Born in 1979 in Sulphur Springs, Texas, Colleen Hoover began her career as a social worker and teacher. From as young as two years old, Hoover witnessed her father’s abuse of her mother firsthand: Some of her earliest memories are composed of these traumatic moments. Her parents divorced when she was three years old. Her experiences with domestic violence inspired her highly successful 2016 novel It Ends With Us, in which the characters of Lily Bloom and Ryle Kincaid serve as representations of her mother and father. Hoover has stated that It Ends With Us was her most difficult novel to write due to her personal connection to the main characters. The turbulent relationship between Lily and Ryle ultimately leads to their separation and the birth of their daughter Emerson, who represents Hoover. Through her portrayal of Lily, Hoover hoped to highlight the strength of survivors of domestic violence and to offer them hope. Due to the success and popularity of It Ends With Us, Hoover wrote and released the highly anticipated sequel It Starts With Us, which follows Lily in the aftermath of her divorce with Ryle and the beginnings of her rekindled relationship with her childhood love,