Colleen Hoover has a surgical ability to find the emotional jugular. She knows exactly when to twist the knife. Readers do not forget Ugly Love because it was pleasant; they remember it because it hurt.

Both characters use different methods to avoid being hurt; Miles tries to control his environment by limiting intimacy, while Tate initially sacrifices her needs to keep the small connection she has with him. Critical Reception & Controversy The book is highly polarized among readers and critics: A comprehensive analysis on Ugly Love, by Colleen Hoover

But what makes Ugly Love unforgettable is not the will they/won’t they tension. It’s the why .

The story begins when Tate moves in with her protective pilot brother, Corbin, and meets his mysterious friend and neighbor, Miles. While they share an immediate and undeniable mutual attraction, Miles is emotionally closed off and adamant that he does not want a relationship.