Cover of Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

5 book recommendations

Books Like “Ugly Love” by Colleen Hoover

If the gut-wrenching heartbreak, intense passion, and raw emotional healing of Colleen Hoover's Ugly Love left you completely breathless, you are not alone. Readers cannot get enough of its deeply flawed characters, painful secrets, and undeniable chemistry. Dive into our handpicked recommendations below to find your next unforgettable romance.

  1. Cover of Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan

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    Archer's Voice

    by Mia Sheridan

    Fall in love with this emotional New York Times bestselling romance between two tortured souls who find their chance at happiness in the most unexpected way.
    Named one of the "Top Romance Novels of All Time" by Goodreads! A New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestseller!
    I wanted to lose myself in the small town of Pelion, Maine. To forget everything I had left behind. The sound of rain. The blood. The coldness of a gun against my skin. For six months, each breath has been a reminder that I survived -- and my dad didn't. I'm almost safe again. But the moment I meet Archer Hale, my entire world tilts on its axis . . . and never rights itself again.
    Until I trespass into his strange, silent, and isolated world, Archer communicates with no one. Yet in his whiskey-colored eyes, something intangible happens between us. There's so much more to him than just his beauty, his presence, or the ways his hands communicate with me. On me. But this town is mired in secrets and betrayals, and Archer is the explosive center of it all.
    So much passion. And so much hurt. But it's only in Archer's silence that we might just find what we need to heal . . . and live.
    Includes an exclusive extended epilogue from Archer's POV!

    Why it's similar

    Both books explore a New Adult romance with a deeply traumatized male lead whose painful, slowly revealed backstory makes him believe he is unworthy of emotional connection.

    What's different

    Archer's Voice is set in a tight-knit small town and follows a tender, communicative romance rather than an urban, sexually transactional friends-with-benefits arrangement.

  2. Cover of The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

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    The Hating Game

    by Sally Thorne

    Now a movie starring Lucy Hale and Austin Stowell, USA Today bestselling author Sally Thorne's hilarious and sexy workplace comedy all about that thin, fine line between hate and love.

    Lucy Hutton has always believed that the nice girl can get the corner office. She's charming and accommodating and prides herself on being loved by everyone. Everyone except sarcastic, cynical, and intimidating Joshua Templeman. Her nemesis.

    Josh is the dark and brooding to Lucy's light and cheery, the crisp pressed suit to her retro outfits and bright red lipstick. And he gets under her skin like no one else can. Trapped in a shared office together five days a week, they've become entrenched in an addictive, never-ending game of one-upmanship.

    When a new executive position is announced, Josh and Lucy are top contenders for the promotion, but the idea of working for the other is so unthinkable that they strike a deal: whoever doesn't get the job will walk away. The stakes have never been higher and as the competition heats up and the barriers between them begin to fall down, Lucy starts questioning just who her opponent truly is and whether this man she's hated all this time is even the real Josh.

    Maybe Lucy Hutton doesn't hate Joshua Templeman. And maybe, he doesn't hate her either.

    Why it's similar

    Both are contemporary adult romances featuring a slow-burn, high‑chemistry relationship where emotional vulnerability gradually transforms a seemingly physical or antagonistic connection into something deeper.

    What's different

    The relationship develops with more banter and a lighter, rom‑com tone, and the emotional trauma is less intense and dark than in Ugly Love.

  3. Cover of Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey

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    Fix Her Up

    by Tessa Bailey

    A brand new romantic comedy from New York Times bestseller Tessa Bailey!

    Georgette Castle’s family runs the best home renovation business in town, but she picked balloons instead of blueprints and they haven’t taken her seriously since. Frankly, she’s over it. Georgie loves planning children’s birthday parties and making people laugh, just not at her own expense. She’s determined to fix herself up into a Woman of the World... whatever that means.

    Phase one: new framework for her business (a website from this decade, perhaps?)

    Phase two: a gut-reno on her wardrobe (fyi, leggings are pants.)

    Phase three: updates to her exterior (do people still wax?)

    Phase four: put herself on the market (and stop crushing on Travis Ford!)

    Living her best life means facing the truth: Georgie hasn’t been on a date since, well, ever. Nobody’s asking the town clown out for a night of hot sex, that’s for sure. Maybe if people think she’s having a steamy love affair, they’ll acknowledge she’s not just the “little sister” who paints faces for a living. And who better to help demolish that image than the resident sports star and tabloid favorite?

    Travis Ford was major league baseball’s hottest rookie when an injury ended his career. Now he’s flipping houses to keep busy and trying to forget his glory days. But he can’t even cross the street without someone recapping his greatest hits. Or making a joke about his… bat. And then there's Georgie, his best friend’s sister, who is not a kid anymore. When she proposes a wild scheme—that they pretend to date, to shock her family and help him land a new job—he agrees. What’s the harm? It’s not like it’s real. But the girl Travis used to tease is now a funny, full-of-life woman and there’s nothing fake about how much he wants her...

    Why it's similar

    Both books center on a steamy, initially casual arrangement between emotionally guarded characters that evolves into a serious relationship, mixing explicit romance with themes of self‑worth and healing.

    What's different

    This story leans more into humor and small‑town community dynamics, with a clearer path to a traditional happily‑ever‑after than Ugly Love’s heavier, angst‑driven arc.

  4. Cover of The Hook Up by Kristen Callihan

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    The Hook Up

    by Kristen Callihan

    An all-new print edition with exclusive bonus content, the #SpicyTok favorite GAME ON series by New York Times bestselling author Kristen Callihan brings the heat... Are you ready for it?

    The rules: no kissing on the mouth, no staying the night, no telling anyone and above all...no falling in love.

    Anna Jones just wants to finish college and figure out her life. Falling for star quarterback Drew Baylor is most definitely not on her to-do list. Confident and charming, he lives in the limelight and is way too gorgeous for his own good. If only she could ignore his heated stares and stop thinking about doing hot and dirty things with him. Easy, right?

    Football has been good to Drew--two National Championships and the Heisman. But what he really craves is sexy yet prickly Anna Jones. Her cutting humor and blatant disregard for his fame turn him on like nothing else. But there's one problem: she's shut him down. Completely.

    That is...until a chance encounter leads to the hottest sex of their lives. Anna wants it to remain a hook up, but Drew sees the possibility of something great. Now it's up to him to persuade her. It's a good thing Drew knows all about winning.

    As the saying goes, All's fair in love and football... Game on.

    Perfect for fans of:

    Super spicy romance He falls first (and hard!) Opposites attract Friends-with-benefits to lovers Tayvis and Football Romances

    Why it's similar

    Both feature a passionate, initially physical relationship with clear rules, where intense chemistry and the characters’ personal scars slowly force them to confront deeper feelings and the possibility of commitment.

    What's different

    It places more emphasis on college coming‑of‑age experiences and mutual emotional growth, and the male lead’s vulnerability is foregrounded earlier, making the emotional tone slightly softer than Ugly Love.

  5. Cover of After by Anna Todd

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    After

    by Anna Todd

    Experience the internet's most talked-about book, now a major motion picture, from Anna Todd, the writer Cosmopolitan called "the biggest literary phenomenon of her generation." Now a Major Motion Picture on Netflix! There was the time before Tessa met Hardin, and then there's everything AFTER... Life will never be the same. #Hessa Tessa is a good girl with a sweet, reliable boyfriend back home. She's got direction, ambition, and a mother who's intent on keeping her that way. But she's barely moved into her freshman dorm when she runs into Hardin. With his tousled brown hair, cocky British accent, and tattoos, Hardin is cute and different from what she's used to. But he's also rude-to the point of cruelty, even. For all his attitude, Tessa should hate Hardin. And she does-until she finds herself alone with him in his room. Something about his dark mood grabs her, and when they kiss it ignites within her a passion she's never known before. He'll call her beautiful, then insist he isn't the one for her and disappear again and again. Despite the reckless way he treats her, Tessa is compelled to dig deeper and find the real Hardin beneath all his lies. He pushes her away again and again, yet every time she pushes back, he only pulls her in deeper. Tessa already has the perfect boyfriend. So why is she trying so hard to overcome her own hurt pride and Hardin's prejudice about nice girls like her? Unless...could this be love?

    Why it's similar

    Both center on an intense, often painful romance between damaged characters who begin with a primarily physical arrangement and struggle through miscommunication, secrets, and emotional baggage on the way to possible love.

    What's different

    The drama is more prolonged and turbulent, with a highly toxic dynamic and a longer series format that extends the emotional chaos well beyond a single book, unlike Ugly Love’s more contained narrative.

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