ARC Review: Say When by Tara West

Say When is the first book that I have read by Tara West. It is her first New Adult novel and for the most part I enjoyed the book. I did have a few problems with the story, but this was definitely a promising foray into the NA genre. I really loved the cover of this book, and I think that was what really drew me in and made me want to read this story.

Christina is engaged to Jackson, and has pretty much been a doormat when it comes to him and her mom. After finally growing tired of putting up with them basically running her life, she decides to finally stand up for herself. After dumping Jackson, she goes out with a friend and meets Andres. Andres instantly attracts her and she finds herself wanting to be with him regardless of the fact that they are strangers. She goes home with him and they both realize that the physical connection is beyond anything that either one of them have ever felt before. As they begin to spend more time together they both question whether or not the relationship has a chance to be anything more than just sex. Both have issues from the past that have left them a little damaged and they begin to see that they might be able to not only have a relationship together, but that they can possibly heal each other along the way.

I liked Andres. He was sexy and extremely sweet from the start. I think he was the perfect person for Christina. He really seemed to be exactly what she needed, and instead of running her life like her mom and Jackson had done, he encouraged her to do things for herself. I at times really liked Christina and then at other times I didn't understand her at all. For someone who has been really hurt in the past and stated that she had some trust issues the relationship with Andres progressed at an almost alarming rate. She goes home with him the first night they meet right after breaking up with her fiance and she ends up getting a job working for him and his family almost immediately. The relationship seemed pretty rushed to me and for someone who had been through a past like hers, it just seemed completely out of character. I did love Christina's dedication to Tyler, her friend Karri's son. She was always concerned with his well being and went out of her way to help out when it came to him. I also really loved seeing her grow over the course of the book. Despite the inconsistencies with Christina's personality, I did enjoy this story. The scenes between Andres and Christina were very hot and the sex was very well done. I saw their chemistry from the very first time they met, but it would have been nice if the relationship didn't feel so rushed.

Overall this story was a very quick read for me. I finished it in one sitting as it was a pretty short read. I will admit I was not a fan of how the author chose to do the switch in point of views between Andres and Christina. Christina's POV was in first person, while Andres' POV was in third person. I found that not only confusing but also it caused the book to almost seem fragmented as it just didn't flow. But even with that being said, the story was interesting enough that I kept reading. Unfortunately the book ends extremely abruptly after a completely rushed conclusion. It seemed as though everything was almost packed into the last chapter, when it could have been a little more developed and smooth but adding a few more pages. I'm hoping that the next book, Say Yes, will give the readers and characters the closure that was missing from this story. Even with the problems I had with this book, I would still recommend giving this story a shot if you are a fan of romance and the New Adult genre.

**ARC provided by Author**

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