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I Dare You
Riley Walker had been born with a proverbial silver spoon in her mouth. Growing up in suburbia and attending an Ivy league school, Riley had always done exactly what she was supposed to do, including making an appearance on an impromptu blind date that would turn out far differently than she ever could have imagined.
Suzie Jacobs had never needed anyone in her life, had never wanted anyone to stay in her life. She had put herself through college and opened a successful business, all on her own. As beautiful as she was carefree, Suzie Jacobs didn't answer to anyone but herself. That is, until she met Riley.
When the two woman meet unexpectedly, their lives are thrown upside down, and both are led to question everything they have ever believed in.
Suzie Jacobs had never needed anyone in her life, had never wanted anyone to stay in her life. She had put herself through college and opened a successful business, all on her own. As beautiful as she was carefree, Suzie Jacobs didn't answer to anyone but herself. That is, until she met Riley.
When the two woman meet unexpectedly, their lives are thrown upside down, and both are led to question everything they have ever believed in.
433 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 18, 2014
9 people are currently reading
76 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 16, 2015
I hesitated between 2 and 3 stars for this one. I decided on 2 because even though I Dare You isn't a horrible story, by any standard, there are more things I disliked about it than things I liked about it. I guess it's really a matter of taste here.
The first thing that annoyed me, was how unnatural some of the dialogues sounded. Add to that typos, grammar errors, and mix ups in the characters' names (how hard is it to type the right name? So many times Riley was typed instead of Suzie and vice versa, it did my head in trying to keep track of who did what), and you get the picture.. of mediocre writing.
And unfortunately, the content didn't help me much. The main feeling I had while reading the book was boredom. Really, I felt so bored I skipped entire paragraphs in hope of finding an exciting storyline. I didn't.
The lack of originality in the story is probably the cause of that. Not only the poor girl/rich girl storyline is a typical overused source of angst in lesbian romances, the self-deprecating woman with family issues who's scared of commitment (Suzie) is also one and is not very attractive. The women get together really early on in the book, so the main issue really is the back and forth aspect of the relationship: Suzie runs, Riley chases. Until Riley is hurt so badly she is the one who wants to run. And Suzie has to chase. It was boring and frustrating.
There is also a looot of talk for the sake of talking (you know these stories in which characters just HAVE to call their mother/best friend/colleague to talk about what's going on, and the issue is: the reader already knows what's going on and does NOT need a retelling in endless dialogues).
There are very long chapters and descriptions that didn't catch my attention, It's not that the secondary themes of the book (Riley's stressful job as a social worker and Suzie's long lost brother) are necessarily uninteresting, it's just that some writers are able to write in such a compelling way that they just pull you in, and others just aren't.
Morgan Thomas didn't do it for me.
Despite all of this, I am certain that a lot of people can find this an enjoyable read. It's a simple romance, and if you don't mind cliché stories then go for it. I just read way too many romance novels to not be annoyed by it.
The first thing that annoyed me, was how unnatural some of the dialogues sounded. Add to that typos, grammar errors, and mix ups in the characters' names (how hard is it to type the right name? So many times Riley was typed instead of Suzie and vice versa, it did my head in trying to keep track of who did what), and you get the picture.. of mediocre writing.
And unfortunately, the content didn't help me much. The main feeling I had while reading the book was boredom. Really, I felt so bored I skipped entire paragraphs in hope of finding an exciting storyline. I didn't.
The lack of originality in the story is probably the cause of that. Not only the poor girl/rich girl storyline is a typical overused source of angst in lesbian romances, the self-deprecating woman with family issues who's scared of commitment (Suzie) is also one and is not very attractive. The women get together really early on in the book, so the main issue really is the back and forth aspect of the relationship: Suzie runs, Riley chases. Until Riley is hurt so badly she is the one who wants to run. And Suzie has to chase. It was boring and frustrating.
There is also a looot of talk for the sake of talking (you know these stories in which characters just HAVE to call their mother/best friend/colleague to talk about what's going on, and the issue is: the reader already knows what's going on and does NOT need a retelling in endless dialogues).
There are very long chapters and descriptions that didn't catch my attention, It's not that the secondary themes of the book (Riley's stressful job as a social worker and Suzie's long lost brother) are necessarily uninteresting, it's just that some writers are able to write in such a compelling way that they just pull you in, and others just aren't.
Morgan Thomas didn't do it for me.
Despite all of this, I am certain that a lot of people can find this an enjoyable read. It's a simple romance, and if you don't mind cliché stories then go for it. I just read way too many romance novels to not be annoyed by it.
January 4, 2016
This book kills me because it could be great. The story is solid, the characters likeable. But, and this is a huge but, it reads like a draft. If I hadn't been reading it with my kindle unlimited account, I would have returned it within the first few percent because it opened with an info dump. There are definitely spelling and grammatical errors, but worse are the continuity and story issues.
I wish this book would get picked up by a publisher because with a solid edit, it would probably be one of my favourites this year. If you can ignore errors all over the place and have a ku account, then give it a try.
Also, and this is by no means a dig, more a curiosity, does anyone know if this started out as a Pitch Perfect slashfic? Because the characters come across as very similar to Beca and Chloe.
I wish this book would get picked up by a publisher because with a solid edit, it would probably be one of my favourites this year. If you can ignore errors all over the place and have a ku account, then give it a try.
Also, and this is by no means a dig, more a curiosity, does anyone know if this started out as a Pitch Perfect slashfic? Because the characters come across as very similar to Beca and Chloe.
April 22, 2018
2 stars. I'm not a fan of this type of high strung lesbian drama. There's very little actual romance and Susie's so unlikable that I was glad for it to finally end. Can't recommend.
July 22, 2016
I liked this book enough to want to edit it. Good story line, great characters. Had me laughing, crying, and talking to the characters. And the poor editing is not worthy of the writing (I read the amazon kindle version and then did a search to find the author with little luck).
It looked like spell check was used, and auto correct had mucked a few things up, but it didn't seem that grammar check had been used. Seriously...send me and RTF or open office document and I will get back to you with corrections and comments. Most of the edits I could do on the fly and were only marginally annoying, some are confusing enough to need feedback from the author
It looked like spell check was used, and auto correct had mucked a few things up, but it didn't seem that grammar check had been used. Seriously...send me and RTF or open office document and I will get back to you with corrections and comments. Most of the edits I could do on the fly and were only marginally annoying, some are confusing enough to need feedback from the author
October 2, 2014
Riley Walker meets Suzie Jacobs. to be fair, this is slightly more complicated than it sounds - Riley has just been stood up by her (male) blind date and is now blind drunk instead. Suzie is the bar owner with an instant crush but a fear of attachment - falling for the straight chick sounds like a terrible plan and well worth avoiding. Luckily for her though, Riley has always been morally brave; working for an adoption agency gives her plenty of opportunities to practice. But as Riley draws closer and Suzie sprints the heck away from her, will it all end up in tears?
I normally hate "falling for the straight girl *POOF* they're now a lesbian" stories - this one has the virtue of the "straight" chick figuring out quickly she's actually queer as a three-dollar banknote and consequently doing all the pursuing. Frustratingly (and driving forward all of the plot) Suzie is intensely commitment-phobic and gleefully sabotages herself at every opportunity. But that's alright; she gets called out for it. In fact this book's biggest strength is that it is filled with little stories about being self-reliant - about taking ownership of problems and in turn allowing others their fair share of blame. Some of those Aesops were a touch heavy handed, but overall it was a good little yarn.
It lost a star from me for having only a nodding acquaintance with an editor. I truly get the pressure to publish your work as quickly as possible, especially in the digital age. However if you are going to seriously expect people to pay for your work, you must fix basic technical errors, such as spelling. And then there were flat-out mistakes; Suzie was referred to as Riley at least twice in text, for example. The problems grew abruptly more pressing about half-way through the book (perhaps a check-reader grew tired, or perhaps a less competent one was switched in). Regardless, at some points it influenced my immersion in the story, which is never good.
Otherwise it's worth reading; the plot never drags, and although it's moderately silly, it's also quite good fun.
I normally hate "falling for the straight girl *POOF* they're now a lesbian" stories - this one has the virtue of the "straight" chick figuring out quickly she's actually queer as a three-dollar banknote and consequently doing all the pursuing. Frustratingly (and driving forward all of the plot) Suzie is intensely commitment-phobic and gleefully sabotages herself at every opportunity. But that's alright; she gets called out for it. In fact this book's biggest strength is that it is filled with little stories about being self-reliant - about taking ownership of problems and in turn allowing others their fair share of blame. Some of those Aesops were a touch heavy handed, but overall it was a good little yarn.
It lost a star from me for having only a nodding acquaintance with an editor. I truly get the pressure to publish your work as quickly as possible, especially in the digital age. However if you are going to seriously expect people to pay for your work, you must fix basic technical errors, such as spelling. And then there were flat-out mistakes; Suzie was referred to as Riley at least twice in text, for example. The problems grew abruptly more pressing about half-way through the book (perhaps a check-reader grew tired, or perhaps a less competent one was switched in). Regardless, at some points it influenced my immersion in the story, which is never good.
Otherwise it's worth reading; the plot never drags, and although it's moderately silly, it's also quite good fun.
March 30, 2014
I loved the author's story! Real issues, real emotions from the various characters. I loved Riley's passion,humor and assertiveness even though she was stepping into the unknown.Suzie's feelings of self doubt and inadequacy drove me crazy! Insecurity is not attractive but very real for us all at times. Its the constant lack of self worth that is debilitating to one's own self and a relationship. Cass was a hoot and has characteristics I desire in my friendships.
If I could rate on various aspects the work I would give 5 stars for the story, editing would get a 3 - examples: "mad" was used instead of "made", "was" instead of "wasn't". I don't mind re-reading a sentence or paragraph to absorb the layers or depth of meaning but to re-read due to poor sentence structure and spelling is a bit distracting. My comment is strictly constructive.
I look forward to reading more from this author.
If I could rate on various aspects the work I would give 5 stars for the story, editing would get a 3 - examples: "mad" was used instead of "made", "was" instead of "wasn't". I don't mind re-reading a sentence or paragraph to absorb the layers or depth of meaning but to re-read due to poor sentence structure and spelling is a bit distracting. My comment is strictly constructive.
I look forward to reading more from this author.
August 25, 2016
I started reading this book wanting to give it 4 stars. But then the typos happened - repeatedly. Then the conscious -
conscience
fiasco. Let's not forget about the author interchanging the leads; Suzie to Riley - Riley to Suzie. Then there is redundancy of statements/events, and often times stilted dialogues.
The writing style needs polishing and for the love of holy flannels get someone competent to edit this.
The writing style needs polishing and for the love of holy flannels get someone competent to edit this.
March 31, 2014
Only let down by the proofreading (or lack of). This is a lovely book and the characters are so likable/loveable that it's sad to get to the end. I was hooked and stayed up far too late to finish it and then re-read it, it was that good.
I hope that this author writes more in this mould. Thank you Morgan.
I hope that this author writes more in this mould. Thank you Morgan.
March 8, 2015
Great book
I loved this book a lot. I just wish the editing had been more thorough. It tripped me up a few times. Otherwise everything from the characters to the places and situations were great.
I loved this book a lot. I just wish the editing had been more thorough. It tripped me up a few times. Otherwise everything from the characters to the places and situations were great.
March 16, 2015
Great book
Loved reading this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kept me wanting to keep reading more love stories like this!great book! Wished it was longer to read!
Loved reading this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kept me wanting to keep reading more love stories like this!great book! Wished it was longer to read!
February 21, 2014
Lovely story. My only wish is an editor had looked it over before it was published.
March 31, 2014
This book had me laughing and crying. If you are looking for a story to make you smile and let you relax this might be just the one for you!
July 25, 2014
LOVED IT... good easy read with a great twist and puppies!!
October 13, 2014
Double dog dare you
I enjoyed the story very much. Loved the dynamics of the main characters and their constant battle with each other
I enjoyed the story very much. Loved the dynamics of the main characters and their constant battle with each other
February 23, 2015
Lovely story. Needs to be read by an editor though, it had many mistakes but the story was good :)
October 2, 2014
Was a great read but man does an editor need to run through this a couple of times
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews