This book is a sequel to E.J. Noyes previous book about Sabine and her story about being in the military during the timer of Don't Ask Don't Tell. This story is written from Rebecca's point of view and tells her story. Rebecca and Sabine fall in love on a tour of duty in Afghanistan. The plot deals with all the fear, emotions and worry that comes with not only fighting a war but keeping feeling locked up due to the Army's rules.
I found the book very interesting and the characters were very real and well written. If you get a chance, read E.J. Noyes' first book about Sabine and Rebecca. I recommend this book for romance readers and a view of how it was during the time of Don't Ask Don't Tell.
I just reviewed If I Don't Ask by E. J. Noyes. #IfIDontAsk #NetGalley

When I finished 'Ask, tell* my first thought was that I wished I could see the story thought Rebeccas eyes. I loved 'Ask, tell', and I hoped this book would do it justice. It did. It gave 'Ask, tell' so much more than justice. This is a book I added to my "re-read" pile immediately after finishing. If I could, I would give this book more than a 5/5.

Pro:
Intelligent and talented MCs
Lovely secondary characters
Making big changes in your life
Finding yourself
Part of a series - This is the first time I have ever read two stories about the same events divided by character and book. This actually added to the suspense reading 'If I don't ask'. I knew what was coming and I still was mindblown by Rebeccas side of the story.

Con:
-

This review is based on NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.

4/5

I absolutely loved E.J Noyes’ ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ when I read it a couple of years ago, so I was extremely excited when I saw this book. I think it’s an incredibly bold move to write the same story from Rebecca’s perspective, but it actually worked perfectly. While the characters are the same, Rebecca’s perspective adds a whole new layer of richness to the story. It didn’t feel repetitive to the first novel at all, instead it really felt like a whole new story, which I guess it was.

Noyes has an amazing writing style that just draws you in, and really makes the characters come to life. I absolutely loved learning more about Rebecca, and truly fell in love with her pretty quickly. She was such a strong woman and leader, but was also so caring and intimate when she had the chance to be. It really felt like falling in love with the characters and their relationship all over again in this book. Looking at the two books side by side, it really does feel like a perfect puzzle piece of a story. I very much recommend both books.

E.J. Noyes just keeps getting better and better with each book that she writes. Based on the skilled pen of Noyes, I felt like I was deeply entrenched in the Forward Operating Base (FOB) locations along with Rebecca and Sabine. I felt like I was experiencing their day to day emotions, their suppressed desires for each other, and the push and pull of their flirty demeanor. Every emotion described in this book was purely palpable.

I’d highly recommend this book and any of Noyes’ other books to readers. 5 stars

I was so thankful to receive this ARC from Bella Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an excellent read, giving the reader a different perspective of the events previously told in the author's debut book. It was great to have an insight into Rebecca's thoughts and inner conflicts, which hadn't been explored in the previous book as it had been written in Sabine's point of view entirely. The way Rebecca's feelings morphed from infatuation to tenderness and love was brilliantly written. Overall, I found this book much better written in general in comparison to the author's debut, in which the narrative was not so linear. Great to see how the author's writing has improved over the years. An excellent book that I would wholeheartedly recommend for anyone who enjoys a well-written slow burner.

Five stars. My expectations for this book were ridiculously high. The Ask, Tell series is one of my favourites, and I was ecstatic when I saw that Bella Books had granted me an ARC. If I Don't Ask didn't disappoint for a single paragraph.

I'm sure every reader will find it gratifying to finally get into Rebecca's head for the duration of Ask, Tell. Though we get a feel for her perspective in Ask Me Again, an established relationship is very different than a budding romance, not to mention that the first two books are almost different genres. Here we get a second take on the events of Ask, Tell, but the story is refurbished rather than redundant. No part of this was born of laziness or a lack of inspiration. Despite wanting the same things, the differences in Sabine and Rebecca's personalities are made clearer than ever. I didn't get around to rereading Ask, Tell for a proper comparison, but it was enjoyable to note where the stories diverge from what I could recall, based on each person's interpretation of the same events. I loved the details that Sabine had been oblivious to, and not just in Rebecca's actions, like how her perception is skewed by her fear of inadequacy, or when her attraction to Rebecca shows in her unconscious flirtation. If I Don't Ask adds a profound depth to Sabine and Rebecca's story, and slots in perfectly with what we already knew about the characters and their motivations.

This book felt like a warm hug. I know my familiarity with the Ask, Tell universe was a hefty factor in my reading experience, but that's bound to be true for every reader. I found myself laughing and crying along with the characters. By the last pages, I was both buoyed by Sabine and Rebecca's love, and sad to have reached the final goodbye. I couldn't help but go right into a reread of Ask Me Again, and I don't think I'll be the only one. E. J. Noyes has pulled off a third revisit of her most popular characters without dulling their shine in the slightest. I am floored by her writing, and will never not be thrilled to pick up a book with her name on it.

I cant remember the last time I was so excited about a book release, than when I found out If I Don't Ask was coming this year. Not only because E.J Noyes has a knack for writing brilliant, unforgettable stories, but because Ask, Tell and Ask Me Again are two of my favourite books to read or listen to. Ever.

Ask, Tell was the first book in the series and was solely from Sabine's point of view. I personally loved it, as I felt it made it feel slightly more personal, but obviously left a lot of unanswered questions. If I Don't Ask is Rebecca's POV, and begins right at the beginning, when the two women meet for the first time.

Noyes has done a brilliant job of overlapping these joint experiences, without it ever feeling like I have read the words before. Yes, I was aware of the time frame, and what would happen next, but it all still felt new and exciting and answered all of those questions left open from Ask, Tell.

Don't skip Ask, Tell and Ask Me Again and go straight to this one. You will miss out on the full experience.

If I Don't Ask ties up this series perfectly!

A must read for Rebecca and Sabine fans!

Did you ever read a romance narrated by only one of the lead characters and wish you could be in the mind and understand the motivations of the other? If I Don’t Ask, Rebecca Keane’s tells her story mirroring the musings of Sabine Fleischer in Ask, Tell.

Rebecca tells her side of the story, highlighting her attraction, wit and vulnerabilities. Although pieces of her motivation are revealed in E.J. Noyes related books (Ask Tell and Ask Me Again), If I Don’t Ask Lives tells the story leading up to Sabine’s tale– from their first meeting until the end of Ask Tell. Specifically, the story begins with Rebecca’s immediate attraction, angst, control (or lack thereof), flirting and vulnerability with Sabine. Rebecca, Army surgeon and Lieutenant Colonel, leads a surgical team in which Sabine begins her surgical career as her subordinate. For the decades that Rebecca has been in the Army, she has never desired another woman until Sabine. Not only is any relationship forbidden because of the military Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) policy, but more so with Sabine because she is under her direct command and in a long term relationship.
Having read Ask, Tell and the two subsequent books in the series – Ask Me Again and If the Show Fits, I thought I knew Rebecca, especially since the narrator in Ask Me Again switches between Sabine and Rebecca. Yet, in If I Don’t Ask, I see a different side of Rebecca, not only is she empathetic, caring and loyal, but she has a dry wit and flirty demeanor which was not as obvious in the other books.

As a master of introspective character narrators, E.J. Noyes does not disappoint with If I Don’t Ask. Even through I read and reread the three books in the series before reading this book, I was fully involved and fascinated by Rebecca’s point of view. Definitely a must read for Sabine and Rebecca fans.

I did wonder, given the two perspectives if one should be read one before the other (or even concurrently). I may be too close to the other three books to offer unbiased advice. Nevertheless, if I had to offer an order to read the books, I’d recommend: (1) Ask, Tell, (2) If I Don’t Ask, (3) Ask Me Again and then (4) If the Show Fits. There are some elements of Ask Me Again that are put in better context if If I Don’t Ask is read first.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If I Don't Ask is told from LTC Rebecca Keane's side of the story at the same time events occurred from Sabine Fleischer's POV in the first book. And it follows a very slow-burn romance between two military surgeons on deployment during the DADT era. I like that the author never misses the excellent writing and do I have to mention the endless pining and yearning and longing of Rebecca for Sabine and vice versa? 'Cus that's just triple good stuff.

Captures the anguish and heartbreak of Don‘t Ask Don‘t Tell
Although this seems to be a simple re-telling of her debut novel (Ask, Tell) from the perspective of Rebecca Noyes adds a new layer to the story of Rebecca&Sabine. Rebecca is a CO who falls in love with her subordinate. It gives readers a poignant insight into the anguish and heart-break of the Don‘t Ask Don‘t Tell-policy of the US-army. The conflict of conscience, the emotionally stunted life of those living under it and the total agony and heartwrenching loneliness when you are not able to acknowledge nor be there for your loved ones at all times and esp. when they are wounded and in pain. It drives home again and again the inhuman policy and the heroism of those who endured and survived those times. It ended in the US but we all know that it still goes on in too many countries. The writing is excellent and Noyes draws out the emotions and puts them out in technicolor.

I am actually one of the (very) few people who lived under a rock in a cave in a faraway desolate land since I haven't read the first books in this series. (I can hear the shock all the way from the other side of the screen)
If I Don't Ask is a great book and you can read it as a stand-alone following the epic love story of two military surgeons on deployment in Afghanistan during the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" era. This book is told completely from LTC Rebecca Keanes POV and it was a poignant read, giving me extra insight in the unfairness of that policy.
The characters were great, the writing is awesome and I will be trying to get my hand on E.J Noyes first book told from Sabines POV very quickly. Excellent read and highly recommended!

***Thank you Bella Books and Netgalley for giving me the chance to read and review this book***

I loved this book!! I thought both main characters Sabine and Rebecca were fully developed, had great chemistry and communicated well with each other. It was an easy read and what can i say but well done!
I recommend 4.5 stars


Thank you NetGalley and Bella Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved this book. I have read Ask, Tell, which is Sabine’s story. But boy was Rebecca’s point of view great. It was great to get the backstory of Rebecca and see how she recounted her meeting with Sabine.

Oh, the longing…

For once, I’m not going to say anything about the story. Either you’ve read Ask, Tell and you already know it, or you haven’t and you really should. Read it first then come back to this book. Whether you read the second book, Ask Me Again, and the third, If the Shoe Fits, before or after this one doesn’t really matter unless you’re like me and need to read in order.

I usually fall in love with the characters over the course of the story but in this case, I went in already head over heels. Rebecca Keane is one of the most loved characters in sapphic fiction, I’m not immune to what makes her so special.

In the acknowledgements that open this book, the author explains that “with everything swirling around us, [she] just needed to spend some time with fictional friends”. That’s what this book feels like for this reader too, time with friends. As soon as I began reading If I Don’t Ask, it felt like home, a feeling at once wonderful and a little sad. I honestly didn’t expect to feel so much so soon. As I posted on social media, once in a while, I’ll start reading a book and, a few pages in, wish I hadn’t. Because I will never have the anticipation again of reading it, will never read it for the first time again. That’s why I keep some “classics” unread, why I never binge read an author’s back catalogue if I love them. I keep at least one book to look forward to. There’s a reason Alone, by the same author, is one of these unread classics.

The fact that If I Don’t Ask is not a sequel but a retelling of an already well-known and much-loved story is exciting because the reader knows what is going to happen. We’ve lived it already, we can bask in the certainty and yearning of what’s coming. What we weren’t sure of yet was how Rebecca experienced it and that’s the gift Noyes gives us.

And that in itself is a tour de force. Telling the same story twice is always a risk. It could be boring, simply recycling. It could ruin the original. It could be seen as the author lacking the imagination to create something new. But this is E. J. Noyes, and she pulls it off magnificently.

Far from ruining the original, If I Don’t Ask adds to it. I, for one, didn’t remember Sabine was so cute and funny. Was she? Or is she when seen through Bec’s eyes?

If I Don’t Ask is also a perfect example that while dialogues and banter can be awesome, inner thoughts, when you’re in the head of someone as fascinating and well-written as Rebecca Keane, can be captivating. Even when all she’s thinking about is her attraction to Sabine and how impossible it is. There are other things happening in her life, however, that give a new perspective on her actions.

Rebecca Keane will always have Abby Craden’s voice for me, maybe because she was my first (Ask, Tell was my first Craden narration) or maybe because Abby Craden is perfect for the character. Either way, I had her voice in my head while reading and I’m very impatient to listen to the audiobook and hear her iconic “darling” again…

This is a very clever addition to Ms Noyes writing because it takes characters from a previous story and completely flips the narrative so we have the story from the point of view of the other main character. Sabine fell in love with Rebecca in “Ask, Don’t Tell” and in “If I Don’t Ask” we get Rebecca’s life and focus. It is a lovely way to revisit favourite characters while keep the story fresh and interesting. We learn about Rebecca outside the previous book. We understand her morals and her dilemma, and her genuine love for Sabine even while she battles to keep within the military rules.

The story is well told - Ms Noyes is an excellent writer - and I like the way Rebecca is fleshed out as an independent person seperate from Sabine’s love. The ending is beautifully written and the whole book won’t disappoint.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley

Ask, Tell introduced us to Captain Sabine Fleischer and her commanding officer LTC Rebecca Keane. Through the eyes of Sabine, we learned about life on a Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Afghanistan during the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell era. We watched Sabine struggle to hide her attraction to her boss and loved the moments they shared together. So romantic and so emotional. I strongly recommend reading Ask, Tell before you read this current release.

If I Don’t Ask is the fourth book in the series recounting many of the scenes from Ask, Tell but this time from Rebecca’s point of view. I liked discovering Rebecca’s interest in Sabine stretched back to Sabine’s first deployment. I respected Bec’s attempts at suppressing her desire not wanting to break army rules but also fearing her position as Sabine’s superior officer made her attraction predatory and inappropriate. I loved Bec’s kindness to those under her command, her compassion for her best friend Linda and her confidence when she finally allowed herself to be with Sabine. There is so much heart and passion in both these women. I loved it.

A copy of this book was received with thanks from Bella Books via NetGalley for review.

Oh, Rebecca, Rebecca, Rebecca.

I love Ask, Tell. It's one of the first few books I've read when I first step into the sapphic fiction world. I can not tell how happy I was when I read the announcement from E.J. Noyes that the Ask, Tell series will have a book 4!!

If I Don’t Ask is like a book 0.5~1 of the series, and it's told from Rebecca's POV. It's satisfying to read it because all the mystery you feel from Rebecca and the story blank from Ask, Tell will all be fulfilled; it completes the series and makes them even more perfect.

I highly recommend If I Don’t Ask and the whole series.

This makes a great companion novel to Ask, Tell but it could just as easily be read as a standalone novel. It’s been several years since I read Ask, Tell so I went back and read it after If I Don’t Ask.

Lieutenant Colonel Rebecca Keane has made the Army her life. For the longest time, that meant hiding her sexuality under the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. Now with the possibility of repeal looming, she’s faced with a new challenge in the form of Sabine Fleischer, the new surgeon on her team. Rebecca is immediately drawn to Sabine but as Sabine’s boss, she knows it’s forbidden for more reasons than just Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

The first thing worth mentioning is this one starts when they first meet almost 2 years before Ask, Tell. This does have a slight impact on the balance of the internal and external conflict, as we only see Rebecca’s perspective and <spoiler> Sabine is still in a relationship</spoiler>. Both work but there is a noticeable difference in the pacing. It might just be me, but I felt like the author shied away from writing too much detail into some of the scenes (most noticeably the sex scenes) to avoid accidental contradictions between the novels. I’d be curious to know if other readers noticed this.

This is definitely worth a read if you enjoyed Ask, Tell or any of E.J. Noyes’ other novels. Personally, I enjoyed this one a little bit more.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a retelling of Ask, Tell. For those unfamiliar with Ask Tell, it tells the story of Rebecca and Sabine, both serving as surgeons in the military during the days of DADT. Rebecca is Sabine’s commanding officer, and Sabine is in a relationship, adding even more complications to their relationship.

One of the main issues I had with Ask Tell is that it’s told in first person, from Sabine’s POV only. This flips the story and tells it again, but from Rebecca’s POV. The other issue I had with Ask Tell is that I felt the relationship was a little too shallow, as the characters didn’t seem to know each other that well before jumping into bed, due to the nature of the circumstances they were working under.

If I Don’t Ask helps to fill in some of these blanks by starting a few years prior to Ask Tell, from when Rebecca and Sabine first meet. Bec is instantly smitten, even before meeting Sabine, and it gets worse over time, the more they interact. They are deployed together during this first meeting, and then still work together when back in the States. We also see more of how they interact, which makes what happens during the deployment that Ask Tell is set in more meaningful and the way they embark on their relationship more realistic.

We also get more of Bec’s backstory, and one thing this reinforces (but that’s also apparent in Ask Me Again) is how isolated Bec is. She has to hold herself apart from most of those she serves with due to her rank, and has only one close friend, Linda, in whom to confide, but has lost all other family.

I actually find Sabine a bit hard to take, she’s too much of a perfectionist, and it can be a bit grating, Bec is a much more sympathetic character, and she shines here, so much so, that when she ultimately makes the decision to give in and take what she wants, you can see what’s driven her to that point.

I liked that this started before Ask, Tell, but would have also liked it to finish beyond where Ask Tell finished, to fill in a few of the blanks between this and Ask Me Again. The other problem with going back and writing something to fill in blanks, is you often create issues with what comes after, which happens with the Linda character, who is never mentioned in Ask Me Again, but surely would have been referenced, regardless of what had happened to her in the time between the two books. Still, that’s a minor quibble, those who have enjoyed this series will likely love the fleshing out of the beginning of their relationship as much as I did. 4 stars.

I’m in the minority for this book. Not that I don’t love it, I do. But I’ve never read “Ask, Tell”. E.J. Noyes is a master at first person POV. In the"Ask Tell" everything is told from Sabines POV. Noyes has returned to the same story retelling it from Rebeccas POV. It is set during the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell times in the military. Lieutenant Colonel Rebecca Keane commands a surgical team in an Afghanistan Field hospital. When new surgeon Captain Sabine Fleischer arrives Keane does all she can to avoid even the appearance of interest. She is committed to her career in the military and knows she can’t make any mistakes. I love the excitement of the medical scenes and the quiet conversations over something as simple as watching the sun rise. Sabine’s rivalry with best friend Mitch is very fun. I don’t know if this matches scene for scene with the first book or if there are whole sections that are new. But I enjoyed my time with Rebecca seeing her fall in love with Sabine.

I absolutely recommend this book and look forward to going back and reading the story from Sabines POV. I did already love the characters as I knew them from “If The Shoe Fits” which tells the story of Sabine's sister Jana. And I was thrilled Jana makes an appearance in this book being the caring, funny, feisty sister she is. So to summarize read anything by this author and you wont be disappointed. Thank you to NetGalley and Bella Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.