This was such a sweet read and definitely the first of many I will be reading by this author. I found all the characters relatable in their own way. The romance aspect was written so well.

I really wanted to like this book. The synopsis held so much promise, but the book failed to deliver as much as I hoped for from it. I enjoyed it well enough, but with a few tweaks it could have been an even more enjoyable read.

Lovely writing and great drama filled story line perfect for YA’s looking for something with a bit more of an edge.

This author is steadily growing and improving. I liked this book well enough. This story is separate from her other series, and I enjoyed that. Teens dealing with crisis, loss of lives and so much. I do miss some of the perspectives that I love in my other type of books, but I have to say for what this one is, it did well.


My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is left of my own free volition.

So I enjoyed her previous book series, and while this book was really good and drama filled, I just felt like all the drama happened, and then was so quickly resolved. It didn't seem believable for me in that aspect. I felt that the author also over explained things at times, and I felt like a shorter explanation could have been used, but the felt the need to just go on and on. It wasn't necessary in my opinion. Another thing I wasn't too sure on, was that while reading this book, there really felt like there was no plot, and I felt things only started getting interesting and picking up was after the climax happened. That was when I finally was like, "oh okay that's where she's going wit this". I also felt that the ending left me hanging, and I was waiting for more resolution, but also I was left with so many more questions than answers. While I love her writing and characters at times, this book just fell flat for me. 2.5/5

At 50% of this book I wondered what the plot of it was. The story did not captivate me and the characters didn’t excite me. Things were interesting the last quarter of the book but that’s a lot of reading to finally discover where the story was going.

4.5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. It was an easy romantic read, with just enough plot/conflict/intrigue to keep me interested without seeming over the top. I enjoyed the friendships in the book, however, I did wish we saw Kenzie with Will and Holden more as the book progressed.

Jaden was pretty adorable, and was very easy to root for. I appreciated that the romance built up; it wasn't at all insta-lovey even though the main character had some history with the love interest. I didn't love the ending, because it felt a little unfinished to me, but it did like that not every single problem was solved perfectly. It felt more feel because of that.

Overall, this was a very entertaining read that grabbed my attention.

A true to heard love story with the biggest elephant in the room… grief. Estelle Maskame brought it home with this inspired story about how whether it’s you suffering or someone you know, grief effects everyone and those around them.

Dare to Fall by Estelle Maskame follows MacKenzie Rivers as she tries to work through her school year alongside her two best friends, all while trying to avoid her ex-friend and ex-boyfriend, who happen to be twins. Why? Because she ghosted them after a horrific accident brought a lot of grief down on the two.

Maskame wrote teenagers in a realistic sense. They had parents who told them what to do. They went to school each day, whether they felt up to it or not. They had fights with their friends. Struggled with grades. All these things that happen to everyone as a teenager. In the midst of that, Maskame told a story about how different people deal with grief. You had Mackenzie, who hides her families grief, and chooses to tuck hers down deep where no one can see. Jaden tries to be as happy as he can, in hopes of being everything his parents would want him to be. Jaden’s sister Dani handles hers by going dark and trying to recreate herself into an image closer to her mother.

I love how the hard topics are not shied away from. Death. Grief. Crimes. Drinking problems. All these are topics a lot of authors choose not to read about in exchange for a more relaxed and light-hearted read. Maskame did not. Dare to Fall was what I would consider an easy read, but with these harder topics thrown in, I was enthralled the entire time. Maskame’s writing style is smooth, transitions are easy, and the characters are interesting. I’ll also add Jaden to my list of book boyfriends. He was everything a girl could want.

Definitely pick up your own copy of Dare to Fall by Estelle Maskame on shelves December 4th, 2018. You will not be disappointed. Perfect for the lovers of all things YA Fiction/Teen.

2 1/2 stars.

I love a good angsty read, but this one wasn't for me. I didn't care for the narrative voice, and had a hard time connecting to MacKenzie and her relationship with, well, anyone. I will not be writing a full review on my blog for DARE TO FALL.

I really enjoyed the raw emotion in the story and Kenzi's journey her mom, her own grief, and her relationship with the Hunter twins. But I felt like the ending as so abrupt and unsatisfying that it brought the story down.

Dare to Fall is about Mackenzie Rivers, a seventeen year old high school student living in a small town in Colorado. She and her best friends, Will and Holden, are hanging out in Dairy Queen one Sunday night when Mackenzie sees Danielle (Dani) Hunter there. Mackenzie has been avoiding Dani and her twin brother, Jaden, since their parents died last year.

The reason is way, way less scandalous than you think. She's so used to the grief in her own family (complete with hackneyed plot regarding a parent and drinking too much) that she doesn't know what to say.

But she summons the courage to say something and reconnects with Dani --after first reconnecting with Jaden and realizing she's still as in love with him as she was before his parents died.

That's probably 80% of the whole book. The "plot" is nonexistent, save for a few obligatory nods to Mackenzie's home situation and the "mystery" behind the death of Dani and Jaden's parents. There's also, randomly, several clunky appearances by a former boyfriend of Mackenzie, who seems to exist to be the obligatory jerk/ person who drops the "scandalous" reveal about said mystery.

The characters are as uninteresting as the plot, making Dare to Fall an insipid and aimless mess.

I really liked this book as I couldn’t figure out which direction the storyline was moving, therefore I had to continue reading it until I could figure it out. I’m also thrilled with the lack of happy ending all tied up with a bow.

Dare To Fall by Estelle Maskame is an amazing read that I just couldn't put down. You will just fall in love with Kenzie and Jaden as they both struggle with loss and finding each other. Great Book for ALL. I really enjoyed this one.

Thanks for the early review copy!

I recommend this book to fans of young adult fiction. It dealt with hard issues, had interesting characters, and was well-written! I will check out more this author is the future.

I loved Maskame's first three novels and I was happy to be approved to read this new novel. Unfortunately it fell a little short for me. I felt like Maskame had a good plot line, I just wanted to see the relationships developed a bit more fully. The way the author dealt with loss was well done and there were some nice moments, but overall didn't love it nearly as much as the trilogy. Thank you for the opportunity to read this and I will look for more by this author.

Writing was very bland. Story didn't have enough of a punch.Writing was very bland. Story didn't have enough of a punch.