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Review

“It’s dangerous to need someone that much. You’re trying to save him and he’s hoping you can. You two are a disaster.”

BUT OMG, I LOVE IT!!!!

This book is one of my ALL-TIME FAVOURITES. It was actually the book that triggered my evolution into the obsessive reader that I am today – particularly my love for romance. And it was the first book that I finished, only to flick back to page 1 and immediately start all over again, and I’ve read it many times since. There are so many brilliant quotes in this book that I decided to embrace my Quote-Whorishness, and to hell with the length of the review!

It’s the story of Abby Abernathy, a good girl who is starting College, and trying her hardest to create a fresh start for herself. She immediately captures the attention of manwhoring, underground fighting, total hunk of gorgeousness, Travis Maddox *shivers*. Travis is the campus bad boy and is fully aware of his status. He is also completely unapologetic about it, and I kinda love that about him!

“You’ll have sex with her, but you won’t take her number?”
Travis leaned on the counter with his elbows. “Why would I want her number if I’m not going to call her?”
“Why would you sleep with her if you’re not going to call her?”
“I didn’t promise her anything, Pidge. She didn’t stipulate a relationship before she spread eagle on my couch.”

Harsh, but you’ve gotta admit, he makes a good point!

Travis’ attraction to Abby is immediate, but she is different from the girls he is usually with, and apparently not interested in him. So he dismisses the idea of getting her on his couch and instead becomes friends with her – although there is definite UST simmering away, and some sensational banter.

“Like I would buy a beer for some chick at a bar,” he said, shaking his head. I held up my beer, and he pulled up one side of his mouth into a half-smile. “You’re different.”
I clinked my bottle against his. “To being the only girl a guy with no standards doesn’t want to sleep with.” I said, taking a swig.
“Are you serious?” he asked, pulling the bottle from my mouth. When I didn’t recant, he leaned toward me. “First of all…I have standards. I’ve never been with an ugly woman. Ever. Second of all, I wanted to sleep with you. I thought about throwing you over my couch fifty different ways, but I haven’t because I don’t see you that way anymore. It’s not that I’m not attracted to you, I just think you’re better than that.”
I couldn’t hold back the smug smile that crept across my face. “You think I’m too good for you.”
He sneered at my second insult. “I can’t think of a single guy I know that’s good enough for you.”

And it all gets better when Abby loses a bet with Travis and ends up moving in with him for a month. Things between them develop beautifully and they are soon inseparable, becoming best friends, and having great fun together – but always with a flirty, affectionate undercurrent and lots of little ‘moments’ between them. Travis is obviously completely hooked on Abby, and even though she is determined to stay away from bad boys and adamant that nothing is going to happen between them (and is sort of dating somebody else – idiot!), everybody can see that they belong together. And when feelings are declared in true dramatic style, she finally comes to her senses.

“I know we’re fucked up, all right? I’m impulsive and hot-tempered, and you get under my skin like no one else. You act like you hate me one minute, and then you need me the next. I never get anything right, and I don’t deserve you … but I fucking love you, Abby. I love you more than I’ve loved anyone or anything, ever. When you’re around, I don’t need booze or money or the fighting or the one-night stands … all I need is you. You’re all I think about. You’re all I dream about. You’re all I want.”
…
He scanned my face with careful hope in his eyes.
“You love me?”
“It’s the tattoos,” I shrugged.
A wide smile stretched across his face.

And so begins their intensely emotional love story. The passion and obsession that Travis and Abby feel for each other is fantastically portrayed, and you can feel everything that they are going through. But when Abby’s past comes back to haunt her, she pulls away from Travis and it’s absolutely freaking heartbreaking…

“I’m done, Travis.”
He winced. “Don’t say that.”
“It’s over. Go home.”
His eyebrows pulled in. “You’re my home.”

OMG, I wanted to smack Abby so many times while reading this! Watching Travis fall apart (and literally on his knees) is gut wrenching… soooooo much emotion!

“I can’t win with you. I can’t win with you! You say you’re done…I’m fucking miserable over here! I had to break my phone into a million pieces to keep from calling you every minute of the damn day – I’ve had to play it off like everything is just fine at school so you can be happy…and you’re fucking mad at me? You broke my fuckin’ heart!”

The more they try both try to move on, the more emotional it all becomes, and they sway between sadness and anger and back again, but neither of them are able to completely let go. And it all culminates in the big, defining moment – including THE MOST EPIC TOAST OF ALL TIME!

“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.”

Oh holy God! I LOVE that quote! I remember squeeing out loud the first time I read it. And here is another of my faves – it gives me shivers every time.

“You can’t tell me what to do anymore, Travis! I don’t belong to you!”
In the second it took him to turn and face me, his expression had contorted into anger. He stomped toward me, planting his hands on the bed and leaning into my face.
“WELL I BELONG TO YOU!” The veins in his neck bulged as he shouted, and I met his glare, refusing to even flinch. He looked at my lips, panting. “I belong to you.”

OMG! The emotion! *sob*.

Helping Travis and Abby find their way are Abby’s best friend, America, and her boyfriend, Shep (Travis’ cousin and roommate). Both of them know Travis and his reputation very well and so are incredibly protective over Abby and I loved how involved they became in everything that was happening between them. I also loved the addition of Travis’ family, and I’m excited to see more of his brothers in future books. Speaking of future books, while Beautiful Disaster is entirely from Abby’s POV, the release of [book:Walking Disaster|15745950] will finally give us Travis’ side of the story, and I cannot freaking wait!

I get why people have issues with this book – particularly with Travis. Yep, I get that he is possessive and obsessive, has some severe anger management issues, and is a little on the OTT side, but it all works for the story. His intense love for his “Pidge” completely knocks him off his feet, and snaps him out of his hedonistic lifestyle to try to be somebody better for her, and it just makes me love him even more. He is probably one of the most loved bad boys in a genre that is overflowing with bad boys, and is definitely one of my favourite book boyfriends ever.

I absolutely adore this book. It’s funny, it’s flirty, the chemistry is off the freaking charts, and the romance is irresistible. There are some moments of stupid and absolute disbelief at their behaviour, and Travis and Abby’s ups and downs will make you laugh, cry, swoon, tear your hair out in frustration, and fan yourself at the hotness. You’ll feel it all right alongside them. It’s a fabulous story that completely sucked me in from the very beginning and one that I know I will continue to read over and over again.

5 sensational stars.

 

The Beautiful series