Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

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.

The Pros:

• I was impressed by the how well the author represented the Eastern University college community. Many books state that the characters are in college, but never actually involve any college activities. Beautiful Disaster contains many aspects that are straight out of the life of a college student; meeting your friends in the cafeteria at your regular table to eat unidentifiable food, cramming for a test, hitting up the local bar with your fake id, and attending a fraternity party with the rest of the campus.
• The character development in this book is fantastic. A lot of times just the main characters are developed, and not the supporting characters. The annoying roommate, the best friend from home, the best friend's boyfriend, the token gay friend... this book has them all and you get to know them really well.
• Abby has a past that could threaten her good girl image. One that she wants no one to know about. The only one who knows her past is her best friend America, and the truth isn't revealed until pretty late on in the story, making you wonder the whole book what exactly she is running from. Once you find out what it is, a lot more of the story makes sense.
• Travis is the ultimate bad boy. He has tattoos, he smokes, he drinks, he rides a motorcycle, he fights, and he brings a different girl home every night. I definitely have a soft spot for bad boy characters.
• Abby is not your typical young adult book heroine. Although her heart is telling her one thing, she allows her head to make the decisions, which is rare in young adult literature. She is no Bella Swan, that's for sure.

The Cons:

• Why in the world would Travis nickname Abby "Pigeon"?! It grated on my nerves for the entirety of the book. And the shortened version, "Pidge", that he uses is almost worse. Ugh,
• Their relationship is seriously dysfunctional, almost like watching a car crash but hoping for a happy ending. This couple would need some SERIOUS counseling in real life
• The ending. It wrapped up too quickly and wasn't very believable. 

The Wrap Up: 4.5/5

• Is this book as good as the hype surrounding it? Yep. Sure is. I ripped through this sucker in less than 24 hours. The book was such a roller coaster that I found myself having to turn my Kindle off so that I could decompress for a moment or two. Loved. It.

Favorite Quote:

• "'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.'" -Travis

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