Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful, #1) in The Indie Bookshelf

May 23, 2012 Tarryn Fisher rated it liked it

Not all love is neat and pretty. God, I love Jamie M for telling the truth. That's the number one rule of writing; TELL THE TRUTH! She told a really interesting story about two damaged human beings and how they found each other. She told it well. I think that they name of the book speaks multitudes; love is beautiful, but you can crash it. ...more

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Jul 27, 2012 Cyndy Aleo rated it it was ok

Shelves: oh-dear-god-what-was-that

I received Jamie McGuire's Beautiful Disaster through the recent "Feed Your Reader" promotion on NetGalley, and read it because I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. There were several reviews on Goodreads that suggested the male character in the book was an Edward Cullen (Twilight)-type obsessive lover, but I wanted to reserve judgment since it was such a popular read.

Having read through the book in one sitting, I'm disgusted with myself for reading it.

Abby Abernathy is a college fre I received Jamie McGuire's Beautiful Disaster through the recent "Feed Your Reader" promotion on NetGalley, and read it because I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. There were several reviews on Goodreads that suggested the male character in the book was an Edward Cullen (Twilight)-type obsessive lover, but I wanted to reserve judgment since it was such a popular read.

Having read through the book in one sitting, I'm disgusted with myself for reading it.

Abby Abernathy is a college freshman. She meets bad boy (naturally) Travis Maddox at an underground fight, and while many of the girls on campus are falling all over him, she refuses to. They end up spending time together because Abby's best friend is dating Travis' cousin/roommate, and you can probably guess how it ends up.

Mind you, Travis and Abby end up together only to break up about 800 times over the course of the book. And only after much angst and gnashing of teeth and everyone being a mess over it and another really great guy dating her for a week and giving her a diamond bracelet. You may be thinking "Mary Sue" but you have seen nothing yet: this is a Mary Sue who belongs in a psych ward.

Yes, Travis has anger management problems, is obsessed with Abby, and does insane things like trash his room after they have sex and she goes home. But would you like to know why he does these things? Because Abby has an arsenal of head games at her disposal that would put Parker Brothers to shame. Oh, Travis might be in love with me? I think I'll go out on a date. Oh, I want to break things off with Travis? I think I'll sleep with him and then sneak out to do so.

What the ever-loving hell?

Beautiful disaster? These two are a case study waiting to happen. Or a murder-suicide, in all likelihood.

This has at times been billed as Young Adult or New Adult but the idea that anyone of an impressionable age should read this and think it's any way to have any kind of a relationship frightens the pants off me. Never mind that the idea that Travis could not only beat up one, but TWO students in a school cafeteria and no one ever calls security is beyond belief.

I won't even get into the far-fetched tiny subplot about Abby's father that sets off another breakup I'm near speechless that people love reading about these characters. Each time I turned a page I hoped someone was going to get into therapy, straighten their life out, something. By the end I honestly hoped that both characters would turn to drugs and overdose or something, because that was the only happy ending I could foresee for this couple.

The last time I came across a love story this horrifying was Mickey and Mallory in Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers, but that was a satire. I have no idea what one would call this.

The worst part of the whole book for me was that you could tell McGuire obviously has talent at creating emotional resonance in her scenes. There were moments that you wanted to like the characters and have them fall in love, but then they were right back to the horror show. That she used that talent with two such unredeemable characters was tragic. ...more

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May 25, 2012 Kimberly Russell rated it really liked it

Shelves: new-adult, indie

I read this book in one sitting. This isn’t that big of a deal because I do that sometimes. What makes it a big deal is that I started the book at 2:00am and finished it at 5:30am. Oh, and I had to be up at 7:00 for a workout date.

Readers seem pretty torn about this one. A lot of people really dislike it but there are also a lot of people who immensely enjoyed it as well. I am part of the latter. I sometimes think people take books too serious. For me, I don’t necessarily need to have this grea ...more

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Jul 19, 2012 Nicole rated it it was amazing

Shelves: my-favorites, books-that-blew-me-away, series, romance, top-favs, mature-adult

I loved it! It was such a page-turner - I couldn't put it down, reading it in a day! ...more

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May 17, 2012 Madison rated it it was amazing

Read this and other reviews at Madison Says.

Beautiful Disaster was the first book I read when I finally decided to pick myself back up off the ground after my Christian Grey hangover. It was recommended to me through iBooks as a similar read. And I know that's what a lot of people consider it: a Fifty Shades lite. I don't really see that, though. I must say, I did absolutely LOVE this book - especially that crazy, bad boy who I felt like I shouldn't at times!

Travis Maddox is a womanizing, under Read this and other reviews at Madison Says.

Beautiful Disaster was the first book I read when I finally decided to pick myself back up off the ground after my Christian Grey hangover. It was recommended to me through iBooks as a similar read. And I know that's what a lot of people consider it: a Fifty Shades lite. I don't really see that, though. I must say, I did absolutely LOVE this book - especially that crazy, bad boy who I felt like I shouldn't at times!

Travis Maddox is a womanizing, underground fighter, walking sex machine...with a temper. Abby Abernathy has come to school to get a clean slate. She needs the antithesis of Travis, however, they're drawn to each other after their eyes meet at one of Travis's fights one night. She couldn't be more "uninterested" in him, and he could not be more intrigued by said lack of interest. A bet is made: she wins, he has to go without sex for a month; he wins, she has to live him with for a month. Well, I'll spoil one part - he wins. Through their living together, there's plenty of drama, a little romance and lots of really heartfelt interactions. He wants more; and she thinks she does too, but knows she needs to stay away.

Their crazy love story is up and down and all over the place. There's drama and plot twists I didn't see coming, and plenty of angst. There's also some steamy and passionate moments, which really heat up the story! I think what makes Travis and Abby's story so remarkable is that they are both hot-tempered (he, more than she), but you can't hate him for it. Their anger at each other and with themselves just makes it that much sexier! There were times I wanted to yell at Travis for being a psycho, and then turn around and freak out at Abby for being such a damn moron. And to me, that makes a great book!

I give this crazy love story 4.5 stars and recommend it to anyone looking for an angst-filled, sexy romance. It will leave you wanting more - which is why I'm so super excited for Travis's POV to come out next year! I think it'll be so great to see this whole story unfold through his eyes! ...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Kathy rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc

I read Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire around a year ago when it was first self-published and loved it. I received a copy of the new Atria published version about a month ago for a re-read, and I fell in love again. Travis is a tattooed bad boy with a cocky attitude, but he has such a sweetness about him when it comes to Abby, the one girl who can defeat the undefeated bad boy with just a look.

The title of this book is a testament to the relationship between Abby (Pigeon) and Travis....even I read Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire around a year ago when it was first self-published and loved it. I received a copy of the new Atria published version about a month ago for a re-read, and I fell in love again. Travis is a tattooed bad boy with a cocky attitude, but he has such a sweetness about him when it comes to Abby, the one girl who can defeat the undefeated bad boy with just a look.

The title of this book is a testament to the relationship between Abby (Pigeon) and Travis....even though the title is really Abby's view of Travis in general.

“You're trying to save him and he's hoping you can. You two are a DISASTER." I smiled at the ceiling. "It doesn't matter what or why it is. When it's good, Kara... it's BEAUTIFUL.”

Travis is...well, he just beautiful. He's a lethal fighter in a college underground circuit (which is how he pays for school) who can't be defeated. He has brains behind all that beauty, making straight A's in school. He has women swooning at his feet...but ofcourse, he has issues. Travis is a hot-tempered, jealous, partying, womanizing mess with an undefeated record in the circle and an undefeated record in the bed on the couch. He has a famous couch full of cooties and notches from the multiples of women who jump at his beck and call...but Abby is the one conquest he has to really fight for...the one worth fighting for...she's the one fight he just might not win. He IS a deliciously beautiful disaster.

“I know we're f$%#ed up, alright? I'm impulsive, and hot tempered, and you get under my skin like no one else. You act like you hate me one minute, and then need me the next. I never get anything right, and I don't deserve you...but I fucking love you, Abby. I love you more than I loved anyone or anything ever. When you're around, I don't need booze, or money, or the fighting, or the one-night stands...”

Abby has moved far away from home in an attempt to escape a regretful past with a gambling and alcoholic father in an attempt to build a new life at a new school with her best friend, America. She only wants to meet a clean-cut college boy with goals for the future. Enter Travis...when Abby first meets Travis, she knows who he is and what he does to women, so she is determined not to fall under his seductive spell....she didn't account for Travis falling under HER seductive spell. She is everything Travis has never had, but wants.

“I knew the second I met you that there was something about you I needed. Turns out it
wasn’t something about you at all. It was just you.”

I loved everything about this book. There is a definite emotional connection with this book and its characters that is unavoidable. The intimacy you will feel is overwhelming because it just seems so real! One of my favorite scenes in this book is when Travis buys a new couch...this is so symbolic of his feelings for Abby. It can sometimes be easy to put "I love you" in a dialogue, but this scene was so much more. It was such an awww moment for me, and it was Travis's special way of showing, not telling, Abby his feelings for her. This story is sweet with just enough angst to keep me glued to the pages. The characters are lovable and funny...especially America and Shep. Travis's family, their history, and the relationship they share with each other is touching. They may be a group of rough and ready fighters, but they definitely have each others' backs. I'd love to see more of them in future books. The romance and the plot is very satisfying, yet leaves me wanting more of these high-quality characters. Is there healing to be found in the midst of brokenness? Yes. Is there a HEA in the ending? Well, you need to read to find out. What you should expect: a love story that is a roller coaster full of fun, frenzy, tears, and smiles. What you get is all that in an unconventional gritty tale of two not so different people who discover themselves in each other.

I'm looking forward to reading Walking Disaster (Travis' pov) now available for pre-order at Amazon. I give this book 4 stars and recommend it to those who have attempted to resist the beautiful disaster that love can sometimes be. ...more

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