Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

source: purchased
title: Ugly Love
author: Colleen Hoover/ Twitter
published: Atria Books (August 5, 2014)
pages: 324
first line: “Somebody stabbed you in the neck, young lady.”
genre: new adult contemporary romance
rated: 4 out of 5 stars for angsty romance and second chances because love bites but it is worth it

blurb:
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.

my thoughts:

Ugly Love had me feeling a few different emotions while reading it, I laughed, I teared up a little and I got irritated with some of the characters actions. This was a quick read, and a sad one too.

At the heart of the story is pilot Miles Archer who has a tortured past that prevents him from moving on and falling in love again. Enter nurse Tate Collins, who comes to temporarily live with her brother Corbin in his apartment building. This is how Tate and Miles meet, Miles lives in the apartment across the hallway.

Miles and Tate are attracted to each other but Miles is reserved and aloof. He admits to Tate that he hasn’t been with a woman in six years. He makes her a proposition however, they can get into a sexual relationship, no strings attached. Tate agrees but as hard as she tries not to get emotionally attached she can’t help but start to fall in love with him. Miles keeps fighting it, he will not open up to her and will not reveal his reasons for being so guarded. Although these two are sleeping together he keep his walls up as promised. That annoyed me a little towards the end of the book, it’s like let yourself love already. But Miles has his reasons and those are fully revealed later on.

The falling rain, the darkness surrounding us, and being kissed like this made this feel like we really are on a stage and our story has just reached its climax. It feels as if my heart and stomach and my soul are all scrambling to get out of me and into him.
p.154. Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

The story is told in alternating chapter flashbacks from Miles’ past. I liked the flashbacks, one chapter would end from six years ago, leaving a little cliffhanger, then the next chapter would go onto the present time with Miles and Tate.
Miles’ heartbreaking past is slowly revealed and I have to admit I teared up a little.

I’m big on book settings, one thing I did not like is that I didn’t feel the San Francisco setting here. I would have loved a few vivid descriptions thrown in here and there. Aside from that minor qualm, Ugly Love was good, it was really good contemporary romance. The steamy scenes between Miles and Tate were perfect, they had great chemistry. The dynamic between them worked, Miles needed someone to rescue him and Tate was that person. She had alot of patience for him.

“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 somewhere along the way.”
p.165, Ugly Love

Yep, like the quote above states, love is not always pretty. Sometimes love bites but the main theme in Ugly Love is that it is worth it nonetheless.

I have read her before and Colleen Hoover has a way of writing that just draws you in. She makes her characters seem like real people and she makes you care about what happens to them as she tells you their stories. I recommend Ugly Love if you enjoy new adult contemporary romance with characters who have haunted pasts.

I will also mention that I follow the author on her social media accounts and she is a riot. 🙂 I need to read Without Merit soon.

I never knew a heart could hold the weight of the entire world.
p.273

About the author:
Colleen Hoover is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, including the #1 bestseller, Hopeless. She lives in Texas with her husband and three children. She is the founder of The Bookworm Box, a book subscription service which donates 100% of its proceeds to charity. She also owns The Bookworm Box, a specialty bookstore located in Sulphur Springs, Tx.- quoted from Amazon

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Disclaimer: This review is my honest opinion. I did not receive any kind of compensation for reading and reviewing this book. I am under no obligation to write a positive review. I purchased my copy of Ugly Love.