Review Tour: Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

August 5, 2014

Atria Books

320 pages

Genre: New Adult Contemporary 18+

(Contains: explicit sex, mature language)

Source: eARC from publisher for Honest review

Book 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.

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 Review:

What's special about Ugly Love? The whole dang thing! It's not that some of the concepts in this book haven't been attempted before; written down; brushed against; tinkered with; talked about; toyed around. They have. And they will again. But the difference with Ugly Love - its specialness, its uniqueness - is in its execution. Colleen Hoover has somehow been able to combine plot points and character studies that another author may attempt to write, but through the forces of her poetic genius with the written word and insightful explorations of the human condition, she has created a beautiful story from the ugly and the broken, a tenderly unique perspective, and intertwined harsh reality with that thread of hope that keeps us going.

I will not rehash the storyline or drop spoilers. For me, this wasn't a light-hearted read. The story had a depressive undercurrent, but was highly addictive nonetheless. I wasn't warm and fuzzy; I was nervous and chilly. There's an intertwining of storylines, and the entire time my stomach was in knots. Even as I started to predict certain things, it didn't make me feel any better. I was a nervous wreck. I am predominantly a hopeful person, and even my hope was tested, but I refused to give up. With a title like Ugly Love, you don't know whether it will end happily or not, but even with all my trepidation, nerves, and worry, I was completely hooked. (And, no, I will not tell you if it has a happy ending or not. But I trust Colleen, and so should you.)

The characters were so well-written, and so very addicting to want to know more about. Cap, the scene-stealer, is that special someone you will love, just completely love and want to adopt for yourself. And then there's Miles and Tate, and they are just... Wow. They gave me all kinds of feels, and not always good. Seriously, such fascinating characters and what an amazing way to learn about them, both individually and together. I completely hurt for them and hoped for them. I wanted to hug them and hold them and heal them. I cringed, I sighed, I worried, I hoped, I shook my fists, I smiled, I hurt, I cringed again, I mourned, I felt, I felt, I felt... I felt.

Bottom-line: I highly recommend Ugly Love! Days later, I'm still thinking about it, pondering its depths. Ugly Love is for the person looking for a unique, engrossing, and amazing read; who loves incredible writing with a thoughtful voice; who wants to be engaged with complex characters who may or may not do what you want them to do; who isn't afraid to feel a range of emotions and experience layer upon layer of levels of love in unexpected ways; who embraces storylines about the beautiful and the broken, the possibility of love but also the possibility of heartbreak; and who can hold out for a stunning conclusion that will stay with you long after. I loved it! Bravo, Mrs. Hoover!

5+ STARS

 

Book Links:

AMAZON  *  GOODREADS