Beautiful Sacrifice

Beautiful Sacrifice A Novel

Jamie McGuire2015
Falyn Fairchild can walk away from anything. Already leaving behind her car, her education, and even her parents, the daughter of the next governor of Colorado is back in her hometown, broke and waiting tables for the Bucksaw Cafe, After every shift, Falyn adds to her shoebox of cash, hoping to one day save enough to buy her a plane ticket to the only place she can find forgiveness: Eakins, Illinois. The moment Taylor Maddox is seated in Falyn's section at the Bucksaw, she knows he's trouble. Taylor is charming, breaks promises, and gorgeous even when covered in filth-making him everything Falyn believes a hotshot firefighter to be. Falyn isn't interested in becoming another statistic, and for a Maddox boy, a disinterested girl is the ultimate challenge. Once Falyn learns where Taylor calls home, everything changes. In the end, Maddox persistence is met with Falyn's talent for leaving, and for the first time, Taylor may be the one to get burned.
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Reviews

Photo of Sky
Sky@skylardowdle
4 stars
Oct 15, 2023

I loved the banter between them before they were actually together. Obviously their relationship was a bit angsty, but I think they also got through it pretty healthily. The Maddox brothers don’t ever disappoint.

Photo of Anna Ureta
Anna Ureta@akiikomori
4 stars
Jan 23, 2023

Here we are with another Maddox Brother Novel! We finally meet with one of the twins, Taylor, who’s finally met his match with Falyn Fairchild. It seems the way to attract a Maddox boy is to want nothing to do with them. Either ignore them or push them away. I don’t know how this method works in real life…but that’s what fiction is for. Taylor, had to grow on me, just like he had to grow on Falyn (who I will forever pronounce as Fayln because it just sounds better). I swear if it wasn’t for her attitude and the similarities in the way she and I process information and emotion, I probably wouldn’t have liked this book. There are a lot of themes that I have issues with which I’ll address, but of course it’s all about the love story and how a Maddox boy will do anything for the woman he loves. And really that’s the most important thing right? Everyone has baggage in their life, some sort of secret, or something they keep inside so they don’t completely break down. Well for years Falyn Fairchild has been working at Bucksaw Diner saving what she can for a special trip. This has been her only goal and the only thing keeping her going for years. Her daily routine of working at the diner is suddenly interrupted when the local Hotshot crew comes in for lunch; among them is the infamous Taylor Maddox, who falls for Falyn almost immediately and will stop at nothing to get her attention. Although she does anything and everything in her power to keep him off her back it seems that fate has brought them together for a reason. He’s her ticket out of town and back to Eakins where she believes she can find peace to the secrets she’s been keeping all along. The only thing is the ticket comes with a price…Taylor Maddox, and despite her every effort Falyn finds herself falling just as hard. I’m beginning to see a pattern with these Maddox brothers, and don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a Maddox brother as much as the next girl but there’s just something…A little…off? About them? This was definitely my favourite in terms of female lead although I’m pretty sure I said that about Liis… Well she’s my favourite in terms of emotional and mental state. There are a lot of things I would have done exactly the same as her and a lot of things that I found she was justified on. To be honest, I saw the plot twist coming a mile away…. :P I don’t know if it was supposed to be obvious or I’m just that good at picking up on these things but for those of you that didn’t get it…don’t feel bad. Point is…I get the reason why she made her choices. Girl’s got some sass, and OBVIOUSLY Maddox boys love sass. You don’t see any of them going out with a shy girl (boo there goes my luck), so I guess ladies, learn from this…in order to get a man…you must have sass. And I have sass! Just…not in person, in the moment. Falyn is LITERALLY the dictionary definition of a strong, independant, female woman. She doesn’t take ish from no body and can take care of herself. But it also helps that she has an amazing family (unrelated) to support her, and that is extremely key in living a healthy lifestyle. Seriously, those parents….I would have walked away too… Taylor’s smile faded. “Can I borrow your washer and dryer?” “No!” He looked both ways, down each direction of the street, and then back at me. “Well…is there a Laundromat nearby?” “On Platte Avenue. Just turn left on Platte, off Tejon. It’s just before you get to Institute Street. Right across from the supply store,” Phaedra called. I spun around to see her pointing in the correct direction. I shot her a look, and she shrugged her shoulders. “You wanna come?” he asked, “Laundromats are boring af.” I pressed my lips together and then pulled them to the side, trying not to smile. This is it. I raeched over and turned the key that was already in the lock. “Come in.” “”You sure?” “Oh, now, you’re worried about overstepping?” “Not really,” Now let’s talk about Taylor. On my Maddox scale…I’d say…. Thomas, Travis, Taylor, Tyler? Trent. (Haven’t read Tyler’s story yet so I’m just assuming..). Don’t get me wrong Trent lovers. Love the boy in tattoos but his story…wasn’t…I dunno it didn’t…do anything for me on an emotional level. I love Taylor’s attitude when approaching Falyn, he’s just so…chill about it and willing to be friends? Maybe? Or was that all a ruse? Nah I think it was real. And to be honest I’d love having a Maddox as just a friend. Women can have guy friends and guys can have female friends. It’s all about TRUST! AND COMMUNICATION! I think Taylor would be really fun to have around and at the same time be scared he’s not coming back…so I get what Falyn is so worried about when he takes her out. Still his intentions are good and he’s not a total d-bag, but he did end up making some bad choices….which knocked him down a couple of points. I mean really, Taylor? Really? Be a man! The overall flow of this book was sort of…all over the place. There was just a lot going on… No spoilers but there was the thing with Falyn and then the conflict after that I was like….woah what, there’s a lot going on here. It was just a lot…going on and it all happened so fast. There were time skips that were fine with me but at the same time I was just like…not feeling the flow of the book. Thomas’ story is still my favourite hands down. Well, one brother to go. Still a Maddox girl at heart and I think I’d still want Thomas out of all of them even though he scares the living crap outta me…but maybe that’s good cause then he wouldn’t take my ish ;) Taylor is definitely the brother I’d want to have as a really, really, really good friend if I couldn’t date him. He seems like he’d be a lot of fun and be a good shoulder to cry on. But I’m happy because Falyn and Taylor found their happily ever after. Now I wish I could figure out where mine is… 4/5 Hearts of Love

Photo of Gisela Ayala
Gisela Ayala @giselasmusings
5 stars
Sep 7, 2022

I think I may have found my second favorite Maddox Brother after Travis, Taylor Maddox. I think he is probably one of the sweetest ones yet. Taylor Maddox is probably the biggest goofball yet but still has that heart of gold that is apparent to all the brothers. In this story, we have Falyn Fairchild, a waitress at a mom and pop sort of restaurant. I was really confused in the beginning because I could tell she had a really crappy relationship with her parents. I mean they seemed like the biggest assholes ever. Her father running for Mayor and her mother is one of those people that is all about appearances. Something happened a long time ago with Falyn, and they don't want it to disrupt their campaign. All Falyn wants to do is save money and go up to Illinois, where, (coincidence?) the same town that the Maddox brothers are from. In comes Taylor Maddox and OF COURSE since Falyn is so consumed with her goal and has not patience for a man, Taylor being a Maddox is ultimately smitten with her. I loved Falyn and Taylor's witty back and forth banter. It was adorable seeing him get all flustered over a girl and Falyn pushing his buttons on purpose. Ultimately, Taylor helps Falyn in more ways than one with dealing with her past. I won't spoil it for anyone here, but it was NOT what I was expecting. Holy Moly, I've never cried in these books, maybe get a bit sad, but there was one point where the tears just started flowing! Once again, Jamie McGuire is a genius on how she is able to tie up everyone's story so perfectly. The way the characters interact despite their separate stories is amazing. You still see the conflict that the others go through and that only adds more depth to her stories because you as a reader know a bit more about what is going on, but sometimes you don't know enough. I found myself trying to piece things together. There was one thing that Falyn hit out of the ballpark, she noticed how many secrets the brothers keep from each other and pointed it out to Taylor, which I am really grateful for! Someone has to say it! She also put Camille in her place, and I definitely gave her a slow clap for that.

Photo of Samantha
Samantha @walkinglibrary
5 stars
Mar 2, 2022

I loved it.

Photo of Lysha Taynish
Lysha Taynish@lyshabooks
4 stars
Feb 18, 2022

“I don’t need you to save me. I just need a little help to save myself.” •• “People have forgotten to use their memories. They look at life through the lens of a camera or the screen of a cell phone instead of remembering how it looks, how it smells”—I took a deep breath through my nose—“how it sounds”—my voice echoed over the smaller peaks below—“how it feels.” I reached out to touch his upper arm. Something familiar sparked in his eyes, and I pulled away, stuffing my hands in the front pouch of my hoodie. “Those are the kinds of things I want to keep, not a photograph.”

Photo of Camila
Camila @camie
2 stars
Jan 9, 2022

Mejor que Redemption pero Falyn era algo estresante, el problema con sus padres no se desarrolló lo suficiente y creo que daba para mas. La relación con Taylor no me convenció. En mi opinión Jamie dejo la barra muy alta con Oblivion, Trent y Cami fueron personajes bastante reales para mi y desde eso no hay mucho mas. Puede ser que todos los hermanos de Travis ven a Cami como un parásito en su familia y en las escenas que ella aparece todo es tenso, lo cual se entiende pero no creo que sepa llevarlas bien, la culpa es de Thomas no de ella . Y Falyn creo que supo ver mejor a Cami que nadie mas, pero aun así fue muy raro. No se este libro me dejó una sensación extraña . Como siempre me entretuvo pero definitivamente no fue tan grandioso

Photo of Gretchen Gomez
Gretchen Gomez@chicnerdreads
4 stars
Aug 10, 2021

4 out of 5 stars to Beautiful Sacrifice. I'm going straight into this review. I really enjoyed this book, I laughed A LOT but I feel like some of the dramatics were better off without. It was unnecessary to everything they were going through already. The story was gripping and touching but then again, Falyn's story could've had more of an end. It would've had a better end if the author hadn't added the extra dramatics. You can't just give me a plot twist and not end it properly. Yes I know, maybe in Tyler's story we will know what happens but this is HER story. Other than that, I really enjoyed both Taylor and Falyn together as a couple and individuals. I related. I cried. I worried for them when they were going through it. I couldn't put the book down. I'm happy we got to see characters of the previous stories. It was nice seeing Falyn's perspective on them. I feel something is going to explode in Tyler's story.

Photo of Dasha
Dasha@dasha
4.5 stars
Nov 12, 2021
Photo of Cass McCullough
Cass McCullough@cassidycasuallyreading
5 stars
Dec 29, 2023
Photo of Lilah Merie
Lilah Merie@lilahmerie
5 stars
Nov 16, 2023
Photo of Martha McLendon
Martha McLendon@marthaymc
4 stars
Jul 31, 2023
Photo of Zaira A
Zaira A @zai
3 stars
Jul 28, 2023
Photo of Haney Hayes PR
Haney Hayes PR@haneyhayespr
5 stars
May 23, 2023
Photo of Marianela Arevalo
Marianela Arevalo@marianelaarevalo
5 stars
Apr 28, 2023
Photo of camilla
camilla@alittlelife
3 stars
Jan 18, 2023
Photo of Lauren Bledsoe
Lauren Bledsoe@lauren-bledsoe
3 stars
Dec 14, 2022
Photo of Thais Souza Passos
Thais Souza Passos@thaayp
5 stars
Oct 22, 2022
Photo of Ashley Janssen
Ashley Janssen@aninterestingidea
1 star
Oct 18, 2022
Photo of Jocelyne Garcia
Jocelyne Garcia @dylyne3
3 stars
Sep 20, 2022
Photo of Mary Garza
Mary Garza@maryherondale
3 stars
Sep 20, 2022
Photo of Ashley Wendt
Ashley Wendt@undertheasktra
3 stars
Sep 6, 2022
Photo of Shelby Hall
Shelby Hall@shelbyhall
3 stars
Aug 25, 2022
Photo of Isobel Layton
Isobel Layton@isobellayton
3 stars
Aug 16, 2022
Photo of cláudia
cláudia@helnik
5 stars
May 23, 2022

Highlights

Photo of Sky
Sky@skylardowdle

“How? How can you still love me? If I deserved it before, I definitely don’t now,” I said, exasperated.

He shrugged. “I just love you. I don’t stop to question whether or not you’re worthy.”

Photo of Sky
Sky@skylardowdle

“It was grief, Falyn. I haven’t felt it since I was a kid, but I remember that helpless feeling when you lose someone. No matter how much you love someone, you can’t bring them back. No matter how much you scream or drink or beg or pray… a hole was created when they left. It burns and rots you from the inside out until you stop crying for the pain to stop and start accepting it as the way life will be.”

Photo of Sky
Sky@skylardowdle

“You felt that, right?” Taylor said, keeping his voice low.

I looked up at him. “Promise you’ll never do that again.”

A grin slowly stretched across his face. “You have my word.”

Photo of Sky
Sky@skylardowdle

“You’re so fucking mean. It’s disturbing that I like it so much.”