It was fine. Not an earth shattering rom com but it was cute and had some adorable moments. A solid rom com read if you are looking for something light, fun, and current!

I loved the cute cover of The Dating Dare, and the premise was fun! Unfortunately, the writing felt flat, with more "telling" instead of "showing." The characters' backstories were described in the first few chapters. Then, the rest of the book was just the push and pull of their attraction for one another vs. their unwillingness to be honest about their feelings.

The Dating Dare had so much possibility and I wanted to like it more. Some parts were cute. Some parts were awkward. Dialogue and thoughts were uncomfortable at parts. But overall, still was ok and liked that Tara was a successful brewer. I like seeing women having a career that is non-traditional.

This was the second book in a row for me that started with a wedding. This was a case of best friend of the bride (Tara) and brother of groom (Seth) getting together based on a bet. Well, actually, just dating and not catching feelings because one of the characters was leaving the country. But we know how these always end.

After attending a wedding, Tara and Seth end up at her brewery basically playing drinking games. Seth is attracted to Tara and decides this is the time to try to get her to go out with him. By hooking her into dating him before he leaves to move to Paris. 4 dates. He wants 4 dates before he leaves. She falls right into his trap before becoming too drunk to even tell Seth where she lives so he can take her home. From then on we get to see their fun camaraderie turn into more and get to see the dates Seth has planned for them. But not all of their "dates" are dates. They find out they genuinely enjoy each other's company and find ways of spending time with one another that are not technically dates. But the dates?? Most of them are winners and it's fun to see them grow closer AND enjoy food (I'm a total foodie, so I really enjoyed the food aspect of this story). A little issue I had was the characters' pasts. They were too much the same. They were broken by pasts relationships that were basically the same. So when they opened up to one another, it felt like I had heard the story before (from the other character).

Overall, it's still an ok story that fell a little flat with conversation and character development. BUT, I enjoyed the representation, the career choices, family and friendship and how much Seth believed in what they had.

This was a cute and charming romance. Seth and Tara meet and have chemistry, but Tara is wrapped up in work and Seth is moving to Paris in a month. They set up a dating dare for four dates without falling for each other. The premise is good, but it got tiring hearing how they couldn’t commit over and over again, all while spending lots of time in bed with each other. Still, a fun read. 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for my honest review.

I really had to make myself read this book. I could not get into it. There were a lot of fun moments and I really tried. I did finish reading the book but it was just too much. We all know when two characters make a pact of not falling in love with each other they're going to fall in love. I knew it, I expected for it and that didn't bother me at all. The problem was that the book was just too much for me. I don't care for the type of language used in the book, I don't need to read the f bomb and other intimate TMI. It didn't help the story, wasn't required at all. I don't enjoy books where characters are quick to fall into bed as if that solves everything. I thought Seth was the more interesting character between the two. I wanted to know more about his art! I didn't enjoy Tara's character much at all. I found her character unbelievable and conflicting. She jumped to conclusions about Seth and was nerdy one minute, loved Disney Princesses, cursed like a sailor, said things like oh my googly eyes, and then was upset about missing prom. I would love to know more about her brothers though. They seemed to have some story to them but we weren't told about it. If you don't mind foul language and TMI then you may enjoy this book. I hadn't realized this book was part of a series but I won't read another.

Romantic comedy where two people who’ve vowed never to fall in love agree to 4 dates: the only catch, they can’t accidentally fall in love with each other.

I really enjoyed this, it was light and sweet. The characters were funny and Tara had a lot of spunk, which I really loved in her character. Sometimes though, the plot dragged and the characters acted in very frustrating ways, this kind of ruined some aspects because it felt like things that could have happened quickly took way too long.

This was sooo hard to finish. I was not into this one at all. It just dragged and I was honestly so bored. Took me forever to actually read and want to pick up and finish

Thank you so much to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced copy in return for an honest review!

Real Rating: 4.5/5

The Dating Dare by Jayci Lee follows main characters Tara and Seth as they go on four dates in which they've dared each other not to fall in love. Both are totally up for this no-strings-attached spring fling seeing as Seth has a job waiting for him in Paris at the end of the month. Tara and Seth have had their fair share of traumatic experiences with love that leaves them keeping romantic interests arms lengths away, so neither of them expects love to come as quickly as it does. Though I was apprehensive at the start of the book, both Tara and Seth have thoroughly wormed their way into my heart. Tara is a powerful, strong-willed (albeit stubborn), hardworking entrepreneur at her family's brewery. Seth is just as passionate about his art though he is more unsure of his career path. This mix of stubbornness, passion, and the "guy who is completely infatuated by the girl" trope leads to such an epic romance that left me breathless at times. Sometimes romance books can be infuriating because of miscommunication. But this book ties it in so nicely that I couldn't complain. There was always reasoning behind both character's actions, and I thoroughly enjoyed this epic and cheesy romance.

trigger warning: eating disorder

My Thoughts

Tara Park and Seth Kim are 2 adults playing a game for children, with a grown up spin to it.

However when the game becomes serious they have very different reactions to how it should be addressed.

Tara and Seth both feel too much too soon but for me that is not the real problem with their relationship.

The real problem started when Tara and Seth met at the wedding of her best friend Aubrey to Seth’s older brother Landon.

As best man and maid of honor the pair find themselves in a classic scenario of insta lust where being casualties as after wedding hookups with each other looms over their heads.

Not giving in to their attraction at that point does not hold true forever so over course of this story time and again chances for taking a naked roll together are thwarted again and again.

What truly had a problem with however was the author over and over letting it be known that Tara thinks Seth is a player when his every action or deed shows him to be anything but.

As this was stated over most of the book it became annoying to me to the point of detracting from enjoying how these characters grew to know each other beyond just superficially.

Past relationship baggage and all for me Tara paired with Seth worked better the closer end of book got, while in beginning stages of their story not so much.

The chemistry was there but for me the promised humor not so much.

[EArc from Netgalley]

On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

I think this is a case of “it’s not you, it’s me.”The Dating Dare by Jayci Lee - releasing on August 3 - will work for a lot of people. The set-up is definitely my catnip, which is why I was thrilled to get an ARC to review from @netgalley and St. Martin’s Press. Tara Park runs her family brewery with her two older brothers and parents, and still lives at home. She meets Seth Kim, her best friend’s new brother-in-law at her best friend’s wedding, and they have an immediate attraction to each other. They form a dare, where they will go on 4 dates before Seth moves for a new job in Paris, and neither will fall in love with each other.

(Before you decide to read - TW for emotional abuse and an abusive former relationship.)

So the set-up is good, but the execution is lacking for me. Both characters read as younger than mid-late 20s. Throughout the story, I wanted to tell both of them to go to therapy, and to grow up.

Seth, although a cinnamon roll hero, was a bit of a let down for me. He wanted to plan 4 dates, but only ended up planning the 3rd. I really couldn’t understand why Tara was falling for him. For me, he was a bit bland.

Tara was supposed to be mature, kick-ass, smart - and she is still living at home with her whole family, sneaking out of the house, and the night she meets Seth, she gets black-out drunk. I am okay with a heroine growing throughout the book, but it was hard for me to see Tara as a self-sufficient, smart woman when she makes these unsafe, childish decisions.

What worked for me? The description of food, the way the characters got to slowly know each other, and the way that family is clearly important to each of the main characters. I think this might be someone else’s favorite read in August, but it just didn’t work for me.

At a wedding, the best friend of the bride and the brother of the groom start a flirtation that leads to a dare. The dare is simple: one month, four dates, and neither can fall in love with the other. For Tara and Seth this should be easy. Neither wants an attachment and neither will get it because Seth leaves to start a new job in Paris at the end of the month. However, the dare only serves to bring the two of them closer together. The question is not wether or not they will fall in love. The is whether they will allow a stubborn resolve and competitive nature to keep them from acknowledging their true feelings for one another.. Is winning the dare really worth losing something worth so much more?

This book has some excellent witty and playful banter between the main characters, and even some with the side characters. Without it though, this story (and book) would be a hollow shell. The character interactions and dialogue are what keep this book alive. This book is excellent for those who want a no fuss romance. Fans of Jasmine Guillory will love this as will fans of Hallmark romances.

Readers should note is that this book is certainly an uncorrected proof, be sure to keep that in mind.

When a game of truth or dare between brewery owner, Tara, and smoking’ hot photographer, Seth, gets out of hand - you know it’s going to be a fun romcom!!

I’ve been trying to figure out the trope here and I’m a bit stumped, which is super cool because it means this book didn’t follow a typical formula. It was fake-ish dating and a touch of forbidden/opposites attract …. I love when the assumed playboy turns out to be the biggest cinnamon roll. 😍 I adored hard working Tara and her fun family. The “fake” dates were a lot of fun and I was definitely swooning at their last date!! There was definitely great chemistry with very well done closed door steam. It was also fun catching up with Aubrey and Landon from A Sweet Mess!

I knew that since I had loved "The Sweet Mess", I would adore this book just as much. And I did. The Dating Dare is a wonderful book that centers around Tara (Aubrey's best friend) and Seth (Landon's brother). Aubrey and Landon were the stars in The Sweet Mess.

Aubrey and Landon finally got married and took off for a one month honeymoon. Seth was in between homes (he was leaving to start a new photography job in Paris in one month) so he offered to house sit and watch after Landon's new restaurant construction during the honeymooners' absence. Seth and Tara entered into a 4 date agreement due to a "dating dare" created during a night of alcohol induced banter. The only catch is neither could fall in love with each other. Not a problem since they both carried so much emotional baggage that they would need to pay the extra luggage fees.

What followed was a genuine good story watching them develop friendship and more during their "non dates" plus their official dates. I really felt the chemistry between these two and I really enjoyed the story. A little drama occurred, but nothing insurmountable. A very good story that can easily be read in a day - I recommend.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated above are mine without biases.

Thank you to St. Martins Griffin and Libro.fm for my advance e-ARC and ALCs.

Sweet and steamy, The Dating Dare by Korean-American author Jayci Lee is a book that left me smiling.

Neither Seth Kim nor Tara Park are looking for a serious relationship, but they aren’t opposed to having a good time. With four weeks until Seth moves to Paris, he issues Tara a dare—go on four dates, and don’t fall in love. Easy, right?

It’s hard to review romances because you know going in that the main characters are basically perfect for each other and that they’ll end up together in the end—but this one was such a fun journey. I loved the slight age-gap, with a heroine a couple years older than the hero. I’m not usually a fan of “secret relationships,” but Lee wrote this one perfectly. I loved their chemistry. And I loved the little touches of Korean culture, like the food they eat and the relationships between the family members. I love the normalization of diversity that I’m seeing happen in the romance genre—more and more stories are featuring non-white leads, and I’m 100% here for it.

I just had a great time with this book! It was so sweet!!! This was the first book in the A Sweet Mess series I’ve read and based upon how much I liked Tara and Seth’s story I definitely see myself reading the other very soon (But this story reads as an incredible stand alone as well!)! This is the best read for when you need that perfect little sweet rom com with some dares, angst, and of course happily ever afters! Overall, Jayci Lee gives us the most precious easy-going read that will leave you with a smile!

Special Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press / St. Martin’s Griffin for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest review!

I haven't read a lot of romance books but I found this one to be really cute! I loved the banter between Seth and Tara and the anticipation for what each date was going to be was so well planned. I also love books that show case good food and let me tell you my mouth was watering from those descriptions!

This book was really sweet and fun. Overall I enjoyed the chemistry between Seth and Tara. Tara has a policy of no serious relationships. She allows the occasional fling but really is too busy to get too involved with anyone these days. Then she winds up in a "dating dare" with Seth Kim after a fun night of truth or dare where she agrees to four dates. Seth is leaving in a month so he is on board with a fun, no serious-dating arrangement too. Their encounters are fun, filled with unexpected issues, and straight out of a movie at times.

Overall, this book was entertaining and enjoyable. I did not read the first book in this series but would definitely be interested in doing so. Nothing about this one blew my socks off, but it was a fun read that kept me turning the pages. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Talk about a disappointment. I'd been looking forward to reading this one for months, and now I wish I could forget it. I'm not even sure why I disliked this so much, but I really didn't like it.

I think my main problem has to be the corniness. The dialogue didn't feel real. Our characters were always talking, but it never felt like a real conversation. Instead, it read incredibly stilted and unrealistic

I also had the problem with our characters communication. It seemed like every time there was the potential for an emotional moment, it would be replaced by last. Believe me, I like some spice in my books, but this was too much. And not in a good way. The substance of this book was replaced by mediocre sex scenes.

I don't have much more to say about this one, and I think I've made my disappointment pretty clear. This had the potential to be great, but the execution was very lacking.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

This was SO cute! I really enjoyed Jayci Lee's first book and I'm pleased to say her sophomore effort didn't disappoint. Just as swoony and romantic as the first, this was just so much fun!

The Dating Dare is book #2 in the Sweet Mess series although you don't need to read the first one to enjoy this one. Tara Park and Seth Kim drink and play Truth or Dare after their friends' wedding. Seth challenges Tara to 4 dates before he moves to Paris. The dates are fun and steamy, and the book is a delight to read. I'd recommend this book (and the first one- Sweet Mess) to fans of Jen Deluca or Talia Hibbert.