All the Little Lights - Review

All the Little Lights

By: Jamie McGuire

Expected Publication: May 29th 2018 by Montlake Romance

pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jamie McGuire comes a riveting tale of first love that starts young but runs deep.

The first time Elliott Youngblood spots Catherine Calhoun, he’s just a boy with a camera, and he’s never seen a sadder and more beautiful sight. Both Elliott and Catherine feel like outcasts, yet they find an easy friendship with each other. But when Catherine needs him most, Elliott is forced to leave town.

Elliott finally returns, but he and Catherine are now different people. He’s a star high school athlete, and she spends all her free time working at her mother’s mysterious bed-and-breakfast. Catherine hasn’t forgiven Elliott for abandoning her, but he’s determined to win back her friendship…and her heart.

Just when Catherine is ready to fully trust Elliott, he becomes the prime suspect in a local tragedy. Despite the town’s growing suspicions, Catherine clings to her love for Elliott. But a devastating secret that Catherine has buried could destroy whatever chance of happiness they have left.

I've read several of Jamie McGuire's New Adult books, but to see her publish something young adult was really exciting for me because I tend to like her writing in general and her stories, but I don't really enjoy the descriptive scenes that come with the New Adult genre.

The description of All the Little Lights reminded me of Tillie Cole's A Thousand Boy Kisses. While the two certainly have pieces in common (a friendship from youth that has an undertone of the potential for more, the boy has to leave, and the betrayal of being apart that needs to be reconciled once the two find their way back to each other), plenty was certainly there to separate the two books.

While reading All the Little Lights, I had a lot of questions. Things didn't make a ton of sense in several areas. I wondered if Catherine's big secret would turn out to be something trivial. I didn't understand the guests of the Juniper or their motivations and how they played into the story. Catherine at times mentioned being afraid of certain guests but then at times said there was nothing to be afraid of. She also seemed to like other guests but would at time respond to them with bitterness. I wondered if Jamie McGuire could pull off answering all of my questions in a way that would satisfy me without feeling like a letdown. She really, really did. I was genuinely surprised and enjoyed how everything worked out and revealed itself.

I will say that I had two questions at the end of the book that were left unanswered. I didn't understand Tess as a character really and I wish there'd been some more information concerning her and how she fit in. She felt like either she didn't fully belong in the story or she was left out of a major plot point that she was maybe originally designed to be. Either way, I felt a disconnect there. And then my other question revolved around Catherine's future. I can't go into detail without spoiling certain parts of the book.

Of course, I really enjoyed the romance between Catherine and Elliot. I did roll my eyes at Catherine's "maybe you're better off without me" attitude at times. But overall the two really clung to each other in a way that I loved.

I particularly loved Mrs. Mason and as an adult found the side story between her and Mr. Mason particularly enjoyable and complex.

Favorite quotes:

-"My Uncle John says people can only make us angry if we let them, and if we let them, we give them power."

-You are in control of your emotions. You're in control of your reaction. You can, at any time, change the way you feel.

-It's good, you know, for things not to come easy.

-"You can't get someone out of quicksand if you're stuck in it, too," I said.

All the Little Lights was more than I expected it to be. Maybe I should have seen the big surprise coming, but I totally didn't. I really enjoyed the romance between Elliot and Catherine. I read this one really quickly which is always good. And I was ultimately happy with the way that Jamie McGuire wrapped up this puzzle leaving me with only a couple of questions. All the Little Lights gets 4 Stars. Have you read All the Little Lights? What did you think? Let me know!

Can't Wait for From Here to You

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

From Here to You (Crash and Burn, # 1)

By: Jamie McGuire

Expected Publication: October 9th 2018

384 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--As Darby Dixon sits in a tiny Texas church bathroom on her wedding day holding a positive pregnancy test, she realizes that of all the bad decisions she's made in her life, marrying her abusive fiancé would be the worst. She's never been able to stand up for herself, but she'll sure as hell stand up for her baby. With just the cash she has on hand, she runs to get a bus ticket to the farthest place she can afford. Between her sheer grit and pageant-queen smile, she lands a job as a front desk clerk at the Colorado Springs Hotel. It's not a glamorous life, but she and her baby are all that matters.

A former Marine, Scott "Trex" Trexler has worked in the most dangerous, corrupt, war-torn places on earth. Now he finally has a chance to return to the last place he'd felt at peace--Colorado Springs, Colorado, to take a new job with the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, a top-secret military installation buried deep within the granite.

The moment Trex walks into the inn, Darby knows he's dangerous. There's no way she wants to get involved with another man who seems to be keeping way too many secrets. As charming and devastatingly gorgeous as Trex is, he clearly isn't telling her everything. But as wildfires rage on the mountain and Darby's ex-fiancé shows he isn't so willing to let her go, both she and Trex are soon to find out that what you don't know absolutely can hurt you.

What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!

Can't Wait for All the Little Lights

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

All the Little Lights

By: Jamie McGuire

Expected Publication: May 29th 2018 by Montlake Romance

pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jamie McGuire comes a riveting tale of first love that starts young but runs deep.

The first time Elliott Youngblood spots Catherine Calhoun, he’s just a boy with a camera, and he’s never seen a sadder and more beautiful sight. Both Elliott and Catherine feel like outcasts, yet they find an easy friendship with each other. But when Catherine needs him most, Elliott is forced to leave town.

Elliott finally returns, but he and Catherine are now different people. He’s a star high school athlete, and she spends all her free time working at her mother’s mysterious bed-and-breakfast. Catherine hasn’t forgiven Elliott for abandoning her, but he’s determined to win back her friendship…and her heart.

Just when Catherine is ready to fully trust Elliott, he becomes the prime suspect in a local tragedy. Despite the town’s growing suspicions, Catherine clings to her love for Elliott. But a devastating secret that Catherine has buried could destroy whatever chance of happiness they have left.

What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!

Waiting on Beautiful Funeral

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

A Beautiful Funeral (Beautiful, # 3)

By: Jamie McGuire

Expected Publication: August 15th 2016 by Jamie McGuire, LLC

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Losing has never been easy for a Maddox, but death always wins.

Eleven years to the day after eloping in Vegas with Abby, Special Agent Travis Maddox delivers his own brand of vigilante justice to mob boss Benny Carlisi. Vegas's oldest and most violent crime family is now preparing for vengeance, and the entire Maddox family is a target.

The secret Thomas and Travis have kept for a decade will be revealed to the rest of the family, and for the first time the Maddoxes will be at odds. While none of them are strangers to loss, the family has grown, and the risk is higher than ever. With brothers against brothers and wives taking sides, each member will make a choice—let the fear tear them apart, or make them stronger.

I've been hooked into the Maddox family from the very beginning. I've got to know what happens and this title is killing me! Who dies? What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

Beautiful Burn - Review

Beautiful Burn (The Maddox Brothers, # 4)

By: Jamie McGuire

Published: January 31st 2016

300 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

Source: Personal Kindle Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate link. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Fresh out of college, Ellison Edson has fallen through the cracks of rock bottom. While staying in her family’s vacation home in Colorado, her behavior has finally gained the attention of her parents—but not in the way she hoped. Cut off from the millions she’s always taken for granted, and left alone to fend for herself, Ellie spirals further out of control, making a mistake she can’t take back.

Like his twin brother Taylor, Tyler Maddox is a member of the Alpine Hotshots, fighting wildland fires on the frontline. As arrogant as he is charming, Tyler’s nomadic lifestyle makes it easy to contain his relationships to one night. When he meets Ellie at a local party during off-season, her extreme personality and dismissive attitude fascinates him at first, but as his feelings deepen, Tyler realizes that the crippling inner demons of the woman he loves might be the strongest enemy any Maddox has ever faced.

I'm kind of torn on Beautiful Burn. This was probably my least favorite book of the series, and that rests solely on Ellison as a character. I was never quite sure what to think of her while reading the previous books in the series when she would make an appearance, and even now that I know and understand he more, I still don't really like her that much. Ellison starts Beautiful Burn in a rough place. She's the daughter of an extremely rich family, but she's bored and unhappy. She's been all over the world. It appears that a lot of her motivation is trying to get her parent's attention. And of course, bad behavior elicits more of a response from her parents than good behavior. And that behavior consists of alcohol, drugs, partying, damaging her parent's property, and of course all kinds of sexual behavior not limited to one gender. I just found that I couldn't connect with Ellison.

Tyler becomes enamoured with Ellison after they have a one night stand. Relationships in new adult books seem to almost always start with some kind of sexual experience and then the characters actually get to know each other. I can't help but roll my eyes at this because physical attraction is never really a foundation worthy of building anything lasting. I was confused with how willingly Tyler sticks by Ellison despite her repeated relapse behavior. It was at times hard to see what he saw in her.

I could really relate to Ellison realizing how far she'd fallen and wanting to do better, but her journey was not one of a steady upward track. It was more like one step forward and ten steps back. I really wanted her to want more from herself, more than she did.

But like Jamie McGuire's other books, I was pretty hooked despite my frustrations with Ellison. I was excited to see what tie ins to the previous books might exist. While events often were overlapping or replicated in Beautiful Burn there really wasn't some big surprise way that this piece of the puzzle fit with the rest of the books in the series like the previous ones did. This was a slight letdown, but it also meant that Jamie McGuire didn't force anything that shouldn't be there.

I still find it a bit unbelievable that 4 Maddox brothers essentially fall in love with their happily ever afters all during the exact same time period. Yet, that's not something to question too deeply. I just wanted to enjoy each book and each ride.

I'm sad to see The Maddox Brothers series come to an end. Again, Beautiful Burn is my least favorite in the series. That being said, I still read it really quickly. Beautiful Burn gets 3 Stars from me. Have you read Beautiful Burn? What did you think? Let me know!

Waiting on Beautiful Burn

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Beautiful Burn (The Maddox Brothers, # 4)

By: Jamie McGuire

Expected Publication: January 31st 2016

300 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate link. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Fresh out of college, Ellison Edson has fallen through the cracks of rock bottom. While staying in her family’s vacation home in Colorado, her behavior has finally gained the attention of her parents—but not in the way she hoped. Cut off from the millions she’s always taken for granted, and left alone to fend for herself, Ellie spirals further out of control, making a mistake she can’t take back.

Like his twin brother Taylor, Tyler Maddox is a member of the Alpine Hotshots, fighting wildland fires on the frontline. As arrogant as he is charming, Tyler’s nomadic lifestyle makes it easy to contain his relationships to one night. When he meets Ellie at a local party during off-season, her extreme personality and dismissive attitude fascinates him at first, but as his feelings deepen, Tyler realizes that the crippling inner demons of the woman he loves might be the strongest enemy any Maddox has ever faced.

More Maddox brothers? Yes please! What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

Top Ten Authors (Books) To Read if You Like Colleen Hoover

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Authors (Books) to Read if You Like Colleen Hoover.

So Colleen Hoover is one of my favorite authors. So far all of her books have been extremely romantic, but also carry some element of surprise and often deep sadness. The characters usually have some pretty big hurtles to overcome, and the writing really sucks me in. So that was my criteria for this top ten list: 1) romance, 2) surprise twist or deep sadness (bonus if the two are combined), 3) something to overcome, and 4) writing and characters that hook me quickly.

1. Katja Millay (The Sea of Tranquility)
2. Katie McGarry (specifically the Pushing the Limits series)
3. Claire Wallis (the Push series)
4. Rebecca Donovan
5. Rebecca Shea (specifically Unbreakable)
6. KA Tucker (specifically Ten Tiny Breaths)
7. Tammara Webber (specifically Easy)
8. Jamie McGuire (specifically The Maddox Brothers series)
9. Anne Eliot (specifically Almost)

Are there any books you'd recommend to me because I love Colleen Hoover? What do you think? Let me know!

Top Ten Auto-Buy Authors

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Auto-Buy Authors.

Ok so I don't COMPLETELY have auto buy authors where the description of the book doesn't matter. Even though there are authors that I've loved every single book I've read that they've written, I still know my reading preferences well enough to know that some subjects are just not enjoyable for me. And so barring any crazy jumps into these territories, here's a list of authors that come closest to being considered "auto-buy" authors for me.

1. Colleen Hoover
2. Richelle Mead
3. Maggie Stiefvater
4. Katie McGarry
5. Jamie McGuire
6. KA Tucker
7. Francis Chan
8. Stormie Omartian

There are a few other authors that I contemplated adding to the list, but I thought these were really the closest to a true auto-buy author list. What about you guys? Who are your auto-buy authors? Let me know!

Beautiful Sacrifice - Review

Beautiful Sacrifice (The Maddox Brothers, # 3)

By: Jamie McGuire

Published: May 31st 2015 by Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

284 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

Source: Personal Kindle Library

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Falyn Fairchild can walk away from anything. Having already left her car, her education, and even her parents, the daughter of the next governor of Colorado is back in her hometown, broke and waiting tables for the Bucksaw Café. After every shift, Falyn adds to her shoebox of cash, hoping to one day save enough to buy her a plane ticket to the only place she can find forgiveness: Eakins, Illinois.

The moment Taylor Maddox is seated in Falyn’s section at the Bucksaw, she knows he’s trouble. Taylor is charming, breaks promises, and gorgeous even when covered in filth—making him everything Falyn believes a hotshot firefighter to be. Falyn isn’t interested in becoming another statistic, and for a Maddox boy, a disinterested girl is the ultimate challenge.

Once Falyn learns where Taylor calls home, everything changes. In the end, Maddox persistence is met with Falyn’s talent for leaving, and for the first time, Taylor may be the one to get burned.

One of my favorite things about The Maddox Brothers series has been how each book has been so intertwined within the others. I love that little pieces of the puzzle fit in all over the place making one complete picture. However, this is also kind of a complaint. Because it seems highly unlikely that 4 brothers will find the love of their lives all around the same time period as each other. Along with a few other coincidences that are just too big to really be believable. It’s a little on the cheesy side. But hey…I like cheesy (up to a point).

Unlike the previous two books in the series, Beautiful Sacrifice was written from Falyn’s perspective entirely. I liked the change of pace, but if we end up getting a version of Beautiful Sacrifice but from Taylor’s perspective I might just scream. We briefly met Falyn in the previous books, but I didn’t really know much about her. Because of the interconnected nature of all the books in this series so far, I’m really going to have to go back and re-read them all once I have all of the pieces of the puzzle in place.

Falyn waits tables at a restaurant in Colorado. She came from a life of wealth but has turned her back on it all. She doesn’t want anything to do with her parents because of the past, and she doesn’t want anything to do with the life they tried to give her—the clothes, her car, a cellphone, ivy league college, becoming a doctor, table manners. No. She’s perfectly happy with thrift store buys, walking if need be, no cellphone, working at the restaurant that she happens to be renting a room above, and being rude and mean whenever she feels like it. Falyn has all the family she needs in the owners of the restaurant. They know her history, and they look out for her whenever they can. Needless to say, Falyn does NOT have time for a fling that’s just passing through.

Taylor now lives in Colorado working for the Forest Service working to put out forest fires. He works in one area of Colorado but often gets called to help out in other areas when needed. That’s how he meets Falyn. Despite being almost immediately interested in her and Falyn not wanting to give him the time of day, Taylor kind of tricks Falyn into going out with him as a means to get back at her parents. It just so happens that Taylor grew up in Eakins, Illinois…the one place where Falyn’s been saving her money to try to go.

Taylor and Falyn have a typical Maddox brother relationship. Feisty girl meets determined boy. They enter into a friendship type relationship because fiesty girl is adamant about not dating determined guy. But of course things can’t just stay platonic. And as is typical with these boys, when things get tough they respond with stupidity and alcohol rather than clear headedness. I felt like the biggest conflict between Falyn and Taylor was one of those too easy fixes, but I didn’t let that bother me too much. Also, while there is a large chunk of language in this book, I really appreciate Jamie McGuire keeping the sexual content to the level that she did. Events take place, but they aren't described in the detail that she’s been known to do in other books. I personally like my books a bit on the tame side.

Beautiful Sacrifice was better than I expected it to be and yet had a few coincidences that were really hard to believe. I love how the books in this series are all interconnected in ways that I’d never expect or imagine. And I can’t wait to go back and re-read the series once I know all of the facts. I can’t even imagine how Tyler and Ellison’s puzzle pieces are going to fit in. I wouldn’t assume that they would except for all of the previous books have so far. Even though language ran high, sexual content did not. I appreciate that. Beautiful Sacrifice gets 4 Stars from me. Have you read Beautiful Sacrifice? What did you think? Let me know!

Waiting on Beautiful Sacrifice

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Beautiful Sacrifice (The Maddox Brothers, # 3)

By: Jamie McGuire

Expected Publication: May 31st 2015 by Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Falyn Fairchild can walk away from anything. Having already left her car, her education, and even her parents, the daughter of the next governor of Colorado is back in her hometown, broke and waiting tables for the Bucksaw Café. After every shift, Falyn adds to her shoebox of cash, hoping to one day save enough to buy her a plane ticket to the only place she can find forgiveness: Eakins, Illinois.

The moment Taylor Maddox is seated in Falyn’s section at the Bucksaw, she knows he’s trouble. Taylor is charming, breaks promises, and gorgeous even when covered in filth—making him everything Falyn believes a hotshot firefighter to be. Falyn isn’t interested in becoming another statistic, and for a Maddox boy, a disinterested girl is the ultimate challenge.

Once Falyn learns where Taylor calls home, everything changes. In the end, Maddox persistence is met with Falyn’s talent for leaving, and for the first time, Taylor may be the one to get burned.

I've enjoyed the previous books in this series. What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

Beautiful Redemption - Review

Beautiful Redemption (The Maddox Brothers, # 2)

By: Jamie McGuire

Published: January 27th 2015 by CreateSpace Independent Publishing

260 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

Source: Personal Kindle Library

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--No-nonsense Liis Lindy is an agent of the FBI. Deciding she is married only to her job, she breaks off her engagement and transfers from Chicago to the field office in San Diego. She loves her desk. She is committed to her laptop. She dreams of promotions and shaking hands with the director after cracking an impossible case.

Special Agent in Charge Thomas Maddox is arrogant, unforgiving, and ruthless. He is tasked with putting away some of the world’s toughest criminals, and he is one of the best the Bureau has to offer. Though, as many lives as he’s saved, there is one that is beyond his reach. Younger brother Travis is faced with prison time for his involvement in a basement fire that killed dozens of college students, and the media want a conviction. Travis’s only savior is his unusual tie to the mob. In a deal that will spare his brother, Thomas has agreed to recruit Travis into the FBI.

Liis is stubborn, defiant, and yet somehow softens Thomas’s rough edges, making her the perfect agent to accompany him to the ceremony. Posing as a couple, they must travel to Travis & Abby’s beach vow renewal and give him the news, but when the pretending ends, she finds herself wondering if they were pretending at all.

In the second installment of the Maddox Brothers books, experience firsthand the mysterious world of the elusive Thomas Maddox, and how good love can be when you’re not the first, but the last.

I had medium expectations for Beautiful Redemption. I very much enjoyed Beautiful Oblivion--a good bit more than I thought I would. But I know for me that often the key to enjoying a book is not to build it up too much. I knew I wanted to read Beautiful Redemption, and after that twist in Beautiful Oblivion I knew I wanted to read it ASAP. I was totally not expecting the TJ, Camille’s ex-boyfriend, to turn out to be Thomas—as in Trent and Travis’s brother. That being said, I wanted so bad for Thomas to have his happy ending and so I was excited to see how his story would go.

I’m not a huge fan of trends that I see in books, but I also know that there’s really nothing new under the sun. I don’t think writers sit down expecting to write the same story as some other story. Most writers follow the story that their characters show them. But that being said, I have to say that I was a bit annoyed with Thomas and Liis’s story begins with a one night stand. That combined with the plot point of the pretend couple in order to attend Travis and Abby’s vow renewal ceremony had Beautiful Redemption falling into a few clichés. But overall, I didn’t dwell on this too much.

I was equal parts torn between enjoying and being annoyed with the bouncing back and forth that Liis did. Thomas decided fairly early on how he felt about Liis and what he was willing to do to be with her. But Liis can’t make up her mind. She has valid points about Thomas not being over his heartbreak from Camille, yet I almost felt like she brought that out of him. Meaning had she not been so focused on him not being over Camille then Thomas himself wouldn’t have had the few moments that he did. And then Liis can’t decide if she wants a relationship or not at all. She left a relationship that she basically felt nothing but disdain for yet she can’t tell the difference between what’s real and what’s fake? I don’t know. I’m not 100% sold.

Truth be told, I think I enjoyed this book more until this moment where I’m writing my review of it because it’s only now that I’m beginning to overanalyze things that I only really mentally noted before. I will say that I enjoyed how like Beautiful Oblivion, Beautiful Redemption takes place before the epilogue of Walking Disaster. I also liked how Travis is definitely having to face the consequences of his illegal actions from Beautiful Disaster, even if he still has the potential of avoiding prison time. He doesn’t just get off the hook because this is a book and we want a happy ending. And at the risk of sounding like a moron, I did get lost a few times when Liis and Thomas were talking about the intricacies of how 3 FBI cases all tied together. Some of the jargon was lost on me, but it didn’t prevent me from getting the overall point.

Favorite quotes:

-“What’s worse is the louder I am, the less they hear.” “Maybe you should try speaking more softly.”

-“You can love someone without wanting to be with them. Just like you can want to be with someone before you love them.”

-“I lost someone I loved before, and it changed me. I gave up someone I loved before, and it crushed me. I know that when you leave, Liis, however it goes down…it will end me.”

-“It’s somewhere in the unforeseen when the best, most important moments of our lives seem to happen.”

Beautiful Redemption had a few frustrations for me, but I feel like I didn’t focus on most of them in the moment. I’m glad that I finally got Thomas’s story. And I truly can’t wait to see which Maddox brother is getting their story next. I want to say Taylor since he had a slightly more prominent role than Tyler did in Beautiful Redemption and there was some ever so small setup about his potential relationship mentioned. Beautiful Redemption gets 4 Stars. Have you read Beautiful Redemption? What did you think? Let me know!

Beautiful Oblivion - Review

Beautiful Oblivion (Maddox Brothers, # 1)

By: Jamie McGuire

Published: July 1st 2014 by Atria Books

416 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

Source: Personal Kindle Library

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--The Beautiful Disaster and Walking Disaster phenomenon continues in the first heart-pounding new adult romance in The Maddox Brothers series.

Fiercely independent Camille "Cami" Camlin gladly moved on from her childhood before it was over. She has held down a job since before she could drive, and moved into her own apartment after her freshman year of college. Now tending bar at The Red Door, Cami doesn’t have time for much else besides work and classes, until a trip to see her boyfriend is cancelled, leaving her with a first weekend off in almost a year.

Trenton Maddox was the king of Eastern State University, dating co-eds before he even graduated high school. His friends wanted to be him, and women wanted to tame him, but after a tragic accident turned his world upside down, Trenton leaves campus to come to grips with the crushing guilt.

Eighteen months later, Trenton is living at home with his widower father, and works full-time at a local tattoo parlor to help with the bills. Just when he thinks his life is returning to normal, he notices Cami sitting alone at a table at The Red.

As the baby sister of four rowdy brothers, Cami believes she’ll have no problem keeping her new friendship with Trenton Maddox strictly platonic. But when a Maddox boy falls in love, he loves forever—even if she is the only reason their already broken family could fall apart.

In the first installment of the Maddox Brothers books, readers can experience the rush of reading Beautiful Disaster for the first time, all over again.

We meet Trent Maddox in Beautiful Disaster. He’s a fairly present character during that book even though Beautiful Disaster and Walking Disaster follow Travis Maddox (Trent’s brother) and his relationship with Abby Abernathy. I was totally unaware of this, but Beautiful Oblivion takes place during the same span of time as Beautiful Disaster, and I just loved that. I mean that’s life, right? Things are going on with every single person at the same time. Plus I loved seeing the crossovers. I will say though that we mostly only saw Travis during the off again times of his and Abby’s on-again-off-again relationship—which makes sense because Cami works as a bartender. And we rarely see Abby at all. Only occasionally. Anyway, my main point is that I felt like I knew Trent a little bit at the start of Beautiful Oblivion.

Also, Jamie McGuire included a little tidbit about the bar that Cami works at being really empty during the times that Travis had a fight scheduled, and then the crowds would come in all hyped up. The guys would often get into fights because of all of the testosterone riding high from the fight. I thought that was a pretty smart detail to include. It’s the little things, right?

Since I don’t read reviews of books I plan to read, I never read any reviews of Beautiful Oblivion, but it seems like I saw some negative reactions to this book. I don’t even remember hearing anything concrete, but I went from being really excited to read Beautiful Oblivion as soon as possible to feeling like it would be just fine as long as I got around to it eventually. But that made me go into Beautiful Oblivion with fairly low expectations. And those expectations were totally exceeded.

Trent is described as having been almost as big of a playboy throughout his life as Travis, but thankfully, he pretty much had Cami in his sights the entire book so we didn’t really have to deal with that. I get sick of reading the same male character over and over. He was definitely the one doing the pursuing in this book—exactly how it should be. Trent was so easily likeable. He’s just a good guy. And I love that he doesn’t just take "no" as an answer but not really in a creepy way.

Cami starts out the book getting stood up by her current boyfriend. It wasn’t the boyfriend's choice really. They have a long distance relationship and he’s currently pursuing a career that is his priority. He discussed all of that with Cami before they started dating, and she said it wouldn’t be a problem. And here’s the thing…it probably would not have been a problem had she not been repeatedly exposed and pursued by someone who actually lived near her. Trent lets her know that he’s interested in her, but they remain just friends…until well they cross that line.

Cami was a bit of a struggle for me when it came to the major conflict. I don’t mind there being hints that there’s something the reader doesn’t know. As a matter of fact, that’s a good thing. BUT, this suspense lasted through the entire book. I mean I’ll say that it was totally worth it once I found out what the big secret was, but getting there was slightly frustrating. I was shouting at her to just tell Trent whatever secret was involving with TJ, the guy she started the book dating. I felt kind of stupid once I found out what the secret was because dude…I seriously could have figured that out if I had been paying attention. I spent the entire day after finishing this book going over it in my head and remembering places where I’d obviously missed the clues. Whoops! But, missing it made this book more enjoyable for me.

While there is a good bit of language, Beautiful Oblivion wasn’t as physically graphic as I believe Beautiful Disaster was. I could be wrong about that because it's been a while since I read that one. Anyway, I appreciated that the description wasn’t overkill in that area.

Overall, Beautiful Oblivion surprised me in all the right ways. I really enjoyed it. The only downside was not having the next Maddox brother’s story, Thomas, to jump right into next. Beautiful Oblivion gets 4 stars from me. Have you read Beautiful Oblivion? What did you think? Let me know!

Waiting on Beautiful Redemption

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Beautiful Redemption (The Maddox Brothers, # 2)

By: Jamie McGuire

Expected Publication: January 27th 2015 by CreateSpace Independent Publishing

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--No-nonsense Liis Lindy is an agent of the FBI. Deciding she is married only to her job, she breaks off her engagement and transfers from Chicago to the field office in San Diego. She loves her desk. She is committed to her laptop. She dreams of promotions and shaking hands with the director after cracking an impossible case.

Special Agent in Charge Thomas Maddox is arrogant, unforgiving, and ruthless. He is tasked with putting away some of the world’s toughest criminals, and he is one of the best the Bureau has to offer. Though, as many lives as he’s saved, there is one that is beyond his reach. Younger brother Travis is faced with prison time for his involvement in a basement fire that killed dozens of college students, and the media want a conviction. Travis’s only savior is his unusual tie to the mob. In a deal that will spare his brother, Thomas has agreed to recruit Travis into the FBI.

Liis is stubborn, defiant, and yet somehow softens Thomas’s rough edges, making her the perfect agent to accompany him to the ceremony. Posing as a couple, they must travel to Travis & Abby’s beach vow renewal and give him the news, but when the pretending ends, she finds herself wondering if they were pretending at all.

In the second installment of the Maddox Brothers books, experience firsthand the mysterious world of the elusive Thomas Maddox, and how good love can be when you’re not the first, but the last.

What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

Waiting on Beautiful Oblivion

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Beautiful Oblivion (Maddox Brothers, # 1)

By: Jamie McGuire

Expected Publication: July 1st 2014 by Atria Books

416 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--The Beautiful Disaster and Walking Disaster phenomenon continues in the first heart-pounding new adult romance in The Maddox Brothers series.

Fiercely independent Camille "Cami" Camlin gladly moved on from her childhood before it was over. She has held down a job since before she could drive, and moved into her own apartment after her freshman year of college. Now tending bar at The Red Door, Cami doesn’t have time for much else besides work and classes, until a trip to see her boyfriend is cancelled, leaving her with a first weekend off in almost a year.

Trenton Maddox was the king of Eastern State University, dating co-eds before he even graduated high school. His friends wanted to be him, and women wanted to tame him, but after a tragic accident turned his world upside down, Trenton leaves campus to come to grips with the crushing guilt.

Eighteen months later, Trenton is living at home with his widower father, and works full-time at a local tattoo parlor to help with the bills. Just when he thinks his life is returning to normal, he notices Cami sitting alone at a table at The Red.

As the baby sister of four rowdy brothers, Cami believes she’ll have no problem keeping her new friendship with Trenton Maddox strictly platonic. But when a Maddox boy falls in love, he loves forever—even if she is the only reason their already broken family could fall apart.

In the first installment of the Maddox Brothers books, readers can experience the rush of reading Beautiful Disaster for the first time, all over again.

I did really enjoy Beautiful Disaster! This one is a must! What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

Walking Disaster - Review

Walking Disaster (Beautiful, # 2)

By: Jamie McGuire

Published: April 2nd 2013 by Atria Books

448 pages

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depository )

Goodreads description--Finally, the highly anticipated follow-up to the New York Times bestseller Beautiful Disaster. Can you love someone too much? Travis Maddox learned two things from his mother before she died: Love hard. Fight harder.

In Walking Disaster, the life of Travis is full of fast women, underground gambling, and violence. But just when he thinks he is invincible, Abby Abernathy brings him to his knees.

Every story has two sides. In Beautiful Disaster, Abby had her say. Now it’s time to see the story through Travis’s eyes.

I read Beautiful Disaster and I really enjoyed it. I thought the two main characters were an emotional wreck and that they didn't particularly have a healthy relationship. When I started reading Walking Disaster, I thought "well this isn't as bad as I remember. They seem mostly normal." Well...that didn't last too long. I definitely got another dose of "these two cats are CRAZY." But, I still enjoyed it.

As the Goodreads description states, there are two sides to every story. And while, I can promise you that I do NOT want to read every book written from one perspective to be turned around into another book written from the other perspective, I did enjoy it in this case and I think there are a couple of other books I'd be all over (Midnight Sun anyone? IJS!). I felt like Beautiful Disaster was enriched knowing Travis's point of view, what was going on in his head, and how his emotions played into their relationship. The behind the scenes stuff that Abby couldn't possibly know is the stuff that I like most about Walking Disaster.

Along the same lines as the behind the scenes stuff, I enjoyed the epilogue from Walking Disaster. We get a quick peak at where Abby and Travis are down the road. While I think it'd be less than likely that they all of a sudden have a healthy relationship immediately following the ending of Beautiful Disaster, sometimes it's nice to pretend.

Did Walking Disaster change my opinion of Beautiful Disaster? Not really. But that's not a bad thing for me, because even though I can tell the relationship between Abby and Travis is a roller coaster of unhealthy emotions and co-dependency, I still enjoyed reading their story, and I enjoyed reading it again from Travis's eyes. I will say that if I complained about the number of f-bombs dropped in Beautiful Disaster, well you can at least double them because that's a staple of Travis's vocabulary and thought process.

Walking Disaster gets 4 stars from me. Have you read Walking Disaster? If so, what did you think? Let me know!