My rating: 2 of 5 genies
Published: August 14, 2012
Pages: 416
Publisher: Atria Books
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Genre: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary
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.
My Thoughts
(The Jersey Shore Edition)
(The Jersey Shore Edition)
Cover: 3/5 (it really is pretty, probably my favourite thing about this book!)
Characters: 1/5
Plot: 1.5/5
Setting: 2/5
Overall: 2/5
I wanted to get around to this after letting myself breathe a bit, mainly because, had I written this review the day I finally put down Beautiful Disaster, it would have been more of a rant than it is now. Regardless of my ranting ways, I promise to try and make this the best overall summary/critique of the reading.
Where to begin...
This is the kind of book that really makes you think. Let me properly rephrase that, this book should make many readers think, re-evaluating what women supposedly perceive as attractive/desirable characteristics and attributes in men. *Ahem* I had a problem with Travis Maddox. I'm putting it out there now, because quite frankly, "Trav" reminds me a lot of Ronnie from the Jersey Shore. Yes, the big hunk of
SPOILER!!
*Highlight to view spoiler: Since when was branding yourself for someone, in order to prove devotion, beautiful? I get that people have tattoos for reasons along this line, but somehow, McGuire really unsettled me by allowing Abby to do something like this for Travis, only to have him be so jumpy and anxious about their relationship still, i.e. the final airport scene. It felt like Abby got the tattoo more so for Travis, to prove that she was "his" even after they'd just gotten married.
*
It felt like a roller-coaster with these two; one minute they're together, the next they're yelling and being pissed. This is why it reminds me of Sammi and Ron, they fight ALL THE TIME and hate each other ALMOST AS OFTEN but still stay together. He isn't good for her, and she isn't the best for him, but they stay together because both want to be on Lifetime Television someday. Let me repeat, tortured, destructive love isn't love; it is something else entirely.
I just don't get Travis. He has all of this pent-up rage and aggression, but why? I thought for sure that it would be linked somehow to his dad and brothers beating on him when he was younger, but no. Trav has a decent relationship with them, and they love Abby. So why? It can't be because of his mom. I saw that McGuire tried weaselling that little excuse there, but that didn't work. She gave him this uncontrollable tempter without a reason to go with it. Travis was the bad boy I should have loved, bad attitude, tattoos every which way, abs of Adonis...And yet, it was a bit too much, his badness wasn't of the endearing sort.
He goes around flying his fists at people like some overgrown Hulk, beating up any guy that dare cross shadows with Abby, but he ends up losing his edge, and a rebel without a cause isn't much to look at. By the end, I didn't care that he was "hot" or whatever, Travis's attitude and borderline threatening nature had me running for the hills. Ladies of the universe, hear me cry: I. Will. Never. Marry. A. Travis. Maddox.
Excuse me if this isn't all that attractive:
Nope. It just wasn't there for me.
To be fair, Abby wasn't all that better, there is a reason she brought to mind Sammi Giancola. Abby is the kind of character everyone says is nice, but she does little to prove it. I can think of one incident - Thanksgiving - and that is about as sweet as she gets. I think she's a decent person, but with a penchant for giving into Travis's demands, if not totally encouraging him.
Abby: "No, Travis, your behaviour is crazy. Go away!"
Travis: "But I love you, Pidge."
The next day he's with another woman. Abby finds out.
Abby: "I hate you, Travis!"
Travis: (confused) "But I thought we were through, what's going on, Pidge? I love you!"
*Ahem* Excuse me, please, but:
It never ends.
Eesh. Just no. I had it, with the fighting and making up, then breaking up and making up. And the reason I say that Abby plays him too is because she kind of teases him along, saying one thing but meaning another.
SPOILER!!
*Highlight to view spoiler:****Losing your virginity to a guy you plan on never seeing as more than a friend makes sense, how? I thought sex and first times used to mean something.****
*
I couldn't see the love anywhere. Just sex, and drinking, then sex, and if I wanted that, there would be no need to read. Television covers that just fine, thanks.
I'm disappointed, mainly because I went in expecting a lot more than I got. Truthfully, the writing isn't bad, I give it to McGguire that with better material she could be a great writer, but Beautiful Disaster wasn't it. Besides its beautiful cover
In conclusion, there is a second book coming out, one telling the first story through Travis's eyes, and I'm interested to see what he was thinking throughout all of this.
2 genies: I wanted to like this, I really did, but too much was left under-developed.
There was far more worse than good. This book could have been better.
Thanks for reading, stay Literate!
XX,
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