When it comes to Colleen Hoover’s It Ends With Us, the reactions are, well, intense—especially now that the movie adaptation has brought the novel once again to the forefront with a new wave of controversy to go along with it.
But we are not here to discuss marketing disasters. Long before Justin Baldoni’s and Blake Lively’s involvement, this contemporary romance novel has been taking readers on an emotional rollercoaster, sparking tears, debates, and even a sequel—It Starts With Us. Since it first came out in 2016, Hoover’s story of love, trauma, and resilience has gained a cult following—especially on BookTok, where it’s very hard to scroll without seeing someone clutching a copy.
If you are one of the few remaining bookworms who did not get roped into the whirlwind and are wondering what the hype is all about or why so many people are deeply attached to this book, continue reading for a full book summary.
Trigger warning: This article, much like the book itself, discusses themes of domestic abuse and violence.
Also, there are many spoilers ahead!
The novel opens with Lily Bloom, a 23-year-old, sitting on a rooftop in Boston, processing her father’s recent death. Her relationship with him was complicated, to say the least—he was abusive toward her mother, and even now that he’s gone, Lily’s feelings are a messy mix of anger and relief. As she’s lost in thought, a stranger joins her on the roof, kicking a patio chair in frustration. Enter Ryle Kincaid, a brilliant (and very attractive) neurosurgeon with a bit of a temper. They start talking, trading raw, personal "naked truths" about their lives. There’s an immediate spark, but Ryle makes it clear he’s only interested in casual flings. Lily, on the other hand, wants something real. So they part ways. But that’s not the end of their story.
Fast forward six months. Lily has used her inheritance to open her own business, a flower shop, a dream she’s been nurturing for years. She hires a new assistant, Allysa, who quickly becomes her best friend. As fate would have it, Allysa is Ryle’s sister. The two cross paths again, and after some back and forth, Ryle decides he’s ready to try a relationship with her. Despite their initial differences, Lily is drawn to his intensity and charm, and before long, they’re in love.
Around the same time, while resting at home because of a minor accident, Lily starts revisiting her past—specifically, her first love, Atlas Corrigan. Through old journal entries addressed to Ellen Degeneres (yes, you read that right), we learn about the first love in Lily’s Life, Atlas. When they first met, he was a homeless boy living in an abandoned house close to hers. Back then, Lily would sneak him food and clothes and invite him to her house where they watched movies and shows together. In return, he became her confidant and protector, someone who truly understood her for the first time. They fell in love. But after being discovered by Lily’s father and brutally attacked, Atlas was forced away. He left to build a better life, promising that one day he’d come back for her. Lily has never truly gotten over him, even though years have passed.
Back in the present, Lily’s relationship with Ryle is passionate but far from perfect. One night, Ryle’s anger gets the best of him, and he lashes out physically. He’s horrified afterward, apologizing and swearing it was a one-time mistake. Lily wants to believe him—she loves him, after all—but she can’t ignore the red flags. The situation only becomes more complicated when she runs into Atlas, now a successful chef in Boston. Old feelings resurface, and Ryle’s jealousy flares up when he finds out about their past.
As their relationship goes on, Ryle’s anger issues become impossible to ignore. His outbursts escalate, and Lily starts to see disturbing similarities between Ryle and her father. After a particularly violent incident, Lily turns to Atlas for support. She’s heartbroken and confused, especially when she learns she’s pregnant with Ryle’s child. Lily knows she needs to make a decision—not just for herself, but for her daughter.
In the end, Lily finds the courage to break free. She decides she won’t let her daughter, Emerson, grow up in a household where abuse is present. Ryle is devastated but agrees to co-parent with her. Finally, with her daughter in her arms, Lily sees a way forward.
At the very end, Lily and Atlas cross paths once more. This time, there’s hope for a fresh start, for both of them.
For a deeper dive into the characters of the story, you can read our post about the main characters of It Ends With Us.
It Ends With Us dives headfirst into some heavy themes—love, trauma, resilience, and, most importantly, breaking the cycle of abuse. At first glance, you might think it’s just a story about a woman caught between two men. But Colleen Hoover weaves in layers that give this story real weight, making it resonate with readers on a much deeper level.
One of the central themes is the painful legacy of domestic violence. Lily grows up watching her mother endure an abusive relationship, feeling powerless and furious at her mom’s inability to leave. It’s easy for Lily, as a child, to think she’d never let that happen to her. But when she’s older and finds herself in a similar situation with Ryle, she realizes just how complicated it really is. Hoover does an incredible job of showing how love and fear can intertwine, trapping people in cycles they never thought they’d be part of.
The book also explores the theme of self-worth and the importance of setting boundaries. Lily starts out as someone who’s ambitious and driven but still carries doubts about what she deserves, especially in a new relationship. Through her journey, we watch her grapple with what it means to truly value herself—not just as a business owner or friend, but as a person who deserves respect and kindness in a relationship. This is a powerful message, especially for readers who might have struggled with similar doubts.
Finally, there’s the idea of forgiveness—not just of others, but also of yourself. Lily has to confront her feelings about her mother, her father, and even herself. She learns to forgive her mother for staying with her father, forgive herself for falling for someone like Ryle, and eventually, she finds the peace to move forward with her life. This theme of forgiveness and self-compassion is woven subtly throughout the story, reminding us that healing often starts with letting go.
You can continue reading here for a full book review!
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Yes, in a way. It Ends With Us is certainly the most personal of Colleen Hoover’s books, drawing inspiration from her own family’s experiences with domestic abuse. In the author's note, Hoover explains that the story is loosely based on her mother’s journey in an abusive marriage. Writing the novel was emotionally challenging for Hoover, as she aimed to capture the complexities of love and violence, and to honor her mother’s strength in breaking free. While the plot and characters are fictional, the themes of trauma and healing are drawn from real-life experiences, which gives the story its raw, emotional depth.
This is one of the hardest and most discussed parts of the book, and Hoover handles it with a lot of nuance. After Ryle first hurts Lily, she’s horrified and shocked but believes his deep remorse and hopes it was a one-time mistake. She convinces herself that he’s different from her father, who abused her mother repeatedly without apology. Lily’s reaction reflects the complicated emotions of many abuse survivors—love, fear, hope, and self-doubt all mixed together.
It Ends With Us doesn’t wrap up with a fairy-tale ending, but it does offer a hopeful resolution. Lily ultimately makes the decision to leave Ryle, breaking the cycle of abuse and vowing to create a better life for herself and her daughter, Emerson. In the end, she reconnects with her first love, Atlas, with the possibility of a healthy, respectful relationship on the horizon (which is explored in the sequel, It Starts With Us).
So, while it’s not a happily-ever-after in the traditional romantic sense, Lily’s choice to prioritize her own well-being and her daughter's future is a powerful and uplifting conclusion.
First and foremost, Nina is a reader; she devours literature with gusto, from classic novels to contemporary poetry to graphic novels and everything in between. She believes that within each story, there's a universe waiting to be explored, and loves exploring with company. She's often found sharing her perspective on characters, plot twists, and literary themes with friends. When her friends get tired of listening to her ranting, she writes blog posts sharing her explorations with the other bookworms of the internet. In recent years she has developed an inexplicable addiction to matcha lattes, but has asked us not to talk about that.
