Lizzie was with her best friend Alice when she died in an accident. The problem for Lizzie is that she doesn't remember what happened and more than one person thinks she is responsible. Lizzie and Alice had argued, but was that enough reason for her to kill her friend? No charges were ever filed and the case was closed, but uncertainty has followed her everywhere.
Until she falls in love with Ross. She is now twenty-five and can finally see herself going to college and making a life worth living. If you are thinking, oh Lizzie, it isn't going to be that easy, you are correct. A new nurse who works with Ross happens to be Catherine, Alice's older sister. She took every opportunity to voice her belief that Lizzie killed Alice. Is it just a coincidence or does Lizzie have every reason to be distrustful? Strange events start occurring and she wonders if Catherine is to blame.
Did I trust any of these characters? I did not, not even Lizzie. Still, I was surprised when the whole truth was revealed. Did I guess some of the twists? I did, but definitely not all of them. I devoured this story, furiously flipping pages, and when I finished, beach read came to mind. The Dare kept me guessing until the final page.

I really like this author and this book does not disappoint by any means. I enjoyed how the story was amped up by going back in time. This ending was great. One of her better books. Go read it people.

Entertaining, good page turner. A woman with epilepsy thinks she has finally got her seizures under control and feels like she can leave her past behind her. She is living with her fiancé, a doctor and is even considering going to university. Her world collapses when her fiancé invites the new practice nurse to their housewarming party and her past comes back to haunt her.

August 3, 2021 has a growing list of new books being released and one of those is The Dare by Lesley Kara. You should definitely add it to your TBR list. The story is told primarily through the voice of Lizzie from 2007 and 2019. What happened to Alice on that fateful day in 2007? Only Lizzie knows but she can’t remember because of her epilepsy. Years later, as Lizzie is establishing her life with her fiancé, things from her past begin to resurface. The Dare is a story full of mystery, secrets, and family dynamics. Broken up into three parts, you will soon be invested in seeing how it all plays out. Even as more secrets and truths are revealed. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for the ARC!

Best friends Lizzie and Alice, both 13, go for a walk along the train tracks. Lizzie, who is an epileptic, has a seizure. When she recovers, she discovers Alice has been hit by a train. Now 12 years later and newly engaged, the events of that date come back to light. The Dare is a quick paced thriller with plenty of twists that keeps the reader off balance. Told in alternating timelines, interspersed with an unknown narrative that adds another layer of mystery and keeps the reader engaged throughout. Enjoyed it. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An absorbing and quick thriller with some welcome surprises.

Lizzie and Alice are best friends who do everything together and know everything about each other...or do they? One day, when taking a walk, as is their routine, the teenagers get into a little fight. Next thing Lizzie knows, she has just awoken after having a seizure...and Alice is dead.

Twelve years later, Lizzie is engaged and has done her best to move on from the tragedy, but she still thinks of Alice all of the time, and wishes she could remember what happened leading up to the moment of Alice’s death.

One thing leads to another, and past and present collides...forcing Lizzie to confront the trauma of her childhood. Someone doesn’t want her to forget the past.

This is a gripping and suspenseful thriller. The story blossoms between alternate timelines, and there are some excellent revelations that make this stand out from generic thrillers.

While it may not cover a lot of unearthed ground, The Dare managed to entertain me, keep me in suspense, and cause me to flip the pages at a brisk speed to find out what would happen next. The smooth and enticing writing made it easy to get lost in the story and enjoy the ride.

Recommended for anyone looking for a quick and satisfying weekend read.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I dare you to read this when it’s published on: 8/3/21.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com

Lesley Kara's attention to details make this another one of those unforgettable psychological thrillers by this author. The characters practically leap off the pages, and seem as real to me as the people who live in my neighborhood. The degree of frustration with having epilepsy and growing up feeling as if she isn't as pretty as her best friend are so carefully written about that I could know how the Main character, Lizzie felt.

This is also one of those books that led me down a "merry Path," and then pulled the rug out from under my feet with some red herrings. Honestly,, I didn't know who to trust, which had me looking for clues everywhere.

Well done.

This book was amazing. The plot was great along with all the plot twists. I was able to connect with the characters especially Ross. I also enjoyed the different time periods of 2007 and 2019 along with the additional p.o.v. of another character. It was nice to get closure on what actually happened at the train tracks at the end of the novel instead of leaving it unanswered for the reader to guess. The only problem I saw was a small spelling error with the word “cause”, but that didn’t take away from the story at all.

*Thank you to both NetGalley and Ballantine books for offering me this ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Two girls, best friends, go for a walk that takes them past the train tracks. One girl has an epileptic seizure, the other gets hit by the train and dies. What happened first? How was the one struck by a train, and why doesn’t the one with epilepsy remember any of the details? Years later, we meet the epileptic girl again, now planning for the arrival of her first baby with her fiancé. But memories of the past keep popping up, to the point where her life, and her baby’s life, are in jeopardy. Good story; held my interest all the way through. A bit unrealistic when considering the “vengeance” theme that pops up, but not a bad read at all.

Special Note: Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you are looking for a fast paced, unpredictable page-turner, check out The Dare. I usually don’t enjoy books where the characters suffer from memory loss. However, I was intrigued by the plot, which felt original enough, and the well developed characters. I can’t wait to read more from Lesley Kara!

“The Dare” is crazier and creepier than I expected. Lizzie and Alice were best friends, but one day while going for a walk together near a railroad crossing, Lizzie has a seizure and awakens to discover that Alice was hit and killed by a train. Because of her seizure disorder, Lizzie did not have many friends, while Alice was beautiful and well-liked, and could have been one of the “cool kids” at school. A number of people, especially Alice’s older sister, Catherine, believe that Lizzie is responsible for Alice’s death or she at least knows more than she is telling. The harassment of Lizzie results in the family moving away.

Years later, things seem to be looking up for Lizzie. Her seizure disorder is well controlled — no major episodes in two years — and she is engaged to be
married to a doctor. She is looking into jobs or even going to college to earn the degree she passed up earlier. However news stories about another girl being killed at a railroad crossing are bringing back the nightmares Lizzie experienced after the death of Alice. Adding to her stress is that during a housewarming party, Catherine Dawson, Alice’s older sister, shows up. She is the new nurse that Ross, Lizzie’s fiancé, has been talking about about. Catherine’s appearance comes as quite a shock, as does Catherine’s friendly attitude and apology for her past behavior.

Catherine’s reappearance, as well as an unplanned pregnancy, start a cycle of events that will result in the revelation of some long-kept and life-altering secrets. The story alternates between the past (events prior to and after Alice’s death) and the present. There are a number of surprising twists in the story. I suspected that Catherine’s change in attitude was not genuine, but her motives and actions were much more twisted than I had guessed. The nature of some of the secrets was quite unexpected. “The Dare” will certainly keep the reader guessing. I would definitely recommend it.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

This book was a bit predictable and formulaic but it’s very engaging and the characters are like able and fun enough that it keeps you sucked in and turning pages through the plot. Solid 3..5

Loved this book!

I started reading it and couldn't put it down.
Childhood tragedy and the blurry memory of a character affected by epilepsy are the center of this captivating read. Lesley's writing style pulls you in as she leads you expertly through the past memories and present events.
Like morning light chasing away the shadows, the story evolves and the secrets of the past come to light in a brilliant conclusion.

After a year of isolation, are we ready for the complicated interactions of other people again? The book was brilliantly written. It highlights the fact that we really don't know anything about others, their motivations, or their secrets.

This is going to be one of the great summer reads this year.

The Dare is a wonderful suspense filled story full of twists and turns up until the very end! Lizzie suffers from epilepsy. When she was 13, she and her best friend, Alice, go on a walk. The next thing she remembers is waking on the ground and realizing she has had a seizure. She has no memory of what happened- she only know Alice is dead. Move forward 12 years. Lizzie has a wonderful fiancé, a new home and is considering enrolling in college. Unfortunately things start happening. A new coworker, an unexpected surprise, a flash from the past, so many secrets and the return of her seizures changes everything in just a few weeks. Some questions need to be answered. Some can no longer be ignored. The Dare is a well written, entertaining roller coaster ride as Lizzie looks for the truth of what happened all those years ago. I highly recommend this book. Thanks to Netgalley for an opportunity to read the book early in exchange for my honest opinion.

Lesley Kara does not disappoint with this book. Lizzie seems to have found happiness with her fiancée Ross and is managing her epilepsy when she starts to receive reminders of the tragic accident that killed her best friend Alice. However, all is not what it seems and sometimes, the past isn’t forgotten or forgiven. For a good suspense novel that can be consumed quickly, this is a great choice.


Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam for the arc.

Holy cow! This one kept me interested from start to finish. And the ending was a big surprise for me. Great story..

Very well written story enough suspense to keep you on your toes! Good detail to character development that pulls you in right away. This is a must read!

Everyone blames Lizzie for Alice’s tragic death on the train tracks.

They were only teenagers. Teenagers fight.

And it’s not Lizzie’s fault that she has epilepsy and had a seizure exactly the moment when Alice died.

And it’s not her fault she can’t remember any details about what happened.

Year later, Lizzie is engaged and trying desperately to move on from her past. But someone else isn’t ready to let it go yet.

Page turner! I liked this one from beginning to end as it held my attention throughout. I really appreciated how the author showed some insight into life of living with epilepsy.

Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review!

What a thrilling and gripping read! It was entertaining and had me hooked from the beginning through the end. The pace of unveiling the surprises was perfect and I truly enjoyed this book!

Alice and Lizzie are best friends who have normal teenage arguments as normal teenage girls do. Unfortunately Lizzie suffers from epilepsy and when the two girls go towards some train tracks only Lizzie makes it back alive. Lizzie can’t remember exactly what happened as she had a seizure and it makes her memories cloudy. Twelve years later as she has tried to move on in her life coincidences begin and her nightmare adolescent life starts to surface again. People lie and the deceit is thrilling on how it’s all revealed!

The book is told mainly in Lizzie’s POV and alternates from when she was young to the present. There are inserts from someone unknown that you quickly piece together the more you dive into the story. Really a good read and one I highly recommend.

Thank you netgalley and Ballantine for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I received a complimentary copy of The Dare from NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Mind-blowing! I could not sleep until I finished this book—which was in one sitting. Lizzie, an epileptic, endures a horrible tragedy in childhood—the loss of her best friend, Alice, who was killed by a train in her presence. Trying to put the past behind her, with fiancé, doctor Ross, she finds herself still tortured by this experience years later when she is reminded at the sudden appearance of her friend’s cruel older sister, Catherine. Even after I saw the mind-blowing twist coming, I could not wait to see how it unfolded! Gripping suspense and a FANTASTIC read!