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Beautiful #2.5
A Beautiful Wedding
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.
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.
146 pages, Hardcover
First published December 10, 2013
About the author
Jamie McGuire
45 books42.6k followersJamie McGuire was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She attended Northern Oklahoma College, the University of Central Oklahoma, and Autry Technology Center where she graduated with a degree in Radiography.
Jamie paved the way for the New Adult genre with the international bestseller Beautiful Disaster. Her follow-up novel, Walking Disaster, debuted at #1 on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists in all four categories. Beautiful Oblivion, book one of the Maddox Brothers series, also topped the New York Times bestseller list, debuting at #1. In 2015, books two and three of the Maddox Brothers series, Beautiful Redemption and Beautiful Sacrifice, respectively, also topped the New York Times, as well as a Beautiful series novella, Something Beautiful. In 2016, Beautiful Burn made an appearance on the New York Times and USA Today, and was also named iBooks' Romance Book of the Year. The same year, A Beautiful Funeral also topped the New York Times bestseller list.
Novels also written by Jamie McGuire include: apocalyptic thriller and 2014 UtopYA Best Dystopian Book of the Year, Red Hill; the Providence series, a young adult paranormal romance trilogy; Apolonia, a dark sci-fi romance; and several novellas, including A Beautiful Wedding, Among Monsters, Happenstance: A Novella Series, and Sins of the Innocent.
Jamie is the first indie author in history to strike a print deal with retail giant Wal-Mart. Her self-published novel, Beautiful Redemption hit Wal-Mart shelves in September, 2015.
Jamie lives in Steamboat Springs, Colorado with her husband, Jeff, and their three children.
Find Jamie at www.jamiemcguire.com or on Facebook, Twitter, Google +, and Instagram.
Jamie paved the way for the New Adult genre with the international bestseller Beautiful Disaster. Her follow-up novel, Walking Disaster, debuted at #1 on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists in all four categories. Beautiful Oblivion, book one of the Maddox Brothers series, also topped the New York Times bestseller list, debuting at #1. In 2015, books two and three of the Maddox Brothers series, Beautiful Redemption and Beautiful Sacrifice, respectively, also topped the New York Times, as well as a Beautiful series novella, Something Beautiful. In 2016, Beautiful Burn made an appearance on the New York Times and USA Today, and was also named iBooks' Romance Book of the Year. The same year, A Beautiful Funeral also topped the New York Times bestseller list.
Novels also written by Jamie McGuire include: apocalyptic thriller and 2014 UtopYA Best Dystopian Book of the Year, Red Hill; the Providence series, a young adult paranormal romance trilogy; Apolonia, a dark sci-fi romance; and several novellas, including A Beautiful Wedding, Among Monsters, Happenstance: A Novella Series, and Sins of the Innocent.
Jamie is the first indie author in history to strike a print deal with retail giant Wal-Mart. Her self-published novel, Beautiful Redemption hit Wal-Mart shelves in September, 2015.
Jamie lives in Steamboat Springs, Colorado with her husband, Jeff, and their three children.
Find Jamie at www.jamiemcguire.com or on Facebook, Twitter, Google +, and Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,899 reviews
December 4, 2013
** FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED **
A Beautiful Wedding was passionate, emotional, and a whole lot of fun. In this beautiful novella, Jamie McGuire reminded me once again why Travis Maddox is and always will be my favorite bad boy.
“A Maddox boy will take you all the way to the edge, but if you go with him, he’ll follow you anywhere…
And when a Maddox boy falls in love, he loves forever.”
Even though it had been over a year since I read Beautiful Disaster, I reconnected with the characters right from the start. Told in both Travis and Abby's point of views, this novella takes us through the excitement of their top secret Vegas wedding giving us a glimpse into one of the most special occasions of their lives. It was a beautiful and wonderful way to revisit characters who already had a special place in my heart.
My favorite thing about Travis and Abby has always been how strongly they love each other, how they're not afraid to show that love, and how what they each want most is each other's happiness. Everything you could ever want to know about their wedding is answered here -- where, when, why, how....
Their texts were adorable (“I look ducking amazing.”), that gorgeous letter totally made me cry (and the kiss after *clutches heart*), the ceremony had me smiling from ear to ear (you’re going to love what Travis says!), their wedding night was just perfect (*fans self*), the tattoo parlor was hilarious (seriously, LOL Travis!!), oh and don’t even get me started on the bachelor party (all I’m going to say is that I cannot wait for Trent’s book!) and at the end, we also got to see them a year later renewing their vows, but this time with all their friends and family present. It truly was beautiful!
If you're a fan of Travis and Abby, this novella is a must read! It was the perfect treat for fans of this series!
“By anyone’s standards, we were too young to get married, too unpredictable. How many times had we hurt one another along the way, screamed at each other one minute and fallen into bed together the next? But… I looked at him, resolute. He was mine, and I was his. If I knew anything at all, it was that only those two things mattered.”
Thank you for the publishers for sending me a copy to review. Release date: December 10, 2013.
****************************
For more of my reviews, book news and updates:
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December 14, 2013
And she ripped my closure off like a bandaid!! Son of a….
When A Beautiful Wedding showed up at my doorstep, my emotions seized. I was exited. I was thrilled. I was scared. I was indifferent. I was a whole lot of everything all at once. The only thing my eyes could see was CAUTION. Caution written in bright green neon letters….with glitter.
Why?….
Because I…am an addict, and the drug that is a Beautiful Disaster is my drug of choice. Just opening my package made my hands shake. The addiction all started with a tattooed tongue. That damn tattooed tongue, and I couldn't get enough. To this day, Beautiful Disaster holds my record for the most re-reads ever. I read it from start to finish, and from finish to start. I partied with my favorite scenes, and shot up with my favorite intimate moments. I inhaled into my system everything that is Abby and Travis. I needed to get my fix; I was a user, and I used often. I wanted more. Hell, we all did.
Then came Walking Disaster, and with that came my recovery. It was like a twelve step program for my addiction. It was my rehab. My therapy. Getting to experience a book for the first time, for a second time, was a stroke of literary genius. We got our more, but in a way that protected the integrity of the story along with everything we love about this series. We were able to get more without risking the perfection of Beautiful Disaster with a sequel.
Instead, Walking Disaster gave me closure. It gave me...completeness, and after reading those words, "The End", I felt it.
Now, sitting on my doorstep was frickin pandora's box. A line of literary cocaine begging to be snorted. What the hell was I suppose to do. Call a sponsor? Go to a meeting? Someone in my neighborhood's bound to have some mild (but effective) mood altering medication, right?
Here's where I'd like to say that I was strong. And looking back, three seconds (and only one shot of tequila) before tearing open the pages was pretty damn strong. Especially when the name of Jamie McGuire is staring right at your face. I swear, even the font taunted me.
I totally caved.
When am I ever going to learn that Jamie McGuire is always right. She knows what I need even before I do. Yes, Walking Disaster put a bandaid over my Beautiful Disaster hole, but A Beautiful Wedding filled the hole. This is the end.
It may have started off with me wanting to punch Abby in the face, but it ended with acceptance. Acceptance because I had to remember something that me, myself once said about this series. It is perfectly imperfect. This isn't a fairy tale, it never was. Abby and Travis are two jagged edge puzzle pieces that somehow perfectly fit together. They have both driven us mad from the start, why would we expect that to change now. This is fictional reality at its finest.
Then there's Travis. His dialogue in this book was funny, sweet, sexy, hot. I think my eyes even had an orgasm! I loved everything from the bachelor party to the letter. Oh sweet Jesus the letter. There was so much beauty in the words that I literarily had chills. Especially when they came from Travis.
In the end however, I was left with a few unanswered questions concerning Abby's secret. And to be honest, I'm not sure I liked learning what I did about her actions. However, I'm guessing my questions may have been answered if I had taken the time to read between the lines instead of devouring it like I did, but I pretty much shit out all self control when it comes to Jamie McGuire. I also noticed one small discrepancy in one of the scenes, but it is so small that I'm sure the ONLY reason I noticed it was because of the uncountable re-reads I did of Beautiful Disaster. The only reason I'm mentioning it is because I hope other readers don't piss out the haterade over MINOR details. Take your nit-pickers parade down another street and just enjoy the story. READ. ENJOY. LOVE.
This is definitely one of my favorite series of all time and I am so blessed to have gotten MORE! If you haven't read Beautiful Disaster yet, first off, congratulations on coming out of your coma. Yay for you! It's a miracle. Second, READ THIS SERIES!
If you already have, A Beautiful Wedding is NOT one to miss!
READ ON!
When A Beautiful Wedding showed up at my doorstep, my emotions seized. I was exited. I was thrilled. I was scared. I was indifferent. I was a whole lot of everything all at once. The only thing my eyes could see was CAUTION. Caution written in bright green neon letters….with glitter.
Why?….
Because I…am an addict, and the drug that is a Beautiful Disaster is my drug of choice. Just opening my package made my hands shake. The addiction all started with a tattooed tongue. That damn tattooed tongue, and I couldn't get enough. To this day, Beautiful Disaster holds my record for the most re-reads ever. I read it from start to finish, and from finish to start. I partied with my favorite scenes, and shot up with my favorite intimate moments. I inhaled into my system everything that is Abby and Travis. I needed to get my fix; I was a user, and I used often. I wanted more. Hell, we all did.
Then came Walking Disaster, and with that came my recovery. It was like a twelve step program for my addiction. It was my rehab. My therapy. Getting to experience a book for the first time, for a second time, was a stroke of literary genius. We got our more, but in a way that protected the integrity of the story along with everything we love about this series. We were able to get more without risking the perfection of Beautiful Disaster with a sequel.
Instead, Walking Disaster gave me closure. It gave me...completeness, and after reading those words, "The End", I felt it.
Now, sitting on my doorstep was frickin pandora's box. A line of literary cocaine begging to be snorted. What the hell was I suppose to do. Call a sponsor? Go to a meeting? Someone in my neighborhood's bound to have some mild (but effective) mood altering medication, right?
Here's where I'd like to say that I was strong. And looking back, three seconds (and only one shot of tequila) before tearing open the pages was pretty damn strong. Especially when the name of Jamie McGuire is staring right at your face. I swear, even the font taunted me.
I totally caved.
When am I ever going to learn that Jamie McGuire is always right. She knows what I need even before I do. Yes, Walking Disaster put a bandaid over my Beautiful Disaster hole, but A Beautiful Wedding filled the hole. This is the end.
It may have started off with me wanting to punch Abby in the face, but it ended with acceptance. Acceptance because I had to remember something that me, myself once said about this series. It is perfectly imperfect. This isn't a fairy tale, it never was. Abby and Travis are two jagged edge puzzle pieces that somehow perfectly fit together. They have both driven us mad from the start, why would we expect that to change now. This is fictional reality at its finest.
Then there's Travis. His dialogue in this book was funny, sweet, sexy, hot. I think my eyes even had an orgasm! I loved everything from the bachelor party to the letter. Oh sweet Jesus the letter. There was so much beauty in the words that I literarily had chills. Especially when they came from Travis.
In the end however, I was left with a few unanswered questions concerning Abby's secret. And to be honest, I'm not sure I liked learning what I did about her actions. However, I'm guessing my questions may have been answered if I had taken the time to read between the lines instead of devouring it like I did, but I pretty much shit out all self control when it comes to Jamie McGuire. I also noticed one small discrepancy in one of the scenes, but it is so small that I'm sure the ONLY reason I noticed it was because of the uncountable re-reads I did of Beautiful Disaster. The only reason I'm mentioning it is because I hope other readers don't piss out the haterade over MINOR details. Take your nit-pickers parade down another street and just enjoy the story. READ. ENJOY. LOVE.
This is definitely one of my favorite series of all time and I am so blessed to have gotten MORE! If you haven't read Beautiful Disaster yet, first off, congratulations on coming out of your coma. Yay for you! It's a miracle. Second, READ THIS SERIES!
If you already have, A Beautiful Wedding is NOT one to miss!
READ ON!
June 13, 2018
Oh my gracious sakes! Talk about having your cake and eating it too!!
Just when I thought I exhausted all avenues of obtaining as much swoon-filled edible-ness of Travis Maddox I could get my hands on, I discovered this gem of a novella culminating the wedding of Travis and Abby of “Beautiful Disaster.” It begins with the events before the proposal, getting to their destination sight for the wedding, the preparations and .... ta, ta, tada ... the touching, heart tugging wedding itself.
”Did that just really happen?” I asked.
”It sure as hell did!”
”Did I see misty eyes back there?”
”Pidgeon, you are now Mrs. Travis Maddox. I’ve never been this happy in my life!”
I even gained a lot of respect for Abby. She put everything on the line to protect the man she loved!
Congratulations Travis and Abby! I am thrilled for you both ;)
December 11, 2013
"“One down, forever to go,” I whispered back."
~~~~
OH MY FUCKING GODDDD!!!!!
*hyperventilates*
I think I just got a mini stroke!!!!
I CANT BELIEVE MY OWN EYES
DEC 10TH 2013
THATS ME ^^ and I am going to call all my friends who love Travis and spread the scream!!!
~~~~
OH MY FUCKING GODDDD!!!!!
*hyperventilates*
I think I just got a mini stroke!!!!
I CANT BELIEVE MY OWN EYES
DEC 10TH 2013
THATS ME ^^ and I am going to call all my friends who love Travis and spread the scream!!!
September 21, 2017
4 I ♥ Travis stars!
A Beautiful Wedding follows Abby and Travis from the moment they become engaged, until a year after the wedding. We get to see inside the proposal, their time in Vegas, the actual wedding, and some time after the wedding.
Travis Maddox is one of my original favorite book boyfriends and I will always have a special place for him. He is all kinds of male perfection. I will read anything with him in it so I jumped right on this!
Why not 5 stars??? Well, I’ll just say- WTH Abby? I get where she was coming from, I do. I was, however disappointed with the ‘reason’ she rushed to marry Trav. I know she loves him and just wants to protect him, but I really thought it was because she loved him so much, after the fire and facing death, she couldn’t imagine a life without him. I think that bit of information would have been better left out.
Overall, still a fantastic little novella. Made me swoon, made me smile and made me laugh! Loved the texting between Trav and Abby-
I miss u
I miss u too
T-minus one hour. U ready yet?
Not yet. U?
Hells yes. I look ducking amazing. When u c me u will want to marry me 4 sure.
Ducking
Fucking* goddamn auto correct
A really great, feel good read!
“The only thing I’m afraid of is a life without you, Pigeon.”
“Then you have nothing to be afraid of. We’re forever.”
A Beautiful Wedding follows Abby and Travis from the moment they become engaged, until a year after the wedding. We get to see inside the proposal, their time in Vegas, the actual wedding, and some time after the wedding.
Travis Maddox is one of my original favorite book boyfriends and I will always have a special place for him. He is all kinds of male perfection. I will read anything with him in it so I jumped right on this!
Why not 5 stars??? Well, I’ll just say- WTH Abby? I get where she was coming from, I do. I was, however disappointed with the ‘reason’ she rushed to marry Trav. I know she loves him and just wants to protect him, but I really thought it was because she loved him so much, after the fire and facing death, she couldn’t imagine a life without him. I think that bit of information would have been better left out.
Overall, still a fantastic little novella. Made me swoon, made me smile and made me laugh! Loved the texting between Trav and Abby-
I miss u
I miss u too
T-minus one hour. U ready yet?
Not yet. U?
Hells yes. I look ducking amazing. When u c me u will want to marry me 4 sure.
Ducking
Fucking* goddamn auto correct
A really great, feel good read!
August 12, 2018
Español - English
Este libro era total y absolutamente innecesario.
En lugar de aportar lo que hace es poner en duda cosas que ya se daban por sentadas.
✨✨✨
This book was totally and absolutely unnecessary.
Instead of contributing what it does is to question things that were already taken for granted.
Este libro era total y absolutamente innecesario.
En lugar de aportar lo que hace es poner en duda cosas que ya se daban por sentadas.
✨✨✨
This book was totally and absolutely unnecessary.
Instead of contributing what it does is to question things that were already taken for granted.
December 13, 2013
Initial reaction: Decided that I'd go ahead and write a formal review of this. Yeah, I didn't expect to read this and there's a bit of a story that I'll tell when I write the full review. This was about what I expected it to be - a bit on the cheese side, had some offenses to offer to the table (misogyny chiefly, but even very few instances of casual racism...fun times, not.) But believe it or not, Travis was probably more tame in this narrative than he was in either Beautiful Disaster or Walking Disaster (didn't mean he lacked annoying points).
Abby on the other hand...
I'll talk about it in the full review. There's a bit to cover, but I'm going to have to rely on what I remember.
Full review:
Earlier this year (2013), I read what I thought was the last of the "Beautiful" series - "Walking Disaster" and thought something along the lines of "Ugh, THAT'S IT! I'm done, I'm through, no more trying to follow Travis and Abby Maddox because I find them both to be epic insufferable. They're married, this series is finished. I'm not subjecting myself to this kind of fantastical train wreck fraught with misogyny, repetition of things already happened, and other offenses And that epilogue was the most Mary Sue wish fulfillment thing I've ever read. No more. Never again."
"Walking Disaster" was featured not long ago on my personal top 10 worst reads on my blog, actually dethroning "Beautiful Disaster" out of the top ten at #8 on the list. (I think "Beautiful Disaster" is still somewhere in the top 20 if I were to make such a list that long. But I digress.)
Fast forward a number of months later, I realize that the Beautiful series is, in fact, not over. There's a novella, it's about the shotgun wedding that Travis and Abby have in Vegas.
My first instinct was to run. But the funny thing about life is that you could say you will never touch another book in a series or by a particular author, and somehow it comes back to bite you in the bum when you actually end up in a shotgun scenario of your own where you do the complete opposite because you're drawn, in all places and spaces, within a bookstore.
Here's the story: my area has a lot of used bookstores and I was perusing them for good deals with the possibility of getting some gifts for people I love, and probably a good deal for myself if the price was right. I didn't expect to find a copy of "A Beautiful Wedding" in the Bargain Bin at one of these stores. For one, the book just came out the day before - the one I saw in the bin was in used, but good condition. It's a hardback book, you could probably put it on a coffee table. You could also read it in a single sitting (which is what I ended up doing).
But as I picked it up, I couldn't help but think "This is short...but do I really want to do this? I know this is a book that I probably will have problems with, but it's in my hands. I could technically read it at the table nearby."
One of the store attendants told me that someone just brought the book in that morning to sell, and as I flipped through it, really the only thing about it that was odd was a few scuffs with the cover and edge of the book on the outside.
I decided I might as well, because some might be curious to see where the story goes and I wondered what exactly happened at the wedding. It took me inside an hour to finish it, so really - this wasn't long at all, but designed with your usual whirlwind drama.
The story takes place after the fire in "Beautiful Disaster" - where Travis and Abby escape the devastation and on their way to Vegas to have a "shotgun" wedding. But this story purports to describe the "real" story behind their sudden decision to get married.
Abby marries Travis under false pretenses. I figure I might as well say that straightaway, because that's the major conflict (if you can call it one). If you're looking for plausibility as to why, probably not a good idea to try to look too hard into it because you either might start wincing at the terms or laughing because it's not...really possible. Maybe somewhere between that reaction if you're critical of it. Some fans of this series might even be sketchy with that reveal because they might think "OMG, WTF? Abby wanted to marry Travis for that? That's not my happy romantic ending! I thought she *really* wanted to marry him."
Yeah, no. Not at that time anyway.
Abby, filled with anxiety over the whole measure of things, decides to have the shotgun wedding in Vegas so that she can save Travis from getting arrested on behalf of the events of the fire. The guy that Travis fought ended up dead (So, yay? Travis is not only misogynistic, but he's also a loosely connected murderer because he knocked the guy out and no one got him out of the fire? Great! *gives two thumbs up then frowns and turns them down*) The latter reveal comes later, but I'm going to focus on the false terms for a moment.
Abby doesn't tell Travis that he might be suspect wanted for questioning in this whole...situation. Instead, she lies to him, wants to get married then, and the two hop on a plane ride straight to Vegas, complete with a fake Elvis. Abby's in a big, big rush to get this wedding overwith so that Travis can be cleared of any kind of wrongdoing, since the wedding is their coer. Travis's brother Trent texts Abby with updates about the situation to see if Travis can get cleared. There's a lot of plot holes and suspension of disbelief entailed in all this, and I had a difficult time believing it.
Even when Trent points out the stupidity of that plan, Abby's like "Don't tell me it's stupid." =_____=
Travis does suspect Abby's hiding something, but mostly he thinks she's on edge about the wedding and might get cold feet. He observes her at one point crying as she talks to Trent on the cell, but he doesn't know what's going on. In other measures, Travis is still his charming misogynistic self in some terms. He even considers an attractive Chinese girl and thinks (paraphrased) "If I were my old self and not with Abby, I would totally bang this chick." Yeah...nah, he hasn't changed at this point of the story. But maybe I wouldn't expect him to because of the timeline. At least the character's are consistent, but thinking about the events of the fire, there are some stretches in the timeline taken here.
Anyway, wedding details. Abby gets her dress, Travis hires an Elvis, the two say their vows in a chapel. Abby even receives a "beyond the grave" letter from Travis's mother. It's a pre-written letter to Travis's wife about her "special" boy and telling Abby in so many words to take care of him.
This will make me sound somewhat heartless, but I thought that was total cheese the way it was done. I know there are some terminally ill people who write letters intended for their sons and daughters, and that's heartfelt, I get that. But honestly, there's no way that Travis's mother would know how her son would turn out to be, and I wasn't getting the motivation for his mother to write to his wife here. It was just...the strawberry on the very forced portrait that we get of Abby and Travis being "meant to be" together. I think McGuire still struggles to establish character motivations and background in her writing, and it was evident in this and other factors through the work, so it didn't sell me.
There were some really dry sexy times written here, didn't really do much for the character intimacy. At one point, Travis asks her about why Abby was crying and talking on the phone at the boutique she bought her dress (she didn't see him watching, as they conveniently were around the same place). Abby easily fields off his inquiry with something else. The issue is never brought up again.
No, I'm not kidding. So Travis never knew that Abby...really lied about her reasons for marrying him so quickly.
Potential plot conflict point dropped for the sake of love.
Later on, Abby goes with Travis to get "Mrs. Maddox" tattooed on her back, and America shows up briefly in the scene to curse Abby out about having a *real* wedding. The narrative fastforwards about a year later some time after that to show Abby and Travis having a traditional wedding in the Carribean. Travis is noted around this time to have his anger issues under wraps because he "hasn't punched anybody" in a while according to Abby. Meh.
Kara makes a brief appearance in this book, as does Shep and some of the other characters, but they're more background noise for the story than anything else.
I think in the sum of things, there's problems peppered through this narrative that are technical in the suspension of disbelief for the turns of events. I took issue with the very few presentation of the characters of color here - what with the aforementioned Chinese girl and the presentation of a limo driver who addressed Travis as "Mistah Maddox", but then spoke without a dialect for the remaining phrase. The limo driver was never mentioned for race, but upon context clues...seriously? I don't know how to take that personally, and it made me want to facepalm more than a few times.
Overall, about what I expected for the novella. I take it fans probably won't care. Me, I'm just on my floating solitary cloud for not believing in the happily ever after. I've read more endearing stories that were just as short with more sweetness while not trying to shove the romance down my throat. *holds up umbrella*
At least the characterization was consistent, and Travis was considerably more tame in personality since his anger and antics were pulled back significantly. Not a true progressive reformation for the guy, and honestly, that could've been shown even more in this novella. Abby was more of the sketchy party here (and one could make an argument that there's some subtle female condescension in that). Travis ends up being the good guy, and she ends up being the...well, not honest one. And that was an opportunity missed to actually put forth some palpable conflict to deal with the honesty issue between them, but it just bulldozed its way to the happy ending without consequence.
In sum, short read, but still full of problems for what it offered.
Overall: 1/5 stars
Abby on the other hand...
I'll talk about it in the full review. There's a bit to cover, but I'm going to have to rely on what I remember.
Full review:
Earlier this year (2013), I read what I thought was the last of the "Beautiful" series - "Walking Disaster" and thought something along the lines of "Ugh, THAT'S IT! I'm done, I'm through, no more trying to follow Travis and Abby Maddox because I find them both to be epic insufferable. They're married, this series is finished. I'm not subjecting myself to this kind of fantastical train wreck fraught with misogyny, repetition of things already happened, and other offenses And that epilogue was the most Mary Sue wish fulfillment thing I've ever read. No more. Never again."
"Walking Disaster" was featured not long ago on my personal top 10 worst reads on my blog, actually dethroning "Beautiful Disaster" out of the top ten at #8 on the list. (I think "Beautiful Disaster" is still somewhere in the top 20 if I were to make such a list that long. But I digress.)
Fast forward a number of months later, I realize that the Beautiful series is, in fact, not over. There's a novella, it's about the shotgun wedding that Travis and Abby have in Vegas.
My first instinct was to run. But the funny thing about life is that you could say you will never touch another book in a series or by a particular author, and somehow it comes back to bite you in the bum when you actually end up in a shotgun scenario of your own where you do the complete opposite because you're drawn, in all places and spaces, within a bookstore.
Here's the story: my area has a lot of used bookstores and I was perusing them for good deals with the possibility of getting some gifts for people I love, and probably a good deal for myself if the price was right. I didn't expect to find a copy of "A Beautiful Wedding" in the Bargain Bin at one of these stores. For one, the book just came out the day before - the one I saw in the bin was in used, but good condition. It's a hardback book, you could probably put it on a coffee table. You could also read it in a single sitting (which is what I ended up doing).
But as I picked it up, I couldn't help but think "This is short...but do I really want to do this? I know this is a book that I probably will have problems with, but it's in my hands. I could technically read it at the table nearby."
One of the store attendants told me that someone just brought the book in that morning to sell, and as I flipped through it, really the only thing about it that was odd was a few scuffs with the cover and edge of the book on the outside.
I decided I might as well, because some might be curious to see where the story goes and I wondered what exactly happened at the wedding. It took me inside an hour to finish it, so really - this wasn't long at all, but designed with your usual whirlwind drama.
The story takes place after the fire in "Beautiful Disaster" - where Travis and Abby escape the devastation and on their way to Vegas to have a "shotgun" wedding. But this story purports to describe the "real" story behind their sudden decision to get married.
Abby marries Travis under false pretenses. I figure I might as well say that straightaway, because that's the major conflict (if you can call it one). If you're looking for plausibility as to why, probably not a good idea to try to look too hard into it because you either might start wincing at the terms or laughing because it's not...really possible. Maybe somewhere between that reaction if you're critical of it. Some fans of this series might even be sketchy with that reveal because they might think "OMG, WTF? Abby wanted to marry Travis for that? That's not my happy romantic ending! I thought she *really* wanted to marry him."
Yeah, no. Not at that time anyway.
Abby, filled with anxiety over the whole measure of things, decides to have the shotgun wedding in Vegas so that she can save Travis from getting arrested on behalf of the events of the fire. The guy that Travis fought ended up dead (So, yay? Travis is not only misogynistic, but he's also a loosely connected murderer because he knocked the guy out and no one got him out of the fire? Great! *gives two thumbs up then frowns and turns them down*) The latter reveal comes later, but I'm going to focus on the false terms for a moment.
Abby doesn't tell Travis that he might be suspect wanted for questioning in this whole...situation. Instead, she lies to him, wants to get married then, and the two hop on a plane ride straight to Vegas, complete with a fake Elvis. Abby's in a big, big rush to get this wedding overwith so that Travis can be cleared of any kind of wrongdoing, since the wedding is their coer. Travis's brother Trent texts Abby with updates about the situation to see if Travis can get cleared. There's a lot of plot holes and suspension of disbelief entailed in all this, and I had a difficult time believing it.
Even when Trent points out the stupidity of that plan, Abby's like "Don't tell me it's stupid." =_____=
Travis does suspect Abby's hiding something, but mostly he thinks she's on edge about the wedding and might get cold feet. He observes her at one point crying as she talks to Trent on the cell, but he doesn't know what's going on. In other measures, Travis is still his charming misogynistic self in some terms. He even considers an attractive Chinese girl and thinks (paraphrased) "If I were my old self and not with Abby, I would totally bang this chick." Yeah...nah, he hasn't changed at this point of the story. But maybe I wouldn't expect him to because of the timeline. At least the character's are consistent, but thinking about the events of the fire, there are some stretches in the timeline taken here.
Anyway, wedding details. Abby gets her dress, Travis hires an Elvis, the two say their vows in a chapel. Abby even receives a "beyond the grave" letter from Travis's mother. It's a pre-written letter to Travis's wife about her "special" boy and telling Abby in so many words to take care of him.
This will make me sound somewhat heartless, but I thought that was total cheese the way it was done. I know there are some terminally ill people who write letters intended for their sons and daughters, and that's heartfelt, I get that. But honestly, there's no way that Travis's mother would know how her son would turn out to be, and I wasn't getting the motivation for his mother to write to his wife here. It was just...the strawberry on the very forced portrait that we get of Abby and Travis being "meant to be" together. I think McGuire still struggles to establish character motivations and background in her writing, and it was evident in this and other factors through the work, so it didn't sell me.
There were some really dry sexy times written here, didn't really do much for the character intimacy. At one point, Travis asks her about why Abby was crying and talking on the phone at the boutique she bought her dress (she didn't see him watching, as they conveniently were around the same place). Abby easily fields off his inquiry with something else. The issue is never brought up again.
No, I'm not kidding. So Travis never knew that Abby...really lied about her reasons for marrying him so quickly.
Potential plot conflict point dropped for the sake of love.
Later on, Abby goes with Travis to get "Mrs. Maddox" tattooed on her back, and America shows up briefly in the scene to curse Abby out about having a *real* wedding. The narrative fastforwards about a year later some time after that to show Abby and Travis having a traditional wedding in the Carribean. Travis is noted around this time to have his anger issues under wraps because he "hasn't punched anybody" in a while according to Abby. Meh.
Kara makes a brief appearance in this book, as does Shep and some of the other characters, but they're more background noise for the story than anything else.
I think in the sum of things, there's problems peppered through this narrative that are technical in the suspension of disbelief for the turns of events. I took issue with the very few presentation of the characters of color here - what with the aforementioned Chinese girl and the presentation of a limo driver who addressed Travis as "Mistah Maddox", but then spoke without a dialect for the remaining phrase. The limo driver was never mentioned for race, but upon context clues...seriously? I don't know how to take that personally, and it made me want to facepalm more than a few times.
Overall, about what I expected for the novella. I take it fans probably won't care. Me, I'm just on my floating solitary cloud for not believing in the happily ever after. I've read more endearing stories that were just as short with more sweetness while not trying to shove the romance down my throat. *holds up umbrella*
At least the characterization was consistent, and Travis was considerably more tame in personality since his anger and antics were pulled back significantly. Not a true progressive reformation for the guy, and honestly, that could've been shown even more in this novella. Abby was more of the sketchy party here (and one could make an argument that there's some subtle female condescension in that). Travis ends up being the good guy, and she ends up being the...well, not honest one. And that was an opportunity missed to actually put forth some palpable conflict to deal with the honesty issue between them, but it just bulldozed its way to the happy ending without consequence.
In sum, short read, but still full of problems for what it offered.
Overall: 1/5 stars
December 12, 2013
4,5 Wedding Bells Stars!!
This novella show us what happened between Abby’s proposal in Beautiful Disaster and their actual wedding.
If you all resented not seeing Travis get married now’s your chance! (I understand you, I was one of them.)
Even if you think you've already read everything there is to read about this series and this book will bring nothing new, read it anyway.
A lot of Travis Maddox is NEVER too much Travis Maddox.
This was very sweet and I loved reading it. I didn’t gave it five stars for one simple reason: Abby. She pissed the hell out of me in the previous books and she did the same in this one, which is remarkable considering its short length. I will not pretend I liked the reason why she decided she wanted to marry him, because I really didn’t, but oh well, it all turned good in the end so I can live with it.
Anyway, I you liked the previous books, you have to read this beautiful novella. ;)
This novella show us what happened between Abby’s proposal in Beautiful Disaster and their actual wedding.
If you all resented not seeing Travis get married now’s your chance! (I understand you, I was one of them.)
Even if you think you've already read everything there is to read about this series and this book will bring nothing new, read it anyway.
A lot of Travis Maddox is NEVER too much Travis Maddox.
This was very sweet and I loved reading it. I didn’t gave it five stars for one simple reason: Abby. She pissed the hell out of me in the previous books and she did the same in this one, which is remarkable considering its short length. I will not pretend I liked the reason why she decided she wanted to marry him, because I really didn’t, but oh well, it all turned good in the end so I can live with it.
Anyway, I you liked the previous books, you have to read this beautiful novella. ;)
December 12, 2013
TRAVIS IS HERE AND I'M IN LOVE AGAIN!
"The only thing I'm afraid of is a life without you, Pigeon"
Travis and Abby's wedding journey was beautifully written! I wish it was a novel instead of novella!
TRAVIS IS TRAVIS!!!
Happy reading!
Shelved as 'considering'
December 4, 2013OHMYGOD!!!!!!!!!... OKAY so I'm not a huge fan of novellas, but it's Travis, so enough said. TBR 12/10
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.
AMAZON PRE-ORDER
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.
AMAZON PRE-ORDER
August 3, 2018
4 Getting married! ★'s
“A Maddox boy will take you all the way to the edge, but if you go with him, he’ll follow you anywhere…”
Thank you Jamie McGuire for giving us all what we so desperately needed!! This is a novella on ♥Abby and Travis’s♥ Las Vegas elopement :) It was amazing getting a look at how their wedding all went down and everything else in between! But the reason for Abby's decision to marry him kinda destroyed my heart. For Travis 😭. I mean really?? TWF... Whyyy did that have to be the deciding factor behind it! I really wish that tidbit wasn't included. Other than that punch to my bleeding heart everything feels complete now :) And as always, anything that includes a Travis Maddox is always treasured and loved dearly. Travis was one of my very first book boyfriends, therefore he will always have a special place in my heart. Travis Travis Travis Travis!!! I love him so gosh damn much, I can't get enough. I'd seriously read anything with him in it!! ANYTHING. This was a wonderful short read that won't let you down. If you loved Beautiful Disaster and Walking Disaster as much as I do, you really won't want to miss out on this one. Oh the feels, just too many feels.
“I want you to know that whatever love is, this has got to be it. We were best friends first, and we tried not to fall in love, and we did anyway. If you’re not with me, it’s not where I want to be. I’m in this. I’m with you.”
“He was mine, and I was his. If I knew anything at all, it was that only those two things mattered.”
“I know you know I love you. What you may not know is that there is nothing I want more than to be your husband.”
“The only thing I'm afraid of is a life without you, Pigeon."
"Then you have nothing to be afraid of," I said. "We're forever.”
“And when a Maddox boy falls in love, he loves forever.”
“A Maddox boy will take you all the way to the edge, but if you go with him, he’ll follow you anywhere…”
Thank you Jamie McGuire for giving us all what we so desperately needed!! This is a novella on ♥Abby and Travis’s♥ Las Vegas elopement :) It was amazing getting a look at how their wedding all went down and everything else in between! But the reason for Abby's decision to marry him kinda destroyed my heart. For Travis 😭. I mean really?? TWF... Whyyy did that have to be the deciding factor behind it! I really wish that tidbit wasn't included. Other than that punch to my bleeding heart everything feels complete now :) And as always, anything that includes a Travis Maddox is always treasured and loved dearly. Travis was one of my very first book boyfriends, therefore he will always have a special place in my heart. Travis Travis Travis Travis!!! I love him so gosh damn much, I can't get enough. I'd seriously read anything with him in it!! ANYTHING. This was a wonderful short read that won't let you down. If you loved Beautiful Disaster and Walking Disaster as much as I do, you really won't want to miss out on this one. Oh the feels, just too many feels.
“I want you to know that whatever love is, this has got to be it. We were best friends first, and we tried not to fall in love, and we did anyway. If you’re not with me, it’s not where I want to be. I’m in this. I’m with you.”
“He was mine, and I was his. If I knew anything at all, it was that only those two things mattered.”
“I know you know I love you. What you may not know is that there is nothing I want more than to be your husband.”
“The only thing I'm afraid of is a life without you, Pigeon."
"Then you have nothing to be afraid of," I said. "We're forever.”
“And when a Maddox boy falls in love, he loves forever.”
Shelved as 'turnips'
December 30, 2016Almost tempted to put this in my cash cow category (ca-ching), but since the series is so utterly horrible by itself it's being marked for this category. I will not read this. People who tell me that my review is mean, that I'm a bitch, or any of the usual crap will get laughed at and told to go away.
Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, here are my top ten reasons why I won't be reading this:
10) I don't want to know what's going on in Abby's head. I already read her POV in Shitty Disaster and know that it's probably nothing than oogling at Travis's hot bod.
9) Besides everyone knows that most people only get married in Vegas if a) they're drunk, b) a celebrity, c) impulsive, d) trying to be hipster ironic, or e) live there. Most of the time these weddings are headed towards disaster though there are exceptions. Travis and Abby are NOT the exception despite what McGuire tried to convince us in that crapilouge of Shitty Disaster via Travis (better know as the epilogue where McGuire tells off naysayers).
8) Wasn't the wedding already explained in Shitty Disaster?
7) The fact I'll have to watch Travis commit several federal crimes at the airport and escape justice again would make me very sad.
6) How is a wedding between two teenagers (well, one teen and an early twenty-something) a good thing? They can't support themselves, save for old Travis boy hitting someone and that's probably going to cause them more trouble in the long run-i.e. medical bills for concussions and legal fees from the various assault charges and tort suits against them.
5) I'll be wondering who took care of their dog while they're gone. Those two are the most irresponsible pet owners ever. And they have a cute dog. I always did want a Cairn Terrier.
4) Jamie McGuire conveniently forgets that the drinking/gambling age is 21 not 18 and that you're carded for the most part in Vegas.
3) Weren't there mob people after Abby and her father in Vegas? Really, that was the best place to get married at. Why not Reno? Seems a little safer to me.
2) Because every poor college student can afford to buy a plane ticket at the moment's notice-never mind, ticket prices are a lot more expensive at the last minute.
1) I've read this shitty story twice already.
Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, here are my top ten reasons why I won't be reading this:
10) I don't want to know what's going on in Abby's head. I already read her POV in Shitty Disaster and know that it's probably nothing than oogling at Travis's hot bod.
9) Besides everyone knows that most people only get married in Vegas if a) they're drunk, b) a celebrity, c) impulsive, d) trying to be hipster ironic, or e) live there. Most of the time these weddings are headed towards disaster though there are exceptions. Travis and Abby are NOT the exception despite what McGuire tried to convince us in that crapilouge of Shitty Disaster via Travis (better know as the epilogue where McGuire tells off naysayers).
8) Wasn't the wedding already explained in Shitty Disaster?
7) The fact I'll have to watch Travis commit several federal crimes at the airport and escape justice again would make me very sad.
6) How is a wedding between two teenagers (well, one teen and an early twenty-something) a good thing? They can't support themselves, save for old Travis boy hitting someone and that's probably going to cause them more trouble in the long run-i.e. medical bills for concussions and legal fees from the various assault charges and tort suits against them.
5) I'll be wondering who took care of their dog while they're gone. Those two are the most irresponsible pet owners ever. And they have a cute dog. I always did want a Cairn Terrier.
4) Jamie McGuire conveniently forgets that the drinking/gambling age is 21 not 18 and that you're carded for the most part in Vegas.
3) Weren't there mob people after Abby and her father in Vegas? Really, that was the best place to get married at. Why not Reno? Seems a little safer to me.
2) Because every poor college student can afford to buy a plane ticket at the moment's notice-never mind, ticket prices are a lot more expensive at the last minute.
1) I've read this shitty story twice already.
December 19, 2013
I read Beautiful Disaster back in 2011 and I remember it being a drama filled, angsty romance that captured my heart and wrung it out! It was an addictive and memorable read and I was thrilled with how things ended.
A Beautiful Wedding Novella is meant to fill in some of the gaps we had for Abby and Travis’ wedding. Were there cold feet, or did their intense love for each other stamp out any pre-wedding jitters? All the details of the wedding like where it happened, what they wore, and who knew are all filled in with this novella. I was excited to catch up with Abby and Travis and “share” such a joyful occasion. Getting a dual POV is what I wanted in Beautiful Disaster, so I was thrilled to get it here.
While I enjoyed some of this novella, parts of it undid the positive feelings I had about their marriage. The way things are left in Beautiful Disaster you’re left to think Abby and Travis getting married impulsively is because they are so crazy in love. And yes, that’s true, but when I got the details of Abby’s thinking and reasoning, it really took away from that gesture. Once again, Abby completely disappointed me while Travis continues to shine. His love and patience for Abby just show how big of a heart he has. Love, love, love Travis since the beginning and my feelings for him have never changed. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for Abby. I think honesty is the best policy and her reasoning and final actions made my opinion of her even lower than after finishing Walking Disaster.
5 stars for Travis, and 1 star for Abby with an overall rating of 3 stars.
A copy was provided by Atria Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
A Beautiful Wedding Novella is meant to fill in some of the gaps we had for Abby and Travis’ wedding. Were there cold feet, or did their intense love for each other stamp out any pre-wedding jitters? All the details of the wedding like where it happened, what they wore, and who knew are all filled in with this novella. I was excited to catch up with Abby and Travis and “share” such a joyful occasion. Getting a dual POV is what I wanted in Beautiful Disaster, so I was thrilled to get it here.
While I enjoyed some of this novella, parts of it undid the positive feelings I had about their marriage. The way things are left in Beautiful Disaster you’re left to think Abby and Travis getting married impulsively is because they are so crazy in love. And yes, that’s true, but when I got the details of Abby’s thinking and reasoning, it really took away from that gesture. Once again, Abby completely disappointed me while Travis continues to shine. His love and patience for Abby just show how big of a heart he has. Love, love, love Travis since the beginning and my feelings for him have never changed. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for Abby. I think honesty is the best policy and her reasoning and final actions made my opinion of her even lower than after finishing Walking Disaster.
5 stars for Travis, and 1 star for Abby with an overall rating of 3 stars.
A copy was provided by Atria Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
December 31, 2013
2 Stars! Did she love him, or didn't she...that's what I'm wondering?!
...and the point of this book was what?! To make up things and make what was a beautiful, but complicated love story a disaster?! I don't get it. I'm sorry, but I think I should have left this one on the shelf. Maybe I'm just too old for this kind of read.
March 25, 2014
Well i went into it being really afraid of what i will read..
And yes the start was ugh.. Frustrating.. BUT i ended up loving it like the rest of the series..
After all we are talking about Travis-f@cking-Maddox.. My favorite boy!
At first i had a problem with Abby and her 'reasons' for marrying Trav but the double POV and the constant declarations of her love for him made me finally warm up to her again after the after the arctic feelings i had for her throughout WD..
Travis was as always amazing, with such a heartwarming behaviour, ready to show her how much she means to him in every step of the way..
The weddings were great, i had a chance to see some of my fav characters from the previous books and i loved almost everything in this one..
THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BOOK
- Elvis.. Every Las Vegas wedding own it to itself to have a KING'S impersonator.. Anything else is downright wrong..
- His mother's letter.. It was so beautifully written and heartwrenching full of love and hope..
- The limo sex was really great..
- I guess when Jamie McGuire writes something about the Maddoxes I'm always sold..
- Florence + The Machine - You've Got the Love my song for the end..
- America's parents were great..
- I can't wait to read Trent's story..
- Their vows..
Graceland Wedding Chappel
The Bellagio
The invitation
And yes the start was ugh.. Frustrating.. BUT i ended up loving it like the rest of the series..
After all we are talking about Travis-f@cking-Maddox.. My favorite boy!
At first i had a problem with Abby and her 'reasons' for marrying Trav but the double POV and the constant declarations of her love for him made me finally warm up to her again after the after the arctic feelings i had for her throughout WD..
Travis was as always amazing, with such a heartwarming behaviour, ready to show her how much she means to him in every step of the way..
The weddings were great, i had a chance to see some of my fav characters from the previous books and i loved almost everything in this one..
THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BOOK
- Elvis.. Every Las Vegas wedding own it to itself to have a KING'S impersonator.. Anything else is downright wrong..
- His mother's letter.. It was so beautifully written and heartwrenching full of love and hope..
- The limo sex was really great..
- I guess when Jamie McGuire writes something about the Maddoxes I'm always sold..
- Florence + The Machine - You've Got the Love my song for the end..
- America's parents were great..
- I can't wait to read Trent's story..
- Their vows..
Graceland Wedding Chappel
The Bellagio
The invitation
December 10, 2013
Ok now I just feel greedy. Greedy needy and gluttonous. Just when I thought I just couldn't get enough of Travis .... It's come. The time has come. Travis my first book boyfriend has his HEA and I'm leaving this series ❤️ happy ❤️.
“I knew the second I met you that there was something about you I needed. Turns out it wasn’t something about you at all. It was just you.”
“I knew the second I met you that there was something about you I needed. Turns out it wasn’t something about you at all. It was just you.”
Travis leaned in, squeezing my hand as he whispered, “Happy anniversary, Pidge.”
I looked into his eyes, as full of love and hope as they were the year before. “One down, forever to go,” I whispered.
September 20, 2014
Antes:
Ahora:
Tengo ganas de golpear mi cabeza contra algo, ya que esas palabras que estaban en mi anterior reseña son pura basura, al igual que todos los libros de esta serie. La primera vez que leí Beautiful Disaster pensé que había leído la historia más maravillosa. Me avergüenzo de haber dicho que ése era uno de mis libros favoritos. Deben entenderme: era joven y estúpida, y BD era la primera novela young adult que leía (BD no debería ser catalogado como young adult.) Así que pensé que Travis era perfecto. Afortunadamente desperté de mi estado sonámbulo- el cual había estado provocando que me gustara esta serie- y pude darme cuenta de la clase de basura que había estado leyendo.
Abby es la chica más afortunada. La envidio tanto. Ojalá todas pudiéramos tener a alguien como Travis Maddox. Quiero uno para mí. En serio, este tipo es PERFECTO. Morí con cada palabra de amor de Travis hacia Abby.
Ahora:
Tengo ganas de golpear mi cabeza contra algo, ya que esas palabras que estaban en mi anterior reseña son pura basura, al igual que todos los libros de esta serie. La primera vez que leí Beautiful Disaster pensé que había leído la historia más maravillosa. Me avergüenzo de haber dicho que ése era uno de mis libros favoritos. Deben entenderme: era joven y estúpida, y BD era la primera novela young adult que leía (BD no debería ser catalogado como young adult.) Así que pensé que Travis era perfecto. Afortunadamente desperté de mi estado sonámbulo- el cual había estado provocando que me gustara esta serie- y pude darme cuenta de la clase de basura que había estado leyendo.
July 13, 2014
TRAVISMANIA!!!
Loved it! I want more!!!
It was like we were getting ready to jump of the highest high dive into the deepest river that fed into the most magnificent, terrifying waterfall, right onto the best and most fantastic roller coaster in the universe
The wedding and renewal of vows ... simply beautiful ♥
I want you to know that whatever love is, this has got to be it. We were best friends first, and we tried not to fall in love, and we did anyway. If you're not with me, it's not where I want to be. I'm in this. I'm with you. We might be impulsive, and absolutely insane to be standing here at our age, six month after we meet. This whole thing might play out to be a completely wonderful, beautiful disaster, but I want that if it's with you
It might take a lifetime to prove to everyone that this works. We'd made so many mistakes, and undoubtedly we would make thousands more, but the odds were in our favor. We'd proven them all wrong before
I guess the beautiful disaster turned into a beautiful wedding!
Loved it! I want more!!!
It was like we were getting ready to jump of the highest high dive into the deepest river that fed into the most magnificent, terrifying waterfall, right onto the best and most fantastic roller coaster in the universe
The wedding and renewal of vows ... simply beautiful ♥
I want you to know that whatever love is, this has got to be it. We were best friends first, and we tried not to fall in love, and we did anyway. If you're not with me, it's not where I want to be. I'm in this. I'm with you. We might be impulsive, and absolutely insane to be standing here at our age, six month after we meet. This whole thing might play out to be a completely wonderful, beautiful disaster, but I want that if it's with you
It might take a lifetime to prove to everyone that this works. We'd made so many mistakes, and undoubtedly we would make thousands more, but the odds were in our favor. We'd proven them all wrong before
I guess the beautiful disaster turned into a beautiful wedding!
October 27, 2017
Buddyread με την υπέροχη Μαρ ❤
Μια πανέμορφη ιστορία έφτασε στο τέλος της.
"One down, forever to go."
Μια πανέμορφη ιστορία έφτασε στο τέλος της.
"One down, forever to go."
December 26, 2013
Did not like Abby's reasons for marrying Travis.
Read
September 9, 2020Sorry, Jamie McGuire but NOOOOOPE. This really killed it for me.
April 21, 2014
Before starting this book, I told myself over and over that this was REDEMPTION for McGuire. (Should it turn out to be a good read.)Walking Disaster wasn't up to par.
Friend: A Walking Disaster is amazing! You'll love it.
Me: *AFTER READING*
There was no redemption for Walking Disaster. This novella was worse than WD. I literally skipped through most of the lengthy paragraphs just to get to the dialogue. It seemed like I was reading filler/previous events that had transpired in Beautiful Diaster. No, we don't need to know that. We've already read it, TWICE, in fact.
And I'm sorry, but I don't remember Abby cursing this much in BD. She didn't just get a wild hair up her ass and decide to adopt a potty mouth out of nowhere. The different POV's were sometimes hard to tell apart.
The beginning was so slow. Hell, who am I trying to kid? I was confused throughout the first page. I actually pulled out BD to see if this book would match up with it. I don't like it. In BD Abby acted like she was just soooo in love with Travis that she couldn't go another minute without him. This novella is making it out like she married him because he could possibly go to jail.
This novella was a complete and total let down. If you value Travis' character and want to keep a decent image of him in your mind, just skip this and move on to something else.
Half of this book revolves around Travis and Abby getting out of town and preparing for the wedding. Nothing BIG happens during that.
To the editor/agent/publisher of this novella:
"but it was beautiful, and what we were about to do was beautiful. Even why I was doing it was beautiful..." That was in reference to her wedding dress that she had laid out on the bed.
And what the hell is up with all of the Bon Jovi references? 1st the quote at the beginning from "Thank You For Loving Me". Then the chapter title for Chapter six...And then the damn discussion in the limo about how Jon Bon Jovi got married in the same chapel (Graceland.)And Travis' mother's note "Thank you for loving my son" ect...
I don't know, after everything I had read in Beautiful Disaster, and then reading this, when it got to the part where "THING FOR YOU" played at their wedding I rolled my eyes. (This author ruined Travis Maddox for me.)Nothing felt right in this book.
There was no plot in this book, at all. The whole time the reader is left worrying if Travis will go to jail or not and then a year has passed in the story and it's their anniversary. Abby explains that she lied for Travis and he got away with going to jail. (That's pretty much it.) There is no big explanation of how he got away with it, no drama...
This doesn't even deserve 1 star, but I am going to rate it anyways. This is where Travis Maddox and I separate. He can no longer compete with my other book boyfriend, Lucas. (AKA, "Easy" by Tammara Webber.)
I didn't want it to end like this...
But with so many author's willing to give a new story line and really bust their asses delivering NEW and FRESH material (instead of repeating like McGuire)I just can't continue on with any of her books. This was supposed to be redemption and it wasn't. FAR FROM IT. Money talks and bullshit walks. She ran this series into the ground to where there was virtually nothing left of Travis to love. And it's a damn shame. If you can't give a decent story/plot, don't publish it. Period.
And that is how I truly feel after reading this book. I'm done.
NOVEMBER 2013: THOUGHTS BEFORE THIS BOOK WAS PUBLISHED.
Another book with Travis Maddox?
BUT I'll admit I'm a little on-the-fence about this one. Walking Disaster wasn't exactly what I envisioned it to be. I loved Beautiful Disaster, but my love begins and ends there. Walking Disaster was almost the exact same (with a little Travis persona added in) and in the end I was disappointed. So where do I go from here?
I adored Beautiful Disaster and with that comes a loyalty to the author. Some of you might understand what I am saying, others might not.
For example: JK Rowling fans adored the Harry Potter series and because of that they marched their happy asses to the store and bought The Casual Vacancy, not knowing what to expect. We go out and buy books from a certain author because of the expectations they set in their previous books. Walking Disaster didn't tickle my fancy. Did I buy it? Yes. Because it was from this author and of course I had expectations. Those expectations weren't met....But I adore Travis' character.
I guess you could say this book would be redemption in a way if it turned out to be good. I could bury the grudge I have with Walking Disaster and have a brighter outlook on McGuire's future novels, which would be ideal in this situation. However, if the book turns out to be terrible... I just don't know
January 5, 2014
All the things we didn't know about Abby & Travis' wedding!
Likes:
• Travis! How could you not like him? He is sooo sweet and romantic and has definitely grown up!
• My heart went out to Abby even though I didn't like the reasons she wanted to get married, I like that she wanted to protect Travis so fiercely!
• ♬ Their song! ♥
• The letter...OMG, definite tearjerker moment!
• The tattoo but the guy was a jerk!
• Sorry America, I liked Vegas better!
Dislikes:
• Wow, I really didn't like the reasons Abby wanted to get married and that she didn't tell Travis!
• Not sure if I liked Elvis or not!
• The quick switch from getting married to the anniversary. A chapter about when they were home would have segued better.
• The bachelor/bachelorette parties...really? Though I have to admit I would've loved to see you-know-who at Travis'.
• I didn't really care for the event at St. Thomas - orange and purple? bleh!
Overall:
I couldn't NOT read this book even though you can be completely satisfied without reading it. There's just something about Travis that I want to read more of so I'll probably read everything that's written about them ~or~ about the brothers. Yea, I'm ready for those stories!
Favorite quotes:
❥ “This is it,” he said.
“What?”
“I knew the second I met you that there was something about you I needed. Turns out it wasn’t something about you at all. It was just you.”
❥ “Uh . . . I was gonna give ’er away.”
Travis’s mouth pulled to one side. “She was already mine.”
❥ "One down, forever to go."
Likes:
• Travis! How could you not like him? He is sooo sweet and romantic and has definitely grown up!
• My heart went out to Abby even though I didn't like the reasons she wanted to get married, I like that she wanted to protect Travis so fiercely!
• ♬ Their song! ♥
• The letter...OMG, definite tearjerker moment!
• The tattoo but the guy was a jerk!
• Sorry America, I liked Vegas better!
Dislikes:
• Wow, I really didn't like the reasons Abby wanted to get married and that she didn't tell Travis!
• Not sure if I liked Elvis or not!
• The quick switch from getting married to the anniversary. A chapter about when they were home would have segued better.
• The bachelor/bachelorette parties...really? Though I have to admit I would've loved to see you-know-who at Travis'.
• I didn't really care for the event at St. Thomas - orange and purple? bleh!
Overall:
I couldn't NOT read this book even though you can be completely satisfied without reading it. There's just something about Travis that I want to read more of so I'll probably read everything that's written about them ~or~ about the brothers. Yea, I'm ready for those stories!
Favorite quotes:
❥ “This is it,” he said.
“What?”
“I knew the second I met you that there was something about you I needed. Turns out it wasn’t something about you at all. It was just you.”
❥ “Uh . . . I was gonna give ’er away.”
Travis’s mouth pulled to one side. “She was already mine.”
❥ "One down, forever to go."
July 3, 2018
This is a short story on Abby and Travis’s Las Vegas elopement!! It was nice to get a peak at how their wedding all went down! I enjoyed getting more time with one of my favourite book boyfriends!
If you loved Travis Maddox in Beautiful Disaster, then you want to read this for sure!
If you loved Travis Maddox in Beautiful Disaster, then you want to read this for sure!
May 29, 2015
“If I was drowning you would part the sea
And risk your own life to rescue me . . .”
Abrir el libro y encontrarme con esa frase de “Thank You For Loving Me” de Bon Jovi fue la gloria ¿?
Primero y principal tengo que reconocer que me encantó este libro a pesar de que no es el tipo de historias que me gustan leer, terminé sorprendida de mi misma porque me gustó jaja asique… Buen trabajo Jamie! :)
Es un libro muy lindo, tierno y desgraciadamente corto, pero vale la pena leerlo. Muy recomendable para los que leen la saga.
Contiene Spoilers para los que no leyeron Beautiful Disaster/Walking Disaster!!!!
Reseña:
Este libro nos muestra en detalle el día de la secreta boda de Abby y Travis, además, nos responderá ciertas preguntas… ¿Por qué Abby le propuso matrimonio a Travis? ¿Alguien más sabía de esto? ¿Dónde pasaron la noche de bodas? ¿Qué secretos se compartieron antes de la ceremonia tan repentina?
Sigue la historia de Abby y Travis desde que huyen a la ciudad que nunca duerme (Las Vegas) hasta que se van. Narra todo lo que no pudimos leer en BD ni WD desde los dos puntos de vista.
En muy entretenido, no aburre en ningún momento, muy romántico, tierno y con alguna que otra escena de sexo. Hay una escena en particular que es muyyyy divertida jeje.
El epílogo es demasiado lindo, pero no quiero decir mucho así se sorprenden. ^^ Espero que lo disfruten como yo. :)
Ver más: http://la-abadia-literaria.blogspot.c...
And risk your own life to rescue me . . .”
Abrir el libro y encontrarme con esa frase de “Thank You For Loving Me” de Bon Jovi fue la gloria ¿?
Primero y principal tengo que reconocer que me encantó este libro a pesar de que no es el tipo de historias que me gustan leer, terminé sorprendida de mi misma porque me gustó jaja asique… Buen trabajo Jamie! :)
Es un libro muy lindo, tierno y desgraciadamente corto, pero vale la pena leerlo. Muy recomendable para los que leen la saga.
Contiene Spoilers para los que no leyeron Beautiful Disaster/Walking Disaster!!!!
Reseña:
Este libro nos muestra en detalle el día de la secreta boda de Abby y Travis, además, nos responderá ciertas preguntas… ¿Por qué Abby le propuso matrimonio a Travis? ¿Alguien más sabía de esto? ¿Dónde pasaron la noche de bodas? ¿Qué secretos se compartieron antes de la ceremonia tan repentina?
Sigue la historia de Abby y Travis desde que huyen a la ciudad que nunca duerme (Las Vegas) hasta que se van. Narra todo lo que no pudimos leer en BD ni WD desde los dos puntos de vista.
En muy entretenido, no aburre en ningún momento, muy romántico, tierno y con alguna que otra escena de sexo. Hay una escena en particular que es muyyyy divertida jeje.
El epílogo es demasiado lindo, pero no quiero decir mucho así se sorprenden. ^^ Espero que lo disfruten como yo. :)
Ver más: http://la-abadia-literaria.blogspot.c...
December 15, 2013
3.5 Getting Hitched Stars!
In this little novella, we get to find out the reason why Abby popped the question to Travis. Peronally, I wasn't all that thrilled with her. I get why she did it but come on, this is Travis!! At the end though, I was okay with it. Loved that the POV was both Travis and Abby. Love being inside Travis's head. I will take all of the Travis I can get!
A Maddox boy will take you all the way to the edge, but if you go with him, he'll follow you anywhere.
And when a Maddox boy falls in love, he loves forever.
"Your yesterdays were the path that led you to this chapel, and your journey to a future of togetherness becomes a little clearer with each new day."
In this little novella, we get to find out the reason why Abby popped the question to Travis. Peronally, I wasn't all that thrilled with her. I get why she did it but come on, this is Travis!! At the end though, I was okay with it. Loved that the POV was both Travis and Abby. Love being inside Travis's head. I will take all of the Travis I can get!
A Maddox boy will take you all the way to the edge, but if you go with him, he'll follow you anywhere.
And when a Maddox boy falls in love, he loves forever.
"Your yesterdays were the path that led you to this chapel, and your journey to a future of togetherness becomes a little clearer with each new day."
April 14, 2016
3.5 "Short,cute, sweet, emotional" Stars i loved it, it’s filled with the kind of moments that leave you smiling and warm-hearted from beginning to end. :D . in this book we learn how and why Travis and Abby were engaged and married six months after they met
“I want you to know that whatever love is, this has got to be it. We were best friends first, and we tried not to fall in love, and we did anyway. If you’re not with me, it’s not where I want to be. I’m in this. I’m with you.”
Want to read
November 16, 2013AHHHHHHHHH MORE TRAVIS!!!! -drool-
January 2, 2015
*ARC Given to Blog for Honest Review*
Oh boy...
2 Kisses
I am sad. I am disappointed. I am frustrated beyond all reason. I am confused. I honestly wish I had not read this book and that saddens me to the deepest part of my soul. I almost DNF’d it but my love for Travis and Abby forced me to finish it. I hate that I’m writing all of this stuff, but I have to be honest about my feelings. I am not trying to be rude, insensitive or hurtful at all…these are my thoughts…pure and simple.
The main thing I loved about this book was Travis. He is and always will be one of the best book bf’s ever. He’s amazing! That can never be disputed. The things he would say to Abby just made me melt in a puddle – I love how much he loves her. Travis is worth a million stars in my book. I also loved Travis’s Bachelor Party, especially Trenton’s ‘performance,’ and the little Q&A drinking game at Abby’s Bachelorette party. The other thing I loved…his mom’s letter.
Okay…let’s get this over with…what didn’t I like. The fact that this book completely devalues the reason for Abby and Travis getting married. The whole basis for why Abby decides to marry Travis is totally shattered in my heart in one swift clean sentence. That Broke. My. Heart. And the sad thing is…Travis never finds out. Everything after they board that plane to Vegas to me is based on a lie which makes it mean nothing!!! Do you know how much that hurts? I loved the fact that they got married – it was just so them! And now it makes me want to cry. For Travis.
The other thing that bugged me…the marriage license. First, it wasn’t being addressed at all, which I thought was a little weird – and then when it was…the way it was being handled was 100% wrong. Am I stickler for details? Well…if I have first hand knowledge of something – then yes, I am going to be a stickler. Call me anal, I’m fine with that. Yes…we read books to escape reality but unless it’s paranormal or fantasy…I expect all the regular laws of the world to still exist. Even though I knew from personal experience what needed to happen, I still Google’d it and I was correct…which makes me even angrier! If I can get an answer within less than 5 minutes…why is there an inaccuracy in the book at all? I don’t understand.
The writing was not cutting it for me either…it was long winded, overly and unnecessarily descriptive at times, there were point it dragged and I was tempted to skim and there was even one typo! And a pretty obvious and bad one too – when you call America, American , I’m going to raise an eyebrow. In over 700 combined pages of Beautiful Disaster and Walking Disaster that didn’t happen once (at least not that I caught) but it did in a 160 page novella. I do not remember any of this happening at all with BD and WD…or maybe because of the things that I was already frustrated with, all the little things that I could normally or possibly overlook started to stand out more. Who knows…
I think the other thing that really got me was during BD and WD I never questioned any part of Travis and Abby’s relationship. In the moment, it was all there for me – the emotions and feelings, I just got them. That’s what happens to me when I truly feel it…I don’t care if logic should tell me that it’s too soon or too fast…if I believe what the characters are feeling, then I’m sold. There were parts of Beautiful Wedding that made me question things. Mainly because of stuff Abby was saying! So on top of hating that their wedding is based on a lie, now I’m questioning their relationship as well. Dude! That sucks!
I hate regrets…but regretting that I read a book, this is a new and awful experience for me. One I hope to never experience again.
Oh boy...
2 Kisses
I am sad. I am disappointed. I am frustrated beyond all reason. I am confused. I honestly wish I had not read this book and that saddens me to the deepest part of my soul. I almost DNF’d it but my love for Travis and Abby forced me to finish it. I hate that I’m writing all of this stuff, but I have to be honest about my feelings. I am not trying to be rude, insensitive or hurtful at all…these are my thoughts…pure and simple.
The main thing I loved about this book was Travis. He is and always will be one of the best book bf’s ever. He’s amazing! That can never be disputed. The things he would say to Abby just made me melt in a puddle – I love how much he loves her. Travis is worth a million stars in my book. I also loved Travis’s Bachelor Party, especially Trenton’s ‘performance,’ and the little Q&A drinking game at Abby’s Bachelorette party. The other thing I loved…his mom’s letter.
Okay…let’s get this over with…what didn’t I like. The fact that this book completely devalues the reason for Abby and Travis getting married. The whole basis for why Abby decides to marry Travis is totally shattered in my heart in one swift clean sentence. That Broke. My. Heart. And the sad thing is…Travis never finds out. Everything after they board that plane to Vegas to me is based on a lie which makes it mean nothing!!! Do you know how much that hurts? I loved the fact that they got married – it was just so them! And now it makes me want to cry. For Travis.
The other thing that bugged me…the marriage license. First, it wasn’t being addressed at all, which I thought was a little weird – and then when it was…the way it was being handled was 100% wrong. Am I stickler for details? Well…if I have first hand knowledge of something – then yes, I am going to be a stickler. Call me anal, I’m fine with that. Yes…we read books to escape reality but unless it’s paranormal or fantasy…I expect all the regular laws of the world to still exist. Even though I knew from personal experience what needed to happen, I still Google’d it and I was correct…which makes me even angrier! If I can get an answer within less than 5 minutes…why is there an inaccuracy in the book at all? I don’t understand.
The writing was not cutting it for me either…it was long winded, overly and unnecessarily descriptive at times, there were point it dragged and I was tempted to skim and there was even one typo! And a pretty obvious and bad one too – when you call America, American , I’m going to raise an eyebrow. In over 700 combined pages of Beautiful Disaster and Walking Disaster that didn’t happen once (at least not that I caught) but it did in a 160 page novella. I do not remember any of this happening at all with BD and WD…or maybe because of the things that I was already frustrated with, all the little things that I could normally or possibly overlook started to stand out more. Who knows…
I think the other thing that really got me was during BD and WD I never questioned any part of Travis and Abby’s relationship. In the moment, it was all there for me – the emotions and feelings, I just got them. That’s what happens to me when I truly feel it…I don’t care if logic should tell me that it’s too soon or too fast…if I believe what the characters are feeling, then I’m sold. There were parts of Beautiful Wedding that made me question things. Mainly because of stuff Abby was saying! So on top of hating that their wedding is based on a lie, now I’m questioning their relationship as well. Dude! That sucks!
I hate regrets…but regretting that I read a book, this is a new and awful experience for me. One I hope to never experience again.
December 11, 2013
I liked it, but it was shorter than I expected. It didn't capture me like the first two novels.
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