Member Reviews

I would first like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review. Lesley Kara has outdone herself! I would absolutely recommend this book if you love a twisty psychological thriller that will keep you awake all night because you are unable to put it down. I’ve loved her previous books and I loved this one too-I couldn’t get enough of it!

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The Dare, sorry to say it was a slow-moving read for me. It was not the usual I expect from Lesley Kara. It was ok, but not great. I did finish it and it picks up about 40% of the way.

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I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review - and what a book!
Lizzi has suffered with seizures all her life and when she and her friend have an argument by the railroad tracks and her friend dies - Lizzi can't remember what happened. How did her friend die? What were they arguing about? Will she ever remember?
Later she meets Ross and they move in together. All seems good till Ross mentions a co-worker and something begins to seem off -
Is he having an affair? And suddenly everything she thought she knew is in question. When the truth is revealed you will be shocked!

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What a twisty mystery of a book! Great characters that keep you engaged and a plot that keeps you guessing combine for a great read. This is the first book that I’ve read by this author and I am hooked! As thirteen year olds, Lizzie and Alice go for a long walk on a path they have taken many times, however, something happens this time and Alice winds up dead, while Lizzie is found nearby in the throes of a seizure. What really happened? Was someone at fault or was it just an accident? Lizzie can’t remember anything due to the seizure and those questions haunt her into her adult life. This is a book that I would highly recommend as it keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance read copy.

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The Dare is my first read by author Lesley Kara, but if her writing of this book is anything to go, I am hooked.

This story was gripping, extremely grossing, surprising and was a deliciously twisty thriller!

I don't want to give too much away, but this book will have you on the edge of your seat.

I look forward to recommending this book to our followers and reading more by this author!

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What a treat! This was such a good book! What I love the most about Lesley Kara is her books have a way of tricking me even when I think I have it all figured out. This was delicious novel of suspense, family drama, secrets.... it had everything. Thank you in advance to netgalley for sending me this ARC!

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This book was well-written and had great tension. I also appreciated the plot twists. I definitely recommend it.

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Lizzie and Alice are 13 and best friends. Lizzie also has epilepsy and little or no memory of what occurs when she has a major episode. It was during one of these Alice died after being hit by a train. For a period after that Lizzie is tormented by Alice’s big sister Catherine and by the kids at her school. Among other things, she is gossiped about as being Alice’s killer. It is now twelve years later. Lizzie’s epilepsy is under control with proper medical care and treatment. She is also happily living with her fiancé Ross, a physician, in London. Then things begin to fall apart, starting with an unanticipated pregnancy. It is remarkably well plotted and well written. The story is told from various viewpoints both in the present and the past. I found myself reading chapter after chapter at one sitting to find out what happens next. Thanks to Net Galley and Ballantine for an ARC for an honest review.

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A fast paced psychological thriller you don't want to miss. Lizzie is engaged to Ross who is a physician and recently moved into his house with him. Lizzie is epileptic and has been seizure free for quite awhile and is feeling optimistic about her future with her fiance until strange things start happening that bring up dark memories of her past . Lizzie lost her best friend Alice many years ago as a result of an accident but Lizzie doesn't remember the accident because she had a seizure at the scene of the accident. Many felt Lizzie was to blame and that left her with feelings of guilt. The strange happenings were starting to bring back memories of the awful accident. Lizzie came across some clues from her past that she started unraveling and those secrets were explosive. What actually happened at the accident? You have to read it to find out. You won't be disappointed.

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At thirteen years old best friends Lizzie and Alice are having an argument when a tragic accident occurs and Alice is killed. Lizzie suffers from epilepsy. During the accident Lizzie had a seizure, lost consciousness, and can't remember what happened to her best friend.

Twelve years later Lizzie becomes engaged to Ross, a doctor, just as her memories start to return and begin to interrupt her daily life. During a housewarming party her worst nightmare shows up, Alice's older sister, Catherine. Catherine, unknown to Lizzie, has become a nurse and works at the same facility as Ross. Catherine never believed that Lizzie wasn't responsible for her sister's death.

This book had me on the edge of my seat and was very entertaining. It is very well written with several twists that built up to the perfect ending. I highly recommend it to those who enjoy a good psychological thriller, you won't be disappointed.

Many thanks, to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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Thank you #netgalley for sending me early access to this read!

I am a fan of author Lesley Kara, especially of The Rumor, so I was looking forward to this read and it did not disappoint! Lizzie and Alice were childhood best friends, but one day their lives changes.....actually one life ended. This novel follows the life of Lizzie as an adult with flashbacks of this horrific day. As an adult, Lizzie is engaged to Ross, a physician. Lizzie has suffered from seizures her entire life and lives a life in fear and struggles with memory due to her medical conditions.

Just when Lizzie felt her life was getting to a normal state enters Catherine a new nurse practitioner at Ross's surgery practice. Ross hosts a housewarming party and invites his collegues, but when Lizzie sets eys on Catherine her world changes.

So many twists and turns up in the very end. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and I finished within 24hrs. Highly Recommend!

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Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This, hands down, was the best book I have read so far in 2021. I LOVED Lesley's writing style, and she had me glued to the characters after the first two chapters. I love a good flashback friendship story. Lizzie and Alice's childhood friendship was so well written that I was right there with them. I also loved the alternating chapters between Lizzie's past and present. And boy, was I fooled, because I thought I was reading about certain characters involved in an incident after the first chapter, but then....wow...I was thrown for a whole different loop and the shockers began. This was an awesome, twisty, whodunit thriller/drama, and I absolutely loved it. Brilliant! 5 complete stars!!

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A suspenseful domestic thriller that, once I started, I simply could not put down until I finished.

See full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3969739101

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5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Wow, I ended April with this awesome psychological thriller that I highly recommend for anyone who enjoys a suspenseful mystery that will keep you guessing from start to finish. The short chapters kept me saying “just one more chapter”....I seriously could not put this one down! The description of the book tells you enough, so I’m not going to recap on anything that happened because as I’ve said in many of my other reviews - I hate spoilers. You definitely want to go into this one without any major details. I will say that the author did an amazing job with each of the characters! Catherine, Lizzie, Ross and Alice...I could vividly imagine each of them in a movie made from this book! I would like to add one last thing...the ending did not disappoint at all. This was one of the best endings I’ve read in a thriller/mystery book! This is my first Lesley Kara book but will definitely not be my last!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing (Ballantine Books) for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

To see my other reviews, check out my Instagram and Goodreads pages:
*Instagram (bookworm_traveler808)
*Goodreads (Cherihy808)

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Best friends Lizzie and Alice always have each others backs, but like all friends they have their arguments. One day while out playing a game of “Dare’ on the railroad tracks, the girls have a fight, triggering an epileptic episode for Lizzie. When she comes to, Alice is lying dead on the tracks. Everyone, from Alice’s family to the girls’ mutual friends seem to blame Lizzie and she leads a life of isolation for years. Finally, she meets a man, someone she feels she can love and trust, a man she could marry. But there are still plenty of people who don’t believe Lizzie has the right to be happy, and they will do whatever it takes to ensure she doesn’t

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Woah! This is another gripping, extremely grossing, surprising and deliciously twisty thriller just like the author works of the author!
The book’s conjunction between Lizzie’s teenage time and present constructed clearly. You slowly gather more clues to solve the big mystery without confusing things.

Lizzie is absolutely connectable character, suffering from epilepsy for years, always careful about her limits, surrounded by her protective parents, still grieving with the loss of her best friend Alice who died in an accident when they were only 13!

Worst part of her traumatic experience is she cannot remember anything about the accident which has taken life of her friend because at the same time she has been crushed by train, Lizzie has been suffering from a seizure. Before the accident, they had a terrible fight and she said so many bad things to her friend she wished to take back.

For years she reverses back and tries to father the pieces together to remember exactly what happened that ominous day.

She was blamed by Alice’s vengeful sister Catherine who insisted she must have done something to her sister. And she poisoned everyone in Alice’s friend circle against her which ended up Lizzie’s family’s urgent move from the town for a fresh start.

After 12 years later, Lizzie seems like she has it all, deciding to go to college, living with her charming, caring fiancée Ross who is also an ambitious DP with a bright feature ahead of him.

But lately so many things seem wrong starting with the news about 11 years old little girl’s death on the train rails which brings out more ugly memories from her past. She also gets so many silent phone calls . Actually they are not silent: you may barely hear moving train sound at the background. And her lovely fiancée is nonstop mentioning the new nurse he starred to work with him. Should she be jealous? Absolutely because she finds out at their housewarming party, the new nurse her fiancée works with Catherine who turned her teenage life into hell, dares to come to their house without warning.

As soon as Catherine’s involving into picture, Lizzie’s level of seizures get escalated. Catherine acts like she’s different person and she’s so sorry what she’s done to her in the past. But could she tell her the truth? Because somebody truly tries so hard to play freaking mind games with Lizzie till she remembers what happened that ominous day and the worst part of it: those games are working: she eventually starts remembering which opens up can of worms, revealing too many dark secrets she may hardly digest!

I absolutely enjoyed this fast pacing, psychological thriller. Some of the twists are so obvious from the beginning but big one of them deliciously sucker punched. I didn’t expect that one!

It’s ideal popcorn& wine& chill out reading! I highly recommend to riveting, one sit thriller lovers like me!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/ Ballantine Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

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Loved this book. The writing was superb as were the plot and characters. Riveting right until the end. I can't wait to get her other books. If this is how she writes and what she comes up with. Ten stars!

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This one just didn’t work for me. I am normally a huge fan of mystery/thrillers but the writing style didn’t click with me. Unfortunately, it was a DNF.

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This started really strongly and I was invested in the story, but it took until probably the end 30% to really pick up the pace and some of the middle was a bit mundane. I liked the one twist and it was very readable.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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This is one thriller that you want on your reading list. I admit that it started out a bit confusing for me, but once my brain clicked and it got going I was all in. This story has twists and turns you won’t see coming and will keep on you the edge wondering what will happen next. I’m glad I picked this book up and I know you will be too. Looking forward to more by this author.

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