(2B Trilogy #2)
Ann Aguirre
Release: September 30, 2014
Reviewer: Rose Red
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Most people dream about getting out of Sharon, Nebraska, but after three years away, Lauren Barrett is coming home. She has her reasons—missing her family, losing her college scholarship. But then there's the reason Lauren can't admit to anyone: Rob Conrad, her best friend's older brother.Review by Rose Red:
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's the guy who women love and leave, not the one who makes them think of forever—until Lauren comes back to town, bringing old feelings and new dreams with her.
Because the only thing more important than figuring out where you truly belong is finding the person you were meant to be with.
As Long As You Love Me is the second installment on Ann Aguirre’s 2B Trilogy and I loved it! I don’t think I loved it more than I Want It That Way but it is close. However, I did love Rob more than I did Ty which is saying something because I loved Ty! This one hit more closely to home for me than the previous one as well.
This book is all about Lauren, Nadia's best friend and roommate that decides to give up on university and run back home. We barely got to know Lauren in Nadia's story, and all because Lauren was already distancing herself from everyone in preparation to leave. The book starts with Lauren returning to Sharon, to live with her mom again. By returning, Lauren has to face all her bad choices at university as well as all kinds of gossip. Even with all that she is happy to be home for reasons that soon become obvious. One day she stumbles into Nadia's brother and high school crush, Rob, and they start hanging out. A real friendship starts even though Lauren is very well aware that she has never really gotten over her crush on him.
As with IWITW, the main couple is made up of two individuals with their own different issues. Lauren has become an expert at hiding who she is and the issues that plague her. And Rob has spent his whole life being considered as nothing but the dumb hot guy. They both help each other discover more to themselves than they thought. And as well as they work together, they also need to learn to stand on their own before getting any further into a relationship. And that's one hell of an important message here, even if it can lead to some momentary heartbreak.
The tone of this book was so different from first book. I really liked the relationship that Lauren and Rob developed. It was believable how it started out as friendship and built upon that into something more. Even more than that, Lauren and Rob as characters felt real to me. I loved them from the moment that I start reading about them and as individuals and not just a couple.
In my opinion, Rob is pretty much the most adorable thing to ever! I loved his character! He was not what I expected at all! Actually, I'm not sure what I expected, but certainly wasn’t the sweet, caring guy that he ended up being. He really knows how to commit to something. He gave everything his all no matter what. It broke my heart whenever he felt insecure.
I loved Lauren more than I thought I would have based on what I knew about her from book one. I connected with her so much because I suffer from some of the same issues. But what endeared her to me even more was the fact that she always took the time to support Rob and show him how much she believed in him. Their relationship worked so well because it's obvious how much each one wanted the other to feel loved. Ann Aguirre deserves a slow clap for the characters and relationships she writes.
The pacing was pretty great, but it wasn’t as fast as the first book. And it did drag a bit in a couple places and there were really no big surprises. I hit halfway and I couldn’t figure out what the big upset was going to be. Everything was going great, but you know something had to happen to test the relationship. This didn’t bother me at all. I was invested in the book because I wanted Rob and Lauren to make it together. I wanted their relationship to work even when obstacles put stress on them.
The story wasn't overwhelmed with drama and I really appreciated that. Sure there are a few angst-filled moments, but they were balanced out with a good dose of humor. Much of the story is spent with them doing every day things like going to dinner with their families, working at his home, and them just spending time together. Everything worked so well together: the plot, the pacing, and the character development. It allowed their relationship to progress at the perfect pace. Nothing ever felt rushed and it was easy to believe that they really fell in love. I love that Ann Aguirre can create imperfect characters without them being broken, beautiful romances without unnecessary drama.
The growth and maturity of the characters that develops through this book is one of the things I love the most. The two people who come out at the end are not very much like the same characters the story started with. It was really refreshing to see such a natural and yet obvious growth in them. The one surprise in this book was Avery. I didn't expect things to go where they did with her. That aspect of the book became one of my favorite things about it.
Overall, Ann Aguirre has written a romantic and humorous story about two realistic characters struggling with their inner demons. In spite of that, they come together and find love. I love how the characters deal with their issues in a healthy and mature way. I highly recommend this book if you’re looking for a sweet romance about a couple doing just everyday things.
Recommended for fans of:
Wait For You by J. Lynn
Easy by Tammara Webber
Be With Me by J. Lynn
I received an eARC through Netgalley from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.
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