Jamie McGuire’s Beautiful Disaster, Book Review

Jamie McGuire’s Beautiful Disaster novel, the first in her Beautiful series, is an addictive and intense drama-filled new adult read. Read our review.

Beautiful Disaster Book Synopsis

Beautiful Disaster Novel - Jamie McGuire's bestseller
Beautiful Disaster – Atria

INTENSE. DANGEROUS. ADDICTIVE.

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. (Goodreads)

Genre: Young Adult, Chicklit

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BOOK REVIEW

After reading the synopsis for Jamie McGuire’s Beautiful Disaster regular readers will be thinking this title is quite a departure from my normal reading fare. Although I consider myself to have broad reading tastes, the more commercial romantic young adult novels have never really appealed to me.

Enter stage left a wonderful friend of mine that’s in the business of knowing which books really sell. After encouraging me to read this title for some time to no avail, she ended up giving me a copy and demanded I read it! While I remained sceptical, I do trust her, and I really did like the cover art, so one rainy day I picked it up… and didn’t put it down until the very last word.

Although I find it difficult to explain precisely why, I now appreciate just how Jamie McGuire has achieved bestselling status with this title. The prose is non-taxing, the characters appealing but economically developed and the plot is at times painfully predictable, BUT this novel is unbelievably addictive!

“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.”

Beautiful Disaster Novel Cover

It has the same hypnotic effect soapy dramas and reality shows have – you know that je ne sais quoi of certain TV progams that cause otherwise deep thinking individuals to stay glued to the box for hours? And while this type of cultural fare will not expand our minds, it does have a certain remedial effect. It does us all good to switch down a gear or two every now and then.

It wasn’t just me, and it wasn’t just him, it was what we were together that was the exception.

While Jamie McGuire’s Beautiful Disaster novel will not be to everyone’s taste — very much for the young (or the young at heart) female audience — it is undeniably a relaxing and entertaining way to pass a few hours.

My Rating

The Story 3 / 5 ; The Writing 3 / 5

Get your copy of the Beautiful Disaster novel

Amazon | Bookshop US

The Beautiful Series in order

Book 1 – Beautiful Disaster, Book 2 – Walking Disaster, Book 3 – A Beautiful Wedding

More Romance Reads: Safety in Numbers by Sophie Penhaligon | The Hub by Nicola May | The Woman in the Castello by Kelsey James | The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner | Book List: Our Top RomCom Novels

About the Author, Jamie McGuire

Jamie McGuire was born in Tulsa, OK. She attended the Northern Oklahoma College, the University of Central Oklahoma, and Autry Technology Center where she graduated with a degree in Radiography. Her most recent novel, Walking Disaster debuted at #1 on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. She has also written bestselling contemporary romance Beautiful Disaster, and the Providence series. Jamie now lives in Enid, OK with her three children and husband Jeff, who is a real, live cowboy. They share their 30 acres with six horses, three dogs, and Rooster the cat. Checkout Jamie McGuire’s website.