Tara is at her best friends wedding and feeling a bit sad about her friend moving on with her life when she notices Seth has been staring at her all night, so she promptly tells him to quit it, after some back and forth after the reception ends they wind up going to her bar for a nightcap and playing truth or dare. Seth dares her to go on 4 dates with him without falling for him, since they both fear commitment and he's moving to Paris in 4 weeks she agrees.
These to are both just big balls of angst when it comes to each other and their fear of catching feelings for anyone. Granted they both had some pretty crap relationships in college that caused the angsty neurotic tendencies, it was still like living inside the minds of 2 horny teenagers for most of the story.
I would have liked to see them interact more individually or together with people other than each other but it does keep the story very tightly focused on the MC's this way.

**3.5 stars**
If I could sum up The Dating Dare with one word, it would be adorable! It’s cute, cheesy, and sweet. It’s the second in The Sweet Mess series. I haven’t read the first book and I was able to figure things out quickly. If you did read the first book, The Dating Dare starts at Aubrey and Landon’s wedding with the Maid of Honor, Tara, meeting the Best Man and brother of the groom, Seth. Tara is a unique heroine. She is a brewer and not big into relationships. Seth is a fashion photographer, weeks away from his move to Paris. When they meet sparks fly and in order for Seth to get to spend time with Tara, they make a dating dare, where they go out on 4 dates together and not fall in love with each other. Neither thought this would be a problem, since they’d both been burned in the past. They start spending a ton of time together and find they have tons in common and lots of chemistry. It’s super low on steam, with some closed door moments. The writing felt stilted in spots. The characters were sweet. It was just adorable all around.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Meeting at a wedding, the spark of attraction between Seth Kim and Tara Park leads to a game of Truth or Dare. Seth leaves for a new job in Paris in four weeks, as a photographer for fashion. He wants the opportunity to get close to Tara, hence the dare. As the game progresses learning about each other, Seth dares her to go out on four dates and not fall for him. How can Tara refuse! Both carry scars from broken hearts, but every date and not a date brings them closer together, until a confession breaks them apart. Seth is such a sweetheart, he just has to get his heart's desire. Humor and tears.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

Tara Park has strict rules about dating. She avoids serious relationships like the plague, but she won’t sleep with a man she barely knows either, especially when the man in question is her best friend’s new brother-in-law. But Seth Kim is hard to resist given his good looks and endearing charm.

A casual post-wedding game of Truth or Dare results in a Tara’s agreement to go on four dates with Seth, it seems like a good way for them both to spend the next month before Seth moves to Paris for his new job. The lack of commitment works for them both and the arrangement seems like it will be a simple way for them to find some companionship, but things between them rapidly grow heated. Seth quickly sees that Tara is everything he’s not allowed himself to want or hope for and never thought he’d find. They both have trauma from past relationships that needs to be addressed, and each has to decide if what they could potentially have together is worth risking their hearts again.

This was such a cute and surprisingly emotional story. It was so heavy on the feels that it was hard for me to read or listen to much of it all at once; I had to take time to decompress and process a bit. I listened to the audiobook as well as reading the text and I think that helped to add another layer to the story, making it more realistic and relatable, even though the narrator definitely had to grow on me. The relationship between Seth and Tara was so sweet as they each began to take small risks and confide more and more in each other as they overcome the pain of their past relationships. It was so refreshing to see a modern man exhibiting chivalrous and respectful behavior in planning real romantic dates that would be special for the heroine. I also loved that it was the heroine who chased after the hero and made things right in the end. That reversal from what we typically see in romance was so nice to read and the ultimate declaration of feelings and revelation of past relationship trauma was moving and both heartwarming and heart wrenching. I loved Seth and Tara together, especially once Tara finally admitted her feelings and stopped trying to hide her association with Seth because that part got old fast. Seth’s vulnerability beneath his charm was incredibly endearing and I loved his decisiviness about what he wanted and his willingness to fight to make it happen, even when circumstances weren’t ideal. I’m glad I had the audio version of this as well because it really helped to read and listen simultaneously to really draw out the emotional depth of this story. My only disappointment was that after such an incredibly delicious build-up of sexual tension between this couple, most of the steamy scenes, save one I believe, were fade to black. This was a new to me author and I’m very glad I tried her work and I’ll look forward to more.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book/audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I just finished The Dating Dare by Jayci Lee and this book is cute as hell (maybe a eve a little to cute). I don’t know why but I always seem to gravitate towards the couple in the second book of the series. Maybe it’s because you’ve had more time to meet and connect with characters or maybe it’s because you get a longer time to root for them. Anyway Tara and Seth are a book couple you can easily root for. They both are coming with their own baggage but are ultimately good people who you want to be happy. This was a really easy read that I would recommend to anybody but I would suggest they read the first book before they jump into this.
Thank you netgalley. #Netgalley

Happy August y'all! I'm hoping to get a June and July review and August TBR post written/out sometime soon since I totally dropped the ball on that in July (and I love those kinds of posts), but until then, let's get back to reviews! Today, I have a review for an ARC I just finished today- The Dating Dare by Jayci Lee! This book comes out tomorrow, August 3, so definitely get on grabbing it ASAP! And thank you so much to St. Martin's Griffin and Netgalley for letting me read an eARC of this book!
The Dating Dare 4/5 Stars
Summary from Goodreads:
Jayci Lee, author of A Sweet Mess, returns with The Dating Dare—her next witty, chemistry-filled romantic comedy.
Tara Park doesn’t do serious relationships. Neither does she hop into bed with virtual strangers. Especially when that particular stranger is her best friend’s new brother-in-law. It isn’t an easy decision, though. Seth Kim is temptation personified. His unreasonably handsome looks and charming personality makes him easy on the eyes and good for her ego.
When a friendly game of Truth or Dare leads to an uncomplicated four-date arrangement with Seth, Tara can’t say she minds. But their dates, while sweet and sexy, have a tendency to hit roadblocks. Thankfully, their non-dates and chance meetings get frequent and heated.
Seth is leaving for a new job in Paris in a month and a no-strings attached fling seemed like a nice little distraction for both… But soon Seth realizes that Tara Park doesn’t come in a “nice & little” package--she’s funny and bold, sweet and sexy, and everything he ever wanted and never expected to find. Neither of them are ready for something serious and both have past relationship baggage they’ve been ignoring, but with a shot at forever on the line will they follow their hearts and take a chance on happily-ever-after?
I haven't read A Sweet Mess yet, but The Dating Dare was so cute that now A Sweet Mess is definitely on my list! I really liked all of the characters a lot- Tara was such a fun character and I loved her brothers too! I also really liked Seth and Audrey and Landon (which is why I really want to read A Sweet Mess now). The brewery and bakery were super fun! I loved how we started out with the wedding and that's where Tara and Seth's banter and chemistry really took off. I love the idea of a dating dare and going on 4 dates within a month with a set end time, especially when both parties had been wronged so badly in the past that they were still so jaded in terms of dating and relationships etc. Their dates were super cute and I liked how much effort they put into each of them and how much effort they put into getting to know each other. So much of this book felt so real- like I could imagine this happening to a friend and it was so cute. Definitely exactly what I wanted to read right now! I highly suggest The Dating Dare for a fun, cute, quick read with compelling characters that leaves you wanting more in this world!

I was so excited to get the change to read this one! After LOVING A Sweet Mess, I couldn't wait to get my hands on The Dating Dare. Keeping with her clever writing style, Lee takes us on another joy ride this time introducing us to Tara and Seth. The build up was done well and the chemistry was realistic. Lee once again proves she is a dominating voice in Romantic Comedy and I can't wait to see what she does next!

Both Tara and Seth are both commitment adverse after toxic relationships in their past. After a wedding, Seth dares her to date him four times without falling in love. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. While the book had an interesting start, amusing scenes, and witty dialogues, I didn't connect with Tara and Seth. I found that half of the book was foreplay for them to get together. Much of the book focused on their attraction for each other. Even though I love the first book in this series, this book was just not for me.

This is a cute book. It's fun, sweet, and of course for a rom-com book - it's cheesy. But hey, isn't that why we love reading these books? I didn't read the first book in this series with the other characters, but it wasn't an issue. This book can be a stand alone.

A cute story about what happens when two people who’ve previously had their hearts broken go on four dates with no strings attached. The story was a fast paced well written book that made me LOL in many spots.

A feel good modern day romance story. Two young adults decide to date for a very short period before he moves to Paris for a new job. She had a previous history which has left her with a fear of commitment. As they proceed on the. agreed number of dates love and lust begin to enter the picture. Both have different career dreams but are doing jobs that are not what they desire. After being rejected he moves on to Paris. Can love overcome these challenges.

I have rated this book 4 stars. It is a love story for young adults or the young at heart.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review.

Sparks fly when the sexy best man can't keep his eyes off the gorgeous maid of honor and they sneak away for drinks at her family's brewery. The sparks burst into flame when Tara and Seth exchanged a drunken dare for four dates but with absolutely, positively, no sir, nada, zero falling in love. And *fans self*, do these two pack a lot of heat, heart, and fun in those dates.

Seth is off to Paris in a month for a new job while Tara is happily manning her family's brewery. Neither is looking for love, and due to past heartbreak, both actively avoid falling love. But with so much attraction sparking between them, it was fun watching their unlikely romance roll out when they had to sneak behind their families' back and struggle to stop falling heads over heels with each other.

Tara is a ballbuster, no question, as she juggled her family's brewery, two older brothers, and the secret reason why she never wanted to open her heart again. At first, it seemed like Seth was cut from the same cloth, until this adorable softy fell completely in love with her.

Seth is the perfect antidote to the tired trope of the angry, monosyllabic, repressed hero archetype. Seth absolutely delights in everything Tara is, and nowhere does that shine more than when he's feeding her. The food porn in The Dating Dare is every bit as elegant and lush as in Seth's brother's story, A Sweet Mess: yuzu cheesecake, black sesame and white chocolate cake, kimchi fried rice, even the beers from Tara's brewery sounded amazing to this non-beer-drinker.

Okay so. This was a mystery arc that just randomly showed up in my email. It sounded fine so I decided to give it a go. But I wish I would've done a little research first.

I didn't realize this is the second book in a series. In theory, that shouldn't have really mattered because it's one of those series where each book is a new romance following different characters. But this book is so deeply ingrained into the first one that I honestly felt a little lost reading this?? Instead of backtracking and explaining the character relationships, this one just assumes you've read the first book and you already know everything. And there weren't always sufficient context clues to figure things out.

So. I just started this immediately feeling lost. But then this one also has some janky writing? A lot of the dialogue feels wildly unnatural and it took me out of the story quite a few times. Plus there was no real conflict between the main characters. Everything felt too easy, too simple. If the love interests would've communicated a little better, this entire story wouldn't have happened. It was mostly a story about two people who just don’t want to admit that they like each other. And that honestly isn’t the fodder for a particularly compelling romcom.

Overall, I think this was a cute story, it was just need in need of some serious editing and maybe a few extra scenes/a big conflict. I thought it was okay but I didn't really love it. But I also don't tend to read a ton of romcoms so maybe I was just the wrong audience for this in general.

Anyway, thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review!

The Dating Dare is the second book in Jayci Lee's A Sweet Mess series. I did not read the first book in the series, so this was my first book by Ms. Lee. The blurb caught my attention and it seemed as though it would be something I'd really enjoy.

Tara is not one who looks for serious relationships. She's more the hook-up kind of girl. Seth is a fashion photographer who is known as a playboy, so serious is not in his vocabulary either. The attraction between Tara and Seth is undeniable from the start.

Tara is the best friend of Aubrey, who is getting married, to Landon, who is Seth's brother. When the two find themselves at the wedding having had too much to drink, they end up playing a game of truth or dare, which ends with them deciding to go on four dates before Seth leaves for Paris. The other piece, they can't fall in love with one another.

While I really hoped I would love this book, there was just something I didn't connect with. You're not going to connect with every single book you read and I struggled with this one. I would give Ms. Lee another chance in the future for sure.

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a honest review**

The dating dare est une comédie romantique estivale qui fait du bien. On va se régaler des aventures de nos deux héros qui se disent incapables de tomber amoureux mais qui auront plus de points communs qu'ils ne pensent. Jayci Lee nous propose une lecture sympathique et rigolote.

Tara Weldon est une jeune femme de 28 ans qui a changé de carrière en cours de route et qui sera un peu perdue après le mariage de sa meilleure amie Aubrey. Elle a en quelque sorte perdu ses repères et elle va tenter de combler le vide que son amie a laissé . Lors du mariage de cette dernière , après une soirée très arrosée, elle va accepter le pari de vivre 4 rendez vous avec Seth sans jamais tomber amoureuse. On comprendra plus tard pourquoi elle ne croit plus à l'amour et passe tout son temps dans l'entreprise familiale à s'en donner à coeur joie. Pourtant , la surprise sera complète quand elle va accepter d'apprendre à connaitre ce héros et ils vont passer de bons moments . Mais elle est sûre et certaine de ne pas rompre les termes du contrat. Tara est une jeune femme enjouée que j'ai adoré découvrir car elle est pleine d'énergie et d'envie mais il faudra gratter le vernis pour en apprendre plus à son sujet. Quand une certaine révélation va bousculer tout ce en quoi elle croyait, elle devra faire le bon choix au risque de tout perdre.

Seth Kim est le frère de Landon , le mari d'Aubrey et il sera donc amené à revoir Tara à de nombreuses reprises. C'est un jeune homme charmant , sûr de son charme et qui connaît un succès de plus en plus appuyé avec ses photos. S'engager dans ce pari sera la décision idéale car dans un mois il s'envole pour Paris pour pousser sa carrière vers une opportunité inespérée et unique. Il va donc s'engager l'esprit léger dans ce pari mais au fil des rendez vous , nous allons constater qu'il pourrait franchir la limite entre amitié et amour. Lui aussi a été "marqué" dans son passé par certains rebondissements et il a en quelque sorte perdu sa confiance dans certains domaines. C'est un artiste dans l'âme et il va prendre au sérieux ce défi et ce pari.

Bref, si vous lisez en VO et que vous avez envie d'une lecture sans prise de tête alors ce roman est fait pour vous. On va se régaler d'un bout à l'autre et même si l'intrigue est entendue , nous nous pourrons que succomber au charme de ces héros qui se cherchent et qui risquent bien de se trouver.

I got to 24% before I couldn’t push myself anymore. This book is not for me. The tone is all over the place, the dialogue is clunky and the main couple have very little chemistry. I normally don’t mind instalust but this was over the top, and what’s worse, I couldn’t buy it. I didn’t get why they were attracted to each other. I need more development, I need to know Tara and Seth a tiny bit more as individuals so I could try to understand what it is they would be looking for in each other. And, I don’t know, they just didn’t read like real people to me. Their actions were inorganic. More often than not, they felt like Sims that the author was commanding to act in a certain way. The chapters are also unnecessarily long.

I did like that both characters are Korean-American and that they seem close to their families. That part was nice.

Everything else? Not my cup of tea.

This was a fast, yet slow read. I'm not sure if it's because I didn't read the first in the series, but I felt like I was dropped into the story, and some of the back story could have been clearer to me, like the fact that the main characters were Asian. That's a wonderful aspect of the book, but it's sort of glossed over in the beginning, and then I realize it, and wonder if I've missed something.

I would definitely read more from this author, the style was engaging, the writing was enjoyable. This particular story just fell a little flat for me.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Sweet romance, wonderful setting

How serious could this fling get when he's got one foot out the door already? Seth is committed to leaving in a month - all the way to Paris - so there's no way it can turn into anything, right? I love romances where both parties try to convince themselves they're just scratching an itch when the reader knows all along they're absolutely, perfectly, made for each other.

The engaging characters make this book an easy, fun read. I really enjoyed their banter and could easily relate to Tara. Their HEA was delightful. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Tara and Seth are both afraid of love. Tara believes Seth is a playboy and Seth is captivated with Tara’s strength. A night of sharing drinks and making wagers lands them in the dating dare, 4 dates and they can’t fall in love with each other. This is perfect for Seth since he is heading to Paris in 4 weeks for his dream job and commitment is the last thing he wants but he also knows he wants to learn more about Tara. Tara fights love and only does hook-ups after a disastrous relationship in college yet finds herself attracted to Seth and realizes there is more to him than what she currently knows. What happens when feelings happen? I enjoyed how Seth and Tara got to know each other. Tara is tough and sarcastic which keeps Seth on his toes in a good way. The beauty for me in their relationship is the items they figure out they have in common. Neither one trusts easily so opening up about their fears and insecurities took time but the payoff is worth it. I voluntarily read an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.

Another winner from Jayci Lee. This is a beautiful rom com. Take another visit to the small town of Weldon and get to know some more of the great characters that reside there. Seth is visiting for his brother’s wedding before he takes off for a new job in Paris. Tara is a native and is the best friend of the bride. From the first page you can’t help but laugh at the conversations between these two. The outbursts and creative language used by Tara is especially fun. Their dates are epic and will just make you swoon. It is an overall wonderful story that shows the great resilience of two people who had every reason to mistrust love. ♥️♥️♥️