Blake Lively is epitome of chic at Book Bonanza for It Ends With Us

Blake Lively put on a chic display as she made an appearance at the Book Bonanza event for It Ends With Us on Friday in Grapevine, Texas.

The Gossip Girl alum, 36 – who recently glammed up for Chanel’s 17th annual Tribeca Festival Artists Dinner – joined co-star Brandon Sklenar and author, Colleen Hoover, during the festivities at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center.

The actress showed off her toned legs wearing a fitted, black minidress that contained colorful, floral details embroidered onto the fabric as well as sheer, black sleeves.

Underneath, the beauty flashed a glimpse of a satin, bralette top and slipped into a pair of open-toed, glittering silver pumps. 

Her blonde locks were parted to the side, and pulled back into a sleek ponytail, preventing any loose strands from falling onto her face.  

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Blake accessorized the look by adding a pair of small, dangly gold earrings as well as chunky rings on each of her hands for a flashy flare. 

Her makeup was classically done, and comprised of a layer of mascara to her lashes as well as a light, shimmering shadow around her eyes. 

A dewy, pink blush and highlighter was added to her cheekbones, while a satin pink tint was worn on her lips for a finishing touch. 

Lively was seen striking a variety of poses upon arriving to the special event in Texas, and later spoke about the upcoming film on stage in front of fans who were also in attendance. 

She crossed paths with co-star, Brandon Sklenar, who took on the role of Atlas in the upcoming movie – which is an adaption of It Ends With Us written by Colleen Hoover. 

The film – which also stars Justin Baldoni and Jenny Slate – is slated to hit theaters later this summer on August 9. 

Sklenar was stylishly casual in a pair of gray slacks as well as a plain white shirt and checkered button up that was left unfastened at the front. For a final touch, the 1923 actor also opted for a pair of brown, leather shoes. 

Both he and Blake – who plays Lily Bloom in the movie – stopped to take a few memorable photos together while on the stage, and also in front of a ‘Book Bonanza’ sign inside the venue.  

Lively was also seen talking on stage during the panel discussion with Colleen Hoover – who donned a hot pink dress that fell down past her knees. 

The author also wore a pair of open-toed, sparkling gold shoes that contained straps that wrapped above her ankles. Her blonde locks were parted in the middle, and flowed down past her shoulders in light curls. 

Both Colleen and Blake paused for a quick photo session while promoting the anticipated film on Friday. 

The actress later shared a sweet moment with mother-in-law, Tammy Reynolds, who accompanied Lively for the festivities. 

While talking to Entertainment Tonight at Book Bonanza, Blake stated, ‘Some people will always like a book better than a movie and some people like a movie better than the book…’

‘But I think that we just did our best to honor the book and honor the fans, and, I think, really make something that works even by itself,’ she revealed. 

‘If you don’t know the book, the movie works. I don’t think there’s any way that if you read the book and you saw the movie that you wouldn’t be thrilled. We really worked hard on that.’ 

‘I also believe if you saw the movie and then read the book, you wouldn’t go, “Hold on, this isn’t like [the other].” You can do either. I think they’re both really beautiful.’ 

Colleen – who started the Book Bonanza convention with her sisters Lin and Murphy – added, ‘Readers tend to always want to read the book first.’ 

‘I completely understand that, but I feel like this adaptation has stayed so true to the book that it’s actually either or, whatever you prefer. I think that you’ll be happy if you watch the movie and then go into the book or vice versa.’ 

The premise is: ‘Lily overcomes a traumatic childhood to embark on a new life. A chance meeting with a neurosurgeon sparks a connection but Lily begins to see sides of him that remind her of her parents’ relationship,’ per an IMDB synopsis.   

The book is also based on Hoover’s parents’ relationship and she said, ‘This is the book that means the most with me.’ 

‘I’ve tried to have other books adapted and it didn’t quite go to fruition. I’ve been praying this would happen for four or five years now, so it just means so much to me.’ 

Colleen continued, ‘This book is the one that’s personal to me, so to get to see it on screen [is meaningful].’

‘I watched it for the first time with my mother, who inspired the story, so words can’t express how amazing this whole experience is.’

In regards to the novel, Blake later said, ‘This story resonated with so many people, so there’s a great responsibility that comes with that.’ 

‘You want to honor this book and this character that people love so much, but you also want to bring a life and a humanity to it that is true to who you are. It’s a lot of different things that you want to accomplish in this story.’ 

The actress gushed that she is ‘proud’ of the movie and ‘proud to be here and sharing it with Colleen and the fans. It’s just really special. It was a great honor to take on Lily, and I’m so proud.’ 

In the film’s official trailer – which dropped last month in May – Taylor Swift’s track, My Tears Ricochet from her 2020 Folklore album, notably played in the background. 

Blake also explained during the panel, per People, ‘Colleen is able to tell something that’s deeply personal and intimate but is able to resonate with so many people.’ 

‘And Taylor, she’s such an incredible writer. She writes from such personal experiences and vulnerability.’ 

Lively added that both Hoover and Swift are ‘women who are authoring their stories’ and applauded what her BFF Taylor has ‘done with her life and career’ as well as Hoover, who ‘started [her novelist career] self-published.’