Words I Write Crazy: Week 8 Reviews: I Want It That Way, As Long As You Love Me, The Shape of My Heart

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Week 8 Reviews: I Want It That Way, As Long As You Love Me, The Shape of My Heart

From Goodreads:
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.

From Goodreads:
Most people dream about getting out of Sharon, Nebraska, but after three years away, Lauren Barrett is coming home. There are the justifications she gives to everyone else—missing her family, losing her college scholarship. And then there’s the reason Lauren can’t admit to anyone: Rob Conrad, her best friend's older brother.

Football prowess and jaw-dropping good looks made Rob a star in high school. Out in the real world, his job and his relationships are going nowhere. He can't pinpoint exactly what's missing until Lauren comes back to town, bringing old feelings and new dreams with her. But he's the guy that women love and leave—not the one who makes them think of forever.

Though she's terrified of opening up, Lauren's ready to take that chance. Because the only thing more important than figuring out where you truly belong is finding the person you were meant to be with.

From Goodreads:
Some people wait decades to meet their soul mate. Courtney Kaufman suspects she met hers in high school only to lose him at seventeen. Since then, Courtney's social life has been a series of meaningless encounters, though she's made a few close friends along the way. Especially her roommate Max Cooper, who oozes damaged bad-boy vibes from every pore.

Max knows about feeling lost and trying to move beyond the pain he's been on his own since he was sixteen. Now it's time to find out if he can ever go home again, and Courtney's the only one he trusts to go with him. But the trip to Providence could change everything because the more time he spends with Courtney, the harder it is to reconcile what he wants and what he thinks he deserves.

It started out so simple. One misfit helping another. Now Max will do anything to show Courtney that for every heart that's ever been broken, there's another that can make it complete.

My Review:
Just the idea of a series about the room mates of an apartment, sounds awesome! And it totally lived up to that idea, of real life, growing up, and dealing with hardships, learning to be an adult! I just loved it! And they had some pretty great voices!

I loved the symbols over the thing saying which chapter was beginning, for Nadia it was an asterisk, for Lauren it was a number sign/hash-tag symbol, and for Courtney, it was a heart. Loved that, because it was a subtle way of linking them as a series, but different!

Of all these books, I felt the most connected to As Long As You Love Me, I have a problem with anxiety, too, So when she was around people, in new situations, I could basically go alone with it (though my issue is compounded by the fact that I don't feel my emotions. Good thing my body tells me at least some of what I'm feeling, or it'd be really hard to write these reviews, harder then it is that I took over 2 years to actually really start writing them!)

Nadia and Ty, they had a really complicated relationship. They're falling in love, but he has Sam, and the burns from his relationship with Sam's mother, in the way of all that. But in the end, it works out pretty great!

Lauren and Rob, well, they were a couple that was meant to me! After all, she's had a crush on him since she was 13, and he's wanted to be with her since one dance that she went to in a red dress. So yeah, they finally got together!

Lauren and Rob's conversation, about cute being the root of all evil, was just utterly hilarious! Short, but really funny! And how they played off each other, it was just really sweet, and it's before they become a couple, before they can be a couple, seeing as he was still dating Avery.

Avery, oh, this is a case of don't judge people, because you don't know what they've been through. Because what she went through-and that it was her family, to boot-well, it just proves that you shouldn't judge people, you should wish the best for them!

I enjoyed Courtney and Max's story. They've both had broken hearts, they've both had some hard times, but they're working together, and they work. They had their struggles, but in the end, well, there's happiness, and I really liked that!

Favourite lines from I Want It That Way: "Thanks. We'd prefer not to commit soficular homicide our first day in the building." Yeah, that's a good thing to prefer! "It was a knee-jerk reaction. Sam hadn't met you, and in the car, he was saying he had to go to the bathroom for ten minutes. I didn't want him to pee at your feet as a first impression." Good choice! "He might be the world’s smallest One Direction fan." That is just so cute! "'You'll just have to wait and see.' 'I refuse. I'll invent a time machine as soon as I get home.' 'I highly suspect that will take longer than twenty-four hours.' 'Always, the ladies underestimate me.'" Well, seeing as what you're saying, I kinda have to go with Nadia! "'Is it my fault you only give rides to hobbits?' 'My mother resembles that remark.' 'Don't you mean resents?' 'You haven’t seen her feet.'" That sounds interesting! "'You seem to be wearing clothes. Didn't I decree this was naked Saturday?' 'Nope.' 'Damn. I should have.'" Probably, but a little late! "I can live with that. But since I don't know her, it's more respectful to refer to me as Mr. Hot Ginger." Yeah, that's a big difference! "Do you know karate? 'Cause, girl, your body is kickin'." Oh, Max, really? And your defence of "gangster phase" doesn't cut it! "So…I'm not exactly inexperienced at coaxing people out of closets, but I didn't expect to need that skill set with you."I don't know if she means sexual preference that is not the majority, or actually closet skill, but it's the later she's using now! "I am an irresistible force." Yes, it seems you are! I just love the confidence in this line! Speaking as someone who's just getting over my anxiety over phone calls to strange numbers!

Favourite lines from As Long As You Love Me: "His expression was unreadable, but that was no surprise. Nadia always compared her brother to a tree stump." Well, that's a bit not nice, but sounding very true! "I do that all the time for fun. I'm like, 'I wonder if this wall is ten or eleven feet long. Let's find out!'" Oh, her nervousness is so cute! "Hey, you. Got your check. It appears not to be rubber, but I said you didn't have to pay me back. I hate you for leaving. Come back right now. I'll wait. This is me, waiting. It's been at least five minutes. You're shattering my faith in humanity, Lauren. Take responsibility for it! Not sure what you've heard from Nadia, but she's such a hot mess. I can't believe you abandoned us. All the light has left my life. All of it! Okay, enough drama. I'm working on getting over Josh. Classes suck but I will survive. (You're singing it now, aren't you?)" Oh, Angus, you're awesome! "I could've written a dissertation on The Ways Robert Clayton Conrad Is Completely Awesome, but for some reason, no graduate program was offering credit for this expertise." Yeah, for some reason! "'Are you for real?' 'Most of the time. Except for Wednesdays, when I'm imaginary.'" Love this! So funny! "Are you almost done teasing me? Death by sexual frustration will be superembarrassing on the coroner's report." Yeah, just a little bit! "Two since I've been home. If the rumors keep spreading, I'll end up with a litter, each from a different sperm donor. I could sell them for fifty K a pop, Rent-a-Womb, Inc. What do you think, awesome get-rich-quick scheme, yes or yes?" Oh, small towns and rumours! "...I entertained the idea that Nadia might have grabbed the smart end of the stick by coming into a kid's life after he stopped crapping his pants." Well, it made it easier for her!

This was a really fantastic trilogy, I enjoyed it so much, it was really great, and I can't wait to read more books by Ann Aguirre!

Author: Ann Aguirre
Series: 2B Trilogy #1, 2, 3
Read: February 14th, 15th, 15th, 2015
Source: NetGalley
Reason Why: Sounded good! And they're Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2015 Books, and The Shape of My Heart is a End of Series 2015 Book!
Publisher: Harlequin HQN
Published: August 26th, 2014, September 30th 2014, November 25th 2014

I Want It That Way: