Ugly Love

Miles is a 25-year-old airline pilot who attended school with his best friend, Ian, and Tate’s brother, Corbin. He is the novel’s antagonist, even though he is also Tate’s love interest. He fulfills the role of the antagonist because he embodies the central emotional conflict for Tate. Hoover adds depth to Miles’s character through alternating chapters narrated from his point of view and by subverting the love interest trope characteristic of romance novels.

Tate first meets Miles when he is drunk and sobbing uncontrollably outside of her apartment door: “[T]he obvious devastation he’s experiencing is difficult to witness” (15). This scene, in contrast with Miles’s curt, rude behavior the next morning, frames Miles as a complicated, tragic character. The allusion to his traumatic past underscores his inability to pursue a healthy romantic relationship.

For fear of further emotional pain, Miles fixates on trying to control situations and the emotions of others. This behavior starts when he’s in a teen relationship with Rachel. The day he meets her, he thinks to himself in multiple ways: “I’m gonna fall in love with you, Rachel” (20). He also shows his intent to control his romantic partner’s feelings as well: “You’re gonna fall in love with me, Rachel” (21). His behavior is similar with Tate. He implements relationship rules to prevent a romantic entanglement but ultimately fails at controlling his emotions and hers. Miles is only able to get closure and emotionally grow once he sees Rachel again. He learns that while vulnerability can yield pain, the journey of being vulnerable with another person allows for happy outcomes as well.

Corbin Collins is Tate’s 25-year-old brother. He has darker skin than her and green eyes, and he is also an airline pilot. He’s a typical older brother in that he’s extremely protective of Tate, and this trait defines his character. Tate gives the example that after a breakup with one of his friends, Corbin ended their friendship and warned all his other friends “not to come near [her]” (13). Tate also describes him as “bossy” but recognizes he has matured since the last time they lived together.

They have a healthy, playful sibling relationship. For example, when Tate is on the phone with him, “Corbin makes a gagging sound as [she] pulls the phone from [her] ear and shove[s] it inside [her] bra” (8). Corbin embodies the protective older brother and aims to keep negative male influences away from his sister. However, Corbin eventually loosens his reins on Tate’s love life and lets her make choices for herself.

Corbin is a dutiful brother, evidenced by the fact that he cooks meals for them, lets her live with him while she figures things out, and helps her move into and out of the apartment. Corbin has a casual attitude towards relationships and women, which Tate uses against him in arguments. He is also a bit unobservant, despite being well-meaning, as evidenced by the fact that he thought Miles was gay for years when that was not the case, as well as his blind acceptance of Tate and Miles’s lie about the gas station restroom line. He tries to be good to everyone, like when he takes Miles out to celebrate his promotion and hangs up Christmas lights at his parents’ house over Thanksgiving right after a long drive. Like Tate, Corbin is kind, good-natured, and genuine.

Cap is an 80-year-old elevator attendant whose real name is Samuel. Cap’s character fulfills the role of the mentor even though he also provides comedic relief. He jokingly refers to himself as “captain” since so many pilots live in the apartment complex where he works, and he sends the elevators up like planes to take people to their destinations. He speaks his mind and likes to crack jokes. Cap is as good at listening as he is at giving advice, and he genuinely tries to understand the people who live in the building.

He worked for Miles’s father for many years and has a close relationship with Miles as a result. He’s also best friends with Tate and even goes out of his way to help her many times, like when he buys them pizza after her long shift, lets her cry to him about Miles, and prompts Miles to not be a fool about how he treats Tate. He’s a continual bright spot and voice of reason throughout the novel, and he acts as a litmus test for the goodness of other characters. The characters who treat him poorly or who he doesn’t like, like Dillon, are basically treated as antagonists, and the characters he gets along with or likes despite how complicated they are, like Miles, ultimately have positive character growth.

Since Hoover primarily characterizes Rachel through Miles’s perspective, readers get an idealized view of her. She’s a beautiful redhead from Phoenix, AZ, whom Miles falls instantly in love with. In the flashback chapters, she’s a senior in high school with Miles. She likes to play the devil’s advocate in conversations and thinks through situations from multiple points of view. She is as wholly committed to Miles as he is to her. She loves her son, Clayton, from the moment she finds out she’s pregnant, even though the unplanned pregnancy scares her. She’s not afraid to break the rules, as evidenced by her clandestine relationship with her soon-to-be stepbrother.

Hoover only offers Rachel’s direct point of view in Chapter 37, showing that Rachel is a compassionate yet complicated character like Miles. However, she isn’t self-centered and doesn’t assume that Miles’s unexpected visit is his attempt to get her back. She doesn’t hold a grudge against him and even acknowledges her fault in the way she handled the situation with him. She welcomes Miles into her home and helps him on his journey toward healing. Rachel is a kind, family-oriented person filled with love.

At the end of the story, she’s happily married and has a baby girl. Through Rachel, Hoover shows that love can come after loss, and that life and love can go on even when it feels impossible. Rachel is a symbol of hope for a better future for Miles throughout the novel. At first, teen Miles sees a future with Rachel through their unexpected pregnancy. Later, Rachel shares her journey of healing and growth with Miles to help him achieve a happy future for himself.

Ian has been Miles's best friend and confidant since high school. As an adult, he is also close friends with Corbin, as all three attended flight school together. Ian is much more perceptive than Corbin and has acted as a support for Miles throughout his life. Ian knows about Rachel and Clayton, and he’s not afraid to push Miles when he needs it. He has a way of seeing the truth and pays attention to details, like when he catches Tate’s fake anger over the game in the apartment. He doesn’t tip his hand often, but when he does speak his mind, he doesn’t let others’ emotions stop him from sharing the truth.