Author: Jamie McGuire
Series: Beautiful #1
Series: Beautiful #1
Publisher: Atria Books
Published: August 14th 2012 (first published May 26th 2011)
Source: I purchased a Kindle copy from Amazon.
Blurb from Goodreads: INTENSE. DANGEROUS. ADDICTIVE.
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 wants—and needs—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.
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 wants—and needs—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.
Review
My thoughts: If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be INTENSE. Because, Jeesh! It was such an emotional roller coaster that I was emotionally tired when I finished it.
If you are looking for a prince charming in here, well, you are definitely in the wrong place. Travis Maddox is the opposite to a good guy. He's damaged and aggressive, a jerk who objectifies women and who has this macho-attitude that makes you want to punch him in the face, kiss him hard and run screaming with your hands in the air at the same time. Things like that, you would think this asshole isn't worth read about... well, you are wrong, again. He's really far from perfect, he has a ridiculously huge amount of flaws and even when nothing is entirely white or black, he would be a deep dark grey. But there is good within him and that makes him a really interesting character to read about. His contradictions, as frustrating as they are, make him authentic and real. You can see that the author is not trying to create this stereotypical bad boy who appears to be bad but it is really good in the end when you discover that everything was a facade. Travis IS a bad guy, there's no denying it, you sure as hell don't want him as an enemy. But also he is loyal to his friends and family and would do anything for them.
Abby is not that good of a girl either, because she has done and seen a lot of things. But she's trying to change for her own good, trying to get away from a life she doesn't want, but you know how the universe has its ways of laughing in our faces... she ends up meeting Travis, who is the exact opposite she should want in this new life she's trying to live, but she can't resist him, as much as she tries.
They truly made a beautiful disaster as a couple. They have beautiful moments together but then everything starts spiraling out of control, but no matter what, they're meant to be together and they could bring up the best of each other.
This is a great love story and I was hooked from the beginning. I loved the mean characters as much as the secondaries. It's well written and never fails to bring your emotions up.
I'm not giving 5 clocks just because sometimes I felt like the plot kept circling around and not going forward and you could see the sequence before hand and I would've liked it better if there was a little more mystery.
If you are looking for a prince charming in here, well, you are definitely in the wrong place. Travis Maddox is the opposite to a good guy. He's damaged and aggressive, a jerk who objectifies women and who has this macho-attitude that makes you want to punch him in the face, kiss him hard and run screaming with your hands in the air at the same time. Things like that, you would think this asshole isn't worth read about... well, you are wrong, again. He's really far from perfect, he has a ridiculously huge amount of flaws and even when nothing is entirely white or black, he would be a deep dark grey. But there is good within him and that makes him a really interesting character to read about. His contradictions, as frustrating as they are, make him authentic and real. You can see that the author is not trying to create this stereotypical bad boy who appears to be bad but it is really good in the end when you discover that everything was a facade. Travis IS a bad guy, there's no denying it, you sure as hell don't want him as an enemy. But also he is loyal to his friends and family and would do anything for them.
Abby is not that good of a girl either, because she has done and seen a lot of things. But she's trying to change for her own good, trying to get away from a life she doesn't want, but you know how the universe has its ways of laughing in our faces... she ends up meeting Travis, who is the exact opposite she should want in this new life she's trying to live, but she can't resist him, as much as she tries.
They truly made a beautiful disaster as a couple. They have beautiful moments together but then everything starts spiraling out of control, but no matter what, they're meant to be together and they could bring up the best of each other.
This is a great love story and I was hooked from the beginning. I loved the mean characters as much as the secondaries. It's well written and never fails to bring your emotions up.
I'm not giving 5 clocks just because sometimes I felt like the plot kept circling around and not going forward and you could see the sequence before hand and I would've liked it better if there was a little more mystery.
I would recommend it for: Everyone who enjoys the New Adult genre. It has some kind of strong content for younger readers, so I think it should be +18 rated.
Rating:
Quotes:
“To douchebags!" he said, gesturing to Brad. "And to girls that break your heart," he bowed his head to me. His eyes lost focus. "And to the absolute fucking horror of losing your best friend because you were stupid enough to fall in love with her.”
“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.”
“You know why I want you? I didn’t know I was lost until you found me. I didn’t know what alone was until the first night I spent without you in my bed. You’re the one thing I’ve got right. You’re what I’ve been waiting for, Pigeon.”
About the author:
Jamie McGuire was born in Tulsa, OK. She was raised by her mother Brenda in Blackwell, OK, where she graduated high school in 1997. Jamie attended the Northern Oklahoma College, the University of Central Oklahoma, and Autry Technology Center where she graduated with a degree in Radiography.Jamie now lives in Enid, OK with her three children and husband Jeff, who is a real, live cowboy. They share their 30 acres with four horses, four dogs, and Rooster the cat.
Books published by Jamie include the Providence trilogy, and The New York Times best seller Beautiful Disaster, a contemporary romance. When she’s not writing, Jamie spends her days letting her four dogs in and out.
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