Ugly Love
by Colleen Hoover
🌶️ Quick Spice Verdict
Heat Level
Explicit with emotional layers
Spicy Scenes
~5 scenes
POV Style
Dual POV (Tate present / Miles past)
About Ugly Love
When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she doesn't expect the intense attraction. They agree to a no-strings-attached arrangement with two rules: never ask about the past, and don't expect a future.
Reading Vibes
🌶️ Spice Level Breakdown
Ugly Love is one of Colleen Hoover's spiciest books. The physical relationship between Tate and Miles is central to the story — their arrangement is purely physical at first, and the scenes reflect that raw, no-strings energy. There are approximately 4-5 explicit scenes that are passionately written. What makes them stand out is the emotional disconnect Miles maintains during intimacy, which creates a unique tension. As feelings develop, the intimate scenes shift in tone, becoming more emotionally charged. The contrast between 'just physical' and 'making love' is a key part of the storytelling.
Tropes in Ugly Love
A romance that defies social rules or expectations
A friendship that evolves into romance
The male lead catches feelings before the female lead
Content Warnings
⚠️ Content Warnings
- Grief and loss
- Pregnancy loss
- Explicit sexual content
- Emotional pain
- Past trauma
Should You Read Ugly Love?
✅ Perfect For You If...
- •Colleen Hoover fans looking for her spiciest work
- •Readers who enjoy friends-with-benefits-to-more stories
- •Those who love emotionally devastating romance
- •Fans of dual timeline storytelling
- •Readers who want to ugly cry AND fan themselves
⛔ Skip This If...
- •Pregnancy loss is a trigger for you
- •You need a consistently happy tone
- •You dislike emotionally unavailable heroes
- •You prefer fantasy or historical settings
Our Take
Ugly Love is Colleen Hoover at her most emotionally devastating. The dual timeline structure — alternating between present-day Tate and past Miles — slowly reveals why Miles is so broken, and when the pieces finally click together, it hits like a truck. The romance is built on a foundation of physical attraction and explicit scenes, but Hoover uses that physicality to tell a deeper story about walls people build and what it takes to tear them down. Miles's past chapters are written in fragmented, poetic prose that mirrors his fractured emotional state. The spicy scenes are hot but also serve the narrative — you can feel the shift from purely physical to something more. This is the kind of book you finish at 2 AM with tears on your face and immediately text your friends to read it.
What Readers Say
Average community spice rating: 4.3/5
romance.realist
2024-11-12
“I'd give this a 4-5 on spice. The physical relationship is central to the plot — it's literally how Tate and Miles connect before they can connect emotionally. The scenes are explicit and passionate. Miles's fragmented past chapters in verse are hauntingly beautiful. This is the book I recommend when people say 'CoHo isn't spicy enough.'”
coho.collector
2024-10-20
“Ugly Love is Colleen Hoover's spiciest book and I will die on this hill. The friends-with-benefits setup means the physical scenes come early and often. But what makes this book special is how the spice CHANGES as Miles's walls come down. The early scenes are raw and almost detached, and the later ones are tender and emotional. I sobbed AND fanned myself.”
tearful.reader
2024-09-05
“WARNING: this book will emotionally destroy you. The dual timeline slowly reveals why Miles is so broken and when you finally understand... I cried for an hour. The spice is high — definitely CoHo's most explicit book. But the real gut punch is the story underneath. Content warning for pregnancy loss — it's handled sensitively but it's devastating.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ugly Love spicy?
Yes, Ugly Love has a spice level of 4/5 on our scale, which we rate as "Very Spicy (Explicit)." Detailed explicit intimate scenes. Ugly Love is one of Colleen Hoover's spiciest books. The physical relationship between Tate and Miles is central to the story — their arrangement is purely physical at first, and the scenes reflect that raw, no-strings energy. There are approximately 4-5 explicit scenes that are passionately written. What makes them stand out is the emotional disconnect Miles maintains during intimacy, which creates a unique tension. As feelings develop, the intimate scenes shift in tone, becoming more emotionally charged. The contrast between 'just physical' and 'making love' is a key part of the storytelling.
What is the spice level of Ugly Love?
Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover is rated 4 out of 5 on the SpicyBooks spice scale. This means it's "Very Spicy (Explicit)" — detailed explicit intimate scenes. The steam level is: Explicit with emotional layers.
How many spicy scenes are in Ugly Love?
Ugly Love contains approximately 5 intimate/spicy scenes. Ugly Love is one of Colleen Hoover's spiciest books. The physical relationship between Tate and Miles is central to the story — their arrangement is purely physical at first, and the scenes reflect that raw, no-strings energy. There are approximately 4-5 explicit scenes that are passionately written. What makes them stand out is the emotional disconnect Miles maintains during intimacy, which creates a unique tension. As feelings develop, the intimate scenes shift in tone, becoming more emotionally charged. The contrast between 'just physical' and 'making love' is a key part of the storytelling.
What tropes are in Ugly Love?
Ugly Love features the following romance tropes: 🚫 Forbidden Love, 🤝 Friends to Lovers, 💘 He Falls First. These tropes are central to the story and shape the romantic dynamic between the characters.
Does Ugly Love have content warnings?
Yes, readers should be aware of the following content warnings for Ugly Love: Grief and loss, Pregnancy loss, Explicit sexual content, Emotional pain, Past trauma. We always recommend checking content warnings before reading if you have specific sensitivities.
Is Ugly Love a standalone?
Ugly Love can be read as a standalone novel. You don't need to read any other books before or after to enjoy the full story.
Who would enjoy Ugly Love?
Ugly Love is perfect for: Colleen Hoover fans looking for her spiciest work; Readers who enjoy friends-with-benefits-to-more stories; Those who love emotionally devastating romance. The reading vibes are: Heartbreaking, Passionate, Raw, Emotional, Addictive.
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Ready to Read Ugly Love?
Now that you know the spice level, tropes, and content warnings — grab your copy!