S. D. Donley

Living the 3 R's – Reading, Writing, Reviewing

Ugly Love Book Review

*Contains sexually explicit content.

Visit Colleen Hoover’s website HERE.

Want to know all the juicy details about Ugly Love? Read the Spoiler Report HERE.

When Tate Collins meets airlines pilot Miles Archer, she doesn’t think it’s love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go as 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 sex. This arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has.

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.

The story is told in two parts simultaneously. From Tate’s POV in the present and Miles’ in the past. We do get to know present-day-Miles through Tate’s limiting interactions with him. At the same time, getting an insight to why he reacts the way he does in the present through his past experiences.

From the beginning there is an obvious attraction between the two. Even though Miles remains stoic and mostly silent, it’s the small things. Oh, and also plot.  Even before they ever act upon whatever it is they are feeling toward one another, there is a connection.

The moment the seal is broken between the two, it can never be put back. So, a pact is made – sex. Not friends with benefits. Just sex.   

Tate fights hard not to break the two rules Miles put in place. Small little things lead her to believe that it’s not so easy for Miles to keep their relationship compartmentalized as merely sex. As soon as something more than lust shines through his eyes, Miles retreats behind a wall and turns cold enough to burn Tate. One confusing and painful episode after another other.

Tate’s inner struggle gets to the redundant point of annoying several times. On one hand, I completely understand.  Miles gives her more and more of himself whether or not he realizes it. Tate eats it up. But as soon as he returns to being stone-cold Miles, Tate recedes into an internal room of self-doubt and despair.

Miles leaving this little trail of breadcrumbs that Tate believes is an opening to cracking the Miles mystery.

As happens in these such situations, Tate cannot continue to have her heart broken and chooses a different path. One neither appreciates but allows to happen.

I love the trail that Colleen leaves for us to follow. Combining actions of the past with those of the present. Leading us to get to know each character in turn. How similar they are. Their chemistry is off the charts.

At several points in the story, I wanted to shake both or either of them. But that always seems to happen in romance novels. A plot like this without that element would definitely be lacking.

This is the only the beginning of my journey into reading Colleen Hoover novels. And so far I really enjoy what I am reading!