Beautiful Disaster

Beautiful Disaster: Jamie McGuire 

The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University's Walking One-Night Stand. 

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

Ah, I'm sorry I haven't been on in a week! I graduated college last Saturday, and moved Sunday to where I'm attending grad school. I started grad school this past Monday so I've been pretty busy this week! However, I did get a chance to finish Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire. I was in the mood to read New Adult and I've heard so many mixed things about this book that I wanted to give it a try! Abby's description definitely reminded me of myself a little bit, since I wear cardigans all the time and don't drink haha. 

"I need to hear you say it. I need to know you're mine. 

I've been yours since the second we met."

After reading it, my feelings about it are sort of all over the place. In theory, Travis could have been a great character. His constant mood changes, while erratic and dangerous, still made for a good story. A lot of people didn't seem to like that part of the book - but I think it was my favorite. I don't think all characters should be written the same, and I like characters who aren't perfect. I think that you can still like this book without condoning the behaviors of a guy like Travis. I felt there were holes in Travis's character, though. A guy who spent his entire life sleeping with different girls and not respecting them will not fall in monogamous love with someone in the matter of so few days. If you know a guy like this, then you have to know what I mean. Another thing I didn't like about Travis was his tribal tattoo. My ex-boyfriend had a tribal tattoo, I always hated it. It doesn't make you look tough, just kind of stupid. (No offense to any tribal tattoo lovers out there). That didn't sway my opinion of this book, just Travis's character, haha. 

The biggest problem I had with this book was how unrealistic it was. Like, EVERY college has campus security. However, the college here just seemed to find a way around it whenever it was convenient to the storyline. If this were a real college, Travis would have been kicked out during his lunch room fights. Another thing that bugged me was just how back and forth things seemed to go with Travis and Abby. Like how many times can a couple fight and get back together in the course of a book and it still be interesting? Well, read this book and you'll find out! 

"-It's over. Go home.

You're my home."

While this book wasn't my favorite New Adult book, I did enjoy it. When I pick up a New Adult book, I really just want fun and sexiness and I think that I definitely got that out of this book. Despite being unrealistic, it still managed to capture my attention and I wanted to keep going till the last page. I will probably not read Walking Disaster, which is the same book told from Travis's perspective. There is just something about reading the same storyline that really bores me. However, I do think I'd like to read Beautiful Oblivion, which is the story of Travis's brother and a girl named Cami. Did you ever read Walking Disaster or any of the other Beautiful/Maddox Brothers books?