Beautiful Oblivion - Review

Beautiful Oblivion (The Maddox Brothers #1)

By: Jamie McGuire

Published: July 1, 2014 by Atria Books

337 pages

Source: Personal Kindle Library

(Goodreads / Amazon)

Summary:

Fiercely 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.

MY REVIEW:
Oh the Maddox Brothers....I first fell in love with Travis in Beautiful Disaster. And though Trenton is not Travis...and Cami is not Abby, I still enjoyed their story. Just perhaps a little bit less. I did feel as if I missed a book somewhere that perhaps spoke more to their backstory. But the only book I haven't read yet is A Beautiful Wedding. So, I don't know. Specifically I refer to information about Cami's secret she eludes to a lot and Trent's accident which killed a girl. These things felt glossed over, as if the reader was already familiar with them. Am I missing something?

So Trent grew up in the same school as Cami but they didn't have a connection, no similar friends, nothing that would've drawn the two of them together. But now, years later they connect and try the "let's be friends" thing even though Cami is in a relationship...albeit with a guy who lives across the country and is so focused on his work that he doesn't have time for her nor is she a top priority for him. You simply can't put 2 people who are have that much attraction between them together day in and day out and not expect something more to happen. I gotta hand it to Trent though...he is a true gentleman and exercises way more self-control than most guys his age would. Even as unhappy as Cami is in her relationship she is loyal. But the lines of friendship become blurrier the closer they get. And really what is she loyal to? A one-way relationship is no relationship at all.

There was a huge BANG at the end that feels like a cliffhanger but isn't really since book 2 is about another Maddox brother. Talk about a slap in the face that I didn't see coming though! Then the comments like "Everyone knows. About you. About us. But not about me.".... - again going back to feeling like I missed something in an earlier book.

The time line in this story overlaps a great deal of what happens in Beautiful Disaster. It was good to see glimpses of Travis and Abby, but it really was just glimpses because the focus is definitely all about Trent and Cami.

If you loved Travis Maddox, you will also love Trent. I have a feeling I'm gonna love them all!

Favorite Quotes:
Suddenly it was okay to want messy, and flaws, and uncertainty, so much of what Trenton embodied...everything I saw in myself that I thought I didn't like. 

"I am the one, Cami. I'm it for you. I know because you're it for me."

"The first time I saw you on the playground, I knew what beauty was. The first time you ignored me was my first broken heart."

"I've had a lifetime of wrong. You're the only thing that's right."

Language Rating: 2 (medium)
Mature Content Rating: 2 (medium)
Final Rating: 4 stars