The there's also the fact that he tells straight away that he doesn't want a relationship and is only looking for a one night stand but then ends up pressuring her and manipulating her into having sex with him. He begs her for it because he says he can't concentrate at his job so he just wants to get it over with so that he can get her out of his head. To be honest, I was actually feeling a bit more bitter than I'm making it seem after that ending. But after reading the author's note, it really put things in perspective for me and made me look at the story with brand new eyes. I developed a new understanding and appreciation for the story behind the story. Unfortunately, I was too far gone and too far in love with the idea of Ryle and Lily to make room for Atlas and because of that, I'm not sure if I'll ever be fully satisfied with that ending. I was happy that Lily was no longer a victim of domestic abuse. I'm glad that after all that happened between them, Lily and Ryle parted on good terms. I'll forever be heartbroken over the idea of what could've been. And I feel indifferent to Lily and Atlas. Sorry not sorry, Atlas. That basically sums up all my feelings in a nutshell. The first incident where he pushed her and hurt her was heartbreaking and I got so sad because she forgave him. Even after seeing her father do that to her mother, she still forgave him. There are times I am angry and times I am sad. And then I'm both. And it's the worst because there is a war raging inside me, and the winning side keeps changing. How is it possible to switch from denial to sorrow to fury to acceptance in a heartbeat?"

I wish cutting my feelings off for the person who hurt me was as easy as I used to think it would be. Preventing your heart from forgiving someone you love is actually a hell of a lot harder than simply forgiving them.' I have been there and had to make that same choice for the exact same reason, someone needs to break the cycle of abuse. Climbing out of the very deep, dark hole of domestic violence (emotionally, physically, and psychologically) is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. It is so complex, so heartbreaking, so exhausting, and very confusing. Constantly questioning yourself, your identity, your beliefs and your values. Simultaneously holding on to the "good" while also questioning why you haven't left yet. For some this may be triggering, for others it provides some insight into this issue which is much needed. As she gets to know him, she starts falling for him and it gets harder and harder to leave. Even when he pushes her down the stairs or pulls her hair with the intent to hurt, she can't just leave because by that point she loves that man. Her heart makes excuses for him and she forgives him again and again.

Obviously the book wasn’t all about Lily and Atlas, we got to meet Alyssa and Marshall who were the sweetest couple ever. As the story progresses, we start to see little things here and there that makes us, or at least made me, see why she loved him. All humans make mistakes. What determines a person's character aren't the mistakes we make. It's how we take those mistakes and turn them into lessons rather than excuses.” That being said, I wish I had gone blindly into this book because I would like to see if I would fall in love with Ryle just like many people did. The truth is that I didn't like him at all right from the beginning. I want to believe that I would still feel the same way if I didn't find out previously about him because his actions are what made me dislike him so much.

And it's hard to read because as a bystander I just wanted to help Lily and tell her that she didn't have to forgive him and that she deserved better than that. But that's how the story goes.. She forgave him and told him that if he ever did that again that she would know it wasn't an accident and she would leave him! She says "My father regretted the way he treated my mother his entire life. Mistreating her was the worst mistake he had ever made and he said he would grow old and die still madly in love with her." With that said though, I absolutely loved this book, there were so many moments that just broke my heart while I read it, but equally there were so many moments that filled me with so much love, joy and hope. This is honestly not only one of the best reads of 2016, but also one of the most (if not the most) empowering. I want to give this book to every man, woman, and even teenager (it's definitely a NA/adult read) and tell them... READ THIS NOW! Do you want to know why? Because this book carries with it a very strong message, one that shows strength and courage that many people might not have at the time, but after reading will understand and gain. I honestly don't know if there has ever been a time when I was prouder to be reading the heroine's story due to her choices. Ultimately though, Colleen Hoover wrote a book that everyone can take something away from. Colleen always writes such unique stories, and this one is certainly no exception. But the one thing I will say is that this is truly her best book yet. Eventually when she does leave him she decides to tell her mother what happened and there's this thing that her mother said to her that moved me.. she said "I know you believe he loves you, and I'm sure he does. But he's not loving you the right way. He doesn't love you the way you deserve to be loved."As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan—her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.

In the future . . . if by some miracle you ever find yourself in the position to fall in love again . . . fall in love with me.” Until the bad moments outbalance the good ones, they can't leave, because how do you leave your person, the person you love with you whole heart? Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place. While this was an easy read in terms of writing and flow, it was very hard for me because of the content.I fashioned Ryle after my father in many ways. They are handsome, compassionate, funny, and smart - but with moments of unforgivable behavior." With a delicate foiled cover, exclusive board and sprayed edge design, as well as an exclusive interview with Colleen and her mother, don't miss this beautiful collector's edition.

I think this storyline was told so well and after reading the authors notes at the end I can understand why.Your authors note was just about as heart breaking as the story. I’m with you when you said you wanting to delete and start again. That you fell in love with Ryle. It was heartbreaking so read what he was doing. I felt the pain for both of them. But I think you were right in writing their story the way you did. The more these things are talked about, the more someone who hasn’t been in that position and start to understand, the more help there will be from normal everyday friends and family for people who end up in Lily’s position. And hopefully over time we can all help to break the cycle of things like this. Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town where she grew up—she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. And when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life seems too good to be true.