Sana Kanwal

It Ends with Us is a very emotional and poignant read; Colleen Hoover shows maniacal attention to detail, toeing across the very thin lines between love and resilience and the cyclical nature of abuse. The book narrates the story of Lily Bloom, who is a stubborn, very determined, and militant young lady starting life over again in Boston. She follows her dreams to open up a flower shop and falls for Ryle Kincaid, a very successful neurosurgeon who is charismatic and chic. Their romance rises incredibly fast, and soon Lily is very much in love. But it turns dark when Ryle's temper and violent disposition come to the fore, pushing Lily to painful past memories she thought she had left behind at home and the abuse her mother went through. In this way, Hoover gets across a narrative that will at one time make your heart ache and, at another, give you hope. She dives into the depths of emotional turmoil from the experiences of Lily, offering a raw, candid representation of the consequences of domestic abuse. Realistic and relatable, the author depicts Lily's inner struggle, capturing difficult choices entailed in deciding to leave an abusive relationship. It's further enhanced with the inclusion of letters Lily wrote to her teenage idol, Ellen DeGeneres, which serve as a window into her past and her relationship with Atlas Corrigan, her first love—who turns up once again in Lily's life, offering her comfort and familiarity that only complicate things with Ryle. *It Ends with Us* is at times powerful and thought-provoking, challenging the strength one requires to break such a cycle. Hoover writes engagingly, full of impact, making it hard to put the book down. This novel is much more than a love story but a message toward the strength of humanity, self-worth, and being courageous enough. This is a must-read to open eyes into the complexities of relationships and, moreover, the amount of strength one needs to muster in rising amidst the challenges of life.