Beautiful Mistake

by Anna Campbell

Christopher Lochland, still suffering from a tragedy he holds himself responsible for, is a ghost of the popular, athletic high school student he used to be. These days he's a walking red flag, doing everything in his power to push family and friends away and self-medicating at an endless pity party. But newcomer Katy Forester hasn't had the easiest life herself and isn't put off by lost causes. Or red flags, as it turns out, not when they're as gorgeous and magnetic as Christopher Lochland. Not when she's the only person he'll open up to. Not when she's maybe falling in love.Before long, Katy's headed down a slippery romantic slope with Christopher, sacrificing more and more, wondering when she'll finally reach the breaking point between helping someone else... and hurting herself. Then one devastating night, Katy gives a piece of herself in a way she never could have imagined, only to wake up broken and disillusioned, ready to give up on the idea of saving people, ready to give up on the idea of redemption altogether. But when an accident leaves Katy in need of Christopher for once, both are left wondering - can the seeds of hope be planted in the cracks of a broken heart, and can something beautiful grow from them after all?

Sometimes funny and sexy, often raw and angsty, but ultimately hopeful, Beautiful Mistake takes the reader on a roller coaster of emotion from start to finish, forcing them to reflect on the easy mistakes we make in the name of saving someone else, and the hard choices we make when we finally decide it's time to save ourselves.

Mature Young Adult - recommended for readers 14+

Print version includes bonus content/scenes from Christopher's point of view.

730 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 29, 2022

About the author

Anna Campbell is the pen name of an otherwise traditionally published YA author. Anna Campbell's stories are for an older readership (mature YA/NA) with more intense subject matter. Blending humor, angst, spice, and sweet, heartfelt moments, Anna's stories will remind you that the most hard fought-for happily-ever-afters are the most satisfying and delightful.

Connect on Instagram: @annacampbellstories

Reviews

[Silvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love loved

I read this book several years ago on Swoonreads when it was written in 3 installments. It stayed with me all through the years so when I found out it was being released again, I jumped at the chance to re-read it.

As I began reading it with fresh eyes it was deja vu. The characters came alive on the pages and every emotion they experienced I felt like I was right there with them. This isn’t just a teenage book full of angst. It’s a beautiful story of 2 teens, Christopher and Katy, who learn how to deal with life’s lessons as they face the pain of their past in the most brutal of ways. In the end, going through their pain and sharing it with each other only accentuates their hope of what the future has to offer them. This book moved me like few books have and deserves at the very least 5 stars. Thanks to the author for bringing Christopher and Katy back to life!

[Yesmina · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story is slower than my country's public transportation
more depressing than my country's politics
and pretends to be trendy like my country's administration