Beautiful Disaster (The Bet)

This book is the epitome of dysfunctional. It is a truly amazing story but be warned that it is raw, gritty and downright nasty. At the same time, it is about love, loss and grief. It is about battling your demons and finding your soul only to have it ripped away and shredded right before your eyes. It is about power, jealousy, vengeance and guilt. The theme of the story is not unfamiliar but the execution certainly is, in my experience anyway. It is explosive, with characters, both teenagers and adults, who are utterly depraved, deeply troubled and morally destitute. It is extremely well written - the author has a fluid and clear writing style that draws you in and firmly holds your attention. The book contains very heavy drug and alcohol use, some racial disharmony and extreme sexual situations that are not for the faint of heart or younger readers. The story begins with a bet. Can Nicholas seduce Ellie? No one expected this time to be different, but it is and his friends don`t understand why. Jealousy fuels rage and rage fuels stupidity. Lives spin out of control and everyone becomes vulnerable. I will not easily forget this story. In fact, it was left open ended and I will snap up the sequel the second it is released. This book is incredible and I highly recommend it to those who won`t be put off by the blatant honesty of the story. It is gripping and unforgettable and there is nothing pretty about it. Very well done.

This book was an emotional roller coaster the entire way through. It had so many ups and downs and crazy people, I don't even know how to rate it. It was a really good book but I can't say that it was one that liked... That probably makes no sense whatsoever. The entire book felt like I was watching a wreck occurring. It was fascinating reading about the sickly obsessive people in book. I just couldn't stop no matter how much it made me either sick to my stomach, become so angry, or crying (poor Bella). I love when Nicholas had his moments with Ellie and Sophie and how he had finally seemed human... Unfortunately, he then lost his mind, I felt so badly for Ellie and cringed the entire time after he did so. Mainly, because I felt that she was being extremely naive. I know that she was trying to break through to him, but come on have a little pride. By the end of this book I decided that I hated Nicholas. For losing his mind and for treating Sophie the way he did. If it was so hard on him, he should have just given up the charade. Goodness. I am going to give this book four stars because it kept me captivated. It was seriously like reading about a car accident getting ready to happen. It was disturbing at times, just seeing how far some people will go for their obsessions. At other times it so sweet that it just had me wishing things better. Then I would be crying at all the injustices that Ellie and Nicholas were going through. I am definitely looking forward to reading the next story and seeing what happens when Nicholas finds out about the baby. I only pray that Ellie makes sure Nicholas has a hard go of it. I also really want to see Charles go down for his crimes against humanity (I can understand how Nicholas lost his mind with everything his father did). Finally, I have to see everything work out for Ellie and Nicky in the end. I only hope that they can finally create a happy family in time. There were also quite a few editing errors, I noticed a lot of them having to do with the use of pronouns. Also some sentences just didn't flow together very well. Lastly, some descriptions just didn't match up, leaving me confused at times.

I read the reviews and knew there would be a cliffhanger--and what a cliffhanger! Nick actually made me sick in the beginning, but I grew to like his character. He really needs some counseling and Elle is strong enough to move on. She may become too focus on the people in her life and probably not let anyone inside her circle the next time--thanks to Nick. I was disappointed in him and would think twice before letting Nick have any influence over a child upbringing in his current state of mind--I felt sorry for the way he treated Sophie (could understand, but he was selfish). Elle made the right choice at the end of this story and will need all the support she can get--maybe his uncle will help her out, too. Hopefully, the author will have Nick's character start to practice safe sex, after he gets tested--the man is so hurt over Belle, he might get a vasectomy. There were loose ends and I wondered what happened to Tony and Matt--Nick was lethal with that bat, though. This kept me up late and my kindle was the first thing I grabbed this a.m. so that I could finish reading this story. I hope there is a sequel (Ronnie did have the 'gift' and saw a future for them), and would buy it; just don't take a year to release it or have a huge time frame before they connect again.

When I finished this story, all I could say was "Wow!" and I mean Wow! I continued to think about this story well after I finished it, and went back and read the last several chapters several times. This story is not for the faint of heart. There are themes that are definately dark, horrific, scary and sad. The characters are extremely well-developed and the writing is very well done. Only one or two typos/grammatical errors. Out of all of the characters, I have to say that Nicky is my favorite. Yes, he is probably the saddest human being you will encounter on paper in a long time, but somehow, you will find yourself hoping that in the end, the very end, that he will find his humanity, find his inner goodness that we all possess, and turn back from the ugly, despicable legacy of his progeny. At the end, you will find yourself hoping and praying for redemption for Nicky. I hope there is a sequel, but if not, then I can tell you it's kind of like the ending of Gone with the Wind in a way...while you know Rhett walked away swearing he didn't give a damn, you also knew that as surely as the sun rises each day, Scarlett would get him back. I beleive that in the end, all will be well for Nicky and Ellie. It just has to be.

This series was an excellent read. It had murder, mystery, love, betrayal, suspense all the elements for a great family Saga. I would recommend this series for anyone who enjoys reading excellent writing. This author is a great writer and I have enjoyed all her books. There are 3 books in all and book 4 is due in the future.

Ellie Holbrook's life has not been easy. At just seventeen years old she's already a single parent. With a two year old daughter. Estranged from her parents, she has been living with her godfather Gabe, her life is slowly gaining some order and normality. After being home schooled, she's going to attend high school for her senior year. Nicholas Grayson is a sorry excuse for a human being, rich, spoilt and cold. Caring nothing for the feelings of others. He and his cronies belittle and destroy others with the least provocation and reason. A long running bet between Nicholas and his friend Matt, sees Nicholas seducing any and every girl, whilst filming the whole scene. Ellie has just become the latest target of the bet. This is a powerful story, dealing with some serious issues. The characters are very well fleshed out, the story is fast paced and dramatic. Not always easy reading but addictive. The author knows how to tell a story. I might have given this five stars if it had been properly edited. There were many mistakes in this. But I will definitely be reading the next book.

This book was not what I first expected, I read the free chapters and thought it would be an enjoyable YA read. Boy was I wrong. It's no fairytale type of book I've read before, it's gritty, gripping and down right scary....In a real life sort of way. Don't be put off, this book is a must read, Nicky for me is a male lead character all of his own. Francette apart from the typo's editing stuff I commend you, your writing is beautiful, how you express Nicholas's feeling for Ellie is heart wrenching, and a breath of fresh air........

They created their own form of amusement with "The Bet" a game played by a master - eighteen year old Nicholas Grayson a young man with his own moral compass, an emotional cripple with a personality of a cactus. He embraced his faults with gusto. He and his friends were young, spoiled and their goals in life were to break the law, stave off boredom and enjoy their form of entertainment with "the bet" Nicholas Grayson was aware of his power over the fairer sex and he used that knowledge for his own selfish needs. Ellie Holbrook was his next "bird" of prey. Cock sure that he would win the bet Nicholas sets out to seduce her and claim his prize. Easy she wasn't and Nicholas realizes that all bets were off when Ellie says to him "seeing how you are so fond on my ass, feel free to kiss it while I walk away" "Game on" This story deals with a number of complex issues and the reader may find it a bit disjointed due to this but it will keep you sucked in right up until the last page. It is raw, gritty and downright nasty at times and I am sure (like me) you will want to throttle Nicholas and his friends but you will also want to find out if Nicholas and Ellie get their happy ever after. Francette Phal delivers a well written and fluid writing style but be aware that the book is not suitable for under 18's as it deals with extreme drug and alcohol abuse and explicit sexual situations. I have downloaded the sequel "Redemption" and off to find out what life has in store for Nicholas and Ellie.

Nicholas is an uncaring person, along with his friend Matt they use and abuse many people. He doesn't care for no one, Ellie hasn't had it easy and unbeknownst to her she's just become an unsuspecting part of the bet a sick game to use girl's. This is a powerful story dealing with some serious issues. The characters are very well fleshed out, this story is fast paced , not always easy to read but it's highly addictive.. some mistakes in the book but it doesn't put me off reading the next book I'd highly recommend this author