Author: Jamie McGuire
Publisher: Atria Books; Original edition (August 14, 2012)
Length: 432 pages
Format: papercover
Description from Goodreads:
The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate percentage of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance between her and 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 needs—and wants—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.
My Thoughts:
I've seen this book floating around for a while now, both in print and ebook, and finally I couldn't pass it up anymore. I devoured this 432 page book in a couple of hours. I yelled at and was downright mean to anyone who interrupted me. Abby is a "good girl" who is trying to escape a troubled past. The last thing she needs is a buzz cut, tattooed, underground fighting, playboy chasing after her. She knows Travis is a bad idea; everyone tells her he will use her and break her heart. Travis is convinced they can just be friends. And then a bet is made that will change their lives forever.
Jamie McGuire has created one wild ride of an emotional train wreck that is nothing short of amazing. The sexual tension in Abby and Travis's relationship and the build up between the two kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Abby is clueless/just doesn't want to see what is in front of her and Travis is a self destructive saboteur. They hated each other, the were bffs, they liked each other, they were just friends, and they hated each other again. By the time I finished this book I was tired...but in a good way. My emotions had just gotten off of a roller coaster. Travis and Abby weren't the only awesome characters of this book. I loved the part that America and Shepley played. They were the perfect foil to Travis and Abby's instability. These two are quite a pair. Are they the perfect characters or even the perfect couple? No. Abby is too wishy washy and gives up easily just to dive back in a short while later. Travis is a violent and temperamental hot head who borders on having a stalker like obsession. Despite these obvious flaws I found myself liking him anyway. This is a great book and the only problem I had was with Abby's background. I don't want to give it away (the mystery is part of the book), but found it a little unbelievable. Let's just say that the odds of the people she knows at school who she/her father is is slim to none. When it was finally revealed I couldn't help but think, "Seriously? That's the big secret?" This wasn't a big detractor from the book though. The last thing I want to gush/mention is the age of the characters. The characters in this story are in college! The college age group is on the verge of young adult/adulthood. There is a serious lack of writing that utilizes this age group and Jamie McGuire tapping into this niche made me love this story even more.
Lastly, believe it or not, the ending surprised me in a good way. I totally did not see it coming. So, now for the final verdict. Was this a great book about realistic expectations of a college romance/experience? No. Did I absolutely love it and recommend it to all of my sappy romance inclined friends? YES! This book gets a 5 STAR rating!
I agree with you a totally guilty pleasure of a read!
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