A continuation of Colleen Hoover’s bestseller, It Ends with Us, It Starts with Us shows the aftermath of domestic violence through the eyes of a single mother.

Lily Bloom is running a flower shop; her abusive ex-husband, Ryle Kincaid, is still a surgeon. They are co-parenting their daughter, Emerson, who is almost a year old. Lily restricts Ryle’s privileges with Emerson; therefore, she is not able to spend the night at his apartment until she is old enough to talk so she can- “Tell me if anything happens”- She doesn’t want to fight the legal fight and get full custody lest it become a financial burden or worse, a physical fight.

When Lily runs into her childhood friend, Atlas Corrigan, who also came from an abusive family, she hopes their friendship can blossom into love. (For new readers, their history unfolds in heartfelt diary entries that Lily addresses to Finding Nemo star Ellen DeGeneres as she considers how Atlas was a calming presence during her turbulent childhood.) Atlas, who is currently running a restaurant, feels the same way, although Lily isn’t truly free. Despite the fact that Atlas is worried about Ryle not being able to control his anger and jealousy, Lily plans her dates with him carefully in order to avoid confrontation.

In between, Lily and Atlas steal away for romantic moments that are almost as sweet as their authenticity as Lily struggles with childcare, running a business, and finding time for herself.

Through visible tension balanced with sparkles of hope, Hoover flawlessly captivates heartbreak and the joy of starting over in her most anticipated novel, It Starts with Us.