"A winning read"

While dining with her younger sister in Miami Beach, librarian Serena Childs sees her former boyfriend Cecil Montford leisurely eating in the same establishment. Serena is very upset to see the lowlife who left town with her savings and a family heirloom necklace. Serena walks up to Cecil, slaps him in the face while yelling at him. She regally leaves before Cecil can say anything.

Wondering what crap Cecil caused this time, his identical twin brother Darrell is cleaning up the mess, as he wearily always does. Thinking he is Cecil, Serena gets a cop who through a series of events arrests Darrell for assaulting a police officer. The next morning with his identity cleared up, Darrell is released. Serena realizes that the Orlando bed and breakfast owner is her only hope to regain her ancestor's necklace. As he tries to flee from the dingbat and she tries to cling to her only "clue", they fall in love, but Cecil remains an obstacle between Serena and Darrell.

Though the use of a mistaken identity twin has become somewhat trite, Kayla Perrin invigorates the concept in SAY YOU NEED ME through the interactions of her wonderful lead characters. Darrell is a compassionate role model and Serena is a bewitching ball of energy. Though his leaving the wallet in the restaurant seems unnecessary, fans of a dynamic relationship romp filled with humor yet with a serious tough love perspective will say they need to read Ms. Perrin's warm romance.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted January 25, 2002