A review by samanthaardenlockheart
It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover

informative inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

​​<i>There may be spoilers in this review. Proceed with caution. ♥️</i> 

Overall, I thought that this second instalment of the <i>It Ends With Us</i> series was very simplistic, interesting, warm, and satisfying. Colleen Hoover promised a much lighter read, and she certainly delivered. This book followed the love story between Atlas Corrigan and Lily Bloom as they navigate a rekindled relationship in the midst of Lily’s divorce from Ryle. It is written in a simplistic style just like <i>It Ends With Us</i>, and I actually appreciate that aspect of Colleen Hoover’s writing. As a very busy Psychology student, I appreciate being able to easily finish books but still keep up with my academics, and this was a perfect novel for doing just that. ♥️ My life has gotten a little bit busy and crazy, but I am still finding the time to read for leisure and even write book reviews, which is something I’m proud of myself for doing—on top of working on my romance novel (lol). Back to <i>It Starts With Us</i>, I must say that the plot was easy to follow and I think Colleen Hoover hit all of the notes she wanted to. This story showed Lily Bloom’s reality of what it is like to go through a divorce as a single mother, which is something almost unheard of in the romance genre!! Meanwhile, Atlas Corrigan was trying to figure out how to navigate his life upon finding shocking information about his past (a family connection that I will not reveal)—a subplot brought on by the reintroduction of his mother, Sutton. I thought that this aspect of the book was very interesting and gave Atlas an additional sense of purpose and identity through life to help someone, along with being a full-time chef and managing his two restaurants, Bib’s and Corrigan’s. All things considered, this book was very simple, romantic, and sweet. I have had a personally busy, emotional, and chaotic life so reading this helped me feel a strong sense of peace. Definitely looking to reading more of Colleen Hoover in the future. 🥰♥️