I really enjoyed reading this novel! It was very cute and well written. It's your typical no strings attached arrangement with some twists along the way.

I recieved an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received a digital copy off Netgally for an honest review.

I have to say, it's not very often that we get actual Korean-American/Korean-American romances. This was very much an #ownvoices rom-com, and I think that really does show in the authenticity of the relationships between the characters and their families. Seth's family is a little more open-minded than Tara's, but I enjoyed the interactions overall. I really loved that Tara's family owned a brewery, and it was very obvious that this was Tara's passion. It shined when she talked about all the different types of brews and concoctions she made up. I really enjoyed Tara and Seth as characters. I did think their chemistry could have used a bit more work. I didn't really feel it, even when things got steamy.

I found the sudden addition of Tara's ex being abusive to be verbal whiplash, and I don't know why that was even added. He already did a number on her emotionally, there was no reason to add that he was physically abusive as well. It just felt tacked on and added nothing to the story. I believe there was a fade to black scene of their first kiss that I didn't understand AT all. Fade to black for sex? Sure. But for kissing? I'm not sure if the author just wasn't feeling like writing out the kiss, but first kisses are important. They help us readers see the chemistry and feel that these two at least are compatible in the bedroom. When you fade to black for a KISSING scene, you damage that connection we readers need with the characters. I need to get invested in them as a couple or I'm not going to care if they become HEA.

The dialogue also felt a bit stiff in some places as well as the writing. This clearly isn't the author's first rodeo, but this feels like a first book. The story was cute, and I'm always down for more #ownvoices, but this story came and went for me. I wish the author all the best, though.

The story line for this was cute but there were wayyyyy too many explicit scenes as descriptions etc for me. If you don’t mind that, you may really enjoy this book!

Well that was super cute! Tara and Seth’s story was exactly what I needed right now.

I quite enjoyed reading about a female brewmaster/brewery owner, it’s not something you get in stories very often. Both Tara and Seth were quite likable, I may have even liked Seth best for being sweet and wearing his heart on his sleeve. He was quite adorable.

I actually haven’t read the first book in this sweet series of books, but I don’t believe it hindered any of my enjoyment of this story.

Thank you for the ARC, NetGalley. It was a lovely read!

I love a cheesy rom com, but this did not deliver.
To start, the writing needs a lot of work. There were so many gaps in information and clunky, forced conversations, that I cringed through most of it.
The characters are so forced into stereotypes it's painful. While at the same time, very little is shared about them to the point that I had absolutely zero interest in the story. Interesting facts only presented themselves when needed to shove the plot in another direction.

Okay, I recognize that romance novels don’t always have the most original plots, but this one really scraped the bottom of the barrel.

The plot in a nutshell: A friendly game of truth or dare leads our main character to a four-date arrangement with her best friend’s husband’s little brother. The only rule? Don’t fall in love.

I can hear the groans from here. It’s bad, I know. Sometimes, a romance novel with a lousy plot can still be enjoyable though, it just needs to have things such as likable characters or good character development in general. This book had none of them. I couldn’t stand the main character, Tara. She was incredibly mean and self-centered. The author tried to give some back story to explain her baggage, but it wasn’t enough. I also didn’t understand why Seth liked her so much so soon. His character was actually one of the only points of light in this story, yet it wasn’t enough to make me like it.

Another big complaint I had with this book was that it wasn’t a stand-alone novel. I didn’t read the first, and this one starts right where it left off. You find yourself feeling like you missed a bunch, and that’s never a great way to make your audience feel.

Finally, I just have to say that I would have happily stopped reading at any point in this story, which is incredibly unlike me. I asked for an ARC, so I was definitely going to deliver a review of the whole book, but it was super painful to force myself to finish.

Many thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing a digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Jayci Lee has done it again with her newest book, The Dating Dare. With characters who grab you from the first page, Lee invites her readers into the lives of two romantically dented protagonists who find one another despite the odds. Tara Park is a serial dater, after a past relationship that scarred her for life, she has decided that love is for other people. But, she is more than happy to help others celebrate their happily-ever-after which is how she meets her best friends new brother-in-law. Seth Kim is everything that both compels and repels Tara, suave, sophisticated and, smoking hot. However, looks can be deceiving and when Seth dares Tara to go on four dates with him, all bets are off. What happens next is a wild joyride of meet-cutes, laugh-out-loud moments and sparkling dialogue. Lee hooks readers with a heartwarming but realistic look at what happens when love dares you to take a chance on the unexpected.

Tara Park doesn't do love, and neither does Seth Kim. When a friendly game of Truth or Dare leads to an uncomplicated four-date arrangement with Seth, Tara can’t say she minds. But will they be able to maintain the agreement to the dare and not fall for each other as they get to know the real person of the heart?

I read this book before I knew this was the second book in the series. While the books can be read independently, I can see how the characters play into each of the books, overlapping but not vital to read in order. I do wish I read the first book, A Sweet Mess.

I really enjoyed the characters, their family and friends, and how they progressed in the book. Yes, it's a predictable story, but I couldn't help falling in love with Seth and Tara and learning more of their backstories.

It a fun, easy-read romantic read that I enjoyed more than expected. Reminded of the Wedding Date series by Jasmine Guillory, if you ended that series, you likely want the Sweet Mess series by Jayci Lee.

Thank you Netgalley, and St. Martins Press, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

While this book does work as a stand alone, I think I probably would have felt like the main character was more developed had I read the previous book; I felt like I didn't really get to know much about the protagonist through this story and wanted more from her development. I also struggled with the age placement of the main characters and felt like they were acting quite immature for their apparent age. If you want something light and quick and silly, this is probably a great fit for you.

In "The Dating Dare," Tara and Seth have a meet-cute at the wedding of Tara's best friend and Seth's brother. Sparks fly and their chemistry is palpable. However, neither of them are in a place to begun a serious relationship, so they dare each other to have 4 dates and not fall in love. Obviously, they can't keep this dare and the relationship grows serious very quickly. The way they sneak around and keep this a secret from their families is humorous, and I also really enjoyed the chemistry between the two. This was a really cute book, and I can't wait to read more from Jayci Lee!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Review posted on GoodReads (February 23, 2021)
Review Linked.

4/5 stars!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me an E-ARC of this book for an honest review.

I was super intrigued by this sequel to A Sweet Mess because I had very mixed feelings about the first book. I thought it was good, but not amazing. This book really took everything I loved about the first book and added so much more! I fell in LOVE with Seth and Tara's romance and stories. I think one of my favorite things about Jayci Lee's writing is that her male characters are not the classic “masculine, dominant" guys. I really enjoyed Seth's softness and fell in love with his character.

Overall, I thought this was a fantastic sequel that you can read as a standalone. I also think that most of the writing craft issues that I found in the first book were fixed or much better in this book.

Overall, I thought that this book was super cute and I can't wait to read more from Jayci Lee!

Thanks for reading!
Caden Armstrong

Life is too short to struggle through a book you don’t love. And this one really became a struggle for me. I hadn’t read the first book in this series/universe, so didn’t know our heroine, Tara, at all. And 20% of the way into the book, I still don’t know her at all. I know she works at a brewery (works at? Owns? No idea. The book doesn't clarify). I know she has some weird hang-up about dating anyone her family has ever met because of a first love gone wrong in college (no idea why, because again, no backstory). And I know she's gets sloppy drunk when with a guy that she wants to be careful not to start something with... Because that makes a ton of sense too. And then we've got Seth, a fashion photographer who is but isn't pursuing his dreams and is a total Playboy but also has no lady friends to speak of and also appears a decent (and incredibly boring with no depth) guy. Perhaps their story improves once you get further in... But if you can't engage me by 20% of the way in...

I had fun reading this light rom com. I don’t read a ton of books in this genre, and I didn’t realize this book was part of a series. I have not read the first book, A Sweet Mess. Perhaps I would have enjoyed this book more if I had, but I do think it mostly works as a stand alone novel.

The chemistry between our main characters, Tara Park and Seth Kim, is evident right off the bat, and I was rooting for them to get together. But the obstacles keeping them apart felt a bit silly, and as such the storyline and characters felt very high school, especially considering how obvious it was they were both super into each other.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

Let me preface this by saying I love cheesy, predictable romance stories. They are fun to read and that’s why I wanted to read this book. The issue I had, however, was that the “cheesy, predictable” part of this book seemed so forced. The guy knowing he had a player persona that he puts on was a little irritating. The girl refusing to answer who and when her first kiss was, though, simply because he broke her heart in college? That made me roll my eyes. I can’t handle the over the top reaction to something as simple as a truth or dare game. At that point, I lost interest in the story and where it was going to go.

The chapters felt too long and like too much was happening in them for the story to flow well. Not to mention, I felt like there was too much detail added into some things and not enough in others. I was so confused at first when they went to the brewery because there was nothing that let you know that the girl worked there, but you sure knew everything about every beer that they had and what prizes they won. I don’t know, it just felt like there was attention put into the wrong things.

To be fair, this was a DNF for me, so it may have gotten better. But the fanfic-esque writing style was just too much for me to handle. I wasn’t a fan of the parts I did read.

I really enjoyed this lighter, near Valentines Day read. The characters were fun to read about and there was more detail than usual about character backstory. I didn’t read the first book in Lee’s series, but I might go back and check it out now! This is a fun, feel-good romance novel that is needed in weird times like this. It’s a sweet one!

Special thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the advanced copy for my review!

I think this book was an overall sweet read. Something that wasn’t too heavy, and overall enjoyable. I really enjoyed Seth and Tara’s relationship. However, at the end I was a little disappointed at the information about the ex boyfriend and felt like it could’ve been announced sooner.

*Review to be posted on my blog on 7/19/21*

**2.5 Stars**

Likes:
*I enjoyed the first book in the series, A Sweet Mess, and wanted to know what happened with Tara, one of the secondary characters. This is her story.

*Tara’s personality is vibrant, fun, loud and she runs a brewery with her family. I could relate to her reluctance to fall in love after her past relationship.

*The second half of the book was better to me than the first. I did like seeing how both characters was going to embrace their growing feelings for each other. The four dates in the dating dare were cute.

*There’s a happy ending where Tara finally puts aside her ex-relationship trauma and goes for Seth and in Paris, no less, the city of romance, so the ending was great.

Random Notes:
*Triggers: abuse

*It’s lust at first sight with Seth and Tara, but they’ve known each other before they get together in this book since Seth’s brother and Tara’s best friend got together in book one. And the lusting is fine, there are some steamy moments in this book but for some reason, it wasn’t doing anything for me. Their passion for one another made me cringe a little – it was evident they really wanted each other, it’s in their thoughts constantly! I skimmed a few of those parts.

*Tara’s past with her ex finally affects her in this relationship because she starts to feel something for Seth but I kind of wish we knew more about it in the beginning of the story. It would have made me more invested in this “dating dare”.

Final Thoughts:
This is a light, fluffy romance and a quick read. It’s not my favorite of this romance series so far, but I did enjoy Tara’s character and their happy ending in Paris. I think with less internal dialogue (I get it, you really want to have sex with each other all the time lol) and more exploring of Tara’s past relationship and how it was affecting her, the story would have appealed to me more.

3.25
I received a digital copy of this book through Net galley for an honest review.

I want to start by saying I have yet to read the first book in this series but may in the future .This is the second book in the series following Tara and Seth, Tara is the best friend of Aubrey the character from the first book and Seth is the younger brother on Landon the character in the first book. We follow along as these acquaintances decide to have a fling after a drunken game of truth or dare. Seth is leaving for Paris in a month so they promise one another not to fall in love.

I really enjoyed this book it was a cute fun quirky romance not the most steamy novel but there were some definite spicy scenes. Tara was by far my favorite part of this book I really enjoyed her spunky attitude and thought she was well flushed out as a character. Throughout the story she does not curse but uses these made up curse worse instead that definitively had me Chuckling. The date scenes were cute and entertaining but at times I felt as though the transitions were a little jarring . I would just be getting into a scene and the it would end a little abruptly.

My main issue with this book was I felt as though Seth was a little bit flat. There were some stories of his past that were suppose to help you relate to him but I did not connect with his character in the way that I did with Tara. My other problem was that some of the back story felt like it was thrown in at the end(Tara’s past relationship issues) and I would have liked that to have been explored a little more throughout the story instead of it just being dumped at the end. I will say that this may be my own fault as I have not read the first book on the series and am going to look into going back to read it !

This is the second in a series and can definitely be read as a standalone book. However , I do think that it would be nice to read the books in order to better understand the secondary characters and how they all became such good friends. This is a minor point and of course I can now read the first book in the Sweet Mess series. This is such a cute romance . I really enjoyed watching Tara and Seth's dating dare progress from a 4 date dare to a relationship. Watching their physical attraction bloom in to a friendship and deep concern for each other's dreams. ( one slight criticism , please find some synonyms for growl) I also liked their relationships with their friends and siblings which added to the richness of their characters. All in all, a very enjoyable ,easy read romance to brighten these winter days. I intend to read the first book and will look forward to reading other books from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
#netgalley #thedatingdare

To start, I read this not knowing it is the second novel in the series, and I will be immediately reading the first (I a little bit wish I had known and read them in order)! With that being said, I really enjoyed reading this cute novel, I read too late into the night cause I really wanted to get to the part where Tara and Seth (the two main characters) get together.

The main premise is that Tara and Seth find themselves in a game of truth or dare that ends with Seth daring Tara to go on four dates with him, but not fall in love. Since both of them have been scarred by past relationships, it seems like the perfect plan! The story winds through their relationship as we learn more about each of their lives, histories, and passions, with some very steamy scenes along the way. The perspective changes from Tara’s to Seth’s which I enjoyed.

I liked the characters, their stories and families, and how they progress throughout the novel. There were a few people I was confused about as I had no idea who they were so I do wish there was a little more reintroduction (even though I am assuming they are from book 1). I appreciated getting the backstory on both Seth and Taras's relationships, but I think there were some huge points about Tara’s ex left out until the very end that needed to be mentioned earlier or just left out completely (TW emotional & domestic abuse). But otherwise, I really loved it!

This was a feel-good, fun romance novel that I definitely think is worth a read.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!