I Want It That Way by Ann Aguirre | Book Review

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Nadia Conrad has big dreams, and she's determined to make them come true. But between maintaining her college scholarship and working at the local day care to support herself, dating's the last thing on her mind. 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, the last thing he wants is noisy students living in 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.

Ann Aguirre is a versatile author. I love that she’s not afraid to write in all kinds of different genres. She just kills it too, no matter what genre she tries. I Want It That Way is Aguirre’s first foray into the New Adult genre and the inaugural book of her 2B trilogy. Straight up, I was not entirely sure what to expect going into this book. Maybe some boy band throwbacks and lots of college scenarios. Also adult situations.

I Want It That Way follows student Nadia Conrad who moves to an off campus apartment with her best friend and two male roommates. She is a driven special education major who finds herself falling for her downstairs neighbor, Ty. Only, there’s a slight complication – Ty is a single father and his child is his number one priority. This of course makes sense, but it does present a challenge to Nadia. The two have this growing attraction that can’t really be acted on. Meanwhile, Nadia is also dealing with roommate drama. Her roommate, Lauren, who is also her best friend from home is distant and shutting Nadia out. Furthermore, her other roommates, Max and Angus are dealing with drama of their own as well.

You are going to love Aguirre’s latest book if you are not about those angst ridden new adult books with contrived issues and such. Nadia Conrad’s character is a breath of fresh air. First of all, she is a college student who actually does college related things like homework and studying and projects. She spends a lot of time on her lesson plans. When she’s not doing work for school or in classes, she is busy with her job. I loved that Nadia’s character was driven and actually acted like a college student. She doesn’t have a whole lot of trauma in her past either, which is different from other new adult characters.

I think that if you are the kind of reader who goes in for steamy books with substance, chances are you are going to enjoy I Want It That Way. Ty and Nadia absolutely have chemistry. Their romance develops at a pace that seems realistic and works for the storyline. I liked that this book was sex positive as well. There is no shaming going on here. Nadia is able to ask for what she wants in the bedroom and that’s a good thing, I think.

As for the writing, I had trouble putting this book down. I know that’s cliche, but these days it’s hard for a book to keep me captivated for a long time. Aguirre’s book did, as most of her books do. I recommend this if you’re looking for something in the new adult genre that is not overridden with angst and oh woe is me.

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April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

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