| Title | : | Ugly Love |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 337 |
| Publication | : | First published August 5, 2014 |
| Awards | : | Goodreads Choice Award Romance (2014) |
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.
Ugly Love Reviews
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1.75 stars ✩⋆
oops this is awkward. i know this is a beloved CoHo book and yes, i loved this back then when i first read it but rereading it now i- don't look at me.
my reading taste have changed oookay? i might have overlooked every shitty thing back then but now that i'm more petty, have the penchant for holding a grudge, and have high standards for books ooohh boy.
✧ what is this about?↳ okay so this is about
Miles and Racheloops sorry, i meant Tate and Miles. Miles being Tate's brother's best friend and Tate being Miles'therapist, ugh sorry, i meant friends with benefits person and the whole time she was hoping he would change his mind because duh she's falling for him while Miles just implicitly leads her on even though he's clear about his rules and pushes her away the whole damn time because of his past but he won't stop their little arrangement because our mans is horny as fuck.
also, Miles is a pilot. this is an important fact. ALSO also, this is not Tate and Miles' story- this is Tate + Miles and Rachel's story.
i read this years ago and the only things i remember is that Miles got horny while he was wearing swim shorts? (idfk why i remember this don't ask), Miles and Rachel's shower scene (again, idfk why i remember this but i wish i can unsee it thank you very much), and then the Nick Bateman trailer??
anyways, that's all i remember and i know, they're all irrelevant but do you know what i forgot?? huh? do you? DO YOU??! well, if you've read this then you can probably guess what i didn't remember because HOLY SHIT- the scene at the end. guys... GUYS. What. The. Fuck.
i was speechless- S-P-E-E-C-H-L-E-S-S. i canNOT believe i forgot that scene holy shit. the anger. the annoyance- the fucking rage that i felt when i read that oh my god. anyways, i'm ranting again and y'all know the drill so,
･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･ SPOILERS AHEAD ･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･．
⤅ dislike #1: Miles' pov
you know what, i'm gonna be straight to the point: MILES SEEMED MORE IN LOVE WITH RACHEL. or at least he will never love anyone the way he loved Rachel because it was that intense. now, now. lemme explain.
the problem is, almost all of Miles' pov in this book is about the past and most of these past chapters are of him falling so deeply and passionately in love with Rachel that he turns into fucking ✨ s h a k e s p e a r e ✨She doesn't realize she's everywhere She's in everything Every
single thing has
just become Rachel,
It's consuming me.
My thoughts aren't thoughts anymore.
My thoughts are Rachel.
I can't fall in love with you, Rachel.
I look at the sink. I want to look at Rachel.
I breathe in air. I want to breathe in Rachel.
I close my eyes. I only see Rachel.
I wash my hands. I want to touch Rachel.
do y'all see this ⤴ ? this is the type of thing i wanted to see from Miles' pov when he's talking about Tate NOT Rachel but we never got to see this until the very end. and then when we get to the present chapters it's 98% in Tate's pov where we see her falling in love with Miles and this is annoying to me because seeing Miles treat Rachel like a goddess in his past chapters and then Miles being a little dickhead in Tate's chapters ugh-
energy? not m a t c h e d.
and with most of Miles' pov being in the past and falling in love with Rachel, obviously i couldn't help but compare and overanalyze every single thing and think he seems more in love with Rachel. and the thing that annoys me the most is that Tate's present pov and Miles' pov alternates so whenever we read Tate and Miles' romantic progression, the next chapter is Miles being so deeply in love with another woman, it's just...
i could've done with just one past Miles pov instead of making it every second chapter or making it 50% of the whole content and showing the way he fell in love sooOOoooOo deeply with Rachel instead of just having 1-2 chapters of his pov about Tate, who's the actual heroine of the book. it's just so bleh and icky the whole time she felt like second best for me and i just felt bad. i know i've always complained about telling >>> showing in other books but this is the only time i'll ever accept all tell, no show.
⤅ dislike #2: i can't with the doormat behavior
what makes everything more annoying is how Tate just lets him use her for sex and forgives him way too easily all the damn time like bish NO make him work for it for once and stop being a doormat it's annoying (yes, i know i've said the word annoying one too many times but that's how i felt 99.9% of the book OK).“If any other man ever treated me like he did, it would be the one and only time. I don’t put up with the things I’ve seen a lot of my friends put up with. However, I find myself continuing to make excuses for him, like something could actually justify his actions last week.”
ma'am pLS-
the whole time i was just yelling at her, TATE, YOU ARE NOT HIS THERAPIST. ugh this pissed me off so much i couldn't even cheer for their romance because Miles was eh and honestly had no redeeming qualities in the present and then reading about his past pov being all in love with Rachel and in the present he just uses Tate for sex and pushes her away quite rudely all the damn time is, again, A-N-N-O-Y-I-N-G.
⤅ dislike #3: repetitive romance
no seriously. all they ever did was have sex, Tate hoping he would renege his rules and tell her that he does indeed love her and want a relationship with her, Miles pushing her away, Tate forgives him and then they fuck. repeat.
⤅ dislike #4: pain. just- P A I N
and then- AND THEN i was just reading Tate and Miles' repetitive interactions where i thought the same shit would happen again and again in peace but THEEENNN...
...
...
hold on, lemme just give y'all a moment to breathe.
...
...
are you ready? OK"My God, Rachel."
um excuse me-
you're probably wondering, mel, did he really say his ex's name, his ex who we've been reading about in his past chapters and won't shut up about how much he loves this other woman, while having sex with Tate?? well, i don't know let's look at the quote again shall we? are you guys ready?He pulls out, then thrusts inside me again, this time with all his strength.
It hurts.
Give me your pain, Miles.
"MY GOD, RACHEL."
My God, Rachel...
Rachel, Rachel, Rachel
there. did y'all see that? okay? good.
now, not gonna lie with you guys, this one HURT. when i read this scene i didn't know how to feel to be honest. was i shocked? appalled? speechless as fuck? all of the above?? yes. now with this scene, my annoyance reached its peak and is higher than the fucking stratosphere because why you ask? well, it's because there is NO GROVELING!! Tate leaves, Miles lets her go and says it's hard to feel bad for her because she's never felt real pain, then goes to Rachel for closure, goes to Tate and explains his past vaguely and all is forgiven???
i'm pretty sure this is where my hatred for hero fucks up so bad but heroine forgives them after one speech trope came from.
now, some might say that he gets a pass because of his sad past- because it really was sad by the way - but you see, for the majority of the book we've been reading about how Miles fought for and loved Rachel, and Tate fought for and loved Miles, for once i wanted to see him fighting for Tate but we never got to see that because again, there is NO. GROVELING.
───── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─────
i can't believe i rated this 5 stars back then. i don't know who pre 2019 mel is. we don't know her.
honestly, because of the ending, i was this close to rating this 1 star because that's how annoyed i was with everyone but i felt generous today so. as always, i liked the emotional writing and how i can feel the longing and passion between Tate and Miles when they're having sex, the whole "ugly love" message, and learning about Miles' past and why he's the way he is?? it was so sad.
but overall, everyone annoyed the f outta me (except for Cap- he's the best character in this book), this is basically Miles and Rachel's story, and the ending was unsatisfying as fuck.
* * *
original rating (july 2015) ── 5 stars -
**** FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED ::: 6 STARS!!! ****
Casting for Miles...
Holy WOW!!! What a beautiful story!!!
It was absolute stunning perfection in every way. My heart is just overflowing with emotions ♥
Starting with Slammed and Point of Retreat, then with Hopeless, Losing Hope and This Girl, and once again with Maybe Someday, Colleen Hoover has proven over and over again that her stories are unique, powerful and incredibly well written. I have come to trust her writing implicitly. I love the passion she conveys in her words, the depths of the connections she establishes between her characters, and the effortlessly beautiful style in which writes her stories. Without a doubt, she is one of my favorite authors.
Ugly Love is beautiful, sexy, and heart-wrenching. It's powerful, compelling and emotionally charged with a unique storyline that was truly unlike any other I've read. For days after I finished reading, my mind would drift back to Miles and Tate and relive moments of their story because I just couldn't let go.
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I fell in love with the story on page one. You might think that the first page is a little early to proclaim undying love for a book but I instantly felt connected -- it was like I'd just stepped right into the story.
We first meet Tate when she moves in with her brother for a fresh start where her path quite literally crosses with airline pilot Miles Archer as he lies passed out drunk outside her new place. Despite her initial judgment of his character, she quickly learned there a whole side of himself he was hiding from the world -- a deep, bottomless pit of pain and sadness.
She wasn't looking for a relationship and he wanted nothing to do with love but they had an undeniably powerful attraction towards each other. Drawn together, but unwilling to give themselves wholly over, they agreed to a friends-with-benefits arrangement following Miles' two, unwavering rules that would forever keep a distance between them.“Don’t ask about my past,” he says firmly. “And never expect a future.”
The more time they spent together, the more complicated things became as the lines between friendship and love began to blur. As Tate began to give her heart over, Miles fell further away. The pain of his past was so great that he never again would allow himself to fall in love. Not for any reason, or for anyone."It's not that I don't like you, Tate… I just don't want to like you. I don't want to like anyone . I don't want to date anyone. I don't want to love anyone."
However even through the most painful and ugly times, there's a healing power to love. This story left me emotionally drained but on the most amazing book high you can imagine. It was a powerful journey that showed how even after the worst possible devastation, love can always find a way.
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Every single moment while reading this book, I was feeling something, and feeling it strongly. It was thrilling, mysterious, sexy, alluring, emotional, it was everything in the exact perfect balance. From the start, it was clear that we were not seeing the full picture so each scene gave us another piece of the puzzle that was Miles' past. Everything just made me want to know more. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough!
Miles was such an intriguing character to try and figure out. Enigmatic. Mysterious. Smart. Sexy. Sensitive. His past so full of pain that it shut him away from wanting any hope for his future. Not only was he unable to move on, but he genuinely didn't want to.... and he was willing to do everything in his power, to sacrifice anything, to never again have to experience so much pain. Seeing him struggle internally with both his aversion to love and his growing attachment to Tate was just heartbreaking. His pain felt so real that I can honestly say, I've never wanted to hug a fictional character this much before."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?"
We were shown the story through both Miles and Tate's POVs in a mix of both present day storylines and flashbacks. The present was told from Tate's perspective and, because of how mysterious Miles was, we got to see flashbacks from his POV six years earlier. And as these little pieces of his past slowly began to line up with his behaviour in the present, I was able to begin putting together the real story he was hiding.
He kept so much hidden that all the little things between them -- the hint of a smile, the stroke of a thumb, a quick glance -- became so much more powerful and meaningful. And because of the build up of all these little moments, when Miles and Tate finally got together it was explosive!
Dear long-time CoHo fans, be prepared for hotness!!!!! This is a whole new side to Colleen Hoover's writing and let me tell you, it is sexy and steamy!!! Trust me, you will be fanning yourself ;)"The couch or your bed?" he whispers.
"Both," I reply.
But on a more serious note.... The more I read, the closer I got to discovering the source of Miles' pain and when it hit, it was gut-wrenching!!! I can honestly say that few character's backstories have ever made my heart shatter as Miles' did. I cried -- no, sobbed -- so much that I could no longer see the words and so I just sat there with tears steaming down my face absorbing the huge emotions this story evoked."If I were capable of loving someone… it would be you."
I want to promise you though that this story is worth every tear because the way all the pieces of the story come together was absolutely gorgeous. The ending will leave you with a joyous feeling but the journey to get there is not an easy one. It's beautiful but so broken. Ugly love.
________________
I've read the book twice now and I know I'll be reading it many more times to come. I have the book hangover of the century and I'm finding it hard to let go of Miles and Tate because of how strongly I connected to them. Truly, I don't think there can be greater proof that this was a wonderful book.
I've loved every book Colleen Hoover has written but this one is my favorite. Ugly Love is a must-read book of the year! I loved every word, I felt every moment, and I will never forget this story.
I don't give out a lot of 6 star ratings (in fact this will be the first one I've given this year) but the truth is that this book went above and beyond. The story was powerful, the writing was stunning, and the way every single piece of it was woven together was simply breathtaking.
Rating: 6 STARS!! Standalone romance.
And... I still want to hug Miles ♥
Release date: August 5, 2014.
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HOLY CRAP ON A CRACKER!!!! MY HEART IS SO PERFECTLY BROKEN! I DON'T THINK I TOOK A BREATH THE WHOLE TIME I READ THIS BOOK! WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME COLLEEN HOOVER!!! I HATE YOU BUT I LOVE YOU! YOU RUINED ME AND I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH!
IF YOU CAN'T GUESS IT BY MY NON STOP CAPS THEN I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO THAN SCREAM "I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!"
WOW JUST WOW! I DON'T KNOW HOW OR WHEN I'LL GET OVER THIS BOOK HANGOVER.
Ugly Love was nothing like I expected it to be. I excepted it too be like a 50 Shades of Grey fan fiction with just a butt ton of thrown together steamy scenes... No, it wasn't it was so much more. I knew I was going to like Miles (because he sounded so hot), but I had no idea that I was going to love him. That he was going to have an actual back story... That he was going to be actually interesting in a realistic way... I had no idea he was going to break my heart.
All that being said I have a few bookish confessions to make before I really get into the review, I choose to read this book 1) because I heard it was becoming a movie and if there's anything I love nearly as much as reading it's seeing movies 2) because this is who they have playing Miles:
Yeah I didn't notice the dog at first either...
and 3) I also need to admit that I didn't get what was so appealing about this book that it was actually going to become a movie... I get it now. I get all the hype and talk surrounding this book. I have NEVER, EVER, EVER cried so hard in a book. That's the very last thing I thought this book was going to make me do.
The characters in this book felt so real. Tate was naive and normally that would make me wanna punch a B, in her case it made me love her. Unlike most leading ladies she isn't overly sassy, or has incredible lol rebuttals,she was realistic. Her brother Corbin, OMG CORBIN, I loved every single thing about him. He has to be one of my favorite sub characters ever. He was what I imagined a brother would be and even with him not being a constant character just his presence had me. Then there's Miles and he is hands-down the star of this book. The moment you meet him you hate him. He is a mysterious mess and I thought he was going to annoy me fast. He won me over once they started going into his back story. The further they went into it the more I could feel what was coming... Yes, I knew where this story was going and what was going to happen but in no way, shape, or form was I actually prepared for it. I was a blubbering weeping ball of emotions.
The switch between time and POVs was done flawlessly and revealed the perfect information at the perfect time to keep you hooked and wanting more. Colleen set up this story so at first you would only like Miles because of his looks (which I've already made clear I was guilty of)...
"his shirt isn't buttoned. I'm staring at his stomach. Oh my word he has the V. Those beautiful indentations on men that run the length of their outer abdominal muscles, disappearing beneath their jeans as if the indentations are pointing to a secret bull's-eye."
And yes, he is a looker, but by the end I could have cared less about what he looked like. He could have worn a bag over his head for the last half of the book and my heart would have still been his. The relationship between Tate and Miles is like nothing I have read before. It was something else that really surprised me about this book. Saying it was complicated would be an understatement. I thought that the steamy scenes were going to take up most of this book, but it didn't... Yeah that's something that would normally make me rank a book lower, but the scenes were so well written and again realistic. They were well placed and well thought out. Just enough to make this book not "too much" which is what had me falling hard for this read way harder than I anticipated. The scenes are hot though like dump a bucket of water on your head hot. Miles and Tate's conversations roll so smoothly and the moments between them are so; I don't even know a word for them, they're just perfect (that word really doesn't do justice). Not only is he romantic but he made average things so hot.
Orange juice is hot, rugs are hot, scrubs are hot, and curtains are so so hot. whoosh.
Honestly though the scenes that turned out to be my favorite were just "average scenes", like when they all go and visit Tate and Corbin's family for Thanksgiving. That whole section had to of been my favorite. I loved how I thought this story was going to be Tate's but turned out to be Miles'. I love how I thought this book was going to be a light sexy read but turned out to be a heartbreaking love story. I just loved how everything came together while falling apart.. Because when all Miles story is finally shown and is laid out in it's fullest I was basically like this...
I want to rant and rave even more about this book, but this is something you really need to read and experience for yourself. Ugly Love might just be the biggest surprise read I've had all year. I can't express enough how impressive the characters, plot, and play out of this story are.
I didn't think that this book was going to be so hard on me... And yes,
it hurt. And yes, it was a total sobbing fest, but that ending... Good golly miss molly.. That ending was perfection. I don't know if I can ever forgive Colleen Hoover for what she did to me, but God dang it I love her so much for it. I didn't see this coming and I've never been so happy to be emotionally slapped in the face like I was reading this. -
If you're a fan of this book, please don't read this review. It's going to upset you, and then you're going to hate me and leave mean comments, and then we can't be friends anymore. It'll be awkward all around. So yeah, best avoid.
Seriously, last chance to turn away.
Okay, now that I'm among like-minded readers (all three of us who didn't like this book), what the heck was this? Was Colleen Hoover blackmailed into putting her name on a book written by a hormonal teenager? Because I can't comprehend any other explanation for the hot mess that was this book.
Gosh, where to even start? How about with Tate and Miles, our main couple. So they meet and it's lust at first sight. But Miles can't do relationships because some unexplained thing has hurt him in the past. So now he can only have no-strings-attached sex. (Cue eye roll.) Of course, Tate can't say no to such an amazing offer, so she jumps right in. (Another eye roll.)
Sure, the premise is a bit wack, but not all hope is lost. The characters must at least be likable, right? Well, no. Miles doesn't talk or smile, which is mentioned at least once on every single page. In fact, he smiles so rarely that Tate composed a poem on the one occasion he did:Miles smiles
If you're wondering how anyone could possibly fall for a nonverbal, expressionless man-child, your guess is as good as mine.
For no one else
Miles only smiles
For me.
Then we come to Tate, the world's biggest pushover, letting Miles walk all over her and treat her like a sex doormat. Yet she keeps going back for more, reeking of desperation and utterly devoid of self-respect. Lest you think this makes for an exciting story, I assure you there's a reason why silent/clingy has not taken off as a popular romance trope.I want to plaster those four words on a billboard and require myself to pass it on my drive to work every day.
You'd think he promised her the moon and the stars, but no, he just said, "You look pretty, Tate." I kid you not.
We also have interweaved the story from Miles's younger years, the one that explains his pain. He and Rachel are young and in love, but things keep getting in their way. It definitely makes for very angsty (shudder) drama. But that isn't my biggest issue. My biggest problem is that it's written like this:Rachel is happy.
Is this a joke? And here's another example:
I make Rachel happy.
I make Rachel's life better.
Her life is better with me in it.
"Rachel," I whisper.We go to the beach.
In case you think I cherrypicked the most ludicrous examples, those are actually from the same page. In fact, every page written about Miles and Rachel reads like this. And it has the most ridiculous formatting, with line breaks galore, everything center-aligned, and random italics thrown in for emphasis.
Rachel wants to sunbathe while she reads.
I want to watch Rachel sunbathe while she reads.
Why is the writing so juvenile when Miles is supposedly 18 years old? Why is every scene between the two couples so cringeworthy? And why isn't this book called "Idiot Love" instead? I don't have any answers, just questions.
As I was reading this, I kept feeling like I was on some hidden camera show, and any moment, someone would jump out of the bushes and yell, "Gotcha!" Then they would hand me the real book written by Colleen Hoover, and we'd all have a good laugh over how thoroughly they got me. But sadly, that didn't happen.
I have a love/hate relationship with Colleen Hoover, and this one unfortunately falls squarely in the hate category. Since I've read most of her recent books, I thought I'd catch up on some of her older ones. But that was clearly the wrong decision. Maybe she's one of those authors who gets better and better as they go, and this is just too far back from her current style to resemble even a little of what I love about her writing.
And one last closing thought: if you're a young woman (or young man) reading this, and you think this is the way love is supposed to be, just no. You can have spark and sizzle and lust, and still be treated with kindness and respect. Don't ever let someone walk all over you and don't ever settle for less than you deserve. Tate should've kicked Miles to the curb a long time ago. If she had, this would've been a story worth reading.
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See also, my thoughts on:
It Ends with Us
Verity
Reminders of Him
Regretting You
Layla
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2 stars!
First, I really have to thank my good friend Geri for buddy reading this with me or I would’ve taken a screwdriver to my eye long before I finished this book. I honestly have nothing positive to say about this book so I’m going to put all my complaining in a spoiler tag so I don’t purposely hurt anyone who loved it.
Everything this woman has written, I have enjoyed reading but it’s too bad that this time, CoHo wasn’t able to win over my emotions. Out of author loyalty and because she wrote the Slammed series (one of my top favorites), I’m going to give it 2 stars when I really want to smack one star on this book. -
2-UGLY–Stars
I know most of my GR friends–in fact, most everyone–loved this book, so please don't throw rotten tomatoes at me. I wish I could say I loved it, too, but I can't.
When I read a romance, I need to FEEL some semblance of that romance. I need to LIKE at least ONE of the characters. If that's not possible, I need to be able to at least SYMPATHIZE with one them. Unfortunately, I never once felt the romance, and I could neither like nor sympathize with either one of the characters.
As this story progressed, I found it impossible to like the hero or the heroine when I felt neither one of them deserved respect or admiration. The hero, Miles, treated the heroine, Tate, with such blatant disrespect it was appalling, all the while wallowing in self-pity and self-hate to excuse his behavior. It was PATHETIC! Then there was the heroine, Tate, who had so little respect or dignity for herself when it came to the hero, that she continually allowed him to use and treat her like a PIECE OF TRASH. Again, PATHETIC! I did have to give her some kudos for the fact she was honest with herself and admitted she allowed him to treat her so abhorrently.
As for the romance, for me, it was nonexistent. I found it impossible to feel any romance when most of the hero's POV took place six years in the past. His POV did give light as to why he was so broken, but also focused on how completely, madly, and hopelessly IN LOVE he was with ANOTHER GIRL.
So basically, the whole book was the hero showing love and respect to his first love, while treating the heroine, with her blessing, like trash. I don't care that Miles had a tragic past; the world is full of tragic pasts! There is NO EXCUSE for treating another so cruelly! It was UGLY, which I guess was the point of the story, but I certainly did not enjoy reading it.
Colleen Hoover is a very talented author. Her characterizations are consistently outstanding and she has such a beautiful way with words. My respect and admiration for her work is the ONLY reason I'm giving this book two stars instead of one.
Oh well, you can't love, or even like, them all. -
This book was miserable. It goes toe to toe with Hopeless for the worst book I’ve read by her. There are three things that I think went horribly in this book. First, there is blatant sexism and the perpetuation of gender stereotypes on every. single. page. Second, this main character had absolutely NO self respect. I know this may be part of the plot, but it was absolutely despicable. She let Miles walk all over her and decimate her feelings to a pulp. She was spineless and pathetic, which was infuriating. Even when she would say or think something sassy, she would NEVER follow that up with real actions. But lastly, and probably most significantly, the way that this story is told was just twisted. The main conflict in the book follows Miles. It’s about Miles’ tragic backstory and how he comes to terms with that and how he can never love again. Why, then, does this story attempt to revolve around Tate? She is completed subordinated to Miles, and she’s the main character!!!!!! Tate was pretty much a doormat this entire book for Miles to walk across as he sorted his own issues out. And she tries to sell this as a book about two people in a relationship just for sex? No. It’s manipulative, it’s one of the most UNHEALTHY relationships I’ve ever read about, and it gives off COMPLETELY disgusting messages to young women reading this book. Colleen always writes books that deal with mentally destructive topics, and each and every time it is always done SO unhealthily and wrong. Every time I read a new Colleen Hoover book, it genuinely shocks me that people rate them so highly.
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i read this in one sitting and it was ok. i was invested from the first page to last. i appreciate how easy this was to read with the complex emotions involved. it just wasn’t epic like i wanted it to be.
i don’t hold these characters to perfection but at times they were so frustrating to read about. at times i was like “Tate, stand tf up, you deserve better” and “Omfg Miles.🥲” the ending felt a little rushed but i did have the biggest smile on my face when i read that epilogue. i simply wanted to be head over heals for these characters by the end but i wasn’t. or not to the extent i wanted to be. their connection with each other just wasn’t as strong as it should have been for me to give this a higher rating.
i loved the writing and the flashbacks weren’t annoying like i thought they would be. reading Mile’s poetic pov was refreshing. i love the relationship both Tate and Miles have with Cap. Definitely shed a tear once i realized what the cover represents. i’m over happy i read this book. i just kinda wished it had a bigger impact on me ngl. -
Finished Ugly Love in exactly 24 hours, couldn't put it down! So good. Now I know what all the fuss is about with Colleen Hoover books! Can't wait for the movie :)
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this definitely elicited emotion but i can't help but feeling like a lot of the issues in this book could have been solved with some therapy
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everything could’ve been avoided if miles just went to therapy
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Fuck you Miles 😐😐
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There's better writing on the walls of high school toilets than in this book.
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In those six whole years he never thought about going to therapy????????
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this one’s for all the “i can fix him” girlies out there. not me, y’all stay safe though
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perfect for fans of life with derek or brandon and callie from the fosters
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this book is my 13th reason
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wow i literally cried😭… from the horrible writing
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2.5 'underwhelming' stars!
Well...
I hate being in a minority when it comes to books. I wanna be able to love or at least like the books that most of my friends love. Furthermore, there is no other book I would really love to have the same feelings for than this book because it's CoHo, you guys. I love CoHo.
But.
But...
I.
Didn't
Love.
This.
One.
I wish I did. Most of the things that bothered will be reflected in the way I'm writing this review.
Can.
You.
GUESS.
What.
It.
Is?
See, I could forgive Tate for being a doormat during most of the book. I really could. While I don't understand why she allowed herself to be treated that way by Miles, I was willing to overlook it since I've enjoyed doormat-y heroines before. I mean, whatever floats your boat, Tate.
But the writing just threw me off. Sent me on downward spiral through.......
PURPLE.
Hell.
The 'lyrical' prose did not work for me. If you can call it lyrical. To me, it was just repetitive.
I'm sorry. But it was.
My father is Lisa’s new boyfriend.
My father visits Phoenix a lot.
My father has been visiting Phoenix a lot since before my mother died. My father is a bastard.
If it isn't repetitive, it's too flowery. I come from the School of Less is More when it comes to my prose. Suffice it to say...
This.
Annoyed.
The.
Crap.
Out.
Of.
ME.
It was a chore to read. And honestly, it did not lend itself well to Miles' POV. I mean, this doesn't sound like an 18 year old male.
Does it sound poetic? Yes.
Is it romantic? Sure.
Does it feel authentic? Nope!
I would probably felt more of Miles pain had it been written in a straight-up, no BS prose. I wanted it raw and gritty. I wanted the words to hurt. I didn't want to be lulled to sleep by it. Frankly, if I'd wanted to read poetry, I'd read a poetry book.
I didn't hear Miles through the narrative and because of that, I became disconnected with his character. I wish I could have gotten more of his POV in the present. I really do. And didn't like that his past was told separately from what's going on in the present. I never really got the satisfaction of seeing Miles tell Tate about what happened to him. Maybe I would have felt something then. Again, I'm in the minority with this but that's just really how I felt about it.
I did like parts of it, hence the two stars. I like how the message of how the ugly side of love is sometimes worth experiencing to get to the beautiful parts of it. But Tate and Miles relationship didn't really evolve for me. I think Cap and Tate spent more meaningful time together than Miles and Tate, which is really sad.
Thank.
You.
Feifei.
For.
Reading.
It.
With.
Me.
We both need to find a five-star read, chickie. Our BR record sucked ass!! LMAO! -
moral of the story: NEVER AND I MEAN NEVER EVER FUCKING FALL IN LOVE WITH A MAN WHO HAS ALREADY HAD THEIR FIRST LOVE
-
“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.”
“Ugly love becomes you. Consumes you. Makes you hate it all. Makes you realize that all the beautiful parts aren't even worth it. Without the beautiful, you'll never risk feeling the ugly. So you give it all up. You give it all up. You never want love again, no matter what kind it is, because no type of love will ever be worth living through the ugly love again.”
Wow!! Ugly love is amazing!! I absolutely loved it!! It is the 3rd time I read it and I still cried even though I knew what's going on..
It all started when Tate moved in with her brother Corbin. She meets Miles (Corbin's best friend) and the attraction between them was undeniable. BUT... Miles has a past that hunts him every day and Tate doesn't have time for a relationship so they make an arrangement to have sex without any commitment and Tate have to follow the two rules Miles has for her.
“Don't ask about my past.
And never expect a future.”
BUT
-
There's one thing I don't understand with romance novels.. When the characters and plot doesn't actually remind me of a love story. This is pure lust and obsession. There's a trope that everyone is familiar with: the man who doesn't want to commit and the woman who wants to change him for the better. It's not new, it's not exciting, it's just boring. This one had it all and I was terribly not impressed. Sprinkle that with sex scenes and this is what you get. I was more interested in Miles' past and I had many theories, but I wasn't truly accepting of him being super in love with a girl he laid his eyes on for 5 minutes. He literally falls in love at first sight. But if you read it, it's more like an obsession.
“She's in everything. Every single thing has just become Rachel. It's consuming me. My new favourite flavor is Rachel. My new favourite thing is Rachel.”
I was expecting a shrine dedicated to her. I couldn't stop rolling my eyes.. Not only is Miles the wounded hero with the tortured past, he was also just blah. This man had no expression and I get he had an invisible wall but still.. I just couldn't find his character attractive.
Tate is also just as bad in my opinion. She will literally talk about how his hand is touching her or his foot or knee and I could not keep my eyes from rolling. Please just stop Tate. You are attracted to his body. You barely know a thing about him and you say it's love? This isn't love. It's lust with a little bit of like. You like him because he's mysterious and I applaud you for not giving up on him but really??? A relationship hardly starts with just sex involved.
More quotes from Tate:
“I'm not Tate when I'm near Miles. I'm liquid, and liquid doesn't know how to be firm or stand up for itself. Liquid flows.”
Tate is literally obsessed with Miles. Miles used to be obsessed with someone else. Definitely not a love story I would enjoy. I'm upset I didn't like this more but the characters were all tortured and obsessive and addicted to one another. We all know that is not remotely healthy at all. I just also didn't care about them. It was all lust and sex. Where was the romance?? And that ending????? WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT? After 6 months??? Ugh I did not find it entertaining at all. I was bored and pretty much sped read through most of the sex scenes.
First time reading Hoover's work and I had such high expectations, maybe I should have started with another of her books because I'm seriously disappointed.
RATING 1/5
QUOTES
"I've always found guys more attractive when they put less effort into trying to appear attractive." (58)
"That's how it is when a person develops an attraction toward someone. He's nowhere, then suddenly he's everywhere, whether you want him to be or not." (59)
"I just don't want to like you. I don't want to like anyone. I don't want to date anyone. I don't want to love anyone." (82)
"Addiction is an illness, and it pains me to see people forced to live this way because they're unable to help themselves." (132)
"I've wondered how someone could make me so incredibly happy if God didn't exist. And I realized…just now…that God gives us the ugliness so we don't take the beautiful things in life for granted." (142) -
coho male leads seek therapist first before hitting on women challenge (impossible)
-
1 STAR
You know when even one star feels too generous?
Yeah, that's me right now.
"Ugly love becomes you.
Consumes you.
Makes you hate it all.
Makes you realize that all the beautiful parts aren’t even worth it."
{MY RANT}
Someone, please explain to me why everyone hates Miles? Now don't get me wrong, i don't like the guy either but i perfectly understand the cause of his actions. Did he ever promise Tate "true love" or any other shit? No, he offered fucking with no attachments and no sentimental bullshit, and that is exactly what he delivered. I don't see what the problem is here. I despise Colleen Hoover for romanticizing this kind of behavior. Like, "once i get him to sleep with me I can trick him into talking to me." or "maybe if we fuck daily he'll eventually fall in love with me." Ugh are you fucking kidding me? Am i the only one who can't stand women like this? Bitch, please! Self-respect, you need some in your life.
Trust me when i say i really wanted to like this. It started out great but after about 70 pages everything went downhill. I feel like there were lots going on at once, but none of it was original. I've read better.
-Brooding jackass meets a goody goody.
-Step siblings messing around.
-"No stings attached sex".
Despite it's unoriginality, it could've still been enjoyable were it not for our main character, Tate, who i hate with a passion. She ruined this entire book for me. Man, i don't think i've ever read a character this stupid or this exasperating beforeSJM characters aren't included. . and i've read my share of idiotic characters.
Was i supposed to be on her side?
Was i supposed to feel bad for her?
I could clearly see why Miles sees her nothing more than a good fuck. She has no respect her herself.
I feel nothing for her and Miles as a couple or fuck buddies.
The sex scenes were extremely boring and tedious.
I pretty much skipped most of their parts.. which is the entire book, sadly. I was so fed up with her bullshit.
For me, it was always Rachel and Miles. I was always looking forward to the flashbacks. The only reason i didn't DNF this is because i was so hooked on "WHERE IS RACHEL?" or "WHAT DID YOU DO TO RACHEL, MILES?" I hated HATED the ending. How the hell do you move on from something like this? They belonged together.
This is possibly the last book i would read by Colleen Hoover. It's more than obvious her and i don't get along. However, i am low-key curious about Maybe Someday. Maybe I'll read that one as well but i am in no hurry.
Updates
There is a very thin line between cute and and annoying.
Example: (Illuminae)
Kady and Ezra: Annoying.
Nik and Hanna: Adorable AF!
^(sorry, just had to)^
Let's talk Ugly Love now.
Miles' crush on Rachel: Hella fucking cute!
Tate throwing herself at Miles: Fucking irritating.
Dat poetry tho! LMAO!
^^He is utterly adorable and
psychotic at the same time.
I dig that. ^^
I am not the biggest fan of Hoover, but want to give her one last try before completely giving up on her. -
5+ Flying in Love stars!
Colleen Hoover has done it again. Not that I ever doubted her, but I didn’t know what to expect when starting Ugly Love. It’s safe to say she never disappoints. With her amazing writing style, fascinating characters and original story lines, I was hooked from the beginning. I expected to love this book. What I wasn’t expecting was for my heart to be shredded.
Ugly.
Love.
Destroyed.
Me.
This book pulled at my heartstrings. I felt so much heartache while reading. There were some lighter moments, but the majority felt heavy and emotional.
When Tate decides to move in with her brother for a while, she never expects to meet a man like Miles. Miles is a pilot like her brother. Miles is taciturn. He seems flat. But there is something about him that intrigues Tate.
I have no idea what’s going through his head. He never smiles. He never laughs. He doesn’t flirt. His face appears as if he keeps a constant veil of armor between his expressions and the rest of the world.
Miles and Tate develop a friendship, kind of. It’s difficult to be friends with someone who is closed off like Miles is. You can just feel the sadness radiating off of him. Then it happens. Tate feels like she is starting to make progress with this man.
Miles really likes Tate. But the last thing he is looking for is love. Their attraction and chemistry is too strong to deny, so they go with the whole ‘friends with benefits’ thing. As long as Tate can follow Mile’s two rules, they can be together in that way.
“Don’t ask about my past,” he says firmly. “And never expect a future.”
Tate is so enamored with Miles, she’ll take him any way she can get him. She’s never felt this strongly about a man. She feels so much when she’s with him, she can’t get enough.
Miles is the way he is for a good reason. The book is in dual pov, going back and forth between Tate’s perspective in the present, and Miles perspective in the past. You get to see as time goes on, why Miles has these rules and why he is protecting his heart this way. When you get hurt in such an ugly way, you want nothing to do with love. No matter how beautiful it can be. But that doesn’t stop Tate from developing feelings for him. Even though she knows they can never be reciprocated.
Miles is a character that broke my heart. At first you see his past and the type of guy he was… then you see him so standoffish in the present. It makes you wonder what could have happened to make him that way. I had my theories (all of which were wrong) but once I found out- I wish I would have been right. It was something unimaginable and you can see why he wouldn’t be able to move on from that.
I loved the chemistry and the slow build between them. Even though the feelings were fought most of the book, you could still feel them brewing just below the surface.
I think every book I’ve read by this author has made me cry. Even if it’s just a few tears, I always cry. This book. I did more than just cry a few tears. Oh the tears. There were times I couldn’t control the tears. They just streamed down my face continually while I read through them. It was heart wrenching and so emotional. Ugly Love made me Ugly Cry. Big time. Some parts were worse than others, but wow. I just FELT so much while reading this.
I am a huge Colleen Hoover fan and I’ve read every one of her books. This one has a little something different than the others. Most of her books make me feel strongly and contain a lot of emotional moments, and Ugly Love had that for sure... but it also had much more steam than the others. And yes- CoHo can write some sexy scenes!
It’s been a while since I’ve read a paperback book, but when I heard this was out early at several bookstores, I ran to my local store and picked up a copy along with a mini light so I could read in bed. And I did. I stayed up way past my bedtime reading this book. I went into work the next day sleepy and raw from crying, but let me tell you- it was worth it! Although Hopeless still takes the top spot of my favorite book by this author, this will be a close second!
Colleen Hoover is one of those people who is doing what she was born to do- she's sharing her amazing stories with us. Her writing style is unique and incredible. Ugly Love is captivating, beautiful, emotional, and devastatingly painful to read but I’ll let you in on a little secret. The ending makes every ounce of pain I felt worth it. An unforgettable story I highly recommend!
It’s the beautiful moments like this that make up for the ugly love.
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im a simple woman - give me a colleen hoover book and i will read it, no questions asked. its as easy as that!
my love for CoHo aside, let me begin by saying i can understand why this book has received a lot of mixed reviews and negative feelings. i really do. because this is probably my least favourite book of hers that i have read thus far. i know my rating suggests otherwise, but there is just something missing from this story that i normally expect from her books. however, i dont think this is terrible. quite the opposite. i actually still really liked this, it just doesnt feel like its in the same league as her other novels.
and i think that has to do with the relationship portrayed and maybe parts of the writing where a different writing style is used. but mainly i think it has to do with the relationship. i wouldnt go as far as calling it toxic, but it definitely isnt healthy. it gets ugly - just like the title of this implies. true, there is a lot of backstory and reasoning behind why everything plays out the way it does, but it is what it is.
i do appreciate what CoHo does here though, by showing the downright ugly and painful parts of love. i think there is a really great message to be had when you realise that the bad parts of a relationship help you to appreciate the good, making you realise everything is worth it. its definitely a side of romance novels that i havent read about before and i quite enjoyed the new perspective. the characters are decent, the writing and pacing are solid, and i walked away from this feeling beyond satisfied. so another CoHo book down and many more to go!
↠ 4.5 stars -
*4.5 stars*
Ugly Love wasn’t quite as ugly as I thought it would be, but this emotionally-charged love story definitely had its share of un-pretty moments.
This book seems to be generating some mixed emotions amongst CoHo fans as far as her unique writing style is concerned.
Yes, it’s slightly different from this author’s usual style. Certain pieces of the book are more lyrically pronounced, but I’ve always found her writing to carry a heavy poetic prose.
This story in particular emphasizes that prose, and I felt the structure of certain chapters made its delivery that much more effective. There were intense moments where the writing looked and felt like it was falling down off the pages. It doesn't follow a specific formula and it breaks the rules. I like rule breakers. And I liked Ugly Love.
Tate meets Miles when she moves into her brother’s apartment complex. A physical attraction is quick to ignite, and Miles makes it very clear that he can offer sex and nothing more. His damaged past has ruined him for any chance at future love. And so Tate, being the strong, independent female that she is, strikes a sex-only deal with Miles.
No love. No problems. Right?
When love slowly enters the equation, Miles’ rules are put to the test. Inviting in the ugly…
The chapters in this story oscillate between past and present, with alternating perspectives. Tate’s romance with Miles takes place in present time, while flashbacks of Miles' dark past are woven in between.
I loved how natural the dialogue felt, and how easy it was for me to sink into both stories until they eventually collided.
This book really narrows in on the romance, without too much side story. Although the romance was certainly strong enough to carry out the plot, I did find myself wishing for a little expansion.
But here is what I think most die-hard romance fans will love: Miles. He is a truly amazing hero. Brooding and broken, yet protective and slightly possessive. His character remained consistent. He doesn't lose his edge and dump his problems the minute he meets Tate. He evolves. Slowly—not with the simple turn of a page, and I appreciated the realistic pace.
There is tons (and tons) of steam in this book, in case you’re interested. Handled well, might I add. I’m not one for the overuse of sex to fill a plot, but boy, was this done well.
My favorite element of this story, however—as with all of Ms. Hoover’s books—is the writing. SO powerful, I get chills. Even highlighting a line doesn't seem to do it justice. I want to commit it to memory. There is not a book this author has written that hasn't broadened my way of thinking just a little more with every profound quote I come upon. And Ugly Love was certainly no exception. A GREAT READ."It's the beautiful moments like these that make up for the ugly love.
Book Stats:
▪ Genre/Category: New Adult
▪ Romance: Quick connection, slow love. Angsty. Steamy.
▪ Characters: Brooding, protective hero with a dark past. Sweet, excepting heroine.
▪ Plot: Heavily focused on the romance. Past and present settings.
▪ Writing: Beautiful. Poetic and profound.
▪ POV: 1st Person: Alternates between hero and heroine.
▪ Cliffhanger: None. Standalone.
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guys did colleen paid you all to say this book was good or what
the main characters... *side eye*
tate, my self respect queen 😍 is the most two dimensional character ever and trigger warning: miles was playing with tate’s feelings saying things like “If I were capable of loving someone . . . it would be you.”like okay
and yes it was just "friends" with benefits but she fell in love and he knew that and still said those things like (????) and when miles acted like an asshole to tate and shit she still went back to him every time and there was no groveling that was the worst thing about it she forgave him way too fast, girl was literally treated like garbage the whole book and didn't even hesitate to forgive him I can't even try to defend her honestly and don't even get me started on the “My God, Rachel” because the fact that she could look past that is just wow
their relationship was awkward and painful to read and his trauma should not be used as an excuse of how badly he treated tate the entire book, there is something called therapy. “It's the beautiful moments like this that make up for the ugly love” lol no. there are obviously books with a lot more of questionable behavior from the mc but how they wanted to make it seem this is how a relationship or love should be is ugh. this is definitely not something anyone should allow, want or search for in a relationship and I know this is fiction but still it's so frustrating. finally, the fact that Rachel gets blamed for everything is fucking stupid, my girl was traumatized as much as miles, she obviously acted not in the best way but stop the unnecessary hate 😤
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this book left me with trust issues and a couple anxiety attacks I'm still trying to recover from even after 7 years.
AND I THOUGHT AFTER WAS BAD. phew.
the title should be changed to ugly miles btw. -
miles go to therapy challenge
