I remember it was 2 a.m., and like any other bookworm, I was looking for book recommendations, adding them to my wish list, whilst my TBR pile glared at me with utter distaste. You know that feeling, right? It’s like unread books can actually see through you and sense your lack of will to pick them up and read them. So yeah, it was quite haunting, to say the least, yet I persevered and kept adding books to my wish list when suddenly I came across Colleen Hoover‘s book “It Ends With Us.”

It Ends With Us (Review)

I looked at the cover. The cover looked at me. Trust me, it was a legitimate case of love at first sight. I had to buy that book. Sometimes I can actually be so shallow that I purchase books because of how fascinating and exquisite their covers appear. It was the same case with Colleen Hoover’s book. The beautiful illustration of scattered pink petals instantly intrigued me. I had to grab that book. ‘I must,’ I heard myself repeat. So, I added it to my cart and proceeded to pay while my TBR pile sighed at my ignorance towards them.

I am sure you have realized by now that I am absolutely shameless like that, and I am not even sorry. Moving on, those were the longest three days of my life, waiting for the book to be packed, shipped, and delivered. I looked out of my window with puppy eyes and a heart full of disdain – ‘Where art thou?’ my heart called out for the delivery personnel. I reasoned with vigor until my book finally arrived at my doorstep.

I don’t remember saying ‘thank you’ to the delivery personnel, but I am sure he figured I was grateful – I could feel a burst of happiness spilling out of my face in the form of an extravagant smile. Now, I believe I don’t have a cat; in fact, I am sure I don’t have one, but I heard the hissing of an angry cat that day. I think it was my TBR pile! I apologize for this build-up, but trust me, you needed this information. So, then I started reading this book, and the rest is history. It was a rollercoaster ride at a ‘crying fest.’

But it was a necessary read. It’s not just any other random book that you happen to encounter and love; instead, it’s an entire experience. It’s educational and, in my opinion, one of the most important books to read for a young girl or a woman. Why? You’ll get to know that shortly. Lily Bloom, a twenty-three-year-old woman, graduated from college, moved to Boston, and was about to start her own business. Lily is just like you and me and every other ambitious, romantic girl who loves to dream. It’s her dream that made her come such a long way – from a small town named Maine, where she grew up, to Boston, a big city with its daily hustle and bustle.

The book starts with Lily looking down from twelve stories above the streets of Boston, thinking about suicide – but not her own. She had just given one of the most epic eulogies that the people of Maine had ever heard. It was actually pretty epic. I don’t want to spoil it for you. So yeah, she was thinking about death quite a lot. That’s when she came across Ryle Kincaid. Now, let me just tell you that Ryle might just be the most attractive book character ever.

I am sure that if there happens to be a movie ever made in this book, Henry Cavill will play Ryle’s character. Please put your signature for the group petition already! Now, Ryle isn’t only attractive, but he is also a neurosurgeon. He is assertive, charming, and stubborn. He looks handsome in a crisp Burberry shirt as well as scrubs. Lily defines him as beautiful since ‘cute’ sounds like an insult to the beauty Ryle manifests. So, Lily and Ryle get along, share some naked truths, and grow a soft spot for each other. Perfect, isn’t it?

But life isn’t that simple, and things aren’t always ideal when it’s a Collen Hoover book. So, even though Ryle comes across as pretty much perfect, he isn’t. He has a strong aversion to a relationship. In fact, he has never been in a serious relationship. However, he is into casual relationships and one-night stands, which is totally not the case for Lily. Lily is a die-hard romantic and totally believes in the beauty of a committed relationship. She cannot make one-night stands. So, Ryle and Lily part ways only to find their way back into each other’s lives all over again, but in a very different fashion.

“It Ends With Us” may come across as a typical romance novel, but it’s anything but a romance novel in reality. When I started reading the book, I was honestly disappointed. I judged Lily for being smitten with Ryle. I found her obnoxious for giving that epic eulogy. I judged her like no one’s business. And halfway through the book, I felt like the worst person in the whole entire world for judging Lily because I think she might just be the purest soul ever. You fall in love with Lily when she starts revisiting the pages of her old journal.

You are transported to the time when Lily was fifteen and met Atlas Corrigan – her first love. When Lily meets Atlas, she finds him going through a really difficult time. He is alone, uncared for, and abandoned until Lily makes her way into his life like an angel. She rescues him, takes care of him, and loves him. She does everything in her power to save Atlas. Since little Lily loves gardening, she loves to take care of things.

When you read the story of Atlas and Lily, your heart will be filled with love and compassion. The sheer innocence of Lily’s entries in her diary will melt your heart. And I think this is where Collen Hoover’s brilliance as an author becomes rather evident. You can clearly see the difference between the fifteen-year-old Lily from the past to the present twenty-three-year-old Lily. Colleen has managed to draw a wonderful character graph for Lily – one of the bests, in my humble opinion.

What I loved most about the book is how wonderfully Colleen Hoover journeyed us through Lily’s ambitions – a small-town girl who makes it big in the city. It’s absolutely phenomenal to see Lily stick to her passion and acing it in the game. When you witness Lily working on her dreams, you instantly feel the urge to start working on your dreams too. You connect with her. You become Lily while you are reading her story, which is both wonderful and frightening, given the fact of what she had to go through in her life.

Personally, I love each and every character in this book. Each one of them will teach you so much about humanity and kindness in their own different ways: especially Ryle’s sister, Alyssa. I don’t think I have ever come across someone as beautiful as Alyssa. Alyssa randomly finds Lily one day, and they become best friends. Alyssa helps Lily with her store, and basically, she is the sister that Lily never had the fortune to have. Alyssa is the sister/friend we all need in our lives.

"This is one of those books that will teach young girls to be their own saviours." Click To Tweet

Alyssa is also the reason that Ryle makes an entry into Lily’s life all over again after almost six months. He still has a soft spot for her, and Lily is still somewhat smitten. But she holds her ground. She won’t make one-night stands. And Ryle cannot get Lily out of his mind. Thus, they give it a go. They begin dating. Ryle and Lily’s relationship takes shape slowly but steadily until one day, Atlas crosses Lily’s path again.

Suddenly, everything that Lily built with Ryle is threatened. What happens between the three of them is something that you should find out yourself. Colleen Hoover teaches us the significance of friendship, but most importantly, she teaches women to lift one another up, even if it means going against their own families. It portrays female friendship so well that, at times, I had tears because of how much I suddenly missed my best friend.

I wanted to hug her so tight. Colleen teaches young girls to set boundaries and protect themselves. This is one of those books that will teach young girls to be their own saviors. It teaches us that sometimes in life, you have to make some disturbingly harsh decisions even when every cell of your body wants the absolute opposite of that. You cannot wait for someone to save you; you have to stand up for yourself and the women around you. Because that’s what Alyssa did for Lily and Lily did for her mother.

“It Ends With Us” also wonderfully portrays the relationship between a mother and her daughter. Even though there aren’t many scenes between Lily and her mother, you can still feel the bond between them through their phone calls and the way Lily keeps her mother in her heart. When a daughter sees her mother suffer, it does something to her heart. It pretty much breaks her heart.

The most beautiful part about this book is that it is deeply personal to the author. There are elements in the book that Colleen Hoover experienced first-hand that make this book even more special. So yeah, if you are looking for a book that will shake your soul, make you feel a myriad of emotions, and then somehow manage to heal you as well, then this is the book for you. Go ahead; add it to your cart right now. Don’t even think twice and thank me later. You can get the book here! 📖

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