Author: Colleen Hoover
Started: Sep. 11, 2021
Finished: Sep. 12, 2021
Lily has grown up in an abusive household and never understood why her mother stayed. She learns to live her life being hyperaware of her father's moods. During this time, Lily becomes aware of a young man living in the abandoned home next door and decides to befriend him and make sure he has what he needs. Their new friendship turns into their first romance until he is able to leave and live with his uncle in Boston. Fast forward a number of years, Lily has moved to Boston, opens her own floral shop, and falls in love with Ryle. Ryle is a neurosurgeon who seems absolutely perfect. What Lily doesn't know is that he has an issue controlling his anger. Lily ends up in an abusive marriage and must make incredibly important decisions.
This is not my usual genre but I decided to read it for two reasons: 1.) It's Colleen Hoover and I am a huge fan and 2.) this book is everywhere and the reviews are fantastic. When I started the book I thought it would be a simple boy meets girl romance but this book turned into so much more. While I thought this was a well-rounded story which is typical for Colleen Hoover, it was the epilogue that made the book something else. I appreciated the honesty that Hoover displayed in comparing her childhood to Lily's - if I wasn't a fan of Colleen Hoover before reading this, I would be now.