Contemporary Romance • Drama • Women’s Fiction
Trigger Warning: Domestic Violence, Sex
Summary
Ah, what a wonderful novel, one that I wanted scarcely to stop reading. The story was grippingly emotional, and the protagonist’s turmoil was utterly raw and realistic.
This novel has been sitting on my TBR list for quite some time, and I finally decided to take the plunge. I expected it to be painful, but It Ends with Us was so much more. It was impactful and deeply reflective, a true emotional roller coaster that refused to leave my mind days after setting it down. Colleen Hoover doesn’t shy away from difficult truths, and the result is a story that feels both painfully real and profoundly moving.
The book follows Lily Bloom, a young woman determined to build a new life for herself as a florist business owner. She’s coping with the loss of her father, navigating grief, and trying to carve out her independence. Among the first few pages, she meets Ryle Kincaid, a hot-headed but ambitious neurosurgeon whose charm and intensity sweep her off her feet. Their chemistry is magnetic, their romance inevitable, and the connection between them feels exciting, passionate, and full of promise.
However, as Lily’s past resurfaces, the cracks in her relationship with Ryle begin to show. What starts as a whirlwind romance quickly evolves into a tragic tale of abuse, forcing Lily to confront the painful reality of loving someone who hurts her.
Final Thoughts
What struck me most about this novel was its honesty. Hoover captures the mental and emotional battle of a young woman caught between love and harm with heartbreaking precision. Her inner voice is relatable and vulnerable, torn between indecision, hope, and fear. It mirrors the complexity of true abusive relationships, and sometimes, the red flags aren’t always so obvious to identify in the present.
The story doesn’t romanticize pain. Instead, it highlights the courage it takes to break cycles, to choose yourself, and to redefine what love should mean. Lily’s journey is one of resilience, and while it’s difficult to read at times, it’s also empowering.
It explores themes of love, trauma, forgiveness, and the strength it takes to walk away. It’s not just a romance. It’s a story about survival, self-worth, and the generational impact of abuse. Heartwarming at times and gut-wrenching at others, it’s one of those stories that simply stays with you, and it’s worth every page. Stay tuned for my review of the sequel, It Starts with Us, and fingers crossed that this one ends on a happier note.
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Her Voice Rising 