Beautiful Disaster

By: Jamie McGuire

Narrated by: Emma Galvin

Length: 10 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2011 Jamie McGuire (P)2012 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

" Beautiful Disaster is insanely addictive. Beautifully sexy, beautifully intense, and beautifully perfect. Jamie McGuire has written a damn good book." (Jessica Park, author of the New York Times best seller Flat-Out Love)

Hmm

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Only that Abby seems to have a hard time believing what's in heart and going with it. Travis knows and tells her but she fights and leaves him all the time. Her constant waivering drove me crazy

Could you see Beautiful Disaster being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

No I can't. I don't have enough interest in these characters to watch them when I had a hard time listening to it.

Any additional comments?

I thought the author was good at grammar, structure, etc. But the constant waivering of Abby was too much for me. Why can't she just believe in Travis and his love for her. The back and forth...ugh!!!

Great Characters, not as good of a story

I want to say that I didn't dislike the book. Jamie McGuire creates a few very dramatic and visceral characters that you fall in love with their tormented love affair very quickly. However there are many scenes in this book that have a lot of build up to them and nothing really happens. McGuire had a ton of great ideas but very followed through with the threat and that was where the book lost it's 5 star rating for me.
Emma Galvin is a great Narrator, this is the second book I have listened to her. She really brings a lot to the characters and I am glad I decided to listen to the book over buying the physical copy.
If you are looking for a good book to escape into this is a great pick!

OMG! one of my favorite books

What did you love best about Beautiful Disaster?

I loved the storyline and characters in this book. How can you not fall in love with Travis!

Would you listen to another book narrated by Emma Galvin?

Emma did an ok job narrating this book. Although I hated the "accent" she used for the voice of Travis... was it boston or new jersey... not sure but I guess it was not the "voice" i would have picked for the character. I am not a huge fan of woman deepening their voices to do the male voices as it sounds like a female faking a male voice which is not sexy to hear.

Any additional comments?

This is a really great book. I read both Beautiful Disaster and Walking Disaster and enjoyed them both. I love hearing the same book in both perspectives and it will typically explain things that are going on in the background of the story. Travis was charming and annoying all at the same time but always in a good way. At times, I felt like Abby was always waiting for Travis to screw up as she runs away before he has a chance to explain. however, I found myself overlooking Abby's personality when you find out more about her past. Great book and i recommend reading Travis's story Walking Disaster.

A roller-coaster ride of emotions

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Already have and I would strongly recommend Walking Disaster which is from Travis' point of view.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the book even though this is a very co-dependent relationship.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes. There was a part in the book where Abby had to deal with something that Travis did that broke her heart.

Great story line

Wasn't sure if I liked the narrator's voice, it was a bit monotone and course. but it grew on me, and I am glad I stuck it out.

great series!

I love this series. I don't really care for the narrator, didn't like her voice.

Love this narrator!

Emma Galvin does an excellent job reading a great book! I'm just about to start the second book now! Can't wait!

Has been said before yet can’t put it down

Emma Galvin was decent. The story was cute, as a female I can relate to being attractive yet seemingly unobtainable bad boy. I’ve heard it before yet I couldn’t help myself from listening.

Awful Narrator, Great Book!

Definitely not what I expected. A very dysfunctional tale of love from a teenager's perspective. I sure as hell would never let my daughter date someone like that but it sure makes for an interesting read!

Nice try- characters' dialogs could be better

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Surprising suspenseful ending which proved the character's feelings even further.

Any additional comments?

The dialogs between Travis and Pigeon were too short, the heroine did not discuss, not even though of in her head, what the cause of her real fears was and why Travis was not good for her. Actually her whole past was disclosed so further down the book that it made it almost irrelevant at that point. Too childish girl breaking his heart almost cruelly at times, I almost didn't believe she loved him.