Jenn's Reviews > It Starts with Us

Let me just start off by asking, was this book needed? 100% no. But that doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy the hell out of it.

When books end, they tend to end right at the moment of either the couple finally getting together or a major decision being made and we as the audience never really get to see the after effects of this. Sometimes there's an epilogue, but not always. And we're just left to our own imagination to figure out how things went. Hoover took an ending that had us all going, but what's next, and provided the answers.

It Ends with Us is a heavy book. It deals with issues that aren't often talked about in books and it's one that stays with you long after it's over. With this installment, Hoover kept the seriousness but also added the much needed fluff between Lily and Atlas. Watching them reconnect was soooo sweet. When Atlas decided to write to Lily much in the way she wrote to Ellen, my heart melted. He's definitely a keeper.

But as I mentioned before, this book isn't without it's heaviness. Lily is still having to deal with what Ryle put her through and now it's even more heightened by the child they share. Ryle is such a hard character to put into words. There's the outside appearance of a guy who has it all but his temper is something that needs to be addressed. And while his family seems to support Lily and their separation, I really wanted to see Ryle's family come together and try to help him. They just seem to brush it off as if it's something he can deal with on his own. Then there's the whole Atlas family issues. We get to meet his mother and discover a brother he never knew he had. Atlas has overcome so much and it's wonderful to see how he has set his path.

I didn't really know what to expect going into this one but I was pleasantly surprised. Very sweet.