The Setup
Okay, so I started this one during Sophie's nap - which, miracle of miracles, actually lasted two hours that day. I'd heard all the CoHo hype from basically every mom in my neighborhood, and Ugly Love kept coming up as "the one that wrecked me." Cool. Great. Just what I need while folding tiny socks.
Here's the thing about this book: it's not trying to be anything other than what it is. A messy, emotionally intense romance about two people who make rules they absolutely cannot keep. Tate meets Miles, they're both adults who think they can handle a no-strings situation, and - shocker - feelings happen anyway. The premise isn't groundbreaking. But sometimes you don't need groundbreaking. Sometimes you need a book that makes you feel things while you're hiding in your car avoiding the chaos inside your house.
Two Voices, Two Timelines
So this audiobook has two narrators - Grace Grant for Tate's chapters and Deacon Lee for Miles - and honestly, your mileage may vary. Grace Grant? She nailed it. Tate's voice felt real and relatable, with just enough humor to balance out the heavier moments. I actually laughed out loud during a few of her deliveries, which is saying something because I was in the school pickup line trying to look like a normal human being.
Deacon Lee is... more complicated. His voice is deep and warm, and when he hits the emotional beats in Miles' backstory chapters? Devastating. Like, I had to pause and compose myself before going into Target. But - and this is a real but - some of his choices were distracting. The way he pronounced certain names got repetitive in a way that pulled me out of the story. I almost want to say it's nitpicky, except multiple times I found myself thinking about the pronunciation instead of what was actually happening. That's not great.
The dual narration does work overall though. Having distinct voices for the alternating timelines (present day vs. Miles' past) helped me keep track of where we were, which matters when you're pausing every three minutes because someone needs a snack or can't find their shoes or has decided this is the perfect moment to ask why the sky is blue.
CoHo Knows How to Gut You
Look, CoHo knows how to write emotion. She does the same thing in November 9, though that one's got an even twistier timeline situation. The past timeline chapters - where we slowly piece together what happened to Miles - are genuinely gut-wrenching. She parcels out information in this way that had me desperate to know more while also kind of dreading finding out. It's manipulative in the best way? Like she knows exactly which strings to pull and when.
The present-day romance is steamy (fair warning if you're listening around little ears - I had to switch to my AirPods real quick a few times) and the chemistry between Tate and Miles feels earned. Their arrangement is messy and complicated and sometimes frustrating, but that's... kind of the point? Real relationships are messy. Even fake-no-feelings relationships are messy.
What I appreciated most is that Tate isn't just sitting around waiting for Miles to get his act together. She has her own life, her own goals, her own moments of strength. She's not a doormat, even when she's making choices I wanted to shake her for.
Fair Warning
This book goes to some dark places. The content warnings are real - there's trauma, there's loss, there's emotional intensity that might not be what you're looking for if you need something light. I ugly-cried at pickup. Not the cute single tear, the full "are you okay?" from another mom situation. Worth it, but you should know going in.
If you're sensitive to narration quirks, maybe sample first. The Deacon Lee thing really does bother some people. I pushed through and was glad I did, but I get why others might not.
The Verdict
I finished this in about a week - morning drop-offs, one glorious extended nap, and probably four separate car-sitting sessions. It survived constant interruptions and I never lost the thread, which is honestly my highest praise. The emotional payoff at the end hit exactly the way I needed it to. It Starts with Us gave me that same satisfying closure after all the angst.
Is it perfect? No. The narration has its issues, and there are moments where the drama feels a little manufactured. But Colleen Hoover knows how to deliver an emotional punch, and Grace Grant especially makes Tate feel like someone you'd actually know.
Perfect for: Moms who need to feel something other than exhaustion. Fans of angsty romance with actual emotional depth. Anyone who's ever made rules for themselves they knew they couldn't keep.
Maybe skip if: You need something light and easy, or if narrator quirks really pull you out of stories.
My book club would love this - if I ever have time for book club again. For now, it's going in my "recommend to the pickup line moms" mental list. Just maybe warn them about the crying.
