by Tamara Kulish from https://tamarakulish.com/

Book review: It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover

I was sure I was going to read a sexy romance when I read the blurb to “It Ends with Us” by Colleen Hoover. Little did I know this book was going to embody the subject I write about most, which is healing from abuse. Sorry, spoiler alert! (I also didn’t make the connection with the movie, which I hadn’t seen.)

I feel I do need to give a warning, for we get into Lily’s head as she experiences the relationships, and if you’re still triggered by abuse, then this book probably isn’t for you.

If however, you wish to learn why smart women could get involved with an abuser, much less stay with one, then this is probably a good one for you to read. I found it well written in a way that imparts truths and wisdom without getting preachy or maudlin. It is a story based on the author’s childhood and her own mother’s experiences.

I laughed and cried with the main character Lily’s experiences. I hung in until the end, because I wanted to see how she would handle the events and see how her life turned out. The epilogue at the end was helpful to see that the author was writing from lived experience, and as she said, her and her mother’s experiences in no way reflect or encompass all abusive relationships.

“Sometimes it is the one who loves you who hurts you the most.

Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up — she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan — her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.”

Spice level: 2
While the sexy scenes aren’t as tame as in the movie “Mama Mia!” when Donna wrote in her diary “…” (dot, dot, dot!) when things progressed beyond kissing, there is a little more detail, but it stops short of being extremely descriptive. For those who want complete tameness, you could probable skip forward, and for those who need a much spicier book, you’ll feel disappointed.

Overall, I feel I got more from the book than what I was expecting, I really enjoyed this book.

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19 thoughts on “Book review: It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover”

  2. I just started reading this book a couple of days ago. Books like this one can be difficult for those that have experienced abuse but at the same time it’s so important to share stories because abuse should not be normalised.

    Liked by 3 people

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    1. I agree with you. I put a trigger warning up top, I know it can be difficult. For those who have healed and need to see more stories this can help as we see the characters inner thoughts.

      Liked by 2 people

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  3. Appreciated, Tamara. Do abused women recognize the misogynists and abuse perpetrators among some cabinet members and Supreme Court justices? Are they impacted by that awareness? Your department more than mine.

    Liked by 3 people

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    1. Good question Dr. Stein. Some do and some don’t. Recognition of patterns and denial of patterns is all across the board, in all areas. We’re all a work in progress!

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    1. Thanks Michele, yes, there are many lessons and wisdom from the heart in those pages. Thanks so much for your observation!

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  7. I enjoyed this book too, particularly her reasoning for the decisions she made.

    Also interesting are the subsequent, real-life accusations between the 2 main characters of the film – Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, which you are no doubt aware of. I don’t want to go into detail here as who knows what really occurred apart from them. But I do wonder if they are still playing out their roles to some extent?

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    1. Hmmm, good question! I suppose no one knows what truly happened except for them. I struggle to get informed about Hollywood drama after how the accusations against Johnny Depp turned out. Real life can have more twists and turns than a novel.

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