The second book is so much more fun than the first one. I loved it. It was cute, funny, and witty, all at the same time. I was in a book hangover after I read this. From the cover to the end, it was nothing short of marvelous. The female MC's experience during her first relationship that I could very strongly relate to thus making the book really special to me. I loved the audiobook and will highly recommend it to everyone. The family aspect was so well done without overcrowding the plot. I highly recommend this series.

I really enjoyed listening to the Dating Dare. The narrator was perfect and really brought the story to life. I love a good audio book. This one kept me up listening long after I should have gone to bed. Jaycee Lee has quickly become a one click author for me. Grab your copy of the Dating Dare and get ready to be pulled into this funny fast paced read.

This is a series of standalone novels from what I can tell. Even though this story is tied to events from the previous story it really doesn’t give much away. You can actually read them as there own standalone stories. I really liked the characters in the dating dare. I thought I’d find Tara annoying with how strong willed and stubborn she seemed at the start but I was very wrong. The characters have the perfect chemistry and witty banter to make this a really fun light romance. It’s definitely a quicker read because you really don’t want to put it down.

I highly recommend this story for as a fun romance for book lovers.


Narration review.

The narrator for this story was well chosen. I really felt like they really brought the characters to life. I found the flow of the reading well done. It was really easy to tell which chapters were from which point of view. It was definitely one I would recommend as a fun audiobook since you don’t have to concentrate on every word to keep track of the story.

Seth Kim meets Tara Park at his brother Landon's wedding. Tara is MOH and best friend to the bride Aubrey. After helping drunk Tara the night of the wedding, Seth wants to see more of her. He proposes a dare. 4 dates and neither one can fall in love with the other. Seth leaves for Paris in a month and because of a bad past relationship, Tara is on board and wants no strings attached. Of course, you know that is not the way things work.

This is the follow-up to Jayci Lee's A Sweet Mess. I really like the characters in both of these stories. Great, fun read. I did listen to the audio. Thank you Netgalley for now having audiobooks to preview.
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In her acknowledgements, Jayci Lee tells the reader how The Dating Dare was the book that she wrote during the pandemic. So it’s fitting that at least to me, The Dating Dare was perfect escapist reading. Yes, the book can be predictable and saccharine, but that’s what makes it such a delightful read.

I haven’t read A Sweet Mess which came before The Dating Dare, however I could still enjoy the book as a standalone. From the start, Seth and Tara had so much chemistry and excellent banter that I was glad that they didn’t waste too much time on the few misunderstandings that popped up. I loved seeing them together, especially because they were so different yet alike in unexpected ways.With their similar traumatic relationship pasts to their creative spirits, it was great seeing them bonded over their similarities even if they had different approaches to the same things.

Cozy, small town Hallmark type romances where both the leads are Asian used to be unheard of. I’m glad that the mainstream media is slowly changing to become more diverse, so that while The Dating Dare is a fresh take on what can often seem like a formulaic genre, it’s not the only take. I also appreciated how Seth was younger, and how Tara was a master brewer, which is definitely not your typical romance heroine’s job. Learning more about craft beers alongside the various descriptions of food in the book was an interesting experience.

If you don’t mind cliches and are looking for an adorable rom-com with less angst, some steam and Korean-American characters, then you should check out The Dating Dare!

The Dating Dare
A Sweet Mess, Book 2

I Picked Up This Book Because: The cover drew me in.

Media Type: Audiobook
Source: Netgalley
Dates Read: 8/5/21 - 8/11/21
Stars: 3 Stars

The Characters:

Tara Park:
Seth Kim :


The Story:

I adored book one however this follow up did not hook me in the same manner. By the end I came to like Seth and Tara but it took a while. I’m not sure why. The writing was not less witty and the plot was fine but I just couldn’t love Tara’s fear of commitment and I’m not sure what I didn’t connect with when it came to Seth. While they had great chemistry on the page it did not translate to me. Overall it was a decent story and I hope the author writes more in this series.

Narrator:

Natlie Nadus was a great narrator. She brought the story to life without distraction and really let it shine.

The Random Thoughts:

I loved the premise of this book, the time crunch, the four dates, and the challenge of not falling in love.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure if it was the audiobook or the fact that the first half is mostly flirty & hormonal, but I didn't connect with the characters. Eventually I did, but for a moment I almost stopped listening.

The dates were cute and I liked how it wrapped up at the end.

I couldn’t get into this book. The beginning felt like it was jump started with very little introduction. I did not feel any connection to the main female lead character and wasn’t very interested in her story. Usually I love these types of books, but this one just didn’t work for me. I’m sure other people will enjoy it- but I’d say this one is better suited for those who really enjoy romcoms.

Tara is doing well for herself working at the family business, Weldon Brewery. So when her best friend’s new brother-in-law waltzes into her life and dares her to go on four dates with him, it’ll be easy to stick to their rule - don’t fall in love. Seth is pleasantly surprised that Tara agreed in the first place. A fling will help his time in Weldon pass by before he heads off to Paris for a fashion photography job. Getting attached wasn’t in either of their plans, but no one can stop those feelings once they start!

Natalie Naudus is the perfect narrator for this romance, and I continue to be a huge fan of her work - she’s definitely part of the reason I picked this one up!

I really liked Tara and Seth together, and all the baked goods! My brain needed banana bread after finishing this. It’s a cute romance with a bit of steam (the door is open partway, so for those who like their intimacy behind closed doors, be warned!) and was a great companion for a day full of chores. I did not read Sweet Mess before this, and wasn’t confused (obviously there’s mild spoilers for the end of Sweet Mess, but I feel that I can still go back and enjoy reading it).

Overall, this was a cute, well narrated book!

I didn’t really enjoy this book. The characters were kind of frustrating and I really didn’t get their motivations. The narrator didn’t pronounce some names right and I found her to be a little grating.

A very cute summer romance. Nothing groundbreaking, but definitely something that I enjoyed reading. I very much enjoy dual perspectives, and so at that and so I had a feeling that I would like this one.

I also very much enjoyed the Korean American representation. And the fact that both characters had their ethnicity as a clear part of their identity, but that it didn't feel as though the author was trying to check a diversity box.

This book follows Seth Kim and Tara Park, who get to know each other via a wedding. Tara's best friend is marrying sets brother. Of course, as with most of these novels, there's an instant attraction. Via as is implied through the title, a game of Truth or Dare. Seth proposes four dates and four dates only, with the caveat that no one is to fall in love. He is leaving in a month to go to Paris for work.

Of course, this book gets into the cheesy territory and is predictable, but aren't all of these books that way? Don't we really know what we're getting into when we sit down to read them?? With that in mind, I enjoyed how this one was written. I felt the characters were fun and smartly put together. Could parts have been a little more creative? Sure. But overall I'd say this is a perfectly solid addition to any summer reading list.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC!

(I had difficulty getting the audio ARC to download, but I actually pre-purchased it through audible and so far I'm very much enioying the narration)

Tara Park does not do serious relationships. Neither does Seth Kim, but when a game of truth or dare turns into Tara going on 4 dates with Seth, but not falling for him she accepts the dare. I thought this had such a cute premise that I was excited when I got a copy of the audiobook through Macmillan Audio and NetGalley.

This was such a fun story, and the chemistry between Tara and Seth was undeniable from the first scene. I did not realize how steamy this book would be though. I’m moderate spice when it comes to romance, but the steam factor did not bother me at all. It worked for their storyline. The author, Jayci Lee, did a great job with character development while combining it with the steam.

Both characters had their reasons for not wanting serious relationships, but I felt that part of the story was a bit drawn out. I just wanted them to admit their feelings for each other and after a while I got a little annoyed that they wouldn’t.

When I requested this ARC, I did not realize this is the second book in a series, but it can be read as a standalone. I do plan to go back and read it at some point. Jayci Lee is a new to me author, but I look forward to reading more of her books.

Cute and sweet, a breezy book that was fun and smart. Highly enjoyable . Jayci Lee really brings her characters to life, makes you root for them and care about their happy ending.

This was a cute romance story but I didn't really enjoy the audiobook format. I think that listening to this story made the male main character come off a little creepy (especially in the first few chapters) and it was hard for me to get past. I am very into dialogue while reading and I just could not connect with the characters and how they were speaking to each other.

I loved The Dating Dare, A Sweet Mess book 2 by Jayci Lee, with all my romance-loving heart. Listening to narration by Natalie Naudus – my new favorite narrator – brings all the emotion, humor, snarky banter, fiery chemistry, and stirring romance of Lee’s novel straight from the written word and imagination to brilliant life. Naudus does a beautiful job differentiating between each character, using cadence, tone, dialect, language, and pacing, and capturing the essence of the character’s mannerisms, actions, emotions, moods, and attitudes. Her narration perfectly voices each character, but especially Tara Park and Seth Kim – two people who believe they are too smart to fall for each other. After a game of Truth and Dare over drinks, these two agree to four dates that become a no-strings, short-term fling, which of course leads to somebody catching feelings because, as always, the best-laid plans never consider what the heart wants.

Tara Park avoids serious relationships, preferring uncomplicated hookups with an out-of-town friend/acquaintance who won’t make her safe, orderly life with her overprotective Korean family messy. But unfortunately, her best friend Aubrey’s sexy new brother-in-law Seth Kim has complicated written all over him. He’s leaving the country to start a new job in Paris in a month, but he’s connected with family. So, no matter how tempting he is, she must resist him. Seth, however, is unwavering in his resolve to persuade her to say yes to a no-strings fling while he’s in town. The jokes on him because he swiftly realizes she’s found her way around his barriers into his heart and has helped him find himself again.

Always ready to put Seth in his place, Tara is intelligent, beautiful, funny, sexy, confident, sweet, and bold. Though he is charming, smooth, handsome, sexy, with a more than healthy ego, Seth is different than Tara believes him to be once she gets to know him. He’s kind, supportive, sweet, and generous. Seth’s and Tara’s sexy interactions and banter are so engaging – they won me over from the first scene. Their interactions are funny, sweet, sexy, heat-filled, brimming with so much pining, and layered with hidden depths of emotion they try hard to keep suppressed.

Lee deftly develops and explores the intimate, emotional, and sexual connection between the hero and heroine with dialogue and love scenes that are not explicit but are still just as sexy. She also brilliantly balances moments of emotional intensity with lighter moments of humor and sweetness. The Dating Dare features flirty and snarky banter, excellent character development and growth, and sizzling chemistry and attraction between imperfect but relatable and likable characters. It’s a charming, sweet, funny, sexy, emotional, romantic, and thoroughly satisfying follow up to A Sweet Mess that readers interested in romantic reads with Korean American characters shouldn’t miss.

I keep stumbling into the second of a series through netgalley, but this is one of those series you don't have to really know the first book, you'll just not understand the minor references to characters or places. I didn't feel like I was missing anything.
This was a cute fast read. I will say it was obvious these two were crazy about each other so after awhile it got a bit tedious that they wouldn't just sit down and talk to each other about it, but they had great chemistry so I wasn't too mad about it. I loved the premise of the story and how it flowed, and all the side characters were great to get to know.
The audiobook was well done, I wasn't even annoyed when I had to slow down the playback so the app would work in my car. Natalie Naudus does an amazing job distinguishing characters and not having them sound like stereotypes. I love her work and was delighted she was the narrator of this audiobook.

📚Four dates, no falling in love. Should be easy, right?

💭I’ll never know if they feel in love because I couldn’t get passed the smutty romance that felt forced and unnatural. I couldn’t read this book and sit in the pew on Sunday. It wasn’t happening.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a cheesy romance. I love a steamy romance. But I just couldn’t handle this one! The narrator didn’t help. Any moment that could have been seen as sweet the narrator definitely turned dirty.

My review seems to be an unpopular opinion on Bookstagram, but GoodReads agrees with me! 😂

I’m not saying you shouldn’t read this book. Maybe you’ll love it. But don’t expect a cutesy love story. If your mind isn’t in the gutter before you read this book, it will be after

This is the second book in this series. I thought book one was ok, but this one just sounded really good so I wanted to still give it a try. It was just ok. This is one of those reads that was not amazing but not horrible. It was right down the middle. There was nothing that blew me away. I still enjoyed it for what it was.

I really devoured this audiobook and flew though it in one day. I did have a feeling of insta love in the beginning with Tara and Seth. I felt there was some huge chunks of backstory that I missed. I did read that this is book 2, so this makes some sense that I missed some backstory. Overall, that made more sense to me for Seth and Tara's relationship.

I loved the premise of daring to go on dates and NOT falling in love. I enjoyed the witty banter as they go on a series of dates. I was frustrated by the problematic communication and I did enjoy the ending.

Tara runs a brewery. Seth is a successful fashion photographer but has a secret passion for more creative arts. On the surface, they probably should’ve be together. Her best friend and his brother recently got married and these two have a lot of preconceived notions about each other. But after getting drunk at the wedding, he dares her to go on four dates with him and not fall in love. And from there, we have a super sweet, incredibly cheesy romantic comedy that made for the perfect beach read. Big thanks to the publisher and #NetGalley for the ARC.