This article contains spoilers.

Colleen Hoover’s It Ends with Us is a novel that TikTok loves to hate and has received a lot of criticism for the stark contrast between its marketing and its subject matter. Marketed—and shelved—as a romance novel, It Ends with Us, with its pink, floral cover, is a novel about domestic violence.

On sites like Goodreads, readers describe the novel as “confronting,” “provocative,” and “NOT a romance,” and warn future readers that the novel is “not what (they) expect.”

The film attempts to remedy the problems of its misleading categorization through some fundamental changes in its marketing. The abuse plot is revealed in the trailer, which changes the way viewers approach the narrative. It Ends with Us becomes a story of resilience, rather than a love story.

What makes a romance?

Hoover’s 2016 novel is about 23-year-old Lily Bloom and her “too good to be true” relationship with Ryle Kinkaid, a charming neurosurgeon who is seven years her senior.

At the same time, Lily remembers her first love, a homeless boy named Atlas, whom she has not seen since he was brutally abused by Lily’s abusive father.

Ryle and Lily’s relationship begins to falter when Ryle becomes aggressive during arguments. To complicate matters, Lily clashes with Atlas.

Ryle’s insecurities simmer and eventually lead to him pushing Lily down a flight of stairs and attempting to sexually assault her. After being hospitalized as a result of the abuse, Lily finds out she is pregnant.

Although the violence in the novel only occurs in three chapters, it is shocking but is strategically concealed. Readers don’t know if Lily was hit intentionally or if, as Ryle repeatedly tells her, it was “a mistake.”

Hoover showers readers with apologies and steamy scenes between Lily and Ryle after the abuse, reminding them that the novel is technically a love story. Ryle is a stereotypical romantic hero whose career represents its own subgenre of romance fiction.

Readers want a happy ending and (despite TikTok critics) are willing to forgive Ryle’s violence.

The novel ends with Lily asking Ryle for a divorce. After a time jump, Lily meets Atlas again and tells him that she is ready to fall in love again.

The widely accepted definition of romance novel, established by the Romance Writers of America, is a narrative with a central love story and an “emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending.” By that definition, It Ends with Us fits the genre.

However, since the novel is largely about domestic violence, “It Ends with Us” is anything but “satisfying.”

Revision of the narrative

The film takes a more mature approach than the novel, casting 36-year-old Blake Lively as Lily and 40-year-old Justin Baldoni (who also directs) as Ryle.

In the novel, Hoover justifies the abuse partly by citing the young age of his protagonists. Lily forgives Ryle even though he has hurt her several times, which the novel portrays as naivety.

The film changes this and instead emphasizes how difficult it is to leave an abusive relationship.

Baldoni’s aggressive and domineering tone is ever-present, making Ryle a disturbing figure from his first appearance. While Ryle is an intense character in the novel, described as an “intimidating presence,” his violence is balanced by the novel’s placement in the romance genre.

Readers do not have to acknowledge his violent tendencies, believing that these will change by the end of the novel.

The film doesn’t give the audience a chance to justify Ryle’s character. We see the backstory of abuse unfold.

Ryle talks down to Lily and orders her around. Visually, Ryle is superior to Lily in most scenes and stands over her – a manifestation of the impending violence that the audience knows is coming.

These visual cues in Baldoni’s portrayal distance the viewer from the stormy relationship between Lily and Ryle.

Ryle’s repulsive nature is in stark contrast to the way the film focuses on Atlas (Brandon Sklenar). When Lily reunites with Atlas, the screen blurs around him and the music swells. The narrative was never about Ryle—it was always about Atlas.

Although the film contains romance, it is not a love story. The marketing of It Ends With Us has aimed to bring the violent twist to the forefront. Throughout the film, viewers are not wondering “if” Ryle will hurt Lily, but “when” it will happen.

Narratives about domestic violence are important for understanding and empathizing with victims, but writers need to handle abuse sensitively. While domestic violence certainly has its place in romance stories, It Ends with Us is not an example to follow.

The changes made to the film highlight the novel’s flaws. By revealing the novel’s twist in the trailer, the film will hopefully spark a change in the way we market It Ends with Us and move the novel out of the romance category and into the adult fiction category where it deserves its rightful place.

The national sexual assault, family and domestic violence support line – 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to all Australians who have experienced, or are at risk of experiencing, family or domestic violence and/or sexual assault.