It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Trigger Warning: Domestic Abuse. 

Lily’s childhood was not easy but getting out of small Maine and moving to Boston, coupled with a lot of hard work, has made her the bold businesswoman she is. Merely hours after fleeing her father’s funeral, Lily Bloom meets the unrealistically attractive neurosurgeon, Ryle Kincaid, on the rooftop of a building in Boston and when the spark between them blazes, nothing could be better.


Not only is Ryle attractive and smart, but he’s also confident, compassionate and caring – well most times. His aversion to romantic relationships is affirmed when their relationship is threatened by the resurfacing of Atlas, Lily’s first love. 


Whenever we hear about a woman being abused (which happens way too often), the question “why doesn’t she leave?” is always posed. Besides the risk of being killed for leaving and the threat of financial insecurity, Colleen also explores another factor we often forget to consider when looking at domestic abuse from the outside.

From the outside, the person is merely an abuser. That’s their defining characteristic. So why doesn’t the woman just leave? The person knows they should leave, but this is their best friend and the person they’ve shared so many naked truths with. The 15 seconds where he pushed her is nothing compared to the blissful months they’ve spent together. The danger of this is that the limit is pushed further and further. Yes, he slapped her, but at least he didn’t dislocate her jaw this time, right?
There’s a sense of disparity as the person tries to seek help, but at the same time still trying to protect their partner because you don’t just stop caring about someone because they hurt you. 


Writing from personal experience, Colleen Hoover brings a lot of educational insight in this heavy New Adult. I cried for Lily, cried for Lily’s mom and shed some tears for Atlas. The message on the cover was right: “Every person with a heartbeat should read this.”


9/10 only because I felt I would’ve loved to get to know Atlas better not just as Lily’s first love but his own character.