It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover
Publication Date: October 18, 2022
Plot: 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 “gripping, pulse-pounding” (Sarah Pekkanen, author of Perfect Neighbors) bestselling phenomenon It Ends with Us left off. Revealing more about Atlas’s past and following Lily as she embraces a second chance at true love while navigating a jealous ex-husband, it proves that “no one delivers an emotional read like Colleen Hoover” (Anna Todd, New York Times bestselling author).
MY THOUGHTS:
If you haven't read It Ends With Us, stop now because this review will have all the *spoilers!*
If I could give this book a million stars, I would. The perfect, cheesy, feel-good ending that we need to It Ends With Us. It Ends With Us was the book that got me out of my reading rut and made me fall in love with reading again. I missed it, and I missed the escape. But finally we get to hear Atlas' side of the story EEKK ♥️
Anyone that has read my reviews knows how much I love CoHo. She amazes me every single time I open one of her books with her ability to write about difficult subjects, and this was no different.
Although I was super nervous about this book living up to the hype, I am SO grateful to Colleen Hoover for giving us this story. This book made me feel whole again. I didn't know it was possible to love Atlas more than I already did here we are. It felt like coming home.
It Starts with Us made me cry, some sad tears but also happy tears. This book will always be a part of my heart. Infinity stars. I loved it so much!! I understand why some people wouldn't like this as much as It Ends With Us because it's a bit cheesy and the ending feels a little rushed, but for me, it was literally perfection. I loved LOVED this book with my whole entire being.
We finally have the ending for Lily & Atlas that we were hoping for! This book dove deeper into their history and their deeply-rooted love for each other. It really felt more like a fully-rounded, beautifully written love story. While it wasn;t all sunshine and rainbows as Lily & Atlas fleshed out past wounds of child abuse, mental trauma, and toxic, abusive relationships, it was nice to see Lily as less of a victim and taking charge of her life and her happiness.
Things I loved in this book:
• Getting to know more about Atlas' past and his story.
• How supportive Alyssa and Marshall were to Lily through everything.
• The letters Atlas would leave Lily.
Some people have said the sequel wasn't necessary as It Ends With Us was enough closure, but I disagree - I loved seeing the happy ending we were rooting for. Is it worth the hype? Yes. It’s a 5⭐️ for me!
☆ Rating: 5/5 stars
