Amazon.co.uk:Customer reviews: It Ends With Us: The emotional #1 Sunday Times bestseller

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 September 2021

I bought this book because of raving reviews about it on TikTok. Well the power of social media worked because I bought it and I can’t say I was anywhere as impressed as I thought I would be. In fact I wanted to stop reading it several times because it felt so cheesy. The storyline and events were sad topics but three quarters of the book was a cheesy love story that often made me cringe. As a lover of chick lit, even this was too much for me. I personally wouldn’t recommend. Sorry.

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vicki.reads.books

A powerful book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 February 2021

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I'd heard so much about Colleen Hoover, I just had to see what all the fuss was about - so I picked up this book, and boy was I glad I did. It Ends With Us is compulsively readable with a heartbreaking and powerful story. The characters are so well drawn, there is no black and white here - which is hugely important considering the subject matter. To make your reader fall in love with a character and also hate them is quite a feat. I also really liked the simple yet sharply observed descriptions of how the characters moved; I don't think I've ever visualised that so vividly, and it really added to the action in each scene. I was completely drawn in and sat staring at the book long after I'd finished it. Thank you Colleen Hoover for bravely writing this story.

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Siobhan Davis

Still Reeling from ALL the Feels

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 July 2017

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I apologize in advance if this review rambles but my head is still reeling from this experience. I'd also like to caution that this review may contain slight spoilers, although I'll try my best not to mention anything specific, as I don't want to ruin the story for anyone, yet it's difficult to discuss how I'm feeling without mentioning a few things.

This book put me through the ringer, and I'm still feeling the aftershocks. I love books that make me question my own beliefs and really give me pause to stop and think. It Ends With Us is one of those books.

I have no personal experience of the subject matter but I have always had sympathy for anyone going through such a situation. It was no surprise that I really felt for Lily and shared her pain, grief, heartache, and confusion. I found myself constantly stopping to imagine how I might feel, how I would act, if I was in a similar situation, and I honestly don't know how I would deal with it.

What shocked me, what was entirely unexpected, was how much I felt for Ryle. Don't get me wrong, I wanted her to do what she did, and he was definitely in the wrong, but he wasn't a really nasty person. He was hugely flawed, damaged, and he couldn't control his emotions, but there was no doubt in my mind that he loved her. Probably too much which is where his issues stemmed from.

When I reflected on the initial scene where they met (so so good - the dialogue was unbelievably brilliant) I could see how self-aware he was. He indulged in one night stands with no strings and he didn't have relationships because he knew he was incapable of same. He should have stuck to that, but then we wouldn't have had a story.

I loved the letters to Ellen and the retelling of her time with Atlas. It was heartwarming and gut-wrenching at the same time. I really felt their connection, and I was rooting for them and then I became conflicted because Ryle was so perfect at the start and I felt their chemistry and their love and then...

Gosh, my heart is pounding again. And that twist - oh my Lord, I was cut up all over again when that happened.

I don't think I'll every forget this book. The last one that ripped my insides apart was Bright Side by Kim Holden (so good - go read it if you haven't already.) Different story but it delivered the same powerful emotional turmoil.

My only complaint is that I wanted more of "present day" Atlas but I'm greedy like that! A little novella now would be great, Colleen, hint hint!

I loved the personal note Colleen included at the end, and the personal connection she had to this story shines through.

It is quite simply masterful. Absolutely superb. She nailed the emotions and managed to end it on a positive note and I'm going to be feeling all the feels for a lot while.

Highly Recommended, but make sure you have a box of tissues because you'll need them.

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SPOILERS ALERT

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 March 2019

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A new author for me and one who has left an impression.

Ryle is definitely not my favourite character but I surprisingly finished this book with no burning sense of hatred towards him. I was ready to really despise Ryle once the first incident/event happened, but as the book progressed those damn shades of grey became more apparent. The complexity of being in such a situation, and the internal conflict one can go through was depicted so well through Lily – I couldn’t help but feel for her, even as I cringed sensing strongly that the first incident/event wouldn’t be the last.

There is a bit of a love triangle in this but not in the traditional sense so to speak and not in a way that had me thinking hell no, there’s no cheating (physical or emotional). Rather Lily finds herself making difficult decisions that align her path once again with her first love - Atlas.

Still not sure how much I believe the “There is no such thing as bad people. We’re all just people who sometimes do bad things.” But in the context of this book and the characters the author did wonderfully at highlighting those varying shades of grey that manifest in messy ways in lived reality. One of the key reasons that I always say ‘I hope I would do….’, when talking to friends and family, because you just never know what you would do if you found
yourself in such a situation.

The journal entries from Lily’s youth had me loving Atlas.

Throughout this book my emotions were engaged, and at 95% I could feel the tears emerging, stinging my eyes - Lily is one strong, brave woman.

A book that had me absorbed and one I’ll remember, and I so see myself re-reading this at some point.

However, whilst I was absorbed in this book, there are a few things that concern me a tad now I’ve had time to think a little after reading. For example, there seems to be no concern/consideration of the fact that no matter how much he doesn’t want to Ryle may hurt the next women he dates/marries – something his child, Lily’s child could witness, but there’s no sense of how he will stop himself from raising his hands/fists. Shouldn’t this be something Lily would also be concerned about?

Also, the attempted rape – I don’t know as I sit back and let what happened sink further into me, I just don’t feel like Ryle was truly confronted with the horror what he almost did – although when Lily reminds him of what he did and askes him if he would want his daughter to stay with such a man – that scene is pretty powerful.

Part of me does wish the author had made me feel a little less pity for Ryle, although whilst I was a tad sympathetic it wasn't a lot. I’m SO GLAD this book ended how it did, I sighed with relief.

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zoebeesbooks19

I’m a Colleen Hoover fan

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 June 2021

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Well I have and truly popped the Colleen Hoover cherry now, still a novice but now 2nd book in

Without giving spoilers - please maybe read up on what book entails if you have any triggers at all as this book covers such a sensitive and emotive topic which may be triggering for some people (or message me) If you don’t have triggers it is best to go in without any knowledge of what is going to occur.

This is an amazing book. The synopsis may suggest that this story is a love triangle - it runs so much deeper than that.

I loved Lily the main protagonist of the story, I admired her resilience, determination and kindness. She radiates warmth all the way through and I liked the relationships she built along the way with over characters. I never felt the love for Ryle but I adored Atlas.

The writing and knowledge of the issues covered in the book is brilliant. It is easy as an outsider to think some things in life are black and white and even though this is a fictional story reading this I felt I had a better understanding on how and why people cope and put up with certain situations.

If you haven’t read any Colleen Hoover books I would highly recommend you start with this one. I loved Layla but I thought this book just had something a little more special and is a powerful read.

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Rosy

Badly written pointless book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 March 2022

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The note from the author at the end makes a bit more sense of this book for me. She has taken some of her own real life experience witnessing her parents abusive relationship and incorporated it into a disorganised, unrealistic story with one dimensional soap opera characters. When the neurosurgeon guy says he's going to be seperating conjoined twins I nearly stopped reading because of the ridiculousness and I should have. The letters to Ellen degeneres were just awful. Anyone could have sat down and written this book. It's garbage. What Colleen Hoover should've done is wrote a young adult fiction novel about the relationship with atlas and ended it with them finding eachother as adults. It probably still would have been terrible but young adults might be less discerning. She is certainly not a good enough writer to tackle the kind of issues she's tried to deal with in this book. There is no subtlety, no real insight and no authenticity to the way she writes about this subject.

12 people found this helpful

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Carl M

Those Ellen DeGeneres Letters

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 December 2020

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Colleen Hoover is a fantastic writer.

My first read was Verity which was unique in that it was left to the reader to decide, by the way I'd decided I'd been fooled by CoHo with that book hence my 5 Stars!

My genre is obsessive love and psychological thrillers.

It Ends With Us is my 2nd read. This is a very different read, it's a tale of difficult love. I was recommended this after reading Bright Side. This is nowhere near the power of Kim Holden's novel because it's on a much lower level of emotion.
A different novel altogether.

There are 3 events that happen which completely floored me. I'm reading such a wonderful flow of a story then without warning each time i have to re-read these shocking events. How CoHo builds up characters to perfection then all of a sudden we're in disbelief when these things happen, as the character in question is becoming more revealing. Superbly done.

The highlight of the book is the Ellen DeGeneres letters, this is where all the emotion lies. I really felt for Lily in these letters, she's the most kind, considerate and caring person. As a young teenager she doesn't follow the crowd or care what others think, she's just doing her best helping her first love Atlas.

When she took him those blankets, an emotional killer.

I gave this 4 Stars because i felt that there wasn't enough about Atlas towards the end. The ending felt a bit rushed, but it was a perfect ending! I think there should be a sequel which would completely resolve this, there is so much potential for a continuation here and how perfect that would be.

Ryle is horrible, you'll hate his neediness.

I highly recommend this book, CoHo's writing is amazing and definitely un-put-downable and her characters are 'seen' and 'heard' to perfection!

I have Layla on my wish list now.

12 people found this helpful

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The Sleepy Reader

I feel a special mention should be given to the 'Note from the author' at the end of the book.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 November 2021

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I choose this book after seeing so many people talking about it on Instagram and Tiktok and seeing Colleen Hoover's name everywhere! I had never read one of her books before, so I thought I would give it a try.

This is a different type of love story; it is quite an emotional and passionate read with a lot going on. It shows that things are never just black and white but many shades of grey.

The subject matter is quite intense; Hoover's words are beautiful and raw while going some way to explaining the situation, why people stay, and their thought processes, though of course, this will be different for everyone.

The story is about life choices, personal limitations, difficult situations and grey areas; sometimes, life just doesn't work out how you expect.

The characters are all somewhat imperfect. I particularly enjoyed the Lilly / Atlas relationship, which was sweet and long-lasting. Hoover builds up the characters and shows their perfection before stripping them down again, revealing their flaws.

I love that we follow Lilly from a teen through to adulthood. Her letters to Ellen DeGeneres are superb, full of emotion and a real story of what's happening in her life. I also liked that she didn't want to be a sheep from a young age and instead wanted to help and protect Atlas.

Ryle is perfectly flawed, the dream man on the surface with such a dark and dangerous underside. However, he was superbly written, and while you want to hate him, you also feel kind of sorry for him. Lilly is probably my favourite character overall, though.

The ending felt a little rushed, and I wanted to know more about Atlas. I also didn't like how Lilly's feelings changed so quickly – one minute, she was devastated and the next pining after another. I can see why she finds it so confusing! Finally, I feel unsure why Lilly is still keeping so many secrets at the end, almost like she is still protecting Ryle, which is disappointing.

In all honesty, I didn't enjoy this as much as I had expected; I think all the hype probably didn't help. The story felt predictable from the beginning, although it was built in a slightly less predictable way.

The book is about heartbreak, strength and breaking cycles, which is an excellent thing and hard to accomplish. At times the book had a slightly "50 shades" feel that I didn't enjoy. However, it was interesting to see everyone's thoughts on Ryle and how unsuspecting they all are, possibly the book's most authentic part.

I feel a special mention should be given to the 'Note from the author' at the end of the book. It's very raw and emotional while explaining the connection between the author's life and the book. It feels courageous and extraordinary to include this.

5 people found this helpful

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IS

Five stars and more!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 July 2020

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It’s the third book I read from Colleen... I started it and read it in a day - couldn’t put it down... I was so engaged that I wanted to see what happens next...
Things that I loved in this book:
Loved the way that she gets right to the story - from the first page you are right in it, you don’t have to read 50 pages setting the scene. Loved the characters - all are somewhat imperfectly perfect. Loved that the story was about choices in life, how sometimes life doesn’t turn out like you thought it would, personal limitations, and that sometimes there is no black and white. Loved the fact that all the characters had a purpose in the book and while I can keep going, I loved the mum/daughter relationship that becomes so powerful in the decision making. (“I want to be you when I grow up”). Definitely worth a read and five stars!

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Bethany K

Almost hit the mark for me

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 June 2022

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I bought this book based on the hype about how moving and emotional it is and how it stays with you. As a sadness fiend, I had to investigate. Now, of course the impact of the book is going to be subjective for each individual and naturally the hype of it being the kind of book to tear you up is readers own opinions and not a claim from the author herself. So without spoilers:

I found it a pretty easy read - the pace of the storytelling means it’s easy to pick up and down as you like, but also easy and good enough to keep reading on and on and on. I think the author did a great job linking the past and present too, with no plot holes or confusing concepts anywhere. Very straightforward and easy to follow.

As for the things I didn’t like so much. I like to feel immersed in a book and my enjoyment of reading fiction tends to come from feeling an emotional response to characters, which requires a strong level of realistic writing. Some of the characters names are so odd and clunky, combined with a lot of speech nobody, especially not people in the age range of the characters, would use in real life stopped me fully being immersed and invested in this book. Whilst the pace of storytelling offered the flexibility of having fulfilling short OR long reading sessions, I felt the book was too short for the nature of the storylines. I feel the plot would’ve have a stronger impact on me if there was more character/relationship development built up before things unfolded. I didn’t get the chance to really feel that much towards any of the characters before things started happening with them, which reduced my emotional investment in the storyline to some degree. Such heavy subject matter could easily benefit from another 100 or so pages to really lay down the foundations of developing strong feelings about the characters and being truly invested in what happens with them.

Overall I would definitely say it’s worth a read. It was a really good book that I enjoyed a lot. It triggered the most emotional response from me whilst key events were unfolding midway through but then somewhat trailed out from there towards the end. Preference is of course a factor and I don’t doubt other people genuinely felt differently, but I didn’t find it to be the gut punching story a lot of people made it out to be. I think I’d have enjoyed it a lot more if I wasn’t holding it to that standard before reading and just went by the blurb on the book to be honest. There’s a lot of paths the storylines could’ve taken that would’ve ripped nearly anyones heart out, but I don’t think that was the authors intention hence why she didn’t go down that route. It feels conflicting and somewhat unfair to factor in my expectation of an unimaginably sad story based on user reviews when it’s actually not what the book itself advertises, but my intention is just to leave my opinions on what to truly expect from this book before going into it.

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5 star		74%
4 star		16%
3 star		6%
2 star		2%
1 star		2%

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