. Educated. Thankful. Mindfucked.

It Ends With Us is nothing like I’ve ever read. It certainly isn’t like any other novel Colleen Hoover has written. The word ‘DIFFERENT’ is just etched into its very essence. I feel like Colleen put part of her story and “There is no such thing as bad people. We’re all just people who sometimes do bad things.”

I am a mess. Torn. So, so goddamn conflicted. Broken over the what-ifs of this book. Filled with sorrow. Proud.

I feel manipulated. Tricked. Heartbroken. Educated. Thankful. Mindfucked.

It Ends With Us is nothing like I’ve ever read. It certainly isn’t like any other novel Colleen Hoover has written. The word ‘DIFFERENT’ is just etched into its very essence. I feel like Colleen put part of her story and her soul on a silver platter for us to observe and draw our own conclusions from it and this also became evident within the Author’s Note which, by the way, I wholeheartedly encourage you to read. Hell, no. Scratch that. I WHOLEHEARTEDLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ IT ENDS WITH US. Not because of the hype. Not because of the romance. Not because of Colleen’s awesome writing skills.

But because of the message.

I cannot guarantee you’ll love it. I’m definitely far from loving it and I don’t even think it’s Colleen’s best work. This is the second book that’s ever made me feel the ‘I-love-it-but-I-hate-it’ vibes, the first being Dusty. I rated that one with 3 stars because based on my logic 1 star equals hate and 5 stars equate to love so the average of 3 will do. But I rated IEWU with a full 5 stars rating because if there’s one word to describe this book, then it’s EMPOWERING. And WOMEN EMPOWERMENT deserves 5 stars any given day. Plus, its unraveling is perfect.

Without being spoilery, I will say this: this book is heavy. This book knifes your heart and twists it until you bleed all your pre-conceived ideas about certain topics straight out the window. I loved Lily. I loved Ryle. But most of all, I loved Lily & Ryle. Their relationship is so complex and layered and I was overwhelmed with feelings at just how perfect they were together. I laughed, I smiled, I felt my heart catch wings and head into the clouds. And then I cried buckets. Then there’s Atlas, which I did not fall in love with, but he just fit the puzzle perfectly and after a while I found him so lovable as well. And yes, I loved Lily & Atlas too. They were like a weak but brilliant rainbow after a storm.

“In the future . . . if by some miracle you ever find yourself in the position to fall in love again . . . fall in love with me.”

Now, now, don’t rush and believe this is some love triangle. I just feel evil now and I will say that YOU HAVE NO FUCKING IDEA MUHAHA. *sobs*

I’m not saying more because you should definitely head in blind with this one, as I did. Honorary mentions are needed, however: Alyssa, I swear, she’s the best friend I could possibly imagine; I cannot comprehend how difficult it must have been to say and do some things considering the unique dynamics of her with the other characters; Marshall was another great addition that simply showed how easily men can empower women too; and Lily’s mother is a glorious character.

And I will share this: there was one particular scene that left me crying like there’s no tomorrow. The last hospital scene. That beautiful and so very ugly and just 100% gut-wrenching scene. Where decisions were made in the hopes of a better future. Where letting go was worth the love you’ve built piece by piece. Where the cycle of history stopped. Where I had to put the book down and start a sobfest. It gutted me, completely and utterly gutted me.

“And as hard as this choice is, we break the pattern before the pattern breaks us.”

I read this book in 5 hours. I finished it 24 hours ago. I still can’t stop thinking about it and my stomach is still churning like ashes have taken residence there. I’m an emotional mess. I feel unsatisfied, yet content. Enraged, yet peaceful. This book shows the good, the bad, the in-between. It shows life and love and hatred. It shows how love can become a poison. It shows how love can shackle and hurt, but also save and heal. Honestly, it blew my mind. It doesn’t matter that it made me uncomfortable or that it made me wish things ended up differently. This story needed to exist exactly as it is no matter how broken my heart feels. It is brave and bold.

It’s an eye-opener. I realized upon reading that I might have been indifferent or dismissive or downright judgmental regarding some statistics (this sounds weird, I know, but you’ll get it once you read). I never fully grasped some scenarios or some perspectives, but It Ends With Us changed that. It changed me, undoubtedly.

And for that, thank you, Colleen. Thank you, Lily. Thank you for making me a better person.

...more

4

Mar 29, 2019

”Oh, I want you, Lily. Make no mistake about that. I just don’t want to want you.”

I thought really long and hard about how I’m going to review this book and what it always comes down to, is that I actually don’t want to review it.

This is one of the rare books you just have to read yourself. You have to experience it and feel it and no matter what I’d write in my review, it would never even get close to all the emotions that hit me while I read “It Ends With Us”. This book makes you happy and ”Oh, I want you, Lily. Make no mistake about that. I just don’t want to want you.”

I thought really long and hard about how I’m going to review this book and what it always comes down to, is that I actually don’t want to review it.

This is one of the rare books you just have to read yourself. You have to experience it and feel it and no matter what I’d write in my review, it would never even get close to all the emotions that hit me while I read “It Ends With Us”. This book makes you happy and sad, it confuses you, breaks you, hurts you, makes you question yourself and your thoughts! Hell, it makes you question your own code of ethics.

”The reasoning is the hardest part of this. It eats at me, little by little, wearing down the strength my hatred lends to me.”

It would be easy to judge; easy to sit on a high horse, but the way this is written, the way Colleen Hoover conveyed her feelings… It makes it impossible to go out of this book without acknowledging her POV, it makes it impossible not to think about it. I know the world is not white and black. I always knew that there are many shades of grey, but this book? It confronts you with the deepest grey and forces you to deal with it. It poses the simple question: What would I have done?

And as usually, the simple questions of life are the hardest and most complicated to answer. ;-)

”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.”

We all know what we SHOULD do in certain situations! What is expected of us, but when you’re actually in one of those situations? When feelings are involved? It’s not that easy anymore…
I could be vague and probably continue like that forever but I won’t say more than this! It wouldn’t be fair to all the people who still want to read “It Ends With Us”.

So all I’m saying is this:

- This book is important!
- I really liked Lily as a character and I admire her! (view spoiler)[She did the right thing in a very difficult situation and she was so, so, so brave to end her relationship with Ryle!!! It had to be done, for the sake of her child, she had not only to let go of him but also of her hatred for him. And to reach that point, to make that decision, to give her child the opportunity to have a father and to forgive him for what he did? THAT WOMAN IS STRONG!!! <333 She has all my love and being a mother myself who only wants the best for her child, I could understand her decision! (hide spoiler)]
- Atlas is a precious bean and I love that man! <3 (view spoiler)[ ”I close my eyes as I soak up the familiarity of him. His smell, his touch, his comfort. I’ve never understood how someone can be so rock solid, yet comforting. But that’s always how I viewed him. Like he could withstand anything, but somehow still feels the weight that everyone else carries.” (hide spoiler)]
- I enjoyed the two different POVs from Lily. Her teenage diary entries and the current plot made this a really intriguing read. Sometimes it felt like there were two different Lily’s which dominated the story line and I guess in some way there were, because the years of experience made them two different people.
- Alyssa was the best friend ever!!! <33 (view spoiler)[When she told Lily that as her brother’s sister she didn’t want her to leave him but that as her best friend she had to tell her that she HAD to leave him, I actually had tears in my eyes! I loved her for saying this! Because she knew that Lily couldn’t be with Ryle and she loved her enough to help her to make the right decision. And this even though Ryle was her brother!! It takes strength not to let those family bonds get in the way and Issa was a very strong character for sure. (hide spoiler)]
- The ending…. I’ll never get over it. (view spoiler)[I really liked Ryle at the beginning of the book but the first time he hit her, I already wanted her to leave him. To hit your wife is inexcusable, to hit her twice or three times? Unforgivable!
”You are my wife. I’m supposed to be the one who protects you from the monsters. I’m not supposed to be one.”
I really wish I would have found out why Ryle was the way he was, I mean I get that the death of his brother did something with him, but why could he be so nice and caring to his sister and his own child, but felt an urge to hit his wife? Just because he was angry and saw red? For me as an outsider this is kind of tough to understand. A Ryle POV might have helped to understand him better. I mean it was obvious he regretted what he did, that he knew it was wrong, that he wished he would have never done it and that he hated himself for it. But WHY????!!!! WHY, Ryle??!! I guess that’s the main reason why I’m still thinking about this book. I’m having a difficult time to understand his actions, but maybe I’m just overthinking it and he really had no control over what he did… I guess I’ll never know. (hide spoiler)]
- Read it, but be warned! It’s not an easy read. Trigger warnings: (view spoiler)[domestic abuse, violence against women, abusive relationships, homelessness (hide spoiler)]

Conclusion:

This was an emotional and haunting read and totally not what I expected. It definitely kept me on my toes though. XD Colleen Hoover is a great author and I’ll continue to read her other books. In future I just might be a little bit more careful when I start one of them. ;-)

___________________________________

It was time to consult my "Bookie Jar" and to find out what I should read next.

Apparently it wants me to read my first Colleen Hoover book ever and I’m so ready for it.
I’ve seen her books all over my feed and I’m very curious if I’ll like “It Ends With Us”.

I didn’t read many romances lately and I’m really no expert when it comes to this particular kind of genre, so I’m definitely open for it. So far the only romance authors I can recommend are Joyo Moyes, Cecilia Ahern and Nicolas Sparks. *lol*

Let’s find out if I’ll be able to recommend Colleen Hoover in future too. ;-P ...more

4

Oct 23, 2015

Find me on Instagram & Twitter!

I wish cutting my feelings off for the person who hurt me was as easy as I used to think it would be. Preventing your heart from forgiving someone you love is actually a hell of a lot harder than simply forgiving them.

It Ends With Us was beautifully complicated. It was hot and cold. Up and down. Good and bad. Beautiful and ugly... I'm still trying to figure out how I really feel about it all because I'm genuinely torn on how I want to perceive this
Find me on Instagram & Twitter!

❝I wish cutting my feelings off for the person who hurt me was as easy as I used to think it would be. Preventing your heart from forgiving someone you love is actually a hell of a lot harder than simply forgiving them.❞

It Ends With Us was beautifully complicated. It was hot and cold. Up and down. Good and bad. Beautiful and ugly... I'm still trying to figure out how I really feel about it all because I'm genuinely torn on how I want to perceive this storyline. I loved it but in all honesty, I really do think I hate it as well. Not the "I-hate-you-Colleen-Hoover-stop-writing-books-and-find-a-different-career" type of hate but rather "I-hate-you-Colleen-Hoover-for-making-me-hate-everything-that-I-came-to-love" kind of hate because it pretty much summarizes all my thoughts and feelings about It Ends With Us in one sentence.

My opinions were completely divided. One side of me, the hopeless romantic, was utterly unsatisfied and angry with the outcome of the story. The opposite side, the one that's all about women's empowerment, was cheering on #TeamLily like it was Independence Day.

(view spoiler)[
Rather than trying to sugarcoat my thoughts, I'm just going to be completely honest. I was 100 percent team Ryle from the very first time we met him. Just like Lily, I fell in love with every word and every gesture that rolled off of his body. I. WAS. HOOKED. It also didn't help that I kept fantasizing Doctor Mike as Ryle Kincaid. *heart eyes emoji* I loved his ambition. His personality. His confidence. To be honest, I think I might've loved Ryle even more than Lily did but that's another story for another day. That more than likely explains why I took the second half of this book like a blow to the gut.

Once we got to the second half of the book, that's where it started going a bit downhill for me as a Ryle and Lily shipper. Every happy moment that ever happened between my ship came barreling down as it collided with pain and abuse. I was angry. I was thrashing. I was yelling at the pages in front of me, "Why are you doing this Colleen?!" But most importantly, I was just heartbroken to see such a beautiful couple become so toxic. Everything I loved about the first half of the book was slowly unraveling right before my very eyes as if it never really existed in the first place. I can't even remember how many times I wanted to put the book down because my hopeless romantic self just couldn't handle it anymore. But I just kept on reading because I was guiltily hoping that Ryle and Lily would still have their happy ending despite all that had happened. :/ Sadly, this was where I was torn the most.

I have the upmost respect for Lily. She is definitely one of my favorite female characters that Colleen has ever created because she did what a lot of us would've struggled to do in the end: walk away. Lily was such a strong character and I admire her so much for having the strength to stand up for herself. There were numerous times towards the end of the book where I knew I probably would've gave in and forgave Ryle for his actions but Lily was inflexible. She was in a tough position but she put her foot down and demanded better for herself. In the end, no matter if I ship Ryle/Lily or Atlas/Lily, I'm glad that Lily was able to find peace for her and Emmy.

As for Atlas, I liked him but I didn't love him. Definitely nowhere near my love for Ryle. I wasn't exactly rooting for Atlas but I wouldn't have minded if Lily chose him in the end. However, I still very much preferred Ryle regardless. I just felt that Atlas was the typical knight in shining armor. Typical good guy you run to. His background story was interesting but him as a character... not so much. He just felt so ordinary and predictable. I wanted to ship Atlas and Lily because let's face it, the signs were practically being shoved down our throats, and although the relationship between Ryle and Lily was developing, Atlas's presence was a like a thorn on your side you just couldn't shake off. But I just couldn't bring myself to ship them blindly like I did with Ryle and Lily.

Unfortunately, I was too far gone and too far in love with the idea of Ryle and Lily to make room for Atlas and because of that, I'm not sure if I'll ever be fully satisfied with that ending. I was happy that Lily was no longer a victim of domestic abuse. I'm glad that after all that happened between them, Lily and Ryle parted on good terms. I'll forever be heartbroken over the idea of what could've been. And I feel indifferent to Lily and Atlas. Sorry not sorry, Atlas. That basically sums up all my feelings in a nutshell.

To be honest, I was actually feeling a bit more bitter than I'm making it seem after that ending. But after reading the author's note, it really put things in perspective for me and made me look at the story with brand new eyes. I developed a new understanding and appreciation for the story behind the story.

I was dying for Ryle and Lily to have their happy ending. Until the very end, I was still rooting for them. It's such an ugly confession to make especially when the couple you're rooting for is toxic and abusive. And I think I feel this way because I never, and hopefully I never will, had to experience abuse. I don't know what it's like and what goes on in the minds of the abused. Colleen did such an excellent job at creating the perfectly imperfect man that was Ryle. Abuse in books has always been a trigger for me and if it were any other book I think I would've put this book down by the first incident of abuse. But Colleen just made you fall so deeply in love with a character that even you couldn't bring yourself to hate him even if you wanted to. YOU were the Lily of this story. But unfortunately, I don't think my Lily would've had the courage to leave. I really wish I could say that I would leave in an instant, but I think I would honestly be lying to myself. You can tell yourself that if you were in Lily's position you would leave in a blink of an eye, but things wouldn't be as easily said and done if you were the one who was actually experiencing it all. And in truth, I think this is exactly what Colleen wanted us to actually sit down and think about because victims who've experienced abuse wouldn't be rooting for Ryle and Lily. I wouldn't be rooting for Ryle and Lily. It just goes to show how much of a struggle it really is to walk away from someone you love and loves you back in all the wrong ways. I usually never read the author's notes after the book but I'm really glad I took the time to read Colleen's story. It really did make me see the situation from a different perspective.
(hide spoiler)]

I'd been having a bad CoHo streak for three books in a row (if you're curious, the books were — in order — Hopeless, November 9, and Too Late) and for a moment there I was beginning to think that I was doomed to never enjoy another book written by Colleen Hoover again. But PRAISE. It Ends With Us restored my faith completely in the CoHo hype. Not that I was ever planning NOT to read any more of Colleen's books! Colleen Hoover is 100 percent my favorite auto-buy author. I will always buy her books no matter if I end up loving them or not, and with good reason because Colleen is such an exceptional writer. It Ends With Us still wasn't able to top Ugly Love as my favorite CoHo book of all time but I really enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. ...more

4

Aug 14, 2016

"Everything Shatters.
My tears, my heart, my laughter, my soul.
Shattered like broken glass, raining down around me."

At least now the title makes sense!

Boy, do i have a few thing to say about this It Ends With Us! When i decided to give this a second chance this is not what i had on mind. It wasn't supposed to happen, damn it.

First of all, this Goodreads synopsis is misleading. It needs to be replaced. Whoever came up with it deserves getting fired.

What is the matter with GR users?! First, "Everything Shatters.
My tears, my heart, my laughter, my soul.
Shattered like broken glass, raining down around me."

At least now the title makes sense!

Boy, do i have a few thing to say about this It Ends With Us! When i decided to give this a second chance this is not what i had on mind. It wasn't supposed to happen, damn it.

First of all, this Goodreads synopsis is misleading. It needs to be replaced. Whoever came up with it deserves getting fired.

What is the matter with GR users?! First, ACoMaF wins "best YA fantasy" award, then this.. THIS!! won Goodreads Choice "Romance"? What's wrong with you people?! Let's get one thing straight, THIS IS NOT A ROMANCE! This "award" was the reason why I've been somewhat skeptical for this long.



Why i was so disappointed in Hoover's other book, Ugly Love, is because THIS is what i was expecting from Ugly Love. This has it all. This is what i call love at it's worst. Don't get me wrong, there were love and a dreadful "love story", I still won't call it a romance. I can't thank enough Hoover for not romanticizing abusive behaviors. Thank you, Colleen!

No, i am not someone who has dealt with anything like this personally, but i am someone who always asks the question "why stay with someone if aren't treating you with the respect you deserve?" I'd like to say i am a bit more aware that it's not always that easy. Still not fully convinced, but a little closer. baby steps, people, baby steps.

First half was a bit boring & fairly predictable, to be completely honest. It felt like just another typical CH romance. In fact, it wasn't until the last quarter when i started seeing what Hoover was aiming for. Lilly is a very strong character with hidden depths. I am astonished & extremely proud of her. Ryle, on the other hand, is much more complex. No, i don't hate him. If anything, i'm grief-stricken. The ending was perfect. That's what impressed me the most.

Last but not least, thank you, Mary, for putting up with me.




Thoughts 20% in,

*If some random person literally gets on their knees & begs you to "fuck them" even though you've repeatedly declined such generous offer, that's a giant red flag. There is an extremely high chance they are psychopathic. What you should do is, RUN! RUN FOR YOUR DEAR LIEF. Not swoon.



Buddy read with this sweetie pie, Mary

I've read 3 Collen Hoover books so far but unfortunately, none of them i found to be very impressive.

Hopeless. ☆
Slammed. ☆ ☆
Ugly Love. ☆ ☆

You know what they say, 4th time's the charm.
Keeping my fingers crossed. ...more

5

Jan 12, 2015

Dear Ellen DeGeneres,

I should probably start out with an apology. I don't think I've seen a single one of your talk show episodes all the way through. I catch five or six-minute clips here and there posted every so often on Facebook, and I have loved every single one of them, so I don't know why I haven't watched more. You're totally awesome.

And another confession: I haven't seen Finding Dory yet, either, even though I loved Finding Nemo. So, yeah, I'm sorry about that too.

But I'm so curious Dear Ellen DeGeneres,

I should probably start out with an apology. I don't think I've seen a single one of your talk show episodes all the way through. I catch five or six-minute clips here and there posted every so often on Facebook, and I have loved every single one of them, so I don't know why I haven't watched more. You're totally awesome.

And another confession: I haven't seen Finding Dory yet, either, even though I loved Finding Nemo. So, yeah, I'm sorry about that too.

But I'm so curious right now if you've read It End With Us by Colleen Hoover, since you know, you're such a big part of the story. The way she incorporated you into everything, with the "just keep swimming" line and watching episodes of your show and the writing letters to you thing to show the backstory, that was really weird but also different and unique (sorry, I know those two words mean the same thing, but I had to use both anyway). I ended up liking your role in the book a lot.

But I'm beginning to believe CoHo has a really evil, diabolical brain. She schooled me so bad.

I went in thinking...well, I don't even know what I went in thinking. But I know I don't think that way anymore. I think my entire way of thinking has changed.

I tried to compartmentalize. Oh, this is going to be a romance story. Well...it was and yet it wasn't. Then I thought it was going to be a love triangle like Maybe Someday was, and yet it totally wasn't. When the heroine Lily started going back and forth in time, telling two stories about a girl falling in love with two different boys in two different portions of her life, I thought it was going to be another version of Ugly Love, except maybe twisted with Lily taking on Miles's role. But it totally wasn't.

This was not a light-hearted story. It was not an easy, feel-good, happily-ever-after that you can crawl into to escape from reality story. It didn't even have a real definitive HEA. I can list all kinds of things that it wasn't and didn't have, but I can't pin-point exactly what it WAS and DID have, except maybe a lesson in life.

I feel as if I just lived what Lily lived through. I feel as if I can never victim blame again when it comes to an abused spouse. I can never automatically think "why did she stay with him?" because now I know why. All because of Colleen Hoover's diabolical evilness, now I have experienced falling in love with one of those guys and being hurt by him and loved by him, and yet still excusing and forgiving his actions, not just once, not just twice, but every time.

Right up into the very last chapter of the book, I was okay with whatever decision Lily made to stay or not to stay with him, because he really wasn't a bad guy. He just did some bad things. And what she did decide was good, but sad, and yet...I don't even know. But I was okay with it.

So yeah...I'm really curious how you feel about being mixed up in all this heaviness and serious-issue business. Personally, it's not the kind of story I usually like to read. Stuff that's just too real like that usually gives me hives, and I doubt I want to go out looking for any more stories like this, but I can't say I regret it either. It was just that amazing and just that powerful.

Like I said, I was totally schooled by it, and now I go forth with a different outlook on relationships and love and hurting the people who are the closest to you. But I wouldn't want to be schooled this way with every book. I really do need that unrealistic escape more often than not.

But I think it was really neat how important you were in the lives of these characters, Ellen, just by being famous and throwing out some witty lines like you do. It really makes you think how everything you say and do can make such an impact on a complete stranger's life, just like Colleen Hoover has now made in mine.

And now I feel the need to find some light, fluffy, happy crap to console myself with after reading that life-altering experience. Thanks for listening to me babble!

Many hugs and happy reading,
Linda Kay


...more

5

Feb 25, 2017

I don't know what happened with this review. It wasn't whole, the likes gone, and the conversations about the book was gone. The audio re-read was great!!

Used my bookmark!



This book chewed me up and spit me back out. I said I wasn't going to cry, I cried a little.

NO SPOILERS



This book is very deep. It touched on some strong subjects. I would like to add so many excerpts (good and bad) but I'm not going to do that either. I would like for those that haven't read the book yet to go into it I don't know what happened with this review. It wasn't whole, the likes gone, and the conversations about the book was gone. The audio re-read was great!!

Used my bookmark! ♥



This book chewed me up and spit me back out. I said I wasn't going to cry, I cried a little.

NO SPOILERS



This book is very deep. It touched on some strong subjects. I would like to add so many excerpts (good and bad) but I'm not going to do that either. I would like for those that haven't read the book yet to go into it without knowing too much.

There are two people in the book I didn't like, one is from Lily's past (her father) and one is from her current life (Ryle)



I very much loved:

1) Atlas
2) Atlas
3) Atlas
4) Allysa
5) Marshall
6) Brad
7) Darin
8) Jimmy
9) Lily's Mom

Obviously, I really loved Atlas because I added his name three times (there are not three of him).

Allysa is Ryle's sister and Marshall is her husband. Allysa becomes best friends with Lily and helps Lily with the opening of her flower shop and works there with her for some time.

Brad, Darin and Jimmy are characters that are only in the book for a short period of time, but that short period had me laughing out loud and I really needed that with all of the deep stuff in the book.

Lily's mom had many issues to deal with but I still loved her because she was a good person. Letting bad things happen to you doesn't make you a bad person.

The story goes back and forth from when Lily was younger (teens) and when she's a little older. There are a lot of bad things that happened in her childhood. She also meets Atlas when she's a teenager too. They both have troubles they are going through but they had a wonderful bond.

I'm going to leave it at that because there are so many strong emotions I have over this book, I'm afraid to say anything else. I loved it and I hated it. And it has the most wonderful ending! I'm am so very happy with that ending ♥



♥ Fin ♥

MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List ...more

4

Aug 17, 2016

4.5 stars

There are so many things I want to say.
So many feelings I'm dying to share.
And way too many thoughts clouding my mind.

This is definitely a book that needs to be discussed thoroughly, but not in a review. Not at the chance of ruining the experience for someone else. This is one that you’ll want to share with your friends, your sister and maybe even your mother. At least, that’s how I felt. Whether or not you ever find yourself in this situation, chances are, you might know someone who 4.5 stars

There are so many things I want to say.
So many feelings I'm dying to share.
And way too many thoughts clouding my mind.

This is definitely a book that needs to be discussed thoroughly, but not in a review. Not at the chance of ruining the experience for someone else. This is one that you’ll want to share with your friends, your sister and maybe even your mother. At least, that’s how I felt. Whether or not you ever find yourself in this situation, chances are, you might know someone who is.

For me, the beauty of this book was the author’s ability to change my perspective. To go from a place of judgment to one of confusion, agony and ultimately understanding. It made me step back and look at a situation that should have been cut and dry or black and white and consider every shade of gray.

I’m not going to lie, my headspace was a complete mess and my heart ached. I wanted so desperately for things to be different. For things to be easy. For the right choice to be blatantly obvious. To forgive and forget. To give in to those feelings and accept the bad with the hope that the good would somehow make up for it in the end.

This story really hit home with the notion that love is what makes things hard sometimes, not the hurt. Love has the power to blur the lines of acceptance.

“Naked truths aren’t always pretty.”

MY NAKED TRUTH: I told myself awhile ago, I was done with CoHo. That I would never read another of her books, ever. And there was a part of me that almost managed to forget the addictive quality of her writing. Almost. I can honestly say, this was a powerful book. One I’m better for reading. It managed to make me look at things a little differently and I love that. I appreciate that. So thanks, Ms. Hoover.

*Complimentary copy provided by Atria and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more

5

Jul 22, 2017

Audiobook:

Agree.. agree... agree... with all 3,743 - 5 star ratings!!!!!!!

I didn't think it would happen...but there came a point when tears were welling in my eyes.
I was absolutely exhausted from this mornings hike. I took a little deep sleep afternoon nap - When I opened my eyes, I found Paul resting beside me.
I said..."do you mind.......LISTENING TO THIS AUDIOBOOK"? I was still too sleepy-tired to put my eyes to work reading from my kindle or a physical book. Plus ....I knew I was almost Audiobook:

Agree.. agree... agree... with all 3,743 - 5 star ratings!!!!!!!

I didn't think it would happen...but there came a point when tears were welling in my eyes.
I was absolutely exhausted from this mornings hike. I took a little deep sleep afternoon nap - When I opened my eyes, I found Paul resting beside me.
I said..."do you mind.......LISTENING TO THIS AUDIOBOOK"? I was still too sleepy-tired to put my eyes to work reading from my kindle or a physical book. Plus ....I knew I was almost at the very end of this story.
Paul said, "sure". He had listened to part of this book on our drive to and from Felton early this morning- to "Fall Creek"... where we hiked 2.5 hours. He was aware - taking in - much of this story too.

Right when the issues - messages - of this novel had hit me the hardest-- Paul was lying next to me. HE HEARD WHAT WAS GOING ON. - WE DISCUSSED THE issues - at some point - later - but at that moment,
I turned off the audio - not wanting to get to the VERY END...even though - by now - I KNEW WHAT was coming .....and I reached for Paul to snuggle. I had never felt more grateful and thankful. I wanted to cry - didn't - but felt an urge. I WISHED I COULD TELL EVERY WOMAN ON THIS PLANET THAT I FELT CONNECTED TO THEM!!!
My quiet moment of being in Paul's arms were comforting.... (my mind was swimming with thoughts - while emotions were circulating through my body).

This HIGHLY RATED NOVEL is NOT "The Great Gatsby", "To Kill A Mockingbird", "Anna Karena", "Ulysses", "Jane Austin", "Steven King", "Gone With The Wind", or even "Harry Potter".......
SO WHAT IS GOING ON???
Personally-- I think it's so well written -- we aren't aware of the writing at all. The writing seems invisible- WHICH IS IMPOSSIBLE- but TRUE. -- The story is a breathing entity: a living being.

....what I'm sad about -- is that it took THIS BOOK ( an author I had never read before - pre- judged & pooh-poohed as a chickie-light-weight-mushy-author) ---to KNOCK SOME OLD RIGHTEOUS MARBLES OUT OF MY HEAD!! I NEVER UNDERSTOOD WHY WOMEN WOULD ***EVER*** STAY IN A RELATIONSHIP IF THEIR PARTNER HIT THEM!!!! ( even once).
Wow..... I get it: ITS COMPLICATED!!!!!

I'm still not sure if I'll read any other books by "Colleen Hoover", or not, but this book deserves all those high ratings. I'm transformed from this journey.

Another 5 star rating from me too!!!! A HIGH 5 star rating!!!!!!

*note: I honestly don't even consider this a review. It took me 3 minutes to write-- it came straight from my heart---and there's no effort in that!!! ...more

5

Feb 25, 2017

*****5 STARS*****

This is not my real review, please read the unfiltered review here... https://prettymessreading.wordpress.c...

So here the thing...
I am struggling writing this review because it hits so close to home. Because of that fact this isn’t going to be written like my normal reviews, it will be about me and Lily. It will be a correlation of our lives.

As I read this book the little broken girl inside me started coming out. I wanted to put her back. I didn’t want her resurface. I needed *****5 STARS*****

This is not my real review, please read the unfiltered review here... https://prettymessreading.wordpress.c...

So here the thing...
I am struggling writing this review because it hits so close to home. Because of that fact this isn’t going to be written like my normal reviews, it will be about me and Lily. It will be a correlation of our lives.

As I read this book the little broken girl inside me started coming out. I wanted to put her back. I didn’t want her resurface. I needed her to go back to her hiding place where the adult Danielle wouldn’t find her… She came out nonetheless.


I spent my childhood from 6 months to 12 years old in a 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bathroom, 2 car garage house from hell. My mother had a job at a warehouse and my step-father owned his own construction company. We went to church every Sunday where my step-father’s brother was the preacher. We were clean, never hungry and went on family vacations. It looked perfect from the outside. But the inside was a completely different story.

Unlike Lily, my step-father’s abuse reached my brother, sister, and me. I learned from an early age how to take a few blows from a man. It became so normal that they didn’t even hurt anymore.

But let’s talk about It Ends With Us…

I fell in love with Ryle during the beginning of the book. He was sexy, smart, good in bed – everything I girl could ask for. He was attentive even with his busy schedule at the hospital. He worked for Lily’s heart and never took her love for granted.

Lily was funny as hell. I loved her from the first paragraph. I thought, “This is a chick I could rock with.” Plus she was a red head. My inner lesbian has a thing for red heads. She was a badass. She was a woman who knew her self-worth and I loved that about her.

When the two of them came together it was pure magic. Here’s this man who doesn’t want anything that resembles love in his life but couldn’t help himself from falling in love with her. That’s one of my favorite things to read about and to see in real life.

Atlas, Atlas, Atlas! He was just… perfection! I want an Atlas when I grow up. I really enjoyed reading Lily’s letters to Ellen Degeneres. Getting inside Lily’s head, seeing Atlas the way she did made me love him too. I became so conflicted as to who I wanted Lily to be with.



From this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part.”

Maybe those vows weren’t meant to be taken as literally as some spouses that time.

For better, for worse?

Fuck.

That.

Shit.
I’ll be honest, it was hard to hate Ryle. Even after everything he did there was a piece of me who hoped he could change. I think that that scared little girl in me wanted to believe he would stop, like I prayed my step-father would.

This is one of those books everyone has to read for themselves to find their voice on it. It's not a book to be reviewed, it's a book to be felt.

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