Dare Me

Marisela Morales/Dirty #0.5

by Julie Leto

When faced with a choice between saving the world and reclaiming your one true love…why not take both?

Secret agent Macy Rush is on a mission: find the counter-code that will thwart an impending terrorist attack. But her operation goes from bad to worse when she discovers the New Orleans mansion she must search is now owned by rival spy Dante Burke—the man who betrayed her in the most intimate and destructive way.

As lead agent for The Arm, an elite, black-ops division of the CIA, Dante has already searched the house from top to bottom. Though he’s come up empty, Macy insists on checking for herself. Dante agrees—for a price. During the day, he’ll help her try to save the world. But at night, she will be his.

From the Author:
This novella was originally published by NAL/Penguin in a collection with bestselling authors Cherry Adair and Jill Shalvis in 2005. It's probably one of the most sensual stories I've written, but I still made substantial changes for this digital re-release...why? Because of reader feedback! I tweaked the circumstances and turned up the heat. I hope my new readers will go along for the wild ride while Dante desperately tries to repair the one relationship that matters to him...in time to save the world. Happy reading!

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Suspense, Romantic Suspense, Short Stories

69 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2005

About the author

Also Knows as Julie Elizabeth Leto

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julie Leto is the multi-published and award-winning author of over forty-five novels for publishers such as Simon & Schuster, Penguin and Harlequin who has now turned her attention to independent publishing. She pens the popular “Dirty” sexy suspense series starring kick-ass, ex-gang girl Marisela Morales and the sensual paranormal “Phantom” books, as well as the crossover series, “Dirty Dare.”
Julie lives on the west coast of Florida with her daughter, a brand-new Border collie mix rescue, a haughty Russian Siberian cat and a wide range of relatives all within driving distance. Readers can find her at www.julieleto.com, on Facebook and as @JulieLeto on Twitter.

Reviews

[Paula Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sexy story. I wish it was longer. I loved Macy and Dante, but I wanted more. I wanted to watch them rediscover each other and their love in a longer time frame, and that's just me; the greedy reader. The plot was very intriguing, but I didn't get that sense of urgency I needed to feel in the scenario presented. There were some very interesting characters that showed up, like Sean Devlin...he sounds like such a bad boy. I want to know more about him too. Dare Me definitely whet my appetite for more by Julie Leto. I really do hope more readers want more of Macy and Dante so that Leto entertains the possibility of a longer story in the future, where readers can reconnect with them.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked the idea of the story which was two highly efficient, successful secret government operatives; each from a different division who 9 years ago were on the same team and a hot item and in love. He betrays her (because it was a matter of national security)which causes her to leave. He has regretted not explaining why he did what he felt he had to do all this time. She holds a grudge. When a new threat (a nuclear one) arises, they are thrown together once again. She needs what he has in order to find the code that would make the nuclear warheads in Russia permanently inactive. He will give her what she needs if she agrees to his terms. What ensues is a sensual progression towards realization...for both of them. Can she find the code in time? Can he somehow get her to forgive him and see the powerful, honest love he still carries for her? You will find out only if you read this book.

[Angie ~aka Reading Machine~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Macy Rush is working against the clock to find a counter-code made by Bogdanov, a former Russian computer tech. Macy must work with that last man she ever expected to see again Dante Burke. Dante Burke heads up Arm and she works for T-45. Macy refuses to be caught up in Dante's web because he broke her heart once already. Dante is determined to win Macy back no matter the cost including this mission. Dante is determined to show Macy that he's a changed man. Macy wants to deny that Dante has changed yet is starting to let go of the past. Can Macy find what she's looking for? Will Macy let Dante into her heart again? Can Dante admit the truth to Macy? Your answers await you in Dare Me.

[Rosemary K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dare Me is set in the fast paced world of covert ops. The destruction of humanity serves as the backdrop for the story of Macy and Dante, former lovers who have been estranged for 10+ years. A near death experience has made Dante realize what he has lost when Macy left. He now wants to reclaim her and give his life meaning. His seduction of Macy is super hot and very sexy. The search to find the hidden code to prevent a nuclear attack on the US by terrorists adds suspense to the story. I really enjoyed the story. I hated to see it end.

[Gaylin Walli · Rating 2 out of 5]

The characters seemed to lack an emotional depth I was craving today and, as a result, found myself skipping ahead in the story. Although I technically finished the book, I'm putting this on my did-not-finish shelf because of how many chapters I skimmed. The story itself was ok, though not really race-against-time gripping for me as I wanted it to be, given the plot.

[Hope Frost · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this one just OK. I can't explain what I didn't like, just that the story didn't grab me. Love lost, and ultimate betrayal story, reconnection etc. I wasn't vested in the characters and didn't feel any kind of connection to them. I liked the premise of the story, just felt it lacked.

[Michelle the Romance Witch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, but intense, intriguing & very sexy... Looking forward to the rest of the series for sure.

[Jen_C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of talk & not enough action.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok book. Another short novella. The characters were decently developed.

[Julie Ramsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dare Me
by Julie Leto

Macy learned years ago that even the people that you trust the most can easily betray you. Since then she has proven to herself and the world that she is the best at what she does. She has built a name for herself and is a strong and independent woman. And now she is forced to work with the man that taught her that lesson. Dante has forced her into a working partnership that comes with strings. She needs to complete this job to save the country from terrorists. So what choice does she have but to spend time with him. But she wont let him touch her heart. He knows that he made a mistake in the way that he handled the incident that made her believe that he had betrayed her. But Dante is determined to make her love him again.


Review: This is a sexy suspense novella. I enjoyed this book a lot. The characters were fun and sexy. The story was fast paced and exciting. It was easy to identify with Macy's fear to put her heart out there again and to trust someone that she believed had betrayed her. And Dante's patience and determination to win her back without pushing was sweet and sexy at the same time. This was a great read. I recommend it to all.

Theresa F

5 of 5 stars

juliesbookreview.blogspot.com

[Silver James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dare Me is the beginning of a crossover series from NYT best-selling author, Julie Leto. The new DARE series has its roots in the DIRTY series. In DARE ME, two former lovers now nemeses have to team up to locate a computer code in order to avert the launch of nuclear weapons. Be warned, while that clock is ticking, the emphasis isn't on the the world threat. Spy master Dante Burke betrayed the woman he loved. In the aftermath of that situation, Macy Rush ditches the ultra covert CIA group the Arm and moves to the mercenary spy group, T-45. Circumstances force them to work together in the close confines of a Garden District home in New Orleans. Dante has every intention of seducing Macy and this is the focus of this short novella.

Originally published in an anthology, this story is now the opening of Ms. Leto's newest thriller DARE series. This is a sexy read which uses the world conflict as a backdrop t the personal conflict of the hero and heroine. If you keep that in mind, you'll likely enjoy this book as much as I did.

[Marcia Adversalo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just couldn't get really excited about this book. It seemed to develop too quickly and a lot of details were left out or we were left to figure them out as we went. It was billed as sexy suspense, but the suspense seemed shallow and the sexy part was meh. The premise seems like a good one but the development wasn't very deep. The characters seemed to be written to have this really hot sexual tension between them, but that just seemed artificial. In the beginning of the book, Macy was convinced that she hated Dante until forever and in a very short period of time, she was considering listening to his side of the story and maybe even wanting him in her life again. It was too fast and happened without any struggle. It made Macy seem like a woman who waffled and caved easily, which didn't fit with the tough secret agent. Too many inconsistancies for me to really get into it.

[Sally Kilpatrick]

I like the characters of Macy and Dante, and I love the idea of a scavenger hunt/seduction in a Garden District House in NOLA. The story even has a nice twist that brings together the dissimilar ideas of searching for codes to prevent nuclear war and Dante's exquisite seduction--not going to spoil that one for you.

My only problem is trying to get past said seduction when some very serious codes were needed, but if you can get past that you'll definitely enjoy this fun and quick read. I'm definitely interested in seeing what else Leto has to offer.

[McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW, what a gem I didn't expect to enjoy this one as much as I did. This is a fast paced story that involves two "spies" who end up in the same place nine years after their relationship goes sour. Dante is determined to use anything and everything to show Macy that what they had hasn't dimmed in all that time. This book is beautifully written with hot love scenes and beautiful loving scenes.

[Monica Akinyi Odhiambo · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was interesting how long two people can still have so much emotion after all those years.Based on covert operations,it had a good plot line though it wasn't that deep for me.I still love it thou,now am onto the next book-Dirty Little Lies,can't wait to read how it ends.

[Pam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too short to really get into it, not really in a big rush to get to the next book in the series, even though its longer than this novella ...

[Marti Rosenberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like her older books better

[Anita (Hearts and Whodunits) · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was not to my liking. It was too sexual. It left nothing to the imagination of the reader.