It Starts with Us (It Ends with Us, #2) by Colleen Hoover Review

This review contains spoilers for It Starts with Us. A list of trigger warnings for the first book in this duology, It Ends with Us, can be found here. You can read my review of It Ends with Us on my blog, here.

I read It Ends with Us five years ago, and I never thought there would be a book to follow it -- I was pretty reluctant at first when It Starts with Us was announced. Personally, I feel like too many people went into It Ends with Us thinking it was a romance book, when it is NOT. It needs to be explicitly clear that in no way, shape, or form is that book romantic in any way. It deals with domestic abuse and a number of other incredibly delicate topics, and somehow BookTok turned it into their book of worship.

I was genuinely more concerned about those stolen croutons in chapter one than I was about anything else -- when Ryle would come up on the page, it took everything within me not to skip over his presence. He is a horrendous human being, and I still cannot fathom why he is so heavily involved in this book, especially with how Allysa and Marshall are just letting him be in their lives when they have first-hand knowledge of what he did to Lily. It's actually insane to me that they even let him into their home, where they have their own child, and have him there as if he is not an abusive POS.

Marshall is slightly better than Allysa -- he acknowledges the pain and abuse that Ryle did to Lily, and verbally expresses that he hates what he has done to her, and that he is glad she was able to get out of the marriage. However, he is still walking a very thin line of enabling an abuser, so he is the doghouse with the rest of them when I was over halfway done reading. He definitely got better by the end of the book, and same with Allysa -- I am glad that they came to their senses and finally recognized Ryle for the nightmare that he is.

I just want to sit back, relax, and enjoy my evening... when all of a sudden I hear this agitating, grading voice. This was me every single time Ryle had the audacity to open his mouth or even look in Lily's direction. He really was screaming on a rooftop because of the middle name Lily chose for her daughter -- get a life!! I spent the entire book wishing that Ryle would get taken out by a bus or that he would just up and disappear, never to be heard from again. He continuously becomes more and more of a pest the further the book goes on -- threatening Lily, nearly assaulting her in her own home, physically assaulting Atlas at his place of work... the list goes on and on.

The addition of Josh was nice for Atlas -- finally seeing him have a family member that is not a complete and utter disgrace was refreshing. I did think that it was pretty obvious from the beginning that the person breaking into his restaurants would end up being his brother, especially when it was mentioned that it was a teenager. Character development for Atlas did not really have anywhere else to go, so with the introduction of Josh, it made it seem that Josh was there to show that he was a mature adult. Which was not at all surprising -- he owns two restaurants, he kind of has to be mature.

Hoover seriously needs to drop all of the buzzwords that are dating her writing -- I cannot believe I actually had to read the words "TikTok" and "Boomeniall" with my own two eyes. I am begging her to stop. And just when I thought I could clear those Ellen letters from my memory, she brings them back in full force. I understand that those letters are important to Lily's character, but we seriously could have let her find a new outlet in life, rather than write to Ellen.

I finished this book with more of a "meh" feeling than I wanted to have. I am glad that Lily and Atlas got the happy ending that they deserved, but the entire story leading up to it felt rushed and haphazardly thrown together in order to appease the BookTok fans who only just discovered her books in the past year. As you read, you know exactly what is coming, so there are no surprises that you would expect reading one of Hoover's books, and fell a little flat.

You can add It Starts with Us and the rest of Colleen Hoover's books on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on publications and releases.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog, my Twitter, and my Instagram in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!

Finding Perfect (Hopeless, #2.6) by Colleen Hoover Review

This review does not contain spoilers for Finding Cinderella. This novella accompanies the Hopeless series by Colleen Hoover, which also includes Hopeless, Losing Hope, and Finding Cinderella. You do need to read Finding Cinderella and All Your Perfects prior to reading this novella.

You can read my review of Finding Cinderella on my blog, here.

We are back with Daniel's point of view from the Hopeless series, and he is struggling in the relationship department with Six, convinced that she is going to break up with him any day now. Daniel and Six are both going through some personal struggles that have left them somewhat isolating each other from their own relationship, and we get to see them slowly show their true thoughts and feelings as the story goes on.

I understand that Daniel was doing what he thought was best for himself and Six, but I personally thought he was crossing a lot of lines and boundaries regarding the situation that they were in. He wants to help Six, and he mildly wanted to help himself, but I kept reading it as he was putting stress on a number of people who did not need to be thrown back into a painful experience. And I get that they both needed to heal, but in reality I do not see this ever going in their favor or even getting the response that they did in the novella.

Six is able to basically come to terms with what she has gone through while Daniel is honestly still processing the information she told him and is confronted with a new reality that Six has been living with for almost two years. It was nice to see how supportive their families and friends were and how quick they were to feel for Six and Daniel.

There are a number of things in this story that just seem so far out of the park to even be a reality for Daniel and Six, especially with the way that their news is taken by everyone that they tell. I was not particularly attached to their stories, however, it was a sweet novella to wrap up Daniel and Six's journey, as well as take a look back at Quinn and Graham's story after a few years from reading All Your Perfects.

You can add Finding Perfect and the rest of the series on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog, my Twitter, and my Instagram in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!

Verity by Colleen Hoover Review

This review contains spoilers for Verity - please read with caution. Trigger warnings include graphic depictions of violence, child death and violence, and murder.

You can read my reviews for other Colleen Hoover books on my blog, here: It Ends With Us and Finding Cinderella.

I want to start off this review by saying this has to be one of Colleen Hoover's best works -- Verity is very different from her other novels, but the suspense of reading this book had me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend this book to fans of thriller and psychological genres, especially fans of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and Bunny by Mona Awad.

The first chapter of Verity does not even begin to describe the emotions and twists that you will be put through by the end of the book. Hoover starts us off by immediately having our main female character, Lowen, bear witness to a tragedy that she could have been spared from seeing if the circumstances were in her favor. This tragedy brings our main male character, Jeremy, into Lowen's life and his presence is not fleeting -- he is here to stay. If only I could yell into the pages and warn Lowen that any man with a "J" name is not to be trusted, she would not be in this mess.

Lowen, a writer whose books are being published but not hitting the charts, is brought to a meeting where she is offered the chance to finishing writing Verity Crawford's bestselling thriller series, as she has been in an accident that leaves her unable to do so. And because there are no coincidences in Hoover's books, Jeremy happens to be Verity's husband, aiding in the search for a co-author.

Jeremy and Lowen's first interaction with each other was Jeremy help clean blood off of Lowen and bond over the fact that they both had a death in the family very recently. And as soon as they have the opportunity, they leave each other's lives and are just as quickly thrown back in when Lowen decides to accept the offer of completing Verity's book series. Personally if I was Lowen, I would be running for the hills -- why does her writing sound so similar to Verity's? How did they discover this? 

Under a pen name, Lowen accepts the offer once negotiating the price, and travels to Jeremy and Verity's home in order to go through her office and notes to get herself sorted and in the mindset to complete the series. It is in her office that Lowen discovers a manuscript -- Verity's autobiography -- and begins a descent into unravelling who Verity was as a person before her accident, and what haunts this family. Lowen will read a chapter at a time, and if I was in her shoes, I would be devouring the entire manuscript instead of putting it away when she felt it became "repetitive," as this causes Lowen to only know part of Verity's side to the story as she continues to stay at the Crawford home. 

Verity's manuscript is filled with some of the most insane encounters and actions that I have read. She thinks about killing one of her daughters, Harper, because she thinks Harper will kill Chastin. The things that she did to Harper are insane, I have never read a book where a character had such a harsh reveal of their actions, and I was truly shocked.

In a home that does not feel like a home, Lowen begins to spend her time reading this manuscript rather than actually sorting through Verity's notes on her book series. We begin to Lowen judge Verity's actions and somewhat confront Verity once strange occurrences happen near Verity. I was on the edge of my seat when Crew, Jeremy and Verity's son, was found in Verity's room with a knife and bleeding from his chin -- especially when he told Lowen that his mother does not like it when he touches her knives. Like Lowen, if there was a sign to get out of that house, this would be it.

As I was reading this book, I was increasingly becoming paranoid that Verity was literally going to be standing behind me wherever I turned -- Hoover does a great job in creating her presence in the house and in Lowen's life. It felt as if Verity was haunting not only Lowen but the reader as well, almost like you could feel her presence when you were reading scenes where Lowen was sure that Verity was standing at the stairs or in the window. Every time it was mentioned that Verity was either awake or walking around, I could only picture Samara from The Ring movies.

This book had me on the edge of my seat and constantly looking over my shoulder as I devoured this in essentially one sitting. Hoover draws the reader immediately in and you are given new, wild information about Verity throughout the book at the pace of Lowen's interest in her manuscript. We see the outside view of Lowen and Jeremy's relationship through the eyes of April, Verity's nurse, and through Crew, the sole living child of Verity.

Much like how Verity's manuscript showed her obsession with Jeremy, we slowly see Lowen go deeper and deeper into a trace for Jeremy, and eventually Lowen seems to make her time at the Crawford house revolve around Verity and not completing her book series.

It was so incredibly interesting to see Verity's thought process through her manuscript pages and the constant struggles and battles she faced internally and with her family. Her husband expresses early on that he could potentially have more love for the twins than his own wife, and we see Verity's immediate struggle with the realization that the one person that was supposed to love her the most in her life has pushed her down to third place.

I personally thought it was clear that Verity's manuscript was leading to the fact that she knew that Jeremy thought that she had something to do with Harper's death -- even in the beginning of the book when it was revealed that she drowned in the lake, I had a feeling that it was very much not an accident. It is gripping to read Verity's chapters, and the final words in her manuscript only confirm what I had thought, that it was Verity who gave herself the fate she finds herself in now.

But then I read her letter.

Verity's letter to Jeremy reads so differently than her manuscript, feeling filled with more hopeful emotions and urgency to explain her side of the story and give reasoning behind what she wrote in her manuscript. To see her describe Jeremy already have read the manuscript and basically attempt to murder her had me gasping aloud. She is pleading with Jeremy to understand the manuscript and what she witnessed while being in the house as Lowen entered their home and eventually found the printed version of the manuscript Verity so desperately wanted to find.

This letter, explaining that she did not kill her child and that Jeremy was the one responsible for her car accident, makes the reader take a harsh turn into Verity's mindset -- we have only been exposed to her thoughts through a manuscript claiming that she has done a number of heinous things, and now we see her pleading to Jeremy to understand what he actually saw. When Lowen found the letter, I knew in my heart that there was no way Jeremy would ever read it or know it its existence -- he has just murdered his wife, and what would it do to him to find out that she was not the culprit? And what if Lowen is right, and Verity only wrote the letter recently, to cover her tracks or if she survived his attempt on her life? So, that leaves one final question on what to believe.

Are you team manuscript or team letter?

You can add Verity and the rest of Colleen Hoover's books on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog, my Twitter, and my Instagram in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!

Finding Cinderella (Hopeless, #2.5) by Colleen Hoover Review

This review does not contain spoilers for Finding Cinderella. This novella accompanies the Hopeless series by Colleen Hoover, which includes Hopeless, Losing Hope, and Finding Perfect. You do not need to read Loosing Hope in order to reading Finding Cinderella - it is essentially Hopeless from Holder's perspective, with some additional information.

You can read my reviews of Colleen Hoover publications on my blog here: It Ends With Us.

I absolutely loved Hopeless, so I was so excited to see that Finding Cinderella was available to download for free! It has been some time since I read Hopeless, but I can vividly remember where I was when I read it - I definitely recommend looking at trigger warnings if needed for this series, as it may be difficult to read if you are not aware of particular plot devices.

In Finding Cinderella, we see Daniel and Six's early moments - how they met, what he thinks of her, and what is currently going on in his life when she quite literally falls into his lap. We are able to see his perspective on his current relationship and the hardships that he is going through when he finds this Cinderella that goes as quicks as she came in, then comes back rushing in.

It is great to see Daniel's thoughts during these encounters with Six, and watching him also begin to value his own being as he realizes that he shouldn't have to change into a different person in order to please anyone. We see the comparisons between Val and Six that he makes as he spends more time with Six and gets to know her, and are able to have a better understanding of who he is as an individual and as someone in a relationship.

Daniel and Six are complex characters, and it was great to dive into his perspective during these key moments. Hoover is able to show his internal battles while actively trying to do what is best for him as he learns more about Six and their budding relationship. It is a fantastic addition to the series and furthers the depth of Daniel's character.

This is a quick read, and adds to the story of Hopeless and Losing Hope. Colleen Hoover is able to build upon the characters and world that she has created in a way that doesn't seem overzealous or dragging out their story.

Finding Cinderella is available to download for FREE on iBooks and Amazon kindle devices/applications. You can add Finding Cinderella and the rest of the series on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover Review

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Wow, just... wow. This has to be one of the most gut-wrenching and emotional novels I have ever read in my life. I am in complete and utter shock - my emotions are all over the place, as I have come to finish the novel, I don't know whether I want to scream, cry, or both. This story of Lily and Ryle is deeply emotional, and discusses topics that are at a mature level, but must be discussed in today's day in age. It seriously will make you feel as though you are watching the entire ordeal unfold before your very eyes. Colleen Hoover did such a fantastic job writing this novel, especially about something so personal that she has experienced in her life, as well as countless other women. I have the upmost appraisal for the dedication and emotional status that she had while writing this novel, for it is truly something that everyone should take the time to read and understand the importance of learning the signs of emotional and physical abuse. The novel begins with introducing our main character, Lily Bloom, as she sits atop a rooftop in Boston after her father's funeral, where she meets a neurosurgeon named Ryle, who, at first glance, appears to be the perfect man - stunningly attractive, smart, witty. As we see Lily and Ryle's relationship take off, we find ourselves face to face with a man of Lily's past - Atlas. As her past comes rushing back to her, Lily must deal with starting a business, navigating new and old relationships, and understanding what it means to save yourself instead of waiting for someone to save you. Domestic violence is not something to take lightly, so when Lily and Ryle's relationship turned upside down as the perfect man she had grown to love transformed into one of her worst nightmares, we as readers had to take the journey with her. Just like Lily, we too fell "in love" with Ryle's character, but as time went on, it was apparent that Ryle was not the man he appeared. Colleen Hoover was able to take a story of hope, love, fear, and torment, and showcase the struggles and reality of what physical abuse can manifest to become. Lily finally grew as a person near the end of the novel, understanding that she could not do what her mother had done, and had to save herself from the life she knew she would have, just as her mother had experienced. I highly recommend this novel to fans of Colleen Hoover, as well as The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith.

Title: It Ends With Us

Author: Colleen Hoover

Publisher: Atria Books

Release Date: August 2, 2016

Lily hasn't always had it easy, but that's never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She's come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up - she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily's life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, and maybe even a little arrogant. He's also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily, but Ryle's complete aversion to relationships is disturbing.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan - her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.

With this bold and deeply personal novel, Colleen Hoover delivers a heart-wrenching story that breaks exciting new ground for her as a writer. It Ends With Us is an unforgettable tale of love that comes at the ultimate price.

This book contains graphic scenes and very sensitive subject matter.