A sheltered college girl's life is forever altered when a provactive stranger challenges every boundary she knows Filled with sweetness and suspense, Beautiful Disaster is the story of what happens when love is greater than honor or friendship or the passing of time. Reminiscent of The Notebook, continue on to read the first chapter of BEAUTIFUL DISASTER--Pre-order your copy on Amazon and Books-A-Million. Visit my website www.lauraspinella.net
Mia Wells is poised to finalize the deal that will make her eco-friendly career goals a reality.The moment is interrupted when an unexpected phone call ushers in a tremulous past.The man she’s always loved, the one who abandoned her years before, has mysteriously resurfaced.
Set in the Deep South amid magnolia leaves and the innocence of college life, BEAUTIFUL DISASTER begins with Flynn’s arrival.He’s a man with a doubtful past, half a name, and no ties to anything earthbound, except Mia.For a year they have the kind of love affair a man like him inspires.Mia trusts him with her life.It’s a precarious leap of faith when she learns that he’s a fugitive on the run.For the next twelve years she keeps his secrets, long after Flynn vanishes, devastating her.Succumbing to the common sense she once defied, Mia eventually marries.Michael Wells is a wonderful man: patient, successful, driven.She does love him; who wouldn’t?Never anticipating Flynn’s return, Mia does her best to put the past behind her.It’s a bittersweet truth as she must admit to a love and a passion that has never died.Yet, the future is grim as a gravely injured Flynn lingers, his dark past hovering like a storm.When he finally recovers, the puzzle unfolds.Flynn’s recollections are sketchy, piecing together the years and moments leading up to his accident.A smart man for whom honor has been a nemesis, Flynn unravels the truth: one well meaning lie has altered three lives, creating futures that should have never been.As the past and present reconcile, Mia’s what ifs are endless.Filled with sweetness and suspense, BEAUTIFUL DISASTER asks this of the reader: What would you risk for a love that is greater than honor or friendship or the passing of time?
Excerpt
Athens, Georgia, thirteen years ago
The bike rumbled up to the curb in downtown Athens, announcing his arrival like a lion advancing on new territory. Goddamn, but it was hot. He was used to hot places. Not that he had ever learned to like them. Rural Indiana, where he grew up; Parris Island; the bottom of hell—he always ended up in places where sweat was part of the dress code. The sidewalk was thick with college kids; they kept the place going, from what he had heard. College towns were a handy place to hang for a while. Nobody asked too many questions. If anything, people encouraged a come-as-you-are attitude. The casualness appealed to him. Conforming would never work out—ask any Marine.
An eternity on the bike coupled by hours in a traffic jam had left his longs legs cramped and a little wobbly. Food would be good idea. He tugged at the sweaty jeans that were seared to his skin and pulled a red bandana from his pocket, blotting his grimy brow. Stepping to the curb, he attempted to blend in with the crowds of backpacks and portable CD players. He felt staring eyes as he moved among them. Girls mostly. Girls always looked at him. He wasn’t the typical fare, with hair as long as theirs and the scruffy beard. On most days it led to the Jesus remark before lunch. He didn’t care, but sometimes he wanted to lean into their probing, dewy eyes and whisper, “Yeah, just think what your old man would do if you brought me home.” He liked college towns, but he wasn’t interested in college girls. Despite their glances, they weren’t really looking for a guy like him either.
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Reviews for "Beautiful Disaster"
Reviewed by Eileen Meehan
1/29/2011
I really enjoyed this book. I have never been a big fan of love stories, but this book kept me engaged, and I was sad when I finished. Laura's writing is fluid and effortless. I wish her much success.
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