Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
Adult Contemporary Standalone
Wow. I have such mixed feelings about this book. I am a CoHo nut, and I have absolutely LOVED every book she has written. And I can genuinely say I loved Ugly Love. In fact, as I finished it, I thought it was probably a 5 star read. Then I started to remember my thoughts before the last 25% when it got really good, and became very torn on my rating.
I started this book while I was on vacation. I actually had one scheduled to read before this, but picked it up several times and couldn’t get into it, so I moved on to Ugly Love. I picked it up at 1:00am and was immediately hooked. I have to say though, I thought there may have been an issue with my copy, because all of Miles’ (the male lead) POV has the text centered, which I found kind of annoying and difficult to read (this is the way it is intended).
As I was reading, I was wondering where the ‘epic’ was that I am used to from CoHo. Colleen ventured into a more adult arena with Ugly Love, and I felt that there was a bit more sex than story at the beginning. The sex was well written and passionate, but I just didn’t feel like anything was so special about the story itself. Until the last 20-25% where I bawled my eyes out non-stop.
Tate has decided to move in with her pilot brother. As she arrives her first night, she is greeted by a strange man passed out drunk at the front door. When she finds out he is her brother’s close friend and a neighbor, she puts him up for the night, and comforts him as he cries his eyes out and calls her by the name “Rachel”. The next morning, the intensity between the two of them starts to grow.
Ugly Love is told in alternating chapters from Miles’ POV, 6 years earlier, and Tate’s (female) POV presently. Miles’ flashbacks, instead of being in italics like most authors, were centered and and more like poetry. We know of Colleen’s love of Slam poetry from the amazing SLAMMED. But here, despite how beautifully written it was, I had trouble making it work for Miles. The writing didn’t fit his personality. If the third wall was broken down a bit and we knew that his parts were being written (in the story) for publication, it would have worked better. It just wasn’t real to me. People don’t think and talk like that.
Rachel.
Rachel.Rachel, Rachel, Rachel.
She’s like poetry.
Like prose and love letters and lyrics,
cascading down
the
center
of
a
page.
Don’t get me wrong. I loved Miles. I loved how sweet and in love he was with Rachel. I loved Colleen’s poetic writing. But even if he said he was writing in his journal or something that made him write like that, it would have helped me reconcile the poetic writing with the character writing it.
Miles has not been with a woman for 6 years. Since Rachel. The pilot’s best friends even thought he was gay. But when he meets his friend’s sister, Tate, things changed for him.
“He tightens his grip on my neck… and then he kills me. Or he kisses me. I can’t tell which, since I’m pretty sure they would feel the same. His lips against mine feel like everything. Like living and dying and being reborn, all at the same time.”
He felt attraction to someone for the first time in 6 years and he couldn’t deny it. But he knows he can never love again, so he sets up the ground rules immediately.
“Don’t ask about my past,” he says firmly. “And never expect a future.”
Tate is willing to go along with it for a while. At least on the outside. But on the inside…
“I don’t know if I can do this, Miles. I don’t know if I can follow rule number two, because suddenly I want to climb into your future more than I want to climb into the back seat with you.”
There are actually two stories going on throughout the book. One, 6 years ago, the story of Miles and Rachel.
“I hope she remembers the moment
she
became
my
everything.”
And the story of Miles and Tate.
“If I were capable of loving someone… it would be you.”
As we get Tate and Miles get closer, you can just feel how torn up and confused Miles is.
“Tate,” He says in a pained whisper. His face moves to my neck, and one of his hands grips my waist… His other hand moves to the back of my head as his lips rest against the skin of my neck. “What do I do?” He whispers. “What the fuck do I do?”
In fact, you feel so much throughout this book, it’s amazing. I don’t think I have bawled this hard over a book in at least 6 months. Though we have an idea of what is coming, Colleen’s writing just pulls out every single emotion from you so the point that you are a wrung-out, hysterical mess. But it’s Colleen. She’ll make it better.
“Love isn’t always pretty, Tate. Sometimes you spend all your time hoping it’ll eventually be something different. Something better. Then, before you know it, you’re back to square one, and you lost your heart along the way.”
Likes:
- Cap, and his elevator rides.
- I really liked both Tate and Miles. And Rachel.
- Colleen’s ability to wring every emotion out of you, even if you know what is coming.
- Miles: you can feel his sadness, his loss, especially in comparison to the young man of 6 years before. He remains such a mystery, that his story had me reading non stop.
- The passionate sex. Colleen did a great job with making this book way more sensual than her others without going over the top.
- Some really fun, very realistic lines.
- The cover.
- Amazing quotes. TONS of them.
Not Sure How I Feel:
- The literary, poetic nature of the writing. It was beautifully written, but didn’t fit the voice of Miles. I wish there was a story dictated reason behind the beautiful prose.
Dislikes:
- I know many disagree, but it just didn’t seem to have the epic Colleen Hoover touch that her other books do. The first half just didn’t stand out to me as unique. Just a lot of sex. In fact, the whole storyline just wasn’t as unique as what I expect from Colleen.
- The centered text in all of Miles’ chapters.
Rating: 4.5 stars 4 Heat
Colleen Hoover has written another beautiful, amazing, heart-wrenching, emotional romance. She proves again and again why she is one of my favorite authors. Ugly Love just took a while to show me the epicness that is CoHo. Her unique poetic delivery of Miles’ POV was beautifully written, but that kind of delivery wasn’t story driven, and I had trouble with that type of prose from airline pilot Miles. While reading the book, there was so much sex (yes–I really said that), and the storyline wasn’t very unique at all, so was wondering where Colleen was. But as I read I was sucked in, then became an emotional blubbering fool on an airplane, then came home and BAWLED my eyes out, I realized she was there all along and thought it was amazing.
Purchase Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
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Pam says
Great review!
Sue says
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Mari says
Love the review!
Rachel Brown says
Thanks for the giveaway!
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Great review! Thanks for the giveaway!
Maria Theresa Santos says
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jeni says
So want to read this soon
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<3 Thanks!
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Eep! Now I really can’t wait to read this!
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gracias por el sorteo!
BellaBookaholic says
great review thanks for this giveaway
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Can’t wait to read this.
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I would love to win!
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Can’t wait to read this!
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Thanks for the giveaway
Marsha Dawson says
Thanks for the opportunity!
Karen G. says
Thanks for the post and your thoughts, I always enjoy reading them.
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Thanks for the great giveaway chance!
Irma Jurejevčič says
Great review! Thanks for the giveaway!
karen j says
I love Colleen Hoover!!!!! Her books are awesome!
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I love Colleen’s books and can’t wait to read this one!
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Awesome book
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This is the perfect gift for my new perfect library.
Cassie says
Can’t wait to read this one!!! Thanks for the chance ~ have a GREAT weekend 🙂
Jenn McElroy says
Looks great! Thanks for the giveaway! 🙂
Karen L says
I understand your thoughts on the poetic prose, but to me, it felt exactly how a teenager would feel about first love. Even way back when, when I was in high school, I had a seventeen-year-old boyfriend writing poetry to me, which I’m sure was never something he would want his buddies to know. High school boys in love are goofy and sentimental and trying to be romantic. I loved when the centering started when he met Rachel and also returned at the end of the book, bring an even happier HEA to me! And when the centering stopped… heartbreaking. To me, it was almost another character in the book.
Karen McDonald says
Great giveaway and author!
Sue says
I love Colleen Hoover’s books. Thanks for the giveaway.
Heather E says
I have read so many wonderful reviews for Ugly Love. It is at the top of my TBR list. Thanks for the chance to win.
Shell says
Awesome thanks for the chance
Pilar says
Thanks for the giveaway!!
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cant wait to read
Nancy says
Thanks for the giveaway!
Julie Cole says
I love Colleen Hoovers writing!
Shannon says
Colleen did it again! Amazing!
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Woot
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Looking forward to reading this. Thanks for the give-away!
Trudy says
insightful
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thank you!! hoping to read this, and soon! ya’ll rock!
Kim M says
<3 Colleen Hoover. Thanks for the great giveaway 🙂
Dana Fiore Stusse says
Colleen Hoover is a pen- wielding, ok maybe a keyboard ninja cowgirl, and today is National Book Lover’s Day so let’s celebrate~
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Great review!! I’m really looking forward to reading this!
Erika says
I need to read this soon! Love Colleen Hoover! Thanks!
Karen Henderson says
Thank you I’ve been wanting to read but now I can wait for a bit as this review helped me decide to finish more books on my list first but I will read it
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Made my next book choice easier to make. Thanks!
Stephanie Lashbrook says
That’s for the giveaway!
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Thank you so much!! Would love to win a Colleen Hoover book 🙂
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Thanks for giveaway! While I have some CoHo books I have yet to read them…I know *gasp*!
angelina says
Great review!
Charlene E says
Excellent review!
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Looking forward to reading this book and seeing if I feel the same way as you. Great review and thanks for the opportunity
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Thanks so much for the giveaway! I love this blog & Colleen Hoover!
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Really good review! cant wait to read it
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I love CoHo books!!! Thank you for the chance!
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Thanks for the awesome giveaway!
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I absolutely LOVED Maybe Someday! Thanks for the giveaway!
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Hoover is da bomb!
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thank you!
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Thanks so much for the chance to win!
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Great Review!!! hope I win this book!
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I love Colleen Hoover!
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Thanks for the chance! *fingers crossed*
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Thank you for this giveaway. I’m looking forward to reading this book
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Would love Maybe Someday! Thanks for the chance!! 🙂
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Thank you for this amazing giveaway! 🙂
Melissa Jones says
Great review! Thanks for the giveaway!!
Kelly says
I agree with your review. I struggled a bit with Ugly Love. Ms. Hoover is an amazing author thus my anticipation might have been a wee bit high.
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Thanks for the giveaway!! Want this book!!
bn100 says
Interesting title
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Thank you for the chance! This book is an absolute must read for me this year.
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Can’t wait to read this book
Jennifer O'Connell says
Love Colleen Hoover, just read Ugly Love, brought out lots of feels.
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Love her!!!!! I have the Slammed Series but haven’t read this yet!
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Loved the review, can’t wait to read this! Thanks!
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Thank you!!!
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