Common Sense Media Review
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fans will love this tamer, feel-good romance sequel.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
IT STARTS WITH US, begins right where the story left off in It Ends With Us. Lily and Ryle are divorced but have worked out a relatively amicable, if still very tense, co-parenting arrangement for their daughter Emmy, now almost a year old. Past ugliness begins to resurface when Ryle suspects that Lily is seeing Atlas again. Ryle's not wrong, but how long will Lily and Atlas have to tiptoe around Ryle's jealousy? While all this is going on, Atlas is in for the surprise of his life when his mother gets in touch for the first time since she threw Atlas out of their home when he was a teen. Are either Atlas or his mother ready to be a family again?
Is It Any Good?
This popular romance sequel will have fans of the first book cheering for, and sighing with, the couple they've wanted to see all along. It Starts With Us brings back many familiar and favorite characters and introduces some intriguing new ones. And although there are a few steamy sex scenes, it's less edgy than It Ends With Us.
Most of the writing is less corny, although there are still some gems like using being "taken" for having sex. But author Colleen Hoover does a good job of continuing Lily's authentic voice while creating a new and very believable voice for Atlas. Fans will enjoy the chance to see events past and present through his eyes.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the sexy stuff in It Starts With Us. Is it too much? How much is OK in books and other media? Is it a big deal?
How are Atlas and Lily positive models for empathy and teamwork? How is Atlas in particular a good model of communication? Why are these important character strengths?
Did you read It Ends With Us first? If you did, which book do like best? If you didn't, would you like to now?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Romance
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings )
- Character Strengths : Communication , Empathy , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Atria
- Publication date : October 18, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 18 - 18
- Number of pages : 336
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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