Waiting on Wednesday: Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly even hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spinethat spotlights upcoming releases we're super excited about. This week, my pick is:

Walking Disaster

Beautiful #2

Jamie McGuire

Expected Publication: April 13th, 2012 by Atria Publishing

How much is too much love?

Travis Maddox learned two things from his mother before she died: Love hard. Fight harder.

In Walking Disaster, the life of Travis is full of fast women, underground gambling, and violence. Just when he thought he was invincible, Abby Abernathy brings him to his knees.

Every story has two sides. In Jamie McGuire's New York Times bestseller Beautiful Disaster Abby had her say. Now it's time to see the story through Travis's eyes. (Goodreads)

ASDFGHJKL;

I am so friggin' excited for this, y'all have no idea. A lot of people consider Travis and Abby's relationship to be "abusive" (*sigh*), and I cannot wait to see how it looks from Travis' eyes. He is a wonderful character with a lot of depth, and I am simply sitting on pins and needles for his story to be in my hands! <3

This is my "Waiting On", what's yours?

Friday Fever: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Friday Fever is a weekly event hosted here at Girls *Heart* Books. Every Friday, we will showcase one of our favorite steamy and/or romantic scenes from the YA & New Adult universe. You know the ones we're talking about; those that get your pulse thumping and your temperature rising. Enjoy.

Here I go again... Beautiful Disaster is a new adult novel by Jamie McGuire and, for those of you who haven't been paying attention, it is probably my most favorite book in the entire world... Ever. (I know I say that about everything, but I mean it this time!...) Anyway. While it is clever and witty, it is also STEAMY. But a couple scenes are a little, erm... Graphic, shall we say. And I wouldn't want to corrupt anyone (Ha. HAHA.), so I'll stick with a sexy scene FEATURING clothing.. ;) (did anyone just huff..? I think I heard an annoyed huff...)

Travis pulled on my hand. "C'mon," he said, tugging me through the crowd and to the dance floor.

"I've had a lot to drink! I'm going to fall!"

Travis smiled and pulled me to him, grabbing my hips. "Shut up and dance."

America and Shepley appeared beside us. Shepley moved like he'd been watching too many Usher videos. Travis had me near panic with the way he pressed against me. If he used any of those moves on the couch, I could see why so many girls chanced humiliation in the morning.

He cinched his hands around my hips, and I noticed that his expression was different, almost serious. I ran my hands over his flawless chest and six-pack as they stretched and tensed under his tight shirt to the music. I turned my back to him, smiling when he wrapped his arms around my waist. Coupled with the alcohol in my system, when he pulled my body against his, things came to mind that were anything but friendly.

The next song bled into the one we were dancing to, and Travis showed no signs of wanting to return to the bar. The sweat beaded on the back of my neck, and the multicolored strobe lights made me feel a bit dizzy. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against his shoulder. He grabbed my hands and pulled them up around his neck. His hands ran down my arms and down my ribs, finally returning to my hips. When I felt his lips and then his tongue against my neck, I pulled away from him.

He chuckled, looking a bit surprised. "What, Pidge?"

...I don't know, but something about his nickname for Abby is hot to me, too. And his moves. And him. Travis is very hot. Now. *off to take a cold shower*

And yes. I am leaving you on a cliffhanger. Because I suck. And I want you to read it and see what her problem is ;)

Review: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Beautiful Disaster

Beautiful Book 1

By: Jamie McGuire

Published: August 14th, 2012 (originally published May 26th, 2011)

Published by: Atria Paperbacks

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.

***WARNING***

Beautiful Disaster contains sexual content. If you are under the age of 17, or are offended by such things, this is NOT the book for you.

...Alright, now that that's out of the way, and the squeamish people have scrolled down to take a look at my "Bait" review (which is just as grotesque- Just with gore and not *ahem* Well..), allow me to tell all those looking for a good book... This book is not something to read in public. I've made this mistake all week. But I couldn't help it. I was sucked in- Just because I was at work didn't mean I had to stop.. Ugh. Why do people ask what I'm reading when I'm reading the steamy parts? *flushes*

Ahem. Got a little ahead of myself there. Beautiful Disaster is the story of Abby Abernathy and Travis Maddox. And the summary is obscenely misleading. The bet is a mere portion of the drama readers will encounter while reading this book, and is only an opening to what turns out to be a romance with a surprising amount of depth. Coming from me, this is a lot- I can't stand the relationships in stories. They are distracting and usually so fluffed up they're used as filler. But, seeing how this book is actually about the love story (and I picked it up? Me? LANA?), I can't complain. And actually...I liked it.

Don't call the cops. It's still Lana. I haven't been kidnapped and replaced with a sap.

Hear me out. The book is written in the first person, and McGuire writes with such craft, Abby's feelings are actually...believable. It doesn't feel like a forced love-story just added for the drama of it, it doesn't feel like a set of teenagers set back a few years to where I can't relate. I could actually see myself in the same position, and having Abby's feelings about Travis, and almost all of her decisions are ones I would've made, too.

The only complaint I really have about this is the insane trust-issues.. I don't want to give anything away, but the fact they both are constantly worrying (most of the time) about how neither one of them is good enough for the other, or that other people might be looking at them, I was huffing a lot. Stop. If you love her/him so much, trust the fact he/she loves you back and isn't going to cheat on you. Thank you.

With a deliriously cheesy ending, McGuire leaves us craving more and desperate to delve into the sequel (Due out next year- From Travis' perspective! AAH!). While I wait these sure-to-be-agonizing months, I'm gonna take a look at Jamie's other works.

But for now. I'll be sitting in the corner... Nursing a book hangover...

...And for those who have seen reviews that claim Travis is "abusive"...Um. No. I'm not telling you everything, but... No. *blinks* Read the book. You'll see.

 

Jamie McGuire is the New York Times bestselling author of three other novels: Providence, Requiem, and Eden. She and her husband, Jeff, live with their children just outside Enid, Oklahoma, with four dogs, four horses, and a cat named Rooster.

Find Jamie:

Facebook

Twitter

Website