Beautiful Disaster

I hadn't heard of this book until I found a review of it online at About That Story. The synopsis and the 4/5 star review intrigued me and I immediately put it on hold at the library.

The story follows Abby and Travis' very complicated and unlikely relationship. Abby is a goody two-shoes with a dark past which she is constantly trying to leave behind. She and her friend America (I could not get over the name while I was reading this) moved far away from their old lives to Eastern University, where America quickly begins a relationship with Shepley. Shepley's roommate and cousin is Travis "Mad Dog" Maddox, who participates in underground fighting and is known for having constant one night stands and treating girls like dirt.

Enter Abby Abernathy, who Travis can't seem to resist. Abby knows that they are all wrong for each other but agrees to place a bet with him. If Travis wins, Abby has to live with him for a month and if Abby wins, he has to stay abstinent for a month. Either way, the loser is going to have a tough time. When Abby loses the bet, she and Travis start a very tumultuous relationship and realize that even though they drive each other crazy, they can't seem to stay away from each other.

I'm going to give this book a 3/5 star rating. When I first started it, I could not put it down but about halfway through it, it just started to get monotonous and old. The concept was good, I just think that it was taken a bit too far. Travis is a bad boy with a good heart but a terrible temper. And although I am a sucker for a bad boy gone good, the way that he tried to possess Abby as if she was a piece of property really bothered me. I mean, I love it when guys are a little jealous because it shows that they actually care about losing their girlfriends. But insecurity is a big turn off. A guy couldn't look at Abby without Travis kicking their ass and he had some serious issues that he really needed to work on. And no matter how bad he acted or how mad he was, in the end, Abby just kept coming back.

As far as Abby goes, she keeps pushing Travis away from the beginning, claiming that she wants to escape her past and blah blah blah. But even though we find out what was so bad about her life, she never fully explained to Travis why she kept pushing him away. She explained to us readers but never gave Travis the answers he deserved. She just kept him guessing and nothing he ever did or said seemed to be good enough. I may not have liked everything he did or said but at least he was man enough to apologize. She could've at least thrown the poor guy a bone.

I loved America and Shepley, who were big supporting characters in the story and I feel that the characters were well-written and complex. I did feel that the ending was a big rushed but generally speaking, it was a pretty good read.

Oh and Travis called Abby "Pigeon" and the entire time, all I could think about was how Tramp called Lady that same name in Lady and the Tramp.

Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? Do you have any recommendations?

-Chelsea

Wedding Magic

Late into last night, I was glued to Patricia Coughlin's story, Wedding Magic. Recently, I've been having a lot of bad luck finding books that I've liked. So you can imagine my happiness when I delved into Coughlin's story and fell head-over-heels for the story!

The story follows Sophie Bennett who, along with her two stepsisters, runs a successful wedding planning business. Sophie is the miracle worker of the group, always getting the most outrageous demands for her brides and making it look easy. But when Shelby Archer hires her company, her skills are put to the test. Shelby is getting married in less than two months, wants a hemp dress, a completely green wedding and most importantly, to be married at the "Princess House."

Sophie is then told to get the owner of the "Princess House", Owen Winters, to agree to hosting the wedding. But Owen is less than receptive to the idea. He hates weddings, thinks love doesn't exist and wants nothing more than to be left alone. But Owen changes his mind when Sophie acknowledges the supernatural force that's been living in his house. Over time, they find out that the ghost is Ivy Halliday, the woman who used to own this house, who was supposed to be married in the house and who would do anything to stop this wedding.

And boy does she try. But while Sophie and Owen are trying to find some way to make this work, their connection to each other is undeniable and they both have to acknowledge their feelings for one another, no matter how much they try to hide them.

I really loved this story. I'm a sucker for a good paranormal romance. I had never heard of this book and I just happened to stumble across it in the library. But I adored Sophie and Owen. Their characters were real and relatable, both experiencing some sort of pain and trauma in their past, which makes them afraid for their futures. They are both stubborn and won't admit just how strong their feelings are. And of course, Ivy's character was very entertaining. I found myself tearing through the pages, just to see what she would do next to stop the wedding. But she ended up being a much more complicated and layered character than just the ghost who haunts the house.

I highly recommend this story, especially if you like reading about the supernatural.

Onto the next book! Do you have any recommendations?

-Chelsea