Book Review – It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

It Ends with Us: A Novel
To me? The BEST book this author has ever written. It’s so incredibly deep, and sincerely (<— and I don’t say this lightly) explores a complex struggle between what you feel, and what is real. I’m not referring to just the heroine of this story (which is told entirely from her POV which, to me, makes it so much more poignant), but I’m referring to the reader, too. We become her, on every level.

Well, anyway… I became her, and I just KNOW it was this story that kept me up all night. Not because I was reading it (I tried to put it down to go to sleep so I could get up early and be productive). But I couldn’t. I couldn’t sleep. And at first… I didn’t know why.

Maryse: Ughhhhh… Worst. Sleep. Ever. And not for any reason at all. You know the kind of sleep when you start dozing and then are jolted awake by your own brain that’s not actually thinking? Over and over and over again? Yeah. That sleep.

Grey: Ugh, I hate nights like that Maryse. I have wicked insomnia anyway, it comes from years of working night shift, so I feel your pain.

And when I picked it back up and began experiencing the same adrenaline-induced panic attacks that I was suffering through the night, I realized… OMG. It’s THIS book!!

Maryse: Over halfway through, and I AM SHAKING. This book has me wound up so tight. It is SO GOOD, so realistic, and it’s 5-stars for sure. I just know it. I can’t put it down.

Tali: Wait until you finish……the end is everything!!!

Maryse: OMG I’M SCARED!!!!!!! And excited. But truly scared. This is INTENSE.

Erika: Omg I hope I can call out of work!

Brittany: Me too!!! We have to find relief

Maryse: This is definitely worth a full day of reading and playing hooky.

Brittany: Ahhhhh!!! Can’t wait!!

Vilma: It’s amazing!!! Virtual hug!

Maryse: I had to put it down just to pace a little… this one is amazing

Lisa:  I think I might wait up until midnight for the release!!!!

Grey: I see on FB that Maryse is losing her mind over the new CH book… she’s even predicting a 5 star rating. *grumbles* I need another 5 star read.

Amy: I am SO all over CH’s newest book as soon as it comes out. As much as I’ve loved all of her books, the last 5 star from her (for me) was Ugly Love, and if Maryse is saying the new one is a 5 star then it will be a “drop everything” read for me.  And that cover…I LOVE it!! MARYSE!! Is it a Marmy read???? Is it? Is it?? IS IT?!?

Jean: I assume you mean Manny not Marmy….unless I missed something

Fabi: Maryse + Amy = Marmy. LOL Ya’ll are tempting me, but…idk

Maryse: Oh Amy it IS. But I don’t want anyone getting assumptions just because it’s a “Marmy” book!!!! READ IT. Seriously!

Yep. It WAS this book!!!! Something about it was playing in my head… on repeat, in some way. Was it because my mind couldn’t sleep because it wanted me to finish the story? Could I not sleep because I needed to find out how it was going to end? Or was I simply being jolted by subconscious adrenaline surges? Oh yes. I was.

This is just another wave I’m being forced to ride on. A wave of complete and utter confusion.

The kind where you can’t catch your breath. You can’t take in that nice deep breath where you feel like you “sighed” fully and properly, ya know? Have you had that? Imagine that, all night… just as you’re dozing off, maybe every… 15 to 20 minutes. GASPING for breath when in reality, you actually CAN breath… but it feels like you can’t, so you’re panicking. Was it because I was internalizing this? Living this? No matter what it was, SOMETHING insisted on waking me up, in a panic, every time I started dozing off. Every single time. I think I only finally fell asleep at 6am. This one got to me. And I LOVED every minute of it.

I started shaking my head, wanting the last fifteen seconds to go away. Fifteen seconds. That’s all it takes to completely change everything about a person.

Fifteen seconds that we’ll never get back.

This book? It goes there.

This is the kind of thing that for many, the heart always wins. Or is it something else? No. I’m getting ahead of myself and I really mustn’t say anymore other than this story, and these characters get in your head, and in your soul. What’s the expression? This one gave me “all the feels” but let me tell you, many of those “feels” are hard to take. They hurt.

Absolutely torturous and yet my perfect read.

This is going to mean so much to many of you for many different reasons, but one is glaring, and I think this book is SO important. It’s the ultimate love story but it’s the ultimate LIFE story, too.

So what’s it about?

I’m not going to say much other than it’s about a girl, and the love of her life (*ahem* maybe even two), the struggles some experience in childhood, the things that make them who they are in adulthood.

Ryle looks over at me with a thoughtful expression. “Lily,” he says pointedly. “There is no such thing as bad people. We’re all people who sometimes do bad things.”

This is about those that she has helped and those that helped her. Joy and sadness, fear and pain, comfort and peace. Finding your very best friend. Your best friends. Recognizing herself in what she knows, and in what is happening to her, but focusing on what she truly wants for herself and her future.

Eh…  forget how I just tried to describe it. It doesn’t even come close to what it’s about. There is nothing I can say that properly illustrates the intensity and reality that is this book.

I might have thought it was sweet if it wasn’t so sad.

I read every single word. Every. Single. One. In fact, I read right to the very end of the author’s last note, right to the very last word. Each one imbued me with a sense of peace and rationality that nothing but life experience (maybe… even if it’s just via this book) can impart. Not a skim in sight, and I could barely put it down except for my need to pace, to breathe, to tell SOMEONE (usually my sister… and sometimes the author herself) all about it. Every step of the way, they listened, I ranted, and I exhausted myself. This is definitely one for a buddy read, but each one of you will take it in differently. Personally. Individually. But I promise… not alone.

Maryse: Okay now I have to write this review and I can’t say a WORD about it. LOL!! I mean… I can’t tell you what it’s about. You HAVE to go in blind.

R. Renee: LOL Maryse. At least it won’t take you long!

Amy: *SQUEEEEEEE!!!!!* *happy dance*

R. Renee: yes Amy!! read it with us! Cheryl and I and maybe Grey!

Maryse: Amy yes it comes out tonight!!!!!  I waited until the last minute to read it and OMG!!!

Jean: OK you guys! I’m in too. I just splurged and ordered it. Ugly Love is my favorite of hers, but really love all the books I’ve read by her. Never did get to Hopeless which I downloaded years ago……

Grey: Oh for crying out loud, you guys are totally blowing my book budget all to sh*t… yes, I’m in for the CoHo book. *grumbles about arm twisting and pushy book blog buddies* 1 question will there be drinks? silly question right? *giggle*

R. Renee: *shakes head at Grey’s silly question* Isn’t Amy joining us? Of course there will be drinks!

*snort* 😛

It’s funny. It’s sweet. It’s scary (for me… at times terrifying). It’s intense. It’s profound. And you WILL fall in love. This is one of those. These kinds of books, and YOU guys are worth all of the sleepless, restless, anxiety ridden nights. I swear it’s true!

5++++++ STARS. Favorite book of the year!!!! <— Yes. I said it. 5 PLUS STARS!

P.S. Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy!

P.P.S. Here it is on Amazon UK

GIVEAWAY – 12-20-19!!!

I’m giving away a print copy (my review copy) of “It Ends with Us: A Novel!!!! —>
Just comment below to enter (and better yet – let me know what your absolute favorite book of 2019 is, and why it’s your favorite) and by tomorrow 10pm, Sunday December 22nd 2019 – I will randomly select one lucky commenter to win it!). 🙂

I’ll contact the winner by email, and the winner will have 48hrs to get back to me with a mailing address (if not, I’ll choose another commenter to win it).

OPEN TO U.S. (though everyone is welcome to comment!!)