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Beautiful Disaster

by Laura Spinella (Goodreads Author)

4.1 of 5 stars 4.10 · rating details · 470 ratings · 100 reviews

Read Laura Spinella's blogs and other content on the Penguin Community.

A story of love lost...and found.

Mia Wells's eco-friendly career goals are about to become a reality-but her life-altering moment is interrupted when an unexpected call ushers in her tremulous past. A man who's never left Mia's memory: Flynn, the enigmatic, passionate man whose disappearance broke he...more

Paperback, 384 pages

Published January 4th 2011 by Berkley Trade (first published November 23rd 2010)

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Rita Finalists 2012

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Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

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Community Reviews

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Feb 09, 2011 Kaye rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-challenge

For college student, Mia Montgomery, it's just another day hanging out with friends until she lays eyes on Flynn; a scruffy looking, coarse mouthed, motorcycling drifter with a past full of secrets and a future full of nothing but uncertainty. When they meet later on in a bar, it's as if the two of them just knew they were soul mates.

"Silence settled between them as Flynn searched the busy bar for a place to hide his vulnerability. He rubbed his palms over his denim-covered thighs, realizing his...more For college student, Mia Montgomery, it's just another day hanging out with friends until she lays eyes on Flynn; a scruffy looking, coarse mouthed, motorcycling drifter with a past full of secrets and a future full of nothing but uncertainty. When they meet later on in a bar, it's as if the two of them just knew they were soul mates.

"Silence settled between them as Flynn searched the busy bar for a place to hide his vulnerability. He rubbed his palms over his denim-covered thighs, realizing his hands were sweaty. The attraction, like the tide to the moon, kept pulling the two of them toward each other. "

Mia's youth, freshness and naivete crumbled Flynn's defenses and brought out his vulnerabilities. Flynn was like no one Mia had ever known before. Despite their obvious differences and against all advice from Mia's best friend, Roxanne, Mia and Flynn began an intense love affair that would change both their destinies almost destroying them in the process. On the other hand, it might just be their salvation.

Flynn was the kind of man that could not be pinned down; it would be like trying to chain a rainbow or a breeze to earth. Even though Flynn could not promise her any future, Mia had complete faith in him knowing that he would never hurt her. The best he could promise was that he would not leave her. That's why it was so devastating when suddenly he was just gone without a word of explanation leaving Mia to agonize over her lost love and wondering how she would take her next breath never mind getting on with her life.

Now he is back; but not the way Mia would have wanted. Roxanne, now a doctor in the local hospital, has called Mia to let her know that Flynn had been in a motorcycle crash and is now in a coma in the ER. Mia leaves a life changing business meeting to rush to Flynn's side. Oh, yeah, there is a slight complication. In the twelve years Flynn has been gone, Mia married Michael Wells after waiting for years for some word or news from Flynn.

Along with the main plot line, there is a bit of a mysterious sub-plot going on. College girls have been murdered from the midwest all the way to Alabama and Roxanne, is convinced Flynn was somehow involved. This suspicion on Roxanne's part almost ended her long friendship with Mia.

For a debut novel, this was beautifully written and very enjoyable. In fact, other than one scene in the middle, I had a hard time putting this one down. I was so captivated by the characterizations, southern setting, depth of emotions and plot line that I couldn't wait to see what happened next; I just kept turning the pages almost non-stop. Laura Spinella has dug deep to flesh out her characters' feelings and thoughts. It's as if I had been a close friend of Mia, Flynn and Roxanne for years and had been through all the heartache right along with them. Highly recommended.
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Jan 22, 2012 Derek rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, own

I am a 21 year old male who sees my local Barnes and Noble as my favorite store in existence. For, I'd say 13 or so years, my library has consisted of a plethora of YA fiction, mostly in the vein of Potter, Twilight and so on. Every so often, in the last few months, more specifically, I would find myself hurtling down the adult fiction section, spurred by my urge to read an "adult novel" both to expand my literary journey and to make my 23 year old sister stop her "you only read kids books" mant...more

9 likes · like · see review

Apr 28, 2011 Naomi rated it 5 of 5 stars

POTENTIAL SPOILERS..POTENTIAL SPOILERS...POTENTIAL SPOILERS

4.5/5 Stars

I am about 115 pages in and loving this book because of the development of the characters..I know a book is good when you have shake your head moments re: the main character, Mia and want to bitch slap her for stupid decisions and don't like a character who is in a coma! I think the thing that I like most about this book is that it is probably a combination of Womens Lit and Mystery...It is not your typical womens lit book wh...more

5 likes · like · see review

Oct 23, 2011 RomReader rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary

Interior designer heroine gets a call from her ER-doctor friend that her long-lost ex-boyfriend is in surgery due to a major accident. Hero is in a coma & she spends every free time she has with him & doesn't tell her husband of 2 years about it. She remembers their intense 1-year r/s & his sudden disappearance from her life 12 years ago. Even though she knows nothing of his life since or whether he'll ever gain consciousness, seeing Hero again makes her realize that she never stoppe...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 08, 2011 Kelsey rated it 5 of 5 stars

CAUTION: CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS! (AS OPPOSED TO COMPLETE SPOILERS.)

You know, I picked this book up on the cover alone. "Different than the minimalist mystery of most modern day novels?? I'll take it!" Plus, it was 60% off...sadly (Borders was going out of business.)I didn't even read the back, skim the pages, nothing. I just took it home.

I started reading it when I got home. My other take that day was a HUGE cookbook, so I really had no choice.

THANK GOD FOR NO CHOICE.

The book is not complex in...more CAUTION: CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS! (AS OPPOSED TO COMPLETE SPOILERS.)

You know, I picked this book up on the cover alone. "Different than the minimalist mystery of most modern day novels?? I'll take it!" Plus, it was 60% off...sadly (Borders was going out of business.)I didn't even read the back, skim the pages, nothing. I just took it home.

I started reading it when I got home. My other take that day was a HUGE cookbook, so I really had no choice.

THANK GOD FOR NO CHOICE.

The book is not complex in vocabulary or themes. It doesn't have poignancy or nuance. It is a blatant telling of the story of passive artist, Mia, and how her life is changed over the course of one year when she meets Flynn, a one-named James Dean type, in the summer of her senior year of college. Unlike most of the other books I read, it was fairly simple...but utterly addictive.

This book is like that chick flick that you love simply for the leading man. Maybe it's not the best movie, with massive character development or emotional revelation, but it is just...so...good.

"Beautiful Disaster" made me nervous at work. I was waiting to get to my lunch break so I could keep reading and alleviate the butterflies. I got pissed at parts of this book. I cried. I threw it across the room. I read all 400 pages in 2 days...I NEVER do that. I identified with Roxanne...then I hated her. I felt bad for Micheal...then I hated him. I know a guy JUST LIKE Flynn, and he really spoke to me because of it. Mia was a wash for me. I admire her faith...but I'm not so sure how I feel about her overall.

What I am sure of is this...I loved the book. Its pure modern fantasy, like the Princess Bride, made it easy and FUN to read. It didn't change my life or my outlook or awaken any beast within me (save for the squealing romance-movie loving girl that has always been there) but it did, at the end, feel like I had a great time.

If you appreciate the necessity of fun, "fluffy" novels in the record of avid readers, pick this one up. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

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Oct 12, 2012 Randi rated it 4 of 5 stars

This story is about two characters, MIA and FLYNN. They saw each other and fell in deep love with each other. However, circumstances have taken them away from each other for TWELVE years. Now Mia's friend, a doctor, informed Mia that Flynn was in a coma at her hospital. She came running, even though she was surprised that her friend told her when she knew that Roxanne (the friend) hated Flynn because of her suspicions.

Mia became nostalgic while Flynn was in a coma, on how they met and how they h...more

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May 24, 2011 Betsy James rated it 1 of 5 stars

This novel, while considerably promising, lacked in character structure and believable dialogue. I found Flynn and Mia to be completely unbelievable from their very first encounter, and the progression of their relationship to be all the more outrageous. Highly recommend this novel to those who are interested in cheesy romance and weak leading female protagonists blinded by foolish and outlandish "love".

7 likes · like · see review

Dec 28, 2010 Melody rated it 4 of 5 stars

At first glance of the title (and the cover), Beautiful Disaster looks like a suspense but it is actually a story about love lost and found.

Mia Montgomery's dreams is to be a successful interior designer; not any interior designer but one who focus on holistic design and to promote an eco-friendly concept in her work. She takes pride in her work, and she thinks she is getting there when she received a telephone call from a doctor friend, Roxanne, that Peyton Flynn McDermott is in the ICU due to...more At first glance of the title (and the cover), Beautiful Disaster looks like a suspense but it is actually a story about love lost and found.

Mia Montgomery's dreams is to be a successful interior designer; not any interior designer but one who focus on holistic design and to promote an eco-friendly concept in her work. She takes pride in her work, and she thinks she is getting there when she received a telephone call from a doctor friend, Roxanne, that Peyton Flynn McDermott is in the ICU due to an automobile accident and he is in a coma.

Memories of the past began to creep up on her, after all Flynn is her ex-lover and she thought that she would never hear from him after all this time. He has walked out of her life twelve years ago but that does not make Mia stop thinking about him over the years. Mia knew Flynn when she was just a design student at the University of Georgia then. Flynn was the one who took notice of her initially, but he didn't think they belong to the same league anyway since he has a dark secret past while Mia looks like she doesn't belong to anything in his world. But then fate seems to be in their way as they later met each other in a pub, and Mia strike up a conversation with him both out of curiosity as well as a bet which she had with Roxanne, in which she was sure that she would get this mysterious stranger to buy her a beer, which he did.

However, Roxanne isn't pleased with the idea that Mia is getting too close with Flynn. On top of that, there is a serial killer on the run and with Flynn's mysterious background she tries all means to stop Mia from being with him. On the other end, Flynn does live dangerously in the past, but he has reasons and to avoid spoiling anything I would not disclose much about his character. Instead I could only tell you that there is a lot of sexual intense between Mia and Flynn, and that you would be enticed with Spinella's prose as she weaves this story between the present and the past.

Characters wise, I think Laura Spinella has done a great job in portraying Mia, Flynn, and Roxanne as well. I think readers would be able to connect with them through Spinella's detailed descriptions of them. However, though I think the characterisations are great, I have to admit that Roxanne's attitude is a little off putting from the way she fussed over Mia's love life but from another perspective, I think she is simply concerned about Mia, that's all. Mia, on the other hand, is a true romantic who totally believes in love and herself.

Beautiful Disaster may have a slight suspense tone, but at its core it is about the power of love and second chance. And oh, did I mention that there is a Southern setting to this story? Well because I absolutely love reading fictions that have a Southern setting. This book is Laura Spinella's debut and I can't wait to find out what she has in store next. (less)

1 like · like · see review

Sep 21, 2011 Heidi Gonzalez rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was grabbed by this book from the beginning and while it is a bit of a sappy story you have to remember it is a romance! I think Spinelli did a great job weaving the past and the present together so that you didn't feel jolted or lost when you changed time lines. The characters were well developed and you found yourself routing for them from the very beginning.

Mia and Flynn's whirlwind romance begins when Mia is in college. Mia's best friend and hyper-vigilant roommate takes an instant dislik...more

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Jun 28, 2011 Jackie Lane rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a great debut novel from Spinella.

Mia Montgomery (Wells), who is going to college to be an eco-friend designer, meets Flynn, an older, motorcycle riding bad boy. Flynn is running from something but Mia doesn’t care. She loves being with him through good and bad and he promises never to just leave. He does just that and it shatters Mia.

Mia goes on to marry and is on the verge of realizing her eco-friendly dream when her best friend, Roxanne, calls her to tell her that her lost love has...more

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Dec 29, 2011 Vera rated it 4 of 5 stars

Follow all my reviews at www.luxuryreading.com

Mia Wells, a holistic interior designer, may be finally getting a break in her career. But, while at a business dinner, Mia receives a call that shakes up her entire existence and threatens the content facade she’s built up over the years.

There’s been a motorcycle accident and the victim’s doctor – Mia’s best friend Roxanne – struggles to save the man’s life. Mia rushes to the ICU, desperate to get a final glimpse, to say goodbye before it’s too late...more Follow all my reviews at www.luxuryreading.com

Mia Wells, a holistic interior designer, may be finally getting a break in her career. But, while at a business dinner, Mia receives a call that shakes up her entire existence and threatens the content facade she’s built up over the years.

There’s been a motorcycle accident and the victim’s doctor – Mia’s best friend Roxanne – struggles to save the man’s life. Mia rushes to the ICU, desperate to get a final glimpse, to say goodbye before it’s too late. However, the man she’s rushing to is not her husband of two years. The man lying in the hospital bed is the one who abruptly disappeared from Mia’s life twelve years before, leaving her devastated.

A senior in college, Mia fell fast and hard for Flynn, an ex-special ops Marine blowing through town. Despite Roxanne’s warnings, Mia felt that she knew the Flynn no one else did. She believed him when he promised not to leave without a warning…until he did.

With Flynn’s reappearance – albeit under unfortunate circumstances – Mia may finally get the answers she’s been waiting for, and have the chance to reunite with a love she’s never forgotten.

Beautiful Disaster by Laura Spinella was – just like Mia and Flynn’s love – sweet, and sexy, and at times painful. I’ve seen others fall madly in love with people who were strangers just the day before, so to me, Mia and Flynn’s instant connection felt real and genuine. That said, however,I did want to see more of a back story about Flynn instead of only learning of his past through his conversations with Mia.

While Mia and Flynn’s characters were easy to admire, Roxanne was just as easy to despise. She did want to protect Mia and her intentions may have been good, but she only came across as rigid, conniving, and paranoid. Given, her behavior was a direct result of her older sister Rory’s disastrous fate at the hands of a drug-peddling boyfriend, but it didn’t make it any more acceptable. If anything, Roxanne’s antics made me more curious about Rory and I wanted more than just a few lines scattered about her here and there.

I truly enjoyed Beautiful Disaster - minor flaws and all – and found it to be reminiscent of Nicholas Sparks’ writing. Many of us have experienced that all consuming love or infatuation, or know someone who did, and will appreciate a walk down memory lane with this novel. I look forward to seeing more from Spinella!(less)

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Mar 05, 2011 Ena Novakovic rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

Coming from a new author, I did not know what to expect, but after reading Beautiful Disaster, I was pleasantly surprised! Laura Spinella transports the reader into a wonderful, captivating romance. As a college student, I found Mia very relatable. Don't we all want to fall for the bad boy with a good heart? Flynn's character made me wish that he actually existed! The way Spinella describes their romance allows the reader to forget the present and fall deeply into the story, experiencing the cha...more

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Apr 17, 2011 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Laura Spinella is both a very nice person and an engaging writer. Her debut, BEAUTIFUL DISASTER, is a wonderfully intense romance that is sure to please fans of relationship fiction. Her hero (or anti-hero, as the case may be!), Flynn, is one tough cookie. Bearded and scruffy, he's riding his Harley cross-country when he stops in Athens, GA, and bumps into beautiful co-ed Mia. There are sparks from the start, even though Mia's best friend, Roxanne, loathes Flynn at first sight. But the chemistry...more

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Apr 29, 2011 Staci rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Staci by: Laura Spinella

Shelves: 2011-reads

My Thoughts:
Beautiful Disaster was a beautiful debut novel! I was hooked from the first chapter and had a hard time putting the book down. I loved the way the author worked the relationships in the story and I felt pretty connected to Mia. I absolutely understood (from personal experience) of falling in the love with a dangerous person and how intoxicating that love affair can become. I thought the pacing of the story was great..never a dull moment. The characters were fleshed out and the events...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Alec Parafina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite

Completely dumbfounded. This book left me speechless. I have no words, actually.

Dark, deep, frustrating, tear-jerking, and all in all, amazing. This book has probably topped my list of favorites. I'm still completely speechless and am currently sobbing like a whale so this review wouldn't really be as coherent as I would like it to be. But one thing is for sure, I am completely and utterly amazed and thoroughly in love with this book. It has left me truly broken, but beautifully.

Greatly recomm...more

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Sep 26, 2012 Karla rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, romance, georgia, maryland

I love reading just for the pleasure of it and finish every book I start(It's an OCD type of thing with me). Yes, I regret finishing a few but very few. If I was a quick to judge and toss reader I would have tossed this at the 100-150 page mark. Saying that, I was pleasantly surprised at the last 100 pages. This novel did a 350 degree turn and the story improved as the twists flew at me. The previously cheesy romance came full circle and turned into the tortured dramatic sort that make a 16 year...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Lexie rated it 5 of 5 stars

4.5/5 Stars! This was a First Reads win. I have to say, I really liked this book. It was an intriguing and richly descriptive story about love lost and found. It really spoke to the power of everlasting, true, unconditional love. I was pleasantly surprised by this author's debut novel. I very quickly became attached to Flynn and Mia's characters. As the story unfolded, I could feel their bond growing. Mia's unconditional love and acceptance for Flynn was admirable. The accessory characters, Roxa...more

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May 06, 2013 Jill rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book captured my interest from page one and held it throughout the entire book. More than just a romance book, Laura Spinella's debut novel contains an intriguing back story that grabbed the mystery/thriller loving portion of my brain and left me chewing on several theories as the story progressed. While this part of the story was by no means the main event, nor really even entirely fleshed out, it kept me reading through the more formulaic romance aspects of the book. And even that portion...more

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Apr 15, 2013 Charlotte Lynns Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, must-read

Mia, as a college student, is swept away by the mysterious and dangerous Flynn. The love affair is ended when Flynn leaves her with no note or goodbye. Mia is devastated, that is the one thing Flynn promised her he would never do. It takes six long years and very few dates for her to move on with her life. Michael Wells, her husband, gives her an amazing life. Her career as an eco-friendly interior designer is about to come true, bet she has never really moved past Flynn.

Roxanne, Mia’s college r...more

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Mar 10, 2012 Lyn M (readinghearts) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: best-books-of-gr-101, 2012, traveling-books, borrowed, contemporary, 2013-monthly-challenge, new-to-me-authors, read-for-review, romance, women-s-fiction

Let me start by saying, I am not a huge fan of Romance books. In the case of Beautiful Disaster I am more than willing to make an exception. This book captured my interest from page one and held it throughout the entire book. More than just a romance book, Laura Spinella's debut novel contains an intriguing back story that grabbed the mystery/thriller loving portion of my brain and left me chewing on several theories as the story progressed. While this part of the story was by no means the main...more

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Nov 18, 2012 Amanda Kimball rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

Okay, I loved Flynn and all of his background details were descriptive and kept me turning the pages. I enjoyed watching Mia come into her own as the story progressed. I hated Michael and Roxanne and the disturbing ways they tried to control Mia's life. I understand wanting to keep those you love safe, but to completely control their lives is WAY too far, and a little far-fetched. I was disgusted by the way Michael treats Mia in the last half of the book and the way he feels it is his right.

My...more

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May 06, 2013 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: traveling-book, 13-new-to-me-authors-2013, wom-150-books-challenge-2013

I loved this book!! How could this be a debut novel?? For me, it was perfect! It pulled me right in and never let me go! Mia is a college student when she meets Flynn, an older drifter who is nothing like she would ever go for but for some reason she is drawn to him. Flynn comes with many mysteries and Mia tries to get him to knock down the walls to his heart and let her in.

They have a wild relationship until one day, Flynn disappears. No note, no good bye, no anything! Mia is devastated and she...more

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Jun 24, 2011 Dee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2011, romance, women

As a reader, I love books that leave me thinking about the characters, the plot and why I felt the way I did at the end of the book. Ever since finishing Beautiful Disaster, it has remained in my thoughts as I have discussed various different points of views with other readers and even debated why we felt different ways about the various characters. Thought-out the entire book my feelings about the various characters changed from dislike to hatred, to liking, it just depending on what was going...more

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Apr 17, 2011 Kelley Bowen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Laura Spinella's romantic, mysterious story kept me up late until I finished this terrific novel. I loved the central characters of Mia and Flynn, soulmates who will have to endure serious hardship before they are able to love each other. The book is a very sexy read, told in an engaging voice that moves in between the past and present at a brisk pace. Unanswered questions about the hero's traumatic past, combined with a thriller-type murder mystery at the heart of the story kept me turning page...more

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Nov 17, 2011 ~Tina~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, read-2011, adults, contemporary

Mia Montgomery is just your average college student. She always plays it safe, leveled-headed and doesn't usually wander off to the dark side of her existence, but the moment she meets Flynn McDermott she want to be daring and different. See, Flynn is all wrong for her, or at least according to her best friend, Roxanne, he's the kind of guy that would take you to bed, break your heart and never look back, but despite the long hair, motorcycle and dangerous look that Flynn seems to sport, he is s...more Mia Montgomery is just your average college student. She always plays it safe, leveled-headed and doesn't usually wander off to the dark side of her existence, but the moment she meets Flynn McDermott she want to be daring and different. See, Flynn is all wrong for her, or at least according to her best friend, Roxanne, he's the kind of guy that would take you to bed, break your heart and never look back, but despite the long hair, motorcycle and dangerous look that Flynn seems to sport, he is so much more then he appears to be. But Flynn is beyond complicated. He has a very dark and haunted past with memories so twisted that it eats him alive. So it's safe to say that he wasn't ready when Mia walked into his life destroying everything in the process. He didn't want this complication in his life, hell, he never wanted to fall in love, he didn't deserve it after all. But somewhere between fighting who you are and the desire you have in your heart, Mia and Flynn started up a very sweet, very real romance.
Till one day...Flynn vanished.

12 years later Mia Wells, gets the phone call that changes all the rules. After the devastating hole Flynn left after twelve years of not knowing what happened, why he broke the one promise he made to her, Flynn's back.
Only he's in a coma fighting for his life.
Mia- ever present by Flynn's bed side connects us to the past and the now. Was what they shared all just a dream? Was it ever real? Is is possible that a love so strong and so wrong can survive everything or was it all just some Beautiful Disaster...?

This is a story about love lost and found, a second chance and two hearts that were always fated to be one.

At fist I wasn't sure about this book. It had it's share of flaws. The dialog didn't quite delivery but at the same time I was hanging on ever word. The writing is promising and has random moments of brilliance but then it would drag in a few chapters making it seem flat. While Flynn's story is obviously tragic and broke my heart it felt forced or maybe to much to believe. Mia has to be a saint to actually want to hold on to someone so damaged. I don't think I would be able to under all those circumstances. Add a bunch of murdered girls, an obsessively controlling best friend with the whodunit finger pointing to the only badass in town and it just seemed so off balanced and everywhere.

But! Despite the flaws, I couldn't for the life of me stop reading this book. I enjoyed the raw energy that Flynn and Mia shared. I enjoyed how intense some of those scenes got and I liked that Laura Spinella wasn't afraid to push her characters and the readers to the limit. There is an extreme amount of heart in this story and I found myself really caring about what happens to these characters. I've always loved stories about second chances, loving the dramatic and romantic which this book delivered quite nicely.
So while I was a bit conflicted with a few things, I'm still glad I picked this up. It's one of those reads that you have to look past the flaws and just put yourself in these characters lives, what they went through, how they felt and what they did to get it right once and for all.
In a nut shell, It made me smile and that's good enough for me.
A really great debut by Spinella! I'm looking forward to seeing what she has in store for us next.(less)

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Mar 11, 2011 Shannon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I absolutely loved this book!! Beginning to end it was wonderful! The characters were great and I felt for each of them in their own ways! Basically it is a good girl in college meets a bad boy and they have whirl wind romance and then he disappears then jumps 6 years and he appears in a coma and is once again in her life. Of course she has seemingly moved on so it is complicated. Throw in a deep down well meaning best friend and a little murder mystery and this just makes a really great book! I...more

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Mar 07, 2011 Linny Sommers rated it 5 of 5 stars

When a book stays with you for weeks after you've read it, what does that say? I think it says it's one heck of a book! Beautiful Disaster has it all, love, passion, suspense, and unforgettable characters! The writing is exceptional, funny at times, compelling, always engaging. Great dialogue... terrific love scenes! Spinella delivers page after page! She keeps you guessing, though I found myself rooting for Mia and Flynn from the first chapter to the very end!

1 like · like · see review

Mar 14, 2013 Tamara rated it 3 of 5 stars

The story revolves around a college student Mia who falls for a motorcycle guy named Flynn. She loves the way he is mysterious and so different from the normal guys she meets. Her best friend Roxanne is not happy with the relationship, she does not trust Flynn. Mia and Flynn fall very much in love until one day Flynn disappers without even a good bye. Unfortunately, he does leave a lettter which is intercepted by Roxanne. Mia is so hurt by Flynn's abandonment it takes her many years to recover....more

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Mar 03, 2011 Loren rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read Beautiful Disaster over a weekend and could not put it down. The plot hooked me, but the author's voice kept me turning the pages. Laura Spinella is a romance writer who accomplishes the difficult task of describing intimacy in an elegant way. Her characters have dimension. She also has a natural knack for dialogue. The characters in Beautiful Disaster have a mysterious quality that adds to the suspense of the novel. This book is very well-written.

1 like · like · see review

Jul 27, 2011 Sherrie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: already-read, 2011-reading-challenge, i-own-this-book, review-books

What would you do if the love of your life, which left you, reappeared? And in the hospital fighting for their life. Would you drop everything to be with them? Or ignore them? Mia is this person. She is married and has a family. One day she gets a phone call from a friend, Flynn is back and is injured and not doing good. Now Mia has to make some life changing decisions. Really good book with some hard choices to make.

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About Laura Spinella

PERFECT TIMING, coming November 5TH!

**BEAUTIFUL DISASTER, RWA RITA FINALIST, BEST FIRST BOOK, 2012!!**

Golden Leaf WINNER Best First Book NJRWA
Golden Quill WINNER Best First Book Desert Rose RWA

Biographies are a tough sell. John Nash, Joan of Arc, Helen Keller—people who led very readable lives, and yet the movies did better. I’ll tell you now, I have no big-screen moments, not even the hint of a...more PERFECT TIMING, coming November 5TH!

**BEAUTIFUL DISASTER, RWA RITA FINALIST, BEST FIRST BOOK, 2012!!**

Golden Leaf WINNER Best First Book NJRWA
Golden Quill WINNER Best First Book Desert Rose RWA

Biographies are a tough sell. John Nash, Joan of Arc, Helen Keller—people who led very readable lives, and yet the movies did better. I’ll tell you now, I have no big-screen moments, not even the hint of a Lifetime movie. That said, here we are.

I grew up on Long Island in the 1970s, the daughter of 1940's parents. I was fortunate to have older sisters. They were more convincing in the part, following rules, politics, and parental advice. I bucked the system. I wanted to be a singer, devastated to learn I couldn’t carry a tune in a trough. Instead, I wrote. This was something I had an aptitude for, something that pressed boundaries, and I liked that. Looking back, my pedestrian childhood was probably a good thing, having spent more time making up stories than anything else.

Life picked up pace as I went off to college, outlining the idea for my first novel, Beautiful Disaster. Interestingly, I wouldn’t write the book for another twenty years. I attended the University of Georgia where I fell in love with a boy, a friend, and the South. It fashioned me into a chameleon of sorts. The North is home, but that evocative place changed me, giving me license and a classroom far beyond J-school where they actually did give me a degree. The South plays an integral role in Perfect Timing as well, though it’s a Jersey Girl who wins the day. I suppose it’s “write what you know,” coming to fruition, and certainly geography has influenced me.

One of my favorite book club questions is, “When did you finally decide to write a novel?” I know there's a dreamier answer than: "When public education took over childcare." But that’s the truth. Novel writing is demanding and success is relative. So for now, I'm happy to be in the game and excited for the chance to bring a second novel to readers. An older wiser me says real success is more about heading to my laptop every morning, content and grateful just to be there. In between those marathon writing sessions, Matt and I continue to live with our three exceptional children, two dogs, and two cats in a 100-year old house outside Boston, where there’s always a book in progress.
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