Author Colleen Hoover has become a notable name in publishing, yet many of her books, including It Ends With Us, have received considerable and worrying backlash for controversial endings. Hoover’s publishing career began in 2012 when she released her first novel, Slammed. In the following decade, the author put out three or four books every year, almost entirely in the romance genre. Only in the last few years have Colleen Hoover’s books gained traction due to the rise of BookTok. Hoover’s newfound attention isn’t all positive though. Among her long list of publications, many books have rubbed readers the wrong way.

One of Colleen Hoover’s best books to date is It Ends With Us. The novel, published in 2016, sold one million copies worldwide by 2019. A couple of years later, the book became even more popular after readers started promoting it on BookTok. It Ends With Us skyrocketed to #1 on the New York Times bestsellers list in 2022. It now has a movie adaptation set to premiere in August 2024. However, It Ends With Us has not had a completely positive experience. In fact, the book has faced criticism on many fronts, including its story, marketing, and representation.

It Ends With Us Portrays Domestic Abuse In A Controversial Way

There’s An Argument That Hoover Romanticizes Abuse

The biggest debate surrounding It Ends With Us centers on the book’s romance. While some readers praise Hoover for her realistic portrayal of an abusive relationship, others are concerned by what Hoover seems to be promoting. It Ends With Us tells the story of Lily Bloom, a young woman who starts a relationship with a man named Ryle. Over the course of the novel, Ryle slowly begins abusing Lily. As a result, Lily must decide how to end the cycle of violence started by her parents, who also had an abusive relationship.

Hoover’s execution of this story has been taken in two very different ways. Time Magazine wrote that Hoover’s novel has helped readers “understand why a battered partner might struggle to leave an abuser they still love.” On the other hand, Cosmopolitan argued that “Hoover’s work describes abusive situations through rose-colored glasses and ultimately doesn’t really define them as abusive—rather, they’re deemed romantic.” Ultimately, this difference in opinion stems from one specific aspect of the novel.

In It Ends With Us, Lily ends up keeping Ryle in her life, despite his abuse. Throughout the novel, readers see Ryle physically, sexually, and emotionally abuse Lily due to a traumatic incident that occurred when he was a child. When Lily becomes pregnant, she realizes their dangerous relationship needs to change. Lily’s solution is to divorce Ryle, but allow him to co-parent their newborn daughter. Some felt that this choice allowed Ryle to be humanized and better understood, but others deemed it as justifying and excusing domestic violence.

Colleen Hoover’s 2016 Book Shouldn’t Be Marketed As A Romance

It Ends With Us Is In The Wrong Genre

No matter how one interprets the ending of It Ends With Us, one fact remains true. It Ends With Us should not have been marketed as a romance novel. There are two reasons for this. First, a novel in the romance genre comes with a promise that two characters are going to fall in love and (most likely) have a happily ever after. It Ends With Us sees Lily and Ryle fall in love, but readers see the destruction of their relationship as well. There is no happily ever after. In this way, It Ends With Us promises something it can not provide.

Secondly, putting It Ends With Us in the romance genre insinuates that what occurs in the book is romantic. Lily may have a budding romance with her childhood friend named Atlas, but the core of the book is about Lily and Ryle. In this way, It Ends With Us is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Though the hope is that readers can distinguish between romance and abuse, young readers may struggle with this distinction. This is a leading cause of the backlash against Colleen Hoover. Therefore, Hoover should have marketed this book as contemporary fiction rather than romance.

It also does not help Hoover’s case that she has previously appeared ignorant of her book’s darkness. One particularly big controversy came in 2023 when Hoover tried putting out an It Ends With Us coloring book. The product was quickly condemned by readers who felt a fun and relaxing activity like a coloring book was entirely wrong for a book about domestic abuse. According to CNN, Hoover canceled the project and apologized. Yet, the coloring book drama exemplifies how easily misconstrued this novel can be.

It Ends With Us Isn’t The Only Colleen Hoover Book To Face Backlash

Hoover Has Been Criticized For Toxic & Inappropriate Relationships

Readers have turned their backs on other Colleen Hoover books as well. For example, YouTuber Whitney Atkinson posted a passage from Hoover’s book November 9 on X, wherein the male love interest considers using physical force to keep the female protagonist from leaving his car (via The Mary Sue). Additionally, Hoover’s book Slammed follows the romantic relationship between a high school student and her teacher. Ultimately, Colleen Hoover may be a pillar of romance, but her books, including It Ends With Us, haven’t passed everyone’s inspection.

Sources: Time Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Today, CNN, The Mary Sue