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Beautiful Mess #1
Beautiful Mess
Ambria Donnelly thought she had everything all figured out. A senior in high school, she knows exactly what she wants out of life and where she is going. After her last boyfriend broke her heart, Bri swore off boys and dating, instead focusing on school, and dance, and getting into Stanford like she’d always dreamed. Until a chance meeting at the beach pushes her resolve, and threatens to unravel all her carefully made plans.
Cole Marra had never really thought much about the future. He’d always had his dad, or his friends, there to make those kinds of decisions for him. He isn’t even sure who he is, let alone what he wants. Until the day Bri walks into his life and changes everything. Suddenly his future, which was uncertain at best, begins to take shape as he finally decides what he wants out of life. And now that he’s found it, he won’t let her go.
But when Bri finds out that Cole isn’t exactly who she thought he was, everything between them falls apart. Now, Cole has to decide how hard he’s willing to fight for what he wants. Bri has to decide if she’s willing to open herself up and risk her heart again. They both must work to overcome their own issues, and decide if it’s worth taking a chance on love.
Or, will the walls and defenses keeping them apart be too much to overcome?
Cole Marra had never really thought much about the future. He’d always had his dad, or his friends, there to make those kinds of decisions for him. He isn’t even sure who he is, let alone what he wants. Until the day Bri walks into his life and changes everything. Suddenly his future, which was uncertain at best, begins to take shape as he finally decides what he wants out of life. And now that he’s found it, he won’t let her go.
But when Bri finds out that Cole isn’t exactly who she thought he was, everything between them falls apart. Now, Cole has to decide how hard he’s willing to fight for what he wants. Bri has to decide if she’s willing to open herself up and risk her heart again. They both must work to overcome their own issues, and decide if it’s worth taking a chance on love.
Or, will the walls and defenses keeping them apart be too much to overcome?
442 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 5, 2013
29 people are currently reading
801 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
December 14, 2014
Actual rating - 3.5
This was a decent read.
Cole and Bria were both okay characters, and they made a cute couple. I wanted to bang their heads together and tell them to sort it out at points though!
The pacing in this one could be a bit slow at times, but it wasn't too bad thankfully.
I'll defiantly be reading book two at some point.
This was a decent read.
Cole and Bria were both okay characters, and they made a cute couple. I wanted to bang their heads together and tell them to sort it out at points though!
The pacing in this one could be a bit slow at times, but it wasn't too bad thankfully.
I'll defiantly be reading book two at some point.
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January 30, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon today (1/30/2020)! 🎁
December 7, 2013
The title matches the story perfectly, Cole I've never known someone who gave me so much damn whiplash, he was like a PMSing at times and other times he was just a typical guy, "Bri heard Cole's voice trail off as she slipped out of her tank top and board shorts. She adjusted her black bikini before chancing a glance at Cole. Sure enough, he was watching her, the goofy smile on his face telling her he liked what he saw." Bri oh I loved her, she had a mouth on her and knew how to stand her ground, "explain what? That you're nothing but a lying pri**? No thanks, I've figured that one out already." She went to move past him, but her blocked her." Oh yeah, she knows how to stand her ground, "you mean after you abandoned me with your d-bag friend?" She fumed. "Well, let's see. He hit on me, and when I didn't fall for it, he called me a frigid bi*** and left me on the side of the road!" Yeah this book is like a lot of movies molded into one, High School Musical, and Grease. It was a cute story but Cole was just a pain in my rear end.
September 6, 2016
It was really quite long, decent dialogue... but I found myself skimming a lot...
January 12, 2014
Immature and way too long
Don't let the cover fool you. This is definitely a novel for teenagers. The characters in this book are definitely young. I understand it was in the YA section on the Amazon website however based on the cover I thought it would be a little bit more mature. How long does it take for somebody to realize they are in love. This book dragged on and on and on. Warning do not read unless you are a young adult or a teenager and can handle immature young love.
Don't let the cover fool you. This is definitely a novel for teenagers. The characters in this book are definitely young. I understand it was in the YA section on the Amazon website however based on the cover I thought it would be a little bit more mature. How long does it take for somebody to realize they are in love. This book dragged on and on and on. Warning do not read unless you are a young adult or a teenager and can handle immature young love.
January 20, 2015
Definitely a MATURE YA novel. I struggle rating this one. I am amazed that this is Jen's first novel and am proud to call her my friend. The story was great; I really liked the characters and had no problems with believing the story line. Sometimes I wanted to slap Bri and tell her to grow up. Cole seemed so much more mature to me. Then again, this is written for YA 17-20 yrs old. A great (clean) make out book. I am ready to read book #2.
March 9, 2014
You can say i am a hypocrite i dont care i have read many books with ass holes
Agreed?
Yes, they usually range between 20 and 25.
But this one oh no still in high-school and all i wanted to do 22% in the book was shove my foot us his ass. complete and total a-hole
my review: Main charchter needed remodelling didnt see any redeeming characteristics.
Agreed?
Yes, they usually range between 20 and 25.
But this one oh no still in high-school and all i wanted to do 22% in the book was shove my foot us his ass. complete and total a-hole
my review: Main charchter needed remodelling didnt see any redeeming characteristics.
June 23, 2022
Couldn't finish. Got to 25% and gave up
December 9, 2013
I tried to find out as much as could about this book before I read it but sadly I could find much which is sad because it’s a really good book. I found myself feel all kinds of emotions while reading at one point I even stop reading because Cole had me so damn frustrated by the way he treat Bri. But I pulled myself together and finished because I had to remember the characters are based out of high school and they do go through peer issues.
Bri and Cole meet during the summer at the beach and they end up having this super strong connection. Cole wants more from Bri but she is not ready for a relationship just yet and wants to take things slow. They promise to stay friends after the summer ends neither one of them knowing that they will actually end up at the same high school.
Bri over hears Cole talk to his loser friend Trey about 2 cousins he meet at the beach over the summer and how he had them both. And this is when she sees the other side to Cole and wants nothing to do with him.
I loved Bri from the very beginning this girl was strong and didn't back down from anybody and had no problem standing up for herself and I loved that. I just wished that Cole had some of her courage. But she did hold herself back when it came to admitting her feelings for Cole towards the end. The one thing that I truly hated was her home life. It wasn't that her dad Conner and Stepmom Summer abuse her they just were not there when they should have been. And I think that it just had been addressed a little bit harder than what it was. You knew by reading her dad loved her and would be there for her. But she needed a motherly figure and I just found it awful that she didn't have that. She was always made to feel like she was on the outside looking in and never really a part of the family and that sucked for her. And that cousin of hers I was so glad when she told Carly about herself couldn't stand her.
Cole,Cole,Cole how I was so happy when he finally got some kind of backbone and spoke up for himself and realized that those ppl he called friends were far from it. Cole didn’t know how to just be himself and who he was with he was a different person. Around his dad he was the son that played football because he dad wanted him to even though he wanted to play basketball. Around his friends he was the snob and rude to everyone else. He was only himself around Bri but only when they were not around his "friends". He wanted her he really did but he just didn’t know how to stand up to the ppl in school and just be himself.
No matter what they went through you could feel the love and friendship while reading the book I was so glad this wasn't an instant love kind of thing don't get me wrong they wanted each other but things were taking slow. They allowed a friendship to grow and from that they learned to love each. After reading the last chapter I can see there being a book 2 I still think there is still more to tell from their story. This is couple you need to know if they got married. Did they have kids? Did Bri's relationship with her parents get better? Did Cole ever get to do anything with his art?
Bri and Cole meet during the summer at the beach and they end up having this super strong connection. Cole wants more from Bri but she is not ready for a relationship just yet and wants to take things slow. They promise to stay friends after the summer ends neither one of them knowing that they will actually end up at the same high school.
Bri over hears Cole talk to his loser friend Trey about 2 cousins he meet at the beach over the summer and how he had them both. And this is when she sees the other side to Cole and wants nothing to do with him.
I loved Bri from the very beginning this girl was strong and didn't back down from anybody and had no problem standing up for herself and I loved that. I just wished that Cole had some of her courage. But she did hold herself back when it came to admitting her feelings for Cole towards the end. The one thing that I truly hated was her home life. It wasn't that her dad Conner and Stepmom Summer abuse her they just were not there when they should have been. And I think that it just had been addressed a little bit harder than what it was. You knew by reading her dad loved her and would be there for her. But she needed a motherly figure and I just found it awful that she didn't have that. She was always made to feel like she was on the outside looking in and never really a part of the family and that sucked for her. And that cousin of hers I was so glad when she told Carly about herself couldn't stand her.
Cole,Cole,Cole how I was so happy when he finally got some kind of backbone and spoke up for himself and realized that those ppl he called friends were far from it. Cole didn’t know how to just be himself and who he was with he was a different person. Around his dad he was the son that played football because he dad wanted him to even though he wanted to play basketball. Around his friends he was the snob and rude to everyone else. He was only himself around Bri but only when they were not around his "friends". He wanted her he really did but he just didn’t know how to stand up to the ppl in school and just be himself.
No matter what they went through you could feel the love and friendship while reading the book I was so glad this wasn't an instant love kind of thing don't get me wrong they wanted each other but things were taking slow. They allowed a friendship to grow and from that they learned to love each. After reading the last chapter I can see there being a book 2 I still think there is still more to tell from their story. This is couple you need to know if they got married. Did they have kids? Did Bri's relationship with her parents get better? Did Cole ever get to do anything with his art?
December 7, 2013
Swap 'Troy' for 'Cole', and a whiz kid for a talented dancer, and you get High School Musical 4...a beautiful mess!
Sporting a dash of Summer Lovin', this Grease-like story is filled with rose-coloured drama from start to finish. Beautiful Mess is a cute read; something light and easy to pass the time.
Cole is a total dreamboat. He plays basketball, paints, fishes, can point out constellations...is there anything he can't do?!
And Bri is an emotional wreck who still manages to play the part of the redheaded and petite protagonist well, in between sobbing fests and many frozen yoghurt sessions.
With a sprinkle of adorable-ness, and a dollop of angst, Beautiful Mess is a summery tale that strives to prove that love can conquer all - if you're willing to embrace it.
Sporting a dash of Summer Lovin', this Grease-like story is filled with rose-coloured drama from start to finish. Beautiful Mess is a cute read; something light and easy to pass the time.
Cole is a total dreamboat. He plays basketball, paints, fishes, can point out constellations...is there anything he can't do?!
And Bri is an emotional wreck who still manages to play the part of the redheaded and petite protagonist well, in between sobbing fests and many frozen yoghurt sessions.
With a sprinkle of adorable-ness, and a dollop of angst, Beautiful Mess is a summery tale that strives to prove that love can conquer all - if you're willing to embrace it.
October 15, 2015
This book had some good stuff for me, and then some stuff that didn't work for me.
There were some moments that my interest was caught and I'd be flipping quickly through the pages. But, there were many times that I didn't care for the characters. At times one point it was almost as if Cole's character completely flip flopped. I had made a note to myself at 28% in - Who is this guy? Multiple Personality Disorder?
Then there were times that the characters actions simply didn't make any sense for me.
So, I gave this book 3 stars for the good parts - the parts where the characters seemed real and steady, and I was interested in where the story was going. There just wasn't enough of it for me.
There were some moments that my interest was caught and I'd be flipping quickly through the pages. But, there were many times that I didn't care for the characters. At times one point it was almost as if Cole's character completely flip flopped. I had made a note to myself at 28% in - Who is this guy? Multiple Personality Disorder?
Then there were times that the characters actions simply didn't make any sense for me.
So, I gave this book 3 stars for the good parts - the parts where the characters seemed real and steady, and I was interested in where the story was going. There just wasn't enough of it for me.
April 27, 2014
I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked some parts of it - Bri and Cole. Yet, they were also what I didn't like about it. And Serena was a stereotypical mean girl who caused problems. I think what bugged me the most was Bri being so hard core against love that she had no problem hurting the guy who loved her.....and being an ass doing it. Bri started out likeable, but by halfway through, that changed. Cole was too wishy-washy for most of the book. I really needed to like the characters in order to like the story, and it didn't happen.
March 23, 2015
Typical Young Adult romance.
I was surprised a little at the end. I thought for sure Cole would end up being not such a good guy but I was wrong.
It took a while for me to finish this book. I've put it down in favour of others countless times. I don't really have much to say about this book which isn't good.
The main characters didn't annoy me. Which is great. A unoriginal story line is good once in a while. This to me, was just another high school romance.
I didn't hate it.
I was surprised a little at the end. I thought for sure Cole would end up being not such a good guy but I was wrong.
It took a while for me to finish this book. I've put it down in favour of others countless times. I don't really have much to say about this book which isn't good.
The main characters didn't annoy me. Which is great. A unoriginal story line is good once in a while. This to me, was just another high school romance.
I didn't hate it.
December 10, 2013
This was a great story of young love and raw emotions that kept me wanting more all the way to the end of the book! Bri and cole both have deep seeded fears that keep getting in the way on their relationship. Would love to see a second book to find out what happened to them! Great read, make it one to add to your TBR list!!!!
March 8, 2015
I was pleasantly surprised at this book, it's good. the writing, the story, the characters weren't annoying. Yes it's longer then necessary, and some things could have been omitted, and it did take them a while to figure things out, but Cole and Bri are teenagers after all. the cover is a little misleading this is very YA.
December 18, 2013
3.5. . .Sweet and sappy. This isn't usually that type of book I get caught up in, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was a bit long. The story was sickeningly sweet in the end. However, it made me smile.
December 20, 2014
cute read
This book was pretty cute. I was drawn in by the cover, and then the story kept my interest!! Cole was awesome and the characters were well written. Definitely a must read!!
This book was pretty cute. I was drawn in by the cover, and then the story kept my interest!! Cole was awesome and the characters were well written. Definitely a must read!!
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December 9, 2013FREE ON AMAZON
December 14, 2013
Is a great book to read
December 24, 2013
lots of drama but great story line. Cole is an amazing man and Bri eventually became the perfect woman for him.
December 26, 2013
A little bit of Grease meets Pretty in Pink. Bria was a bit whiney at time but overall a good read.
January 2, 2014
3-4 stars! There was just so much back and fourth!! In the first half I wanted to smack Cole and then in the second half I wanted to smack Cole and Bri haha.
November 25, 2014
This book shows young love when kids were traumatized and are trying to find themselves and the strength to trust other people. Very good teenage love story. Oh the joys of high school drama.
May 10, 2014
He seemed stalkerish at some points.
She was over the top oblivious.
She was over the top oblivious.
August 25, 2015
review on my blog @ fangirlingunited.weebly.com
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews