It Ends with Us, Book 2
From the publisher:
Before It Ends with Us, it started with Atlas. Colleen Hoover tells fan favorite Atlas’s side of the story and shares what comes next in this long-anticipated sequel to the “glorious and touching” (USA TODAY) #1 New York Times bestseller It Ends with Us.
Lily and her ex-husband, Ryle, have just settled into a civil coparenting rhythm when she suddenly bumps into her first love, Atlas, again. After nearly two years separated, she is elated that for once, time is on their side, and she immediately says yes when Atlas asks her on a date.
But her excitement is quickly hampered by the knowledge that, though they are no longer married, Ryle is still very much a part of her life—and Atlas Corrigan is the one man he will hate being in his ex-wife and daughter’s life.
Switching between the perspectives of Lily and Atlas, It Starts with Us picks up right where the epilogue for the “gripping, pulse-pounding” (Sarah Pekkanen, author of Perfect Neighbors) bestselling phenomenon It Ends with Us left off. Revealing more about Atlas’s past and following Lily as she embraces a second chance at true love while navigating a jealous ex-husband, it proves that “no one delivers an emotional read like Colleen Hoover” (Anna Todd, New York Times bestselling author).
“Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.” ― Kirkus Reviews
“Hoover breaks hearts all over again in this stunning sequel to her bestselling It Ends with Us . . . The author’s talent for creating nuanced and empathetic characters is on full display, and fans will be especially excited to finally hear Atlas’s side of the story. Hoover is as unafraid as ever to explore the darker and more vulnerable aspects of love, expertly demonstrating the soul-deep trust required to reach happily after ever.” ― Publishers Weekly (starred)
https://amzn.to/3FqJbtt
I’m not on TikTok. I occasionally watch a video there, and I check out BookTok every now and then, but I missed the whole Colleen Hoover thing that was happening there until a friend (thanks, Caitlin!) told me what was going on. Since leaving the public library for an academic one, I don’t watch the bestseller lists as closely either, so I have to admit I was a little surprised to see Hoover dominating both the USA Today list, and the paperback NY Times list (this book opened as number 1), but I couldn’t be happier for her. Talk about a mega success! I haven’t seen anything like this since E.L. James and the Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon. I mentioned the USA Today piece about her back in September, and the New York Times did a terrific piece on her more recently, so if you are not familiar with this author, it’s a good place to start. I’ve been reading and reviewing her since 2015, and while I haven’t read all of her books, I’ve read most and she is definitely one of my favorite writers, and now I have tons of company!
Several years ago she wrote It Ends With Us, which I loved, and it (like most of her books) made my Best Books of the Year list. Apparently, her fans started a petition for a sequel which she really wasn’t planning on doing, but the outpouring of love was enough to push her into doing it. And here we are.
It Starts With Us can possibly be read on its own, but I don’t recommend doing that. Read It Ends With Us first. I actually went back and reread it as it’s been several years and it was still an emotional, gut-wrenching read. The sequel is a bit gentler, and the perfect ending to this two-book series. I don’t want to give anything away so I’m not going to tell you anything more than the publisher does about the plot. This book was simply stunning – it will be on my Best Books of the Year list this year. I loved it.
10/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
IT STARTS WITH US by Colleen Hoover. Atria (October 18, 2022). ISBN: 978-1668001226. 336p.
Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™ 
I have read two Hoover books including It Ends With Us (which was triggering for me). I have two more on my bookshelf. I haven’t caught up in all the hoopla… yet.
I’m so sorry you were triggered by It Ends With Us, and I can definitely see how that could happen. That book was such a gut punch about abuse. This sequel touches on the abuse but not to the extent of the first book. It is a gentler read, but still may be triggering. Hoover writes these emotional books that are so easy to get lost in, but that can be troubling as well.