"It Starts With Us" Book Review

July 17, 2023

All Theo the therapist puns aside, let's talk about the book. "It Starts With Us" is the sequel to "It Ends With Us", both by Colleen Hoover. I reviewed "It Ends With Us" already, so you can go check that out if you'd like.

I really enjoyed this book, and I think it was successful for what it's meant to be - a sequel. I don't think it's as good of a book on its own, but I think it gives a satisfying, happy answer to any questions left after "It Ends With Us". I think Lily's situation didn't have a ton new going on, as she spends a lot of time dealing with the repercussions of her marriage to Ryle. However, seeing her thrive as a mom and start a new relationship with Atlas is exhilarating. The parts I really enjoyed were the Atlas POV chapters, as it is new and interesting to see his perspective, and I loved the new problems and challenges he met in this book.

This novel gets a lot of hate, but it had far fewer Ellen letters, which I think is a big plus. I also think it had some good side characters, like Theo, who I mentioned earlier, and Joshua. Finally, seeing Lily solve all of her problems concerning Ryle as well as following Lily's journey towards some closure with him so she is finally able to move on with life is extremely rewarding after watching her struggle for so long.

I really enjoyed this novel, and I think it's worth reading if you liked "It Ends With Us". I don't think it has as much meaningful content as the first one, but if you're looking for closure on the cliffhangers or questions from the first book, or maybe just some Lily and Atlas romance, "It Starts With Us" is definitely worth the read.