lindaunconventionalbookworms's review against another edition
5.0
*I received a free ARC of As Long as you Love Me from Harlequin HQN via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review*
Holy slow-building romance, Batman! Beautifully written story.
This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews
Holy slow-building romance, Batman! Beautifully written story.
This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews
bookswithriinu's review against another edition
3.0
Lauren on 21-aastane noor naine. Ta kolib parima sõbrannaga suurde linna elama ja astub ülikooli. Üsna pea saab ta aru, et selline elu pole siiski temale ning tagatipuks kaotab ka koolistipendiumi. Lauren kolib väikelinna ema juurde tagasi. Seal taaskohtub ta enda sõbranna venna Robiga, kellesse ta alati salaja armunud olnud on. Kahjuks on Rob aga suhtes. Kuna Rob renoveerib enda kodu ja Laurenil on palju vaba aega, siis otsustab ta teda aidata.
Esimene raamat meeldis mulle kindlasti hulga rohkem. Sellise armastusloo juures, kus oli palju potensiaalseid kohti teha lugu huvitavamaks, kulges see pigem liiga igavalt. Laureni Ja Robiga ma kuidagi samastuda ei osanud ja pigem oli mul Robist kahju. Autor oli ta loonud veidi rumala ja alistuvana, kellele oli lihtne pähe istuda . Hea välimus minu jaoks seda ei kompenseerinud. Veel jäi mind häirima see, et peale psühholoogi juurde minemist oldi peale paari seanssi justkui uued inimesed. Väga raske uskuda.
Mulle meeldis Laureni ja Robi eksi Avery suhe. Kuigi neil oli alguses hõõrumist, siis väga kiirelt leidsid nad ühise keele. Nende suhe kulges edaspidi ilma pingutamata ja saadi aru, et mingi mehe pärast pole mõtet kakelda. Pigem on neil omavahel üksteisele väga palju toetust ja sõprust pakkuda.
Ahja, Lauren on esimese raamatu peategelase Nadia sõbranna ja Rob tema vend. See oli väga tore, et sai lugeda veel tükikesi esimese raamatu peategelaste eludest.
Esimene raamat meeldis mulle kindlasti hulga rohkem. Sellise armastusloo juures, kus oli palju potensiaalseid kohti teha lugu huvitavamaks, kulges see pigem liiga igavalt. Laureni Ja Robiga ma kuidagi samastuda ei osanud ja pigem oli mul Robist kahju. Autor oli ta loonud veidi rumala ja alistuvana, kellele oli lihtne pähe istuda . Hea välimus minu jaoks seda ei kompenseerinud. Veel jäi mind häirima see, et peale psühholoogi juurde minemist oldi peale paari seanssi justkui uued inimesed. Väga raske uskuda.
Mulle meeldis Laureni ja Robi eksi Avery suhe. Kuigi neil oli alguses hõõrumist, siis väga kiirelt leidsid nad ühise keele. Nende suhe kulges edaspidi ilma pingutamata ja saadi aru, et mingi mehe pärast pole mõtet kakelda. Pigem on neil omavahel üksteisele väga palju toetust ja sõprust pakkuda.
Ahja, Lauren on esimese raamatu peategelase Nadia sõbranna ja Rob tema vend. See oli väga tore, et sai lugeda veel tükikesi esimese raamatu peategelaste eludest.
buuj's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
kayla_llbr's review against another edition
4.0
"Can we stay like this for a bit longer?" "As long as you want," he promised. "I'm not going anywhere." And like an idiot, I believed him."
Each book in this trilogy just keeps getting better and better! After reading I Want It That Way I have been waiting on bated breath for Lauren's book. When you first meet Lauren in IWITW she kinda comes off as a hot mess. While I wasn't immediately warmed up to her from the get-go, I was most definitely intrigued. Especially once it was revealed that Lauren has harbored an unrequited love towards Nadia's brother, Rob. I am a sucker for stories where the heroine has feelings for her best friend's sibling. There is so much that could go wrong but some many things that can go right.
"Now I can say what I've wanted to for years, Lauren Barrett...get in my fucking bed."
While Lauren and Rob have known each other forever it isn't until Lauren's return to Nebraska that they truly become friends instead of mere acquaintances. Lauren starts helping Rob restore his home, a hobby in which Rob is very skilled at. I enjoyed the time they spent prior to the romance blossoming because you really get a feel for what kind of guy Rob is. Rob broke my heart with his insecurities. He is treated like man-candy and not much else. Despite everyone looking at him like he was only worthy because of his looks and not for what he has to offer, Lauren sees how smart and capable he is and really starts falling hard. As their relationship progresses you really get a feel for how well they work as a couple. I love how well they compliment one another.
Hope opened like the first blooms of spring. While leaves might be dying all around us, falling off the trees, winter never lasted forever.
As much as I liked the first book in the trilogy, As Long As You Love Me had the emotion and depth that I was missing from the first. I had only one slight issue. It wasn't enough to make me question Lauren as a character but I found it more or less something I could have done without. Despite that issue I still enjoyed this story. It was funny and sweet and had the right amount of angst and passion. Ann Aguirre has really come out as a promising voice in the New Adult genre and I'm even more excited for Max's book, The Shape of My Heart!
4 stars*
Each book in this trilogy just keeps getting better and better! After reading I Want It That Way I have been waiting on bated breath for Lauren's book. When you first meet Lauren in IWITW she kinda comes off as a hot mess. While I wasn't immediately warmed up to her from the get-go, I was most definitely intrigued. Especially once it was revealed that Lauren has harbored an unrequited love towards Nadia's brother, Rob. I am a sucker for stories where the heroine has feelings for her best friend's sibling. There is so much that could go wrong but some many things that can go right.
"Now I can say what I've wanted to for years, Lauren Barrett...get in my fucking bed."
While Lauren and Rob have known each other forever it isn't until Lauren's return to Nebraska that they truly become friends instead of mere acquaintances. Lauren starts helping Rob restore his home, a hobby in which Rob is very skilled at. I enjoyed the time they spent prior to the romance blossoming because you really get a feel for what kind of guy Rob is. Rob broke my heart with his insecurities. He is treated like man-candy and not much else. Despite everyone looking at him like he was only worthy because of his looks and not for what he has to offer, Lauren sees how smart and capable he is and really starts falling hard. As their relationship progresses you really get a feel for how well they work as a couple. I love how well they compliment one another.
Hope opened like the first blooms of spring. While leaves might be dying all around us, falling off the trees, winter never lasted forever.
As much as I liked the first book in the trilogy, As Long As You Love Me had the emotion and depth that I was missing from the first. I had only one slight issue. It wasn't enough to make me question Lauren as a character but I found it more or less something I could have done without.
Spoiler
Lauren is being creeped on by her boss at work and in an effort to get him to leave her alone she pretends to be pregnant and later on claims she miscarriages. It wasn't that I took offense to what she did but it felt cowardly to use such a serious and devastating situation to her advantage.4 stars*
cupcakegirly's review against another edition
2.0
I started the first book in this series, I WANT IT THAT WAY, made it to the 60% mark, and DNFd it. Out of curiosity I decided to give AS LONG AS YOU LOVE ME a chance partly because I wanted to see if Lauren and Rob were more relateable and because I like to give authors/series more than one shot. I did manage to finish this one, but I had issues with it.
None of these characters (in either book) sound like they're in their early twenties. Ty and Rob are supposed to be mid-twenties but even they sounded a decade older. Speaking of Rob, I know his family never expected him to do much more than stand around and look pretty, but the poor guy needed a personality. A good sense of humor would have offset his supposed dimwittedness better, making him more believable and less strange*.
I was disappointed that I wasn't able to connect with any of these characters but I DO think addressing the topic of good mental health was a positive thing.
*spoilers*
I'm sorry, but if a guy I liked had to get approval from his ex-girlfriend before he could be okay with taking our relationship to the next level, all bets would be off.
The topic of faking a miscarriage is hurtful and offensive to any reader who has experienced that.
None of these characters (in either book) sound like they're in their early twenties. Ty and Rob are supposed to be mid-twenties but even they sounded a decade older. Speaking of Rob, I know his family never expected him to do much more than stand around and look pretty, but the poor guy needed a personality. A good sense of humor would have offset his supposed dimwittedness better, making him more believable and less strange*.
I was disappointed that I wasn't able to connect with any of these characters but I DO think addressing the topic of good mental health was a positive thing.
*spoilers*
I'm sorry, but if a guy I liked had to get approval from his ex-girlfriend before he could be okay with taking our relationship to the next level, all bets would be off.
The topic of faking a miscarriage is hurtful and offensive to any reader who has experienced that.
alexperc_92's review against another edition
4.0
A great read! Iliked it but the romance was a little off
tofuqu33n's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
I enjoyed this book less than the first in the series. Rob was a total sweetheart, and I really liked some of the side characters (can Avery get her own book please???)
However it was just a bit weird how the conflict emerged so late in the book and didn't last long. Plus I got super creeped out by Lauren revealing some of those things she did when she was younger... those novels? Yikes!!
But overall Ann Aguirre has a very easy to read and addictive writing style, I had lots of fun reading this
I enjoyed this book less than the first in the series. Rob was a total sweetheart, and I really liked some of the side characters (can Avery get her own book please???)
However it was just a bit weird how the conflict emerged so late in the book and didn't last long. Plus I got super creeped out by Lauren revealing some of those things she did when she was younger... those novels? Yikes!!
But overall Ann Aguirre has a very easy to read and addictive writing style, I had lots of fun reading this
greylandreviews's review against another edition
4.0
Interview with Mrs. Aguirre-> Interview
Review but not really a review-> Greyland Reviews and 4 stars
Review but not really a review-> Greyland Reviews and 4 stars
xoxotawnydee's review against another edition
3.0
It took me a few days to get through the book and I think that's because as sweet as Rob was... his self-conscious nature was really hard for me to read. It was refreshing in one sense because you never really read about guys who are anything less than completely cocky, but most of the time I just wanted to smack him across the back of the head and be all "shut up and just listen to what she's telling you! You are worth so much more than you think!" So the ending made me happy, but it wasn't my favorite book in general.
merlin_reads's review
4.0
This series reads like candy. When I finished I Want It That Way, I had two questions: what happened to Lauren add what happened to Max? Luckily, the author seemed to know we would want more and thus the second book focuses on Lauren.
Having purposely flunked out of college, Lauren returns home labeled a failure. And after alienating her best friend, she really has no one to talk to. Enter her best friends brother, Rob, who Lauren has been crushing on since a teen. Now all grown up, Lauren starts to wonder if Rob will ever see her as more than his little sisters friend.
I think I liked this book a little more than the first. Definitely in the beginning I was full on loving it. I liked watching Rob and Lauren get to know each other as adults and seeing how they helped each other - Rob helped Lauren feel more like herself and Lauren helped Rob see value in his life. Rob was a great character. Having only glimpsed him in the first book, we get to see just how broken of a character he is here. Living in the shadow of his perfect sister has really taken a toll on him and I really just wanted to smack his parents for not seeing how talented Rob was. Honestly, that was one thing that was missing - his parents having that 'oh shit' moment. Rob really deserved that.
This book also shed light on social anxiety. Now, I don't suffer from this but know people who do. But seeing it from the outside is different than living with it so I can't say for sure how accurate the portrayal was. But Lauren was believable as struggling. It was nice to see someone trying to better themselves and seek out help. There's such a stigma around getting help and here we have not one but two characters who benefit greatly from therapy.
I'm enjoying these books and will be heading to the next one to see how Max is doing.
Having purposely flunked out of college, Lauren returns home labeled a failure. And after alienating her best friend, she really has no one to talk to. Enter her best friends brother, Rob, who Lauren has been crushing on since a teen. Now all grown up, Lauren starts to wonder if Rob will ever see her as more than his little sisters friend.
I think I liked this book a little more than the first. Definitely in the beginning I was full on loving it. I liked watching Rob and Lauren get to know each other as adults and seeing how they helped each other - Rob helped Lauren feel more like herself and Lauren helped Rob see value in his life. Rob was a great character. Having only glimpsed him in the first book, we get to see just how broken of a character he is here. Living in the shadow of his perfect sister has really taken a toll on him and I really just wanted to smack his parents for not seeing how talented Rob was. Honestly, that was one thing that was missing - his parents having that 'oh shit' moment. Rob really deserved that.
This book also shed light on social anxiety. Now, I don't suffer from this but know people who do. But seeing it from the outside is different than living with it so I can't say for sure how accurate the portrayal was. But Lauren was believable as struggling. It was nice to see someone trying to better themselves and seek out help. There's such a stigma around getting help and here we have not one but two characters who benefit greatly from therapy.
I'm enjoying these books and will be heading to the next one to see how Max is doing.