"Ugly Love" by Colleen Hoover

Sypnosis (Goodreads): 

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.

The story wasn't at all what I thought it'd be. When I read the title, I began to think of two individuals that shared a shattering and unbearable past but it turns out I was only half right. 

The story made me experience a rollercoaster of emotions as I cried, I was frustrated, I was happy and smiling too. The book was so well written that it had suspense with the romance. As the chapters begin to switch between Tate's point of view to Miles', the reader doesn't gain much of an overview about him. We get to understand and familiarize ourselves with Tate while we barely get to know Miles.

It isn't until the second half of the book that we get to understand how Miles is and why he's been acting this way with Tate.

I love Cap's character and the way he treats Tate after meeting her. "Sometimes a man's spirit just ain't strong enough to withstand the ghosts from his past.. Maybe that boy just lost his spirit somewhere along the way," (227). His wisdom and advice to Tate is something you can't ignore.

"The difference between the ugly side of love and the beautiful side of love is that the beautiful side is much lighter. It makes you feel like you're floating. It lifts you up. Carries you. The beautiful parts of love hold you above the rest of the world. They hold you so high above all the bad stuf, and you just look down everything else and think, Wow I'm so glad I'm up here," (281). This quote is what made me love Miles' character and the way he loves. Adding a chapter from Rachel's point of view was an amazing ideas as I understood Miles even more. 

"I think back to the day I married her. It was one of the best days of my life. I remember standing next to Ian and Corbin at the end of the aisle. We were waiting for her to walk through the door when Corbin leaned over and whispered something to me. He said, 'You're the only one who could have ever met my standards for her, Miles. I'm happy, it's you.' I was happy it was me, too. That was more than two years ago, and every day since then, I've somehow fallen in love with her a little bit more. Or flew, rather," (319). Through the story, we see how Corbin is so protective over his younger sibling and how he standards for the man that will be with her. His reaction onece the truth was revealed was exactly how I expected it to be but I'm glad he was satisfied with Miles being with his younger sister.

The ending was beautiful as well, Miles is very romantic. I loved how he treated Tate at the end and how he decided to finally open his heart and admit his love towards her.

Overall, I read this book because I saw YouTuber's video that she reviewed it and saw her reaction video about the teaser trailer. (Yes, it will have a film adaptation!) Nick Bateman is perfect as Miles so far and I can't to see who they cast as Tate. Both videos made me order this book which I read in about five days since I couldn't put it down but I had to because I had schoolwork. After I read it, I reazlied it was the right decision. I hope you enjoyed reading this review, I am placing the teaser trailer below so you just as I did can enjoy a tease of Nick Bateman as Miles Archer.

Thanks for reading!

Author Spotlight - Jennifer Wilson

Hello!

Welcome once again, this week, I decided to interview an author because I received a copy of her book New World Rising from OfTomes publishing and I really enjoyed it a lot. Phoenix, the main character of the story, reminded me a lot of the bravery that Katniss shows us through the Hunger Games series. I kept in contact with Jennifer after reviewing her book and I asked her if I could interview her to gain some insight into her book and the sequel which will be released soon (I can't wait to read it!) I hope that this interview helps any reader understand her book and the inspiration she had for the story and the characters as well. 

I liked being able to witness the transformation that Phoenix makes through the book. At first, she's calculated and very cold after witnessing her parent's murder and having to survive on her own but through her relationship with Triven and Mouse, she's able to change and transform into someone she never thought she could be. 

I have also left the links to purchase her book in Amazon and the Goodreads page in case you need any more convincing towards reading this series. Enjoy!

1. What was your inspiration behind Phoenix?

Phoenix is a whole lot of me and so much more. Honestly, every character I write carries a little piece of myself. Well… maybe less so when it comes to Maddox. When I first had a vision of the story, I saw this tough, life-worn girl standing on a roof’s ledge staring down at a destroyed city below as the wind pulled at the hood shadowing her hardened face. I knew at that moment, I had to get to know her—to find out her story. Why was she alone? What had aged her past her years? Why did anger and distrust twist her once beautiful features? Shortly there after, Phoenix was born. To me, she is strong and broken, fearless and terrified, she is so many of the best and worst qualities of a person all wrapped up into one. But mostly she is human and proves that even those of us that are broken can heal when they allow themselves to be loved.    

2. How did you visualize this world and these characters?

I have always had a bit of an overactive imagination. My mind tends to wander and being a very visual person, I generally get these flashes of scenes­—a girl on a rooftop, an action-packed fight sequence or an impassioned kiss.  From there, my mind melds around these moments and a basic plot begins to develop. As the plot matures, so do my characters. I tend to have a really loose technique when it comes to writing.  I always have an idea of where my story is going, but often the journey getting there is just as unexpected for me as it is for my readers. I jot notes on everything and anything within reach when inspiration strikes, old receipts, paper bags, or on my hand. I find these moments of epiphany are where some of my best ideas originate—not forced but inspired.

3. Any character you can particularly relate to?

Phoenix, for sure. While a little of myself goes into every character I write, Phoenix holds the largest part of me. She and I think similarly, we are very calculated. While she is colder than I am, there is a camaraderie I feel between us. She is fiercely realistic about every situation, but also has this can-do attitude that she can take on the world. She is not perfect and at times a little unlikeable, but that’s what makes her so human. She is not your average hero, and I like her even more for that fact.

4. What was your favorite part of writing this story/series?

As for the actual writing part, I love seeing Phoenix’s relationship with Mouse and Triven. They both bring out a side of her that is more likeable. She grows and blossoms under their influence, and it was nice to see her experience love for the first time. I also thrive on the action scenes. I nerd-out on action movies, so getting to write these epic fights is heaven for me. It’s like my mind sets on fire and I can visualize the whole thing as it’s happening.    

As a side effect of writing the series, I have adored getting to know my fans. The book world is filled with some of the most passionate and amazing people. I have cherished each interaction and new relationship more than words can say. I love the fans I already have and can’t wait to meet the new ones.

5. How has it been working with OfTomes publishing?

I am very lucky that I happen to click really well with the Oftomes team and couldn’t be happier under their name. Aside from getting to work closely with the Oftomes team and Ben—who is outrageously talented and passionate—Oftomes has really bred a family feeling amongst its writers. My fellow authors are some of the best people to work with. We share, support and help one another at every turn and truly want to see each other succeed. It is amazing. 

6. What can we expect in the sequel?

Ashes picks up right where Rising left off. Phoenix’s life is thrown into chaos as she is plunged into a world she doesn’t remember, but that remembers her. Taking place almost entirely inside the confines of The Wall—inside of The Sanctuary—Phoenix’s past is brought to light while some of Mouse’s silent secrets begin to unfold. Questions will be answered, while others twists will keep you wanting more. 

7. Any part of the story that you decided to edit/remove? And why?

I generally do remove some of parts of the story in the final rounds of editing. It can be easy to go off on a tangent sometimes when the writing bug takes hold, but that doesn’t always mean that the inspired writing is integral to the story. I don’t believe in adding more words just to fill space or pad the book, so if my editor and beta readers agree, I will pull things from the storyline that aren’t as important.

8. What inspired Phoenix's story?

New World: Rising was born out of an epiphany moment for Phoenix. I could see this girl racing on rooftops, hiding in the shadows, being kind of a badass. The opening scene in the first book is the moment Phoenix was born in my mind, a dark shadowed figure standing on the ledge of a building as her hair whipped around her face in the wind, the city below her in ruin. The world just spiraled out from there, shaping around her. I wanted to write about a girl who could take care of herself, who was just as tough as the boys and preferred to rescue herself rather than be recused. But of course she is not without her flaws. It was important to me that she—and all of the other characters—were still human, relatable and made mistakes. There is a lot of grey area in this world. So much of my stories are based on me asking myself why... Why is that person so damaged? Why would she say that? Why did this happen? What would he do?    

9. Were you an avid reader? If so, what was/is your favorite book and why?

Currently, I read like there is no tomorrow, but honestly my love for books didn’t start until I was in high school. I was a terrible reader when I was young and had some issues with dyslexia. I was a really slow reader and struggled with words, so kids used to make fun of me when I had to read aloud in class. I began to hate reading because of that. It wasn’t until a very persistent friend nagged me into reading the Harry Potter series that I began to love books and read them. Since then, I read every night and love getting lost in good story. Other authors now inspire me every day. So obviously, J.K. Rowling’s books are at the top of that list, but there are many other authors I look up to: J.R.R. Tolkien, Rick Yancey, Dan Brown, Suzanne Collins, Cassandra Clare and Diana Gabaldon, to name a few. Alexandra Bracken and Marie Lu are also recently added to my author crush list—I love that they too write about strong female leads, who are imperfect and vulnerable at times. So long story short, favorite books… Harry Potter. Always.

10. What would you like to change from your books?

Now this is a loaded question. There is almost always something you would write a little differently, a scene you wish you had added, a character interaction you wished you had pushed a little further. But the truth is, at some point you have to walk away and let your work be done, otherwise no books would ever get finished. There are things I would change given the chance to write the story all over again, but I have come to terms with the fact I have to let those things go as to not make myself crazy.

"Love, Rosie" by Cecelia Ahern

I loved this book so much, it did bother me that Rosie and Alex kept missing opportunities to be with each other. I felt as if the ending could have been better though after the built up that these characters have had, since they have known each other since they were very young, I expected their moment to be more beautiful and romantic. 

"You deserve someone who loves you with every single beat of his heart, someone who thinks about you constantly, someone who spends every minute of every day just wondering what you're doing, where you are, who you're with, and if you're ok. You need someone who can help you reach your dreams and who can protect you from your fears. You need someone who will treat you with respect, love every part of you, especially your flaws. You should be with someone who can make you happy, really happy, dancing on air happy. Someone who should have taken the chance to be with you years ago instead of becoming scared and being too afraid to try." 

Through their exchanges and constant communication, we are able to experience the reality that these characters have been through. However, I do feel that this letter from Alex is the most real and honest one he's ever sent Rosie (aside from the one including his love towards her), which made me realize how many of us experience so much in this life and at times, we aren't honest with ourselves, we don't face reality the way we should be. 

So many things can occur during our life and deny ourselves of happiness and even certain opportunities because we have fear whether it is of failure or rejection. This story and these characters made me reflect on life even though I know this story isn't one to take that seriously. I kept thinking how Alex could have been so happy, many years ago with Rosie only if he hadn't had any second thoughts. I really enjoyed reading this and seeing the transition these characters made as they experienced life. 

I did enjoy the film but it could have been much better by highlighting those experiences they had that couldn't be excluded. 

Thank you for reading!