Kayla Reviews IT ENDS WITH US

• Genre: Romance
• Length: 381 pages
• Buy: Amazon

Summary:

SOMETIMES THE ONE WHO LOVES YOU IS THE ONE WHO HURTS YOU THE MOST
 
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, and maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily, but Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing.
  
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.
  
With this bold and deeply personal novel, Colleen Hoover delivers a heart-wrenching story that breaks exciting new ground for her as a writer. It Ends With Us is an unforgettable tale of love that comes at the ultimate price.

This book contains graphic scenes and very sensitive subject matter. 

My Take:

This was a difficult book for me to review. Specifically, I had a hard time rating it.

Here’s the thing, if you were to ask me whether I thought this book was well-written, I would tell you firmly: NO. Hoover’s writing style is quite juvenile, which at times is a bit jarring given the subject matter. With the exception of Lily, the characters aren’t particularly well-developed. Ryle seems like two characters instead of one character with serious issues–shifting from “bad Ryle” to “good Ryle” for the sake of the plot. I understand what she was trying to do with his development, but I don’t think it was accomplished. I found the way he responded in the end to be particularly unbelievable, even though it was refreshingly optimistic. Atlas also fell into the stereotypical “heroic boyfriend” trope, but at least his response to the whole situation made sense.

So, why did I give this such a high rating?

Although not well-written, this book is important. In fact, I believe that Hoover’s writing style makes this important book accessible to a wider audience. Though not well-developed, the characters serve their purpose as representative of a taboo subject that should certainly become less taboo.

I also feel that Lily was well-developed. She was a strong woman, but her behavior was realistic. If you have been or you know someone who has been a victim of domestic violence, you know that her behavior is right on point. She is easily relatable, so the reader understands her plight without judgment. That is why this is an important book.

Overall, if you’re interested to see what the hype is all about, I don’t think you will be disappointed. This book does exactly what it set out to do by shining a light on a subject that desperately needs to be lit up.