I Want It That Way by Ann Aguirre

I Want It That Way by Ann Aguirre
Release Date: August 26, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin HQN
Pages: 352
Series: 2B Trilogy #1
Review Source: ARC from author

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

Nadia Conrad has big dreams, and she's determined to make them come true—for her parents' sake as well as her own. But between maintaining her college scholarship and working at the local day care to support herself, she barely has time to think, let alone date. Then she moves into a new apartment and meets the taciturn yet irresistible guy in 1B….

Daniel Tyler has grown up too fast. Becoming a single dad at twenty turned his life upside down—and brought him heartache he can't risk again. Now, as he raises his four-year-old son while balancing a full-time construction management job and night classes, a social life is out of the question. The last thing he wants is for four noisy students to move into the apartment upstairs. But one night, Nadia's and Ty's paths cross, and soon they can't stay away from each other.

The timing is all wrong—but love happens when it happens. And you can't know what you truly need until you stand to lose it

My Thoughts:
Ever since I heard Ann Aguirre was writing New Adult I’ve been looking forward to this book. I was anticipating it so much, and it still managed to live up to my expectations. Seriously. I Want It That Way is full of so much swooning and flailing and so many feels.

I loved how this was a very different story than a lot of New Adult books. This book definitely has a romance as its central plot, but it’s not all about the couple or all about the sex scenes, like so many other NA books are. The book was about Nadia figuring out her life and finding her path: that what everyone else thinks is right isn't necessarily what's right for her. I Want It That Way is also about Ty and his journey of forgiving himself for his past and learning to move on. On the romance side of things, Nadia and Ty have an unforgettable connection. The book is really about them and how well they work together, despite making no sense on paper.

There are so many great aspects to this book. I loved Ty’s son, Sam, and how he and Nadia bonded. Sam was such an adorable kid, and all of his scenes were precious. I also appreciated how Nadia’s roommates and their lives were an integral part of the story. Nadia really has a miniature community with them. Their presence throughout the story and the setting up of couples for the next two books happened so organically, which made for a nice change from many other novels

Basically? I loved Nadia, I loved the character journeys, and most of all I loved the romance. It just felt so real to me. There was heartache and hard decisions (is love worth the fight?), but it wasn’t crazy drama -- it was just real life and how reality can get in the way of what should be an epic romance. Overall, highly recommended to all New Adult fans.

The Cover:
Gorgeous!!

Rating:
[5/5]

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