Thank you Net Galley for an audio ARC of The Dating Dare by Jayci Lee. In the beginning of this audio, I really thought I was going to rate low. I had problems with the narrator and the storyline. But it got better and I ended up enjoying it. 4 stars!

This book was not for me at all. It was cheesy, predictable, and awkward. I don't like to DNF books, so I stuck with it, but I could not get into it at all.

This was such a well-written book about a pair that both were at crossroads in their lives. The cover was very cute. For a romance you generally know the plot won't be too intense, but the premise of this novel didn't leave a lot left for the imagination. So while you knew how this would turn out, there was a nice evolution of the feelings for this couple. The characters were instantly likeable. I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator did an amazing job.

I am all about a scheming romance. Where two people CLEARLY are into each other but have such troubled pasts they can’t be honest about it, and the dating dare leaned right into that! Tara is such a wonderful leading lady she breaks a lot of stereotypes and is just an all around joy to read about. The leading man Seth is also wonderful, and so gentle and kind to everyone he interacts with.
After meeting again at a wedding between her best friend and his brother they set up a dare to date for the month leading up to Seth’s departure to Paris for a new job. The only rule, neither of them can fall for the other. Through funny dates, mischievous plans to hang out more, and just a little bit of drama Seth and Tara embark on a whirlwind romance.
I really loved how Jayci Lee brought the characters to life throughout this book and also really enjoyed the supporting characters however little they were involved. Additionally, Natalie Naudus is incredible as the narrator and I’d love to hear other books she does!

The Dating Game by Jayci Lee

Both Tara Park and Seth Kim aren’t looking for a relationship.

Tara enjoys her time as maid of honor at her best friends wedding. Seth happens to be the best man and brother to the groom.

A friendly game of Truth or Dare leads to a dare of them going on four dates together. With the main rule of not falling for each other. As Tara isn’t looking for a relationship and Seth will be leaving for a new job in Paris in a month.

So a no-strings attached fling seemed like a good idea! But can they both really help themselves for falling for each other with the fun chemistry they have?

Yes cheesey, yes cliche romance! But really that’s how they all are! I really enjoyed listening to this fun and romantic book! Tara and Seth’s fun relationship and joking around made in enjoyable! Made me connect with them and root for them! Always follow your heart! A great quick read!

Thank you Jayci Lee, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the audio to listen to this book in return for my honest review!

When Tara and Seth find themselves at a wedding they cant help to have sparks flying, but after being burn in their past love lives neither is interested in a relationship. Seth is bound to leave for Paris in a month anyway, but why not have fun in the meantime, no strings attached?

This was a cute story with likeable characters but slightly corny at times. I felt that the pacing was odd, brushing quickly over events that would have benefitted from a deeper view and repeating itself in the characters head. It was still a fun read and made me very hungry!

4 stars

Fun and flirty quick read with low stakes. It was about a relationship between two people sure- but it was also a little love affair with food with the details the author went to describing whatever our two love interests were eating. I loved how he took care of her when she hurt her ankle, and it included one of my favorite tropes- only one bed. I wished there was a little more time in Paris as I really enjoyed how the city was described- I felt right there with our two cheesy love birds.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

The groom's brother and the maid of honor are both commitment-phobes. They decide to "date" until Seth moves to Paris in a month. Both are on board since the relationship has a firm end date. But, things become more serious than either of them planned.

Overcritical review alert. There are two tropes that I absolutely abhor- the nearly identical past and the whole grown-adults-don't-communicate-and-create-a-problem-solely-because-they-don't-communicate. I can look past one or the other. Unfortunately, this book has both.

Looking past my own issues, it is a cute story. I'm not quite sold on Tara, but Seth is absolutely adorable. I know many people will really enjoy this rom-com, but it just includes too many of my own personal pet-peeves.

I listened to the audiobook and overall the narrator does a great job. I like her voice and my only real complaint is the mispronunciation of a few things. (Like pronouncing the Notre Dame in Paris as Notre Dame, the college.)

Basically, if you enjoy this type of romance, you will most likely enjoy this book.

I received a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a cute love story. Both Tara and Seth have been hurt in the past, and Seth is about to leave to move across the world for a job in a month, but when they both find themselves attracted to one another a no strings attached fling sounds perfect. As the story unfolds and they inevitably begin to fall for each other, we learn about their pasts and why they are both so reluctant to trust someone with their hearts. I loved the story from start to finish. It was a cute story of two people figuring out with the right person, the stuff from the past bad relationships is irrelevant. I listened to this as an audio book and absolutely recommend it, the narrartor was great. If you love romance, you will love The Dating Dare.

I love a good rom com but I didn’t enjoy this book nearly as much as I expected. Instead of the fun, playful romcom I expected, it was more immature and awkward. I didn’t read the first book in the series so maybe I was missing out from that but I didn’t like the author’s style of writing. I felt like the book was long and kind of boring. It wasn’t for me but I’m sure others will love it.

I liked the premise of this story: Tara and Seth connect at the wedding of his brother and her best friend. They have chemistry, but neither one is ready to get into a relationship, so they agree to keep things simple and discreet, but of course we know it's not going to work out quite like they expect. This framework of the story was promising, but it didn't quite come together for me in the execution. I felt like the descriptions and the characters' reaction seemed a touch over the top and needed to be dialed back a bit. Seth growled a lot. Tara kept a constant push and pull that was tiresome, her internal turmoil over being being around town with Seth felt excessive. The back and forth, should we or shouldn't we, plus too-detailed descriptions like a 'delectable morsel' of a brownie that how it was eaten, it all made the story drag and distracted from what could otherwise be a solid plot.

I listened to an audio version of The Dating Dare and I would definitely listen to other books with this narrator.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio/St. Martin's Press for my NetGalley ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date: August 3rd
This is the 2nd book in the A Sweet Mess series - it's similar to The Friend Zone series in that the characters pop in from the previous book, but you don't have to read them in order.

Tara Park doesn't do serious relationships. Seth Kim is leaving for Paris in a month. When these two meet at a wedding, sparks fly, and in a game of truth or dare, Tara agrees to four dates with Seth. How attached can you really get in four dates?

Both of the protagonists spend a lot of time at a cafe eating delicious baked goods - so many delicious baked goods, in fact, that I baked two different muffin batches this weekend while listening to the audiobook

What I liked about this book:
The narrator Natalie Naudus - she did a great job with Tara and Seth's voices. I felt like I was right there in the story with them.
The dating dare premise felt really fun to me. I liked seeing Tara and Seth try to set ground rules for each other - pants must be kept on during a date! Their misadventures kept me laughing.
The food and the beer! Referenced above - I really should have made caramel brownies to match the story, but oh well.

What could have been better:
Tara and Seth both had a lot of baggage from previous relationships due to their abusive and inconsiderate partners. I would have liked to see them working through those issues rather than just referring to them constantly.
The book is sweet enough to give you a toothache. It didn't bother me too much, but I think some readers will be missing the spice and conflict often found in romcoms.

The Dating Dare is a cute sequel that follows, as many contemporary romances do, supporting characters from book one, giving them a chance to shine on their own.
Though, it wasn't as endearing as A Sweet Mess was, and the absolute lack of the main protagonists from book one did not really help it's case. I listened to it, happy and enjoying it, but it felt like... less. I wish it had been a little more.

When the first thing that the heroine says to the hero of a a rom-com is, "You need to stop staring at my ass," You know you're going to be in for a fun bookish ride!

The Dating Dare is indeed a fun ride with snappy, sexy banter, heart warming family bonding and two protagonists who desire each other even more than the Comfort Food Bakery desserts they constantly crave.

Seth Kim has been looking at the... assets of Tara Park in that form fitting bride's maid dress since the wedding of his brother began and wondering just what lies beneath.When Tara calls him out on it, a string of sexy banter ensues between them that leads to a game of truth or dare. Seth wins the game and Tara has to go out on 4 dates with him. They both agree it will be a no falling in love fling. After all Seth is moving to Paris in a few weeks. Unfortunately, their hearts have other plans...

I really enjoyed this fun and mildly spicy (closed door 🍆🍊 😪) rom-com. You can't help but love sweet and gorgeous, Seth. Watching him fall for the relationship phobic Tara and unwittingly capture her heart gives you all of the wonderful feels you come to expect from a rom-com. Their dates are fun, sexy and swoon worthy. You cheer them on even as they deny their feelings. You also feel empathy for both of them as they confess the wounds of their past relationships that have left scars on their hearts.

If you enjoy light, sweet and fun rom-coms I dare you to read or listen to this sexy and heartwarming book.

Thanks @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for my ALC.

The Dating Dare follows two people just looking for a short fling before they part ways in a month. Tara isn't looking for love, and Seth, a playboy, initially see's that as a challenge. Seth dares her to go on four dates with him without falling for him. But of course, nothing will go according to plan for Tara OR Seth, who find themselves falling for each other.

100 pages could EASILY be cut out of this book without changing anything, whatsoever. The plot is extremely repetitive, and while character development is evident, gradually throughout the pages, this development comes at the expense of my entertainment. When I read trope-filled romantic comedies, I'm not looking for a drawn out repetitive plot that shows a slow progression of character development ultimately ending in the happily-ever-after-resolution, and that is what this book gave.

While I didn't enjoy the slow pacing of the story, I did like the main character, Tara, who was really the saving grace of this story. I didn't like Seth, who was much too possessive for me, and was constantly described with animalistic terms? Which was weird.

The language throughout felt very stilted and out of touch to how humans actually interact with each other, which was difficult to read through. I cringed through many of the interactions between the two leads, even when the scenes weren't hypothetically cringe-worthy. This stilted dialogue was exasperated by the audiobook narration, which was equally stilted and distant.

Overall I didn't love this story, and wouldn't recommend it. If you're looking for a rom-com, there are many better than this one!

I unfortunately don't have a lot to say about this book other than it was OK. It was a sweet romance with some good banter and a cute ending, but I really struggled to connect with our main characters, Seth and Tara. Also, I haven't read the first book in this series and I think that hurt my enjoyment. This is a standalone, so you don't necessarily have to, but I think having some more backstory would have helped me cared a bit more about the characters and understand their personal struggles. I wasn't completely sold on the conflict and would have like a little more character development.

Rating: 3 stars

Super cute, super fun romance with two people learning to love after toxic relationships. Both characters have really interesting careers so I kind of wanted more on that as well as their families but I’m a character driven reader. The prom date was everything. I’ll have to go back and read the first book now.