Book: Ugly Love
Author: Colleen Hoover
Genre: Contemporary Fiction (Adult)
Rating: ★★★★★ (all of the ugly stars)
“Love isn’t always pretty. 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.”
This book is officially going down on my list of books that surprised the heck out of me. If there’s something that really annoys me, it’s hype. Especially when I finally get to reading/watching said hyped thing and I end up disappointed. There’s this added pressure to reading/watching just because a lot of people have loved this book and/or movie/series to bits. And we all know just how HYPED UP Ugly Love is and how popular Colleen Hoover is in the book community.
When I read the blurb, I set myself up for another new adult book with an okay plot and some smexy times. And that’s when I learned my first lesson when it comes to reading Colleen Hoover’s books.
NOTHING IS AS IT SEEMS.
By reading the blurb, you know that our main lady is named Tate and that she has just moved in with her dear brother (who is a pilot) and during this change of pace she meets the dark, brooding Miles (who is also a pilot) whom she has a very raw sexual tension with. They decide to have a “friends with benefits” agreement and, as we all know, it can only go so well.
To start off, the writing is flawless. Colleen’s way with words captivated me from the very beginning and it was that exact style that led me to read this beauty in one sitting. I freaking devoured this book.
Second lesson when read a Hoover novel:
DUAL PERSPECTIVE. THAT IS THE REAL MAGIC IN THIS NOVEL.
Tate and Miles’ story is told from two different points of view; one set in present time, in Tate’s perspective and another set six years before, told in Miles’ perspective. This is what really captivates the reader and set him or her on a total loop. There are two stories being told at the same time and you are desperate to know the outcome of both. What I really loved about this was how obviously different the narrations are from each other. There is no way of mistaking one for the other!
MIles’ pov is the most beautiful, in my opinion. It’s very poetic and heart wrenching and it really keeps you on your toes. The wording is very raw and you can’t help but feel very moved by his thoughts. Tate’s pov is more about action and it’s noticeably more humorous. I did laugh out loud several times while reading which was great.
I did mention the smexy times right? Well, there are plenty of them.
BUT THEY ARE NOT JUST EXPLICIT SCENES WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF BEING SIMPLY SEX.
These scenes give a lot of emotional insight about the characters and they serve a higher purpose (HA!) than just banging. This being said, I do not recommend this book to young readers because the thematic is pretty strong and meant for adults.
The reaction I had to this story was significantly more than I was prepared for. There was this constant lump in my throat and I was just so involved in everything that was going on These characters are so believable and trust me, you will relate and feel so much for them.
Prepare your heart!
the reader's compass 