A companion novel to WHAT A BOY WANTS.
Jaden Sinclair knows he’ll never amount to anything…so why would he deserve a girl like Priscilla Mendoza?
Since last summer, things have been screwed up between Jaden and Pris. He knows it’s his fault, but that doesn’t stop him from wanting to go a few rounds with her new boyfriend. He also knows he’s the loser his dad calls him, but it doesn’t stop him from wanting her.
After getting a huge bomb dropped on him, Jaden lashes out and lands himself in jail. Everything in his chaotic life is turned upside down and to make it worse, his mom kicks him out in order to side with his dad. Yeah, he’s totally a prize for a girl like Pris.
Sebastian, Aspen, and Pris are all going places in their lives…and he knows he can’t keep tagging along for the ride.
The group has one last chance for The Epic Adventure they’ve been looking for: a road trip to New York, where Jaden’s friends will be going to college. Unfortunately, the more time Jaden hangs around Pris, the harder it is to keep the carefully constructed walls between them so she doesn’t find out what a train wreck he really is.
When the trip ends, Jaden has to decide if he’s ready to say goodbye to his friends, and the girl he loves. He knows what he needs, but will he be man enough to go for it?
Contains mature themes. Some sexual situations and language. (Goodreads summary)
Nyrae Dawn knows how to write boys, and write boys well. With Bastian, and now with Jaden, I’m so impressed with how she can get inside their heads and make them convincingly all-boy, but also give them a layer of vulnerability and real emotion. Where Bastian is amusing, clueless, and hilariously adorable, there’s a more serious, emotionally scarred, tormented side to Jaden that I just gravitate toward. His home life less than ideal, Jaden has grown up enduring years of heavy emotional abuse, damaging his view of himself and skewing his perception of his relationships with others. There’s more of a seriousness and a gravity to Jaden that you get quick glimpses of in What a Boy Wants, but that are more fully explored in What a Boy Needs. He only shows the world what he wants them to see – including to some degree Bastian, Pris and Aspen – afraid of how they’ll react if they really knew him. Underneath Jaden’s macho bravado is a guy dealing with some pretty heavy baggage and my heart just ached for him as he deals with his various family issues and questions of his own self worth.
With Jaden, Pris, Bastian and Aspen graduating high school, What A Boy Needs picks up their story almost a year later. Things are fantastic between Bastian and Aspen, who are still so cutely in love. Bastian… the boy is completely and happily whipped and it’s adorable. Things between Jaden & Pris, however, are another matter altogether. Jaden’s liked Pris forever. In What A Boy Wants, it’s completely obvious that Jaden has a “thing” for her, but you don’t really find out how much he likes her until you’re in his head in What A Boy Needs. He’s hung up on the idea that a guy like him doesn’t deserve a girl like her, and since their “almost” encounter last summer, things haven’t been the same – their friendship has become strained and uncomfortable. While Bastian and Aspen had their ups and downs, their story is more ultimately more fun; in some ways, their relationship mishaps more funny and lighthearted. Jaden & Pris on the other hand are two stubborn people who’ve been shaped and scarred by their difficult home lives – their survival of their families dysfunction. Their story feels a bit more serious than Bastian & Aspen’s, a bit more grown up, and I love it for that reason.
Never fear, despite the slightly heavier emotional issues Nyrae Dawn deals with in this novel, it still has all the humor and heart of What A Boy Wants. Much chuckling and giggling ensued upon the reading of this book. I love the constant banter between the four friends. I love how they can just be together; how they can laugh and joke, yet also step up to the plate when one of their own is hurting. They’re true friends – in for the good, the bad and the ugly.
Overall, What A Boy Needs is a fantastic and irreverently funny read about the truth of love, the steadfastness of friendship, the freedom of moving forward, and where a boy’s worth truly lies.
Author: Nyrae Dawn
Title: What a Boy Needs
Published: June 12, 2012
Format: Kindle; Nook
Website: www.nyraedawn.blogspot.com
Source: Purchased
My rating: 
Happy Reading!
Wonderful review Dani! I absolutely loved this book! Did I cry? yes. But like you said, you get some great laughs too! It was an emotional read, but so good. I stayed home last Sunday and read all day long and finished it that evening. Didn’t want to put it down!
It was definitely a one-sit read, and you’re right, she balanced the sad and the happy beautifully.
I loved this book. I just wanted to hug Jaden!
I KNOW! Me too!
I just bought, read and finished What A Boy Wants yesterday. I read a review and directly got the book! That’s why I love eReaders so much btw..
I agree with you, the way Nyrae writes boys was amazing and I loved it the minute I stared reading. I cannot wait to find the time to read Jay’s story!
Oops. Somehow I missed this comment! Sorry, Danny!
Um, yes. I did the same thing with What A Boy Wants… read a review, thought “Hey! This looks fun!”, and proceeded to buy it on the spot. Such great books!
Short comment: I must read this series. What a Boy Wants is in my “to Acquire” list, and I think if it’s half as good as I think it’s going to be from your reviews, then the whole series is going to get acquired and read in no time!
Thanks for the review!
Oh yay!
I think you’ll like it. I think you’ll like it a lot. I think Bastian and Jaden, how they’re written, will be right up your alley 
Oh yay, I am glad you like this. Honestly I won it, and I was excited but it sounded just like the movie hitch and I wansnt sure about it but I am going to move it up on my tbr stack!
It shares some vague similarities with Hitch, but WaBW is it’s own story
It’s a shorter story too, and I read it in the space of an afternoon… so if you’re looking for something that’s a break from the dark, world-ending books, this is a good one to throw in there to break it up 
I didn’t like Bastian in his What A Boy Wants but I somehow liked him more in What A Boy Needs. :/ Weird. I LOVE JADEN though. He had me from the beginning.
I don’t think that’s weird. Bastian is definitely more grown up and a bit more grounded in WaBN. I also loved Jaden’s story more though… he tugged on the heartstrings a bit harder
I’ve read nothing but awesome reviews for this series – I especially love boy POVs and for it to be done well is awesome! Love how it’s a gritty read but also with very likable but flawed characters:) I love it when they have complicated histories – you get to appreciate their development more:)
Yeah. I think sometimes it’s hard for girls to create believable dudes. It’s one thing to create a manly love interest… it’s another to actually be viewing everything through that guy’s eyes. And Sebastian & Jaden, though they are definitely different people. both have that perfect mix of dudely obliviousness, boyish charm, cocky self-confidence, but also heartbreaking vulnerability. They are both very flawed, but that’s what I loved about them
I hope you do get around to reading both of these books very soon!
I have the first one on my wish list and didn’t even know about this second in the series until I saw your review list. I need to get busy and read them because they sound really appealing after reading your review.
Thanks!
They’re a great, not-super-heavy read if you’re in the mood for something a little lighter
I bought What a boy wants a few days ago and now I found out about this book?? I have to read the first book!!
Yay!
They’re fantastic reads and I hope you enjoy them!
This is a great review and explains what I think of this book perfectly. I adore the author! I’m so happy that you’ve read her books as well!
Yay! Thank you so much, Erica
Glad you love these books too!
i really should stop reading your reviews, ’cause it makes my wishlist grow larger and larger… *argh*
so many books, just so less time… but maybe i can squeeze that one in (too ^^)
greets
Kat
LOL… I’m sorry… (No, I’m not.) 😉 And it’s a pretty quick read.
Thanks for commenting, Kat!
These are books that are already on my TBR. They sound like such good reads, and apparently they are! I haven’t ever read anything like this before. That is always a good thing. Thanks for another great review. Thankfully this one was already on the list. Whew!
Thanks for the review . I think i might actually enjoy this book