ellie_murdock's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
Just be careful not to read spoilers before or during this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/injury detail, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Torture, Domestic abuse, Violence, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Rape, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Mental illness, Infertility, Gun violence, and Grief
literallysam's review
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I firstly read the pdf of the book and after completing it i just knew- I have to buy my own copy, so I can hold onto it forever.❤️
It Ends With Us is a huge emotional rollercoaster. It made me laugh, it made me cry and sometimes both at once. Like legit BIG, FAT TEARS.
I thought that it was like any other cheesy romance novel but i was totally wrong. It Ends With Us is phenomenal! It makes you fall in love, breaks your heart and forces you to reconsider your prejudged ideas about domestic abuse and violence.
(spoilers)
I absolutely loved Ryle. (Initially obv) The very first scene in the book, on the roof.. it was my absolute favourite.
The more I got into the story- the more his character grew on me until.. the incident occurred. I mean obv a toxic relationship is a straight up NO.
I mean I've never felt this conflicted over a character before.
My most fav character in the book was Atlas. His story gutted me at times. I initially didn't want his entry coz i was already in love with Ryle so he felt like a threat but.. what he and Lily had was so real and i was blown away by his commitment. Lily was a really strong character throughout the book and I loved her.
The part I didn't like was- the diary entries addressed to Ellen DeGeneres, coz they just felt so cringe & honestly I wanted to skip those.
It Ends With Us is a huge emotional rollercoaster. It made me laugh, it made me cry and sometimes both at once. Like legit BIG, FAT TEARS.
I thought that it was like any other cheesy romance novel but i was totally wrong. It Ends With Us is phenomenal! It makes you fall in love, breaks your heart and forces you to reconsider your prejudged ideas about domestic abuse and violence.
(spoilers)
I absolutely loved Ryle. (Initially obv) The very first scene in the book, on the roof.. it was my absolute favourite.
The more I got into the story- the more his character grew on me until.. the incident occurred. I mean obv a toxic relationship is a straight up NO.
I mean I've never felt this conflicted over a character before.
My most fav character in the book was Atlas. His story gutted me at times. I initially didn't want his entry coz i was already in love with Ryle so he felt like a threat but.. what he and Lily had was so real and i was blown away by his commitment. Lily was a really strong character throughout the book and I loved her.
The part I didn't like was- the diary entries addressed to Ellen DeGeneres, coz they just felt so cringe & honestly I wanted to skip those.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship
coleeflower's review
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Spoiler
I had never read a book by Colleen Hoover before, but this was so hyped by everyone at work that I had to check it out. Well, apparently we have very different tastes. At one point, i had to flip to the end to find out if she leaves him because if she didn't this was gonna be a big fat DNF. Once I got back to the ending, i do admit that i appreciated it and the fact that the author was actually trying to say something about domestic violence. But personally, it didn't make up for the way it previously felt like it was romanticizing DV.Ryle immediately gave me the ick because he was so coercive from literally the moment he met her. It didn't come off as assertive or dominant - just nasty. I dunno, maybe it hit a little too close to home for me but I hated him so much.
At different parts of the book, i had trouble suspending the disbelief for the plot. Like, you get an immediate-hire employee your first day you open your business and she also becomes your best friend (then sister in law and also neighbor)? Stuff like this can be fun, but i need to be convinced sometimes I guess. I have a hard time describing what I mean by this, though, or what makes it so unbelievable sometimes.
And every time they said, "naked truth," i wanted to vom.
If it weren't for the ending and for Atlas, i would've given this one star. But it taught me i like a partner indecision trope, for whatever that's worth. </Spoiler>
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Domestic abuse, Gore, and Gun violence
katiej's review
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Beautiful yet heart wrenching story. Overall I felt it hit all the right spots but I wouldn’t say it deserves as big as hype it gets online. Nothing groundbreaking just a great story, with great characters. Lily is top tier protagonist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Sexual assault, Child death, Rape, Gun violence, Death, and Death of parent
cdoubet's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
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
nomneo's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Sexual assault, Rape, Child death, Death, and Gun violence
Minor: Gun violence, Child death, and Death
jupiterlee's review against another edition
I will admit that I put this on my list because I have heard sooo much about it. It seems to be all that anyone could talk about.
However, it really was not for me and I did not finish it. I think I realised very quickly that it was not a book that I was going to struggle with when Ryle told Lily he wants to fuck her after just meeting her: fuck-boy characters are ones that I just do not get along with. Now, saying this I do not mind smut and I don't mind a character being out there, but instantly I was questioning the intent of the book, and then when Ryle was described as "a person who does bad things", I knew there was going to be things that I did not like.
I really do think that this book should come with trigger warnings as some of the things do come slightly out of the blue, and some of the things he does is so relevant to some abusive relationships today that it can it range from subtle triggering to major triggers. I agree with book being written to highlight issues and being a medium for people to educate themselves on trauma etc but this is not a book that I feel does that, and I believe that it just uses trauma in a unproductive way.
if you are going to read this book, I really do suggest having a good read at the triggers before just in case!
**Domestic Abuse, Physical Abuse, Toxic Relationship, Emotional Abuse, Gaslighting, Rape, Relationship with a Minor, Death of a Parent**
However, it really was not for me and I did not finish it. I think I realised very quickly that it was not a book that I was going to struggle with when Ryle told Lily he wants to fuck her after just meeting her: fuck-boy characters are ones that I just do not get along with. Now, saying this I do not mind smut and I don't mind a character being out there, but instantly I was questioning the intent of the book, and then when Ryle was described as "a person who does bad things", I knew there was going to be things that I did not like.
I really do think that this book should come with trigger warnings as some of the things do come slightly out of the blue, and some of the things he does is so relevant to some abusive relationships today that it can it range from subtle triggering to major triggers. I agree with book being written to highlight issues and being a medium for people to educate themselves on trauma etc but this is not a book that I feel does that, and I believe that it just uses trauma in a unproductive way.
if you are going to read this book, I really do suggest having a good read at the triggers before just in case!
**Domestic Abuse, Physical Abuse, Toxic Relationship, Emotional Abuse, Gaslighting, Rape, Relationship with a Minor, Death of a Parent**
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Grief, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Injury/injury detail, Misogyny, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
readersmultiverse's review
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
💕 It Ends With Us is an incredibly brave and heartbreaking story deeply rooted in reality, told with care and consideration.
💕 A wonderful cast of characters brought this story to life in my mind. Out of all the CoHo books that I’ve read, Lily is my favourite lead character by a mile. She was strong, brave, and caring.
💕 Chapter 32 and 35 broke me; that’s where I felt my eyes sting. I cried, as promised by It Ends With Us fans everywhere. Lily’s ability to relate to her mom in ways there shouldn’t even be a point of reference for, was painful.
💕 I gained better understanding of a different perspective after reading this book. Lily’s thoughts in that last letter to Ellen was insightful. I loved her questioning of society’s role in not asking the correct question when it comes to physical/domestic violence. It’s incredibly important, and I would recommend this book to everyone.
💕 Although modern-day realism is strongly highlighted, there was also a love story unfolding between two flawed and relatable protagonists, Lily and Ryle. I could feel Lily’s every emotion, especially in her times of confusion, heartache and anger.
💕 I really liked the ending.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse, Rape, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, and Injury/injury detail
kelly_e's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- 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
Title: It Ends with Us
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."
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."
Content Warnings
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, homelessnesscandournat's review
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Blood, Death of parent, Death, Child death, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Self harm, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Infertility, Gun violence, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Classism, and Alcohol