Something Beautiful (Beautiful #3) by Jamie McGuire

America Mason, a sassy undergrad at Eastern State University, is in love with a Maddox--Shepley Maddox. Unlike his cousins, Shepley is more lover than fighter, but a road trip to her parents' home in Wichita, Kansas could mean the next step, or the end of everything.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don't be fooled by this novella's small size. It packs a huge and dramatic punch! I love America and Shepley and just like many other fans of the Beautiful series, I wanted more of this adorable couple. We get glimpses of this couple throughout the Beautiful and Maddox Brothers series, but I enjoyed getting to spend some one-on-one time with them. Jamie doesn't disappoint either. This novella starts out slow, but then switches into high gear and doesn't let up until the very satisfying end. Love, love, loved this novella! 

Beautiful Redemption (The Maddox Brothers #2) by Jamie McGuire

If A Maddox boy falls in love, he loves forever. But what if he didn't love you, first?

No-nonsense Liis Lindy is an agent of the FBI. Deciding she is married only to her job, she breaks off her engagement and transfers from Chicago to the field office in San Diego. She loves her desk. She is committed to her laptop. She dreams of promotions and shaking hands with the director after cracking an impossible case.

Special Agent in Charge Thomas Maddox is arrogant, unforgiving, and ruthless. He is tasked with putting away some of the world’s toughest criminals, and he is one of the best the Bureau has to offer. Though, as many lives as he’s saved, there is one that is beyond his reach. Younger brother Travis is faced with prison time for his involvement in a basement fire that killed dozens of college students, and the media want a conviction. Travis’s only savior is his unusual tie to the mob. In a deal that will spare his brother, Thomas has agreed to recruit Travis into the FBI.

Liis is stubborn, defiant, and yet somehow softens Thomas’s rough edges, making her the perfect agent to accompany him to the ceremony. Posing as a couple, they must travel to Travis & Abby’s beach vow renewal and give him the news, but when the pretending ends, she finds herself wondering if they were pretending at all.

In the second installment of the Maddox Brothers books, experience firsthand the mysterious world of the elusive Thomas Maddox, and how good love can be when you’re not the first, but the last.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jamie left us with quite a bombshell at the end of Beautiful Oblivion, and my heart squeezed for the oldest Maddox brother. In this new installment, we experience the fallout of the previous book, and the result is a fantastic read. I loved Liis. She is a strong, no nonsense character, with just enough spitfire to be able to stand up to a man like Thomas Maddox. Thomas turned out to be a much more dynamic character than I was expecting, projecting one image, while secretly carrying a softer side. There is plenty of family drama in this one, and the only criticism I have is that the whole "getting over the ex" was a little too drawn out. I would recommend reading the whole series in order. While this book probably could be read as a standalone, it contains too much crossover between books that would result in major spoilers. No worries, though. The whole Maddox clan is worth getting to know ;)

2015 Reading Challenge: A book published this year

Happenstance Series by Jamie McGuire

Erin Easter, one of three Erins in the small senior class of rural Blackwell High School who not only share a first name, but also their birthday. Erin Easter, raised by a neglectful single mom, keeps to herself and admires Weston Gates from afar. The other Erins, Erin A. and Erin M. are the darlings of the community: daughters of the two wealthiest families in town, best friends, cheerleaders, and everything Erin Easter isn't--and they never let her forget it. Erin A. has even claimed Weston since the 8th grade.

Weston is a well-liked star athlete, and the son of two prominent attorneys. He struggles daily with the pressures of living up to his family name and secretly empathizes with Erin Easter's feeling that she belongs somewhere else; in a different life. Not until he begins sneaking nights out with Erin does he gain the courage to buck expectations and acknowledge his feelings ... both for his future, and for her.

But when a shocking tragedy rocks the tiny town, Erin's life is turned upside down in the best way possible. But when the truth is revealed and everything Erin thinks she wanted falls into her lap, life only becomes more complicated.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Erin Easter was now Erin Alderman, because Erin Alderman was dead.

In the second installment of this USA Today bestselling series, follow protagonist Erin, a high school senior in tiny Blackwell, Oklahoma. After a terrible accident leaves two classmates dead, Erin learns that she was switched at birth. Shortly after, she moves into the home of her true parents, Sam and Julianne Alderman, transforming Erin over night from pariah of Blackwell High School, to the only child of one of the most affluent couples in town.

Also being pursued by her childhood crush, Weston Gates, the dream she once had is now reality. But when Erin stumbles upon secrets that gives her the answers she’s been searching for, she also finds a truth she never wanted to know.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This novella series by Jamie McGuire is a fun little read that has lots of plot twists. Erin is a sweet girl, and you really can't help but sympathize with her and the raw deal she has been dealt. The story has some interesting twists as we watch Erin's whole life change overnight. At times the story felt a bit rushed to me, but I suspect that is because it is not meant to be a full novel. I found myself wishing for more at times, but overall, I am enjoying this series. I'm eagerly awaiting installment number three.

Beautiful Oblivion (Maddox Brothers #1) by Jamie McGuire

The Maddox brothers have a reputation for being trouble, and Trenton Maddox's reputation is well known around Eastern State University. Dating co-eds even before graduating from high school, Trenton was the kind of guy that his friends wanted to be, and women wanted to be with, until a tragic accident changed the course of his life. Now he is living at home with his widower father, and working at a tattoo parlor to help pay the bills. His life takes another unexpected turn when he notices Cami, a girl that he has loved from afar, sitting alone at a table at The Red.

Cami has been on her own since she was sixteen, when she left to escape her dysfunctional family. She spends every waking moment working and studying, and has little time for anything else. On the night that Trenton sees her at The Red, she is nursing a bruised heart after her boyfriend calls to cancel her weekend trip to see him. Cami knows all about the Maddox brothers and is not interested in getting involved with Trenton, but she can't deny that she feels a pull towards him.

Trenton won't take no for an answer, and the two quickly develop a friendship that leaves them both wanting more. Even when things fall apart with Cami's boyfriend, she is still hesitant to start something with Trenton. She has a secret that she knows will make Trenton hate her if he knew. A secret so big, it has the power to rock his family to the core. Even though she warns him, Trenton doesn't care, because when a Maddox boy falls in love, he loves forever. When her secret is revealed, Trenton will find himself facing the most important decision of his life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I first fell in love with the Maddox boys when I read Jamie's Beautiful Disaster Series, featuring Travis Maddox. There truly is something special about these boys. They love fiercely, are so loyal, and are just the right mix of big-hearted and bad boy. I was super excited when I heard that Jamie was going to give Travis's brothers their own books, and I wasn't disappointed. While a little less dramatic that Travis's story, Beautiful Oblivion is still a fantastic read and has everything that I loved about the previous series - a hot male lead, a strong female lead, humor, heart, and heat. 

I have to say what made this book for me was the very last chapter. The whole book was great, but the final chapter contained a twist in the story that I didn't expect. Let's just say that Cami's secret...well, it's a big one! While the ending wasn't a cliffhanger, it definitely caused a jaw dropping, OMG moment, and left me dying to know what's next for the Maddox clan.

I would definitely suggest reading the Beautiful Disaster Series before reading Beautiful Oblivion, as events in this book overlap with events in the previous series. If you read it out of order, it will spoil some things for you. No word on when we can expect the next book in the Maddox Brothers Series, but I will be snatching it up as soon as it is released.

A Beautiful Wedding (Beautiful Disaster #2.5) by Jamie McGuire

You know that Abby Abernathy unexpectedly became Mrs. Maddox. But what do you really know?

Why did Abby pop the question?
What secrets were shared before the ceremony?
Where did they spend their wedding night?
Who else knew about it . . . and didn’t tell?

Everything about Abby and Travis’s elopement was top-secret . . . until now. Fans of Beautiful Disaster and Walking Disaster will get all of their questions answered in this whirlwind tale of the wedding day (and night!)—and as with all good stories, this one will definitely have been worth the wait.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is a fun little novella that gives us a little more insight into the wedding of Abby and Travis, as well as a (brief) look into the future. I enjoyed this story, and at 160 pages, it is a fairly decent sized novella. There were a lot of really sweet and touching moments, especially those involving Travis's mom. There are no surprises that lead me to believe there will be anymore to Abby and Travis's story. If you are a fan of the Beautiful Disaster series, then you will enjoy this one. 

Walking Disaster (Disaster #2) by Jamie McGuire

Walking Disaster is the companion novel to Beautiful Disaster, which tells the story of Abby Abernathy and Travis Maddox. Abby leaves her hometown for college with the hope of leaving her past behind her and starting over. Travis is a notorious bad boy known for his temper and his one night stands. When Abby meets Travis she knows that he is exactly what she has been trying to avoid, but cannot deny the draw she feels towards him. Travis can't ignore Abby either. Since the death of his mother, Travis has been on the lookout for a love worth fighting for and he thinks he may have found it in Abby. However, the two of them have so many issues between them that their relationship seems doomed from the start.

Whereas Beautiful Disaster is told from Abby's perspective, Walking Disaster is told from Travis' point of view. I liked the first book, but didn't love it and found myself cringing a lot. Travis' behavior was often over the top and borderline abusive, but it was clear from the first novel that Travis was the more complex of the two main characters. The problem was you didn't get a whole lot of Travis' backstory in the first novel. I enjoyed Walking Disaster much more than Beautiful Disaster. Travis' behavior doesn't seem so extreme and a lot of his actions are better understood when seen from his point of view. There were several events that felt brushed over and I wasn't a huge fan of the Epilogue, but this book was far better than the first one.

Beautiful Disaster (Disaster #1) by Jamie McGuire

Abby Abernathy is a good girl, or at least she is trying to be. She has fled her hometown to attend Eastern University and escape her past. Travis Maddox is the epitome of a bad boy - covered in tattoos, earns money fighting in an underground fight club, and is notorious for his one night stands. When Abby meets Travis at one of his fights, she is instinctively drawn to him and Travis is intrigued by her outward disdain for him. The truth is that neither one can stay away from the other. When Abby loses a bet, she must live with Travis for one month. The more time the two of them spend together the more complicated and entwined their relationship becomes, bring them both to the point of destruction.

I liked this book, but I didn't love it. It is basically a twist on Beauty and the Beast. Abby is not as innocent as Belle is, but she is the antidote to Travis' beastly ways. She's no angel herself however. She often pushes Travis' buttons and tries to provoke a response from him, even though she knows he is a bomb waiting to explode. Travis is a much more complex character than Abby, and I was disappointed that we do not get to learn more about his back story, because it might explain why he is the way that he is. He is certainly not the perfect male lead. In fact he is really more of a cautionary tale. He is jealous, possessive, prone to violence, and borderline abusive. I found myself cringing sometimes when reading this book over the things Travis did, because they are simply not acceptable in a healthy relationship. He was not the dark angel for me, he is simply just dark. In the end, they do definitely deserve each other and I guess you can say that they save each other. I just not sure if either of them is a better person because of it.

Book two, Walking Disaster, is due to be published in April 2013 and is the same story told from Travis' point of view. I have to admit that I am intrigued by this and will most likely be picking the book up when it comes out. For me, Travis is the more interesting and complex character of the two and I am looking forward to reading the story through his eyes.