Double Dared

by Raquel Riley, Zachary Zaba (Narrator)

First love. First betrayal. One dare away from unraveling everything.

Truen "Tru"
I was twelve when I realized I loved him.
Thirteen when I kissed him.
And the next day, he made me hate myself for it.

Darien turned our friendship into a weapon.
Now he calls me his stepbrother and looks right through me like I’m nothing.
He pretends he doesn’t remember that night in the closet.

But I do.
I still taste him like blood in my mouth.
I remember how he kissed me back—and how he made sure I paid for it.

If Darien taught me anything, it’s that love isn’t a game.
The first dare broke us. The second dare might set us free.

Darien "Dare"
I kissed him back.
Because I wanted to.
Because it felt like falling, and I wanted to crash.

But wanting him meant admitting too much, so I crushed it.
I burned the bridge and left him on the other side, holding the match I lit.

He thinks I forgot. I didn’t.
I remember everything—his mouth, his breath, the sound he made when our lips touched.

I’ve hated him ever since for making it matter.
But I hate myself more for wanting it again.
And God help me, I do.

This isn’t a love story.
It’s a reckoning.

Double Dared is a standalone M/M romance packed with longing, banter, emotional gut punches, and heat that burns.

Genres: M M Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Friends To Lovers, Slow Burn, College, Forced Proximity, New Adult

Audible Audio

Published January 26, 2026

Reviews

[patrícia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arc Review: Double Dared by Raquel Riley
MC:Truen "Tru"&Darien "Dare" 5⭐

“I dare you to live your truth”

Tropes & tags
Childhood best friends to enemies to lovers
Slow burn
Pining and regret
Forced proximity
Step brothers
Second chance
Angst
First Times

Angsty. Slow burn. Infuriating. The kind of book that makes you want to shake both characters violently and then wrap them in a blanket and protect them forever.

This book made me feel everything.

I couldn’t put it down — I read over 300 pages in a single day, which lately is a big deal for me. I’ve been feeling pretty meh about most of my recent reads, and then this came along and completely hooked me. That’s Raquel Riley for you. She can write anything: funny and light, heavy military stories, taboo, full-on angst — and she nails it every single time. Her versatility and talent genuinely amaze me.

Tru and Dare are everything. Every time I thought something was missing, or that the story wasn’t going where I hoped… bam — she delivered. I wanted more grovelling, more crawling, bigger gestures. Raquel basically said hold my beer and gave me exactly what I didn’t even know I needed. The payoff is immaculate. The regret is deliciously painful. The yearning is off the charts.

One thing I do want to highlight, because it matters: Dare makes Tru suffer for six years. Six years of cruelty, bullying, and emotional punishment rooted in his fear and internalised homophobia — all of it projected onto Tru, as if Dare’s shame was somehow Tru’s fault. Because of that, I can absolutely see some readers feeling that Tru’s forgiveness comes too easily. At moments, I felt that too. But the book knows this. Dare doesn’t get off lightly. He suffers for what he’s done, and the emotional payoff when everything finally cracks open is earned. When Dare finally stops hiding, stops punishing Tru for his own truth, and lets honesty and love rule instead, it’s devastatingly beautiful.

And Tru? Tru is an angel. Pure heart, deep scars, endless strength. Loving him felt effortless, and wanting the world to be kinder to him was unavoidable.

The pacing was perfect. We follow them from age ten, when they first meet, through years of hurt, growth, and emotional devastation. They hurt and celebrate. They cry and laugh. They burn and doubt and want and ache — but they never give up on each other. The being was so deserving, with ramps and forever ♾️!
I also loved the messages at the beginning of each chapter — those little wise, ominous thoughts that set the tone for what’s coming were perfection.

It’s a slow burn, but…. But, their chemistry is off the charts and that shows in everything, while talking shit, fighting, kissing, fucking of making love, nothing beats the “say your mine”, or “were my clothes” or “fucking with the team Jersey on “❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥 old but gold 🔥🔥😮‍💨😮‍💨🥵🥵

This isn’t just a romance. It’s messy, raw, painful, and incredibly cathartic.

Highly, highly recommended if you like your slow burns drenched in regret, longing, and emotional gut punches. And that epilogue? Deliciously lame just the way I like it ❤️‍🔥

PS: I’m sorry, Raquel… but this cover is terrible 🫣 I will buy this book, but I desperately need an alternative cover like yesterday.

“We’re really doing this,” he whispered.
“Yeah,” I said, brushing my thumb over the black tungsten band on his finger. “We already are.”

I received a copy of this book from author, and this is my honest review.

⚠️Author Content Warnings
Bullying
Homophobia (internalized + external social pressure)
Underage kiss (no adult/minor content)
Parental conflict and emotional manipulation
Anxiety, panic, and shame-based spirals
Alcohol consumption
High emotional intensity, arguments, and messy relationship dynamics


❣️Book Safety & Content
Cheating: No
Other Person Drama: yes, both have some kind of relationship before they are together. It’s only kisses,nothing else.
Sharing: No
Third-Act Breakup: Yes
Role Dynamics: Strict roles
POV: 1st person (dual)
Format: Standalone
Ending: HEA
Angst Level: High
Spice Level: Medium / High heat
Communication: Heavy miscommunication
Pining: Mutual

[bookluvr]

if you see me adding this cover to my shelves, no you didn’t 😂

heard this book is good so i gotta attempt at some point

[peoniesandmm · Rating 4 out of 5]

tru & dare! these two were so cute.

i caught myself skimming the last half.. so that’s why i only gave it 4 stars but overall a super cute and angsty book!

[Seraphina Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Double Dared
Raquel Riley

First Love
First Betrayal
Step Brothers
Bully romance
Pining
Jealousy
Enemies to lovers


Wow. I'm impressed.
This was so good. LIke really good, incredible

This was written so beautifully. I loved how it was almost poetic? Just beautifully told.

These boys had it rough, that's for sure.

They have a long heavy road till they get their hea.

Dare was too young, had too many big feelings to process what he was going through. He acted out negatively and hurt Tru. Tru was so patient.

Tru just kept loving Dare, steady, in silence though everything he never gave up 🥺💔❤️

There is a world of hurt between Dare and Tru. Dare had to come to terms with so much in his mind.

This story is told in 6 parts. Each part was necessary to me and made sense. It told the different seasons of their story.

The 6th part was beautiful. When Dare was finally ready to live his truth ❤️

I loved their ending and hea. The Epilog was perfect too.

I'm so glad they got their hea

Fantastic book.

[dj&books · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW:

So I’m actually giving this 6 stars cause BROOO this book did a number on my ass, like gutted me tf up through most of this it. Dare & Tru completely have my heart and soul. These two start off as childhood best friends that turns into enemies/step brothers to eventually coming lovers and getting everything they deserve! But those years in between were rough and had me absolutely sobbing at times but it all end up becoming worth it. This book is incredible and I can’t wait for all of you to read it when it comes out on the 23rd. It does tackle some heavy theme so check your trigger warnings but I am jealous of everyone who gets to read this for the first time on the 23rd!

[Sharon Elias · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book...😭
My heart was being ripped out for about 70% of the entire story. But damn, it was worth it! 🖤

Two childhood best friends: Truen & Darien -
Tru & Dare.

One dare. One kiss, that changed everything.
Two boys who feel the same.
But only one of them can admit his feelings...
Tru.❤️
And the other one?
Dare. Too scared to admit he also likes boys.
Scared of what his dad will think, a man who doesn’t accept “weak boys.”
Scared of what everyone else will say.

One kiss... and Tru is left with a broken heart.
His best friend kissed him back... then disappeared.
Acting like he doesn’t even know Tru.

But why?

The reason behind Dare’s behavior completely broke my heart.
Such a beautiful soul, trapped by fear and expectations, needing to be the golden child. Struggling with himself. 💔

Raquel wrote a breathtaking, heartbreaking love story.
A story about acceptance, showing up for each other, and learning how to love without fear.
Because even when so much is broken... soulmates always find their way back to each other.

Oh and these bonus chapters…. Just when my tears had dried up… 😭

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

•
•

[xxBooksILovexx · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purposely read this book slowly as I just couldn’t get enough of Tru & Dare! I loved every second of their story. Adored watching them grow & learn how to love each in other. They will always have a special place in my heart!

[Crisana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to give it a higher rating, I really did. But the bullying bit just lasted too long and I feel like we could have had this story with them just being distant from each other instead of Dare being so nasty to Tru.
And I did not like how it impacts Tru. We are made to believe that Tru was just waiting for Dare to come to his senses and was fine with it but it felt really unfair and I don't think we get enough redemption. Or perhaps we do but it happened so quickly that I have a hard time believing Dare was all in after all that.
The ending was really good though and I enjoyed seeing them together in the future. But the ride there did not touch me as much as it should, therefore only a 3* rating. Good writing though and I know a lot of people will love it.

[Kelsey’s Kindle · Rating 5 out of 5]

FEELINGS. I wasn’t ready for them and there were a lot of them 😭I was ready for the bullying, the stepbros, the pining, the friends to the enemies to the lovers but man those feelings got me. I fell for Tru right away, I wanted to take that sweet precious boy home and protect him from the world. Starting off strong on the book boyfriend list already! He grew and changed and just came into his own, he gained confidence, self assurance, he’s brave and he doesn’t give up, I admire his resilience and how hard he loves even to his detriment. I absolutely loved seeing their childhood and seeing them grow through all the stages, watching the friends turn to enemies and then to lovers. Dare put me through a whole set of other emotions- loved him, then was mad at him, then frustrated at him then there a lot of awws and back to loving him again. He had it so set in his mind of who he was supposed to be, how his future was supposed to go, he just didn’t know how to go against that, so he masked and he hid the side of him that was just clawing to come out. When he finally broke free of that expectation is when I fell back in love with him. His redemption arc was perfect and so worth the aggravation he put me through lol.It was worth it all to see them get their HEA. The ending was just precious and so perfect for them 🥹Shout out to Tru’s mom Charlotte - what a supportive, kind and caring women, everyone deserves a parent like her 🩵Thanks to Raquel for letting me read and review this book .

[Shannon Winning · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am completely blown away. Honestly when I signed up for this I thought heck yeah I love a good steamy step bro romance. This was truly something so much more. Tru and Dare put me through it! The anger, the smiles and the tears and everything in between.

This was one of the hardest HEA I’ve read in a long time, and the way the story is told really just build up the hurt and the way you don’t know if you want to root for them or have them completely heal away from each other. In the end this book was about much more than finding each other but finding out about themselves too.

Tru being completely broken over what happens between him and his absolute best friend, and still holding out hope for the boy he fell for at such a young age ughhh it was masterful and just heartbreaking. Dare I swear I wanted to throw the whole man away at time but I had to step back and really put myself in his shoes, and at times I think I cried more for him then I did for Tru, to spend so many years thinking all the things he thought and felling all the negativity he internalized just broke my heart.

Like I said this was a HARD fought HEA but of so worth it, and the epilogue really messed me up, I was a mess and I’m so glad it had it!! I think it really completed the whole book.

This book was totally different from what I read as I do not like to be thrown in a river of tears and feelings but I’m glad this surprised me, one I’ll actually remember for such a long time.

[Siân PJsAndBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, Raquel for Double Dared a standalone MM Romance. We first meet Truen & Darien when they first meet at 10 years old. Doubled Dared take us through a journey of their lives from BFFs to enemies to Stepbrothers to more. My heart hurt for both of them throughout Double Dared and it only stopped hurting during the Epilogue! I adored both these characters & felt the Dual POV allowed me to also love Dare.

🤍 MM Romance
🤍 Enemies
🤍 Childhood Best Friends
🤍 Stepbrothers
🤍 Longing
🤍 Banter
🤍 First Love
🤍 Betrayal
🤍 Soulmates
🤍 Prologue
🤍 Dual POV
🤍 Epilogue
🤍 Bonus Content
🤍 HEA

https://www.instagram.com/pjsandbooks To check out some quotes that got me in a chockhold...

[Sjoukje · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give this book 5 stars for the heart of the story, the angst and the love. And 2 stars for the character of Dare and his dad. I need so much more grovelling for both of them to be ok with their HEA. And also a half star deduction for the names… Tru and Dare in a book with lots of Truth or Dare (where somehow all dares are kissing?) So that equals 4 stars i think 😁

My overall feeling: Tru deserves so much more! Both from Dare, but also from the author. At some point in the book he finally chooses himself. And I really hoped it would lead to another love and some years in between before they’d find each other again. But no. Dare shows up, and all is good in paradise again.
I also don’t understand why Dare’s father started out to be such a horrible homophobe. That also felt like an easy choice by the author. Yes, Dare needed something to get him to be the villain. But it could’ve been his mother. The dad was already an absent father. Just that premise combined with a cold homophobic mother would have made more sense than this. Now the dad had to make an 180 move because Tru’s mom was such an angel he forgot all about his homophobia. He called Tru son, knowing he was gay. Just the move from absent to loving father would have felt better.

I strongly dislike homophobia in books to begin with. And I understand it was needed here because it shaped so much of Dare and gave him a plausible back story. But no grovelling to make up for it was just annoying.

So… the writing itself and the love was that good😁 Otherwise I’d never had given four stars.

I don’t think I should (or will) reread. I do recommend reading this book though. Because of Tru. And Charlotte.

[Katkejt ☾.]

Tru (Truen) • Dare (Darien)

….

“You’re the best dare I ever took.”

….

I’ll start a little backwards but listen - the intros into chapters set up the mood so perfectly, just with a few words I was intrigued. Some of the two liners shot straight to the heart.

Best friends to (one sided) enemies to step brothers to soulmates… the roads not a road - ROADS these two had to take because of ones fear and internal pressure… This story lets us witness them grow, part, hurt to the point is seems at times of no return but return they do to each other. And when they do… we watch them learn how to love deeply. How to see and feel each other through their eyes…

One dare, one kiss, a million minutes of anguish and a dose of infinity together.

Ps. Can someone make a comic of my love story?

….

“But Dare was going, and I would’ve followed him into fire if he’d asked.” // “You’re the best dare I ever took.” // “I liked his smile. It was soft, but rusty. He didn’t show it to just anyone. I started trying to earn it every day—a little reward only I got to keep.” // “I just knew that under the ramp, Tru was mine.” // “He kissed me like it mattered and walked away like it hadn’t.” // “His friendship had shaped me once, molded me into the kind of boy I wanted to become. But his absence had carved me into someone else entirely.” // “His breath ghosted over my cheek. And in that second, I hated myself. Because I wanted him to kiss me. I wanted it more than I wanted to run.” // “But this silent war? It was the closest thing to intimacy we’d had in months.” // “I hated how badly I wanted to be loved by someone I couldn’t let myself have.” // “That box wasn’t big enough to hold all of my apologies.” // “I’ve learned to see myself in his reflection, because that’s the best version of me.” // “Maybe soulmates drift. But the tide always knows how to bring them home.” …

….

*I reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

….

[Finn · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a fan of books that make you FEEL, if you like getting ANGRY at a character and then fall in LOVE with them later when they finally SEE that they're worth something, if you want a book that will SUCK you in. See what I did there? 😆 If you like an MC that is so SWEET and WHOLESOME but just can't get over the BAD BOY that he so totally should (no he shouldn't!), you HAVE to READ this book. It will leave you a MESS in the BEST WAY.

And this is me. Finn "low-angst-is-my-jam" Dixon saying this sh*t.

Releases January 23

[Mariah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just to start off as an fyi to readers, the first 30-40% of this book, the two mc’s are children, under 18. They don’t get romantically involved until like 60% of the way and Dare bullies Tru for maybe 70% of the book.

These two do not actually like each other. I’m sorry but this was a story about two kids who were best friends and obsessed with each other, kissed and then spent the rest of their lives torturing each other in different ways.

I hated the mom, who carelessly married her son’s ex best friend’s (turned bully) dad, and forced her son to be around his biggest bully for years to appease her love life. Tru told his mother everything that happened and how awful Dare treated him and she was just like “oh they’re coming to your birthday party, they’re family” I’M SORRY WHAT?!?

Dare’s dad treated him pretty badly but like all bad mm romances, was redeemed with a flimsy excuse that he was so unhappy with himself he emotionally abused his son.

This was a 500+ page book that spent too much time describing stuff that didn’t matter to the storyline at all, descriptions with multiple adjectives for every single item in a room or every sound they heard. But also the author failed to provide any timeline whatsoever. Chapters would go by and if you didn’t see the brief mention of age, you’d have no clue what time in their life you’re reading about. College was the most confusing, were weeks going by? Months? Years? Who knows, definitely not the reader, who all of a sudden when they get internships and Dare’s coaching a soccer team do we find out he helped the team get two state championships. I’m not sure when he’d done that since we never actually read anything about their lives.

No class work, no artwork, no soccer, I mean what about either MC did we know other than them pining and ignoring each other only to come back together have sex and then keep ignoring each other.

We’re also told Dare has a brother but if we were told his name I have no memory of it. Every time he’s referenced it “my brother” “your brother”, Tru gets his mom a framed photo for Christmas from her and Dares dads wedding and it only has the four of them in it, no brother, even though he was at the wedding.

This authors other books, the Scars and Stripes trilogy, were good, so I went in pretty excited after reading the blurb but this was just a complete miss for me.

[Library_of_a_Trashpanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soccer, best friends, trauma, and emotional damage? This books got it all.

Tropes:
MM Romance
Friends to lovers to enemies to lovers 😂
Internal homophobia
Bullying

1️⃣ **Overall Rating:** ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

2️⃣ **Overview/Synopsis:**: One kiss changes the course of friendship and is the pivotal moment in life.

3️⃣ **Favorite Character:**: Truen. I love that he never gave up, maybe he should have but he stayed knowing it could be worth it.

4️⃣ **Most Memorable Scene:**: The big money in New York. I don’t want to give spoilers

5️⃣ **Favorite Quote or Line:**: “Ride my 🍆 while I stare at you in that jersey,” he rasped, and I swore I’d never recover.

6️⃣ **Overall Review Summary:**: Lately lil I seem to read are books that emotionally damage me. This one definitely does but it heals what it breaks.

Tru and Dare go THROUGH it. There’s definitely struggle and self hatred but there’s also someone who loves through it and even though maybe they shouldn’t, they wait.

This is for sure not the spiciest book I’ve read, but when the scenes happen I feel like they made it more powerful. They were made for impact not just smutty goodness.

Riley did an amazing job conveying the emotions that both Tru and Dare felt. The way it was written made me feel like I was going though it, no just a bystander reading. I absolutely loved this book and am so glad o got to be a part of the team for it!!

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Double Dared was so freaking good! What a fantastic story, I was hooked right from the start! Tru and Dare had such a deep connection, you could really feel both their pain and longing and eventually their love. I thoroughly enjoyed their journey to their hard earned HEA, highly recommend!

[Caroline Forrester · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 ⭐️

Pre-read:

I am excited to read this and the cover won’t deter me. I’m not judging the book BY its cover, but I am definitely judging THE cover. For a 500+ page book that seems quite angsty, this cover is pretty silly. 😂

Edit: the cover is different now but equally silly.

[Queenbeereads_sugarandspice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this book takes you on quite the emotional rollercoaster. There’s plenty of ups and downs for Tru and Dare, but my heart’s still feeling full after that ending. 
 
I’m going to be honest; there was a point in this book where I feared that I was never going to like Dare’s character. While I understood why he was afraid of being out and with his stepbrother, his bitterness and resentful behaviour towards Tru made it hard to sympathise much for him.
 
Tru, though, what a kind, loyal person he was. I felt every ounce of his pain: every sting of betrayal when Dare ignored him and every flinch when he got cruel words thrown at him. I spent much of the book wanting to give him the biggest hug. 
 
Tru has an absolute heart of gold. He’s goodness and light, and I hated seeing Dare bring him down so often. Despite that, he never really gave up on his stepbrother, loving him from afar for years. That boy has the patience of a saint, and I respected him so much for being the bigger person, not rising to the bait after all of Dare’s taunts. He’s brave and real. And maybe a bit too forgiving, giving Dare so many chances.
 
It was the second half of this book which really shone for me. I found my heart aching for Dare – though also feeling that it was a bit of karma for him – which I was not expecting one bit. 
 
It was in the final section though that Dare really comes into his own. Chapters 40 and 41 were my absolute favourites. I cannot tell you how much I loved it when Dare FINALLY speaks his truth. When he finally shows up, it’s something spectacular. His turnaround and personal growth completely won me around. From not speaking up before, so many of his words held so much weight, were so heartfelt and beautiful, and I couldn’t get enough of them. I did well up at times!
 
While I may not have been his biggest fan for a while, Dare did win my forgiveness in the end. He made such a mess of things, but I loved that he finally found himself for them both, not just Tru.
 
As a general note, I really liked that we got to see everything in real time, rather than just significant bits and pieces of the past in flashbacks. I felt that this added more emotion to their story.
 
Also, Tru’s mum = AMAZING! She gives the best advice. I loved her even more every time she appeared.
 
So, I guess all there is to say now is: Tru + Dare 4Ever. 

---

I received an ARC copy of this book by the author, and this is my honest review.

------

Some of my favourite quotes

“Stop hiding. Embrace yourself. Live out loud.”

“I don’t even know who I am anymore.” “That’s okay. Just start with who you want to be.” 

“You can keep hating me if you need to,” “But I don’t hate you. Even now.”

“Stop living in Dare’s gravitational field like your orbit doesn’t matter.” 

I used to think love was a straight line—meet, fall, hold on tight. But with Tru, it’s always been a loop. Past bleeding into present. Regret stitched through every memory. And still, I’d go back. Every damn time. 

“I didn’t know how to love you right, but I’m trying now. Please tell me I’m not too late.”

“Back then, I was scared of how bright you were. But now I just want to stand next to you and burn.” 

“I dare you.” “To what?” “To love me back. Let’s live our truth. Together.” 

“You belong to me. Not in the way I used to think. Not like something to claim. Like someone I’d burn for.” 

“You’ve been my almost, my always, and my favorite pain in the ass since the day I met you twelve years ago.”

“You were always the piece I couldn’t figure out. But I wasn’t complete without you.” “That’s ’cause you were missing one too.”

“So this is how our story ends?” “No. It’s just the last page of volume one.” 

“You’re the only truth I’ve ever trusted.”

“You’re my dare. The one I couldn’t walk away from, even when I tried. My biggest risk, my bravest leap, and the only gamble I’ll ever take again. And I choose you. Always.”

“You’re the best dare I ever took. And I wouldn’t change a single page or chapter.” 

[Noa Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I used to think the worst thing was losing him. But maybe it was realizing he never felt like he belonged to himself, either." - Truen (Tru)

"With Tru so close, it was too easy to remember everything I was supposed to forget." - Darien (Dare)

Darien & Truen are childhood best friends, and I really loved that part of their story. Darien was always around Tru; they spent a lot of time at Tru's house and just being kids. And then after a "truth or dare" moment, when they were 13 years old, everything changed. Tru embraced himself and the discovery that he liked guys and that he liked Dare as more than his best friend. Dare hated his new feelings and himself for a very long time. Not only did he ignore Tru completely, but he started buIIing him too. They also became stepbrothers at that point. Dare is cold to everyone because he's struggling with himself a lot; that doesn't make it "okay" to act so angry about every sweet thing that Tru still did for him. I understand that Dare has a journey to do and that he was trying; he really did try after a while, but sometimes I thought that Tru would shine more with someone else. I really love Tru's best friend, Amire, and how she helped him find himself.

"You’ve gotta stop doing this to yourself, babe. You’re not a rehab center for people who forget how to care." - Amira

The audiobook is very good; it made their story come alive. The writing was great, and I love reading about their different ages, and their (step) mom was so sweet, and honestly the (step) dad surprised me a lot. I also think that Dare held Tru back a lot for so many years, and that wasn't fair. I think that Tru forgave him too fast/easily, and that's why I gave it 3 stars. I wanted more of them having fun and being honest with each other, but in the end they made it and worked on themselves, and I'm so glad that Dare finally changed his future in how he wanted it to be. I definitely want to read more by this author!

I received an ARC & ALC copy of this book.

[Bethany Chastain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tru(en) and Dar(i)e(n) have been best friends since they were 10 years old. When Dare's house feels cold and lonely, he finds solace with Tru and his mom. When Dare finds soccer and Tru finds art, their bond stays strong. When life and school and their bodies start changing, they remain a constant.

Until one game of truth or dare at a teenage party ruins absolutely everything, and suddenly there is a hole in Tru's life where Dare used to be. And Tru quickly finds that there is something worse than your best friend hating you...

...finding out he doesn't care at all.

What to expect...

🖤 Love to hate to Love

🏫 Secret forts

🥪 Grilled cheese and swimming

💋 One kiss that ruined everything

🚫 Anger and bullying

😭 Internalized homophobia

📖 Writing to each other

🛏️ Forced proximity

♥️ Jealousy

💙 Living your truth out loud, no matter what

Guys...you're gonna cry. There are no two ways about it. This one starts when the boys are 10 and brings us to their mid 20s, and it's rough. I actually went and cursed Raquel out as I was reading 😂 because not even 15% in I was sitting here with my lip trembling and tears running down my face. It has that type of pining and angst and heartbreak that we've all felt a time or two and the way she writes it it just takes your chest in a chokehold and doesn't let go. But the pain didn't feel useless. It felt like it had a purpose and made me want to not only keep reading, but keep reading faster.

You'll probably hate Dare for a while. But like any great writer, Raquel makes us love him again. (Also, she makes him suffer a bit first, of course.)

Tru should be protected at all costs. That boy (and then man) was so forgiving and kind and loving that sometimes I wanted to shake him, but it was exactly the counterpart that Dare needed.

I think you guys are really going to love this one.

[Kelsey Fletcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, grab a box of tissues before you read this because you will absolutely be crying. I loved how this was broken up into different parts and how much it showed the ways Tru and Dare changed over the years. The beginning of this was such a beautiful story of two best friends who spend every possible second together and then a dare at a party when they were thirteen changed everything. The middle parts of this were absolutely CRUSHING on both sides of the story. The way Dare treated Tru was so terribly cruel and I wanted to hate him but seeing the story through his eyes and how much he was struggling and hiding and repressing to try to be who he thought he needed to be was devastating and I felt so terribly for him. And then Tru, forced to be the punchline of cruel jokes and to be completely discarded by the one person who promised they would always choose you over anyone and anything is a kind of loss I can’t even imagine. The silence and distance between these two was yanking on my heartstrings every step of the way. Knowing how much these two yearned for each other when they wouldn’t allow themselves to admit it was like a marathon of suffering. The way they slowly found their way back to each other and how much they leaned on each other again and how much they supported one another and their goal was sincerely moving and downright beautiful. Seeing Dare realize that he didn’t have to hide anymore and how much he flourished after that was amazing and this is a story I’ll never forget. The ending and how their relationship came full circle was absolutely flawless.

[Ana Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book frustrated the heck out of me! I wanted to get into the book and just slap Dare into next week 😩

That boy had me pulling out my hair with all of his insecurities and indecisions. Granted, they were just children when everything happened but so was Tru and he handled it a lot better.

Dare became such a jerk to the person he promised to always be there for. It hurt my heart to see how much Tru was hurting because of Dare’s actions.

I know Dare was scared but dammit, did he have to go to such lengths to avoid accepting who and what he was? I honestly thought MANY times that Tru was better off without Dare. But the romantic in me wanted them to work things out and have their HEA.

I loved Tru so much. He had the patience of a saint. I honestly don’t think I’d have waited and dealt with Dare’s bs. He deserved more than what Dare was able to give him at the time. But alas, love always wins even when sometimes the person doesn’t deserve it.

They needed to grow into their own person and really think about what they wanted their future to be and whether it was worth fighting to be together. Dare needed to realize that being with Tru was worth the trouble of being public and Tru needed to make sure he was willing to wait for him.

All in all, it was a beautiful, relatable story that teaches us that finding our happiness takes patience, guts and determination. We have to be in alignment with the other person in order for it to work and if we’re willing to do all that, then it’s all worth it🥰

[Wicked River Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good read and boy was their happy ending well fought for! Tru and Dare were meant for each other but it definitely took some time to get them on the same page. Once there however it was nice to see. I enjoyed getting their backstory and seeing how they became friends and ultimately grew apart and came back together. It was a journey that was both sweet and heartbreaking at times. Tru has always loved Dare and no matter what they went through it never stopped. He continued to see the man Dare could be as well as what they could be together and Dare just needed to get out of his own way and be willing to take a risk. I liked seeing their friendship develop and their dynamic positively change. The comic collecting, journal writing, hoodie sharing and drawings were sweet. I’m glad I picked this up!


💛ARC REVIEW🖤

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are so many lines in the book that had my heart choking. Some were incredibly beautiful and heartwarming but I knew there was heartbreak coming. There was this sweet build up and then a devastating emotional crash. It wasn’t quick, it lasted years. And at times felt like it would never end.

Darien (Dare) and Truen (Tru) really did take the long and hard road to find love. But like them I wouldn’t change it.

I enjoy that this book spanned over several years. It even went beyond just getting to the HEA. Having the timeline and book broken up into sections/parts helped with the flow. It didn’t feel like a long drawn out read. I found myself reading a section a day.

By the end I felt like I knew Tru & Dare and was a part of their lives 🥹

Rating 3.75/5

[Liza Broadaway · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truen and Darien will break you so hard. Childhood friends to enemies to stepbrothers to lover…..seriously y’all..I couldn’t with these two. My heart broke multiple times over.

The hurt/comfort and how Tru could never let go of Hope for Darien despite the insane pain caused by him. Tru was most definitely the steadfast one.

Poor broken Darien. Childhood trauma laced with fear of truly being seen and loved….he was list for so long but it was so beautiful to see when he finally found himself and his voice.

There HEA was truly fought for and it was so worth it to see both boys become men and become strong independently but stronger together!

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tru and Dare were BF's as kids until a game involving a kiss unleashed an inner and outer hate in Dare. Tru's bewilderment and loss are emotionally stunning and Dare's cruelty, hate and inner pain change him horribly. 5 long years when they become stepbrothers, graduate, go to college and dorm together packed with angst, longing and turmoil. And then Dare finally admits his faults, wrongs and love but he still can't be himself with Tru in public until it explodes. It's hard to like Dare even knowing his youth, fear and shame because of the hurt he causes poor Tru. You have to hold on like Tru wanting them to work out, trusting it will be worth waiting for.

[Alicia Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raw

I have enjoyed Raquel Riley books before but this so far is my favorite. It is so raw and unfiltered. There is a fair amount of pain that is rooted to its core and love that just doesn't stop through that pain. One of the things that I realized reading this book was why I find myself leaning towards MM books most of the time, the raw power that cannot be emitted from a MF novel when it comes to same sex and especially gay men romances, the fear and judgement that can win out in the end with a romance for the ages. This book had some pretty painful and hard to read parts and didn't end sad but I was crying by the end because it was just that powerful and good.

[Sue Milkovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

LONG ROAD

What a rollercoaster ride. Tru and Dare begin as best friends do. As I traveled with them I remembered things from my own past. RAQUEL RILEY writes with a soul that is unmatched today. This is a painful life of two young men who never fit in. Dare is cocky and extremely broken. Tru is introverted and deeply afraid. They both bring out the best and the worst in each other. Both struggling to understand. This Book is just all around life in a nutshell. Hard work, broken hearts, emotional baggage, betrayal, full blown love. I Loved the message, the gravity but most of all the triumph. Thank You for this. I HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!

[Saskia Veldhuis · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. A very powerful story about Tru and Dare, who were inseparable friends until they kissed. Dare, out of fear and a lot of internalised homophobia, became unbearably cruel to Tru at school. Their parents married each other, and even then, Dare was awful there as well. This emotional torture continued for quite a lot of the book. The ending included a very original proposal. I didn't quite enjoy the last quarter as much as the rest, although it was a good way to get the MCs where they needed to be.
Thanks for the advance copy, I am happy to leave a voluntary review.