Today is my spot on the Just Don’t Mention It blog tour, and I am excited to be sharing this one with you all!
About the Book
“And all that’s left is me. The Tyler who doesn’t know who he really is.”
At seventeen, Tyler Bruce is hot – a hot mess. His girlfriend is a knockout, his reputation untouchable, parties are nothing without him. Even his car is unreal. But inside Tyler is in ruins – and he’ll stop at nothing to keep that a secret.
Then one summer Eden comes to stay. She’s upfront, sharp and far more enticing than a stepsister should be. She also sees straight through Tyler’s bad boy façade … to the vulnerable kid within. The quiet kid who took all the punches. As Eden draws Tyler in, his defences start to crumble around him.
As irresistible and dazzling as its Californian backdrop, Just Don’t Mention It is Tyler’s story – his heart-stopping tale of past hurt, finding hope and figuring out who the hell he wants to be.
My Review
Can we just talk about how gorgeous this cover is? I absolutely love a photo collage (outside of reading, photography is my biggest hobby), and I just loved how striking this cover was and how perfectly the photos fit the story.
Just Don’t Mention It is part of the Did I Mention… series by Estelle. I haven’t gotten around to reading the DIMILY books yet, so I’m coming at the series all backwards, which is not that unusual for me! You absolutely can read this book as a standalone though, and it didn’t diminish my enjoyment at all that I hadn’t read the others.
Just Don’t Mention It is Tyler’s story, told from his point of view; part of it is set in the present day and part five years ago, and the chapters alternate between these two times. Present day Tyler is an ass. Or, that’s what he wants everyone to think. He has a girlfriend (Tiffani) who he doesn’t seem to like, and who doesn’t seem to like him. He is bad-tempered, rude and constantly doing something he shouldn’t be. He drinks an obscene amount and is starting to use drugs. Present day Tyler isn’t easy to like.
The chapters telling his story from five years ago give a lot of insight into why he is like this. From the offset you know that something awful happened to him, that he is deeply hurt by, and is desperately trying to hide from. I am a sucker for any character with a difficult back story and I loved past Tyler almost immediately. The chapters telling his story from five years ago are emotional, at times they’re difficult to read (trigger warning for violence and abuse), and my heart ached for him. It was so easy to see how he became the person he is in the present day.
Tyler’s relationship with his mum was particularly interesting to read. She didn’t know what was happening to him until the part at the very end of his “5 years ago” story and they have a tense relationship now. He pushes her away more than anyone, but she is also the person who understands him the most and who he needs to comfort him and help him through this.
A lot of this story is Tyler trying to come to terms with the trauma of his past, and I could empathise with his journey a lot. At times he feels like he will never find his way out:
“I’m totally fucking lost in this mess.”
He’s just about as low as he can possibly get, when his step-sister Eden appears and gives him something else to worry about, because he is falling for her and he really, really shouldn’t be. But Eden isn’t like the other girls: she doesn’t throw herself at Tyler and she isn’t going to stand for any of his nonsense. She’s only interested in the real Tyler, the one under all the drinking and the bravado. But opening up isn’t going to be easy for Tyler…
Just Don’t Mention It sounded like the sort of book I would enjoy; I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did. I adored Tyler’s story and I’ve acquired the DIMILY books because now I’ve read this I NEED them all. Perfect for fans of the series, or anyone who likes a story about a bad boy, who isn’t as bad as he makes out.
About the Author
Estelle Maskame started writing at the age of 13 and completed her DIMILY trilogy when she was 16. She has already built an extensive and loyal fanbase for her writing around the world by sharing her work in instalments on the digital platform Wattpad. Estelle’s trilogy will now be available for the first time in book and ebook formats.
The DIMILY Trilogy has had more than 4 million hits on Wattpad, and Estelle tweets to almost 170,000 followers as @EstelleMaskame.
Charlotte, Somewhere 
I bought the first of the DIMILY series last month, and I’m hoping to read it on holiday; it sounds ideal for summer. Glad you enjoyed this 💜
Amy x
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Hope you enjoy it Amy!
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