She has recently given a eulogy at Andrew's funeral in her hometown of Plethora, Maine, during which she announced she would list five things she loved the most about him, then stood in silence for several seconds before walking off.

Reading through her old childhood diaries, Lily remembers her first love, Atlas Corrigan, who left to join the military but he promised to return to her.

They are mutually attracted, but do not pursue a relationship as Lily is seeking commitment while Ryle is only interested in a string of casual affairs.

One night, Lily laughs when Ryle accidentally drops a casserole, and he angrily slaps her before frantically apologizing.

Lily is reminded of her childhood; while horrified, she decides they are different from her parents and accepts his apologies, but warns him that she will leave if he hurts her again.

One night, Lily and Ryle impulsively get married in Vegas, and have a stable marriage until he finds Atlas' number and pushes her down the stairs.

He then confesses that he accidentally shot and killed his brother Emerson as a child, resulting in unresolved trauma that manifests in bouts of uncontrollable rage.

Lily forgives him, but he later finds and reads her childhood diaries; believing she is having an affair with Atlas, he attempts to rape her, knocking her unconscious when she tries to defend herself.

When Ryle returns, Lily forms a tentative truce with him and allows him to help her through the final few months of her pregnancy, but remains emotionally distant from him.

After giving birth, Lily realizes she does not want her daughter to grow up witnessing Ryle's aggressive outbursts, and tells him she wants a divorce.

He tearfully begs her to reconsider, but finally understands her perspective and agrees to separate after she asks him how he would react if their daughter told him she was being abused by her partner.

The book's publisher described it as a story about "a workaholic with a too-good-to-be-true romance who can't stop thinking about her first love".

She later decided to cancel the project following backlash from readers, stating, "The coloring book was developed with Lily's strength in mind, but I can absolutely see how this was tone-deaf.

[4] On August 11, 2024, two days after the film's release, the novel returned to number one on The New York Times Best Seller list.