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Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful, #1)

Jamie McGuire

Start date: September 1, 2012

Finish date: September 30, 2012

Discussion: Group Reads

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last updated Dec 19, 2012 08:46AM

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last updated Jan 06, 2012 03:40PM

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What Members Thought

Dec 04, 2011 Duchess Nicole rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2013, e-pcs, genre-ya, don-t-know-why-i-loved-it, dead-tree-books, genre-contemp-romance, highly-rated, pick-it-for-me, genre-new-adult

Can I just agree with every review written about this book? Can I? (Well, besides the nasty, ugly ones because no one need pay attention to those.) But if you loved it, SO DID I!!!!! And if you rolled your eyes and hated it, SO DID I!!! But I loved it more.

Abby and Travis….gah, they truly are a hot mess of a couple. No communication, no trust, no faith. But they do have a healthy lust for each other and a healthy flair for the dramatic. Plus, they’re young people. They remind me so very much of Can I just agree with every review written about this book? Can I? (Well, besides the nasty, ugly ones because no one need pay attention to those.) But if you loved it, SO DID I!!!!! And if you rolled your eyes and hated it, SO DID I!!! But I loved it more.

Abby and Travis….gah, they truly are a hot mess of a couple. No communication, no trust, no faith. But they do have a healthy lust for each other and a healthy flair for the dramatic. Plus, they’re young people. They remind me so very much of myself at that age. When everything you do is life or death except for the really important stuff that matters. All of the relationships you have, whether romantic or friendships, seem like the most important romances or friendships you’ll ever have. You love with every fiber of your being, and to you at that point in time, it’s a real as it gets. That’s what you feel, so that’s the way it is.

Is it stupid? Of course it is!! Is it unrealistic? Absolutely!
But it’s also romantic, because it’s young love.

I’ve been there, and I experienced the idiotic mistakes that are made. Travis is volatile and violent, an angry young man. Abby is fairly timid but not overwhelmed by Travis’ large personality. They just click…no rhyme or reason. They become friends who carry around a smoldering sexual tension that the entire college campus can feel. I’m surprised there wasn’t a break out massive orgy scene because good grief! Did they ever need to get it on already!

I get where some don’t like Travis. He’s one scary dude…and the setup for this relationship sounds like every parent’s worst nightmare for their daughter. But this is also fiction. And people still need to remember that someone who acts this way most likely needs even more help than their timid partner. Travis is so very insecure, the typical hothead who can’t control his rage. He sees subterfuge where there is none, he trusts Abby so long as she’s glued to his side and wearing a potato sack. He’s bossy, he’s pushy, he oversteps his boundaries and is overly possessive.

But he’s also a real sweetheart. He needs her to balance him. And yada yada, you can tout his instability all you want but I really liked him, problems and all. I don’t necessarily see him as a total hottie McHotface like everyone else does but I still love him. I even thought that Pigeon was sorta cute. Sort of. (view spoiler)

I waited so very long to read this. There was so much hubbub about it, and I just ignored the hype. But as soon as I started reading, it was un-put-down-able. I even added a new bookshelf called “don’t know why I love it.” But I do!
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47 likes · Like · see review

Sep 03, 2012 Holly rated it did not like it

Shelves: disappointing-reads, dark-and-twisted, books-that-make-you-go-wtf, hot-mess, e-book, second-chance-reads, friend-recommendations, 2013, too-stupid-to-live

I FINISHED IT!!!

Yeah...that's about the most positive thing I can say about this train wreck of a novel.

I made many attempts to read this book over the last year. So many of my friends here on GR and out in the real world absolutely LOVED this book and kept promising me that once I got into the story I would fall in love with Travis the way they had. So, for that reason...and because I am just too stubborn for my own good...I kept trying.

A friendly warning...spoilers and ranting ahead. Consider ...more

46 likes · Like · see review

Apr 20, 2012 LuvBug rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, rake-playboy, 2-half-stars-not-great-but-parts-ok, kindle-buys-from-amazon, over-rated, dnf-read-half-or-more, young-adult, bad-boys-ahoy

2.5 stars. Okay so here's the deal with this, It was just a little too immature for my taste. It read like they were all in high school and not college. The beginning was okay, it had me wanting to see Travis and Pidge finally hooking up, but by the middle I started to lose interest since they were already in love with each other anyways. I guess I could see why so many people love this book since it was a unique read with the unstable Travis making things interesting with his wild self, but I'm ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Feb 13, 2013 Jackie Lane rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

What a fabulous book. As I said in one of my comments earlier, fan*freaking*tastic!!!! Loved it, loved it, loved it.

YA and teenage angst is winning my heart over every time. It was a definite train wreck romance, but I totally loved the ride.

The story of bad boy Travis and reinvented Abby/Pidge is a rollercoaster ride from beginning to end. Is it realistic in real life, probably not, but it definitely made for a wonderful YA Romance book. McGuire did a fantastic job with the character developmen ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Apr 02, 2013 Darcy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: new-adult, romance, 2013, audio-book, listened-to-at-work

This book had gotten so much buzz that I wanted to check it out. I didn’t expect to like it, really thought it would end up on my dnf pile, so color me surprised when I really enjoyed listening to it despite all the drama.

Oh, the drama, just when it seemed like things should end, there was yet more drama and more drama. I found myself almost getting whiplash as I read this one. First I agreed with Abby and her attitude towards Travis. I didn’t care for him or his man whore ways. I found his and This book had gotten so much buzz that I wanted to check it out. I didn’t expect to like it, really thought it would end up on my dnf pile, so color me surprised when I really enjoyed listening to it despite all the drama.

Oh, the drama, just when it seemed like things should end, there was yet more drama and more drama. I found myself almost getting whiplash as I read this one. First I agreed with Abby and her attitude towards Travis. I didn’t care for him or his man whore ways. I found his and Abby’s talks about sex to be interesting. He was very honest in what he thought and with his girls, yet was surprised by their reactions. For some reason I really liked seeing Abby’s reaction to one of his cast offs early in the book. I got why she didn’t want to have anything to do with Travis, not even as a friend, especially when we learned her background. But even as I say that I thought Travis pestering her was funny, he just plain wore her down, her giving in just to get some peace and quiet. There were times that I was mad at Abby and thought she was a little out of control with what she was doing, then once again I would find myself mad at Travis for something he did, then would again flop over to being mad at Abby. It was exhausting!

I think had Abby been able to get past her past and accept Travis things would have been so much better for them. Of course the book would have been much shorter and not as much to fun to read. Lol

I really liked Abby’s friendship with America. While she didn’t always agree with Abby, America was always there for her with her best interest in mind. She knew Abby better than Abby did and could see things with a little distance. I did hate that America let the drama with Abby and Travis affect her relationship with Shed. I thought those two were cute together.

I am happy with the way this one ended. I do wish that we would have gotten to see Travis’s family’s reaction to their spring break trip though, I have a feeling that would be a hoot.
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3 likes · Like · see review

Jun 07, 2012 Hannah rated it did not like it

Shelves: blegh, romantic, contemporary-romance, annoying-narrative, bad-boys-bad-boys, good-girl-falls-for-bad-boy, what-does-she-see-in-him

Author is racist garbage. This book sucks on its own already, but add in Jamie's white nationalism, anti-mask/vaccine rhetoric, and just overall QAnon nonsense, and it's just the flies on the shit. She has actively called for violence and civil war while parading around in the guise of a patriot and is good friends with a Proud Boys. Just look her up on any social media if you're looking for proof. ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Jan 29, 2012 Jamie ~ Bad Boy Inspector rated it really liked it

Shelves: genre-young-adult, read-2012

I actually really enjoyed this book but I would have to agree with some people that it should have ended sooner than it did.

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Jun 07, 2012 Marissa rated it liked it

3 stars --> entertaining enough, a bit annoying at times, but super easy read that kept me turning pages

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Oct 05, 2011 Roshio marked it as to-read

Oct 25, 2011 Brandy *Ahviel* marked it as to-read

Oct 31, 2011 Allie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, contemporary

Jan 19, 2012 Wminbc marked it as to-read

Mar 15, 2012 K marked it as to-read

Mar 31, 2012 Ally72 rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary-romances

Apr 14, 2012 *Carissmatik* rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kick-ass-heroine, young-adult, favorites, angst, contemporary-ya

May 22, 2012 Kim rated it really liked it

Jul 01, 2012 Katt Hansen rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, new-adult

Jul 08, 2012 Ellieverse marked it as to-read

Jul 11, 2012 Chelsea rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites-6-plus-stars, biker-love, lover-and-a-fighter, tattoos-piercings, college, new-adult, contemporary, bad-boy, jamie-mcguire, 2012-read