Joint Review: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

by: Jamie McGuire
published by: Simon and Schuster-Atria Books
publish date:  August 14

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.
Kari and I first blogged about this book in December of last year.  Since then it's joined the ranks of Fifty Shades of Grey and On the Island.  It's gone from self published ebook phenomenon to being picked up by a big name publishing house.  Unlike Fifty Shades, Kari and I both liked this book.  See what we said back in December.  Hopefully, S&S got those typos fixed up.

This book captured my attention because it was one of the nominees in the Goodreads Awards this year. I had never heard of it and when I started reading the comments people were gushing over it like crazy. It's inexpensively priced on Amazon ($2.99 when I bought it) so I decided to give it a read.

Beautiful Disaster is somewhat out of my reading comfort zone. I don't do romance, I leave that to Kari. However I was completely sucked into this book. I was up late reading it because I didn't want to put it down.

On Goodreads, a lot of the commenters refer to this book being like a drug, it's bad for you but you don't want to stop. I agree with that assessment. There are typos galore and Abby and Travis are both so stupid most of the time, but you can't help but cheer them on.

When I found out that Autumn was reading a romance, I had to see what all of the fuss was about. Like her, I was sucked right in.

Beautiful Disaster is an emotional roller coaster ride. I have read comments that the relationship is dysfunctional and at times stalker like. In a way, I have to agree. They are definitely dysfunctional. But, what I really saw in Abby and Travis were 2 young people with trust and security issues. In real life, I probably would have suggested the 2 seek therapy before committing, but since it wasn't reality, I went with the flow. Like Autumn, I did find myself rooting for them in the end.

Unraveling Isobel by Eileen Cook

by:  Eileen Cook
published by: Simon Pulse
publish date: January 3, 2012

Isobel’s life is falling apart. Her mom just married some guy she met on the internet only three months before, and is moving them to his sprawling, gothic mansion off the coast of nowhere. Goodbye, best friend. Goodbye, social life. Hello, icky new stepfather, crunchy granola town, and unbelievably good-looking, officially off-limits stepbrother.

But on her first night in her new home, Isobel starts to fear that it isn’t only her life that’s unraveling—her sanity might be giving way too. Because either Isobel is losing her mind, just like her artist father did before her, or she’s seeing ghosts. Either way, Isobel’s fast on her way to being the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons.

I was surprised by this book.  I liked it a lot more than I was expecting.  It dealt with some serious issues like mental illness and the struggles of blended families in a thoughtful manner, but at the same time kept up the humor and snarky teenage sarcasm.

The setting for this book was perfect.  The new stepfather moves the family into his estate on a tiny island off the coast of Washington.  Everybody knows everybody and they all know the murdurous history of the creepy mansion. 

Honestly, I wasn't too thrilled with the relationship between Isobel and her step brother Nathaniel.  However, I suppose those things happen (specifically two older teenagers falling in love with each other when they have only become brother and sister because their parents have just gotten married).  I'd be a hypocrite for fussing about it here when I accepted it in Tabitha Suzuma's Forbidden and that was blood relatives.  There I specified that book was for older YAs so I think I'd probably make that stipulation on this book too.  This topic has led to a lot of discussion about what is and what isn't appropriate in YA literature.  What say you?

Giveaway: The Black Sun's Daughter Series by M.L.N Hanover

In anticipation of the release of KILLING RITES (book 4 in the Black Sun's Daughter series) by M.L.N. Hanover

The wonderful people at Simon & Schuster have authorized  a giveaway of Books 1-4 in the Black Sun's Daughter Series. 

Giveaway Details: 


Just leave a comment with a valid e-mail address (sorry US only).  Post the giveaway on Twitter, Facebook, etc and leave a message with the link for an extra entry.  This contest will run until November 24, 2011  The winner will be announce on Friday, November 25, 2011. (Black Friday). Good Luck!!

KILLING RITES (Book Four of the Black Sun’s Daughter series)

Pocket Books

Release: Nov. 29, 2011

Price: $7.99

Jayne Heller has discovered the source of her uncanny powers: something else is living inside her body. She’s possessed. Of all her companions, she can only bring herself to confide in Ex, the former priest. They seek help from his old teacher, hoping to cleanse Jayne before the parasite in her becomes too powerful. Ex’s history and a new enemy combine to leave Jayne alone and on the run. Her friends try to hunt her down, unaware of the danger they’re putting her in. Jayne must defeat the past, and her only allies are a rogue vampire she once helped free—and the names thing hiding inside her skin.

Blog Tour: Love, Always

by:  Harriet Evans
published by:  Simon and Schuster
publish date:  June 21, 2011

When Natasha Kapoor returns to her grandparents’ idyllic coastal home for her beloved grandmother’s funeral, her life is at a turning point. She thought by now she’d be a successful jewelry designer in London with a perfect marriage. Instead, she’s got mounting bills and a soon-to-be ex.

After the funeral, Natasha’s grandfather gives her the long-lost diary of her aunt Cecily. No one in her large and complicated family has ever discussed the tragic accident that took Cecily’s life as a teenager, and within the diary’s pages, Natasha finds a gripping and shocking tale of forbidden love, rivalry, and heartbreak.

Nearly fifty years later, will Cecily’s diary finally explain her family’s dark past and the terrible secret her aunt left behind? Is it possible it’s just the inspiration Natasha needs to take a fresh look at her future, and maybe even give love a second chance?

This was a really lovely contemporary not really romance, not really mystery, but a little of both.  The first few pages of the book set the stage for the mystery aspect of the story.  It drew me right in wondering how that was going to play in to the rest of the story.  The writer did a superb job of weaving the story of the past in with what was going on in the present day.

I found myself much preferring the story that was set in the past.  I don't know if that was the intent of the writer, I doubt it.  I didn't particularly care for Natasha, I understand she was being a completely normal person but I felt like she was wishy-washy in her decisions.   The story of Cecily and Miranda 50 years ago was a lot more compelling to me.  I wanted to know more about Archie, was he really a pervert or was Louisa being overly dramatic?  What was Miranda and Archie's relationship like?  Why did everyone think they were weird?

The questions I had at the end were mostly irrelevent to the story, and in the end the big questions were answered, so I guess that's all that really matters.  I did enjoy the story.  This would be a great beach read...perfect timing!