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

Jun 17, 2012 Michelle Pace added it

I have often said I am not a romance fan, but I am starting to rethink this statement. I am not a traditional romance fan. I do, however, enjoy these contemporary romances I've recently been turned on to.
Beautiful disaster spared me most of the eye rolling moments I have when reading a traditional romance;I appreaciate the authors choice to use realistic language and crazy situations (underworld fighting, underage drinking, underage gambling!!!)right out of the gate. This is not only a ploy to ...more

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Jul 10, 2012 Andrea Randall rated it it was amazing

This book came highly recommended from members of my book club, and I wish I would have listened to them and read it much sooner than I did!

Where do I start; the college experience, fraternity parties with pissing contests over girls, gambling, underground fight clubs?! Every single one of these elements is portrayed in Beautiful Disaster and weave together seamlessly through a series of intense, yet relevant subplots.

Abby Abernathy has the coolest name on the block with a rather dark past. When This book came highly recommended from members of my book club, and I wish I would have listened to them and read it much sooner than I did!

Where do I start; the college experience, fraternity parties with pissing contests over girls, gambling, underground fight clubs?! Every single one of these elements is portrayed in Beautiful Disaster and weave together seamlessly through a series of intense, yet relevant subplots.

Abby Abernathy has the coolest name on the block with a rather dark past. When she meets Travis, the tattooed, short-tempered fighter with a possibly darker past, she gives him a run for his money.

It's refreshing to see main characters challenge each other, rather than the one-sided relationships we're used to seeing. Abby assumes she's challenging Travis by avoiding his advances, but she's really challenging him to be a better person. Travis isn't challenging Abby to get in bed; he's challenging her to love him for what he is and what he's trying to become.

Further, the 2 most supporting characters (Shepley and America) play quite a large role in the story, but you're never suffocated by their presence. It's nice to see a cast, of sorts, in such a dynamic story.

People make mistakes, people have pasts that catch up with them, and people need to live with consequences of their actions- all are written beautifully by Jamie and played out through Abby and Travis.

I felt dragged through the emotional ringer and suffered gut punch after gut punch along with the characters. Once this book got in my head, I couldn't get it out and had to keep reading, and reading, and reading. The conclusion was satisfying in its own right, but I was left wanting more because I wanted to live in their world just a little longer.

Definitely for the 18-30 crowd, and I wouldn't personally recommended for younger high school kids- a mature 17 or 18 year old could handle it- but anyone younger might get the wrong idea- or not appreciate it for the intensity it presents.

This is the 3rd book I've ever given 5 stars to, and I stand by every single one. ...more

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Nov 30, 2012 Dione Sage rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, adult, contemporary, young-adult, unhealthy-relationships, new-adult-challenge

~AFTER A FEW DAYS: The book is still in my head. Dang it... I had to give it another star just for that fact. AND for the fact that I even flipped through the book rereading a few of the scenes that I thought I hated to try and figure out this train wreck of a couple!
( a few spoilers) Beautiful Disaster is one of those books that I liked and didn’t like all at the same time. While there were some realistic parts to this dysfunctional young romance, there were also parts that made me cringe at th ~AFTER A FEW DAYS: The book is still in my head. Dang it... I had to give it another star just for that fact. AND for the fact that I even flipped through the book rereading a few of the scenes that I thought I hated to try and figure out this train wreck of a couple!
( a few spoilers) Beautiful Disaster is one of those books that I liked and didn’t like all at the same time. While there were some realistic parts to this dysfunctional young romance, there were also parts that made me cringe at the lack of responsibility the two main characters had. The author, Jamie McGuire did a great job at making a lot of the book believable and the characters wonderfully flawed. Abby Abernathy is a girl trying to change her life and Travis Maddox is almost everything that Abby feels would cause her life trouble. Travis is the college playboy and bad boy mixed in to a frat boy that loves to fight. When the two of them are drawn together things are a rollercoaster of emotions, unpleasant circumstances and passionate love.
So why did I like it? If anyone has been in a dysfunctional relationship or been friends with someone that has been then some of the scenarios in this book will look vaguely familiar. I enjoyed the fact that Travis had realistic possessive characteristic flaws, though this type of person in real life would make me cringe. Abby also has moments where she is weak and then moments when she is strong and because of that she seems normal to me. I also can’t forget that the other characters, such as Shep, America, Finch and Parker are realistic types that as well. The Maddox family is even endearing.
This brings me to the question of why the book didn’t sit well with me. As hot at Travis Maddox is described to be he is also possessive, controlling, hostile and arrogant. Abby is also one of those types of girls that seems to thrive from the attention while convincing herself and trying to convince others that she doesn’t want attention at all. Then there is the constant use of nicknames which grates on my nerves as well as a few unanswered questions that just linger and fade. But what irked me the most would be the ending. First off your about to read a spoiler......
Yes because there is no way to express my irritation without clearly stating the actual scenario. A fire breaks out and supposedly people have died. There should be huge regret. There also should be cops involved for as many fights as Travis has been in. But what happens after the fire? The go away for 2 days to Vegas? Get married and plan to live happily ever after? Why is there so much lawlessness in this book and lack of self preservation? If there were people that died in connection with an event I was the main event for or my boyfriend was the main event for I wouldn't just be able to be so "at peace" and happy the following two days. I'm disturbed that they seemed to be void of any sort of responsibility or empathy towards anyone in this book.
I can't exactly wrap my head around all the feelings in this book and maybe that is another reason I struggle with my indecisive feeling of like or dislike. ...more

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