'Love'  - even though this is "too large" for mind to understand, let's have a brief look at some simple thoughts:
1) No expectation:
When we talk about love, there should be no 'expectations' anywhere around. You would not want to 'meet someone' or want to 'go out with someone' or expect someone to do something for you.
There is nothing we would want in return of love. This is a 1st pre-condition for love. If this is not satisfied, you can not call it 'love'.
But, there is a thing called 'Attraction'.

2) Difference between attraction and love:
I see almost everyone of us misunderstand the attraction (or specifically some special kinds of attractions usually and rarely unusual attractions) with love. This is quite unfortunate.
If it is an attraction, one would surely have an expectation. So our 1st precondition wouldn't be satisfied. I think this is very easy way to differentiate between attraction and love.


3) 'I love you' doesn't make sense
We have seen people saying "I love you" etc in TVs, Movies and books etc. We generally accept things we see as truths but that, in fact, is not true most of the times.
You cannot love a thing or a person. Love is a feeling which you can "have" or more specifically your mind can 'feel'. If you are in love, then you are in love. You can't be loving your mother and loving your brother. You cannot love a little to your pet and love a lot to mother. Love is one and it is either there or not there. If it is there, the whole world seems so good and pleasant. The feeling cannot be described here in words but one could feel it.
I like to think the feeling of love like a light-bulb. When you turn it on, it lights up and spreads the light around.