freddie_mercury05's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Grief, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Physical abuse, Blood, Injury/injury detail, Emotional abuse, Violence, and Cursing
Moderate: Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Minor: Self harm, Rape, and Suicide attempt
bluebellvine's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Sexual content, Alcohol, Cursing, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Blood, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/injury detail, Medical content, Child abuse, Alcoholism, and Sexual assault
cdoubet's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Vomit, Classism, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Rape, Suicide, Violence, Alcoholism, Blood, Child death, Cursing, Infertility, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Pregnancy and Death of parent
Minor: Bullying
kelly_e's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Author: Colleen Hoover
Series: It Ends with Us #1
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: August 2, 2016
T H R E E • W O R D S
Gritty • Emotional • Powerful
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Lily has had to work hard in order to get where she is today, leaving her small town and upbringing tainted by a toxic environment behind for big city life. Ryle is a brilliant neurosurgeon, with a dose of arrogance, a very busy schedule, and a firm no dating rule. After a chance encounter one night, Lily cannot get Ryle off her mind, despite them having very little in common. When life throws them together a second time, they cannot ignore the chemistry, and it all seems too good to be true.
As Lily starts to question Ryle's behaviour, her first love, Atlas, a boy she's never forgotten helping as a teenager walks back into her life threatening absolutely everything.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I'll start out my saying, that I personally wouldn't classify this as a romance novel. For me it's more of a dark contemporary fiction that explores various forms of love. It isn't light nor is it fluffy. What it is, is difficult to read and a realistic portrait of the heartbreaking reality faced by many in abusive relationships. It's a portrayal of how hard it is to break the cycle. Of how despite the violence and abuse, love can still exist. Of how easy it is for people to judge when they are on the outside looking in. The novel is beautiful and it is ugly, and it shines a light that abusive relationships are not black and white. I appreciated the author's note detailing the reason why she wrote this book and her deep personal connection to the content.
Colleen's writing is really good. She drew me into the story from the very beginning and I didn't want to stop reading. The characters were captivating, whether they were good or bad, and for me that's the power of great character development. I appreciated the letters Lily wrote to Ellen. To me this felt like a type of journal in which Lily shared her deepest secrets and desires, and gave insight into her past that I wouldn't have gotten otherwise. I also really liked the floral shop backdrop. And I loved how Lily grew to understand and have empathy for her mother. I also appreciated Alysa and Marshall as key support for Lily.
In my opinion, Colleen Hoover has done something important with this book. If nothing else than to show people they are not alone.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• CoHo devotees
• readers who enjoyed Love and Other Words
⚠️ CW: death, death of parent, child death, grief, emotional abuse, domestic abuse, physical abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment, violence, sexual violence, gun violence, alcohol, alcoholism, drug use, cursing, sexual content, rape, toxic relationship, mental illness, PTSD, homelessness, suicide, infertility, pregnancy, gaslighting, child abuse, injury/injury detail, blood, suicidal thoughts
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"There is no such thing as bad people. We’re all just people who sometimes do bad things."
"Plants reward you based on the amount of love you show them. If you’re cruel to them or neglect them, they give you nothing. But if you care for them and love them the right way, they reward you with gifts in the form of vegetables or fruits or flowers."
"Most plants do need a lot of care to survive. But some things, like trees, are strong enough to do it by just relying on themselves and nobody else."
"Maybe love isn't something that comes full circle. It just ebbs and flowers, in and out, just like the people in our lives."
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Rape, Violence, Injury/injury detail, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug use, Gun violence, Infertility, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Gaslighting, Suicide, and Blood
Minor: Child death and Grief
PTSD, homelessnessjfield351's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Medical content, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Grief, Cursing, Child abuse, Bullying, Alcohol, Sexual violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/injury detail, and Blood
Minor: Suicide attempt, Rape, and Terminal illness
elylibri's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
abbss08's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, and Toxic relationship
texas_reznikoff's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death, Grief, Medical content, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Child death, Cursing, Injury/injury detail, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Suicidal thoughts
scarlettoliver's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Death of parent, Rape, Violence, Blood, Cursing, Gaslighting, and Death
Minor: Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Injury/injury detail, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief
lizzye33's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Pregnancy, Sexual content, Cursing, Medical content, and Physical abuse
Minor: Death of parent, Alcohol, Infertility, Vomit, Blood, Child abuse, Chronic illness, and Rape