Colleen Hoover’s “It Starts With Us” is a Breathtaking Second-Chance Romance

It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover

“My choice helped me realize that sometimes the hardest decisions a person can make will most likely lead to the best outcomes.”

The highly anticipated sequel to Colleen Hoover’s bestseller begins right where the epilogue of It Ends With Us left off. If you haven’t yet read It Ends With Us, you’ll want to check it out and get to know the characters that return in It Starts With Us (Atria Books).

It Starts With Us is told from the alternating perspectives of two main characters, Atlas Corrigan and Lily Bloom. Lily deals with her chaotic life as a floral shop owner, single mom and co-parent with her ex-husband — who can’t seem to grasp the fact that they will never get back together.

But when Lily’s first love, Atlas, turns up in her life, she realizes that the chaos has only just begun. Returning readers will be thrilled to finally get to know more of Atlas’ story and past.

“THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY” RETURNS

Atlas was Lily’s “right person, wrong time” boyfriend from their teenage years. And now, he’s back in her life at what should be a convenient time. Though Atlas is ready to have Lily in his life forever, Lily isn’t sure she’ll be able to handle Ryle, her jealous ex-husband who hates Atlas and blames him for their marriage ending.

Atlas tries to manage and run two successful restaurants while attempting to convince Lily that they can work. But suddenly, Atlas’ Mom shows up out of the blue for the first time in years and drops a bombshell on him. Atlas is able to make it clear to Lily that even when he’s busy dealing with different stressful situations, he will always make time for her.

A SWOON-WORTHY BOOK BOYFRIEND

The connection and chemistry that Atlas and Lily have as adults is instantaneous, which is no surprise given how good together they were back when they were teens. It’s almost as if they were never really apart. The way Atlas protects Lily, and how safe she feels when she’s with him, is swoon-worthy. Atlas’ caring nature is particularly meaningful to Lily, because neither her Dad nor Ryle ever protected her or made her feel safe.

In my opinion, Atlas Corrigan is one of the best book boyfriends out there. He’s a kind, caring gentleman. He’s so well-written by Hoover that he feels like a real person. The way he handles the turmoil and difficulty of their relationship is mature and realistic. It’s no surprise that Lily was ready to give him a second chance.

It Starts With Us gives readers a deeper insight into how Atlas’ past has shaped him into the man he is. The glimpse into his past and the way he treats not only Lily, but everyone in his life, makes his character that much more beloved.

HOOVER’S WORK IS REALISTIC AND ROMANTIC

Colleen Hoover has given readers a much lighter read than It Ends With Us. While reading, I found myself almost holding my breath at some parts, since the last book had me prepared for the worst. As a big fan of Collen Hoover and this series, she did not disappoint me in any way.

Hoover knows exactly how to reel in every reader with descriptive words, realistic characters and captivating scenes. Her ability to have me hooked from the first sentence of every book is something I can’t say I’ve experienced with many other authors.

Overall, if you were a big fan of Lily and Atlas in It Ends With Us, you will absolutely adore the two of them in this second-chance love story in this vulnerable and romantic read.

 

About Colleen Hoover:

Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-two novels and novellas. Hoover’s novels fall into the New Adult and Young Adult contemporary romance categories, as well as psychological thrillers.

Colleen Hoover is published by Montlake Romance, Grand Central Publishing and Atria Books. Colleen also has several indie titles, including Heart Bones.

In 2015, Colleen’s novel Confess won the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance. That was followed up in 2016 with her latest title, It Ends With Us, also winning the Choice Award for Best Romance. In 2017, her title Without Merit won Best Romance.

Her novel Confess has been filmed as a series by Awestruck and is available on Prime Video via Amazon and iTunes. Katie Leclerc and Ryan Cooper star in the series.

Colleen founded The Bookworm Box, a charity subscription service and bookstore, with her family in 2015. The Bookworm Box is a subscription service that provides readers with an exciting opportunity to receive signed novels in the mail each month from authors all over the world. All profits from the subscription service are donated to various charities each month. To date, The Bookworm Box has donated over $1,000,000 to help those in need.