Review: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Title: Beautiful Disaster
Author: Jamie McGuire
Pages: 362
Publisher: CreateSpace
Release Date: October 3, 2011

The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate percentage of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance between her and the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend America, 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 charming college co-ed. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his charms, 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’ apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

My Thoughts: I really liked the beginning of Beautiful Disaster when Abby first meets Travis. I was so glad it didn't take them long to meet. The relationship between Abby and Travis was what intrigued me the most from reading the book's summary. The good-girl and the bad-boy. I love it when opposites attract! But what I always realize about two people in a relationship that are labeled as "opposites" is that they're not entirely different from each other. And I think Abby and Travis are a good example of that. Both have their vulnerabilities and share other similar qualities. Even if it was hard for them to believe that their relationship would work out or that they were meant to be, it was obvious they cared about and loved each other deeply.

Before I started the book, I expected Abby and Travis's relationship to be drama-filled and to make me frustrated. So, as the story went on, I wasn't surprised with all the back and forth between them. That being said, though, I can't say that I completely liked some of the decisions Abby made, some of Travis's actions, and some of the ways they both reacted to things. And I do think that at times the drama was a bit too much. Maybe overboard. Definitely very frustrating. Some events seemed a bit unrealistic and convenient. Kind of what I usually see in soap operas. I can totally understand the appeal though. I know there have been times where, out of nowhere, I became addicted to all that drama in soaps, no matter how frustrated it made me. It's just hard to look away, especially when all you want is for everyone to be happy in the end.

And in the end, I was satisfied with how things turned out for Abby and Travis. To those who are interested in reading Beautiful Disaster, I would say...go for it! Just be prepared for the drama. It's definitely one of those guilty pleasure reads.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars