I Want It That Way

by Ann Aguirre

[shannonmiz]

*Copy received for review

I have to admit, I was nervous to start this one. NA and I don't always get along. I find that while there are some really good ones out there, there are also a lot of books that just use sex and trite plotlines without any substance. This book is most assuredly the former.

When I first started reading, I still wasn't sure it was my "thing". I thought I knew the whole story, knew how it'd turn out, but pushed along anyway because the writing was good and I was entertained. I thought Nadia would be just a "typical" romance-story girl, and Ty your "typical" unavailable love interest. So wrong was I.

While it does have the sexiness and angst so widely seen in NA, it has so, so much more. I Want It That Way delves into love, friendships, family issues, trying to plan for a future, making tough life choices, and so much more. Even if you can't relate to the specific romance, there is such a wide variety of issues discussed that you can surely relate to someone or something. The fact that this is the start of a trilogy helps too, because as I read about the other roommates of 2B, I reminded myself that I am going to get a lot more of their stories, which was pretty great.

Truthfully, I didn't relate to Nadia. I was never her. She is hard-working, level headed, and confident being out on her own. She tries to hide her feelings, but she fights for what she really wants. Sure, she does have typical early-twenties reactions, but overall she is quite level headed. But I felt that she was realistic, and by no means perfect. Her character made sense, and the actions she took throughout the book felt very true. As for Ty, for most of the book I could not figure out why he couldn't be a dad in a relationship. I mean, people do it every day, right? That was irritating, until more of the story unfolded, and his views and perspectives started to make more sense. Also, a sidenote: I adored Sam, Ty's son.

The plot isn't just the romance, though of course that is a good chunk of it. No, it deals with each important area of Nadia's life: Her roommates/friends, her family, her school, job, and future aspirations. These topics all converge to paint a lovely picture of who Nadia is, and the struggles that we all face, especially in that stage of life.

Bottom Line: I am so glad that I gave this book a chance. The story was so multifaceted, and really quite lovely. This is my first book by Ann Aguirre, but it will be far from the last. I am definitely planning to read the rest of this series, and can't wait to dive into Lauren's story (she is the roommate that I most identified with, as she was uncertain of her life plans and struggled to find her niche) in As Long As You Love Me.