I Want It That Way by Ann Aguirre
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
Received: NetGalley
Publication date: August 26th, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin HQN
Genres & Themes: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Family, Responsibilities, College
BLURB:
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.
REVIEW:
Everything went just fine…before the ”let’s be friends with benefits” subject came up.
Of course, Nadia, the main character, accepted and thought it was a good idea.
As if that ever works out.
The real problem here is that I never completely understood why they had to be sex friends in the first place. Yes, he, Ty, has a boy and, yes, he has trouble trusting Nadia wouldn’t leave him since the mother of his child, Sam, left him and broke his heart but the romance is so predictable. So so so predicatable.
Can I add that it’s his fault he was left alone with a child? I mean, he pushed his girlfriend on having the baby.
Also, they didn’t seem to have that of a beautiful chemistry. Basically, all they did, when being together, is having sex and telling each other how they lust one another. Ugh, I kept rolling my eyes.
Another issue I had with this story is that more than 75% of it is set in the building they both live in. It got so boring.
Nadia is actually not that of a bad character since she is a good person. If she’s so addicted to Ty good for her, but I simply can’t believe how she, the inexperienced girl that she obviously is with guys, can agree to casual sex. They could’ve just dated like normal people and see where that goes.
Ty…I thought I was going to like him. He’s a good father, he works hard, even takes night classes, and he’s always so calm. What’s not to like, right? Well that’s before I realized that he’s boring and, like I said, they don’t talk much, especially about important things or just…the weather would have been okay too. Just something that would have proven me that they have a good chemistry. I admit they did had some talks at the beginning of the story but those didn’t last long.
The writing was good but what the author wrote about did not appeal to me at all. I can’t give it more than one single star since I didn’t like it and don’t recommend it.
View all my reviews on Goodreads.
Oh no! Actually, I am really not surprised, for whatever reason it seems most people just couldn’t get into this one and rated it pretty much the same as you did. I am so sorry this was such a disappointment.
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Well I’m glad people are honest about it. Such a shame though because that is one beautiful cover…
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So I guess I’ll just like it on GR and post on here since it’s more meaningful for you 😀 Sorry you didn’t like this one. It actually sounds utterly boring and unrealistic. It’s a bad sign when one finds themselves rolling their eyes a lot in a love story. Allt he focus on love can be a terrible read too, since the outside world doesn’t really come into play all that much. Great review though hun!!
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Exactly the problem. Too much him and her in bed and what they feel about each other and not enough of secondary characters. I knoow, right? Rolling eyes is a very bad sign.
Thanks Kat, and haha, I’m so glad you’re now more apart of the blogosphere. 😀
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It’s getting there. Tabitha’s blog helps a lot 🙂 and it’s always nice to branch out of my GR shell if only for a few reviews.
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Well I’m glad it does! 😀 How did you meet Tabitha by the way? Probably on Goodreads, silly me. 😉 Your blog is awesome, I think more people should know about it. PLUS, YOU REVIEW GAMES. How awesome is that?! 😀
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Lol, yeah GR helps. It’s easier for me that way. I’m not much of an internet social person like you 🙂
I review games that I play, unfortunately Skyrim is taking up all of that for now. There’s too many quests to be had!
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Haha, neither was I before creating my own blog. I never played Skyrim but will certainly check it out and I did hear about that name of what I recall. Must be good if you like it so much. 🙂
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This sounds like it has the “too much sex, not enough anything else” stereotypical story that most NA’s have. I do love this cover and the author so I’m disappointed, but can’t same I’m too surprised. I’m so picky when it comes to NA just for this reason. Thanks for being honest with your review!
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I’m always honest 😀 You will always see 1 star reviews on my blog ahah. And 5 stars too from time to time of course. That’s why not that many people adore this genre; it’s filled with stereotypical stuff. Thanks Jesse. 😀
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Haha, it’s hilarious you mentioned how the weather would have been an okay topic too as long as these two people actually talked! The weather is like the most boring and safe topic EVER and these two must really be so boring that the weather would have been an awesome topic for them XD Now I don’t know what to think! Many people say this was awesome, but the stuff you say here are the stuff I hate in the books I read! Ugh!
Faye at The Social Potato
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Hhahah yeaaah XD Well they were too cheesy for me with their ”oh I love you” ”oh I could wait for you 5 years” uuuuhg, Oh well than you certainly won’t enjoy this much so much either. But I do admit the cover is so beautiful so I would understand why you would like to read it. 😉
Thanks for your fun comment, it made me smile. 😛
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I felt like this was one I should skip because of the cheesy 90’s Boy Band-themed title, but I needed to be sure. And, I am now sure. Ugh, I cannot stand the pointless casual sex that leads to “love” for absolutely no reason. (I mean, I assume that is what happens, because that is always what happens. I definitely don’t care enough to find out.) You’ve pretty much answered all my questions, so I can safely cross this one off my list! Great review!!
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Of course it’s what happens. That’s why it’s so predictable. ugh. 😛 So many people are excited about it because of the cover especially but it has fooled me once more, Thanks Shannon! 😀
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Haha… Harlequin and Ann Aguirre should know by now that most readers DO NOT WANT IT THIS WAY! haha…
This plot is so used-up that the only thing that separate it from other “this-kind-of-plot” are the character names.
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Hhahahh, well I haven’t read her dystopian series but how can you go from dystopian to Harlquin?? haha.
The characters’ names? That’s hilarious 😀 Thank you for this lovely comment.
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I thought the title was so catchy(I immediately got the song stuck in my head and I feel like banging my head against my desk now…)! I’m sorry you found it boring and predictable, though. It had a pretty interesting premise, despite it being a bit… done already.
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Yeah, that’s why I requested it from NetGalley but it really didn’t work for me.
That title is catchy indeed and has a very wow cover too.
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Ah this book… I keep hearing mixed things about it. I have many books by the author but it’s the first I see like that. I’ll surely read the ohers instead as I have a few in my TBR pile.
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She wrote a dystopian series for YA, Haven’t read it but will get to it one day, Enjoy! 🙂
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When I first saw the title I thought this would be a seriously meaningful romance, really doesn’t seem like it now *sigh* I don’t know why authors intend to keep using this predictable storyline, and really, what does Ann Aguirre have against dating first! haha!
sorry to hear you didn’t like it but great review anyway!
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I don’t know! But it was the guy that prefered being friends with benefits.
I hope her YA series is better. Thank you Safah! 😀
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I am sorry to hear you didn’t like this one, although from your description it sounds a bit bland and boring and like it is entirely sex riddled which would probably annoy me after a while as I would be screaming “WHERE IS THE PLOT?!” Haha. Thanks for the warning on this one.
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It may be intirely focused on sex but too much romance and not enough exterior world. It’s not erotica really because the sex scenes are not detailed but it’s too much romance and blah blah I love him.xdd YES, WHERE IS THE PLOT?? XD You’re welcome! 😀
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*snickers* Well, we’ve kind of already had this conversation, but again . . . this one didn’t really work for me either. I’m thinking that I just need to stay away from contemporary for now, b/c everything that I’ve read in that genre lately . . . MEH. Even when I felt like I should have liked it. Not this one, but just in general. Anyway, better luck next time, and thanks for your honesty. Great review, Lola!
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Then why the 3 stars??? Lol, I’m just confused haha so I’m eager to read your review! I get that, I think I’m the kind that needs to be in the right mood as well for contemporary. PLUS, it’s a new adult and we all know many of those suck. 😛
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Oh my. 75% in one place would bore anyone. Hope your next read is more to your liking!
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Indeed! Thanks Lily! 🙂
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Hmm I don’t usually like books where “friends with benefits” are mentioned so I don’t know if I’d like this one. I’ve read a couple of bad reviews already so I’d rather not waste my time. Such a shame because I thought I’d like Ty because of him being a single dad and everything. Great review, Lola!
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I thought so as well. And I hate those friends with benefits situations. Didn’t even like the movie with the same name! Thanks Marianne! 😀
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Uh oh. I don’t read much NA so probably wouldn’t have sought this out, but got it in the mail. I am discouraged by the idea that it’s mostly about those “benefits. I need more in a story!! I will try a little and see what I think…
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At least it’s a pretty fast-paced read. I read like 30% of it in every sitting but that may be because I was aiming to overrule the time remaning calculator on Kindle hahah. Hope you enjoy it Jen!
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I read a raving review about this the other day. Just shows how different people can think about the same book. I remain on the fence about it. I am going to see whether the ratings of GR will drop. This book is no priority though. Btw, finally read One for the Money. I really liked it! The review is up, if your interested ;).
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I AM INTERESTED. Will check it out in a moment. I do enjoy reading about other people’s opinion…usually. But, for me this book was pointless and too predictable to read. Blaah.
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Lmao! Lola, I felt the same way. Though I was a bit more generous (2 stars). The most annoying thing is that I was singing the stupid song the entire time I was reading it.
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The thing is I don’.t KNOW what song people are talking about!! I’m mostly into pop music, if that has anything to do with it…? 😛 Glad to know we felt the same. 😉
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Oooch. That’s just unfortunate. If you’re going to have a single location for so long you’ve really got to work it. I read one that was almost entirely set in an elevator but the author did a fantastic job with it. Sorry to see that’s not the case here.
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Wow, what book was that? It seems so original, in an elevator! Thank you, Anna! 🙂
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Hearts in Darkness by Laura Kaye. It’s a novella but one of the best I’ve read I think. It’s a steamy one but really works.
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I’ll check it out, thank you. 🙂
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