This is the sequel of ‘Ask, tell’ which was one of my favourite lesfic books of 2017, so I was anxiously waiting for it and wondering where was Ms. Noyes taking one of my favourite couples in lesfic. If you haven’t read ‘Ask, tell’ I strongly recommend that you read it first as this sequel won’t have the same emotional impact if you don’t understand the background story and, anyway, it’s a must read for any lesfic fans.

‘Ask me again’ is a different kind of book by Ms. Noyes. Normally, she writes romances in which conflict is a mechanism to create tension and move the story forward. In this case, the conflict is in the driving seat of the story and the romance is in the background. The main issue is Sabine’s PTSD as a consequence of serving as an army surgeon in Afghanistan and her partner Rebecca trying to help her cope with it. As you can imagine, this isn’t a light read. It’s intense, raw, emotional and even heartbreaking. At times I wanted to crawl inside the book and give the characters a hug, it’s a story that gets the reader that emotionally involved.

This author normally writes in first person point of view. ‘Ask, tell’ was written from Sabine’s but this sequel is written from both Sabine’s and Rebecca’s points of view in alternating chapters. It works well as the reader has a prime view to Sabine’s OCD and anxiety issues and it gives a new dimension to Rebecca’s character. Both of them have their own distinct voices and their personalities are built to the tiniest of details. This couple works not only in their chemistry but in a deeper level of relationship which feels realistic and believable. A surprising addition is Jana, Sabine’s sister, a larger than life character who introduces some very much needed levity to this book. Ms. Noyes is planning to write a book based on her and I can’t wait to read it.

Overall, a novel with a surprising level of depth and a sequel that does justice to the characters’ story. Both highly recommended books to read in chronological order. 5+ stars.

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.