The Dating Dare is the second novel in the Sweet Mess series. Each novel in the series, so far, features a new set of main characters within the same setting. Therefore, each novel could be read as a standalone or as a series. The main characters in this story is Tara, the best friend of Aubrey (the main from A Sweet Mess) and Seth, the brother of Landon (the other main from A Sweet Mess) and their story takes place directly after the previous novel. This series continues to be a very fun and sweet read, as I love all of the characters and the small town setting where everyone potentially is involved in everyone’s business.

Tara Park, 28-years-old, brewer at her family’s establishment, Weldon Brewery. Due to some past trauma in her romantic relationships, she keeps men at a distance. She is okay with being together, but is not ready to fully commit to another person again. This part of the story is brought up and explained little by little where the full extent is given towards the end. For me, I wished there was a little more up front to explain her reluctance. It would add a little more understanding for the reader and, for me, would help me connect with why it is okay for her to date someone, but not become a full couple. Tara’s current relationship is with her crush from high school. Roger Stephens, a salesperson for a pharmaceutical company and her traveling lover, where the two of them connect when he is in town for the past three years, but Tara does not wish to become more.

Seth Kim, 26-years-old, sought-after fashion photographer, who will be moving to Paris one month after the wedding to start a new job. Although he and Tara knew each other previously from Landon and Aubrey, they reconnect at their wedding reception. Tara and Seth relocate to the Weldon Brewery for some quiet time together. They start a drinking Truth or Dare game that leads to Seth daring Tara to go on four dates with him without falling in love. Seth wants to get to know Tara better and this is the perfect solution, as he will be leaving in a month and he has trepidations about relationships due to his past. With Tara’s past and not wanting a serious commitment, while also wanting to get to spend time with Seth, she agrees. The story follows the two of them, who have an insane attraction to the other, try to get to know the other without becoming too vulnerable and potentially wanting more.

This concept for bringing the two characters together was extremely fun. In addition, there is an added factor of the setting to their dare. Since Tara will continue to live in Weldon and does not want gossip, she wants to keep this arrangement under wraps. Since small towns can become a place where everyone knows everything about everyone, it is a nice added factor to the story as Tara’s wishes to keep her personal life to herself and those closest to her, if she wishes to divulge to them. The two characters were really cute together and I loved that the author includes both of their perspectives as it was nice to see each of their inner thoughts. (I am not sure if it is a formatting issue or a conscious decision, but the transition between the two characters is very sudden. One paragraph will be from Tara’s point of view and the next one would be Seth’s one. For me, I needed a little more spacing or something to separate the two points of view as they sometimes blended while reading and I had to go back and re-read some parts.) The two characters start out with tension at the wedding reception that softens during their drinking game and becomes more apparent that they are smitten with each other by their first date. Although I loved the progression, my personal preference would be a slight extension of the tension before transitioning into the two of them liking each other. The two characters are an excellent match, however, so the quicker movement into like is understandable.

Overall, this was an excellent addition to the series with likeable characters and romance that the reader wants to root for where everyone can potentially get a happily ever after. I loved that each of the characters had their own pasts that they were working through before they could commit to the other. They also did not have the same types of past, so I liked how Tara’s took a little longer compared to Seth’s based on the events that happened to each of them. I would have liked a little more exploration of each of their pasts, but it did not affect my enjoyment of the story. I cannot wait to see what character will be featured in the next novel in the series. I hope it is Tara’s brother (either Alex or Jack) as there is some hints for one of them and another resident of Weldon; however, I will have to wait and see. This was a sweet novel that I would recommend to others.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read this enjoyable novel. The opinions expressed are completely my own.**

Good. Even though this book is second in a series it can be read as a stand alone book as it doesn't really refer back to past events just gets on with the story. A decent concept of a typical romance story but nothing that stands out.

I really enjoyed book 1, and so I was super excited to read this! Unfortunately, this one fell a little flat for me in comparison. I’m not sure what it was, but it just didn’t capture my attention or heart in the same way as book one. If there will be more in this series, I’ll definitely keep giving it a try though!

This was an easy enjoyable read. I loved the brews, the banter, and the ending! Tara agrees to 4 dates with Seth after attending the same wedding. They are both only interested in short term romances since Seth will be moving to Paris in a few weeks and Tara doesn't like to get too attached in her relationships. So these characters agree to a fling and end up falling hard for each other. Their biggest obstacle is that they both have had horrible relationships and can't let go of the walls they created so long ago. Overall this was a fun fast read and I look forward to the next in the series!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 54%. It was fine but I wasn’t feeling drawn in - when I stopped reading I wasn’t wanting to get back to it. When I think about why - I think it’s because I wasn’t really buying the conflict. Thank you to Netgalley, Libro.fm and the publisher for the advance reading and listening copies.

Cute story, characters and plot line. Maybe borderline cheese but cute, Thank you netgalley and publisher for this arc in exchange of an honest review.

DNF. I’ve decided life is too short, and when you’re on Chapter 5 (26%) of a book that you have NO connection to whatsoever, throw in the towel. I have forced myself to finish arcs before that I didn’t enjoy because I knew I’d feel guilty if I didn’t, but I’m turning over a new leaf.

NOTE: This was the second in series of which I had not read the first, and there wasn’t much of a backstory to fill in some of the narrative.

The writing itself was OK. However, I did not connect with the characters AT ALL. The female lead
is a 28-year-old who lives at home with her parents (along with her 30-year-old twin brothers). She struck me as shallow and immature (more like a teenager than an adult woman). The male lead is slightly better as at least he seems to be a little more mature (at 25).

I don’t enjoy and quite frankly am tired of fluff romances that are only filled with the mind-boggling beauty of the leads, their obsessive thoughts of sex and their immature banter/innuendos/conversations. Just not for me.

NOTE: I am providing a rating only for the portion of the book that I read.

My thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for providing me the free early arc of #TheDatingDare for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Tara Park & Seth Kim have both had devastating ends to their first relationships. These relationships tore their self esteems to shreds. Years later, when they are both in Tara's sister's wedding, they quickly realize that they have a strong, immediately reaction to each other, so they agree to a dating dare. Four dates with no romance or one night stands.
Problem is that Seth has only 2 months before he moves to Paris for a new job and, Tara is never leaving her hometown.
The best laid plans rarely work, do they?!
This was thoroughly enchanting love story with all the feels and I loved it!

Gosh I love this author so much!
Her romances just always hit the spot for me and the dating dare didn't let me down. I love a good oh this isn't seriously just having fun dare because you know that chemistry is off the charts. The resistance and denial of it all just makes it even more. Like just please let me push you together and stayyy. But do they listen to us readers?! Noooo that would make sense and we wouldn't have such a fun romcom to read. So if you want an angst, fun, I'm in complete denial that I do not want just four little tiny dates to pass time. Pick this one up!!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I want to start by saying I read a lot of romance novels so it’s not that I didn’t like the genre. Unfortunately, this book did not work for me at all. The first few chapters were cute and I thought was setting up a cute small town romance. However, the dialogue was incredibly cheesy to the point of being cringy. The situations the couple found themselves in were awkward and even more contrived than is normal for the genre. I think the largest problem falls with the female protagonist. She felt more like a YA character. Even though she was in her late twenties she lived with her parents and her 30 year old brothers, has only had one relationship and has “sworn off love forever”, and exclaims things like prickly pears when she is excited or frustrated. The character lacked the maturity that is needed for characters in a romance novel. She came off as more of a teenager even though she is supposed to be 28. She just needed more depth to be an interesting character.

Also there is a very problematic line in the middle of the novel. The protagonist mentions being 135 pounds and acts like that is quite heavy. Putting a weight at all in the novels (especially one in which it has no effect on the plot) such as this can be so triggering to those dealing with eating disorders or body acceptance issues. Acting like 135 pounds is heavy is also a very tone deaf comment and would be a turn off to a lot of people who might otherwise enjoy this novel.

I just found the novel awkward and not at all believable.

A new to me author and it was a winner. I loved the characters and plot of this story. I found the book to be charming and I would recommend to others.

Characters fighting their feels? Count me in. The Dating Dare oozes chemistry and that, "I am terrified of my feels" vibe. I love the idea of saying that you don't want anything serious - because does that ever work? Saying this as someone who also used that line and had it backfire on my heart. I love a determined passionate heroine and Tara is one of them! The Dating Dare features characters who are scared of being vulnerable. Of the possibility of getting hurt again.

This is a new author for me, liked the description of the story so I thought I would give it a try. Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy it as much as I had hoped. Writing was just okay, I just couldn’t connect with the characters, and although it had promise in the beginning, the further things got into the story with the dare, the more the dialogue just got more disconnected. Seth and Tara just didn’t have the connection that I expected, which left it lacklustered for me. Maybe next time, but this one was a no for me.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book.

The Dating Dare is the second installment of Lee's A Sweet Mess series, this time with Seth, Landon's younger brother, and Tara, Aubrey's best friend, in a variation of a dating contract. Seth and Tara are wary of relationships and, after a hefty amount of drinking, embark on a 4-date only dare with promises to not fall in love with each other. It makes a lot of sense because neither is particularly looking for long-term relationships, and Seth is moving to Paris at the end of the month.

It was difficult for me to root for Tara and Seth because their first interaction felt forced. Tara confronts Seth and then it jumps to establishing the dating dare so quickly that I didn't find it believable. Eventually, lust and sexual chemistry are established, but I was unable to overcome my first impression. I was never fully convinced they could fall in love with each other so easily.

The book largely focuses on their interactions with each other and not much else. It also lacks a sense of place, jumping from one scene of them together to the next scene of them together without much detail into their surroundings. I've never been to Weldon and would like to "see" what it's like there, but I couldn't envision the town through the book. Similarly, I wanted to meet the residents and be an audience to conversations and interactions outside of Tara and Seth together, but people only popped in and out occasionally to serve as backboards and props as if life did not exist outside of the leads.

I expected a bit more from the book, but it wasn't a complete letdown. Although Lee doesn't include much detail about the town, there are beautiful descriptions when Seth captures images on his camera. These moments were some of my favorite because there was so much detail. I felt Seth's love for his art and how important it was to him.

CONTENT WARNING: brief mention of abusive relationship

I have officially found a new favorite romance author! After reading this, I’m definitely going to be browsing through her backlist, because I fell in love with her witty, hilarious, and sexy writing style.

The very first thing that I noticed was that the main character, Tara, is awesome. She’s smart and sexy, but also kind of dorky and hilarious. In addition, she’s got some insecurity resulting from a horrible experience with a past relationship, which she manages by refusing to get into serious relationships. Seth is another character that I loved, with a similar streak of hilarious dorkiness, buried under layers of incredible sexiness. He’s got a rough backstory too, and sells the sexy playboy persona well enough to fool everyone around him. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know these two MCs and seeing what was going on inside their heads. Don’t think for a second that the other characters are ignored though, because the author creates well-rounded side characters too. I loved seeing how they all interacted, and especially the little use of Korean words and how the culture is interspersed throughout the story.

The sexual chemistry between Tara and Seth was incredible. I loved watching the connection between them grow, especially since it started out as lust-at-first-sight and then slowly changed into something more. I particularly liked that even though they created a dare, they didn’t hop right into hooking up. The sexual tension between these two practically leapt off the pages, and kept me reading until way past my bedtime. It managed to be insanely hot and not raunchy, while still managing to remain clean.

I absolutely loved this story and the world that Jayci Lee built. Although I didn’t realize that this was the second book in a series, I definitely want to check out the first book. The world that she’s built is so amazing, and I’m not quite ready to leave it behind just yet.

I liked the premise of this book. The protagonists agree to go on four dates and not fall in love.
Because their social circles overlap, they spend an awful lot of time sneaking around so no one knows they are dating. I didn't get that. The guy is going to Paris in a month, the girl has a policy of only dating guys from out of town. Why can't they be seen out and about together?

I just didn't connect with Tara and Seth as characters or as a couple. There was no reason to root for them except they were both late bloomers, had crappy college relationships and her BFF is married to his brother. I also didn't like when the pair of random characters popped into to invite them both for dinner. It was an awkward way to have another "non date" encounter and those people didn't add anything to the backstory or moving the plot forward.

I liked Tara's brothers in this book and am guessing one will be the feature of the next book. I'd read along to see what happens.

*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.*

I can't write a lot without feeling like I'm giving out spoilers, which I don't like to do. Just do yourself a favor and add this book to your TBR ASAP!

Tara Park has avoided serious relationships for a long time with a torrid past, she decided that avoidance was the best answer. When she attends her best friend's wedding she has an encounter with a guy, but the key about him is his soon departure for Paris, so this can't get too serious and could be a month long fun adventure.

I wanted to love this romance so much, but the constant chatter between the two characters about the physical aspects of courting was just too much. They went on and on for most of the book to each other and in their own heads about physical intimacy and I just kept rolling my eyes! The concept of the book was great fun, but for me the execution didn't hit the mark.

I am always up for a fun romance at any time of the year and love that in this genre the reader knows the ending, but the journey is what we are all here for, so when the journey isn't enjoyable, it makes the expected ending not as fun. This wasn't my kind of romance, but I hope in describing how I didn't love it, I could entice readers who love the lust and chatter of desire, this book can find the reader that loves it.

This tale was a bit slow moving, in my opinion. The narrative was awkward and strained. I didn’t hate the book, the subject matter being interesting, so will try this author again.
Thanks for the ARC opportunity.

4 Star review The Dating Dare ( Sweet Mess #2) by Jayci Lee

Jayci Lee is a relatively new author to me and I am surprised I have not read more of her books before now. This was an enjoyable read with characters who were easy to like.

When her best friend Aubrey marries Landon, Tara Parks is brought into contact with the brother of the groom Seth Kim. Both Tara and Seth have baggage from the past and neither are looking for a committed relationship, or are they?

Seth is moving to Paris so the last things he wants or needs is to fall in love with Tara. However what starts out as a casual fling soon becomes complicated. I loved the banter that flowed between Tara and Seth and it was entertaining to watch their relationship progress.

The Dating Dare is a story with humour, steam, miss communication and some great secondary characters.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.