This book was everything I wanted it to be, yet there are aspects of it that didn’t work for me as well as I had hoped they would. 

The first half of the book was gorgeously written but at the same time, there wasn’t much happening. We saw relationships being built, which is important, and worlds being developed, which is also important yet it was slow paced and sometimes, I would have to force myself to read on.

Tamlin was definitely a highlight of the book for me and he is just such a beautiful creature. I loved seeing Maas’ take on the beast and I loved the neat ways in which she made the re-telling her own.

I am not big on fae, so going in, I was worried that my own bias would affect my enjoyment of the book and while there were things I wish that could have been different, I also really enjoyed the aspect. It gave the re-telling a very original outlook.

What I also loved was the cast of secondary characters, from Lucien to the sisters, they were such a varied (in terms of personalities) group and I enjoyed reading about them. They all undergo development over the course of the book and I love seeing the relationships Feyre had built with these characters.

They, in their own ways, brought about Feyre’s own growth process which was a beauty to watch. It’s so realistic too. The change within her doesn’t occur overnight, although calling her cold hearted from the start would be a lie. She has never been cold hearted, but her childhood has caused her to harden up and can you really blame her? From a young age she became in charge of people older than her. She had to risk her life on a daily basis to put food on their plates and was that fair to her? I don’t think so.

She is such strong character and while there are times, especially in the last quarter of the book, where I became frustrated her, I think overall, she is a character I cannot help but admire for her strength, loyalty, determination and kindness!

The romance is so beautifully developed in this book. I ADORED seeing Tamlin and Feyre become closer and I loved seeing them grow to trust one another. In a relationship like theirs, there is always that question of believability. I mean, Tamlin is old so out of all the women he has probably met and had relationships with, what makes Feyre special? A lot of things. Their relationship is fantastic. There might have been things that would have bothered me had I not been shipping them so hard but they work beautifully as a couple. They can confide each other, help each other and just lean on each other and it’s beautiful.

My biggest problem in this book came in the form of a creature named Rhys. I despised him and my problem with that is that I am not sure we are meant to despise him. I worry about where the author may choose to go with his character and the role he plays in Feyre's life. It seems as though things are being set up for something but I believe in Tamlin and Feyre’s relationship too much and hopefully, all my worrying will be for naught.

Another thing that didn’t work so well for me is the way things ended. I want to be more specific but I cannot be. One of the resolutions just didn’t work for me. It isn’t a fault with the book itself but something I, as a reader, have never enjoyed so it made that aspect really hard for me to roll with.

I realize I am being a little vague here but you got to deal with it. How will you ever know what I was talking about if you don’t read the book? *hint hint*

This is a gorgeously written re-telling, that did the original tale justice. I love the originality of it and I cannot wait to see what else awaits us in the future instalments (hopefully only good things).

***This review has also been posted on The Social Potato

It’s so hard to describe this book because, while it isn’t particularly special and will probably not blow your mind away, it’s also a fantastic read and something that combines youthfulness, young love and the difficulties one faces when you have to grow up, and it is done in such a fresh manner. There is something great when a book manages to merge those elements together--and I Want it That Way is that kind of great.

The New Adult age group has become known for tons of sex and plenty of bad points, such as not having enough character development. A lot of the NA books coming out lately are starting to change how we see these kinds of books and are starting to really explore the potential this demographic holds. I Want it That Way is one of those books. It’s why I ended up adoring this book in spite of the handful of problems I had.

For starters, the characters are fantastic. Both the main and secondary characters (Lauren aside) are well developed, are easy to like and have depth to them.They all have their own sets of problems, yet they aren’t really a depressing bunch. Even Ty, which is surprising considering what he’s been through. He may come off as somewhat bitter in the beginning, but it’s more of a "once bitten, twice shy" kind of thing. He doesn't mope around and whine about how life isn’t fair.

Nadia was such a likeable female lead and was SO relatable. I loved how in spite of all the heartbreak that was in it for her, she never really gave up on Ty. Even when they had their ups and downs, she wasn’t tempted to go run and jump the first guy she came across. She handled a lot of the situations she found herself in like an adult and was mature, but at the same time, she also acted like her age. What I loved more about her, though, was how she was around Sam (Ty’s kid) and her friends.  She is the kind of friend anyone would want and is just all-around likeable. What really sold me on her was, when after hearing Ty’s story, she didn’t take his side. She didn’t take any side, for that matter. She neither condoned nor condemned his actions and just understood him instead. A character who doesn’t just butt into everyone’s business and just lets people talk, just LISTENS and offers comfort (instead of lies) is bound to be a good character.

Ty was just swoon-worthy and he also complemented Nadia perfectly. He needed someone who could help him get outside the solitary circle he had created for himself--someone who would push him to do things--and in that manner, they worked well together. That aside, what really made Ty endearing was how much he loved his son. He never saw him as a burden or someone that stopped him from living more. There were obviously things he missed from "before", but at the same time, he never really blamed his son. He was also a sweetheart and definitely not a jerk. He was always straight with Nadia about how far they could take things and never really tried to lead her on. He cared enough about her to know that at that point in life she might not be ready to give everything up and he knew that being with him wouldn’t just be about him because he also had Sam to think of.

Their romance did have the insta-love vibes, and while that should have disturbed me me, I wasn’t all that bothered since the two complemented each other. Their relationship wasn’t purely sexual and there was so much going on. The two took their time to actually talk to one another. They talked about their favorite things, dreams and aspirations, etc. Plus, there is the fact that we, as readers, weren’t privy to all their interactions. In the end, they made a good couple and were very easy to ship--isn’t that all that matters?

What stopped me from absolutely loving this book was Lauren, and then the Lauren-and-Max drama. I felt like the whole issue between the two was unnecessary, not to mention painful to read about! It would be a great build-up for the third book and would probably add to Max’s tortured-ness but… is it really Lauren’s fault that she didn’t fall head over heels for him (even though I happen to think he is fabulous)? I just feel like, in Max’s book, Lauren might be seen in a negative light for "breaking his heart", and I don't like that. All that aside, I wasn’t even a huge fan of Lauren in the first place. I absolutely hate it when people hide secrets from their best friends. The fact that Lauren spent such a huge chunk of time hiding stuff from Nadia--and ended up only telling her when necessary--didn’t really make me like her. They're supposed to be best friends--she shouldn’t be scared to tell her things, no matter how Nadia might respond! What are you doing, calling yourself her best friend when you cannot even do that?!?!

With all that said, this really is a story worth reading. I might have had some problems with the book, but I was thoroughly invested in it and wasn’t let down in the least. It may not have blown my mind but not all novels are meant to. Sometimes, for a novel to be something we can relate to, it doesn’t have to be totally amazing. It just needs to be down to Earth. I’d definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a good NA novel to read.

FUN FACT: The first song I listened to after finishing the book was NOT in fact I Want it That Way by Backstreet Boys... it was Bye Bye Bye by 'N Sync.

HUNNNGGGHHHH!!!

HAAAAAWWWWT!!

Hot damn, this was a great read. I still have questions, but got lots of answers in this one. Still not quite a romance-romance, but these two men (yes, MEN!) really do love each other. Even if neither can say it out loud.

There was this one scene, when Proph takes out his wallet and Tom sees his driver's license - well, goosebumps broke out in full force, OMG. 

But let's start at the beginning. Which is sort of a direct continuation from the ending of last book. Tom is partnered with Cope and learning stuff. Prophet is doing some rescuing, on his own. I had lots of open questions.

After sending a million (or so it seems) emails to Proph, without even knowing if he's reading them, Tom is seriously questioning his previous decisions of leaving Prophet, even if it was just in order to save him, because, as you might remember, Tom is 'bad loque'. I don't know about you, but JFC, it speaks to the author's talent to make me believe that these two hard-core, strong, suffer-in-silence men are actually secretly capable of a bit of romance too. 

So, anyway, they suffer in silence, while trying their best to not think about the other, and ignore their pain, and yada yada, bc they be real, tough men. Right? Right. 

But then there's a hurricane coming, and Tom's aunt Della is in the thick of it, and Prophet reads the emails and drives down to NOLA to help out Tom's aunt, and wouldn't ya know, Tom has a bit of voodoo and shows up too, and HOLY HOT BOYSECKS, BATMAN!!

From the blurb:

As a teenager, Charlie "Chase" Rhodes meets Scott Boone and falls head over heels in love with the popular, athletic boy next door. Charlie thinks he's living the dream when Scott says he feels the same way. But his dreams are dashed when Scott moves unexpectedly and doesn't return.

Years later, Chase meets brash and confident Adan Navarro, who claims all he wants is a round between the sheets. When they're still together after eight months, Chase is convinced Adan returns his love. But then the time comes to be open about their relationship, and Adan walks away instead.

Time heals all wounds, but when Charlie runs into Scott and Adan and realizes the only two men he's ever loved are now in love with each other, his heart breaks all over again. Scott and Adan tell Charlie they want him back, but Charlie doesn't know if he can trust two people who have hurt him so deeply. And even if he can, why would Scott and Adan want Charlie when they already have everything with each other?

**4.5 stars**

This author's brand of snarky, witty humor is perfect for me. He cleverly builds his stories around that special brand of humor, and sucks you right into the book.

This latest book was no different. I loved it from the start, especially with the introduction of each picture by Charlie, and then the part of the story behind the picture. It allowed me to fully immerse myself into the book, and follow along, laugh and snicker and giggle and rage, and yes, even shed a few tears from the beauty of it all.

Was it realistic? Unusual, maybe, but stranger things have happened. Serendipitous, almost, I would say, and as such I could believe it would be possible for Charlie/Chase to fall in love twice, lose them both and then be reunited with them in a relationship that defies convention but is perfect for the three of them.