Books I’ve Read: Beautiful Oblivion by Jamie Maguire

Image from Goodreads

Title: Beautiful Oblivion
Series: Maddox Brothers #1
Author: Jamie Maguire
Publisher: Simon and Schuster UK
Publication Date: 1 July 2014
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 3/5

Synopsis from Goodreads

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 her 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 parlour 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.
In the first instalment of The Maddox Brothers series, readers can experience the rush of reading Beautiful Disaster for the first time, all over again.

I absolutely adored Beautiful Disaster and Walking Disaster but must say that A Beautiful Wedding kinda spoiled it a bit for me I was so excited to gain insight into Maddox’s other brothers, with Trent’s large part in the previous books he was the obvious choice for book 1.

Told from Cami’s point of view the story crosses the time-line of the previous books and allows insight into Abby and Maddox from an outside perspective. Pivotal events are woven into the story giving it continuity.

However, I just didn’t connect with Cami and Trent in the same way I did with Abby and Travis. I even went back to re-read Beautiful/Walking Disaster to ensure I still had that connection to them, even with the cloud of A Beautiful Wedding hanging over me. I am pleased to say they are still one of my favorite couples – largely due to the epilogue in Walking Disaster

I have to be totally honest and say the plot twists are blatantly obvious and their resolution a little anti-climatic.

Cami and Trent grew up together, the same year at school, and always had feelings for each other. Here lies the basis of the story, I couldn’t quite understand why they never did anything about their feelings before. OK so Cami didn’t want to be another notch on Trent’s belt, but there was no real explanation as to why Trent hadn’t pursued Cami previously *shrugs* it bothered me. If everyone knew how Trent felt about Cami then how did the Cali-douche even happen. Can you see wherein my frustration lies.

The insight into Cami’s family, especially her father, did round out her character BUT I still didn’t feel as if I really got inside her head. I would have liked a little more depth in that respect. Which would have probably lead to a deeper connection with her and the story as a whole.

Beautiful Oblivion is definitely a must read for fans of Beautiful Disaster and while it provides a satisfactory diversion to reality don’t expect Cami and Trent to have the same impact as Abby and Travis.