Are you wondering where to “start” with the It Ends With Us series by the #1 New York Times and international bestselling author Colleen Hoover? This post answers all your questions about this two-book contemporary romance series, which is best read in order of publication: It Ends With Us (2016) and then, the sequel, It Starts With Us (2022).
You’ll be grateful to be armed with this knowledge in advance, especially since the titles can be confusing and misleading. Keep reading to learn how to read this famous book series and why it’s the #1 most popular Colleen Hoover book.
It Ends With Us Series Order
QUICK ANSWER
There are two books in Colleen Hoover’s book series known as the It Ends With Us series:
- It Ends With Us (2016) and
- It Starts With Us (2022)
They are best read in order of publication. It Ends With Us is the main story, and it is best read first. Despite the way the titles sound, It Starts With Us is the sequel, picking up where the first book leaves off.
(The story is about something ending, and then something new beginning afterward. That is why “starts” actually comes after “ends.”)
It Ends With Us was originally intended to be a standalone novel, but in light of its popularity, Hoover decided to write a sequel as a “thank you” to fans.
Additionally, the movie adaptation of It Ends With Us is set for release on June 21, 2024. There is no movie adaptation in the works yet for book 2.
Also of note, the release of an In Ends With Us coloring book by Colleen Hoover was canceled after backlash that it was tone-deaf to the violent nature of the story at the core. So, only two books remain in the It Ends With Us series to date.
Details of the Books
It Ends With Us (2016; Book 1 of 2)
- Release date: August 2, 2016
- Genre: contemporary romance
- Tropes: wounded hero, opposites attract, love triangle, first love
- Age rating: mature adults ages 17 and over
- Content warnings: domestic violence and many more It Ends With Us trigger warnings
- Accolades: 2016 GoodReads Choice Award for Best Romance Novel, #1 New York Times bestseller, over 4 million copies sold
The premise of It Ends With Us is that the one you love the most can be the one that hurts you the most.
Originally published in 2016, It Ends With Us now has over 3 million reviews on GoodReads, thanks in large part to its massive 2022 popularity on BookTok (TikTok’s book community).
After growing up in small-town Maine, Lily Bloom has recently moved to the big city of Boston and started a flower shop. She’s dealing with the death of the father who abused her mother when she hits it off with a handsome neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid.
Ryle is a complex man — assertive, stubborn, and a bit arrogant, but also sensitive and brilliant. He seems to have a soft spot for Lily, yet he’s also averse to relationships.
As their love grows deeper, Lily begins to question her relationship with Ryle, while also thinking about her first love, Atlas Corrigan, a homeless boy who made her feel protected. He was the one who supported her through the times when her father abused her mother.
When Atlas reappears in Lily’s life, her relationship with Ryle begins to spiral downward, leaving Lily torn.
It Ends With Us packs an incredibly emotional punch, leaving Lily with the gut-wrenching decision of “whether to stay or go.” This difficult decision in a very complicated situation is what has captivated so many millions of readers for so many years.
Related Post: It Ends With Us Book Review
It Starts With Us (2022; Book 2 of 2)
- Release date: October 18, 2022
- Genre: contemporary romance
- Tropes: second chance romance
- Age rating: mature adults ages 17 and over
- Content warnings: PTSD, domestic violence, co-parenting issues, custody battles, toxic relationships, child abuse, verbal abuse, physical assault
- Accolades: #1 New York Times bestseller
It Starts With Us picks up where It Ends With Us leaves off and shares Atlas Corrigan’s side of the story — both what has happened and what comes next in the lives of Atlas, Lily, and Ryle.
The book focuses on themes of healing, second chances, and the challenges of moving forward from past traumas, offering a hopeful and emotional continuation of the story.
I don’t want to say too much about it so as not to spoil anything, but I will note that it involves sweet letters and more than one child as a character.
Frequently Asked Questions
It Starts With Us is the book that comes after It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover. It tells the character Atlas’s side of the story and shares what comes next for the characters in It Ends With Us.
Yes. It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover is the first in a two-book series. The sequel is It Starts With Us.
No. It Starts With Us is the sequel to It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover. There is no third book in the series.
It Ends With Us, published in 2016, is the first book in this Colleen Hoover series. It Starts With Us is the sequel, which was published in 2022.
Yes. You should read It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover before you read the sequel, It Starts With Us. The story is about one thing ending and something else beginning afterward.
No. You should read It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover before you read the sequel, It Starts With Us. The story is about one thing ending and something else beginning afterward.
Yes. It Starts With Us is the sequel to It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover.
Yes. It Ends With Us has a sequel called It Starts With Us.
Conclusion
The two-book It Ends With Us series by author Colleen Hoover has captivated millions of readers, who were drawn into Lily Bloom’s complex love story with a troubled man. It is best read in order of publication: first, It Ends With Us (2016), and then, the sequel, It Starts With Us (2022).
Shop these books below:
![It Starts with Us [Hardcover], It Ends with Us 2 Books Collection Set By Colleen Hoover](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Hm2D6nLdL.jpg)
Looking for a third sequel …
Love this book I finished book 2 in 1 day.
I think this book made me really enjoying reading which I Hebrew never been into until now… please write a third …I’d like to find out of she did yes and how things play out between Ryle, Lilly and atlas.
How much Emerson grows up ..
How Josh plays out with his mom Dad and living with lily, atlas and emerson…
I could keep asking the what it’s what happens next…. there has to be more
@Amanda, yes!! I completely agree. I want a 3rd book. I want to know if anger management helped Ryle and if he was able to move on with a new relationship, how things progress with Atlas, Lily, Emerson, Josh, Marshall, Allysa and Rylee. I couldn’t put these books down. I want to know more.
Looking forward for a third book ❤️
Will there bea book 3
Not that I’m aware of at this time.