It Ends with Us
Colleen Hoover
This novel explores complex relationships and emotional struggles that resonate with Sydney's journey in 'Maybe Someday'.
Maybe Someday
A music-soaked love triangle about wanting someone you shouldn't, told from both sides, with an original soundtrack that turns the songwriting at its heart into something you can hear.
What It's About
Sydney Blake's twenty-second birthday ends in disaster: she learns her boyfriend has been cheating on her with someone close to her, and suddenly she has nowhere to live. The only bright spot has been the guitarist across the courtyard whose balcony playing she's been quietly writing lyrics to. Ridge Lawson needs a lyricist, Sydney needs a roof, and the arrangement that follows draws them into a creative partnership that becomes far more intimate than either intended, especially since Ridge is already in a committed relationship.
Hoover alternates chapters between Sydney and Ridge, so you see attraction and guilt from both sides. The book is less about whether they feel something than about what decent people owe each other when feelings arrive at the wrong time. Songwriting does much of the romantic work here: lyrics are how these two say what they can't say aloud, and Hoover partnered with musician Griffin Peterson on real songs meant to be listened to alongside the story.
The reading experience is fast and emotional, with short chapters, banter-heavy dialogue, and plenty of yearning. It sits between new adult romance and contemporary drama: there's humor, especially from Ridge's roommates, but expect tears and moral discomfort more than easy swooning. Most readers finish it in a day or two.
Read this if you…
- love slow-burn romance where longing matters more than action
- enjoy music and the idea of reading with a soundtrack playing
- want morally complicated love triangles that leave you arguing with friends
Skip it if you…
- find any form of cheating, even emotional, a dealbreaker in a love story
- prefer literary prose or tightly plotted fiction over heightened emotional drama
Key Ideas
- 1
Emotional infidelity without easy villains
The book's central tension is that no one is simply wicked. Ridge loves his girlfriend, Sydney has just been betrayed herself, and both know exactly how wrong it is to fall for each other. Hoover asks readers to sit with that discomfort rather than resolve it quickly, which is why the novel sparks strong debate about whether restraint makes a connection noble or just prolongs the hurt.
- 2
Songwriting as a love language
Ridge writes melodies and Sydney writes words, and the most charged moments happen through collaboration rather than physical contact. Creating songs together lets them confess things indirectly. The companion soundtrack makes this unusual: you can actually hear versions of the songs the characters build, which gives the romance a sensory dimension most novels lack.
- 3
Two perspectives, one dilemma
Alternating chapters let readers see the same scenes through Sydney's raw post-breakup vulnerability and Ridge's sense of responsibility and guilt. This structure keeps either character from seeming purely selfish and builds dramatic irony, since you often know what one is feeling while the other is guessing.
- 4
Found family and humor amid heartbreak
Ridge's apartment comes with roommates, especially the irreverent Warren and his combative friend Bridgette, whose antics lighten an otherwise heavy story. Their friendships give Sydney a soft landing after her life falls apart and keep the book from becoming relentlessly angsty.
Limitations
Many readers can't get past the premise: depending on your view, the leads' behavior toward Ridge's girlfriend reads as heartbreaking restraint or as prolonged, self-justifying betrayal. The prose is simple and the dialogue sometimes cheesy, and some side characters, particularly Warren, have humor that feels juvenile or crude to some readers. The novel's ending has divided fans as well. Its portrayal of disability and communication is generally praised for care, though some readers find it idealized. The soundtrack is a bonus, not a necessity.
Questions Readers Ask
- Do I need to listen to the soundtrack to enjoy Maybe Someday?
- No. The story works perfectly well on the page. The songs, created with musician Griffin Peterson, are an optional extra that many readers enjoy playing as the matching lyrics appear. If you like music, it deepens the experience; if not, you won't miss plot information.
- Is Maybe Someday part of a series?
- It stands alone with a complete story, but Hoover later published Maybe Not, a lighter novella about Warren and Bridgette, and Maybe Now, a sequel continuing the main couple's story. Read Maybe Someday first; the follow-ups are for readers who want more time with these characters.
- How does it compare to It Ends with Us?
- Both are emotional and built on difficult relationship choices, but Maybe Someday is a love-triangle romance with music and humor, while It Ends with Us tackles domestic abuse and is heavier. If you want Hoover's yearning and tearjerking side without that particular darkness, Maybe Someday is the gentler pick.
- Published
- 2014
- ISBN
- 9781476753164
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Category
- Fiction
Book details and cover from Google Books.
Ready to read Maybe Someday?
Get your copy on Amazon, or listen to it on Audible. We earn a commission if you buy through these links.
You Might Also Like
Ugly Love
Colleen Hoover
Similar to 'Maybe Someday', this book delves into intense romance and the difficulties of love.
The Deal
Elle Kennedy
A college romance that intertwines emotional depth with the complexities of relationships, much like Sydney and Ridge's story.
Macbeth
William Shakespeare
This novel examines love and infidelity, paralleling Sydney's experiences with her boyfriend's betrayal.