It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover Series: It Ends with Us #2
Published by Simon & Schuster UK on October 18, 2022
Genres: Family & Relationships / Abuse / General, Fiction / Friendship, Fiction / General, Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, Fiction / Romance / General, Fiction / Romance / Medical, Fiction / Romance / New Adult, Social Science / Poverty & Homelessness
Pages: 400
Format: Audiobook
Amazon|Barnes&Noble|Goodreads
Before It Ends with Us, it started with Atlas.
Multi-million copy bestselling author Colleen Hoover tells fan favourite Atlas’s side of the story and shares what comes next in this long-anticipated sequel to the #1 Sunday Times bestseller It Ends with Us
Lily and her ex-husband, Ryle, have just settled into a civil co-parenting rhythm when she suddenly bumps into her first love, Atlas, again. After nearly two years separated, she is elated that for once, time is on their side, and she immediately says yes when Atlas asks her on a date.
But her excitement is quickly hampered by the knowledge that, though they are no longer married, Ryle is still very much a part of her life—and Atlas Corrigan is the one man he will hate being in his ex-wife and daughter’s life.
Switching between the perspectives of Lily and Atlas, It Starts with Us picks up right where the epilogue for the bestselling phenomenon It Ends with Us left off.
Experience the romantic and satisfying conclusion to Colleen Hoover's powerful global bestselling novel, It Ends with Us.
I listened to this book because I’m a sucker for a series. But not gonna like I am still struggling how something Ends with Us to follow up with it Starting with Us. Seems backward, but I was in like Flynn, so there’s that. Ryle and Lily have ended, sorta, I mean, there’s the daughter in the divorce, so they are still stuck in each other’s lives with all the chaos that entails when you divorce someone because, well, they hurt you . . . physically and emotionally. And somehow, by mere chance meeting on the street, you end up back in the life of your childhood boyfriend that your ex-husband hates for no valid reasons, so there’s some drama as well. I mean, big picture, what could go wrong?
Here’s the deal. Overall, it’s a great story. A bit too much sometimes, I’ll explain later, but a great story. Less spicy on the romance than the first book, but still too spicy for me. It was spice for the sake of spice, as we truly didn’t need the level of detail provided to ‘get it’. I know that’s popular in the mainstream now and not just in backroom books, but some things are truly better left to the imagination, to my ancient heart. Here’s the bigger issue I have with their happily-ever-after. Outside of shared childhood trauma, what foundation do Atlas and Lily have for the long run? They bonded during their teen years over said trauma and then went a decade with no contact. You have too perfect, even-keeled, Atlas that seems unflappable and ALWAYS does the right thing. Too perfect, honestly. And then you have Lily, who is a bit more real with her all-over-the-place emotions. What I do love about her is how she can articulate the reasons why she left Ryle and monitors the time he gets with their daughter. It makes so much sense, and most people never get there, but . . . she lets him keep getting away with what he does to her. Ugh.
Those complaints up there . . . reflect nothing on the way the flow of this book just works so well. Yes, Atlas is too perfect. Yes, Lily is a modge podge of perfect and weak. Yes, they literally have no real foundation for their relationship as adults. They both need actual therapy to work through the issues. Their friendships and their support system are just as shady. But the thing is, I want them to live happily ever after. I want her to outgrow Ellen already. Like seriously . . . you are an adult now, Lily. As many reasons as I have to know that there is no way this can work, I still want it to work. For all the things I need it to work.
About Colleen Hoover
Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times and International bestselling author of twenty five novels and novellas. Hoover’s novels fall into the New Adult and Young Adult contemporary romance categories, as well as psychological thriller.
Colleen Hoover is published by Atria Books, Grand Central Publishing, Montlake Romance, and HarperCollins Publishers.
Colleen is also a scriptwriter, producer, and co-founder of the production company HeartBones Entertainment.
Her novels, It Ends With Us and Regretting You have been adapted into film. It Ends With Us is now available on Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube, GooglePlay and AppleTV. Regretting You is available on Paramount +, Amazon Prime, YouTube, GooglePlay and AppleTV.
Colleen’s other titles, Reminders of Him and Verity are headed to the big screen over the next year. Reminders of Him releases March 13, 2026 and Verity in October 2026.
Colleen lives in Texas with her husband and three sons and loves Diet Pepsi.
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