"It Ends with Us" by Colleen Hoover

Gripping... Emotional... Heartbreaking... 

These are the first few words I think of, after finishing up Colleen Hoover's "It Starts with Us." The story was such an emotional ride, and not in a bad way- just Hoover's style of writing and storytelling literally grips and tugs at reader's hearts. 

The story of Atlas and Lily compared to the that of Ryle and Lily, was so drastically different. My heart RIPPED wanting, so many times, for Atlas and Lily's story to succeed, and just the young love they experienced. Versus Lily with Riley; I was SO angry at him. And at times- I wanted to be angry with her, for not acting sooner. But as I continued to read and really digest her character, I realized that it's not always that easy for some women to leave at the first incident.

The story as a whole, I would encourage people to read and really look into. It's a situation that happens FAR too often, and not talked about nearly as much. Aside from reading this compelling story, I would also highly recommend- checking on your friends. Sometimes things are not always as they seem on the service. And sometimes the strong ones need a strong friend, to allow them to be soft and not have to hold in hurt and trauma.

I saw this novel being posted, nonstop, on my Instagram feed- and I couldn't resist giving it a shot. I was so in love with Atlas and Lily, and was thrilled to find out that they have another story, "It Starts with Us," and I immediately went to pick it up from the bookstore.

This was the first book I had read by Colleen Hoover, and from the storytelling and writing style alone, I've already put her in my list of Top 25 authors. Please check this book out, if you haven't already- and remember... check on your friends.