The Shape Of My Heart

by Ann Aguirre

[Leah]

Over the past few months I’ve read and devoured the first two novels in Ann Aguirre’s new adult “2B” trilogy. All with awesome Backstreet Boys titles, and equally awesome characters (with the exception, perhaps of Lauren who I still don’t really like). I Want It That Way was fabulous, introducing us to Ty and Nadia; As Long As You Love Me was only okay because of the aforementioned Lauren; and so I came to the third book The Shape of My Heart with super high hopes. Like really high. Of all the characters we’ve been introduced to, Max was the most mysterious, and perhaps the most interesting so I was quite excited to see him get his own story. And although Courtney narrates the novel I still feel like there was a load of Max in the novel.

I was somewhat surprised to find Courtney was the narrator for The Shape of My Heart – we don’t know her too well, considering she only moved in with Max and Angus after Lauren moved out, but I was pleasantly surprised to find she was a girl after my own heart. I loved that she didn’t conform to normal society, and she had piercings and was perhaps a bit bigger than the super skinny Barbie dolls we’re usually introduced to. Let’s be honest, someone as interesting as Max needed someone equally as interesting to be his other half. Courtney exeeded all my expectations, and I adored her. I loved that she was so willing to just hop on the back of Max’s bike to attend his grandfather’s funeral. The fact we got to see how close they were during those few days definitely helped seal the deal for me for them romantically.

The tension in the novel was as unbearable as it was between Ty and Nadia. I was DESPERATE for Courtney and Max to confess their feelings for each other because the tension was dripping off the page. One of the things Aguirre does best is building sexual tension and it drives me freaking crazy! I just wanted them to get on with it already!!!!!!! I didn’t think Aguirre could beat Ty and Nadia for me, but with Max and Courtney she did. They had such deep souls, so many things left buried deep with no one else knowing them and seeing them peel away their many, many hidden layers was beautiful. Max’s story in particular kept me gripped, and it made me want to wrap him up in a hug and never let go. But to see what he made of himself proved that where you come from doesn’t necessarily tell you where you’ll end up, and I love someone who works for their life, who knows what it is to fight.

I very much adored The Shape of My Heart. I wasn’t 100% sure going in to it, if I would because I was a bit iffy over Lauren’s story, but this blew my socks off. The Shape of My Heart for me was better than I Want It That Way, and that’s saying something because I adored I Want It That Way. But there was just something about Max, about Courtney, about it all that felt so right. They were beautiful together, as if these two people were made for each other, and nobody else. I loved being back with the gang again – and meeting new people, like Max’s brother Michael. There was a very nice hint at the end there of Michael with a new girlfriend that was “quite a story” so I’m quietly hoping that means Aguirre isn’t done with her New Adult books quite yet, because I want Michael’s story…. The Shape of My Heart was a fantastic read, I raced through it and I didn’t want it to end, but it was such a satisfying read.