Abby is a student at Eastern University. She’s left her life behind in Kansas, and taken her friend America along with her. She’s hoping to escape who she was, hoping to never be remembered for the life she’s leaving behind. America has promised to be her conscience and, together at Eastern, they have each other’s backs.
One night, while attending an inner Circle fight, Abby comes face to face with everything she’s trying to leave behind. Travis Maddox is the playboy of Eastern University, but for Abby, whom he calls Pigeon, he’s willing to leave his playboy life behind. But Abby is resistant to his charms. They have both met their match and whether together or apart, they are a disaster waiting to happen.
My goal with this review is to not give any spoilers! You just have to read this book for yourself!! It’s completely a cliche, but....I COULDN’T PUT THIS BOOK DOWN!! There are so many things that I loved about this book, I just am not sure where to start....so I’ll just dive right in!
The first thing I LOVED about this book was Abby -- innocent, independent, beautiful, fun loving Abby. I loved this character from the beginning! She’s moved to Eastern to escape a father who blames her for his downturn in life, and a mother who can’t stay away from the bottle. Ready to start a life that’s nowhere near what she left, she walks right into that same life when she comes face to face with bad-boy Travis “Mad Dog” Maddox. She’s completely resistant to his charms and has no intentions of being the next girl that he doesn’t call back.
The next first thing I LOVED about this book is Travis. You just can’t love Abby without also loving Travis. Travis is the buzz cut, tattooed, muscled-up playboy of Eastern University. There’s practically a different girl every night on his “couch.” Travis isn’t just rough and tough, never losing a fight in the “Circle” at Eastern, but he’s also a frat brother, the man about campus, and a “brainiac”. When he comes face to face with innocent, cardigan wearing Abby at one of his fights, he has met his match. Abby isn’t the only one trying to escape a past. Travis was raised by his dad and four older brothers, with little memory of his mother, who passed away when he was very young. Travis has built a wall, and Abby may be just the only person who will ever be allowed to knock it down.
The next first thing I LOVED about this book is Abby and Travis’s story. Which is the entire book!! What a roller-coaster ride!
Some may think that Abby’s weak and stupid, or even cruel and heartless, but at the age of 19, she’s lived a life most never do! It’s a life she never wants to be known for, or to ever live again. That’s the problem with Travis. He is a walking memory of everything that she’s left behind. But it’s more than that. Abby doesn’t want to ever be blamed for being the person behind someone’s downfall ever again.
Some may think Travis is an arrogant bully who can’t keep his pants on. Which is pretty accurate. But that all changes with Abby. There isn’t much Travis wouldn’t do for Abby, which is his downfall. But when Travis lets that wall down, it’s a forever event. This is the Travis I love most. I love the Travis who will lay his life down for his girl, even when she isn’t his girl. I love the Travis who melts at her feet, and I love the Travis he is with her. I don’t love the Travis who comes out during the rough times.
What I loved most about Beautiful Disaster is everything!
This book isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s got a lot of language, sex, fighting, blood and gore. But it’s got a heart and soul. This story breathes its own life. It is a Beautiful Disaster. Ages 14 and up
Recommended by Shawn Lane, Librarian, Texas, USA
This and her other reviews can be found on her Blog: What I Read Yesterday at https://www.whatireadyesterday.com
