It Ends With Us: By Colleen Hoover

 Everyone is familiar with Colleen Hoover and her well anticipated books that we blindly fall in love with prior reading. Colleen Hoover is the queen of romance and romantic plots, she generates the feeling of desire to love and be loved, regardless of our mood!

 Today’s chat revolves around the tragic, yet optimistic plot of It Ends With Us.  This book will literally make you gasp for air while wiping your red eyes and runny nose. 

 

Aside of the risqué plot that might not be appropriate for all readers, I’d like to acknowledge that with every storyline and character, a new social warning and life divination is brought into the scene. It’s rare to come across romantic books with social awareness and injections. However, Colleen Hoover is capable of doing it and she did!

 

It Ends With Us.  Is not a basic tale that links a journey of love and pain. This story is more realistic. It concerns childhood discomfort, abusive treatments, trauma, and how it all builds one’s personality throughout their lifespan. 

 

Lily Bloom (Business Owner) was raised in an abusive household, filled with brutal gestures that a child was never meant to witness and hear about. She withheld a journal as a getaway from her reality. Her letter-based journal was dedicated to Ellen DeGeneres, where she spoke to her as a friend, expressing herself and reporting her day in details. Friends in general are always included in diaries and journals because they play an important role in our lives, creating memories and learning new things with them and among them. And that’s exactly how we were introduced to Atlas ..

 

Atlas is an important character in the book and the next sequence too. He’s Lily’s homeless friend whom she helped, and her FIRST LOVE. Their childish affair and what had gone between them in the past opened her eyes and braced the way in ending her toxic relationship with Ryle (her husband).

 

Ryle is the neurosurgeon Lily met on the rooftop the night of her father’s funereal. Both fell deeply and madly in love, that Ryle accepted to change for Lily. This change concerned the change of mindset and views regarding marriage and its outcomes. Although, both got married and lived, their marital life lacked a happily ever. 

 

if there’s one thing Lily wanted from a relationship, its definitely not to be reminded of her father who constantly abused her mother. However, Ryle’s affection was not enough, his love language was based on violence. He was everything Lily witnessed in her childhood and avoided in her adulthood. 

 

Throughout the book, there came to be multiple red flags concerning Ryle’s behavior and his past. But, what Ryle have said to Lily the night they met "There is no such a thing as bad people. We’re all just people who sometimes do bad things", was a huge warning that Lily didn’t take into consideration. 

 

We can all agree that Ryle had and will continue to have a soft spot for Lily. I mean the guy loved her, was proud of her, and most importantly he changed to make her happy. As he said, "You make me want to be a different person". But that was not enough. Ryle’s violent behavior turned both his and Lily’s relationship upside down.

 

Lily was so in love with Ryle, that she excused his behavior more than once. However, every action has an end to it. This end marked the beginning of a new journey with Atlas. 

 

With Atlas being thrown into Lily’s life again, she felt that she had a backbone, someone who is willing to save her from this misery. Someone who is ready to lift her up regardless of the mess she created. That person was and is Atlas, Lily’s first love who never stopped loving her and will never do, as he said "You’re still my favorite person, Lily. Always will be ".

 

Lily and Ryle’s abusive relationship had to end at some point. Although it was hard to take that step during her pregnancy, she anticipated the birth of her daughter to start fresh, thanks to Atlas. Atlas showed her the light, he gave her the hope and strength she needed to keep swimming

 

To me, Atlas is a God-given gift who showed up at the right time and place. With his love that never faded away, he showed Lily and taught her the true meaning of love. The love that is not based on physical attraction and abuse, as was in her case. But the love that is based on warmth and safety. 

 

It all came to end when she gave birth to her daughter Emerson, as she asked for divorce and was ready for the new chapter of life and love. As she said "I kiss her on the forehead and make her a promise. It stops here. With me and you. It ends with us".

 

This book is Beautiful, Painful and Hopeful.

 

Beautiful because of Lily’s tenderness and naïve behavior that was based on nothing but love and more love. Painful, because of Ryle’s violent ill-treatment towards Lily and the agony he caused her. Hopeful, because of Atlas, his desire to reunite with Lily, his devotion, and the willingness to help and guide her to the shore .. CHEERS TO A NEW BEGINNING

 

I believe Colleen Hoover did an excellent job illustrating romantic abusive relationships. For, there are still people who are not willing to spread their wings away from their pejorative partners. Colleen and Lily are teaching each and every one of you to get yourselves out of toxic relationships, even if it hurts and takes a very long time to heal .. As Lily said "And I have a feeling its going to be a long time before either of those heartaches can even begin to heal".

 

PS: there’s always someone like Atlas waiting to save you, guide you and love you for who you are ..