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Quick answer: If you loved Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover, try November 9 by Colleen Hoover, Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover, Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover, Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan, Me Before You by Jojo Moyes and Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score.
Ugly Love follows Tate Collins, a nursing student who moves in with her brother and meets Miles Archer, an airline pilot who hasn’t loved anyone in six years. They agree to a relationship with two rules: don’t ask about the past and don’t expect a future. Told in Tate’s present and Miles’s painful past, it’s one of Colleen Hoover’s most emotional books. If you want another romance that hurts in the best way, the picks below are packed with angst, secrets and healing. All are adult romances.
Table of Contents
Why Readers Love Ugly Love
Readers love Ugly Love because it breaks their hearts and then puts them back together. Colleen Hoover tells Miles’s past in short, poetic chapters, slowly revealing the tragedy that made him shut down. The present-day tension between Tate and Miles is intense and steamy, and the reveal makes many readers cry. It’s raw, sometimes uncomfortable and impossible to put down. A film adaptation has been in development, adding to the book’s popularity.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick below shares at least one thing readers loved about Ugly Love: its characters, its mood, its setting or the questions it raises. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious choices, and we noted the genre and who each book suits best in the table, so you can scan for the right fit before you read the blurbs.
We kept every description spoiler-free and flagged mature content where it matters, since some of these books are written for adults and others suit teens. If you’re not sure where to start, the tips near the end of this list match each pick to what you loved most. The FAQ at the bottom answers the questions readers ask most often.
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Heat Level | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 9 | Colleen Hoover | Steamy | More Hoover angst |
| Maybe Someday | Colleen Hoover | Moderate | Music and longing |
| Reminders of Him | Colleen Hoover | Moderate | Redemption |
| Archer’s Voice | Mia Sheridan | Steamy | Healing love |
| Me Before You | Jojo Moyes | Mild | Tearjerkers |
| Things We Never Got Over | Lucy Score | Steamy | Grumpy heroes with pasts |
| Beautiful Disaster | Jamie McGuire | Moderate | Bad boy romance |
| Hopeless | Colleen Hoover | Moderate | Dark secrets |
| It Ends with Us | Colleen Hoover | Moderate | Hoover’s most famous |
| The Deal | Elle Kennedy | Steamy | Lighter angst |
| Regretting You | Colleen Hoover | Mild | Mother-daughter stories |
| The Light We Lost | Jill Santopolo | Mild | Lost love |
| All Your Perfects | Colleen Hoover | Moderate | Marriage under strain |
| Confess | Colleen Hoover | Moderate | Art and secrets |
| Every Summer After | Carley Fortune | Mild | Gentler heartache |
1. November 9 by Colleen Hoover
Two people agree to meet on the same day every year. Each meeting reveals more, and the twist is classic Hoover.
2. Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover
A woman who discovers her boyfriend’s betrayal moves in with a musician who can’t be hers. It comes with a soundtrack.
3. Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover
A mother released from prison fights to reconnect with her daughter. It’s tender and sad.
4. Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan
A woman fleeing grief falls for a mute man with a tragic past. It’s gentle and emotional.
5. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
A cheerful caregiver falls for a paralyzed man who has lost the will to live. It’s funny and devastating.
6. Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score
A runaway bride clashes with a grumpy barber hiding his own wounds. It’s warmer and funnier.
7. Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
A good girl and a reckless bad boy make a bet. It’s addictive and dramatic.
8. Hopeless by Colleen Hoover
A teen falls for a boy who knows about her forgotten past. Content note: child abuse.
9. It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
A florist falls for a neurosurgeon while her first love returns. Content note: domestic violence.
10. The Deal by Elle Kennedy
A hockey player fake-dates a music student. It has emotional depth with more humor.
11. Regretting You by Colleen Hoover
A mother and teenage daughter grieve a tragedy and uncover painful secrets. It’s emotional and family-focused.
12. The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo
Two people meet on September 11 and spend years drifting apart and together. It’s bittersweet.
13. All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover
A couple struggling with infertility face whether their love can survive. It moves between past and present.
14. Confess by Colleen Hoover
An artist paints anonymous confessions, and a young woman’s secret threatens their romance.
15. Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
A woman returns to the lake town where she broke a boy’s heart. It’s nostalgic and moving.
How to Pick Your Next Emotional Romance
- Want more Hoover? November 9, Maybe Someday and All Your Perfects.
- Want healing stories? Archer’s Voice and Reminders of Him.
- Want a tearjerker? Me Before You and The Light We Lost.
- Need some humor? Things We Never Got Over and The Deal.
- Check content warnings. Hopeless and It Ends with Us deal with abuse.
- Keep tissues nearby. Most of these books have big emotional reveals.
A Note on the Heavier Themes
Ugly Love and several books on this list deal with grief, loss and painful pasts, and a few, such as Hopeless and It Ends with Us, include abuse. Colleen Hoover often adds author notes or content warnings, and it is worth reading them first if a topic is personal for you. If you or someone you know is affected by domestic violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline (US) is available at 1-800-799-7233. For a gentler emotional read, start with Every Summer After or Maybe Someday.
Related: books like It Ends with Us and Colleen Hoover books rated best to worst.
Frequently Asked Questions
What book is most like Ugly Love?
November 9 and Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover are the closest matches.
Is Ugly Love spicy?
Yes. It has several explicit scenes and is written for adults.
Is Ugly Love sad?
Yes. Miles’s past involves a tragedy that is revealed slowly, and many readers cry.