4 Answers2026-07-24 01:14:08
I'm not a crier with books, but 'It Ends With Us' got me. 'It Starts With Us' didn't make me cry; it made me smile. That emotional sequence—tears then smiles—is perfect. I wouldn't want to smile first and then cry. The release of tension flows in one direction.
6 Answers2026-07-24 01:26:22
I think the confusion might come from people seeing 'Starts' and thinking 'beginning.' But it's not the beginning of the story; it's the beginning of the next phase of the story. The real beginning is 'It Ends With Us,' where we meet Lily and learn her history. That book contains the true origin story for all the characters.
So the chronological order of events in Lily's life is also: Book 1 (past and present), then Book 2 (future).
7 Answers2026-07-24 03:17:43
Honestly, just the thought of reading them backwards gives me a headache. The narrative whiplash would be immense. One book ends with a difficult, bittersweet decision. The next starts with the peaceful aftermath. Going from peace back to turmoil would feel jarring and unsatisfying.
8 Answers2026-07-24 01:23:41
Consider the reading order a journey. 'It Ends With Us' is the difficult, transformative path. 'It Starts With Us' is reaching the destination and learning to live there. You can't appreciate the destination without the journey.
4 Answers2026-07-24 06:50:30
I work at a bookstore, and we get this question daily. The official series order is 'It Ends with Us' (Book 1) and 'It Starts with Us' (Book 2). We shelve them together in that order.
Sometimes people see 'Starts' and think it's a prequel because of the wording. It's not. It's a sequel. The 'It' that starts is Lily's new life and relationship, which only begins after the 'It' (the cycle of abuse) ends in the first book.
It's a direct continuation, so please read them in order. You'll be deeply confused about character motivations otherwise.
3 Answers2026-07-24 14:55:22
Okay, I had this same confusion last year. The core series is just two books: 'It Ends with Us' followed by 'It Starts with Us'. That's the chronological order for Lily and Atlas's story. A lot of people think there's a third main novel, but that's it. You can absolutely read the first as a standalone if you want; the second is a direct sequel that picks up right after the end of the first book.
Some folks recommend reading 'November 9' as well, since it exists in the same universe and has a very brief crossover character appearance, but it's a completely separate story and not necessary for understanding the main duology. The reading experience is perfectly complete with just those two in order.
7 Answers2026-07-24 12:02:14
It's like a two-act play. Act One is the devastating climax and resolution of a major life conflict. Act Two is the denouement and new beginning. You can't appreciate the quiet, hopeful tension of Act Two without sitting through the intense drama of Act One. They're a complete package, and the intermission between them (the time you spend thinking about the first book's ending) is part of the experience.
5 Answers2026-07-24 17:45:14
Let's be real: Colleen Hoover knows how to manipulate readers' emotions with precision. The order is her trap. She wrecks you in book one, making you desperate for any shred of happiness for Lily. Then, she offers book two as a balm. If you read the balm first, the wrecking ball doesn't have the same force. You have to play her game by her rules for the full effect.