The Shape of my Heart (2B Trilogy #3)
by Ann Aguirre
Publisher – Harlequin HQN
Release Date – 25th November 2014
Buy – Amazon | Book Depository
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.
It was sad to start this book as this is the final book in the
2B Trilogy. So far I cannot fault Ann Aguirre’s take on the New Adult genre. She begun to turn the tables for me in the plot-line; character sets and the relationship between them. As we come to the end of the line, she hasn’t failed to deliver a stonking great conclusion and I got to read it with the lovely
Pili.
A girl who isn’t afraid to be who she is, isn’t afraid of her past but now only the certainty of her future. Courtney Kaufman, a recent roommate, to Angus and Max, taking the final steps towards completing her degree. At the beginning of the novel, Courtney proved to be the strong female character that we all learn to love in books. For me she certainly struck me as an unusual character but is the best possible sense. She isn’t one to boast about her life either, she is blunt but honest, which was a refreshing change. Courtney has lived through her fair share of the rough, after her first love and high-school boyfriend, Eli, died from cancer, she really headed down a dark path, it was only after rehab that she could possibly acknowledge the fact that she needed to get on with her life. Being from a high class family and since Eli, she really hasn’t connected with anyone on that level of intimacy or emotional relations. I felt that she really wanted to preserve herself and who she is for someone else, for someone closer.
Whilst she has been living in the apartment, she has grown accustomed to the various personalities; you have Angus, the comedian, the much-loved best friend, and your typical down to earth guy. I love Angus. Max, well, he is a hard one to pin down. Previously we known him to be quite reserved about his life apart from his relationship with Lauren, terrible break-up and it was left rather raw for Max. But this novel, very much moved on from that…
Max, lost everything when he was sixteen, and he has carried the blame and guilt ever since. Now he has to face his demons and his past when his grandfather had sadly passed away. He need someone to be there with him…Kaufman. Max found something in Courtney unlike anyone else. But everything is about too change!
Together they proved to be the perfect match, like a lot of Ann Aguirre’s character sets! Both Max and Courtney brought everything to the table, they still have their own space, Courtney blossomed more but she also proved that not everything surrounds Max, she joined a band, she had closure from her previous relationships, she was proving to herself that she can be strong, protective yet self-sufficient in her own way. But truly she never really deferred from who she really was because that was who Max fell for.
Ann Aguirre has created a sensational NA series that has for me turned the tables this year. I know some of you recognise the titles from the Backstreet Boys, but if I’m I honest I never really twigged, lol. What I love is that although her writing is flawless, so is the some of the things she deals with; privilege, disability, drugs, alcoholism… but they all seemed so real. The characters so relatable to reality and we were able to connect with them. I hope Ann decides to continue writing NA,
The Shape of My Heart, is my second favourite of the series.
I Want It That Way stole my heart, and is my favourite of the entire series.
Rating – 4.5
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Fantastic review Emma! I loved reading this one with you and having our chat and discussion when we finished!
I cannot help but hum the BSB song for each book every time I see the time of one of the books though! 😉
Oh I loved reading this with you too, Pili! Always love a good fangirl of a book! Hehe! I must check these songs out! 😀
These books has a tendency to make you sing the songs in your head for hours. Lol. Glad you enjoyed this one, but sad it's over. Oh well, on to the next one? 🙂
Haha. I would if I know the songs lol! Me too, but hey…I can always reread them in time! 🙂
I don't know why but I'm quite anxious about this series… At first I saw a lot of different reviews even if now they're all great. Well, I'm glad you had a wonderful time with this one! I have tons of books by the author in my TBR pile, so maybe I'll read them first lol. Great review!
I think because so much of NA is similar. But these are superb and I would really recommend them. I hope you get to read them soon!
I can't wait to read this series! I love when books have a group of lovable characters.
These are perfect! I recommend Jay Crownover books too! 😀
I wasn't too keen to pick this one up as the last installment wasn't my favorite but your high rating has me reconsidering this one, Emma! Thanks for such a comprehensive review!(:
No I can understand your predicament with the previous installment. But I assure the this one does pick up! Thank you, Keertana! 😀 🙂
I can't wait to read this book! I was so glad when I saw you reviewed it but only got around to read it and comment now. After Stay with Me by J. Lynn I was a bit disappointed in this genre so I was really surprised when I ended up loving this series. I really liked both Max and Courtney in the previous books and now I'm really looking forward to their story.
Wonderful review!
This one really picked me up on my mood with NA, I knew it would too from the previous two books! Courtney was such a brilliant, energetic character. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Thanks, Veronika!
I am happy that you enjoyed this more than did, Emma. I had issues with Courtney character and I kind of expected much more from Max.
Great review!
I really enjoyed Courtney's character, but not as much as Nadia's character! Thank you, Glass! 🙂
YES EMMA!!!! I haven't had the chance to read this one yet but I LOVED the first one for so many of the reasons you stated above – the characters were relatable, easy to connect to and just felt really genuine. No over the top drama so typical in contemporary NA:) Can't wait to get to know Max and Courtney better! Fabulous review.
I can't wait for you to finish this series, Jenny! It's amazing and one of the best NA reads/series of 2014 so far.