Becoming an adult is an intense discovery of the world and yourself—only exaggerated. Every break-up can feel like the end of your world and every new sensory moment is an explosion of emotion and bodily sensations. The thrill of those moments is captured skilfully in books like Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire. It was originally self-published in 2011 and appeared first on the New York Times Bestseller list as a self-published novel in 2012. The story of Beautiful Disaster contains the excitement of teenage love with a little mystery thrown in.
Abby Abernathy may appear to be a ‘good girl’ but she is harbouring a dark past and is keen to keep it that way, but ‘bad boy’ Travis Maddox is intrigued by her lack of interest in him. He tricks Abby into his life with a bet but has no idea who he’s dealing with.
If you are looking for more books like Beautiful Disaster, then keep reading.
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8 Books like Beautiful Disaster
Anna and the French Kiss, by Stephanie Perkins
When searching for books like Beautiful Disaster, you may stumble upon this treasure of a story by author Stephanie Perkins. She actually wrote the first draft during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), and it was her first novel.
There are two other books in the series: Lola and the Boy Next Door and Isla and the Happily Ever After. Apparently, Ms Perkins wears a different perfume for each book she writes.
Anna and the French Kiss begins when Anna is made to leave her life in Atlanta to go to a boarding school in Paris. She meets Etienne St Clair, a charming and smart guy who has everything—including a girlfriend.
The author’s vivid description of Paris adds to the intensity and beauty of the story. You’ll wish you were there.
Have you already read this? Check out our list of books like Anna and the French Kiss!
Deadly Little Secret, by Laurie Faria Stolarz
There are five books in the Deadly series by author Laurie Faria Stolarz and if you enjoy your romance with a little suspense thrown in like in Beautiful Disaster, then Deadly Secrets could be a good place to start.
The story revolves around sixteen-year-old Camelia, who is an ordinary girl living an ordinary life until the guy who saved her from a car accident, Ben, arrives as a new student at her school. Her average life takes a darker turn, which isn’t helped by the fact that she finds herself attracted to Ben, who she thinks may be the source of her torment.
Stolarz touches on the issues of stalking in this first book of the series and the ability to make good choices with your head when your heart is full of adoration for someone.
Deadly Secrets is a paranormal teen romance that’s sure to have you clinging on to the bed covers and holding your breath.
The Risk, by Elle Kennedy
Apparently, Elle Kennedy wrote her first novel at the age of twelve — I’m assuming it wasn’t a high school romance like The Risk.
Lusting after the school sports star is a girl’s right of passage, but not when your father is the hockey coach at Briar University and your object of lust is Jake Connelly, the star hockey player on a rival team, there’s going to be conflict.
Our main character, Brenna Jensen is determined not to develop feelings for Jake but, unfortunately, the next step towards her career as a sports journalist requires his help.
She needs to stay her strong, sassy self and resist his oozing sex appeal.
If you fell for the charming, bad boy Travis Maddox and want something similar to Beautiful Disaster, then The Risk is one for you.
Hopeless, by Colleen Hoover
If the heat of young romance and mystery is what attracts you to novels like Beautiful Disaster, then Hopeless will be on your wish list. The plot mirrors greatly the plot in Beautiful Disaster but the story is treated differently. This is a wonderful story about trust, love and the importance of truth.
Sky is a senior in high school when she meets Dan Holder; the ubiquitous ‘bad boy’. The intense spark between them grows as does their relationship in spite of Sky’s reservations about him; he’s hiding something.
Hoover’s ability to write well-rounded characters that we fall in love with and a story that will pull you in and won’t let you go is why this has made the list of books like Beautiful Disaster.
Are you a fan of Colleen Hoover? Check out our list of books like Verity!
Tangled Up in You, by Lara Ward Cosio
This book has the heat and angst of Beautiful Disaster; it touches on something we remember all our lives — our first heartbreak.
Gavin McManus is a rock star on tour; he has everything but feels like there’s something missing — Sophie, the girl who broke his heart. They may not be at school anymore but when they find each other again years later, they reunite and become a hit with the paparazzi.
As with all good stories, Tangled Up in You has a secret to reveal and when Gavin’s family secret is exposed, his perfect life with Sophie takes a wrong turn.
This rollercoaster ride of desperate love and childhood scars is worth a read if you are looking for a book similar to Beautiful Disaster.
Want more hot-blooded novels to read? Check out our list of books like After!
A Place Without You, by Jewel E Ann
The free-spirited nature of author Jewel E Ann is reflected in her main character, Henna Lane, in this book about forbidden love and freedom.
Henna is a nineteen-year-old girl who meets Bodhi at a music festival. She falls hard for him but circumstances mean he has to leave without saying goodbye. She is heartbroken, but later meets the sexy Mr Malone, her guidance counsellor, and enters into a forbidden love affair.
Forbidden love is the most exhilarating kind of love — unfortunately, it’s also the type of love that causes the biggest heartbreak.
Reviews for this book include ‘breathtakingly beautiful’, and ‘hopelessly romantic’. If you are craving more lustful liaisons similar to Beautiful Disaster then check out A Place Without You.
Schooled, by Piper Lawson
It is a universally known fact that the dweebs we ignored in high school grow into the hunks we want to date as adults — OK not all, but it happens. Your best friend’s little brother who didn’t even make it into your peripheral vision is now tall, spot-free and sporting a six-pack. That’s what happens in this standalone story from the Travesty series.
In Schooled, our main character, Lex, is a college senior with plans: to start a fashion label with her BFF. Unfortunately, her plans are in jeopardy when her BFF’s little brother crashes her twenty-first birthday party looking hot and ready to make a confession.
This book has more of the ‘bad boy’ forbidden love we all crave to keep everything tingling and enjoyable characters you would want to know IRL.
There are five in the Travesty series so if you are looking for books like Beautiful Disaster, try Schooled.
Perfect Chemistry, by Simone Elkeles
This novel like Beautiful Disaster is advertised as ‘A fresh urban twist on the classic tale of star-crossed lovers.’ In Perfect Chemistry, our male lead is Alex Fuentes, a member of a gang from the wrong side of the tracks who makes a bet to take ‘good girl’ Brittany away from her seemingly perfect life.
This story challenges the stereotypes of ‘bad boy’ meets ‘good girl’ and we see Alex’s character develop over the course of the book as details of his background and Brittany’s home life are revealed.
There are three books in the Perfect Chemistry series; all three have been YALSA Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.
This is not by any means an exhaustive list of books like Beautiful Disaster but there should be enough here to whet your appetite for more hot-blooded romance and mystery. Happy Reading!
Are you looking for more books like Beautiful Disaster? Have any recommendations that didn’t make the list? Let us know in the comments!
