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Truth & Dare
For the past 26 years I've lived a lie. I had to, to survive. But now? Now this half-life, the deceit, the lies are just hurting everyone I love and the only person who has ever loved me. I'm not sure how I got into this mess but I have to get out. For my sake, and for hers. Maybe I did want to get caught, maybe, but I never meant to hurt her.
And then there was HIM. The man who managed to hold me together until my pieces rearranged and gravity kicked in. He's made me happier than I ever thought I could be. Happier than I deserve to be.
This is what happened, and why, and how. But most importantly, this is WHO happened. This is how I discovered my truth and that sometimes love is easy, even when life is hard.
Miscarriage, infidelity, depression. Mention of past conversion therapy and dealing with the repercussions. Gender questioning/issues. Parental abuse and kicking out a minor. Homophobia. This book is very angsty in the beginning although almost all is outside the relationship.
This is Alex and Dare's story from the Dominant Doctor universe.
And then there was HIM. The man who managed to hold me together until my pieces rearranged and gravity kicked in. He's made me happier than I ever thought I could be. Happier than I deserve to be.
This is what happened, and why, and how. But most importantly, this is WHO happened. This is how I discovered my truth and that sometimes love is easy, even when life is hard.
Miscarriage, infidelity, depression. Mention of past conversion therapy and dealing with the repercussions. Gender questioning/issues. Parental abuse and kicking out a minor. Homophobia. This book is very angsty in the beginning although almost all is outside the relationship.
This is Alex and Dare's story from the Dominant Doctor universe.
585 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 29, 2024
8 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 13, 2024
This was quite a bit different than “the Dominant Doctor series” which is a good thing because I was worried that it would feel like reading a copy and paste job. But Alex and Dare are truly a completely different couple and their story is uniquely their own.
While you do not need to read Chris and Greg’s series, before you read this book, it was definitely more enriching having read the dominant doctor first. I had no idea how much Alex was going through during the brief instances we got to see him in the dominant doctor.
This book was a lot heavier than the dominant doctor and definitely not as spicy as that series. But the romance was there, and the character development was there.
For those that are completely unfamiliar with the characters… This book follows Alex, who is recently divorced after his wife found out that he’s been cheating on her by, playing a sub to gay men in his spare time. His life sort of implodes. We meet him as he is trying to pick up the pieces and figure out how to move forward. This is further complicated by his very conservative upbringing and his own hangups around being gay, which is why he was married to a woman, but secretly sceneing/sleeping with gay men while married to his wife.
Then we meet Dare, who is a slightly older and very busy businessman, but somehow also a complete goofball. He kind of barrels through the book like a breath of fresh air and even though Alex is really more of a mess than he feels like he can take on he also can’t ignore the pull that he feels toward Alex.
The rest of the book is really them working through building a relationship together between two adults that come with their own sets of baggage because they have lived lives before they got together. Alex’s bags are admittedly, quite a bit heavier than Dare’s , but they do both definitely have things to work through and we spend lot of the book watching them be happy, but also watching them work through those hangups to reach their HEA.
If you like reading MM romance that is grounded with low angst and throw in a little bit of kink and a healthy dose of spice then I think this will be a really enjoyable read for you. It was really refreshing to have adults acting like adults. So often in romance books, you have to watch characters behave in ways that feel ridiculous because they are acting out a trope list and that is absolutely not the case here.
If you have triggers, you should be forewarned about the cheating, but that happens very early in the book and technically really before we start reading as Alex is found out by his wife at the very beginning of the book. But there is no cheating between the main couple. You should also be aware of homophobic language and mentions of conversion therapy, mostly in the past, but it does affect the characters in the present.
If I was going to make any complaint at all, it would be that Dare and Alex‘s story felt a bit rushed at times and I could definitely see how they could have had more than one book. But I’m also glad that I didn’t have to wait to read , their full story so I’m kind of torn on how I feel about that. I think it’s also possible I feel that way because I read Chris and Greg and they had an eight part series. Alex and Dare’s book spans four years but it’s just one book and some of the events overlap and so I know how much more detail the author could have gone into for those events, but they are a little more glossed over in order to fit into this one book.
Also the over use of some phrases. I noticed it in the dominant Doctor toward the end of the series, that the characters started to sound alike. And I noticed it here as well. They all use similar phrasing. If you hadn’t read DD Series it might be less noticeable.
While you do not need to read Chris and Greg’s series, before you read this book, it was definitely more enriching having read the dominant doctor first. I had no idea how much Alex was going through during the brief instances we got to see him in the dominant doctor.
This book was a lot heavier than the dominant doctor and definitely not as spicy as that series. But the romance was there, and the character development was there.
For those that are completely unfamiliar with the characters… This book follows Alex, who is recently divorced after his wife found out that he’s been cheating on her by, playing a sub to gay men in his spare time. His life sort of implodes. We meet him as he is trying to pick up the pieces and figure out how to move forward. This is further complicated by his very conservative upbringing and his own hangups around being gay, which is why he was married to a woman, but secretly sceneing/sleeping with gay men while married to his wife.
Then we meet Dare, who is a slightly older and very busy businessman, but somehow also a complete goofball. He kind of barrels through the book like a breath of fresh air and even though Alex is really more of a mess than he feels like he can take on he also can’t ignore the pull that he feels toward Alex.
The rest of the book is really them working through building a relationship together between two adults that come with their own sets of baggage because they have lived lives before they got together. Alex’s bags are admittedly, quite a bit heavier than Dare’s , but they do both definitely have things to work through and we spend lot of the book watching them be happy, but also watching them work through those hangups to reach their HEA.
If you like reading MM romance that is grounded with low angst and throw in a little bit of kink and a healthy dose of spice then I think this will be a really enjoyable read for you. It was really refreshing to have adults acting like adults. So often in romance books, you have to watch characters behave in ways that feel ridiculous because they are acting out a trope list and that is absolutely not the case here.
If you have triggers, you should be forewarned about the cheating, but that happens very early in the book and technically really before we start reading as Alex is found out by his wife at the very beginning of the book. But there is no cheating between the main couple. You should also be aware of homophobic language and mentions of conversion therapy, mostly in the past, but it does affect the characters in the present.
If I was going to make any complaint at all, it would be that Dare and Alex‘s story felt a bit rushed at times and I could definitely see how they could have had more than one book. But I’m also glad that I didn’t have to wait to read , their full story so I’m kind of torn on how I feel about that. I think it’s also possible I feel that way because I read Chris and Greg and they had an eight part series. Alex and Dare’s book spans four years but it’s just one book and some of the events overlap and so I know how much more detail the author could have gone into for those events, but they are a little more glossed over in order to fit into this one book.
Also the over use of some phrases. I noticed it in the dominant Doctor toward the end of the series, that the characters started to sound alike. And I noticed it here as well. They all use similar phrasing. If you hadn’t read DD Series it might be less noticeable.
May 18, 2024
Although this didn't grab my heart the way the Dominant Doctor series did, I still really enjoyed this. It is not a BDSM book at all. It was edited to some extent, which made me extremely happy.
I have to admit that this author has some bad habits of overusing certain words and phrases, and they can wander off the path (a truly good editor can fix that), but they do create amazing characters who live fascinating lives all while making me fall in love with them. Dare is a bit OTT, but he is aware of that, which makes it easier to accept. Alex/Lex was just lovely as they came to accept themselves. I really liked that they weren't the so often written tiny and delicate person in the relationship, it's wonderful to see different bodies represented in all the ways possible. They were so sweet together. I also really loved that Dare"s more traditional Jewish family accepted who he was and only wanted his happiness.
A little longer than needed, but still a wonderful addition to the DD World and something I would reread.
I have to admit that this author has some bad habits of overusing certain words and phrases, and they can wander off the path (a truly good editor can fix that), but they do create amazing characters who live fascinating lives all while making me fall in love with them. Dare is a bit OTT, but he is aware of that, which makes it easier to accept. Alex/Lex was just lovely as they came to accept themselves. I really liked that they weren't the so often written tiny and delicate person in the relationship, it's wonderful to see different bodies represented in all the ways possible. They were so sweet together. I also really loved that Dare"s more traditional Jewish family accepted who he was and only wanted his happiness.
A little longer than needed, but still a wonderful addition to the DD World and something I would reread.
May 6, 2024
Love these guys
I loved seeing Alex's and Dare's story unfold and all their ups, downs and bumps along the road. It's another great read from Sammy and I highly suggest picking up her other books as well. Truth and Dare can be read as a standalone and everything is explained beautifully, but you get a lot more of the side character's backstory and some hidden gems if you read this after the Dominant Doctor series.
I loved seeing Alex's and Dare's story unfold and all their ups, downs and bumps along the road. It's another great read from Sammy and I highly suggest picking up her other books as well. Truth and Dare can be read as a standalone and everything is explained beautifully, but you get a lot more of the side character's backstory and some hidden gems if you read this after the Dominant Doctor series.
October 13, 2024
I loved the Dominant Doctor series and have also read Healing Ollie. I read this book because I’m a bit of a completionist but it’s the book I was least excited about. This book is AMAZING! I have come to love Lex and Dare. It is a beautiful book and the epilogue had me in tears (happy tears). I highly recommend. There is some steam but nothing like the main DD series, which was a nice break tbh.
May 22, 2024
Heartwarming gay love story
If you love the Doc series, you're gonna love this as well. Definitely a must read!
The author has a great sense of humor and I found myself laughing many times throughout the story.
If you love the Doc series, you're gonna love this as well. Definitely a must read!
The author has a great sense of humor and I found myself laughing many times throughout the story.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews