Review: Beautiful Oblivion (#1, Maddox Brothers) by Jamie McGuire - Vilma Iris | Lifestyle Blogger

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Review: Beautiful Oblivion (#1, Maddox Brothers) by Jamie McGuire

My Thoughts

Make room Travis Maddox, irresistible bad boy Trent captures our heart in this addictive story full of wit, sexiness and romance.

4halfstars

Synopsis

beautiful oblivion coverFiercely independent Camille “Cami” Camlin gladly moved on from her childhood before it was over. She has held down a job since before she could drive, and moved into her own apartment after her freshman year of college. Now tending bar at The Red Door, Cami doesn’t have time for much else besides work and classes, until a trip to see her boyfriend is cancelled, leaving her with a first weekend off in almost a year.

Trenton Maddox was the king of Eastern State University, dating co-eds before he even graduated high school. His friends wanted to be him, and women wanted to tame him, but after a tragic accident turned his world upside down, Trenton leaves campus to come to grips with the crushing guilt. 

Eighteen months later, Trenton is living at home with his widower father, and works full-time at a local tattoo parlor to help with the bills. Just when he thinks his life is returning to normal, he notices Cami sitting alone at a table at The Red. 

As the baby sister of four rowdy brothers, Cami believes she’ll have no problem keeping her new friendship with Trenton Maddox strictly platonic. But when a Maddox boy falls in love, he loves forever—even if she is the only reason their already broken family could fall apart.

In the first installment of the Maddox Brothers books, readers can experience the rush of reading Beautiful Disaster for the first time, all over again.

My Review

“Have you ever wanted something that you knew you shouldn’t have? That it was wrong on every level, but you knew you needed it?”

I was immediately transported back to the first time I read Beautiful Disaster. This book brings back that addictive, sitting-on-the-edge-of-your-seat experience… the tumultuous kind with amazing highs and explosive lows, the kind that gets your heart pounding, your smile widening, and the pages quickly devoured. The captivating banter, the bad boy, the fiery girl with a whole lot of attitude and the clear, palpable chemistry between them… yes, this book had all of that and more. Add to this proven mix the intensifying allure and suspense of an unexposed secret, and you’ve got a winning formula. Fans of Travis Maddox will revel in all the badboyness Trent exudes all on his own, and in addition, delight in happiness with glimpses into Abby and Travis’ well-adored story unfolding in the background. Trent and Cami’s tale, however, is largely different. It’s a friend-to-lovers drama about taking chances, gut feelings, chemistry, commitment and the soul-mate kind of falling in love during the volatile college years. It’s an emotional, angsty and witty journey, as these two people find their way in the world, their place among family, and the rightness of each other along the way.

“Watching him since grade school, I promised myself that I would never be a notch on his headboard.”

Cami has known Trent most of her life. Everyone knew the Maddox brothers then and now… knew they were trouble. And Cami was no stranger to trouble. Her family dynamic was rife with it and between her job, school and family drama, the last thing she needed was Trent Maddox, but Trent had other plans when he approached her one night, touting an irresistibly sexy smirk on his face.

“I was pretty damn smart. Smart enough to have kept my distance from Trenton all these years. I’d seen him flirt, seduce, and evade since we were kids. There was absolutely no trick Trenton Maddox could play that I wouldn’t be ready for.”

From the beginning, I was smiling so big, enjoying the banter between our two passionate protagonists. The only girl in a family of boys, Cami grew up to be bold, direct and feisty,  ready to dish it out every time Trent delivered a cool, confident line that would make most girls’ knees wobble. And it’s Cami’s fiestiness that draws in Trent. He’s suddenly determined to go after her despite the very real fact that she has a boyfriend.

“I was just thinking now was as good a time as any to acknowledge that you’re perfect and it wouldn’t suck if you feel madly in love with me anytime soon.”
I have a boyfriend,” I reminded him.
… “Speed bump.”

Cami’s boyfriend, TJ, is never around and their relationship stretches an even loose definition of a long-distance relationship. There’s a secret there… a suspenseful thread woven throughout the entire story and it’s the key to really understanding Cami’s resistance to Trent, because the more time they spent together, the more she realizes how effortless and easy it is to be with him.

“Nothing made sense anymore: why we were still together, why I was spending so much time with Trenton, or why I stayed in a barely there relationship when I had someone who liked me–and who I liked–tow feet away, just waiting for a green light.”

By reputation alone, one might think Trent is a carefree, surface deep guy with an endless bevy of girls, but although Trent is undoubtedly no stranger to the ladies, it’s his humor, heart and fierce loyalty that begin to win Cami over. Trent is there for her, making her the center of his world, giving her love and attention amidst laughs that begin to infuse life and color into her day-to-day, monotonous living. And the more she gets to know him, the more she realizes Trent has always been there, watching her from afar, taking in her beauty and appreciating her just the way she is.

“All I ever wanted to do was make you smile. And then you were mine, and I could never get it right.”
“I’ve had a lifetime of wrong. You’re the only thing that’s right.”

Trent is not as much of a tortured soul as Travis is, but he too, struggled to make his relationship work, and I think that was truly on Cami… her hesitance to let go of a boyfriend who was absent in every way that counted, was sometimes frustrating, but Trent’s relentless efforts at showing Cami how they were meant to be would eventually wane her reluctance.

This is a story about finding a love that works, finding someone that gets you and is ready and willing to give you what you need in the way that you need it the most. It’s that first love defined by a turbulent rage of emotions, where bad choices are made and hearts get irrevocably broken. Jamie is excellent at building up that angst and there was certainly a lot of it between Cami and Trent, and even between other supporting characters in their story. There were, however, a couple story lines that dealt with some pretty heavy issues that I wanted closure on to feel the full effect of the happy ever after at the story’s end and hopefully subsequent novels will address those elements. Nonetheless, the enjoyability, effervescence and addictive quality of the novel made the overall experience overwhelmingly positive. Plus, Jamie delivers a final twist that answers all the unanswered questions, piecing everything together in the most shocking and delightful way.

New readers and old fans alike will enjoy this coming-of-age story full of sexiness, wit and heart. It’s the perfect summer read to devour!

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Connect with Jamie

Tessa-BaileyJamie McGuire was born in Tulsa, OK. She attended the Northern Oklahoma College, the University of Central Oklahoma, and Autry Technology Center where she graduated with a degree in Radiography.Her most recent novel, Walking Disaster debuted at #1 on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists.

She has also written bestselling contemporary romance Beautiful Disaster, and the Providence series.Jamie now lives in Enid, OK with her three children and husband Jeff, who is a real, live cowboy. They share their 30 acres with six horses, three dogs, and Rooster the cat.

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