Review: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
Series: Beautiful #1
Release Date: January 1st 2011
Publisher: Atria Books
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Goodreads Summary

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.

I read this book last year but I remember being absolutely in love with the book. Now thinking back on it I’m not too sure. There were bits and pieces I wasn’t too keen on from the start; like Travis’ whole “I can beat anyone up” attitude and the whole bad boy look; but he was really flirty and charming and he somehow grew on me.

Good girl Abby Abernathy doesn’t drink or swear and she always has the appropriate amount of cardigans in her wardrobe. Just the average goody too shoes. Then there’s Travis, muscles, tattoos and just a bad boy sex appeal about his whole being. When the two collide betting against each other about Travis winning a fight they have no idea that their world will be turned upside down. (Okay maybe not upside down) If Abby wins Travis has to stay abstinent for a whole month, but if Travis wins Abby must move in with him for the same amount of time. Easy enough, except they fall in love.

Seems like a very original story line right? Not exactly. The whole good girl, bad boy routine has been done by everyone. But we still love it. The book actually reminds me a lot of Wait for You by J. Lynn, and that’s what’s slowly putting me off this book right while writing the review.

While I was reading the book I was mesmerised with the characters! I could somewhat connect with Abby, and Travis was a walking God for me with the bod covered with tattoos (the muscles not so much) the idea of the characters is about as original as hipsters right now. However Jamie McGuire was able to put a spin on these two love birds. They had their own personality, and the characters grew to life within the book.

The idea was more original than the whole good girl bad boy routine. The fact that Travis who was a player had to stay abstinent for a whole month was entertaining. I actually wanted to see this happen. But then I would not have witnessed the relationship between Abby and Travis blossom while they were playing house. Them living together was actually quite fun to read about, it made me want to find my own Travis and move in with him.

INTENSE. DANGEROUS. ADDICTIVE.

Erm no. The book wasn’t intense, it was dangerous at one point in the whole book; and addictive is a strong word. The book is great in the now. Looking back on the book it seems almost silly and kind of hard to imagine that I was so in love with it. Just the whole idea and the description of the characters looks boring and bland. WELL it isn’t. The book is great, but you have to read it to believe it.