Review-A-Thon: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand.
Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby wants—and needs—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

Please forgive me for this super delayed review. I read this book over a month ago and I'm not doing a review until now. But after all, this is the point of this Review-A-Thon. Beautiful Disaster is right up my alley. Even though I haven't read much in the New Adult genre, the classic and cliche love story portrayed in this book is my type. I've said this before and I'll say it again. I have a complete love/hate relationship with this book. I really didn't know whether I should've given it a  2 STARS or a 5 STARS. In the end I gave it a 3.8 STARS. Or if you want to be all mathematical and round it up, I give it a 4 STARS. Keep reading to see why I loved and loathed it.
Characters:
Well first of all. I absolutely HATED the main character Abby. It's me and this thing where I hate it when girls keep pulling away. I get that that's the whole reason Travis fell in love with her in the first place but sometimes, these girls really got to get a grip. Sure, at first, go ahead and judge them but once they fall in love with you and you fall in love with them, why do you keep pushing them away? Also, I feel like some characters were there just because the story needed more characters. Abby's gay best friend, I don't even remember his name, was such an amazing character but he wasn't delved into. I did however like the subtle character development.
Pros:
Now for some good things. Though I hated how they fell in love, I love what happened once they were together. Bad boy meets good girl stories are the best. I love stories where a guy meets a girl and then they work they're problems out together. You'll see that these are my favourite kind. I loved Jamie McGuire's writing and how the point of view fit the character. Her writing was amazing and there was a lot of foreshadowing which I also enjoyed.
Cons:
Alright so, if this book ended half way through, I swear it would've been the best book ever. I'm not going to spoil anything but unnecessary dramas and problems came back even though they were already solved. I hated this so much. I was so happy for a moment there and then BAM! something bad comes back. I had a full on WTF moment. I really wish this could've ended at the half way mark. If you've read it, you'll know which point in the story I mean.
Summary:
Ultimately, this was a good read if I ignore all the parts where I got super duper annoyed. I really can't wait until I read Walking Disaster which is in Travis's point of view. Maybe then, I'll be able to appreciate the book more. I want to see how the hell Travis fell in love with a girl that made it seem like she hated him.

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Guest Post: Beasts and Ladies in Belle Noir by Ava Zavora

 Enter a world of dark beauty… 
This collection of enchanting and disturbing stories ranging from fantasy to speculative fiction will leave you spellbound! (Includes retellings of Beauty and the Beast)
Transfigured - The Beast has changed back to a handsome prince, yet Beauty finds out that although some curses may be broken, they are never completely destroyed.
No Loyal Knight and True – In this modern-day retelling of Tennyson’s The Lady of Shalott, a boyhood encounter with an odd girl who lives in a tower alters the course of Ryan’s destiny.
Belle Noir – Young Jane flees from her abusive father into a seemingly perfect marriage only to find that the darkest hearts are never revealed until it is too late.
Grotesque - A woman hardened by a difficult past witnesses a horrifying tragedy and undergoes a magical transformation.
Mirabilis (A Novelette) - Rosaria's life changes the day the veiled and mysterious Lord Devlin hires her to cure him of a terrible curse.
***Some stories contain mature subject matter. 18+***

Don't forget to continue reading!

As anyone who has read my first novel, Rosethorn, knows, I am an unabashed devotee of Stevie Nicks's music. Not only has she written the soundtrack to my life, her songs are involved in one way or another in everything I write. With Belle Noir, which includes three, very different retellings of Beauty and the Beast, I did listen to Stevie's (yes, I'm on a first name basis) same titled song from her Wild Heart album. The haunting chord and Stevie's voice perfectly convey the wistful longing and tragic elements of this old story.

 I've attended quite a few Stevie Nicks concerts over the years but I've only seen her perform this song live once and it was absolutely magical. Her flawless performance was enhanced by images of the old French film, La Belle et La Bete playing on the screen behind her.
 

My other thematic obsession in Belle Noir is Tennyson's Lady of Shalott. I came upon this poem when I was a young girl and I was so moved by the tragic story that years later I just had to write about it. I wanted desperately to give the Lady of Shalott her happily ever after; however, I found out to my dismay that "what has already been woven cannot be undone." I only listened to one song over and over again while writing "No Loyal Knight and True" and that is Loreena McKennit's eerily beautiful "Lady of Shalott." No lovelier marriage of lyrics to music exists. I cannot read Tennyson's poem now without hearing McKennit's song.
 

I am not the only one obsessed with "The Lady of Shalott." Below are Emilie Autumn's tribute, as well as The Band Perry's "If I Die Young." You can see in the video of the latter, the lead singer is holding a volume of Tennyson's poetry as she lies on the boat bearing her down the river.
 


Ava Zavora is the author of Belle Noir: Tales of Love and Magic, now available in Amazon stores everywhere.

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Review: All For Love by Lady Antebellum

Genres: Country, Country-Pop, Pop
Released: 7th May 2013
Members: Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley, Dave Haywood
℗ 2013 Capitol Records Nashville.

Country music doesn't take up much in my music but I do have the rare Country-Pop album here and there. Lady Antebellum's new album Golden recently came out and I've been really enjoying it. After a few days, I can easily say that my favourite song on the album is All For Love. It is track number 10. When I first saw the title, I expected something really happy but it's a lot more deep and meaningful than that.
Song:
This ballad was absolutely perfect. I loved how dramatic it was. The piano and bass in the background elevated the song even more. The chorus was super powerful with the electric guitar and amazing vocals. Hillary and Charles's voices were both amazing. Though they never sung together, the transition between them was effortless.
Lyrics:
The song is about a frayed relationship. My favourite part is the ending.
"Love, something you know nothing of
Cause if you did, there's still be an us
I did it all for love."
Those lines pretty much sum up the song. A love that's strong but a love without understanding. The lyrics are truly beautiful.
Summary:
Most of my reviews a positive and here's another one. I loved this song! I barely ever review bad songs. Sad songs, yes, but bad songs, no. I love just staying in my room and singing this, hoping that nobody can hear my terrible singing even though my family and neighbours probably can. Even though Lady Antebellum are a Country - Pop band, I don't see much in this song. This is why I feel as though this song can aim at many different audiences. If you love Country music, you'll love this. If you love Pop, you'll love this. If you like ballads, you'll really love this. I hope you'll check it out!


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