Colleen Hoover’s It Ends With Us is a romance novel that has stood above its competition for years. It’s blown up the BookTok community, and reached #1 in The New York Times and Publisher’s Weekly respective lists.
It tells the story of Lily Bloom, a young woman who moves to Boston and finds what she thinks is love. However, the appearance of a past flame complicates things and leaves her torn between a love she once knew and one she is currently discovering.
From the magic of first love to the pain that passion can bring, it’s a book that hits every romance fan’s checklist. And while it sets things up with a classic love triangle, Hoover quickly takes you diving into the complexities of human relationships.
Books Similar to It Ends With Us
How people form, manage, and end relationships have always been an intense curiosity for people. Especially in today’s era where people understand that love doesn’t always have happy endings.
They seek romantic tales that not only feel real but show how relationships can change people, positively or not. If you’re one such reader, take a look at this list of books like It Ends With Us.
1. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
Quirky Louisa Clark lives a very ordinary love. That changes when she takes a badly-needed job and meets the wheelchair-bound Will Traynor. Unlike her, Will was always about taking the biggest risks, discovering the unknown, and traveling the world.
Now, Will’s convinced he can no longer live the way he is. And when Louisa learns about his plan, she sets out to show him that despite his life-altering accident, there are still things worth living for.
2. One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Highschool sweethearts Emma and Jesse marry and build a life together. On their first anniversary, Jesse disappears in the middle of the Pacific.
Years pass and Emma falls in love again. But when she gets engaged, she learns something that devastates her all over again. Jesse’s alive—and he’s been trying to come to her for all these years.
3. Things We Never Said by Nick Alexander
Catherine’s gone, and all that Sean has left of her is a box full of casette tapes and envelopes. In each one is a recording of their life together.
But as he listens to his wife’s last words, he becomes less and less sure about the story she’s telling. Though her words are spoken with love, they are also brutally honest. Soon Sean finds himself questioning what he knew about her and their relationship.
4. Bright Side by Kim Holden
Even after hardships and tragedy, Kate Sedgwick remain happy and optimistic. Despite all the things that happen in her life, love still remains a mystery.
So when she leaves for college, the last thing she expects is to fall for and be loved back by Keller Banks. And yet they must fight it, because the secrets they carry may just leave them hurting.
5. Wish You Were Here by Renee Carlino
Charlotte’s always been adrift in life. Then she collides with Adam. The night they spend together seems like the start of a wonderful love story, but she’s shocked when he’s cold and distant the next morning.
She chalks it up to her bad luck with men. Months later, she’s in a new relationship with Seth but still can’t forget about that magical night. Now she must choose whether to write a new love story or try to uncover one that’s been left a mystery.
6. Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
As a Jamaican-British woman, Queenie Jenkins is straddling two worlds and they’re slowly eating her up. Her work always reminds her that she doesn’t quite belong. A bad break-up with her white boyfriend has her seeking comfort from all the wrong places.
With every questionable decision, she begins to question the world around her, from the way she’s seen to what she wants to be.
7. Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren
Macy Sorensen is carefully building her life. She’s going to work hard as a new pediatricts resident, plan her dream wedding with an older, financially stable man, and keep her head down.
This carefully constructed plan begins to fall apart when she’s reintroduced to Elliot Petropoulos, her first and only love—who also broke her heart. Those unanswered questions from long ago are starting to resurface, putting them on a collision course they cannot avoid.
8. One Day by David Nicholls
On July 15 1988, Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morley meet each other for the first time. And after only spending one day together, the two can longer stop thinking about one another.
And while various events keep them from starting a relationship, the two remain close friends secretly longing for one another. We follow them as they come together and fall apart on every July 15th of their 20 years of friendship.
9. I’m So Not over You by Kosoko Jackson
It’s been months since Kian and Hudson have broken up and talked to one another. That’s until Kian receives an urgent text message asking him to meed Hudson at a cafe. Maybe Hudson’s finally ready to apologize.
The last thing Kian expected though, is to be roped in as Hudson’s pretend boyfriend while his parents are in town. And though their deception is succesful, old feelings begin to resurface. Soon they’ll need to get real with one another and what they feel.
10. They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
Mateo and Ruiz find out they are going to die today. An app introduces them to one another and they decide to spend their last day together.
Although skeptical at first, the two push each other to make the most of their End Day. There’s a lot to learn and discover, and they’ve only got a day to do it.
Heartbreaking Romance Books
A lot of romance books are now moving away from fantastical tales that always end in happy endings. It’s not because people are getting pessimistic though. More and more authors are simply choosing to tackle real-life issues in their books.
A love story that undergoes challenges in the form of trauma, identity, race, and class is a more compelling read than the usual romance narrative where everything seems to go right for everyone. This isn’t to say that such stories didn’t exist back then, just that they’re more prominent now.
And while most of these stories are heartbreaking, they’re not hopeless. The heartbreak comes from the struggles that push the characters forward. Ultimately, it’s not just about the romance, but also about becoming a better version of themselves.
Have you read It Ends With Us? Share your reading experience in the comments below!
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Cole is a blog writer and aspiring novelist. He has a degree in Communications and is an advocate of media and information literacy and responsible media practices. Aside from his interest in technology, crafts, and food, he’s also your typical science fiction and fantasy junkie, spending most of his free time reading through an ever-growing to-be-read list. It’s either that or procrastinating over actually writing his book. Wish him luck!
