Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Available On: Amazon

After the captivating narrative of It Ends With Us, I approached its sequel, It Starts with Us, with high expectations. Regrettably, the sequel did not resonate with me as I had hoped. 

In fact, I’d go so far as to say it’s the most disappointing sequel I’ve ever read. While It Ends With Us was far from perfect, it was–for me at least–a five star read. There were elements I found irritating (the letter to Ellen DeGeneres were truly trite), and I can well understand why some would not enjoy it. But having lived through similar, it hit home.

Hard.

It Starts With Us is so very far from that gut-punching, comforting because it reassures you you’re not alone, compelling read. It very much feels like a book written because the first was so very popular, the author knew it would be an instant bestseller. It was fan service. It was what the readers wanted, or at least thought they wanted, until the read it and realised, actually, we really could have done without that.

There’s a reason fairytales end at the happily ever after. Nobody wants to read what comes next; it cannot possibly live up to the expectations. 

What Went Wrong With It Starts With Us?

Many, many things made me hate this novel. To be completely honest, I didn’t actually manage to finish it. I couldn’t. And that is rare for me! But what exactly went so catastrophically wrong?

Well, for starters, one of the shining aspects of It Ends With Us was the depth and complexity of the three central characters. And while It Starts With Us follows the same three characters, this novel’s character development—or lack thereof—was my primary grievance. The characters felt hollow this time around, especially Atlas, who seemed overly idealised and stripped of the complexity that made him charismatic and  intriguing in the first book. This shift from the multi-dimensional portrayals we encountered initially made the relationships and interactions in the sequel feel less authentic and more contrived.

Gone was the enigmatic boy who lived on the street, somehow still believed in love, and built himself the life of his dreams from nothing. In his place, we find a stereotypical romance book love interest who is irritated by the fact his girlfriend has an ex.

Plot-wise, the sequel meandered without introducing significant new conflicts or stakes, making the narrative feel stagnant. The simplicity of the plot was a stark contrast to the emotional depth and compelling challenges that defined It Ends with Us. This lack of narrative drive made the sequel less engaging and somewhat predictable.

Worse still, the thematic treatment of serious issues such as domestic abuse felt superficial. Instead of offering a nuanced exploration of these complex themes, the sequel appeared to gloss over them, reducing their impact and failing to add meaningful depth to the story. Like I said, I’ve lived through shit like this, you don’t just bounce back and move on that fast. You don’t just fall into an easy co-parenting arrangement with your abuser.

There is trauma. And it’s very unlikely, to my mind at least, that a man like Ryle Kincaid would act the way he does in this book. Would let Lily go so easily, so cleanly. This was a disservice not only to the characters but also to the readers who expected a continuation of the thoughtful treatment seen in the first book.

In short, It Starts with Us seemed to prioritise fulfilling fan desires for a reunion between Lily and Atlas over developing a compelling continuation of their story. This focus resulted in a narrative that felt underdeveloped and unfulfilling, lacking the emotional resonance and thought-provoking depth that made the first book so profound. For those who cherished the original for its complexity and emotional depth, the sequel may be a disappointment.

It Starts With Us Summary

It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover picks up right where It Ends With Us left off, exploring the rekindled romance between Lily Bloom and Atlas Corrigan after they unexpectedly reunite in Boston. The novel is told through alternating perspectives, offering deep dives into both characters’ thoughts and emotions.

The story begins with Atlas dealing with vandalism at his restaurant shortly after running into Lily, who is wrestling with her feelings and the implications of reconnecting with Atlas while co-parenting with her abusive ex-husband, Ryle. The narrative delves into the complexities of their past and present, highlighting (if you can call it that, this element feels very shallow) their struggles with personal trauma and the challenges of moving forward.

As the plot unfolds, Atlas and Lily navigate their renewed relationship amidst ongoing issues with Ryle, whose jealousy and aggression pose challenges. I suspect these challenges were meant to be significant, but they too, felt shallow. The story also introduces new familial ties, as Atlas learns of a young brother he never knew he had. I found this aspect oddly disconnected and lacking in depth; again, I assume it was intended to add development and growth to his character, but it just didn’t quite work.

Lily and Atlas’ journey is marked by moments of tenderness and conflict. The novel examines the impact of abuse and the power of supportive relationships in overcoming past hurts, ultimately offering a narrative of hope and renewed love. It could be this works for some readers. I was not one of them. I found it rang hollow, and was deeply, deeply disappointing, bordering on offensive.

What Genre Is The Novel?

It Starts With Us is quite definitely a contemporary romance. While I would argue that It Ends With Us could be counted as more than that, delving into women’s literature/fiction territory, this one. No. This was written as a romance novel to pay fan service to the people who loved Lily and Atlas in the first book and wanted to read them together.

It should never, in my opinion, have been written. At least not like this! When I first read It Ends With Us I thought  I’d found a new favourite author. But having read a few of CoHo’s books now, she is incredibly hit and miss. I found Verity to be poorly written too, which was very disappointing, but not nearly as disappointing as this!

How Spicy Is It Starts With Us?

The novel contains romantic elements and some intimate scenes, typical of contemporary romance novels. However, the book tends to focus more on emotional depth and character development rather than explicit content. And to be honest, that’s the one thing it gets right, because again, a woman in Lily’s position isn’t relatively unlikely to dive into a lot of extreme sexual exploits!  So there is tame spice in It Starts With Us, the novel emphasising the emotional connections and challenges the characters face rather than detailed erotic descriptions. This aligns with Hoover’s style, which often blends (to greater or lesser success!) romance with serious themes, focusing on the relational and personal growth aspects of the characters’ journeys.