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.
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.
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.
5 Answers2026-07-24 12:32:15
I'm always team publication order for any series, and this is no exception. 'It Ends With Us' (2016) then 'It Starts With Us' (2022). The gap between publications is huge, which actually mirrors the character's journey in a way. You get the intense, traumatic story, then a long pause, then the hopeful 'what comes after' story. Reading them in quick succession now is a different experience, but still effective.
3 Answers2026-07-24 17:04:42
Yeah, no chronological tricks here. It's a straight-line sequel. 'It Ends With Us' has its final scene, which is a moment of hope and new beginning. 'It Starts With Us' is that new beginning. The entire narrative of the second book exists in the timeline after all events of the first. Simple as that!
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.
3 Answers2026-07-24 07:26:08
If you're a completionist, it's book two. But if you're pressed for time and only want to read Hoover's most impactful work, many would say you can skip the sequel. 'It Ends With Us' is the landmark book. The sequel is enjoyable but not essential to understanding her impact as an author. Its place in the series order is solid, but its place in her literary significance is softer.
3 Answers2026-07-24 07:24:06
I feel like this gets asked because the first book is so emotionally draining that people want a shortcut to the 'happy' part. They hear the sequel is happier and want to skip the pain. But that's like wanting the reward without the struggle. The happiness in the sequel is only meaningful because of the pain in the first.
So the order is: endure the struggle, then receive the reward. You can't swap them. The emotional payoff is dependent on sequence. If you read the happy ending first, the struggle just seems like pointless misery. In order, the struggle is a heroic journey.