Trigger warning: this article contains mentions of abuse.
As an avid book reader and lover of anything romance, I have been anticipating the release of It Starts With Us for months. I greatly enjoyed It Ends With Us, and especially obsessed over the relationship between Atlas and Lily. After increased demand by avid Colleen Hoover fans, Hoover announced that she would be releasing another book, solely about Atlas and Lily’s relationship to give fans what they had been begging for.
Though I had my doubts as I almost always am disappointed by sequels, I figured I would give the book a shot as I had loved It Ends With Us so much. I pre-ordered the book early in advance and counted down the days till it would arrive in Amherst to begin reading. To give a brief overview with no spoilers, It Starts With Us begins right where It Ends With Us left off, leaving readers with little to no gap in time as they jump from one storybook to the next. However, instead of focusing on the relationship between Ryle and Lily and Lily’s path to independence, it focuses more on Atlas and Lily and life for Lily as a single mom sharing custody of her child.
Picking up the book the day of release, I was ecstatic to read it. The cover is stunning, and as someone who adored the relationship between Atlas and Lily, I figured this book would fulfill everything I had been wishing for in the first novel.
Now, for my personal review of the book. Out of five, I would rate it roughly a three. I know, I expected a bit more too, especially after It Ends With Us. However, I felt like this book just wasn’t necessary, and left me with more questions than if I had just stayed reading only the first book. I feel as though the entire book could have been a quick bonus chapter, as it felt like a majority of the book was filler words and repeated itself. In addition, I think adding the second book took away from Lily’s personal story, continuing to discuss Ryle and Atlas and focusing away from Lily’s personal journey to find independence after leaving an abusive relationship.
However, there were also many things about this book I loved. I loved being able to see Atlas’s point of view, as this is something we barely got in the first book. It was incredibly interesting to hear him narrate parts of the book and hear what he had to say about Lily and their lives. It was also enjoyable to see the love between Atlas and Lily, something any romance lover would love to see in any romance book.
Overall, I am happy I read this book, as it added on to a great storyline. However, it definitely did not meet my expectations and was not necessary as It Ends With Us finished in such a powerful way. Sometimes, books do not need a series or a sequal, and I feel as though this is one of those occasions. However, I recommend everyone reads it so they can formulate their own opinion as mine could be very different from others.
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