Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 starsCute but forgettable
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 January 2023
A sequel to It Ends with Us, this picks up right where we left off, and follows Atlas and Lily as they try to forge a life together.
This is overall a sweet read, though certainly lacks the emotional weight that the first book had. To be honest, I'm not sure this book was really needed, as It Ends With Us felt like a complete story on its own, however, given the huge popularity of that book, it is easy to see why Colleen Hoover would be tempted to write a follow up.
In many ways this does simply feel like fan-service, and for those who loved Atlas and Lily together and weren't satisfied by the original ending, I am sure there is enough here to enjoy. Certainly they are still as sweet a couple as ever they were, and Atlas is still too good to be true. There were some nods to their past together too, with Lily's journals making an appearance, and it was nice to finally get Atlas' perspective too.
Still for me the highlight of this book was not their relationship, but rather Atlas' developing relationship with Josh, his kid brother, he never knew he had. Special mention should also go to Theo, who was hilarious with all his teasing of Atlas.
I did appreciate that Colleen highlighted how just because Lily and Ryle were divorced, it didn't necessarily mean that everything was all neatly resolved between them. Naturally with Atlas entering Lily's life, there were new tensions created regarding Ryle, who was still a part of Emmy's life, and hence Lily's too.
Other than that though, I don't have too much to say about this book. It was cute, but nothing especially memorable.