It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover

Ok…wow! I read the first installment “It Ends With Us” almost two years ago. I loved that book, and I knew this book was coming as well. I finally got around to reading this one and I am so glad I did.

It Starts With Us picks up right where the last book left off. The love story of Lily and Atlas is one of my favorites, but in this sequel, it becomes a whole heck of a lot more complicated. Ryle is still a part of the story, but he is forced to grow up and put others first. This is also my warning for those who may have a hard time with domestic abuse situations. There are small pieces of this content in the book, as well as referencing things to Lily’s, Ryle’s and Atlas’ past experiences. It is touched on briefly, but is still present.

Colleen Hoover has such an easy writing style that makes her books easy to read, and this one is no exception. In each of her books that I have read, I enjoy the way she paints her settings, as well as some of the minor details. One that sticks out - “I almost missed the note, I was in such a rush this morning. It was shoved under my front door and was caught on the entry rug. I had Emmy on my hip, a purse and a diaper bag on my shoulder, and coffee in my free hand. I managed to bend and pick up the note without spilling any of it. Supermom.” It is a pretty basic description, but I immediately see the picture in my mind (but I am also a mom and I can understand what it means to accomplish something like this).

I felt like the chapters toward the end of the book could have been a little longer. The story skips through quite a chunk of time and I felt myself feeling like I missed out on what could have been a lot of detail and a fun time period of the story.

Colleen Hoover definitely lives up to her hype with this one. Like many other readers, I will be anxiously awaiting to see if we get more of Atlas and Lily in the future.