Review: I Want it That Way by Ann Aguirre

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.

Paperback, 352 pages

Expected publication: August 26th 2014 by Harlequin HQN

Terri's Thoughts

I won an advance uncorrected proof of this book via a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.  The expected publication date is August 26, 2014.

This read was a really nice surprise for me.  I had a pre-conceived notion what this story would be like and it turned out to be better.

The highlight of this story for me was the chemistry between Nadia and Daniel.  Not the part where it was hot and heavy but the part leading up to that.  The silent chemistry between the two and the unexplainable pull that they had with each other.  The scenes with Nadia on the balcony and the looks that were exchanged were more intense than any of the ones where they hit the sheets. 

I liked how the characters were driven but not flawless.  The fact that they had commitments to honor that kept them from seeing each other for days at a time was realistic.  I loved all of the supporting cast from Nadia's roommates to Daniels son.  They added an extra element to the story since they were also flawed but loveable in their own ways.

If I had to critique the story I would say that after a while I found Daniel (Ty) to expect too much from Nadia as their relationship progressed.  His boundaries were too much in my opinion.  I would have preferred the denial of their attraction to last longer over the stringent guidelines that were set for the relationship. 

I will have to give Aguirre kudo's for how she wrote this story.  She made the supporting characters (in 2B) to be compelling enough that I want to see their stories.  Upon researching this book I saw that there are two more installments due out later this year that tells their stories!  I'm not sure if she was thinking ahead when she wrote this one or if it just happened that way but she sparked enough interest that I will also be reading those ones.

About the Author

Ann Aguirre is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author with a degree in English Literature; before she began writing full time, she was a clown, a clerk, a voice actress, and a savior of stray kittens, not necessarily in that order. She grew up in a yellow house across from a cornfield, but now she lives in sunny Mexico with her husband, children, and various pets. She likes all kinds of books, emo music, action movies and Doctor Who. She writes all kind of fiction in multiple genres, both YA and for adults.