Ugly Love (Hoover)/Chapter 16

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🏖️

Colleen Hoover

Ugly Love. Chapter 16

A beach escape ends with Rachel's pregnancy concern

2014

Summary of a Chapter
from the Collection “Ugly Love”

The original takes about 3 minutes to read

Microsummary

Miles and Rachel skipped school for the beach. He told her their love had restored the faith he lost after his mother's death. Rachel cried and said she was late, suggesting she might be pregnant.

Chapter Summary

Six years earlier, Miles felt that Rachel made everything better. They lived across the hall from each other and went to school together.

At school, Miles suggested skipping class, joking that being grounded together would be fun. Rachel agreed. They collected swimsuits, lunch, and a blanket at home, then went to the beach.

While Rachel read and sunbathed, Miles watched her. He told her that his mother's painful death had destroyed his belief in God, but loving Rachel had led him to believe again. He now thought suffering helped people appreciate beauty.

Rachel cried rather than smiled at his confession. Miles realized she did not share his happiness in that moment. She quietly told him she was late, implying that her period was overdue and she might be pregnant.

Characters

💞

Miles — narrator, young male student and Rachel's romantic partner, living across the hall from her; affectionate and intensely devoted, he linked his renewed religious faith to their love after grieving his mother's painful death.

📖

Rachel — young female student and Miles's romantic partner, living across the hall from him; affectionate and willing to skip school, she enjoyed reading at the beach before tearfully revealing that she was late.

🕯️

Miles's mother — deceased adult woman remembered by her son; her severe physical suffering before death caused him to lose his belief in God.

Quotes

My words make Rachel smile again. Rachel doesn’t know this,
but every word I speak is voiced for that sole reason. *To make*

her smile.*

And I realized . . . just
now . . . that God gives us the ugliness so we don’t take the
beautiful things in life for granted.”
My words don’t make Rachel smile.

She looks at me, and I can see that this moment isn’t one of the
beautiful moments for her. Not like it is for me.
“Miles . . . I’m late.”

This summary is based on the UK edition of the novel (London: Simon & Schuster UK, 2014).