Review: Say When by Tara West

Say When

Author: Tara West

Publication Date: July 10, 2013

~Synopsis~

He told me to say when, but I can’t. Not with Andrés. It’s so hard to say anything when he’s trailing feather soft kisses down my neck, or when his touch sends hot currents of lust rippling across my skin. 

Then there’s the way he smiles and offers soft words of encouragement when I’m creating art, almost like he believes I have talent. 

He’s not like any guy I’ve ever met. Not like my ex-fiancée. Not like my father. He’s got me thinking that maybe we can have something more. More than just lust, degradation, and abuse. 

And now I’m scared, because that means I’ll have to trust him with more than just my body, but with my heart, too.

~Prelude~

For those who frequent my blog, they know that I am a huge fan of New Adult and Contemporary Romance. When I was asked to read Say When and I read the synopsis, I was on board. I mean read the synopsis, it sounds like my kind of book right? I definitely had no trouble jumping right into it.

~Review~

Say When is a quick and easy read but filled with so much intensity at the same time. Christina is shy and timid and she allows the people in her life to dictate what she does. Her mother tells her who to date, her fiancée puts her down and degrades her. Something inside her snaps and she says “Enough!” When she meets Andres she is immediately attracted to him and sees a nice guy in there. However, all the men in her past have left her guarded and unable to fully trust. She sees that Andres is different but can she give him her heart and trust that he won’t break it?

I liked Christina well enough. She definitely grew throughout the book and I love character development so that was a plus. She started out as a timid girl who let everyone walk all over her and she became a strong independent woman who made her own decisions regardless of what others wanted. She was also a good friend to Karri, even though Karri never showed her the same respect. I felt like she maybe fell a little too fast for Andres especially after how guarded she claimed to be from her father’s abuse and Jackson’s treatment of her.

“This is a new me, I want to say to him. I’m not putting up with anyone’s shit any longer. I hold back from unleashing that part of my verbal assault. I wonder if I’ve got the guts to hold him and my mom off forever.”

Andres was a sexy latin mechanic who just came home from Afghanistan. He is struggling with nightmares and internal demons from his time in the war and when he meets Christina, there is something about her that draws him in. He feels this need to know her and after spending a night with her and having no nightmares, he knows there is something special. However, he can see she is guarded and he is afraid of giving his heart to her and having it broken.  He is so sweet and caring and I loved his dedication to his friends and family. He took care of Christina and treated her the way she deserved to be treated.

“I never thought a man could be so beautiful, but he’s like a Spanish Adonis.”

Karri and Christina’s mom were both terrible characters. Her mom was absolutely crazy and so caught up on money and appearances that she didn’t care whether or not her daughter was happy. She knew about the abuse Christina suffered but only cared about what people would think. She is a selfish old hag and I was proud of Christina for finally standing up to her. Karri is a whole other disaster. She has been best friends with Christina since the second grade but has made a complete mess of her life. Drugs, random sex, and an illegitimate child; she has really messed up her life but Christina is always there for her. However, Karri was a snotty bitch who took advantage of Christina and I was glad when she finally stood up and told her how it was.

I enjoyed the plot and felt the intensity of what Christina was going through. She was young but had already experienced so much turmoil in her life with her parents and her friendships. Meeting Andres was a breath of fresh air and their intimacy was definitely steamy. I was also surprised by the Karri’s betrayal at the end and didn’t see it coming. However, I wasn’t a big fan of the way the dual POV was written. Christina was in first person and Andres was in third person and that threw me off a little. I also felt like the end was rushed a little. It seemed like there was so much depth in the beginning and middle and then the end lost some of that depth as it was rushed to come to a close.

Overall, Say When was an enjoyable read and I liked the writing and the character development. I could see the changes that Christina went through and the way she became a stronger character. I felt all of the emotions that she and Andres experienced and I look forward to see what the author does with the next book.

~IPOD Picks~

“You’re Not Sorry” by Taylor Swift

“Near to You” by A Fine Frenzy

“Arms” by Christina Perri

*An e-copy of this book was provided to me by the author and her publicist at Little Read Riding Hood for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own and unbiased.*

Thanks Tara and Laura!