Ugly Love

Author: Colleen Hoover

Genre: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary.

Editorial: Atria Books

Year: 2014

Ranking: 4.5/ 5

  

Synopsis

When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she knows it isn’t 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. 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

The Author

Colleen Hoover was born December 11, 1979 in Sulphur Springs, TX. She grew up in Saltillo, TX, and graduated from Saltillo High School in 1998. In 2000, she married Heath Hoover, with whom she now has three sons and a pig named Sailor. Hoover graduated from Texas A&M-Commerce with a degree in Social Work. She worked various social work and teaching jobs until she began her writing career.

In November 2011, Colleen began writing her first novel, Slammed, with no intentions of getting published. She was inspired by a lyric, "decide what to be and go be it", from an Avett Brothers song, "Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise". Because of this, she incorporated Avett Brothers lyrics throughout the story. After a few months, her novel was reviewed and given 5 stars by major book blogger, Maryse Black. After that, sales rapidly increased, and Slammed and its sequel, Point of Retreat, both made the New York Times Best Seller list.

Personal Experience with This Book

I have to be clear saying that this is the first book I read from this author therefore, I will not compare this to any other books she has written or so.

Ugly love is a story about a couple, like many others. This couple met by some life circumstances of both of them and they have what I call “chemistry”. You see, when Tate meets Miles she immediately feels attracted to him and same goes for him. There is something between them that is calling for the other one to be as close as possible.

I loved the way the romance is portrait in this book. It is very realistic and at the same time very “Cliché” (the story itself). Because first, there are SO MANY stories about free relationships where sex is the only center and the protagonists “try” no to fall in love and not to care too much about the other person but, ends up falling so hard! And second, relationships at this time, I mean my generation, have sex as a base for them.

The background story is just beautiful. The romance between Rachel and Miles, the one between their parents, the tragedy, everything in that background story was perfect. I was not expecting what happened, I actually was expecting something else. It made me cry a lot and make me feel sorry for Miles and loved him and understands him even more. I guess what happened to him is very hard to go over with and makes your life meaningless as well so, you will feel connected with Miles very much.

I also loved the main characters and some of the secondary ones. Miles is just perfect! I think seriously I would love to see more guys like Miles, “A guy as clear as water”. Do not misunderstand me, let me explain. This guy told exactly what he wanted to from Tate, he did not promise anything he would not do and he told her what she should not do in order to not be hurt in the following relationship that is what I mean for “as clear as water”. Who does not want a guy like that… if guys were just as hones and clear as Miles was with Kate we for sure would have less heartbroken girls out there.

We did not know at the beginning what had happened to him and we learnt as we read his backstory and for me, that just made me fall in love with him. I mean this guy is just one of those that do not exist anymore. His relationship with Rachel, remember me to my high school days where LOVE was pure and, you could give everything to your love one because well… you loved that person. I loved the romance he experienced with Rachel an I really found myself not wanting something bad for Rachel because she was just as cute as him.

I terms of Tate, I found her adorable and lovely sometimes and, a little bit annoying another ones. I mean, she is a career woman, very mature and very obsessed with her job and her studies which is really cool I liked that about her. She is also a very open woman which I appreciated. Her points of view about life and sex and romance are very down to earth so I liked that about her. What I found annoying was her thoughts. She was completely confused every time she was thinking about Miles and her situation with him. And, I understand that, for one reason she also wanted to have sex with him without any romantic involvement but she started to fall for him, which was not in the plans. What I don’t tolerate is, she telling that to herself and still don’t doing anything. Moreover, she completely knew was she was going into, she knew she could get hurt if she didn’t stop and she still went on with it. And still was overthinking about everything. She is just another normal girl. I would probably do the same which made me loved her because I felt connected with her.

Ugly love is a love story so if you are not into romance and love and cute stuff you won’t like it so do not read it. Also, it has a lot of adult content on it so be aware of that, if you feel uncomfortable. What I can say is that it is not an explicit as other books out there so do expect that. Those two things are the ones you have to take into account if you are planning on reading this book. So, if you think those two are ok for you, go and read it, I am sure you will love it.