BOOKED EVERY NIGHT

Beautiful Oblivion 

by Jamie McGuire

 

(*Click cover image to purchase this title)

This has got to be one of the hardest reviews I've written in a long time. And for that reason alone, I'll ask that you bear with me while I run you through it. I will try to avoid spoilers (where possible) but I will be honest, and some of it ain't pretty.

 

You see, when I first finished the book (and by that I mean read the last line and waited for all the cogs in my brain to turn and click) and then had that sudden realisation that comes with reading the last sentence of this book, I was floored. F-L-O-O-R-E-D. Floored. Why? Because, cleverly, McGuire had managed to weave in a subplot that no one even knew about, right up until they read that last line. Without giving a spoiler, the possibility of this happening did not even cross my mind. So my first reaction was "Wow, I did not see that coming" and I was happy. Happy that the book hadn't disappointed. 

 

But (and there's a big BUT) when I began to go back through the book, thinking about all the different elements of the story, I became . . . sad. Sad because I realised that this book isn't new, it isn't groundbreaking, the story isn't even original. It's Beautiful Disaster, albeit it with a few amendments.  

 

Now before all you McGuire fans start stoning me and making voodoo dolls of my heretofore "curvy" self, hear me out. In BOB (the annoyingly inaccurate but surprisingly addictive acronym for this novel) we meet Camille Camlin, and up pops my first Rynny Bug Bear (RBB, for those of you that like the whole acronym thing). Camille Camlin. Who names their kid that? Seriously? Actually, probably a not-so-distant relative of the same person who named their child Olive Ollivier. Yes, that's a name in the book too. Oh, and Cami's family being a family of "Cs" where Trenton's is a family of "Ts"? Girl, that's just plain laziness, right there.

 

Anyway, back to it. I suppose I'm technically wrong in saying that we meet Camille (Cami for short) because we "meet" her in BD. Cami works at the Red Door, a frequent haunt of the BD and BOB characters, and much like our earlier heroine, Abby Abernathy, she has an overbearing/embarrassing father whom she needs to be saved from.

 

Enter a Maddox brother--this time, Trenton. Trenton Maddox has all the prerequisites for a contemporary romance novel hero; he's built, tattooed, has a slight temper, but is soppy and loving towards the object of his affection. The difference with Trenton, as opposed to Travis, is that he has admired Cami from afar. Through the story, we learn that he has held the veritable torch for our heroine since they were small—well before she noticed him. 

 

Enter relationship obstacle number one: The Boyfriend.

Yes, that's right, our dearest Cami is a taken woman. The elusive T.J. lurks in the background for most of the story, but does enter at points, if only to rile Trenton. We know very little about him; other than he is hot, flaky, and is married to his career. He also lives in California.

 

Enter obstacle number two: Distance.

T.J. is over there. Trenton is here. Enough said.

 

After a meeting at the Red Door, Trenton and Cami exchange numbers, and thus begins the courtship dance. RBB #2: the weird, filler character. Olive. Perhaps added as a means of making Trenton more attractive (who doesn't love watching a hot guy interact with children) Olive is just plain ODD. A five year old who speaks with a lisp I can get on board with, but a five year old child with the vocabulary of a church-going grandmother? Nope, sorry Jamie, you lost me.

 

Creepy Grandma-children aside, Cami and Trenton begin spending time together (purely as friends) but, as happens in most stories of this nature, things develop and Cami is forced to choose between two men. RBB #3: no-brainer decisions. A six-month long distance relationship with someone who constantly places their career over you, versus a shot at a guy you've fancied for a while, who is willing to do anything and everything he can to make you happy? Serious chapter time is wasted on this dilemma. Pointless. 

 

That being said, I do feel that the relationship between Cami and Trenton developed at an acceptable pace. There were no desperate declarations of undying love after a week together, and the fact that they were able to spend time apart during parts of the book, without one or the other spontaneously combusting, was totally believable. Thank God. 

 

Delving any deeper into the storyline at this juncture would likely result in spoilers, so I'm going to take this opportunity to refocus on other aspects of the book; namely, the supporting cast.

 

Hmmm . . . supporting cast. At times, it felt like the secondary characters were on a mission to hijack BOB. Many, many words are devoted to the development of the relationships of characters that, quite frankly, I didn’t give a toss about. I get that there have to be secondary themed in a book—even tertiary ones—but for goodness sake, don't let them detract from the main story. Distractions are not good. Nuh-uh. At times it did feel like I was reading more about the whole Raegan/Kody/Brazil triangle than I was about our H and h. And Cami’s brothers? I nearly got whiplash from the many flips in their personalities. Also, I feel it pertinent to note here that I am not a fan of the flippant reference to Coby’s drug use. There was no build up, no development, no closure; it was unnecessary. The brothers just up and disappeared towards the end too, and whilst I get that they are supposed to have taken their warning from Trenton, this was just one lose end too far. Don’t even get me started on the whole abusive parent thing. A very tangled and messy element to the story, that didn’t actually benefit the plotline in any way.  

 

I think the fact that this story evolves during the same time period as BD is to its detriment. I am one of those readers who refuse to read Walking Disaster, purely because I dislike regurgitated storylines, and I am to understand that this may have hindered my ability to engage with BOB. I do, however, take my hat off to McGuire for her ability to link events in BD with those in BOB, without it becoming too contrived. Emphasis on the "too" because I do believe at book number four in this series, she is beginning to push the boundaries of what is acceptable, and if another WD rears its ugly head, I’m going to have to try really hard to bite my tongue. Really.

 

BUT (and this is another big one) I am glad I read BOB. It was an easy read. The writing flows well. The characters, whilst not always likeable, are human. They have flaws, desires, and insecurities; all of which make it easy to lose yourself in the book. I am not ashamed to admit that as much as I am not this book's greatest fan, I managed to read it in one sitting. It is, to use simple terms, a "palate cleanser"; one that would particularly appeal to those who enjoyed the plotline of BD. Just don't expect anything groundbreaking, because you'll be disappointed. 

 

So, not a great review, but that won't stop me from reading the following Maddox books because I am, like most, intrigued to see what will become of all the brothers; especially Thomas. But if future titles were to follow the pattern of their predecessors, I can see my interest waning . . . quickly. Readers want fast, fresh, gripping storylines, not a constant rehash to make money. This links nicely to my gripe at the price of this book, which I feel is MUCH too expensive for what you get. Definitely one to watch for in the sales.

 

Less than glowing review aside, I am interested to see what becomes of McGuire when she breaks free of this series, because I truly believe that she has a lot more to show us when she leaves behind the Maddox family. And when the time comes, I'll be here, waiting to read it. 

 

Albeit with an element of trepidation.