Ugly Love
by Colleen Hoover
published on 5 August 2014
New adult, Contemporary, Heartbreaking
#1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover returns with a new heart-wrenching love story.
When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she doesn’t think it’s love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.
Never ask about the past.
Don’t expect a future.
They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.
Hearts get infiltrated.
Promises get broken.
Rules get shattered.
Love gets ugly.
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
This year seems to be the year of new adult novels for me. In particular, I’ve been craving good contemporary romance books with characters who are 20 years old and above. I suspect that it’s because I am able to resonate with these characters better, since I’m turning 20 in a few months.
Colleen Hoover is an author who is famous for cry-worthy contemporary novels. I remember reading Ugly Love back in 2017 so this book isn’t actually new to me. However, I don’t remember much about it so rereading it was still quite an experience. It gained a well-deserved 4 star rating.
First, I liked that reading Ugly Love made me cry. Couples in YA contemporary romance novels usually have very superficial (for the lack of a better word) problems. I’m glad that with NA books, the issues start becoming more complex. I like feeling that the situation is hopeless for the characters because it forces the author to seriously examine the feelings that each person goes through. Colleen Hoover definitely excels in writing about emotions because she knows how to leave both the book characters and reader feeling heavy-hearted and devastated by events happening in the book.
Another thing I enjoyed about Ugly Love is it’s duo perspective. This is one of the few books in which I understand and support the author switching between character POVs because it is so significant for character and plot development. It ensures that the heart-breaking issues are developed oh-so-slowly but when the book reaches its climax and these problems must be faced, they hurt your soul in such a good way. (LOL – You definitely need to read the book to comprehend what I’m trying to say.)
Finally, Tate and Miles are extremely convincing characters in what I consider an ‘impossible romance’. I liked that their love wasn’t exactly insta-love (insta-attraction maybe but not love). I was delighted that they had to learn about each others ugly backstories and their mistakes and flaws before gaining their happily ever after. I definitely enjoyed the push and pull within the pairing, due to the challenges that they faced. As someone who wanted more than a superficial contemporary romance, this couple ticked off all the right boxes for me.
If you are ever in need of a tear-jerker romance novel, this might be the one for you. It’s a book that will suck you in quickly and keep you around wanting so much more. Bring along a box of tissues when you delve in, you will need it!
nerissa wanders 