REVIEW: Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

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.

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 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 this. 
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.

I don't know why I'm blown away by Colleen Hoover's ability every time I read her latest release, but I am. I'm not talking about the specific aspects of the stories she writes, I'll get to that in a bit. I'm talking about her talent as an author. For me, she nails it every time. I'm always a little bit daunted when I go into writing my reviews for her books. To be honest, I've run out of words to describe how much I love what she writes. I think in my previous reviews I've called her writing perfection. I've called her the queen of New Adult. I've gushed over her characters. I've spouted words about the love I have for the swoony males that she writes. What words are there left for me to say? 

Ugly Love is told from both main characters point of views, but where Tate's voice is the present day, Miles goes back in time by six years. Six years to fill in the blanks about why he is the person he is today. Six years to build up to the complete and utter devastation that was delivered to him. Six years to fall completely in love with the boy he used to be, so that when that horrible blow came to him, you will feel all those six years of pain right along with him.

"I suppose if a man lived through the ugliest side of love, he might never want to experience it again."

I think Miles would be right up there as one of the most broken characters that I have read about. He has been ripped apart. Almost completely. He has endured what I think would be the worst kind of pain for a person to come back from, and so he is so closed off to anything that will make him feel. Even though he is still quite young, he was forced to deal with so many adult situations and incredibly painful experiences. It was heartbreaking to understand and comprehend.

I’m terrified to lose him for good, so I sell myself short and take what I can from him, even though I know I deserve better. 

There were times that I wanted Tate to speak up and voice her thoughts and feelings where Miles was concerned. She is an independent, intelligent woman, and she was slowly losing her spark. But then I couldn't fault Miles for that, because he was more than honest with Tate about what he was capable of giving her. But even though he was clear and honest with her about that, the heart doesn't understand that it's not allowed to fall in love, and fall in love Tate did. Will that love be enough to save Miles from his all encompassing pain?

I felt like Ugly Love stepped it up in the maturity level to Colleen's other books. There was a definite rawness and edge to it that her other books haven't contained. The writing was grittier and the storyline was heavier. But it still maintained the incredible beauty of words that Colleen Hoover is so good at writing. 

Ugly Love is the perfect title for this book. This is not a sweet, fun romance. You won't be swept along in a happy haze of emotions. But as with all of Colleen Hoovers books, Ugly Love will make you feel. It will make you question how you would react if you found yourself in those same situations that the characters find themselves in. You will without a doubt fall in love with Miles and Tate. 

I love the fact that Colleen Hoover has never failed to fill my heart. Whether it be with love, or pain, or heartache, or sadness, or happiness. This author gives me exactly what I want with every book she writes. And while Ugly Love was emotionally much harder to read, it was still as with all of Colleen Hoover's books, impossible to put down.

Another Stellar 5 Star Masterpiece From Colleen Hoover!!

Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster Australia for sending me this to review.