Beautiful Disaster

This is one of those books where you hear so much good buzz about it you have to read it. But since I am a blogger with copious amounts of review books to read, I never really get to read for pleasure. So this delight was pushed to the back burner until Book Bash 2014 caused it to resurface. I have a determination to read as many books by authors attending as I can so I don't end up asking them to sign a book I haven't even looked at past the cover. I had never read anything by Jamie McGuire so I was anxious to do so before BB14.

Within the first pages we are introduced to Abby Abernathy. Externally she is the girl-next-door, but on the inside she has a dark past full of danger and pain. She has moved away from Wichita to attend Eastern University hoping for a fresh start where nobody knows of her or her infamous father. She has been raised around unpredicible, reckless people her entire life so when she first lays eyes on Travis Maddox she knows to stay well and truly far away from him. Problem is he is intrigued by her keeping this casanova at arm's length. Abby refuses to allow herself to notice the way Travis makes her feel because she knows if she gives in and sleeps with him she will just be another notch on his bedpost. Unable to keep him away she settles for a friendship. But what starts as nothing but best buddies turns into anything but.

Travis has had his share of women. He is the campus stud who has never dated and only ever had one-night-stands. Unfortunately, the one girl he wants now doesn't want him. The unusual "Pidgeon", as he calls her, is the only girl who has ever held his attention longer than it takes to get them naked. He demands to have her in any way possible. That even includes a reluctant friendship. But all the while this unfeeling cad starts to wonder if love is not such a impossible thing for him. Maybe Abby is the one who can soothe his hurt and tame the beast.

Abby and Travis have a lot of healing to do and perhaps with the help of each other they can allow themselves to trust what is developing between them. Maybe they can allow themselves to feel loved without fear for the first time in their lives.

I absolutely loved Abby and Travis as a couple, he was a smug player in the beginning and through Abby not taking any of his nonsense and calling him on everything he did she didn't agree with, he grew in a man. Abby also learned to eventually not let her past rule her life. I loved watching their feelings for each other grow. I cried for them and that is the best part of a book. When I feel so emotionally invested in a book that I feel joy and sorrow right along with them, that is the markings of a truly superior book.

Jamie McGuire reached the status of one of my favorite authors in leaps and bounds with Beautiful Disaster. It is a New Adult book that will make you fall in love with the genre and idolize the world of adorable Abby and tantalizing Travis.

Review posted on: http://www.ladybugliterature.blogspot.com

I heard so many good things about this book before I finally read it so I had very high expectations and I can honestly say it exceeded them! Everything from the characters, to the writing, to the plot, which I agree there was no huge plot, but everything was so well put together and was an amazing read. The main character Abby and Travis, their love isn't the normal book stuff, it is realistic and I loved how Abby was smart about not wanting to go back to her old lifestyle even though I adore Travis, I really admire how she didn't act like a dumb girl falling for a guy so quick with no regard for anything if that makes any sense at all. I admit, their love was a bit savage ? I don't know if that is the right word, not that it was a bad thing it made it so much better! this book is just ah, I loved every part, up to the first word to the ending!

I m not going to lie. There wasn't really a plot besides the story of how the two got together and found out they were right for one another. BUT! That doesn't change the how in depth and understandable the emotions of the characters where.

I mean, what was the book about? (don't read this if you don't like spoilers, read next paragraph) It was about a girl who didn't want to get into a relationship because she had a drunken loser of a Dad who only wanted money from her after she stole is "luck." Then she leaves her Dad only to have him come back to ask her form money and give him money so he will never come back...

I understand the hurt she must have felt with those past experiences and you feel sorry for her but that was not what the book was about. It was just about how the two main characters got together. Still, it was a pretty awesome book, and regardless of the plot being non existent I would still read it all over.

The book was really able to bring out the feelings of confusion of love and being with the perfect person. But best of all who doesn't like Bad boy play boys and being the girl who wins their heart? Yea, I'll read a book like that!

People say that you cant really describe the feelings of the heart when one is in love; there is only pain, confusion, love, and attraction. If I didn't know any better I would say that that was true. But!! I think McGuire did a spectacular job of getting all those feeling down in Beautiful Disaster.

The characters were well developed and you could see their growth throughout. There past was specific and existent so you knew exactly where they were coming from and able to sympathize with them.

Did I tell you what heaven Travis Maddox is? Well he is absolute HEAVEN!!! Did I tell you my man can fight? Yes, Travis, you can protect me for as long as we can live. It really shows that you need a dependable partner. McGuire actually makes you jealous of Abby getting the guy rather when you want him for yourself. Their relationship growth teaches two things:
1) How good it is to be in love
2) A healthy relationship

I'm not going to lie the book is controversial to there being the signs of an abusive relationship where Travis is obsessive and a controller but I would say that like many people out there he needs anger management but he does have the Self-Control to know when things are too much and he needs to stop and plus, I think he loves Abby too much to hurt her.

Overall, read the book! I Dare You!!! Now you have to... :D

Let me start off by saying I adore this book! I loved how Travis meets Abby and BAM, he has to know her. It was adorable the way he became her best friend. You immediately knew he was going to fall for her.
I really liked Travis. Yes, he was a tad savage, but that only made his tender moments better.
There back and forth relationship was a bumpy one, filled with fighting, gambling, drinking, sex, and mob bosses, but it was a hell of a ride. Beautiful Disaster will have you reading it in one sitting, left with a smile on your face, and ready to reread it after a day!
I wish I could praise this book more but it’s something you have to read to believe.

This book had me completely absorbed after the first chapter. I would definitely recommend it.