I have to start by admitting that I have resisted the whole
"new adult" genre that has entered the romance market. I
think it's a combination of not being impressed by the one I
read and the fact that I deal with college students on a
daily basis so it feels a little bit weird. I requested a
review copy of Ann Aguirre's I WANT IT THAT WAY because I
have enjoyed some of her other books and the book
description caught my attention. But, I missed the fact
that the main characters were in college. I started reading
and realized I held a new adult book in my hands... what to
do, what to do? I decided to keep reading and I am so glad
that I did. I WANT IT THAT WAY is a wonderfully engaging
story of two people learning to make room in their lives for
an unexpected love.
Nadia Conrad was happy to leave small town Nebraska to
pursue her dream of becoming a special education teacher.
Between working at the daycare, taking a full load of
college courses, and spending time with her roommates (best
friend Lauren, Max, and Angus) her life is full. She has her
whole life ahead of her and the last thing she's thinking
about is becoming a wife and a mother. Her instant
attraction to new neighbor Daniel "Ty" Tyler and affection
for his four-year-old son Sam may just blow her mental
timeline sky high.
Ty barely has time to eat and sleep what with taking care of
Sam, working full time, and taking night classes. He's not
thrilled to have college students moving in upstairs. Though
they're not that different in age, Ty's life doesn't leave
room for parties and hanging out with friends. He is
determined to focus on caring for his son and becoming an
architect. Love is penciled in for some time after Sam
graduates high school. He never expected the young woman
who haunts him from the balcony upstairs to change everything.
I WANT IT THAT WAY is the first book in a series that is Ms.
Aguirre's first foray into new adult contemporary romance.
The engaging storytelling, well-developed characters, and
emotional depth evident in her earlier books make the
transition to a new genre. Nadia and Ty are a passionate,
loving couple that I was rooting for from the very
beginning. The emotional forces that bring them together and
tear them apart are believable and generate dramatic
suspense that kept me reading long into the night. The
supporting characters are fully realized with distinct
personalities and histories. I can't wait to read more about
them in the next two books in the series!
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.