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A review by gypsystar
The Dare by J.L. Beck, C. Hallman
4.0
This is more of a 3.5 star read that I’ve graciously bumped to 4 since half stars aren’t allowed. It’s far, far, far away from perfect but it’s not bad.
Honestly the best part of this whole book is the grovel. This book badly needed a good grovel. The stepbrother bully in this story was over the top. I liked that Ava didn’t just forgive him instantly. I did think that the moment he realized just how badly he fucked up he started proclaiming his love for her was ridiculous. But she didn’t go for it which was much appreciated as a reader.
Preston is a typical bully anti-hero for this writing duo. He passionately hates the heroine. First he inner monologues about how much he hates her, wants to break her, destroy her. Then he agrees that his douche bag friend can do whatever he wants with her. Then he becomes insanely jealous when he believes something might happen between them or may have already happened. Then he goes back and forth between hating and lusting over her hard enough to give you whiplash. The hate this duo always has the hero spew is so over the top it makes me roll my eyes. We get it. He hates her. He wants her. You don’t have to mention it every single paragraph. The best part is, ultimately, the bully is always wrong, or has misunderstood or something that could have been easily cleared up with a few conversations.
Ava and Vance were much younger when the “incident” happens than in other books by this duo. In this situation, the anger he feels for her as a child makes sense. He hasn’t seemed to get yet that parents lie so he believes his dad and Ava and her family are gone so he can’t ask her.
However, when they are forcibly reunited 5 years later he doesn’t ask then. He immediately begins his campaign of bullying. In this part Ava is spectacularly weak. The whole treacherous body trope on steroids.
Luckily the grovel was decent enough to save this for me.
Honestly the best part of this whole book is the grovel. This book badly needed a good grovel. The stepbrother bully in this story was over the top. I liked that Ava didn’t just forgive him instantly. I did think that the moment he realized just how badly he fucked up he started proclaiming his love for her was ridiculous. But she didn’t go for it which was much appreciated as a reader.
Preston is a typical bully anti-hero for this writing duo. He passionately hates the heroine. First he inner monologues about how much he hates her, wants to break her, destroy her. Then he agrees that his douche bag friend can do whatever he wants with her. Then he becomes insanely jealous when he believes something might happen between them or may have already happened. Then he goes back and forth between hating and lusting over her hard enough to give you whiplash. The hate this duo always has the hero spew is so over the top it makes me roll my eyes. We get it. He hates her. He wants her. You don’t have to mention it every single paragraph. The best part is, ultimately, the bully is always wrong, or has misunderstood or something that could have been easily cleared up with a few conversations.
Ava and Vance were much younger when the “incident” happens than in other books by this duo. In this situation, the anger he feels for her as a child makes sense. He hasn’t seemed to get yet that parents lie so he believes his dad and Ava and her family are gone so he can’t ask her.
However, when they are forcibly reunited 5 years later he doesn’t ask then. He immediately begins his campaign of bullying. In this part Ava is spectacularly weak. The whole treacherous body trope on steroids.
Luckily the grovel was decent enough to save this for me.