Truth or Dare

Standalone Sweets

by Lindsay Murray

A harmless prank turns into a multi-year game of Truth or Dare...

Red
It was just a prank. We texted Tilly from my sister's phone and she confessed her crush. I didn't expect it to be me. And I really didn't expect to start noticing her after that.

Tilly
Just as I've left for college and started to get over my one-sided crush on Red, he starts drawing me. I have no idea why, or what it means... but it's making it really hard to get over him.

A short and sweet novella at 14k words, this is a stand-alone romance with just a hint of spice, plenty of tension, and a happily ever after.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Novella, High School, Contemporary Romance, College, Enemies To Lovers

55 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 9, 2022

About the author

Lindsay is a bratty goblin who thrives on chaos, coffee, and astronomical amounts of chocolate. When she isn't caught up living in the world in her head, you can find her at one of her favorite bottle shops, a local craft store, or planning her next vacation to the mountains.

She lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, with her husband and cat. (And her twenty-seven imaginary friends.)

Reviews

[Cécile Smits · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truth or Dare is a very short,but sweet story in spite of the fact it starts of with a group of boys making fun of the little sister of one of them.
Tilly was the kind of girl that seemed to invite being made fun of,simply because she was a little different from other girls.
Not popular,not outgoing,a bookworm…you get the picture.
And i don’t agree with bullying,but this was….even though still painful,not as harmful.
(Trust me,i know bullying,i’ve been there,and i know how painful it gets!)
But as soon as Red found out how Tilly felt,not just about the pranks,but about him as well,he put a stop to it.
And once he knew how she felt about him,he couldn’t get her out of his head….
Fast forward a few years,and guess what??

A delicious short with a deeper meaning,one that makes you think.
A short story that i really like….a lot!

[Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating 4

Ok here me out. This has a suuuuper slight tinge of bully romance. Mostly the typical boy picks on girl stuff where it’s teasing and all in fun not really hateful. BUT it has the sweetest cutest concept from the moment they hit college and then grew up as individuals. It’s obviously a novella but I’d really love to find this idea as a fuller lengthy novel cause it would be fantastic for a slow burn.

The texting back and forth , the truth or dares, just all around really enjoyable. Super excited though to start on the next story. Little bite sized happy book candy over here. Definitely rereadable material.

Also shout out for the main male character being a red head cause those are not something I find often in romance novels.

Spice levels 🌶 wasn’t a lot of smutty was more a growth and love and then they happily ever after.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was so cute
i gobbled it up
soooo glad i found it for free on apple books

i totally wish this would have been longer and drawn out because it was sososo cute
had me giggling soooo much

i love that they are both artists too!!
and that they were each others’ muse!!
and that they drew inspiration from each others’ work!!

ugh
soooooo cute!!!! i’m not going to stop saying that

[april ♡ probably reading smut - safety reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Truth or dare, Tillie?"

Red and Tillie have known each other since they were kids. Red has always teased and made fun of Tillie. One night in high school he texts Tillie from another phone and finds out she has a crush on him. That conversation completely turned his life around. He starts to paint and draw portraits of her- she became his muse.

Years later, Tillie publishes a book about their lives. Red sees it in a bookstore, buys it, and finds out she's still in love with him. They start texting each other, "truth or dare?" and it lasts for two years. Tillie didn't know that Red knew who she was. They finally meet up in person for the first time since high school and confess.

I really liked this short story. While it was a quick read, it packed a message. I also liked how both Tillie and Red aren't your typical attractive people in romance books. Tillie is tall and Red has acne and obviously red hair. Four stars. I wish they had gotten together sooner but it is worth the read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[stephanie cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read. Short for an afternoon reading session. fast paced and steamy.
It always seems to be the case that a girl has a crush on her brothers' friend or vice versa, which is what happens here.
Tilly has always loved Red, Red and her twin brother would pick on her during their youth, never truly noticing or getting to know her until one day it just clicks.

I got this book from booksirens and Lindsay Murray as an ARC, these are my honest thoughts.

[Stephanie Bilicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick and Powerful

I loved this short story. The true depth of feelings and raw emotions. I appreciated that the story truly dictated that quick and small actions may seem small to someone but could have a long last impacted. Some people are just meant to be apart of another person. Love this.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This reads like a high schooler wrote it, but it was free and I wanted something light before I re-read The Virgin Suicides so I guess mission accomplished?

[Magali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard to describe, but I think it works
4.5
I found that there was a form of poetry and sweetness in this relationship, like a secret, protected and never told, but yet known. It is therefore on this antagonism that the relationship between Tilly and Jeremy is built. The story is cute, tender, addictive, simple but it works and I was eager to find out how their story would end.
Each revelation of one has an effect on the other, without the first knowing it
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book

[Brigitte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short and sweet story is about a girl crushing on friend's brother who is a little mean to her. Instead of negatively impacting on her, she acts cool and unaffected. That said, she is hurt by some of the teasing.

Fast forward to three years later and now Red is an artist and Tillie is a writer. They both express themselves through their artistic talents. Then they start texting each other thinking they are anonymous, but what transpires at the end is what they dream about. A short read with a good beginning and ending. Enjoyable.

[Juju ♡ ～('▽^人) · Rating 2 out of 5]

[2/77]
⤷ this is book 2 of 77 books i have downloaded for free on amazon kindle, so it may be time to finally go through them all. oh god, wish me luck.

it was a cute short story, i guess, but it didn't feel like the 18+ scenes at the end were really fitting. i also found myself cringing a little at the end, when these two clashed and finally talked, something was quite awkward there.

this one was more of a 1.5 star.

[Chloesbookiewook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute little 30 minute novella with a bit of spice!. I enjoyed this alot and would have loved it if it was a full novel. 100% recommend the author writing this into a full book! Would love to see how cheeky and charming red could be as he was in the last chapter.

I received an ARC from Book Sirens in exchange for my review 🌈

[Miriam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Red has been teasing Tilly since they were both in high school. He has no idea she has a crush on him until one fateful night he finds out. He can’t stop thinking about her. She can’t stop thinking about him.

This was a cute, fun short story with the right amount of spice.

[Hart's Reader Group · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was like a Cliff's Notes version of a Wattpad story. This was a bulletpoint novelette that only touched on the major parts of a romance story while leaving out the bits and pieces that help make up a well-written whole. It lacked depth, robbed the reader of emotional and sensory details, and was only the silhouette of a story overall.

[Diana Bush · Rating 5 out of 5]

To write this feedback, I had to sit for a moment and think. I don’t normally read novellas but Truth or Dare caught my attention. It’s perfect! I cried and felt what each character felt. In fact I was so engrossed in reading this novella that I yelled at my husband for not being this cute when we first started dating. The characters were well developed. My only issues is there seemed to be some editing issues. Some words not spelt correctly or used right. But it wasn’t too major to distract from the story! I am so happy I read this.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Amanda Cagle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, simple, sweet. I loved that we got to watch Tilly and Red grow up. Even though they were apart and not talking directly they were still very much a constant in each others lives. And who doesn't like a cute little happily ever after??
Also, can we talk about the mouth on Red at the end of the book? Like excuse me?!?! Who is this man???

I received a free ebook from BookSirens and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Helena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and sweet

I wish this one was a full novel. But even though it was short, I really enjoyed it. It was cute!

[Staci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Red and Tilly story was short but had a lot of emotional feeling that these two had to express to finally become a couple in the end. These two met when her twin bro and he became best friends and all they school the boys would pick on her and then the boys went one way to college and she went another way. Thru her writing and his set they reconnect. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

TW/CW: (very) light bullying (nothing physical)

This one was just okay for me. While I liked Red, I didn't care for Tilly. She was just a bit too #notlikeothergirls for me. She's described as not caring about things that most girls care about, like clothes or makeup. Which, yes, that's cool. But that was really the only glimpse into her personality that we got.

This has a very light bully aspect. Tilly was teased by her brother and his friends (including Red). It feels odd to say that any bullying at all is "light", but if you regularly read bully romance, then you know how dark some of it can be. This was much more along the line of the bullying you see in a 90's sitcom. The insults were things like "You're too smart for someone to want to date".

As I mentioned above, I liked Red. I love that he actually felt bad about the things he said to Tilly. When he realized that Tilly liked him, he wanted everyone to back off from teasing her. And he didn't want her embarrassed. I like that he wasn't written as the same manwhore we see in most romance. In fact, neither Tilly or Red's previous intimate details were discussed. And while I get that this was a fairly tame romance, it was still really refreshing to not have to read about how many girls Red had been with, or that Tilly was "innocent".

I didn't love the time gaps. I didn't find them confusing, I'm just not a fan or a story where it takes the couple years to finally get together.

I enjoyed the texting aspect, the whole "truth or dare" game they were playing. I would have enjoyed more of it. I wanted to see more growth in their relationship. I get that this was a novella, but even for a novella, it felt a bit rushed.

I will say, that while reading this, I was hoping it was the beginning to a series or a duet. I'm not sure why, we only get a moment or two of Red's sister, Jessica, yet for some reason, I wanted her story. I was hoping for a romance between her and Tilly's brother. Which I get is odd, seeing as how I don't even know his name. But the fact that the author made me hope for more is basically the reason this book got three stars from me.

I received a copy of this book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Lesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes you just need a short but sweet book and Truth or Dare fit the bill perfectly!

Definitely an interesting read because although it's short in length, the time span within in the story is years, but it worked so well. Tilly has had a crush on her brother's best friend Red for years. Only Red and her brother and the rest of their friends teased Tilly mercilessly. Until the night that it came to light that she had a crush on Red. The teasing eased up but nothing ever happened between them. Tilly and Red ended up at different colleges and each lived their lives apart, yet connected anonymously through Truth or Dare text messages because of Red's art. Through it all, she never got over her crush on him.

We got to see Tilly and Red's friendship grow only through text messages, even though for a longest time, she didn't think he knew just who he was texting back. Until she knows that he does know. And he knows that she knows, yet both of them are afraid to take the truth challenge, until they're not!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[BooksToTheGrave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since this is a small story, my expectations weren't very high, but I was wrong to think of this as only size. Although it's a novella, this book captivated my attention, and I got immersed in it from the beginning!

Red and his crew used to mess with Tilly in high school, but he was never mean to her. One day, he uses his sister's phone to message Tilly, and she admits to liking him and his art. That day his life changed, and so did his art.

This book accompanies Tilly and Red through their journey from high school to adult life, where they are both artists - she writes, and he paints.

I enjoyed that their lives became forever intertwined, since the day of the message swap, artistically and personally.

I'm finishing writing this so I can grab the second book.

4.5*
[I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.]

Truth or Dare?

[Liz Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐

I started my week with a quick novella that had an element I’d like to see more of in books: catfishing. While both parties eventually found out or knew what was going on, it was still nice to see it incorporated. I enjoyed the time jumps that started at the end of high school and through several years after college, and how both were using each other as their artistic muse.

The only thing preventing me from rating this higher was how the dual POV was used. I am typically a huge fan of dual POV, but I don’t think it was used effectively. This novella could’ve been from a single POV and it wouldn’t have changed anything, which to me is how I know having both perspectives didn’t benefit the story.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tilly was such a strong willed person. Being bullied most of her life didn’t leave her bitter but it did leave her being an introvert and not trusting anyone. So when she received a text from her best friend asking her the question”Truth or Dare?” She finds it so easy to express herself through her writing. Until she realizes that the message was really sent by her best friend’s brother, who she had a crush on. Love following Tilly and Red through the next seven years of their discovery and growing feelings for each other.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Lindsay Murray and BookSirens for providing me with an ebook copy of Truth or Dare for me to read and review. This a very sweet, unique romantic novella. I loved the slight bully romance trope it had going on with the unique truth or dare aspect to the story present through most of it. I loved the dynamic between the 2 main characters and I was instantly intrigued and invested in their story right from the start. I do wish that I could have read more details about their lives and even seen where their story went after. Definitely recommend for a short and sweet romantic 'sugar rush'.

[Christine Layne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is super cute, even though it tip toed the bully romance line (it’s just not my thing). The MMC turns out to not be a bully but goes along with his friends when they do it.
I felt like it was too short. Everything got tied up in the end, and the info was delivered so there were no gaps, but I really would have liked to have seen more.
The writing is done well, and the characters are relatable. I liked Tilly and identified with her easily. It was nice seeing things from Red’s POV and it did help get past the bullying.
Overall, if you’re looking for a short and sweet romance, this is your book. It doesn’t disappoint, I just wanted more.

[Katewantstoread · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a cute novella! I love short fluffy books - they are always perfect when you don't have the time or after reading a heavy book. And Truth or Dare did not disappoint! It was very cute and fluffy (and true, short). My main issue was the time jumps as it somehow made the short story seem even quicker. But I adore Tilly and Red. Truth and Dare is just what it sounds like - a story based on the game with some turns around it.
I definitely recommend for a quick fluffy read to relax!
I received a copy for free and this is a voluntarily review. Thanks to BookSirens for the copy!

[Tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I knew what to expect when I downloaded this one. I've read some of this authors other work before and loved it.

I could not have been more wrong. Nor could I have been happier to be wrong.

ToD has a small hint of high school bully, but it's also a second chance romance (which I absolutely LOVE), while being best friends twin sister.

For being a short story, Truth or Dare has so much depth and meat to it. I finished it in only an hour and find myself wanting even more from Tilly and Red.

[Laura Billow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 stars

This is a very short and sweet book. Good for if you’re in the mood for a quick and easy to fall into love story. There were a couple typos so that did pull me out of the story a bit. I also feel this would’ve been so much better as a full novel not just a novella. The plot and character development has so much potential to be a longer more fleshed out story. But regardless I think the author does a good job making you fall in love with the characters and their stories in the short time we’re with them.

[The Little Book · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I contacted the author with regards to some of my concerns _ mostly spelling and grammar. Seeing as this is an the arc copy that I read on Booksirens is one of the first copies she send out; it will not be fair for me to give a negative review without reading the Amazon story.

However, I liked the short story a lot and only found he jumps in the storyline a little bothersome.

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking forward to this short novella but if I'm being completely honest it was far to rushed for my liking the time jumps still within the same chapter gave me whiplash. I just couldn't connect with the characters or the story unfortunately... I think this has so much more potential to be great if it wasn't so rushed and we got more from Red and Tilly💙

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sabrina Flachsmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

First time reading this author. I loved the build up between these two. Red was your typical young man, teasing his best friends sister Tilly. A game of testing revealed Tilly’s feelings but lead to an obsession for Red. I really liked the building of their relationship and how they grew through the years. Very enjoyable read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.