It Ends With Us is a stunning story of domestic violence and breaking the cycle.
I’m constantly on Pinterest looking for good book suggestions and this book is one that was highly recommended by many ‘booktok-ers’ and other book reviewers. And after reading six fantasy fiction books in a row, I decided to take a break from that genre and try this contemporary fiction and romance novel.
It did not disappoint. I was intrigued from the end of the first paragraph: ‘. . . I can’t help but think about suicide.’
The first page reminded me of recent conversations I’ve been having with friends and family about suicide, and by the end of the first chapter I was hooked and read the entire book in one afternoon.
Many parts played on my own emotions
Intense attractions. Deep sadness. Relatable depression. Sexual trauma.
Colleen has woven many societal issues together to make this a beautiful and heartfelt story. At times I felt myself relating scenarios from the book, back to my own life. Perhaps this book has invited moments of reflection for me. Not to compare, with the story, but to see things differently in my own . . . a kind of remembrance of times I’ve pushed down and locked away. A chance for some inner healing maybe?!
This isn’t a book for the lighthearted!
If you’ve struggled with depression, you’re not alone.
Some of these posts might be of interest to you.
The emotional journey of It Ends With Us
Here’s a visual of My Emotional Journey when reading this book:
A delicious metaphor for relationships
This is my favourite excerpt for the book:
Imagine all the people you meet in your life. There are so many. They come in like waves, trickling in and out with the tide. Some waves are much bigger and make more of an impact than others. Sometimes the waves bring with them things from deep in the bottom of the sea and they leave those things tossed onto the shore. Imprints against the grains of sand that prove the waves had once been there, long after the tide recedes. That was what Atlas was telling me when he said “I love you.” He was letting me know that I was the biggest wave he’d ever come across. And I brought so much with me that my impressions would always be there, even when the tide rolled out.
Colleen uses this metaphor of the wave throughout the book to describe Lily’s romantic relationships and the impression the two men make on her life. It’s beautiful, relatable and gives you quite a unique way of looking at how relationships work in our own lives.
People come and go, some stir up sh!t . . . but there’s purpose behind all of our relationships. Good and bad with some knocking us right over 😆
Sexual tension and some fire!
So you know I like me some R18 intimacy in my books and the scenes in It Ends With Us had enough heat for me, and they suit the tone of the book completely.
He’s unapologetic in the way he f*cks me. His hand comes between my headboard and the top of my head as he pushes harder and harder, the bed crashing against the wall with every push.
I adore the sexual tension that builds up between Lily and Ryle. The banter between them as Ryle decides what he wants is tingling and the way they communicate in Naked Truths is admirable and inspiring. Naked Truths is such a great term!
Obviously, when the sex scenes get violent, my love of intimate book scenes is tested. And that’s because this is hard-hitting and triggering stuff. But Colleen does an amazing job of taking the reader through it all, with Lily, and we all come out the other end with an unexpected end that gives us hope.
Buy It Ends With Us online here!
Take-Aways from It Ends With Us
I have to share with you a few excerpts that stood out to me:
. . . the last thing you want to do is lose sight of your limit.” “We all have a limit. What we’re willing to put up with before we break.”
What’s your limit?
‘Cycles exist because they are excruciating to break. It takes an astronomical amount of pain and courage to disrupt a familiar pattern. Sometimes it seems easier to just keep running in the same familiar circles, rather than facing the fear of jumping and possibly not landing on your feet.’
Here’s the book review pages from my journal:
I have to say that the blurb on the back of the book does not do the story any justice. So don’t read it LOL. Just get straight into it if this book is of interest to you.
I give It Ends With Us a 4.7 out of 5.
It’s a really good book, easy to read and a size that’s manageable if you’re not a big reader.
You can buy It Ends With Us online here!
Enjoy,
