I Want It That Way

A fake engagement, 90’s retro, important take on women’s rights!

I adore Karen Grey - as a person and as an author. She's super sweet, and she's so firm on the issues that really matter to her. Right now, women's rights and most especially, women's reproductive rights are at the very forefront of what she's most vocal about. This book is all about that topic! It's sort of an anti-accidental pregnancy, if you will.

Even in the 90's (I guess it's coming full circle again these days), women weren't allowed to have any say in what happened in their reproductive lives. This book takes place around the same time I was Dani's age - she's a touch older than I was when it occurred in the late 90's. She had a firm stance about her decision to not have kids. Doctors would not listen and told her that even though she is 29 and doesn't want to have children and is firm and knows her mind about the choice, she cannot have her tubes tied until she's 30, or unless her non-existent husband signs off he agrees with the surgery because it is irreversible - I'm still in disbelief about this (although when I was 16 and asked my Candian Dr if I could have that whole system removed, he disagreed because I might change my mind - and nearly 30 years later, I have not because I knew then and unwavering in that decision). She's told countless times she will change her mind. As women, we know ourselves, and we don't need doctors, or other random people, to tell us we will change our minds.

The doctors in this book frustrated me to no end - because it's not just in the USA, and it wasn't just 25 years ago. It's still today, and for Dani to have to find herself a fake fiancé and to strike a deal in order to get the doctors to listen to her, and give her the tubal ligation surgery she wanted because she does not want to have children - it's hard to believe but in this day and age, this is still a problem. And not only that, it's even worse now with so many reversals and removals of a lot of options.

So anyway - Dani has one part time job of driving film crew and actors around her town of Wallington, SC, where a lot of filming happens, including a former actor a couple of years ago that she didn't even think knew her name by the time his film wrapped. He's returned for the new Lawson's Reach series as a producer (yes, a spin on Dawson's Creek), and not only did he remember her, but they form quite a friendship, and if he comes to the doctor with her as a fake fiancé so she can get the surgery, she agrees to help him get behind the wheel of a car again (because the show will only pay her for the first two weeks he's back in town, and he'll have to drive himself after that). Something happened a few years ago and he has a problem - he can't get behind the wheel and even has difficulties as a passenger on a highway...

Their bargain of the fake fiancé leads to a lot of doctors appointments, and a requirement of something even more for the pair, and the intense driving lessons leads to deep conversions. The blossoming friendship and slow burn romance between them is beautiful. Karen always has such a great way of writing, and I'm just such a fan of everything she does! I highly recommend this one to everybody. You can definitely get away reading this as a standalone (the former book characters backstories aren't necessary for this one), but it's always good to know their stories instead of going back later and knowing a few things!

I received an advance copy from the author and Home Cooked Books PR, and this is my honest feedback.