It Starts With Us Book Review

Book title: It Starts With Us

Author: Colleen hoover

It Starts With Us Overview

As provided by author:

Lily an Ryle just settled into a civil co-parenting rhythm with their daughter, Emerson, when lily suddenly runs into atlas nearly two years after they last spoke. Elated that the timing finally seems to be right to give what they have together a real chance, Atlas asks lily on a date.

But lily’s excitement is almost immediately replaced by dread and anxiety when lily remembers that Ryle, though no longer her husband, is still very much part of her life. And though Ryle would dislike lily dating anyone but him, Atlas Corrigan is the one man he absolutely will not stand having in his ex-wife and daughter’s lives.

It Starts With Us Review

I’ve been seeing a lot of comments on this book that it was needed. That ” It ends With Us” left off on a good note for readers to imagine what Lily’s life looked like moving forward. I disagree I mean people literally read it just to say it wasn’t needed. If you didn’t think it was needed why’d you read it????

Things I Liked

I think it starts with Us is a great epilogue for it ends with Us. It literally gives more backstory to Atlas’s past that hadn’t really been shown in it ends with Us.

The side characters in this book felt far more developed and like-able than in it ends with Us. Like Theo and Josh.

Ryle unfortunately still being in “It Starts With Us “(not a lot but that’s a good thing) relates to the original story line in it ends with Us seeing as even though lily and him are divorced he’s always trying to wiggle his way back in.

And we also get to see Lily and atlas have their happily ever after.

What I Didn’t Like

It Starts With Us didn’t have any emotional or “shocking” scenes. I guess that’s to be expected . The most shocking thing was finding out atlas had a brother. With this sequel I guess you’re reading more for information than that emotional punch. I mean we already know the characters.

It’s just some character development wrapped up in one book.

Book Quotes

“This is the only negative aspect to finally being with the person you’re meant to be with. you go years aching to be with them, and when they finally become a significant part of your life, it somehow hurts even more.”

“I can draw a seedling with two tiny branches. Yours and mine. We’ll be on our own brand-new, tiny family tree – one that starts with us.”

We’re impressionable when we’re younger, and when you’re told you are nothing for years on end by everyone you should mean something to, you start to believe it. And you slowly start to become nothing.

It Ends with Us summary

If you feel like this book isn’t needed as a sequel but still want to know what happened, I got you, I’ll happily spoil it with what happened to each character in this book.

Lily and Ryle : a year after the events in it ends with Us lily is focusing on taking care of her and ryle’s baby Emerson. her flower shop is in full swing and she is a busy women. she runs into atlas and they rekindle their relationship.

She is sharing custody with ryle but she doesn’t let him have Emerson overnight for obvious reasons (his anger). Lily literally said she doesn’t trust him to keep her for too long until she can talk.

Ryle is angry when he finds out lily and atlas are together and tries to gaslight lily into thinking it was atlas’s fault for their divorce. Oh and they also get into and argument and he slams lily against a wall.

By the end lily has had enough she gave Ryle an ultimatum : She takes him to court for full custody ( and mentions his abusive side) and things we always be rocky between lily, Emerson, atlas, and him or he agrees to take anger management classes and only supervised visits. To which he reluctantly agreed.

Atlas: So this is what’s going on besides his relationship with lily.

Atlas’s restaurant has been vandalized a few times by some kid he doesn’t know. Voila its his brother his mom never told him about, he’s 12 year old brother named Josh. Josh hated him because he was told by their mother atlas left because of him.

Atlas of course cleared the air and gave their mother, Sutton and ultimatum: hand over full custody of josh or she will take her to court. She agreed to hand over custody because as we all know shes a terrible mother.

Well that wraps up the main key points of ” It Starts With Us by Colleen Hover”. Have you read this book? Do you think it’s worth the read?

Book Information

Genre: Romance, Contemporary romance, New adult fiction

Page Count: 336

Publish Date: October 18, 2022

Available: Amazon

more romance