Book Outside My Genre: Book Review- It Ends With Us (Colleen Hoover)

I have decided to add a monthly feature to Clues and Reviews where I review a book completely outside of my usual genre. Obviously, I read a majority of the mystery, thriller and suspense titles, but, believe it or not, I always try and read something a little different each month to break it up. Helps me avoid a reading slump.   This month, I have decided to focus on a book that has had oodles of hype surrounding it.

Since joining the book blogging/bookstagram community in September, I had been seeing Colleen Hoover’s It Ends With Us EVERYWHERE!   This book is completely outside my genre, but like the trooper I am, I figured I needed to give it a chance. And I was curious to what everyone was so excited about!   I knew absolutely nothing about this novel going into it.

 The novel’s central character is a florist, named Lily, who is still struggling with her childhood trauma of living with an abusive father.   After her father passes away, she has a run-in with handsome neurosurgeon Ryle and, soon, they are involved in a consuming love affair. Ryle is assertive, stubborn and maybe even a little arrogant but he also has so many redeeming qualities that Lily finds herself head over heels. When her first love returns, threatening her new relationship, Lily is forced to make some decisions, coming to the conclusion that sometimes the one who loves you can be the one who hurts you the most.

Okay, so the beginning of this novel read like Fifty Shades of Grey.   Ryle was Christian Grey to me; even down to some of the mannerisms. I was not impressed but, eventually, this one developed into something so much deeper. It touches on some really touchy issues (surrounding domestic violence and relationship abuse) and really makes you think about your own reactions in such situations. It is very easy to say what you would do in theory, but in actuality, a lot different to follow through. Hoover is able to write this struggle brilliant and the back end of the novel is filled with tension.

I have never read anything else by Hoover, but from what I have heard, this one is completely different from any other novel she has written. I am pretty sure this one is categorized in the New Adult genre but I would stretch it place it into the Romance or Contemporary Drama category as well. Either way, it is a quick read; I finished it easily within a couple of hours.  Be warned, this novel is not a light and fluffy read, it deals with some heavy issues. I would not call it a feel good novel.

This book was truly guilty pleasure reading at its finest. Was the most brilliant book I have read? Nope. Was it completely satisfying? Nope.  However, I definitely think I would pick up another Colleen Hoover book for a quick read to reset my engines.

Do you have any guilty pleasure reads that you read when you are in a slump?  I’d love more suggestions!