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

Tammy's Two Cents

Tammy’s Two Cents Interview and Review

Jamie McGuire Author of Beautiful Disaster

And the Providence series

**For mature readers. Contains sexual situations and strong language**

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.

This is one of my favorite books ever! I could not get enough of Travis and Abby!! Abby Abernathy is trying to escape and overcome her past, the last thing she wants Is to attract the attention of the school playboy. Some things in life are unavoidable though, and so begins their raw, emotional, rollercoaster ride of a relationship. I would relate this book slightly to a modern day take on “Beauty and the Beast” although Travis is FAR from a beast, unless we are talking about between the sheets! The sexual tension between Travis and Abby was off the chain; and at times unbearable.

I love that Jamie has stayed true to the Teenage drama, everything about their relationship was drama, drama, drama.. and she tapped into that beautifully. Abby and Travis along with her best friend America, and America’s boyfriend Sheply (who is also Travis’s roommate) will take you for a wild ride in the life of 4 College kids growing up, growing togather, making mistakes and falling in love! The title of the book is the most accurate I’ve ever read, it really is a Beautifully Disastrous story.

My Rating: 

And now, on the the good part!! Jamie has graciously answered some questions for me to share with everybody here on the blog; I will also be giving away a free ebook copy of Beautiful Disaster to 1 lucky winner (details to follow the interview).

Jamie McGuire

*Tell me a bit about yourself. I'm 33. I have two children, and one on the way. I am addicted to cereal, I hate being tickled, and I refuse to eat left overs. I graduated in 1997 from Blackwell High School in a class of 114, where I was voted class flirt. It was the sole most embarrassing moment of my life. I wrote Providence in 11 weeks, Beautiful Disaster in 7 weeks, and I'll probably never write that fast again. I'm a registered X-Ray tech, and I wrote Providence in X-Ray school when I was supposed to be taking notes. My instructor knew it, and she hated it. My favorite color is orange, I'm a steak and potatoes girl, and I'm married to a real live cowboy.

*Where were you born and where do you call home? Tulsa, OK in St. Francis hospital. I reside in Enid, OK.

*What was your inspiration for Beautiful Disaster? Many of my real college experiences during my stint at the University of Central Oklahoma are included in this book. Travis was inspired from a guy I had a huge crush on, and Shepley is also someone I went to college with. Of course, I added quite a bit of fictional flair, but too many of the scenes derived from things that actually transpired.

*Was there a particular person that was the inspiration for Travis or Abby? Travis, yes. Abby, no. I just knew I wanted her to strong, conflicted, and stubborn.

*What are some of the struggles you've experienced while getting your books out to the masses? I've been very lucky in that my readers love gushing about Beautiful Disaster. I've been very unlucky in that those that passionately despise Beautiful Disaster tend to make it personal.

*What are some of the Pro's and Con's to being an Indie Author? There are so many Pro's. I listen to traditionally published talk about the stress of deadlines, how much their stories or voice are changed, and being unhappy with covers, titles, or the way their books or marketed (or not marketed at all), or how small their royalties are, and I don't deal with any of that. I can't imagine doing it any other way. Of course, the publishing industry is changing, and doing so dramatically, but just three years ago, self-publishing was thought to be something authors without talent had to do. It's easier to get print books on shelves when traditionally published, and recently I went to a state library conference. The other three women on my panel were traditionally published, and they signed books afterward and just walked away. I had to pack up my unsold books and tug them back to my Jeep. The publishing industry is the only retail industry that allows unsold merchandise to be returned. Many book retailers won't purchase my print books because I don't allow the option for buy back. I believe this will all change in the coming years, though.

*Whom in your life would you say has influenced you the most? My mother. I know that's a pretty standard-issue answer, but my mother was a single parent with no outside help. She worked three jobs and went to college full time. If there was a problem, she solved it. That lesson has been invaluable to me in every aspect of my life.

*What has been the most interesting comment (or review) about your books? The reviews I read telling stories of women going through chemo, and they thank me for helping them to escape real life for a while, or that the reader was going through a struggle, and reading my book helped them to forget. Those reviews get me every time, and I take them very seriously. I may just provide entertainment, but the mind is a powerful thing, and when reading, it's so easy to get lost in the world you're imagining. I want to keep doing that for people.

*Tell us your latest news. EDEN, the third and final installment of the Providence series will release May 1. Sometime after, I will release the title and cover of Travis' POV of Beautiful Disaster.

*What book are YOU currently reading? I just finished reading On the Island by Tracey Garvis-Gravis for the second time. My next books will be Grounding Quinn by Stephanie Campbell, Predestined by Abbi Glines, Good for You by Tammara Webber, and Liz Reinhardt's Slow Twitch - in that order.

Entry requirements for the Giveaway

1.Like Mel’s Book Blog on facebook

2. Follow the Blog

3. Like Beautiful Disaster fan page on facebook

4. Leave a comment below; what’s your definition of a Beautiful Disaster?

Good luck everybody, and thanks to Jamie for such a fabulous interview!