It Starts with Us: the highly anticipated sequel to IT ENDS WITH US (Lily & Atlas, 2)

I read this book in 2 days | just couldn't put it down. I had seen the move it ends with us & loved it so when I saw this in the shop I couldn't resist. I love that it tells the story from both Lily & Atlas. It was easy to read & keep up with. If there was a third book I would definitely be buying it.

Love this book!! Would definitely recommend to give it a read!!

...but I did enjoy it. There was more drama in the first book. This is more of a love story with very little drama. Like I said I did enjoy it and it was a lovely book to read. In my opinion, I just preferred the first book.

I absolutely loved this book as much as the first. The love story between Atlas and Lily is so beautiful and he is what every woman wishes for. Through the pain and heartache, this is a true love story that makes you feel like you have hope. I really want there to be a third sequel to see how they end up. Maybe It Stays With Us? Or Forever Us? I want to know more about Atlas and Lily’s future. Do they have a child? I want to know!

I read this immediately after finishing it ends with us and it is absolutely the perfect ending to the 2 books. As a reader who loves murder mystery, serial killer, police thrillers and not a fan of romance novels I can't tell you how much I enjoyed these 2 books and I'm so grateful they were written to show that no matter what kind of crappy relationships people have to endure in their lives everyone deserves to and can have a loving, happy ending!

A sequel to It Ends with Us, this picks up right where we left off, and follows Atlas and Lily as they try to forge a life together. This is overall a sweet read, though certainly lacks the emotional weight that the first book had. To be honest, I'm not sure this book was really needed, as It Ends With Us felt like a complete story on its own, however, given the huge popularity of that book, it is easy to see why Colleen Hoover would be tempted to write a follow up. In many ways this does simply feel like fan-service, and for those who loved Atlas and Lily together and weren't satisfied by the original ending, I am sure there is enough here to enjoy. Certainly they are still as sweet a couple as ever they were, and Atlas is still too good to be true. There were some nods to their past together too, with Lily's journals making an appearance, and it was nice to finally get Atlas' perspective too. Still for me the highlight of this book was not their relationship, but rather Atlas' developing relationship with Josh, his kid brother, he never knew he had. Special mention should also go to Theo, who was hilarious with all his teasing of Atlas. I did appreciate that Colleen highlighted how just because Lily and Ryle were divorced, it didn't necessarily mean that everything was all neatly resolved between them. Naturally with Atlas entering Lily's life, there were new tensions created regarding Ryle, who was still a part of Emmy's life, and hence Lily's too. Other than that though, I don't have too much to say about this book. It was cute, but nothing especially memorable.

A whirlwind of emotions and finally the HEA I was looking for in this story. That was the long-expected epilogue I was missing after It Ends With Us and it was amazing. I have to admit that although I am a huge fan of Colleen and love her books, I didn’t like It Ends With Us. Not because it wasn’t a good book or didn’t have a powerful message. I simply didn’t like its ending. I really felt like the book was unfinished and after all Lily had to go through and suffer she should have had her HEA with Atlas. I was scared for her daughter and really felt like her decision to allow Ryle time with his daughter was a mistake. I didn’t agree with Colleen and the way she ended book one. So when I heard there was a sequel, I was a bit hesitant although this sounded like exactly what I was missing in It Ends With Us. And it absolutely was. It was everything I was missing in book one and so much more. All my questions about Lily’s life and how she got where she was and how she moved on after all the terrifying events in her past were answered. And I simply loved this sequel. It was full of emotions and now I feel like the story is complete and I feel content with this ending. There were some very intense moments where I felt scared for Lily, some that made me cry but mostly I felt the power of love flowing from the pages that left me with a smile on my face. I really saw in this book the missing puzzle piece of It Ends With Us. Now the picture is complete and everything seems where it belongs. I enjoyed the romance, the deep feelings of Atlas and Lily and their insecurities to find everything they were looking for. I loved the new plotline in Atlas’s past and the additional glimpses of his life which gave light to his personal battles and his character’s strength. He was a dreamy BBF and so easy to fall in love with. I loved the secondary characters as well and how much support they gave Lily in her battle for independence. It was the perfect mix of sweet romance, steamy passion, decent amount of drama wrapped up with a powerful message for all women fighting such battles worldwide. Way to go Colleen!

Very good read. Think I enjoyed it more than the first one.

Good quality

I read "It ends with us" in a couple of days and absolutely loved it. I immediately ordered this one after. It's such an easy read!

I am a novice reader, having completed this novel as my 4th novel, but I won't complain a single bit! The whole novel series journey is beautiful, like some parts are rough, some are very beautiful, that explains life as well! I will really recommend this novel series to anyone, specially 18+, because there are some contents which shouldn't be for underage.😅 Nonetheless, in adults, this series truly explains the meaning of giving respect to anyone and accepting their past! Atlas's character is truly amazing, his demeanor in difficult situations is just wow! I am really moved by him and want to become like him! I will definitely recommend this novel to girls/women, if they want to know the meaning of respect, whereas for boys/men, how to be like Atlas and not be like Ryle a single bit!

A really excellent read

It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover absolutely delivered. 💛 This book felt like a warm, healing exhale after It Ends With Us. Getting Atlas’s POV was everything I didn’t know I needed—soft, protective, and so deeply emotional. Watching Lily finally get the love, safety, and peace she deserves was incredibly satisfying and emotional in the best way. The story didn’t rely on chaos or shock value; instead, it focused on growth, healing, and choosing better—for yourself and for your kids. It was hopeful without being unrealistic and tender without being boring. I smiled, teared up, and closed the book feeling complete. If you loved It Ends With Us, this one is a must-read. It’s proof that sometimes the most powerful love stories are about second chances and choosing yourself.