It Starts with Us

Short and sweet.  This is the second book in the series.  After you read the book the author explains that she wrote this book because everyone kept asking what happened to Lily and Atlas.  She realized that everyone was looking for the happy ending.  What I loved so much about the first book was the raw and realness of it.  So to get this book and it be a happy ending where everything is tied up nicely with a bow it just didn't work for me and it wasn't what I was expecting.

Okay so I loved IEWU and felt it was nearly perfect but I wanted more Atlas storyline. Right after I finished it, I heard that ISWU was coming out and I was so excited. I loved this book. I'd say probably like a 3.75 for me. The pace felt a little off. The beginning was slow and steady, day by day but the last third of the book felt like it skipped time too much for me. I wanted it to be a little longer of a book. I wanted more Atlas and Ryle content. Overall, it definitely gave me some of what I wanted more of from the first book but left me still wanting a bit more.

This left me feeling a bit indifferent. I'm not sure what I expected or wanted going into this as I was satisfied with the way Lily's story ended in IEWU and didn't think a sequel was necessary but since Colleen caved to the BookTok crowd and wrote one, I figured I should read it.

One thing I was hoping that this book would include was Ryle finally facing some consequences for his actions. We didn't really get that unfortunately. I feel like there was actually too much of him for a story that was supposed to be about Lily and Atlas.

“I don't care if you've changed, Ryle. I hope you have. But it's not my responsibility to test that theory.”

I had planned on not reading this but my sister gifted me a copy for christmas and I decided to take the plunge and go for it.

There's a lot for me to say but the best way for me to explain my thoughts and feelings for this is to inform everyone that I read this with my new tabbing system where I use a colour for a feeling. You can imagine my reaction when I realised it was mainly anger that had been tabbed once I had finished.

I was in an abusive relationship for five years and the one thing that I will say about Colleen's writing is that she doesn't write the stereotypical abuser. Ryle appeared to be charismatic and funny and kind when he was first brought into It Ends With Us and once he lost control over Lily, especially in this book, he loses it.

Ryle reminded me of my ex on his good and bad days. The constant walking on egg shells because you didn't know which version of him you would be getting that day. Even the way Ryle would speak had me biting the inside of my cheek because it almost gave me flashbacks. So, yeah, I will give Colleen that.

I did love Atlas and getting to know him more was super fun.

My main issue with this story is my anger towards the topic of Ryle's abuse and how the book overall ends. I feel like there shouldn't ever be any potential redemption arc for Ryle. He should rot in jail where he belongs. I still feel like he is being enabled in ways and I, as a survivor, feel icky about that.

Once again, I just want to repeat what I said in my review of It Ends With Us. I don't like seeing anyone talking about how annoyed they are that Lily didn't leave sooner or report Ryle while she was with him.

Overall, I'm happy to knock this off my tbr :)

I thought this book was so good and was full of so much heart-felt love BUT then I got to the last three chapters and ended up being slightly disappointed. The ending felt rushed - they went from dating for two months, to 6 months and moving in together, to 3 years and getting married all within the last three chapters. It's the ending Lily and Atlas deserve but I feel like so much time was spent on the build up. Still a good read though.

Ik kon niet anders dan 5 sterren geven...
Wouw wat was dit een goed vervolg!
Ik was zo benieuwd naar het verhaal van Atlas en Lilly en Colleen heeft mijn verwachtingen overtroffen! Nog steeds vind ik Ryle een klootzak. Dat was hij in dit boek ook en soms was ik echt boos op hem (hihi).
Maar dit boek vond ik zo geweldig!
De verschillende PO's (Atlas en Lilly) vond ik ook echt top. Zo kunnen we vanuit hun beide het verhaal volgen en dat vond ik zo mooi.
Het liefste zou ik een hele reeks van Atlas en Lilly willen, maar ik denk niet dat dat gaat gebeuren.

I was going to read this book first, but I saw suggestions saying it was better to read “It Ends With Us” first. I guess I'm glad I did? I probably could have figured things out, especially since they reuse passages from the first the book eye roll, but I guess it's good to have context.

This book is better, although there are definitely still flaws and lots of lazy writing. The italics aren't going away, so if that bothered you in the first book, it's still here. Apparently multiple characters love writing LONG letters, either on their phone or by hand. 

I think both Lily and Atlas are a little too perfect of characters, and it makes it a little unbelievable. They don't have any flaws, it's just the people around them that have flaws. Of course Atlas gets along with his new brother perfectly and the whole conflict of How is Ryle going to handle this when he finds out? kinda gets swept under the rug at the end, like it wasn't a really big deal.

Also, Lily and Atlas want to take things slow, which I'm like “Yay!” but then one night that goes out the window. Why do books do this??? We need a refresher on what “taking things slow” really means.

This book had frustrating moments, but not as much as the first one. I'm debating if I want to read anymore CoHo books for the lulz. They are easy reads, but I get frustrated with the characters, so I'm not sure if it's worth it.

3/5

At first, I thought this book was pointless considering how well she wrapped up the ending of It Ends With Us. But as I read it, I realized that it was necessary because it was important to gain more of a perspective of Atlas and who he is considering we didn't really get the chance to fall in love with him in the first book. Overall a good read that wrapped up the story very well.