Thoughts on "It Ends With Us" by Colleen Hoover

THIS REVIEW DOES NOT CONTAIN SPOILERS.

All the reviews raving about this book are a 100% true. I learned so much about myself while reading, and in my opinion those are the best books.

Brief Synopsis

"Lily hasn't always had it easy, but that's never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She's come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up—she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily's life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He's also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn't hurt. Lily can't get him out of her head. But Ryle's complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his "no dating" rule, she can't help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan—her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened."

Review (No Major Spoilers)

I don't usually read romance. If you know me and have kept up with my blog you know I'm a sucker for a psychological thriller, so my intrigue in this book came as a surprise to say the least. My expectations were low, but I am honestly so happy I read this book. I can honestly say that it has changed my life forever.

Let's start with the story itself. Colleen Hoover's ability to take the reader on a journey is what kept me from putting the book down. The story flowed so smoothly and there was never a moment I felt as if I missed something. I felt as if I was a bystander watching the story truly unfold. I may become a huge Colleen Hoover fan (I have another book of hers on my list so we will see). Along with the overall flow of the story, Hoover also writes the characters in a way that you feel connected and attached to each of them. I felt moved by each of their personal stories. Relatability is one of the most important features in any book, and this book is plenty relatable.

I would be remiss to not share what I learned after reading this story, so bear with me because things are about to get personal. My greatest takeaway from this book is that not everything is as black and white as it seems. Often times when you're on the outside looking in on a situation it's easy to say what you would and wouldn't do if you were in any given circumstance, and its not until you find yourself in certain situations that you really know how you'll deal with them. That's what this story is all about. Lily finds herself in the very situation she promised she would never be in. Through her we see the strength and resilience it takes to break patterns and cycles of abuse that can be passed down generation to generation. As someone who has always been viewed as a very strong individual, I really related to Lily. Her ability to protect herself from the people she didn't know she had to protect herself from despite how much she loved them made me realize my own strength in similar situations. But the thing about strength though is that it's not always easy. Sometimes its exhausting being self-aware and having to protect yourself from the worst. Forgiveness is not a choice you make quickly and never think about again. Healing is not linear. And making the right choice isn't always easy. But that's okay. That's why I love this book. It's comforting to anyone who may be in an abusive relationship and is seeking strength or support in choosing themselves not because it points out how you should be strong all the time, but instead how okay it is to not feel strong all the time, and to help you feel secure in your own ability to know and do what's best for you.

I could write paragraphs on top of paragraphs about how profound and important I believe this book, but I won't. I want you to experience it yourself.

One Last Thought

Abuse isn't always physical. Emotional abuse can be just as traumatizing as physical, and no one should feel that their feelings are invalid based on the extent of the abuse they're enduring. One of my favorite quotes from this book was "I know that you believe he loves you, and I'm sure he does. But he's not loving you the right way. He doesn't love you the way you deserve to be loved." Everyone deserves to be loved properly. Even if that love has to come from only yourself. A person who truly loves you will never put you in predicament where you have to question your safety and well-being. If you are a victim of domestic violence or know someone who could use assistance in leaving a dangerous situation, please visit: www.thehotline.org.