There’s something special about It Ends with Us. Colleen Hoover’s perennial fan-favorite is much more than a new adult novel — it’s a gut-wrenching rollercoaster ride. Balancing hope, heartbreak, redemption, and self reclamation, the story plays on all of our emotions.
You probably already know this, because once you pick up this novel, you don’t put it down until you’re done (and devastated). Then you’re left wondering if any other read could possibly fill the Lily-and-Atlas-shaped hole in your heart.
Thankfully, there are books similar to It Ends with Us, including its sequel, It Starts with Us. Once you finish the series, keep all the feels flowing with works by Renée Carlino, Christina Lauren, Kennedy Ryan, and other authors reminiscent of CoHo.
These 12 titles tap into the complexities of relationships (romantic or otherwise) and compassionately address painful issues like domestic abuse. Not sure where to start? The closest It Ends with Us read-alike is Long Shot. You may ugly cry, but the journey is so, so worth it.
1. It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover
The sequel to Hoover’s It Ends with Us is as engrossing as the original story. Ex-spouses Lily and Ryle maintain careful civility while co-parenting their young daughter, but when Lily’s girlhood sweetheart, Atlas, returns, Ryle’s dark tendencies reemerge.
Hoover strikes a fine and relatable balance of tension and hope, revealed through Lily and Atlas’ alternating perspectives.
2. Wish You Were Here by Renée Carlino
Like Lily Bloom, this story’s heroine feels her affections pulled in two different directions.
Charlotte experiences an instant connection with Adam, but their one night together ends on a cold note. She tries to move on and start a new, healthy relationship, but Adam is never far from her mind.
Carlino’s enthralling story reveals many of the intricacies of love and the acute pain of choosing between head and heart.
3. Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren
Macy’s life is unfolding according to plan, complete with the “perfect” fiancé and career — until a chance encounter with her childhood sweetheart reawakens something inside her.
Not only does Love and Other Words bring to mind Lily and Atlas’ story, but it also delivers the romance trifecta: an adorable meet-cute, an unexpected plot twist, and most importantly, a second chance at a happily ever after.
4. Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan
This is our top choice for books to read if you like It Ends with Us, as it has very similar themes (and content warnings).
Set in the competitive world of the NBA, it follows Iris, who’s trapped in an abusive relationship with one basketball player while dreaming of a safer, more loving life with another. This story shines a painful light on the effects of abuse and the courage it takes to survive and ultimately break the cycle.
5. Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
Smart and funny, this debut novel uses witty charm to fearlessly lay bare the messiness of race and dating, family and mental health, and the struggle to keep it together. It’s Bridget Jones’s Diary meets Americanah, with that Hoover-esque ability to tug at your heartstrings and keep you up all night reading — and rooting for the protagonist.
6. Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid
After running into her high school ex during a night out with her best friend, Hannah has two options: Go home with Gabby, or have another drink with Ethan. Maybe in Another Life unfolds in parallel storylines, showing how a simple decision can have life-altering consequences.
Reid (The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo) explores the idea of destiny versus choice in this two-for-one, second-chance romance. Lovers of Hoover twists and turns need look no further.
7. Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult
Picoult (My Sister’s Keeper) unites several Hoover-worthy plot points in Picture Perfect. There’s plenty of drama (including a whirlwind romance with a movie star and a case of amnesia), but also darker themes like generational trauma and domestic abuse.
The result is a moving story of personal reflection, resiliency, and making tough choices to end unhealthy patterns.
8. Purple Lotus by Veena Rao
This novel’s Tara and Lily from It Ends with Us follow similar life trajectories, including enduring painful childhoods which lead to unhealthy marriages with violent men. Like Lily, Tara works through her trauma to gain a new sense of self before breaking free and finding solace with her first love.
Purple Lotus moves between India and Atlanta with atmospheric descriptions of both. It also explores cultural obligations and how isolating emigration can be.
9. Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty
Hoover fans will find plenty of page-turning material to devour from Moriarty, author of Big Little Lies.
This novel follows triplets Lyn, Cat, and Gemma, each navigating love, family, betrayal, and unrealized desires. The polar-opposite sisters approach problems in vastly different ways, but their bond is stronger than any challenge life throws their way.
10. Things We Know by Heart by Jessi Kirby
Consumed by grief, Quinn tracks down the recipient of her deceased boyfriend’s heart, surprised when romance blossoms. But Colton is unaware of their shared connection, and secrets don’t stay buried forever.
Kirby’s tender story of loss and moving forward packs all the feels and surprises we’ve come to love from Hoover novels.
11. Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
The It Ends with Us duology may be Hoover’s most popular works, but Ugly Love is also a highly successful fan favorite. This book proves how messy new romance can be, especially when secrets from the past dictate the present.
Nursing student Tate and airline pilot Miles aren’t in love. They’re more like friends with benefits — without the friendship. But the steamier things get between the two, the harder it is for either of them to keep their emotions in check.
If you want even more novels like Colleen Hoover’s works, check out this list of books like Ugly Love.
12. The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine
It Ends with Us meets Gone Girl in this domestic thriller that has twists, turns, and skeletons in the closet to keep you engrossed right up until the deeply satisfying end.
Amber, a calculating and devious con artist, hates the wealthy and privileged women around her. Yet, she would do anything to be one of them. She befriends Daphne Parrish, a local woman who runs a charitable foundation, and slowly infiltrates her life as she sets out to seduce Daphne’s husband to become the new Mrs. Parrish.
