It Starts With Us

Starred review from November 7, 2022
Hoover breaks hearts all over again in this stunning sequel to her bestselling It Ends with Us. After Lily Bloom finds the strength to exit her abusive relationship with Ryle, her ex-husband and the father of her child (the adorable Emmy), she’s reluctant to let anyone else capture her heart, even her childhood crush, Atlas Corrigan. Atlas has past trauma of his own: he grew up in an abusive home and was forced to live on the streets as a teenager. Now he’s a successful restaurateur while Lily runs a flower shop—and they’re back in each other’s orbits. Their chemistry is even stronger than it was in their earlier years, but their budding relationship is complicated by Ryle. He’s still in the picture as Emmy’s father—and he wants Lily back. Meanwhile, Josh, the half brother Atlas never knew he had, enters Atlas’s life, and Atlas takes him in, hoping to finally have a real family. The author’s talent for creating nuanced and empathetic characters is on full display, and fans will be especially excited to finally hear Atlas’s side of the story. Hoover is as unafraid as ever to explore the darker and more vulnerable aspects of love, expertly demonstrating the soul-deep trust required to reach happily after ever. The author’s fans will be thrilled. Agent: Jane Dystel, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret.