Review: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Saucy Readers, I've been in a reading slump this summer, and that always sucks. Last summer I tore through almost 40 books in three months. This summer I've read twelve books, which doesn't sound too bad, but I only read one book in August and three in July. I've been needing a jump start on my brain to get me into the reading mood again, and I think I finally found it!

Leave it to Colleen Hoover to write a book that is completely unexpected, that defies genre labels, and that I'm still thinking about days later. I've read a few of her New Adult books and while they are good, it's just not my cup of tea. Her one other truly adult book, Ugly Love, on the other hand, rocked my world last year. So when I saw that It Ends With Us had released early in August, I grabbed that baby and started it right away. 

Come with me through the jump and I'll try and explain why you should buy, download, or borrow this book right away. Without giving anything away, of course. 



It Ends With Us was unlike anything I've read, in a very good way. Not really a romance, but a very important story, this one was difficult and heartbreaking leading to a perfect ending. It's one that needs to be experienced, so I'm not going to give you many details at all. And ultimately, whether you end up loving or hating this book, it will make you think, and if you're anything like me, it'll make you see the world a little differently. 

This is a very interesting book in that I have no idea how a bookseller would shelve this. It is most definitely not a romance, although there is certainly love involved. Is there a category for Dramatic Life Stories? I don't think so, but there should be. I bet they'll put it in the romance section anyway, but don't go into it thinking that there will be a sweeping romance. Remember that this is a Colleen Hoover book, so there will be humor and unbelievable success, but there will also be heartbreak and living through our characters' lowest moments. There's joy and beauty, but to get there we have to go through pain and hell. It's the best balance in a book, because it's life.

I don't even want to tell you all of the very important, very difficult themes CoHo tackles in this book, but be in a good place when you start it. Or, if you want a book that lets you wallow in your sadness, this would fit that bill, too. It is deep. It is difficult. But the darkness is interspersed with hope and beauty, and with moments that made me laugh really hard. 

I do want to say one thing, because it's a pet peeve of mine as a reader. From the official book description it looks like it could involve a love triangle, but I assure you it does not. I want you to read and find out what that means, but be assured that there are no cheap shenanigans here. It's all very real and believable. And heartbreaking. Of course.

When you read this book, be sure the read the author's note at the end, after you've finished the book. Not before. It Ends With Us is a very personal book for Colleen Hoover, and I am humbled and grateful that she chose to share it with us. It is a labor of love that probably rung her out completely, putting those emotions on paper. I am awed. Ms. Hoover, if by some miracle you're reading this, thank you. Thank you for sharing this story. Thank you for shining a light in this darkness. Thank you for making me see the world a little differently. This was important and necessary. Thank you.

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