Thursday, August 23, 2012

Beautiful Disaster - Review

Beautiful Disaster

By: Jamie McGuire

Published: Atria Books; Original edition (August 14, 2012)

361 pages

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (THANKS SO MUCH!)

(Goodreads | Amazon )

Goodreads description--The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate percentage of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance between her and the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University's Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

Finished Beautiful Disaster. I was hoping I could knock this one out in one day, but sadly, I didn’t have the time to dedicate to it that day so it took two. Oh well.

Beautiful Disaster is an emotional rollercoaster for sure! And I loved every second of it. Some people read 50 Shades of Grey and can’t tell you why they liked it. That’s kind of how it was reading this book for me—like watching a train wreck but not being able to stop watching. I just couldn’t put it down.

The description tells you that Travis and Abby make a bet. If Travis wins Abby has to stay at his apartment with him for 30 days. If Abby wins, Travis has to abstain from sex for 30 days. Knowing that Travis is a huge playboy, a one-and-done-don’t-even-bother-giving-me-your-phone-number-because-I’m-not-going-to-call-anyway, makes Abby’s decision to agree to the bet easy! Travis without sex for 30 days is something Abby has to see. Travis and Abby become best friends, and no one understands why. But of course feelings begin to develop, and living together complicates matters.

What I thought would take up the entire book only took about 40% of the book. So I began to wonder what in the world the remaining 60% of the book would cover. Obviously some ups and downs were to be expected. But man…there was so much more than I imagined. A rollercoaster is really the only way I can think of to describe it. There were highs, lows, loops, corkscrews, helixes, and when you get off the ride your clothes and hair are completely windblown and knotted up.

Kara, Abby’s roommate, hit the nail on the head when she said that Abby and Travis have a codependent relationship. And while the whole time I’m reading this book, I’m rooting for these characters to get their act together and work it out, I’m also thinking “this is so not healthy.” Talk about truly flawed characters. But I loved it. I felt like I was reading about real people. And while they made really stupid decisions sometimes, it was nice that most of their problems weren’t the typical problems I’ve been seeing in books recently. Sure, the setup of bad boy attempts to settle down for a girl he falls for, and the whole bet being a catalyst for building and growing their relationship isn’t anything new. But the rest of it was much more than I was expecting.

This book did have an excessive amount of potty mouth and plenty of scenes I wouldn’t recommend for younger readers. But I didn’t feel like this book had an agenda. It wasn’t trying to tell people that this is how they should behave—or these are the politically correct views to have. And to me (after my rant here) that was refreshing. I could read and enjoy the story for what it was. Flawed characters. Bad decisions. Unhealthy relationships. A fictional story. A relationship where people screw up, but not for a lack of trying. 4 Stars for Beautiful Disaster.

I will say that I felt closure at the end of Beautiful Disaster, so to say I’m nervous about Walking Disaster which is told from Travis’s perspective is an understatement. But with as much as I enjoyed this book, I’ll definitely be checking it out.

Have you read Beautiful Disaster? What did you think? Let me know!

5 comments:

  1. Blah. I'm debating whether or not I should read this. You make really me want to read it.

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    1. I definitely say check it out. It might not be your cup of tea, but it was exactly what I needed at the time. And I liked it so much, I was tempted to turn around and re-read it immediately. Then I took a look at my TBR list, sighed, and put it away to be read again at a later date. If you do read it, I hope you enjoy it.

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  2. I loved this book and am glad you enjoyed it too!

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  3. I really was a bit torn while reading this book. I think I both loved it and it irked me. I still can't put my finger on all the reasoning for the way I feel about it. I think maybe it will be better in Walking Disaster, since it's Travis's POV? maybe.
    I entered the Romance is in the air giveaway! Thank you for that btw :)

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  4. I have been really eager to read this! I have also asked myself what in the world people saw in 50 Shades of Grey. Thank you for sharing your review! You have just made me all the more anxious to read this book!
    I have entered the giveaway for Lunar love hop. Thank you!

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