Title: It Starts With Us
Author: Colleen Hoover
Release Date: October 18, 2022
Length: 323 pages
Genre: Contemporary Romance
**** My Review ****
It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover
Although I’ve already said that Colleen Hoover and I just don’t click together, here I am again with her book. It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover and the hype it caused cannot be missed these days.
Since I am part of several reading groups, I have seen numerous recommendations and praises about this book. There are days when I feel like every other post is about this book.
And as I say, where there’s smoke there’s fire. Therefore, my interest was piqued. I had to see what the hype was due to.
Anyway, I have already read It Ends With Us , so it is sensible to see what the sequel hides, right?
Lily and her ex-husband Ryle finally manage to get co-parenting arrangements in order. Then she suddenly meets Atlas, her first love. She is overjoyed that time is finally on their side and immediately accepts his invitation to go out.
But her excitement is overshadowed by the realization that, even though they are no longer married, Ryle is a big part of her life. Maybe he won’t like Atlas being a part of Lily and their daughter’s life.
Told from the perspectives of Lily and Atlas, It Starts With Us picks up right where the epilogue from the incredibly exciting It Ends With Us finishes.
Revealing more details of Atlas’ past and following Lily as she seizes the second chance life gives her. At the same time, both are dealing with a jealous ex-husband. Colleen Hoover proves one more time that rare are those authors that know how to touch our hearts. And she is one of them.
Although I generally avoid reading sequels to books that I liked probably because I fear they will spoil my initial impression, I was not immune to the “reading fever” that Colleen Hoover caused with this sequel to her most popular book.
Naturally, I must admit that I never even expected a continuation of It Ends With Us. I was sure it ended where it should have, as it should have. But since Hoover decided to honor her readers, I wanted to see if she did it in (in my opinion) the right way.
First of all, I have to mention that I didn’t recall all the events of It Ends With Us since I read them a long time ago. Undoubtedly, I had forgotten a lot of things, and the second sequel connects quite a lot with the first book.
The author here also tackles quite serious and complex issues, with the main focus on ex-spouses Lily and Ryle. People who, for the sake of their child, must learn to overcome their mutual misunderstandings and work together in the best interest of the child.
Disagreements between them are very common, subsequently causing problems in their daily communication. In the whole already complicated situation, Lily’s first love appears – Atlas, who only adds fuel to the fire.
Honestly, I liked the subplots that ran through the story, besides Lily and Ryle’s relationship being the main focus. For example, we had the opportunity to see another side of Atlas’ current life, to delve a little more into his background and what was happening to him at the moment.
Atlas as a character is extremely likable, but a bit unrealistic for me. Maybe Lily’s perception of him was a bit exaggerated. After the toxic relationship with Ryle, Atlas was a true knight in shining armor.
As for Ryle, I honestly don’t remember having such bad feelings towards his character while reading the first part. It seems to me that everything about him was negative, which I remember was not the case with It Ends With Us. So, I didn’t like how Ryle’s character was portrayed this time.
And somehow the factor of unpredictability is missing, we all know how the story will end, we just won’t be sure how it will unfold.
Finally, I am not sure that a sequel was necessary at all. I liked It End With Us the way it was. Not that I didn’t like the book, but I just think that after the first part, everything else is just a pale copy…
However, I am sure that all fans of this author will be absolutely delighted by It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover.
Glad you enjoyed this one, even if it wasn’t as good as It Ends With Us. I want to read both, there’s definitely CH reading fever going around lately. I’m in the middle of Reminders of Him at the moment lol.