Series · contemporary romance
It Ends with Us
The It Ends with Us series by Colleen Hoover has 2 books and is best read in publication order, starting with It Ends with Us (2016).
- Books
- 2 books
- First published
- 2016
- Status
- completed
- Last checked
Start here: It Ends with Us (2016) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
It Ends with Us
Alternative text for cover: Cover of It Ends with Us - Book 2:
It Starts with Us
Alternative text for cover: Cover of It Starts with Us
About the It Ends with Us series
Colleen Hoover's It Ends with Us duology is the book — and then the sequel readers demanded — that turned a 2016 novel into one of the best-selling fiction titles of the decade. The first book follows Lily Bloom, a young woman opening a flower shop in Boston, as she falls for magnetic neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid while an old flame, Atlas Corrigan, resurfaces from the hardest chapter of her adolescence. What begins as a swoony contemporary romance deliberately turns into something heavier: a clear-eyed portrait of how charming relationships can become abusive, drawn from Hoover's own family history, and a story about the courage it takes to break a cycle. It became a TikTok-fueled phenomenon years after publication, spent ages atop the bestseller lists, and was adapted into a 2024 film starring Blake Lively. It Starts with Us (2022), written in response to overwhelming reader demand, picks up immediately where the first book ends and finally gives Atlas his own voice — alternating between Lily and Atlas as they attempt a new beginning while navigating co-parenting, an angry ex, and the long shadow of the past. Where book one is about ending something, book two is intentionally gentler: a story about what healthy love looks like after survival. Together they form a complete, closed two-book arc.
How to read this series
Read It Ends with Us (2016) first, then It Starts with Us (2022) — this is a strict-order duology, and the sequel begins literally moments after the first book's final scene. Reading out of order spoils every major turn of Lily's story. The sequel also opens with a recap-free assumption that you remember the characters, so back-to-back reading works well. Be aware of content: the first book depicts domestic abuse; the second is lighter but references it throughout. Hoover's other novels (Verity, Ugly Love, November 9) are completely separate standalones — despite often being bundled with these two in box sets, they share no characters or continuity.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in the It Ends with Us series?
Two: It Ends with Us (2016) and It Starts with Us (2022). Colleen Hoover has said Lily and Atlas's story is complete — no third book is planned.
What order should I read them in?
It Ends with Us first, then It Starts with Us. The sequel picks up directly from the first book's ending and cannot be read standalone without major spoilers.
Is It Starts with Us a prequel?
No — despite the title, it's a sequel. It opens right after It Ends with Us, though it does include flashbacks to Atlas's teenage years.
Is It Ends with Us based on a true story?
It's fiction, but Hoover has said it was inspired by her mother's experience leaving Hoover's father, which shaped the book's portrayal of domestic abuse.
Was It Ends with Us made into a movie?
Yes — a film adaptation starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni was released in August 2024.
Reading order last verified .