The Challenge Factory discussion

V Nerd, Nichole, Erin & Ezi - It Ends with Us

checking in

I kinda started it already since I only have it until Sept. 8th, but I've only read a few chapters. I'm liking it so far :-)
I'll hold off on reading any more until September arrives though as I just got another ebook from the library I have been waiting for for 3 months :-P
Can't wait to finish it!

Checking in!

Do you all want to try to read this one at a similar pace? I need to finish it on or before the 7th as I've indicated above.
There are 35 chapters and an epilogue. We could aim for 5 chapters per day...

I won't be able to start this right away. It will probably be the weekend, at least, for me. You can read ahead of us if you need to, Erin. Just put spoilers up and then when the rest of us catch up we will respond to them. I'm usually lagging behind so I don't do as well limiting myself once I start something, lol. I'm always in a rush to catch up! Ezi and V might like to do it that way though. I'll let them pipe in for that :) I'll catch up at some point and respond to anything.

I'm starting another one today and another just after, so it may be Friday/Saturday that I start this one

I'm up to chapter 9 at this point and I was hooked from the beginning. It was, IMO, a great opening, a great introduction to everything that's explored in the book (and I still have quite a ways to go).

(view spoiler)[I love the discussion on naked truths (minus the comment that "anyone" can have children because that's not true). The brutal honesty and openness is great. I have to confess, I agree with Ryle's take on the child shooting incident.

And I love the use of Lily's "letters" to Ellen DeGeneres. I actually laughed when I got to the point at which they enter the story because I recently read Ellen's latest book (published back in 2011...) and following that, I read a book about an illusionist who named his doves Ellen and Portia. I couldn't believe she was popping up again. But I digress... I find the letters very insightful -- the oak tree, using worst-case scenarios to excuse selfishness and greed.

BTW, did anyone else google the rooftop house to confirm its existence?

And who else thinks that Lily's theme for her florist shop is totally weird? (hide spoiler)]

Finished chapter 10 a bit ago.

(view spoiler)[Whaddya know? I pointed out before that not anyone can have children and now it appears that Allysa is one of those who can't. I am very interested to find out why she seems so against Lily and Ryle being together. Does she believe Ryle is going to hurt her new friend but doesn't want to badmouth her own brother? Is there something deeper? I'm looking forward to finding out.

I also can't wait to hear more about Atlas. Lily mentioned that her dad beat him up, but her thought "That's as naked as I want to get about that subject" leads me to believe that there's quite a bit more to that story.

I wonder if Atlas made up the girlfriend...

and I wonder who Lily will ultimately end up with. (hide spoiler)]

Just finished chapter 14.

(view spoiler)[Maybe I'm a sap, but I thought it was really sweet when Lily described Atlas as Marlin and she was Dory, helping him swim.

I think the steampunk flowers sound ridiculous. I really hate the theme for Lily's flower shop. Thankfully it doesn't seem to play to big a role in the story :-P

On to Lily and Ryle's relationship...
I don't like that Ryle has done a complete 180 in almost no time at all. He went from wanting nothing to do with relationships to becoming a total and utter sap. "What's happening between us doesn't feel like a responsibility. It feels like a reward. And I'll fall asleep wondering what I did to deserve it." And "I get to have my cake and eat it too." Gag! This is too much of a shift in personality to be believable to me.

And the casserole incident... A) Ryle is one stupid neurosurgeon. B) How could Lily possibly find it funny that Ryle just burned the crap out of his hand? C) Despite the fact that Lily assures herself she won't let Ryle hurt her again, I can't help but wonder if this is going to become a pattern and she's going to end up in the same position as her mother - making excuses. If so, I hope she breaks the pattern and ultimately ends up with Atlas. At this point, I hope she ends up with Atlas anyway.
And, going back to Allysa's lack of enthusiasm for the relationship, it makes me wonder if it's because Ryle has a history of violence.

I'll end on a positive note... I really like the line, "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."

Also, I can't wait to read Lily's last letter to Ellen which, I'm assuming, describes her first time with Atlas. (hide spoiler)]

Ch.15
(view spoiler)[Hahahahaha... Seriously... I'm Kidding was the Ellen DeGeneres book I recently read. Too funny! (hide spoiler)]

I've just started a quick 6 ish hour one so I'll probably start this sometime tomorrow or Wednesday

I just finished it earlier today and I really liked it. Since I've already done several posts, I'll wait to comment any further until you all get into it. Looking forward to hearing what you all think.

I will just say about the ending... (view spoiler)[I teared up a little during the last chapter when Lily decides she wants a divorce and makes Ryle think about what he would tell his daughter if she were in a relationship with someone like him. (hide spoiler)]

okay I'm starting this today, I'm about half hour in so far

Okay I'm up to chapter 9 and really enjoying it

(view spoiler)[
I'm loving the letters to Ellen and the way that she is talking to her like a friend.
The way she is looking out for Atlas (weird name) is so cute.

Her dad is a complete arse, but I hate the way her mother told her to lie when she got to the hospital, she isn't helping herself by doing that, and she's trying to make Lily feel like this is okay and what her father does is alright, luckily Lily doesn't see it that way.
I can understand her eulogy now.

Rile is a strange one, one one hand I'm loving him but on the other I'm thinking that he is a bit of a dick, but he said that he was going to give a relationship a try, so kudos for that I suppose.
The picture on the wall was a bit creepy though.

Love Elisa, even though she is rich she doesn't ram it down anyone's throat, even though she has "people" to do everything for her, she still goes to work for $10 an hour (even though she probably doesn't cash the cheques)

And yes I thought that the "anti florist" florist thing was a bit weird too lol (hide spoiler)]

V Nerd wrote: "Okay I'm up to chapter 9 and really enjoying it"

Ha, I had forgotten about (view spoiler)[Ryle's comment that Allysa probably doesn't cash the checks. I don't think they ever revisit that to confirm if it's actually the case. Guess it doesn't really matter :-P

Did you realize that Allysa was Ryle's sister before the guys came in from the bar and it we learned for a fact that she was? I had a feeling she was!

It's funny, there were several points throughout the story where I made some sort of connection on my own, and then within the next few pages (paragraphs? I read the ebook on my phone so it seemed like pages) the author confirmed what I was thinking.

The photo element was definitely creepy. If a guy I had met only once had done that with a photo of me, I'd think he was a stalker or something... (hide spoiler)]

I can't wait until you get farther!

It's tough to comment having finished the book and being unable to go back and check how/when things occurred. (I tried to check it out again, but the wait time is now up to 155 days!)

I'll have to hold back on everything I really want to say until people get closer to finishing ;-)
I definitely don't want to spoil anything for anyone!

Yes as soon as (view spoiler)[she made the phone call in the shop and the brother came on the phone I knew it was going to be something like that (hide spoiler)]

Omg the dinner (view spoiler)[ ATLAS!!!! This is going to get complicated I can see it already!! (hide spoiler)]

Right I'm up to chapter 20 and I don't know what to think

(view spoiler)[
Lily has "fell" now for the 2nd time, and has now heard the story about why Ryle is how he is, it's an awful story, and I feel really bad for him, but I don't like the way Lily is now justifying his actions because he was pissed at her.
I was really pleased that she told him to get out, but now I think she is going to turn into a carbon copy of her mother.

Do I think he is going to do it again? Probably

Do I want to think Ryle is a dick and for her to leave him? I don't know yet, on one hand I'm shouting LEAVE HIM FOR GOD'S SAKE LEAVE HIM, and the other is thinking she should stay with him but if it happens again she should get out, so what does that make me? A hypocritical cow at the moment lol
(hide spoiler)]

V Nerd wrote: "Right I'm up to chapter 20 and I don't know what to think"

I really can't say anything without giving away too much. But, I do recommend reading the afterword/author's note thing after the story is complete. (I can't remember exactly what it was called.) Normally it's not something I would typically read, but I liked this book so much that I did this time and I'm glad that I did.

ooh I'm intrigued now lol

Been busy with another BR... How is everyone doing with this?
V Nerd, did you finish it yet?

I did and I loved it, I may have shed a tear or 12 lol

V Nerd wrote: "I did and I loved it, I may have shed a tear or 12 lol"

(view spoiler)[When you mentioned how you were wavering about how to feel about Kyle, I thought about the author's note at the end because that's basically how she felt writing him ~ liking him but knowing she had to make Lily leave him.

I honestly wasn't torn about what I wanted Lily to do. I wanted her to leave Ryle so she could be with Atlas because A) I didn't like the complete transformation Ryle seemed to have, it was just too unrealistic for me and B) Lily seemed to have such a pure connection with Atlas, with everything they shared when they were younger.

And, considering the title, it really wasn't a surprise that Lily decides to divorce Ryle. "It Ends with Us" makes me think of "ending a cycle." Though I guess the "us" part kinda throws things off a bit, like maybe Ryle could have been a part of the "us."

How great was it when her mom revealed that she understood Lily's eulogy and was actually proud of her for it? (hide spoiler)]

Didn't know you guys started! I guess I will too

I know I was really happy she said that.

Btw best put your comment in a spoiler as Ezi is just starting to read this and there are big spoilers on your comment, don't want to ruin it for her lol

V Nerd wrote: "I know I was really happy she said that.

Btw best put your comment in a spoiler as Ezi is just starting to read this and there are big spoilers on your comment, don't want to ruin it for her lol"

Thanks ~ Just finished another BR where there was a lot of conversation without spoilers so I wasn't in that mindset anymore
:-P

Haha me too I always forget

I will read this one this upcoming week...mostly likely Friday with Bingo

it's a good one Ezi

V Nerd wrote: "it's a good one Ezi"

I haven't loved the last two CH books so I've been dragging my feet even though I bought the audio

it's a very different type of CoHo book, completely different toany of her others.
I suggest going in blind, andthe authors notes at the end made my heart hurt

I haven't forgotten this one. I'll try to get to it this week

Of course this book is nominated for best Romance. Colleen Hoover has had a book in the awards every year since Slammed

lol obvious really, she is the romance queen after all