This review might contain spoilers obviously because we're in book three so many things have changed since book one, also in the plot. Therefore I recommend you to read the reviews I did on the first two books. Did I Mention I Love You? is the first book in this trilogy and Did I Mention I Need You? is the second in the series, book two of course also contains more developments in comparison with book one so beware! Just clicking on the title will open up a new page with the review.
It's been a year since Eden had heard anything from Tyler. Not only did he leave her not to come back but he also made sure she had to go through all the comments and hateful things that were caused by coming out with their relationship. Eden has been having many rows with her dad and her younger stepfather but also the relationship with her mother is under a certain pressure. She's living in constant sadness, hatred and rage towards and because of Tyler. Then, after a year, his face is back around asking her to come with him to Portland, yet Eden doesn't know if she wants to do this to herself all over again.I know it feels as if I'm constantly saying the same about this series, that it's amazing and absolutely the bomb and all that but I'm going to say the same thing all over again. I just can't say anything differently about this series because I just really adore it a lot. And again Estelle Maskame made me fall in love with the third and last book in this trilogy.
Even though each book builds on its previous one, each book will create a new and different environment that will make sure it's not getting boring. Last time around, the book ended with a big plot twist and cliffhanger which I'm sure many of us were eager to discover more about. The book has a time jump of a year and we can absolutely feel the difference when reading the book.
Eden isn't the girl we saw her grow into the first two books. She's sad, she's raging, she's hated and that's really weighing down on her. The reason for her sadness and raging is of course the stepbrother, Tyler. He has left her after all they've been through and after they came out with their relationship. Her behavior therefore is something we can really understand and can tap into. I can't believe I hated Tyler, I've been a great fan of him since the beginning but now he's gone I was fuming myself! And that's what so great about this book and also the trilogy, what the character feels, is something you can and will feel too. Also this book will create many feels just as the previous books did, but I can't complain about that since I'm really someone who loves feels in books!
It was a whole different side that we got to see and Eden just seemed so depressed, she didn't enjoy anything. She didn't want to go out. She didn't want to be dancing and smiling all the time. She was devastated and totally wrecked. I know what I'm going to say now isn't really logical but I was glad to see this side of Eden. It might have been a bit extreme but it also reflects the feelings we all feel when our heart gets broken. And I say extreme because I don't think that many of us hold those hating, raging feelings for a year. Of course I can understand that Eden does. It's been a few years that they know each other and you know, get together a lot and then things happen and everything starts crashing down and he leaves.
Above that she also has her dad and younger stepbrother hating on her. Not Tyler, because he's not around, only on her. They throw remarks at her, they say mean things. And I wasn't surprised that her dad did this because since book one we've seen her dad is just... not a dad (by lack of a better word), and the book will explains why her dad is being like this which I was not prepared for!
The thing that surprised me most was Jamie, he's in his puberty and we see that he starts to grow up. What surprised me with this situation was that Jamie had so many similarities to his older brother, it was just scary. But what the point is, is that Jamie also has a hard time accepting Eden and Tyler, he throws many hurting comments too. I never saw that coming because he's Jamie. In book one, I wanted to see him so much more because he was gentle and accepting of Eden but now I just was hating him a lot!
Also the relationship between Eden and her mother comes under pressure because Eden has many flares of hatred coming and going which she then points to other people around her that have nothing to do with it. Her mother will suffer from these two and Eden and mom will have some difficulties because of this.
A parent that did make me feel happy was Ella. She's the mother of Chase, Jamie and Tyler. During the previous books we got to know her better and got to know some of her past. We know she's a very stressed person, a somewhat broken person but one that really loves her children. Including Tyler who in book one did drugs and so on. I absolutely adored her even more in this book because she has a very accepting nature and even though half of her family hates Eden, she tries to lessen the pain on her and tries to calm down the family. She is such an example and such a sweetheart you just feel bad for her. She married a man in the past that hit her oldest son, now she married a man that hates his own daughter and her son.
I absolutely felt sorry for Ella, it really feels as if she only has bad luck. Throughout the book we also hear Eden say that she looks older because of the stress and that makes it so much more relatable and realistic. I think a lot of people who have stress and are in hard situations will be able to relate. As conclusion to this character I can say that she's a very strong person and never gave up on her family, not in hard times not ever. She's also very determined to get where she wants to go and I really appreciated that in this character because she will try to clear the air. Book one made me doubt a bit about this character but now, I can say she really, really grew on me.
Two characters to go! Rachel, the best friend of Eden is a character I have a lot of respect for! During this hard year, Eden has been very hard to handle. As I said she has many flares of rage coming and going, she's down and sad. Yet Rachel keeps supporting her, helping her to get out and forgetting about the man who tore down her world. I really, really respect her a lot because many friends of Eden have walked away by now, Rachel sticks around and helps, supports a lot.
Lastly, Tyler. In the beginning, when he wasn't around, I hated him as much as Eden did. I didn't understand why he left her. I didn't understand why he gave up on her. I didn't understand why he never called or texted or tried to reach her. But, I guess my rage didn't stick as long as I planned. The moment Tyler walks back in... I kind of swooned for him immediately. I'm weak, I know! Tyler always has had this composed and mysterious air hanging around him and this time around he was even more composed than before.
The thing that I did really saw that was different with Tyler was that he had changed so much, even though he still had that same composed and mysterious composure. He looked away more, he was surprised a lot, he didn't always seem to get things. He was more insecure! who had ever thought that after all this time we'd see Tyler grow to be a bit insecure. Although he had all the reasons to be insecure, I was really surprised and happy to see it since it's a side of him he has hidden pretty well.
Another thing that was changed about him was that he was a lot calmer, didn't get mad very easily anymore, didn't cuss a lot. He was a better version of himself and that might have been the reason he left: to become a better self. The reasons of his departure will be revealed in the book but I don't want to share those.
So yeah, while Eden was smacking him in the face, I was just sitting there and hoping his face wasn't ruined. I'm such a weak person, swooning while I should be mad! But I'm pretty sure many others of us had the same reaction. (Admit it!)
Now, the plot. Things from book two, Did I Mention I Need You, still need to be solved and then there's the whole family drama that's taking turns so a lot is happening! Did I think it was too much? Not at all. Did I find it thrilling? Absolutely!
The moment Tyler steps through the door, Eden's Dad's having a heart attack and Jamie was just raging together with Eden. Ella thinks it has been enough drama and hate and rows so decided to go on a family trip to clear the air. This got me so excited, because I knew things wouldn't be going very smooth and all but just the confrontation was amazingly described and written. You would devour this book together with taking teams on the arguments all the while you saw Tyler a bit lost in the whole crowd.
The thing with Tyler being lost in the crowd is that he's been away for a year. He never expected things to be so out of hand and to be so mean. Tyler doesn't know what to do or how to feel. Or to say for that matter, to Eden who's been living in their mess (that he left) for a year. I really enjoyed seeing this because I think he kind of deserved it and it showed another side to Tyler: the lost puppy we all love. But the arguments really throw in some toughness and fuel to this book to create this atmosphere we all knew was coming down.
Although there's a lot of drama, Chase (the youngest) is being left out of all of it. As if it's a silenced rule! I really appreciated that too because it's something more realistic then we think, sparing some people because they shouldn't be having a hard time. If you think things get solved, no they don't because it's not that easy. In real life things don't get solved in a second, and that's why this book again shows us the realistic parts of life. Meanwhile Tyler decided to ask Eden out to go to Portland. Eden's past hometown, which makes her more angry, he "stole" that from her too although the true reason for "Portland" will be revealed! She accepts, they leave without anyone knowing. Not even Eden's mother but that's because at that point they have a fight about Ella. I'm telling you guys this book contains so much stuff and so many arguments, you'd think there wouldn't be any solutions at all!
But there are. Always. And that's why Eden has accepted and went with Tyler to Portland. Again, as in New York (book two), we get this amazing and detailed version of the surroundings in this city and we really can visualize it. It's something I really want and seek in a book and each time I get it so I'm glad. Together with this city, we get Tyler. The plot now takes a whole different turn. We leave the storm that's their family, and we get in a very calming atmosphere where we'll know the reasons for Tyler's leaving but also we'll see why and how he has changed.
This might be the part that I loved the most in the book because we finally get some evidence it wasn't all bad. We see and live through the changes he has made, we'll get to know certain motives of his and we, together with Eden, will discover him all over again. And you'll be so proud of him, you might forget what he has done to Eden.
Yet things that happened in Did I Mention I Need You weren't all solved at the end of the book. There's still the Tyler's dad issue and the part where he and Eden chose to be together. This book will cover these parts and maybe solve them or bury them. It's also the part in Portland that really surprises the reader because you never expected Tyler to have grown as mature as he has in Portland. He build a career, build his home and so on. Portland gives you all the answers you'll need on all your questions and therefore the passages in Portland will be very satisfying!
I could ramble on more about the plot but I don't want to. The reason for that is because now would be the part where spoilers are present. I really want you guys to discover more of the book on your own rather then me telling everything and ruining the rest of the journey! But what I can conclude of the plot is that it really contains a lot but won't leave you with any more questions. If you think that all this information and all the things that are happening will be confusing, I can assure you that also won't be the case. The book concludes the story, and it really pains me because it's such a good story but to all good stories comes an end of course!
The plot has it's thrilling and tension parts but also it's calming, swoon worthy, loving and gentle parts. It will create a new city that's described very well so you can visualize it and walk through it yourself. Above that, it'll cover so many things and unanswered questions you'll be very satisfied at the end.
Two more things to say: if you are a great fan of this book series and haven't seen what Estelle Maskame has uploaded on Instagram, please let me show you down below! Can we all take a moment to just start screaming! Is this a new story? Or is this a new story about Eden and Tyler? A sequel? Who knows! I'm just so excited! "It's a secret", like hell it is! It's amazing, she's writing a new story! (Please tell me, I'm not the only one jumping around being excited?).
And lastly: what are you still doing here? I thought you were already on your way to the bookstore to buy the book?! Also Estelle Maskame, you did absolutely fantastic on this series. Much respect!
"And I thought you meant you'd come back"
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