It Ends with UsIt Ends with Us
Score Modern
What it's about
Lily Bloom has moved to Boston and opened a flower shop when she falls for Ryle Kincaid, a gifted, confident neurosurgeon who has never wanted a relationship until her. As they fall in love, Lily starts to see things in Ryle that remind her of her parents' marriage. Then Atlas, her first love from her teenage years, walks back into her life.
Why it's worth reading
It spent 16 weeks at #1 on the New York Times list and turned Colleen Hoover into a phenomenon. It looks like a romance but becomes an honest story about why people stay in abusive relationships and what it takes to leave.
You'll love it if you liked
Verity
Me Before You
Big Little LiesGood to know
It deals directly with domestic violence and includes an attempted sexual assault. Hoover's afterword explains its link to her own mother. The 2024 film stars Blake Lively, and there's a sequel, It Starts with Us.
By the numbers
- Readers55 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller96 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #38 of the 233 romances we rank
- #60 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #270 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #531 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Uplifting
More by Colleen Hoover
Verity
Reminders of Him
Too Late
All Your PerfectsIf you like this, read next
The Last Song
The Deal
The Rescue
Purple Hibiscus
The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry
DominicanaExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is It Ends with Us worth reading?
Yes. It spent 16 weeks at #1 on the New York Times list and turned Colleen Hoover into a phenomenon. It ranks #531 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 78.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is It Ends with Us about?
Lily Bloom has moved to Boston and opened a flower shop when she falls for Ryle Kincaid, a gifted, confident neurosurgeon who has never wanted a relationship until her. As they fall in love, Lily starts to see things in Ryle that remind her of her parents' marriage. Then Atlas, her first love from her teenage years, walks back into her life.
How long does it take to read It Ends with Us?
About 9 hours (352 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after It Ends with Us?
If you liked it, try Verity by Colleen Hoover, Me Before You by Jojo Moyes or Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty.