Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful #1) by Jamie McGuire

(Cover above was the original cover when I first read this book)

INTENSE. DANGEROUS. ADDICTIVE. 

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.

4.75 stars. :)

Travis is what made this book incredible. He's all kinds of intense. He's bad ass, a fighter, he's emotional and its safe to say that he goes from extreme to the next. There really isn't a middle ground for him. He's incredibly unstable. He can be sweet and charming one minute and completely lose it the next. I got extremely emotional while reading this book and its ALL because of Travis. Its strange because this book was told from Abby's perspective, but the writer did an amazing job making you feel what Travis was feeling. The reaction Abby provokes out of him when she decides to leave him is INTENSE. For anyone who's ever been heart broken, I can feel his pain. For someone as strong as Travis, it made me emotional when he unveils himself and reveals all his insecurities. I must have highlighted and bookmarked several pages that tugged at my heart. This book was all kinds of emotional and I couldn't put it down. Hence the reason why it took me less than 24 hours to read it. 

Why not 5 stars? Two reasons. One was Abby. She was utterly CLUELESS at times. It was evident to everyone else but her regarding Travis' feelings, but she just pretended she was just confused. Get real! He was so obvious, I just wanted to strangle her at time. Ughhh! Reason two, well their breakup was way overdrawn. They were apart for what seemed like forever. You knew they each wanted each other back, but neither had a balls to say it and it frustrated me to no end, but when they finally had their happy ending, I was finally content. All is right with the world. lol.

The Unidentified Redhead (Redhead #1) by Alice Clayton

(The above cover was the original cover when I read first read this)

When Grace Sheridan returns to Los Angeles to become a working actor, it's a second shot at a life-long dream. With some help from her best friend and agent, that dream could become a reality, but at thirty-three, has Grace missed her chance at the big time? Will an enexpected sizzling romance with the entertainment industry's newest 'it' boy shine an uncomfortable spotlight on her life?

Alice Clayton spins a playful and erotic May to December romance in this, her debut novel. Clayton's funny, borderline neurotic heroine is perfect in her imperfections, and the off the charts sexual chemistry between her and her charming, yet blissfully unaware leading man are the true heart of The Unidentified Redhead. With laugh out loud dialogue and a super steamy romance that will get your heart racing, sneaking around in L.A. and dodging the Paparazzi has never been so fun.

FIVE+++ STARS!!

::Warning, there are some spoilers in this review::

Sweet Nuts and Nuts Girl. God how I love this book. The writing was fresh, funny and wonderful. Our heroine, Grace, is whip-smart funny and completely lovable. I can completely relate to her sense of humor and I spent many pages reading and laughing out loud. I never laughed so hard at some of the things she says to her Brit. There were so many countless times I had to place my head in my hands and say to myself, "she just did not say that out loud, she just did not say that". OMG this girl is CRAZY nuts! Love her. 

As for our hero, Jack, my goodness, who couldn't fall in love with this young, yummy, handsome British tall drink of hotness? British accents were flying all over my head as I read his dialog and that alone made me swoon like a teenage girl. (Sorry I have a thing for all things British, especially British men and their accents ;) Jack was simply adorable in this book and I love how she calls him George. He falls in love with her, along with all her craziness. LOL. Sooooooo CUTE!! 

Additionally, I love the BFF relationship between Gracie and Holly. I LOVE how they call each other dillweed or asshead. lol. And the part where Holly and their friend Nick barge into Gracie's room after her and Jack have their first tryst, PRICELESS! "The British are coming! The British are coming!" OMG I almost DIED laughing!! 

Don't get me wrong, there are PLENTY of hot, steamy, romantic scenes with Grace and Jack that tugged at the hopeless romantic in me. However, the humor in this book is what made this novel stand out. Take for example their first kiss. They were rolling around in the sand, just because Grace is crazy enough to do so, they have their first earth shattering kiss. Afterwards, she gets pooped on by a bird. POOPED ON for crying out loud. Such a romantic scene and I ended up laughing so hard at this weird, funny encounter. I. LOVE. THIS. BOOK. PERIOD. If I could, I would give it tons more stars :) Can't wait to start reading the sequel :)

Fifty Shades of Grey (Fifty Shades #1) by E.L. James

When literature student Anastasia Steele is drafted to interview the successful young entrepreneur Christian Grey for her campus magazine, she finds him attractive, enigmatic and intimidating. Convinced their meeting went badly, she tries to put Grey out of her mind - until he happens to turn up at the out-of-town hardware store where she works part-time. 

The unworldly, innocent Ana is shocked to realize she wants this man, and when he warns her to keep her distance it only makes her more desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her - but on his own terms. 

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey's singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success – his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving adoptive family – Grey is man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a passionate, physical and daring affair, Ana learns more about her own dark desires, as well as the Christian Grey hidden away from public scrutiny.

Can their relationship transcend physical passion? Will Ana find it in herself to submit to the self-indulgent Master? And if she does, will she still love what she finds?

Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever.

FIFTY STARS (ALL SHOUTY CAPITALS)

________________________

From: Tessamari

Subject: (Hopefully, a Proper) Fifty Shades of Grey Review - the Second Time Around

Date: January 11, 2012 1353

To: E.L. James

Speechless.

My inner Goddess is sprawled out on the chaise lounge, with her left arm draped across her eyes and her right hand over her chest trying to steady her breathing. There are no words to describe how much I love this story. This is my second time reading this brilliant piece of literature and it was just as good as the first time I read it. No. Strike that. It was FIFTY times better. 

The story is all kinds of emotional. I've never read anything that even came close to all the feelings I felt when reading this. I'm 100% sure it is all because of Christian Grey. Oh, Christian. His character is so overwhelming, he literally commands your utmost attention. He knows what he wants and he knows how to get it. He's so unbelievably sexy, its extremely unfair to all other book heroes. And who can forget Ana. Innocent little Ana did not know what she signed up for, did she? Then again, she never did sign that agreement. I love how her character is able to slowly peel away the hard layers of Christian. Because of her, we get to see the sweet & carefree side of him. She gave us more reasons to love him. However, it wasn't enough. She wanted more and, God knows, the readers of this book wanted more. 

Ms. James, I thank you again for writing such a beautiful story. I love it. Its as simple as that. It is by far my absolute, most favorite story ever. EVER! (With more SHOUTY CAPITALS). lol. I'm off to re-read Fifty Shades Darker, again (BTW, it's my second favorite book). By then, I'll be ready for your third and final book. My inner Goddess & myself cannot wait :)

-----

--Below is my review from September 17, 2011 - After the first time I read this book--

10 stars (at least). I need a some time to process what I just read. As Ana would say, "Holy Crap!" I've never been so absorbed in a book before. I'm completely speechless right now. I need to start Book 2 like STAT. It got so emotional at the end that I found myself tearing up. Will definately be editing this review later, but right now, I need to start Book 2.