This is the Story of My(Reading) Life: Blog Tour Review + Giveaway: I Want It That Way by Ann Aguirre

I Want It That Way by Ann Aguirre

Publisher: Harlequin HQN
Publication Date: August 26th, 2014
Pages: 352
Series: 2B Trilogy #1
Rating: 3.5/5
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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.

"A tender, sweet, and sexy story about how life—and falling in love—can never be planned."

—Jennifer L. Armentrout, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wait for You

Surprisingly this is my first Ann Aguirre book. But I think it's a good place to start. I like to think of myself as pretty real rounded in the NA genre, so I like to think I can tell the good NA from the crap NA. Why not make my first Aguirre book be her first foray into NA. And hell, the title of the book(actually all titles in the trilogy) is a BSB song. Guys, you know I'm the biggest BSB fan out there. It's fate. Anyhow, I think Ann has grasped the life of a college student. Her characters are real and dealing with real life college student issues. I'll get more into it below. But it always bugs me in NA when this college student only worries about their relationship. School and money and life is forgotten. That is not reality. Kudos to you Ann for keeping it real.

Nadia is moving into a new apartment with a few friends when she literally falls into Ty, their downstairs neighbour. There is an instant attraction between the two of them. But life isn't there to make it easy for them. Circumstances just make it seem like they shouldn't be together. The obvious lust they feel for each other just keeps getting more intense though. Eventually they decide to embark on a friends with benefits arrangement. Which of course always produces hurt feelings even when feelings weren't supposed to be involved. I Want It That Way gives the reader some pretty steamy scenes between Nadia and Ty. Well also dealing with relationships; romantic and friendship, school, money, jobs and family. Imagine that, college kids dealing with life. But in an actual realistic way.

Nadia has a full plate. She's a full time student. But hey because money doesn't grow on trees, she also works full time at a pre-school/day care. It was freakin' fantastic to read about a twenty year old in college worrying about money. Realizing she can't do things because she doesn't have money to do it. College is the start when you are actually on your own and have to learn to save and pay bills and live as a grown up. Nadia is also confused about what she really wants to be when she grows up. She knows, but there's other factors keeping her from fully committing. She's scared to set herself back. But she's also scared of disappointing her parents. Who have scrimped and cut back to send her to college. She doesn't want to let them down. Nadia was just dealing with a lot of real college age issues. So I appreciated being able to actually relate with Nadia as I've been through all those problems.
Like all NA, I Want It That Way is a romance. Nadia meets Ty minutes upon moving into her new apartment. She thinks he's hot and hopes they will hit it off. That is until she finds out Ty is a single dad to four year old Sam. Ty doesn't want a relationship to complicate his already complicated and busy life. He works full time as well as doing night classes. And of course he's raising a child. It's obvious that Ty can't help but fall immediately for Nadia too. They have some really cute "accidental" nightly chats(from their own apartments balconies). Soon it becomes apparent that their attraction to each other needs to be taken care of. But with Ty not wanting a relationship, Nadia actually being one of Sam's teachers at the day care and Ty just not wanting to mess around with Sam's routine and life, they decide to go the friends with benefits route. And when it runs its course no one will get hurt. *cough* yea right *cough*

Just a few more things. When Nadia starts this different kind of relationship with Ty she's not fully forthcoming with her roommates/friends. But I really like that they were there for her. Even when they have no idea why she's hurting. It doesn't matter. That's what friends do. Comfort you even when they have no idea what your problem is.
The interactions and relationship between Ty and Sam are adorable. Sam is just a little cutie. You could just tell how hard Ty works at being the best dad he can be. His life is far from the norm of a twenty-four year old single guy. But the guy freakin' works to exhaustion to give Sam the world. It's heart warming. My favourite bits of I Want It That Way were when Sam was around. Whether with Ty, Ty and Nadia or just Nadia. Sam brought a lot of adorableness to the book.

I Want It That Way is a great start into this new NA trilogy for Ann. I really enjoyed the dose of reality it brings. As well as the endearing moments between father and son. And of course the steamy moments between Nadia and Ty. I'm pumped to continue on with the next two companion novels. Especially since we got a sneak peak into those characters personalities and what they'll have to offer us in their respective novels.

Read the first chapter HERE

Ann Aguirre is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author and RITA winner 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. Ann likes books, emo music, action movies, and she writes all kinds of genre fiction for adults and teens, published with Harlequin, Macmillan, and Penguin, among others.