Review Detail

The story of DID I MENTION I LOVE YOU? continues in DID I MENTION I NEED YOU? It has been a year since Eden has seen Tyler, and the chemistry between them hasn't changed. (But for me, it seems the chemistry is less exciting than before...) They still love each other, but they are stepsiblings and they will never get together. Or will they? That is the story this book tells, so let's dig in.

Eden is a master of inaction. I swear to you all. Inaction. Yes, she has a lot of fear. Yes, it is very frustrating for the readers wanting Eden to chase after her happy ending. Inaction plagues her as badly as Congress (but let's not talk too much about politics). And when she finally acts, it's a great source of relief. After all this time... she finally makes her choice and gets her head back in reality. New York City can only protect Eden from California for only so long.

And there is Tyler. After his bad childhood and the horrible/great events in the first book, he has escaped to New York City and is trying to get clean. He has most certainly changed quite a bit since his previous appearance, but everyone knows how easy it is to snap back to old ways and habits. He has his highs and lows, but it's hard to not root for him. (It's the exact same way I root for Eden to make a choice instead of passively waiting for nothing.)

The world of DID I MENTION I NEED YOU? is set in New York City for the most part. It has a very strong description of the famous city, and though I have never been there, the descriptions feel alive and realistic. (But once again, I don't know how realistic. I have never been there. But from what I have read, it seems that the author, Estelle Maskame, has done an excellent round of research. Much better than the previous book's research on LA.)

The plot is mostly centered on Eden and Tyler's romance. But their character arcs are equally important, and it's nice for the author to spend time on that. (We know that it isn't all about the relationship.) I quite enjoyed it as much as the previous book, and I so can't wait to see them finally together with their happy ending.

In conclusion, DID I MENTION I NEED YOU? is actually a decent-strong sequel to DID I MENTION I LOVE YOU? that doesn't suffer the common "middle child" syndrome. Though Estelle Maskame still has some parts of the book to improve in, she is getting noticeably better. This book is for fans of forbidden love and angst.

Rating: Three out of Five