Book Series: Beautiful, Book #1
Author: Jamie McGuire
Genres: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Emma Galvin
Length: 10 hrs and 30 mins
My Ranking:
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.
It's always a good thing when you end a book with a stupid, cheesy grin on your face.
I really liked this book. It was a great story. First of all, I really liked that the characters all had pretty distinct personalities, and the way that they interacted with each other was really believable. The whole story was very believable (well, minus the underground fighting ring and the gambling part... you wouldn't run into that everyday).
But, I didn't like the book in the beginning. When it started, I wasn't sure how I feel about this story. I, for one, don't really get Abby's appeal especially when it comes to Travis. I got that he obviously was attracted to her from the start. But I wasn't sure what kept him coming back and being so willing to help her in the beginning. Abby, to me, acted like she was on some crazy-ass, mood swing teeder-toddler. But then, same goes for Travis. His desperation for Abby to like him and not leave was so... odd. I guess I want to know what the deal was faster. What are his demons, and more importantly, what are hers? I am suspecting there is more to Abby's madness. Much, much more.
I didn't really get into the story until about halfway through. Then, I started to really like Travis as a character. He had a very extreme personality and there was something very "Pan-like" about him. Yes, I mean Peter Pan. He was fierce and he was strong but very, very vulnerable. I really felt for him because Abby really put him through the ringer. She even had my head spinning through the whole story and it was told from her perspective. However - his behavior was a bit too extreme at times. And damn - what a temper he had.
Since I liked this book, I am not going to pick it apart. I enjoyed McGuire's writing style, she had some really great lines. One of my favorite lines was "Shepley moved like he watched too many Usher videos." I knew exactly what she meant. Oh, the hilarity!!!
One critique was who was that we never really learned who was the "old Abby." What was she like? Who was she when she was in Vegas? Because after I learned who her old boyfriend was and what her old life was, I didn't really believe the whole virgin thing anymore. Or, why she was treated so delicately by America.
I can't wait to read Walking Disaster and here what Travis has to say... the man behind the myth. Excited.
Emma Galvin is a phenomenal voice actress and my absolute favorite. She's brings her characters to life effortlessly and can capture even the tiniest emotion with her vocal inflection. I first discovered her through the Divergent series and have have almost finished every audiobook she's ever read. Yes, she's that good. And if you don't agree, don't even bother saying so. You can't convince me otherwise!
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