A Reader Lives A Thousand Lives: Beautiful Oblivion: Them Maddox Boys

Before I dive into Beautiful Oblivion, I am going to back up a little to where it all began. Beautiful Disaster is Jamie McGuire's first dive into the world of a Maddox. You meet Travis "Maddog" Maddox and watch his world do a complete 180 with the girl we have all grown to know and love as "Pidge." Disaster was through Abby's eyes, and when you open up Walking Disaster to find you get to live it through the eyes of Maddog himself - uh, SWOON! Tied up with wedding bells and an epilogue to tease even the best of us - she gives you Beautiful Wedding. Travis is one of those broken but beautiful guys that crept their way into your heart and is there to stay.

We weren't blogging yet, when I read these, but here are my Goodreads reviews:

My Goodreads Review of Beautiful Disaster (#1)

My Goodreads Review of Walking Disaster (#2)

My Goodreads Review of Beautiful Wedding (#2.5)

We had the immense pleasure of meeting Jamie at RT and she was as sweet as you could ever imagine. Kris & I walked away with Property of Travis Maddox shirts, which I wear proudly and often. (Latest was while reading Beautiful Obilivion.

***

Taking place during the same timeline as Travis and Abby's story, Beautiful Oblivion is intense in its own right, and will (at times!) make you forget all about the brooding Travis Maddox when his big brother, Trenton takes a seat at Cami's table. The stigma attached to being one of those Maddox boys is funny.

Trenton picked up one of the shot glasses and touched it to his lips, tilting his head back. He slammed it on the table and winked. "Don't worry, babe. I'll take care of it." He stood up an walked away.

I didn't realize until my mouth was hanging open until my eyes met Raegan's and it snapped shut.

"Did he just drink your shot? Did that really just happen?"

"Who does that?" I said, turning to see where he went. He'd already disappeared into the crowd.

"A Maddox boy."

This initial encounter basically guaranteed a signed, sealed and delivered good time with this new pairing. Trent set his sights on Cami. Cami's heart belonged to T.J. Or did it? Trent doesn't take no for an answer, and he plays dirty when it comes to Cami. When he showed up at her door for dinner, after she said "No," with Olive - I literally laughed out loud. Who says "No" to an adorable FIFE year old who is dying to go to Chicken Joe's? Not Cami. And so an awkward, albeit comfortable friendship forms with snarky texts, unwelcome visits and some football talk.

"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 fell madly in love with me anytime soon."

"I have a boyfriend," I reminded him.

He waved me away. "Speed bump."

***

My entire body tensed. "What the hell are you doing in here? This is the girls' bathroom, Stalker Texas Ranger."

"Did you just insinuate I'm comparable to Chuck Norris? Because I'll take it."

As Cami continues to attempt to make her long distance relationship with T.J. work, her friendship blossoms with Trent. Working together at Skin Deep, making friends with his friends, constant visits at the bar she works at - Cami finds herself"...in trouble. Big, disastrous, Maddox trouble."

When Travis comes to Cami all out of sorts, he reveals Abby. My heart went bananas. It was incredible to see tidbits of their story from an outsiders POV. Cami tells it to Travis straight like no one else will. In a drunken stupor, in between rants about Abby and plans to buy her a puppy - Travis mentions her friendship with Trent and how Trent may have mentioned her. "I've never tried with you, either. My brother has always been in love with you."

Trent, tired of waiting, kisses her. Boyfriend? Not a problem in his eyes.

"You messed everything up, Trent. It's ... it's too weird, now."

"That's stupid. Everything is the same," he said. "The only difference is that now you know I'm a damn good kissed."

I couldn't help but smile.

"I won't surprise attack your face. I just want to see you," he said.

A trip to California, a few fights with some creative wording and tactics, Trent and Cami are trying out this thing between them. While Cami ensures Trent he will walk away from her, the chemistry between them is dynamite. Cami is my favorite in this book. She has so much sass, and being the product of a house full of brothers, the mouth on her is epic. She reminds me of the fights I have when it comes to her reasoning and demands.

"And the first thing you say to me the day after being a royal shit bag will not be an invitation to dump you on your stupid, drunken ass." I yelled the last three words, enunciating every syllable. I threw the grapes, and he caught them against his stomach. "You will apologize, and then you will be super fucking nice to me for the rest of the day and buy me doughnuts!"

Trent and Cami's story was beautiful. Full of disaster, chaos, hidden stories, friendship, family and a whole lot of tattoos. Cami may never believe Travis or Trent when they tell stories of how he has always loved her, but he will have a lifetime to show her all the love he feels.