Becca: I know some of you may think that I always say this and yes I am a true CoHo fan, but this is by far her best work ever. It Ends With Us is so raw and full of emotions, but most of all it is honest. I cried… A LOT! And I am not talking a few tears or a quiet wimper… I am talking ugly crying that I couldn’t contain. The message it delivers is a powerful one and I know that this is a book that will stay with me forever. Please make sure that once you are done you read the Author note at the end, it will give you an even better view of this book afterward. This story actually touched so close to home, I grew up in an abusive home and all I can say is that it wasn’t pretty, unlike this story though, my monster was my mother, the one person that should be protecting us. (Absolutely not looking for sympathy I’m just sharing that I can understand the fear that this book portrayed) This book is about DV but I think the reason it resonates with so many people is because it is more broadly a treatise about how poor treatment of women in all its forms is unacceptable and how it’s time to break the cycle. Whether it’s the bad boy who doesn’t call, the partner, who doesn’t help, or the status seeker who trades you in when your looks fade or your klout score goes down, women have tolerated a lot of bad behavior by men for a very long time - and it’s time to stop. The fairytale in this book is that there is a good man waiting for the protagonist on the other side. That’s not always true but it’s still so so important to break the cycle anyway. We won’t get the good guy until we stop enabling the bad guy. I was never in this situation so I can't speak from experience but now I understand the women who stay.. It's not because they like being slapped or punched or beat up. It's because they love that person with their whole heart! And even if he doesn't know how to love her the right way, she does! Climbing out of the very deep, dark hole of domestic violence (emotionally, physically, and psychologically) is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. It is so complex, so heartbreaking, so exhausting, and very confusing. Constantly questioning yourself, your identity, your beliefs and your values. Simultaneously holding on to the "good" while also questioning why you haven't left yet. For some this may be triggering, for others it provides some insight into this issue which is much needed.

Until the bad moments outbalance the good ones, they can't leave, because how do you leave your person, the person you love with you whole heart? It Ends With Us was beautifully complicated. It was hot and cold. Up and down. Good and bad. Beautiful and ugly... I'm still trying to figure out how I really feel about it all because I'm genuinely torn on how I want to perceive this storyline. I loved it but in all honesty, I really do think I hate it as well. Not the "I-hate-you-Colleen-Hoover-stop-writing-books-and-find-a-different-career" type of hate but rather "I-hate-you-Colleen-Hoover-for-making-me-hate-everything-that-I-came-to-love" kind of hate because it pretty much summarizes all my thoughts and feelings about It Ends With Us in one sentence. The author's note was even more heart breaking than the entire book. Colleen tells us a little bit about her and her mother's experience with domestic abuse.I’m honestly not sure I would categorize this as a love triangle. I know others have, but I disagree. (view spoiler) Did not like that at all and definitely did not like how she just gave in and basically gave him what he wanted. I have been there and had to make that same choice for the exact same reason, someone needs to break the cycle of abuse.

It Ends With Us was beautifully complicated. It was hot and cold. Up and down. Good and bad. Beautiful and ugly... I'm still trying to figure out how I really feel about it all because I'm genuinely torn on how I want to perceive this storyline. I loved it but in all honesty, I really do think I hate it as well. Not the "I-hate-you-Colleen-Hoover-stop-writing-books-and-find-a-different-career" t Becca: Oh these characters… where do I begin?! I absolutely loved Lily! She had been through so much in her life, yet she persevered and followed her dreams. She was strong and fought for what she believed in. I loved learning about her past and being with her in the present. I felt as though I knew her, I understood and empathized with very thought and every emotion. I think this storyline was told so well and after reading the authors notes at the end I can understand why. Lily's story is one that I never wanted to stop reading. If I know that I'm going to need to read a book in multiple sittings (which was the case with this book), I usually try to find a good place to stop. One in which, nothing major is happening and nobody is facing some drastic/perilous moment. Well you see the problem with this book is the fact that there is literally NO. GOOD. STOPPING. POINT! None! There was never a part where I felt safe in letting this book sit overnight because I knew that the story and the what if's would play endlessly in my mind. So I stayed up and read it all in one sitting because I simply couldn't stop. Lily was someone that I connected to right from the get go. I knew as soon as the book started that I would like her, and that never once stopped while I was reading. However, I didn't realize how much her character would affect me while I was reading. As I said before, after I was finished reading, I couldn't have been prouder of her decisions. The strength she had throughout the story to go through what she did, but also her resolve and conviction just made me constantly cheer her on. Lily is truly one of the most admirable characters that I have ever had the pleasure of reading about, and that admiration goes extraordinarily deep.

Customer reviews

I fashioned Ryle after my father in many ways. They are handsome, compassionate, funny, and smart - but with moments of unforgivable behavior." Life is a funny thing. We only get so many years to live it, so we have to do everything we can to make sure those years are as full as they can be. We shouldn't waste time on things that might happen someday, or maybe even never.” I don’t want to say too much and spoil the story for anyone. I will say that this book does span a large part of Lily’s life. We see her as a teen and also as an adult, it was very well done and I enjoyed the blend of past and present.

Even after almost being raped, leaving him and being mad at him, she can't help but want to be with him even though she knows it's not right. Finally, I liked that despite all the tragedy throughout the story; we were left with an optimistic end. It's the kind of story that normally ends with ambiguity as far as what the future holds. This gave us a direction to consider, and I liked that. All humans make mistakes. What determines a person's character aren't the mistakes we make. It's how we take those mistakes and turn them into lessons rather than excuses.”The first incident where he pushed her and hurt her was heartbreaking and I got so sad because she forgave him. Even after seeing her father do that to her mother, she still forgave him. Just because someone hurts you doesn't mean you can simply stop loving them. It's not a person's actions that hurt the most. It's the love. If there was no love attached to the action, the pain would be a little easier to bear.” While this was an easy read in terms of writing and flow, it was very hard for me because of the content.