“As I sit here with one foot on either side of the ledge, looking down from the twelve stories above the streets of Boston, I can’t help but think about suicide.”

It Ends with Us
By Colleen Hoover
Source: Library copy

When Lily Bloom and Ryle Kincaid meet on the rooftop of a building they both have just had a hell of a day and want to be alone but they instantly feel a strong connection to one another. They each go their separate ways but chance brings them together again and this time they decide to see where this attraction will take them.

Lily is busy staring up a flower shop and Ryle is on track to be a prominent neurosurgeon. They initially may have had different goals about relationships, Ryle always thinking that he had no time for a serious relationship, but the more they are together, they realize they make a great team. Unfortunately, Ryle starts to show a side of him that Lily swore she would never tolerate given how her deceased father behaved towards her mom.

When Lily rediscovers her old journal and starts to read through it, she remembers what her life was like growing up with an abusive father and how she survived those difficult years thanks to Atlas Corrigan, the homeless teen she met and fell in love with.  When Atlas comes back into her life, Lily must decide if she is making the same excuses her mother made for her father or if she and Ryle really have a future.

The beginning of this novel made me think I was in for a breezy romance story with a beautiful young protagonist, a handsome doctor and all the perfect additions, like a cute shop and a great secondary cast of characters but the story takes a much more serious note when the issue of abuse is brought up and how it is handled. I especially found the way that Lily is shocked at herself when she makes excuses and tries to understand what has happened felt very genuine as I can imagine you never expect to be hurt by someone who says they love you. A very good read with lots of emotions and it really kept me hooked until the end on how everything would be resolved.

I’ve been doing some book shopping and as my blogging was a bit hit or miss in December I didn’t get to tell you about some of the new arrivals. Here’s what I’ve recently bought:

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
Dare to Lead by Brene Brown

I probably don’t need to tell you much about those books as they are bestsellers and have been all over the internet recently.

Where I’ve really been adding more books to though is my Kindle. I get several newsletters with deals and I’ve taken advantage of those great prices. Here’s what I’ve recently added:

Humans: A Brief History of How We F*cked It Up by Tom Phillips. Nonfiction panoramic exploration of humankind in all its glory, or lack thereof. This should be fun.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. Meet Eleanor Oliphant: She struggles with appropriate social skills and tends to say exactly what she’s thinking. I know this one has been a favorite for many in the past couple of years.

A Place Apart by Paula Fox. A lyrical novel of loss, friendship, and moving on. This book was mentioned quite a bit in You by Caroline Kepnes and when it came up in a daily deal I couldn’t pass it up.

Darkwater by Dorothy Eden. A Gothic romance that tells the spine-tingling story of a young woman caught up in an English manor’s shadowed, violent past—and confronted by the very real dangers that lie within. What’s not to like about this?

The next three all books in Spanish which were recommendations from Mexican booktuber, Valentina. She does wonderful reviews and I love that I also find out about books from Latin American authors whose books I probably wouldn’t run across at my local bookstore.

Alguien Que No Soy by Elisabet Benavent. This sounds like a very fun romantic comedy set in Madrid, Spain.

Entre Sendereos de Lavanda by Mariela Gimenez. Anna is a forensic photographer and one summer night she’ll go to a scene which will change her life.

Lunas de Estambul by Sophie Goldberg. Ventura a young, beautiful Turkish woman travels to Mexico to marry the man her family has chosen for her. She travels with dreams and to a surprising future in a land faraway.

That’s a lot of new books right? I haven’t even told you about all the advance review copies but we’ll save that for another day. Oh and I still have a B&N gift card so I’m sure I’ll be using that up soon.

So excited for a new year of books! Did you buy some new books this holiday season?