It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover

Book Review of It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover

REVIEWS

5/22/20252 min read

Let’s be honest—this book exists because It Ends With Us went viral. After the first book became wildly popular (and often misinterpreted as a romance), this sequel felt like an attempt to give fans the closure they thought they wanted. Was it necessary? No. Did I still read it because I’m hopelessly in love with Atlas? Absolutely.

Characters:

Lily continues her journey from heartbreak and healing into the messiness of co-parenting, real love, and setting boundaries.
Atlas is the highlight—gentle, steady, everything we wanted him to be. He brings calm to the chaos, and his chapters are a gift.
Ryle, while present, feels more like a ghost from the past, showing up to stir conflict and tension, but without much growth or depth this time around.

Plot:

There really... isn’t one. This book is less about storytelling and more about wish fulfillment. It reads like an extended epilogue—"Lily and Atlas live happily ever after... but oops, real life happens." The book explores co-parenting challenges, starting fresh in a relationship, and navigating trauma while trying to be happy—but it never truly takes off. There’s no major conflict, no big climax, just a slow, steady march toward a peaceful ending.

Emotions:

I didn’t feel the emotional wreckage that It Ends With Us gave me. This one was much lighter—almost too light. I smiled at Atlas’s tenderness, felt frustration with Ryle, and appreciated Lily’s strength—but I never felt deeply. It was more like watching the credits roll than experiencing a second movie.

Ending:

It’s a soft, closed ending. Neat, clean, hopeful. If you’re just here for peace, you’ll find it. But if you’re craving the emotional weight and grit of the first book, this one will feel underwhelming.

Final Thoughts:

If you loved Atlas (like I really do), then this might feel like a warm hug—gentle, sweet, and safe. But honestly, the book doesn’t do much beyond that. It’s more of a timepass, a bonus chapter stretched into a full novel. It’s not necessary, it doesn’t challenge you, and it certainly doesn’t hit as hard as its predecessor.

Still, if you’re reading just to be with Atlas again... I get it. Been there.