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One moment. One moment changed my life forever.Her big green eyes looked at me and I knew I would never be the same. But sometimes in life, the things you want are the ones that stand just out of reach.

The pain her loss in my life caused was indescribable. Hot, piercing pain that in all of my fourteen years of living, I had never experienced. I remembered her. Every day. Every bad date my friends pushed me into. Every lonely holiday I spent without her to talk to.

Until I saw her. And I found her all over again.

My father always told me that love snuck up on you when you were least expecting it. That’s what happened with her. Charlie was my girl from that moment on and I would do anything to protect her.

Anything.

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First published June 7, 2017

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218 people want to read

About the author

Amanda Kaitlyn

31 books140 followers
Amanda Kaitlyn is a contemporary romance author best known for her debut novel, Finding Beautiful which went on to become a New York Times bestseller, capturing readers’ hearts with its emotional depth and unforgettable characters. She writes swoon-worthy romance with a pulse—blending passion, heartache, and just the right touch of danger and suspense. When she’s not crafting stories that keep you up all night, she’s dreaming up her next twist that will leave you breathless and wanting more.

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5 stars
22 (19%)
4 stars
24 (21%)
3 stars
25 (22%)
2 stars
20 (17%)
1 star
22 (19%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
Profile Image for Cindy Stein.
790 reviews13 followers
July 7, 2018
Ally and Charlie (Charlotte) met when both were young. Charlie was in her late teens and Ally was in high school. Though both had very strong feelings for one another, Charlie left, thinking it wasn't appropriate to get involved with someone so young. Years later, Ally is out of college and they meet again. The book describes their coming back together and their interactions with family.

This is the first book I have ever rated just one star. Most of the book was a slog, with too much inner angst that went on and on. During the first third I was wondering if the book even had a plot. There wasn't much of one even beyond that point. There were tons of copy edit errors and constant slipping from past tense to present tense. All of these problems could have been caught be even a middling editor. There was a scene with Ally and her father that was stuck in the middle of a time period where Ally and Charlie were supposed to be out of town. Basically, the book is a mess and it was hard to like or care about these characters. Charlie said "f*ck" in every sentence, even when it wasn't necessary.

If I was the kind of person who didn't finish books, I would have walked away from this one pretty early on. Unfortunately, I finished it.
9 reviews
July 16, 2018
I have NEVER before read such a repetitive novel! I forced my self to read ALL text up until about the 60% mark in the book. After that point, I began just scanning dialogue so that I could keep track of the VERY limited story line. The book contained some beautiful love language, but it can only be repeated so many times before it becomes tiresome at a minimum. Unfortunately both the lead characters were the ultimate drama queens. I obviously was sorely disappointed. But if you want a happy, but predictable outcome, this book will provide it.
Profile Image for Kelly.
385 reviews21 followers
August 4, 2018
1.5 stars, I had to force myself to finish this. There are plot problems, scattered ideas, dialogue issues, as well as believability problems, don't waste your time. The only thing you will be left with is disappointment in yourself for finishing
Profile Image for Elizabeth.
158 reviews6 followers
July 11, 2018
The writing was good...but the story after the two women met was...so predictable! I was not even invested in the main characters at all.
365 reviews42 followers
December 6, 2017
A second chance romance between Charlie and Ally.

Growing up in Chicago, Ally makes friends with Bree. Bree has an older sister named Charlie who spends time with Ally as her tutor. Ally, a young teenager, losses her heart to Charlie who is five years older. By the time that Ally's sixteen, Charlie hops a bus to New York and breaks Ally's gentle heart.

Life races along and five years pass by, when Charlie and Ally meet in small-town Texas. Older, wiser, heartbroken but willing to talk, they rekindle the spark that brought them together. Family drama shakes them up back in Texas. More family drama tears at their renewed connection when they take a trip back to Chicago.

Dare to Love is a much better than average second chance lesbian romance. The writing hits just the right level of emotional pitch. The characters are engaging and evocative. Charlie's edge is outwardly tough, but her core self is pure tenderness. Ally presents as her exact opposite. She's shy, introverted, anxious and prone to daydreaming. When she's with Charlie, her true strength and resiliency outshine any grey skies. The two women experienced five years of regret, sorrow and lost love. Time healed nothing, instead feelings denied were allowed to fester. I would happily recommend this romantic novel and congratulate Amanda Kaitlyn for a fine work of heartfelt fiction. It's a pedal to the metal and heart throbbing lesbian love story.
Profile Image for Amy Coury.
197 reviews8 followers
May 28, 2017
Another excellent book in this heart warming series! Amanda's writing keeps getting better with every book!
Profile Image for Coco.V.
50k reviews132 followers
Want to read
March 27, 2019
🎁 FREE on Amazon today (3/27/2019)! 🎁
Profile Image for Amanda Anderson.
260 reviews18 followers
May 27, 2017
This was my first F/F book and it was really good, Amanda did a great job writing it. My emotions were everywhere while reading this book. Amanda I can't wait to read more by you..
2,617 reviews25 followers
May 17, 2017
this book was totally different than the other ones in this series. its about two best friends that end up going there seperate ways . years later they meet up only to have feelings for each other. will they start up a relationship? or will they just stay friends? thanks for giving me a chance to read this book!
Profile Image for Paula Genereau.
3,077 reviews39 followers
May 18, 2017
I've never been much for same sex romance books before but I loved this book. It was beautifully wrote. It had me hooked from the beginning.
274 reviews6 followers
July 14, 2018
I wanted to like this book

I wanted to like this book. But the story line lacks credibility and clarity: how did these two women from Chicago both end up in the same small town in Texas - and have it be a complete surprise? And if it was due to relatives and friends settling there, why didn't at least one of those people inform the two protagonists that one of them lived there as well?

I plowed past that part, but the book didn't get any better. The scenes and descriptions of emotions are endlessly repetitive, completely lacking in originality. And illogical. If the two of them were so in love with each other, why do they keep dancing around the possibility of splitting up, even after they've made wonderful, passionate love? For days?

There is one issue raised by the book that I found mildly interesting. But the story doesn't really resolve this issue. In the prologue, one of the protagonists is sixteen, while the other is five years older. They both live in Chicago. The older woman's feelings are so strong that she moves to New York to avoid taking advantage of the younger woman - and breaks both their hearts in the process.

But the age of consent in Illinois is 17. Couldn't they have just dated until the girl turned 17? Dated, but not get sexually involved? I mean, people still do that, right? Wouldn't that have been less harmful than moving halfway across the country and leaving the young woman devastated? And if she absolutely had to move, why couldn't she have been honest about the reason?

Anyway. As you can tell, I did not like this book. I was very disappointed.

Update: I have pushed on, and am finding the scenes with the protagonists’ families to be somewhat more engaging. Upgraded to two stars.

Update 2: It was hard work, but I finished the book. I've realized that my frustration is rooted in the writing style. The way the story is told keeps popping me out of the fictional dream, which then brings weak plot points like those above into stark relief.

The writing style incorporates so much fluff, so much repetition of the the same words and phrases, only slightly rearranged, over and over again, that the heart of the story is lost. It's all emotion - the same emotions, again and again - without the details of time and place and people and events that bring a story and its characters to life in the mind of the reader.

There's actually a pretty good story buried in there. But trying to get to it is like driving a car whose airbag has exploded. You can feel the wheel, you can hear the engine, you know you're headed somewhere, but the bag full of hot air is blocking your view and stopping you from breathing, pressing on your chest and your face and making you desperate to get out.

Kudos to the author for trying. And apparently some people do enjoy your stories and your style. I'd just really like to see you hone your craft.

Like I said, there really is a pretty good story buried in there. Time to learn how to set it free.
Profile Image for Vanessa.
626 reviews12 followers
June 10, 2017
I've been waiting for a good F/F book for a while now. Seeing as there is so much M/M I wanted a little change of pace.

Unfortunately, this book did not capture me. I just couldn't get into it. Not to say this was not a good book it just wasn't for me. I felt like besides the names and the anatomy I was reading a book about a M/F relationship.
Profile Image for M L.
524 reviews16 followers
June 10, 2017
This was my first book in this genre and it was truly amazing. It is a beautiful story of love and acceptance. What happens when the love of your life leaves? When you know your heart will never heal? When Charlie left Ally she wasn't sure time could heal her heart. But a few years later when Ally reconnects with Charlie she knows she can have it all. This is a story of taking a second chance at love and learning to love who you are.....a truly heart warming story.
Profile Image for Jenny B.
1,295 reviews28 followers
October 9, 2017
This story was about two people and how they professed through life even knowing they were each the other's missing piece. This was a beautiful story about true love and the struggles of fighting for and obtaining that love. I enjoyed the dynamics of each of the families and I am now looking forward to going back and reading the other books in this series as this was my first by this author
Profile Image for GrnEyed.
289 reviews7 followers
June 12, 2017
I was given the opportunity to read Dare to Love. It’s the love story of Charlie and Ally. Charlie and Ally met courtesy of Charlie’s younger sister, Bree. This book picks up on their lives five years after Charlie left. I think the base of this F/F love story is good. It had the potential to be a great book. There were some questions I had about certain facts in the story, but they may have been corrected with further editing.
I found Ally to be sweet and almost a bit needy. Charlie to me was tough as nails but also had a vulnerable side to her. Amanda Kaitlyn loves to write about love. There is no question that love exists between these two characters. There is also a considerable amount of heat between the two; Amanda did well with describing that heat. They also face and overcome some issues, rather quickly which I didn’t find believable. I attribute her speed of doing things to Amanda’s need to leave her readers with a HEA. If you are interested in a sweet, F/F romance with heat you might find Dare to Love to be just what you are looking for in a story.
Profile Image for Jacqui Norris.
296 reviews7 followers
August 31, 2017
This was my first read from Amanda Kaitlyn and the only book I have read in the series. It said it could be a standalone, but I feel like I didn’t know the characters well enough to truly enjoy. I think if I knew more of the backstory of the characters Ally and Charlie. Admittedly it was also my F/F read so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. With all that first of everything, I did enjoy the story.
Ally and Charlie met through Charlie’s sister Bree. Ally was a teenager when the two realized they had feelings for each other. But both had dreams to follow and maybe some discovery to do. When they finally meet back up five years later, the sparks were still there and it was time to give their relationship a try.
Even though it says it can be read as a standalone, I would suggest reading the others first. I am going to go back and read the first books in the series. I feel like it will give me more of the story that brings us to Ally and Charlie. Thank you Amanda Kaitlyn for introducing me to your Beautifully Broken Series.
Profile Image for Tracy.
11 reviews
December 18, 2017
Going into to reading this book, I wasn't sure what to think of it, however once I started I was not able to put it down! This was my first f/f book, and I loved it. The characters of Charlotte and Ally were believeable. You could really feel the love they had for one another. My favorite scene was the one on the patio! I loved this book, and I love reading works by Amanda!
Profile Image for Rebecca Austin.
3,150 reviews3 followers
October 5, 2017
Charlotte Mendez left her hometown of Chicago for a job at Universal Music Group but also to get away from a girl that she couldn't have. Ally Jones was the best friend of Bree, Charlotte's younger sister and the girl that Charlotte wanted more than anyone else. But the 4 year age gap made a big difference when Charlotte was done high school and she knew she had to get away before making a mistake.

Years later a chance encounter brings Charlotte and Ally back together. Will Ally be able to forgive Charlotte for the past? Can Charlotte deal with the ghosts in her own past to allow Ally a chance to comfort her when she needs it the most?

This was a beautiful story about love finding it's way back together after being somewhat broken apart the first time. Both Charlotte and Ally had strong feelings for the other but their age gap was a huge factor in keeping them apart. Yet neither had forgotten about the other but they still had to work through some issues before they were ready to give love a try.

Their love was hot and sexy and you could tell that Charlotte was definitely the more dominant of the two. I think she almost felt that she owed it to Ally to make sure Ally was well satisfied before receiving any attention herself.

There were a lot of family issues that had to be resolved in the story and I hoping with the closure of some that it allows both of the girls to open fully to the other!

Beautiful story!
Profile Image for Edna Staples.
102 reviews3 followers
June 6, 2017
Truth be told when I was asked to beta read this book I honestly did not realize I would enjoy this book a lot. I for one would highly recommend this book to everyone to read. This book is female/female and honestly it's a good read. This author knows how to shock you when you first read it. this is my second time reading it and when you first open the book and start to read it, you will be pulled right into her story fast and quickly.
Okay know my review.....
Amanda knows how to pull a reader into her books. When you first open the book you will meet Ally and Charlotte. This is the perfect story. Here is a brief history about a few of the characters then I will tell you who I like and my reason why.... But I will not give no spoilers....
Alley, was a bright and happy laldy but very eager about the next phase of her life. She has always been that way and nothing will change that. She loves the bright, neon colors and long flowing skirts.
Bree was very small and very light skinned lady that has black hair that fall down towards her back in waves.
who do I like or better yet would read more if the same characters are into another book, I would say Alley and Chally. Because both of these ladies know what they want and they go for it.
Profile Image for Morgan Shipman.
84 reviews49 followers
October 30, 2018
Repetitive, mundane, and unrealistic F/F read. As a lesbian myself, the entire scenario seemed incredibly far-fetched. Charlotte and Ally were "almost lovers" from many years past, but Charlotte "Charlie" walked away from Ally due to their age difference. They "randomly" bump into each other in Ally's hometown some five years later and pretend as if nothing has happened. Less than twenty-four hours after their serendipitous reconnection, they are locking lips one moment and holding onto the past hurt and resentments as they cry in the next. It's honestly exhausting and a giant eye roll. It gives shame to the true lesbian relationships and all I could think as I was reading was--"Well, isn't this just the stereotypical U-Haul lesbian romance?" I mean, it really does give F/F relationships a bad stereotype--overemotional, impulsive, you can toss her to the side and even years later, hormones will take over and she'll fall right back into your arms. I would've much preferred something more original with a great storyline. This was lackluster and beyond disappointing.
Profile Image for Brittany Hively.
407 reviews11 followers
October 2, 2017
It seems that MM books are the rage right now. Which there is nothing wrong with that, but it's surprising that you don't see more FF books. I prefer the original MF ones, but why not cater to some of them all? And to be honest, I have read other FF books, but they just did not have much of that romantic story you look for in romance books.

So, when Amanda Kaitlyn releases Dare to Love, I had to give it a fair shot and I was presently surprised. This story is a simple story of two girls in love and the journey they go through with self discovery and coming to terms with their future and how they will get there. They have ups and downs like everyone else, but just like everyone else, they have a beautifully unique story.

I believe this book was a positive step up in this genre and I look forward to seeing how and if it involves to something like the MM stories have in the industry.

Give it a try: http://amzn.to/2fH9eiU
Profile Image for Tracee.
25 reviews
May 17, 2019
I really wanted to like this book, but I just didn't. The characters were not very well developed, and the focus was all on the angst within them. I just couldn't get invested. At times, the plot completely skipped around. People were in one place, but then they were in another, sometimes with no idea if any or how much time had passed. There was no real excitement in the plot for me.

I had an issue with how possessive Charlie was. She was always touching Ally, but it came across as overbearing rather than affectionate for me. It honestly made me uncomfortable, and it's a good part of the reason I didn't even finish the book. I don't give up on a book often, but I just couldn't do it with this one.
Profile Image for Mary Fazzi.
1,254 reviews10 followers
October 1, 2017
This is my first F/F book and I have to say it was amazing. Ally is younger than Charlie (Charlotte). When Ally and Charlie were younger they had this amazing connection that was out of this world but neither fully acted on it. Charlie had a great opportunity for her life and she took it leaving Ally to feel lost and lonely. After Ally finished her school she went to help out at her sister in law’s cafe and she ran into Charlie again. After all these years the feelings are so strong for both of them that they have to figure things out. Letting each other be stronger when the other needs the support and comforts. It’s an amazing story of love meant to be.
Profile Image for Mel.
414 reviews14 followers
June 8, 2017
I have only read one or two other f/f romances, this is by far my favourite. One of my favourite romances in general.

I absolutely loved the way the two women were portrayed. It was a tastefully writing book with genuine characters that you fell in love with and related to easily.

The storyline was beautiful and angsty and a joy to read. Amanda Kaitlyn is a TBR author for me and this story didn't disappoint me at all. She has a real skill for f/f romance, I hope she writes more of them. We need these in our lives.

Go out and grab your copy today ❤️
Profile Image for Aisling Cooper.
183 reviews25 followers
June 12, 2017
I have read quite a few same sex romances but this is only my 2nd F/F and I really enjoyed reading it!

Charlie fell in love with Alley when Alley was only 16 years old but the deeper she fell the more she knew it wasn't right so decided to leave. Fast forward a few years and they meet again only their feelings for each other are much stronger than before. This was a great first book by Amanda Kaitlyn and I am now going to read the rest of the series.
Reviewed for Amo and Sarah corner gifted for an honest review
Profile Image for Latifa Morrisette.
2,579 reviews63 followers
May 26, 2017
I have read my fair share of same sex romances but they have been M/M and this is my F/F, and I have to say I truly enjoyed reading it.
Charlie fell in love with Ally when Ally was just 16. The deeper she fell the more she knew it wasn't right, so she left. Years later they meet again only this time the feelings between Ally and Charlie are still there but stronger.
This is my first book by Amanda Kaitlyn and it really blew me away. I am looking forward to reading more from her.
Profile Image for Elsie.
573 reviews
September 4, 2017
This is a cute story about two girls who fell in love at a young age and for life reasons had to go separate ways. We see here how they reconnect and the love they feel for each other resurfaces.

Eventhough it's part of a series, it can be read as a standalone. We get to see other characters but no spoilers are given.

I got this book in exchange of a review.
Profile Image for Carolyn.
466 reviews
January 1, 2019
Broken Hearts & Second Chances

Ally loves Charlotte from the first meeting. She’s twenty and and Charlie’s sixteen and her little sisters best friend. A detailed and descriptive work which follows the twists and turns of losing and finding the love of your life and reuniting with family.
Profile Image for Stacy Aube.
834 reviews2 followers
June 12, 2017
I received and voluntary reviewed an ARC of this book. This book was read and reviewed by Stacy Aube for Cutting Muse Blog Review.

This was my first f/f book. I thought it was tastefully written and enjoyed it very much. Finding love has no bounds. When you find it never let go.
Profile Image for Jennifer Richey.
1,992 reviews
September 3, 2017
Wow this book was not about f/f hard core but it was about love! It was a sweet romance with these two finding love and a bit emotional!!! This author has wrote incredible books not the last book I'll read from her!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews

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