[ARC REVIEW] “That’s the Way I Loved You” By: Carrie Aarons

I had the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Carrie Aarons’s newest new adult novel, “That’s the Way I Loved You”! Keep reading to hear my thoughts. Huge thanks to Carrie for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review!

Official Synopsis:

Savannah

This town ain’t big enough for the two of us.
Which is why I left.

I was determined never to return to Hale, Texas. But when my new life in the Big Apple throws me a curve ball, I have to go back to tie up loose ends. One of those being him.

Jason Whitney was my first everything. Kiss, love, epic heartbreak. He shattered my world once upon a time, and apparently, he’s not done yet.

With old demons lurking around every corner, hightailing it out of my hometown is at the top of my list. Complete my unfinished business, and I get to leave any memory of my country existence behind.

Only, with each day I spend in it, with each moment I spend with him, I’m turning back into the girl who laid in the tall grass and swam in the creek all those years ago.

And I’m not sure that who I was is ready to let me go again.

Jason

We drew a line down the middle, and neither of us has crossed it.
That is, until Savannah Reese blew back into our hometown.

The day my high school sweetheart left, she took my whole heart with her. We promised each other forever, made plans that only teenagers could believe in, and crashed and burned on the grandest of scales.

When Savannah last saw me, I was a disgraced high school athlete. All washed up, I took it out on the only person who loved me. Then her world really fell apart, and I was too selfish to care.

Now she’s back, ready to sell the only remaining thing tying us to each other. I’ve been breaking my back for the last ten years not to think about her, not to be reminded of the love we shared.

But now that she’s right here, it’s impossible to forget how we used to be. Or let go of what we still are.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Review:

29 year old Savannah fled her small town ten years ago, and never looked back. However, now she’s realized that if she wants to fully put her past behind her, she has to travel back to settle her finances. But life is never that simple — she left her family (and first love) in Hale, and everything she’s been running from is about to catch up with her.

When I first started the book, I was conflicted. Even though he was eight years older than her, Savannah’s boyfriend, Perry, seemed really nice. (Although Perry is the name of the abusive husband in “Big Little Lies,” so I was also like…ugh.) Seems to be summed up pretty well with Taylor Swift’s song of the same name. But as the book went on, I obviously started shipping her with Jason. Since the book is told from both Savannah and Jason’s points of view, it was easy to understand where each of them are coming from.

I loved that Savannah and Jason had to work together to fix up the house — my sister is obsessed with HGTV as of late, so that’s been on a lot in our house. Plus, it’s a great way to make the characters interact with each other…unless they storm out. I also loved that Savannah is a screenwriter! That’s one of my dream jobs, so seeing everything she was doing with that was great.

Savannah’s family was also a great addition to the book. They were all so kind and supportive, and seeing how they interacted with both Savannah and Jason was so sweet. (Especially their kids!) Although I did find it a bit strange that Savannah didn’t have any real friends in New York City after 10 years, the ones she left behind in Hale were great people.

Overall, I think this is a really great book! It’s one of my favorites that I’ve read by Carrie, and perfect if you’re looking for a sweet, second chance romance.