It Starts with Us

I just wanted it to keep going

I do love a happy ending.

It was fascinating to read the continuation of Lily and Atlas' story. It had been months since I read [b:It Ends with Us 27362503 It Ends with Us (It Ends with Us, #1) Colleen Hoover https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1470427482l/27362503.SY75.jpg 43940889] which was actually the beginning of their story. I was surprised how much of the original story came back to me. (I've read a lot of books since that one.)I really thought that Ryle, Lily's first husband—but not her first love—would be less of a factor than he was in this story. However, it seems leaving an abusive relationship isn't the end of the victim's problems, particularly when you are still co-parenting with the abuser.My daughter works with victims of domestic violence and it's insane how difficult it is to escape an abusive relationship. (And how deadly the consequences can be.) I thought this book portrayed that aspect well. Having supportive family members is a huge help and not something that always happens in real life. One part of the book that seemed unrealistic revolved around the character Atlas. He's overly perfect. Good-looking, great cook, endless patience, super understanding. In fact, he didn't seem like the product of an abusive home, which he's supposed to be. That aside, I thought the book was excellent and the lack of personality flaws in Atlas wasn't enough for me to even deduct a star. Worth the read for sure.

homie i can't even lie and say i didn't devour this but i think the ending was a bit rushed and some parts of the book could be more fleshed out :/ 

I was going to read this book first, but I saw suggestions saying it was better to read “It Ends With Us” first. I guess I'm glad I did? I probably could have figured things out, especially since they reuse passages from the first the book eye roll, but I guess it's good to have context.

This book is better, although there are definitely still flaws and lots of lazy writing. The italics aren't going away, so if that bothered you in the first book, it's still here. Apparently multiple characters love writing LONG letters, either on their phone or by hand. 

I think both Lily and Atlas are a little too perfect of characters, and it makes it a little unbelievable. They don't have any flaws, it's just the people around them that have flaws. Of course Atlas gets along with his new brother perfectly and the whole conflict of How is Ryle going to handle this when he finds out? kinda gets swept under the rug at the end, like it wasn't a really big deal.

Also, Lily and Atlas want to take things slow, which I'm like “Yay!” but then one night that goes out the window. Why do books do this??? We need a refresher on what “taking things slow” really means.

This book had frustrating moments, but not as much as the first one. I'm debating if I want to read anymore CoHo books for the lulz. They are easy reads, but I get frustrated with the characters, so I'm not sure if it's worth it.

4.5! Be sure you have some time when you pick this one up. You won't want to put it down. I love Lily and Atlas's story. So beautiful and full of love and hope and inspiring to others with similar situations.

Antes de começar a ler este livro, já tinha noção que ia encontrar um livro de romance mas decidi começar a leitura de forma a perceber o trajeto das personagens. É um bom livro para recordar a atmosfera e as personagens do seu antecessor mas fica muito aquém do mesmo.
Na minha opinião, existem descrições dispensáveis (e aborrecidas) que pouco, ou nada, acrescentam à narrativa.
Por outro lado, não posso deixar de demonstrar o meu desalento com a constante romantização das personagens e dos seus atos.
Talvez este não seja o meu género literário predileto.

“I don't care if you've changed, Ryle. I hope you have. But it's not my responsibility to test that theory.”

I had planned on not reading this but my sister gifted me a copy for christmas and I decided to take the plunge and go for it.

There's a lot for me to say but the best way for me to explain my thoughts and feelings for this is to inform everyone that I read this with my new tabbing system where I use a colour for a feeling. You can imagine my reaction when I realised it was mainly anger that had been tabbed once I had finished.

I was in an abusive relationship for five years and the one thing that I will say about Colleen's writing is that she doesn't write the stereotypical abuser. Ryle appeared to be charismatic and funny and kind when he was first brought into It Ends With Us and once he lost control over Lily, especially in this book, he loses it.

Ryle reminded me of my ex on his good and bad days. The constant walking on egg shells because you didn't know which version of him you would be getting that day. Even the way Ryle would speak had me biting the inside of my cheek because it almost gave me flashbacks. So, yeah, I will give Colleen that.

I did love Atlas and getting to know him more was super fun.

My main issue with this story is my anger towards the topic of Ryle's abuse and how the book overall ends. I feel like there shouldn't ever be any potential redemption arc for Ryle. He should rot in jail where he belongs. I still feel like he is being enabled in ways and I, as a survivor, feel icky about that.

Once again, I just want to repeat what I said in my review of It Ends With Us. I don't like seeing anyone talking about how annoyed they are that Lily didn't leave sooner or report Ryle while she was with him.

Overall, I'm happy to knock this off my tbr :)

Ik kon niet anders dan 5 sterren geven...
Wouw wat was dit een goed vervolg!
Ik was zo benieuwd naar het verhaal van Atlas en Lilly en Colleen heeft mijn verwachtingen overtroffen! Nog steeds vind ik Ryle een klootzak. Dat was hij in dit boek ook en soms was ik echt boos op hem (hihi).
Maar dit boek vond ik zo geweldig!
De verschillende PO's (Atlas en Lilly) vond ik ook echt top. Zo kunnen we vanuit hun beide het verhaal volgen en dat vond ik zo mooi.
Het liefste zou ik een hele reeks van Atlas en Lilly willen, maar ik denk niet dat dat gaat gebeuren.

i mean... it's an obvious cash cow but a fairly good one so i'll forgive it

3/5

At first, I thought this book was pointless considering how well she wrapped up the ending of It Ends With Us. But as I read it, I realized that it was necessary because it was important to gain more of a perspective of Atlas and who he is considering we didn't really get the chance to fall in love with him in the first book. Overall a good read that wrapped up the story very well.

I am being generous I gave it 3 stars rating. I mean, this is CoHo. I highlight some quotes that I'm related, about motherhood.

“You lose your mornings after having children.”

“By the time I'm finished with morning mother duties, I'm late for work and barely have time to do those things for myself.”

The Atlas character? Boring. The storyline? Boring. This book never should've existed in the first place.

In It Starts with Us, Lily and Ryle have entered into a civil but tenuous co-parenting relationship after their divorce. Ryle wants Lily back, but Lily wants Atlas, her first love, but pursuing him might provoke Ryle's wrath, endangering Lily and her daughter.
Full disclosure—I may not be Colleen Hoover's target audience. There's been debate, is New Adult legitimately a genre, but I think the style, language and characterizations land It Starts with Us firmly in New Adult. But I do love romance, especially one with a gritty conflict, and thus I had to read this—and because you just have to admire Colleen Hoover's success! She writes open sensitive characters with great intimacy, and I love that about her writing.
But I didn't love this book. I never once believed Ryle would keep Lily and Atlas apart. Ryle was really gray in It Ends with Us, and here he was quite black. He didn't feel like a formidable antagonist for Lily, who seemed firmly entrenched on a path of moving on and stayed squarely on it. While I found Atlas's plotline with his mother interesting, I didn't find it dramatic. Atlas was and remained, a perfect human being. No character had an arc I got invested in. While I felt the book lacked narrative drive, the writing was good and the characters had some really adorable moments. I'm sure some people will hate this book, but lots will love it.

Not as surprising as the first one. Way too sugary sweet, too.

I really wanted to love this book, but unfortunately didn't quite hit the mark for me. On the positive side, it definitely brought some closure, and tied in some sweet components from the first book, I also like the way the story played with the title of the book. But on the negative side I felt like I was on page 250 and could sum up everything that happened in one sentence. It felt really drawn out without much happening, and I felt like (with one early-on exception, I won't give it away) there were no surprises or twists, I felt like I pretty much knew what was going to happen then had to read 300+ pages just to confirm it. No hate, just wasn't “it” for me.

3.5 stars
did i think this book was necessary? tbh no, i didn't. but i recommend reading it if you want to see lily get the happy ending she deserves.

I think I enjoyed reading this more than IEWU.
My fav part of the book tho was def Theo and Josh! Loved them so muchh.

3.5 stars on this one because it left much to be desired in my opinion.

Short and sweet.  This is the second book in the series.  After you read the book the author explains that she wrote this book because everyone kept asking what happened to Lily and Atlas.  She realized that everyone was looking for the happy ending.  What I loved so much about the first book was the raw and realness of it.  So to get this book and it be a happy ending where everything is tied up nicely with a bow it just didn't work for me and it wasn't what I was expecting.

I think it's interesting how this book is with Lily and Atlas' POV. I like how we now know what's in his mind all those years ago.

This book was not as breaking as the first one but still, I love it. I wanted to give it 4 stars because of the person whom Lily writes letters to. I have long removed her from the people I like but I guess she's there for continuity? I don't know, I think that's the only part of this book that I didn't like.

Those who hate on this book might not understand what's actually happening here– it happens in real life, people. It's just... she writes it raw. The way the characters express their thoughts even with small lines hits it right on the exact spot that makes you feel the reality of what's going on.

I need someone to talk about this book.

Well... this added nothing to my life. I was of the opinion that It Ends with Us didn't need a sequel and now I know I was right.

I still think it was nice of CoHo to write Atlas for the fans. I wish other writers would do more fan service and finish the series they started ages ago...

Read this if you are a CoHo fan and really wanted more of Atlas and Lily HEA.

This was almost perfect. I love Lily & Atlas' story but I feel like the ending was rushed. Still an amazing read though

♾️/5. Well..that was really intense.

This book was perfect. Exactly what I wanted from Lily and Atlas' story. So beautiful and heartwarming, I loved every single page of it. Wow😭

cute!! but completely unnecessary
300 pages of fan service epilogue. if u guys are up to that eat this shit up