Don’t You Dare, by Jessica Hamilton

Short Take: Try to put this book down. I triple dog dare you.

(*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*)

Duckies, we are in the almost-spring time of year, and I don’t know if I’m a little high from the return of sunshine and daffodils, or if this book is just that darn good, but WHOA were my gibbets flibbered!

Sixteen years ago, Hannah, Scarlett, and Thomas were college best friends and beyond - a tight little threesome, with their own rules and secrets, the biggest of which was The Daring Game. The game itself was simple: they would dare each other to do increasingly outrageous or dangerous things, and if someone failed or declined, there would be a punishment. As these things do, the game Spiraled Out Of Control and ended in a tragedy that sent them all on separate paths.

Now, sixteen years later, Hannah is a bored and depressed stay-at-home mom, Scarlett is a globe-trotting business mogul, and Thomas is back in town, with some edgy new dares in mind.

Duckies, do you need me to tell you that Nothing Is As It Seems, or that Secrets Will Be Revealed?

I’m going to back away from describing the plot of this book any further, because the joy is in the discovery, and oh my sweet nerdlings, what a joy it is! I’m going to say something that I don’t know if I’ve ever said out loud (oh stop you know what I mean) before: I had no idea where this story was going. Seriously.

I mean, Hannah makes so many bad decisions that if we were to turn it into a drinking game, I’d need a new liver. But where that would normally annoy me, for some reason, it just works here. And while I had some ideas along the lines of “Such-and-so is lying”, and although the clues were mostly there all along (if very subtle), I just couldn’t put it together. Until I could. And then OH HOLY WOW.

And that’s not even getting into all the other elements that work so well - the claustrophobia of the suburban setting, the steamy scenes that were genuinely hot, the prison of an unhappy marriage.

Take it from your old Aunty Nerdy, you don’t want to miss this one.

The Nerd’s Rating: FIVE HAPPY NEURONS (and a Manhattan, it does sound sophisticated.)

This one is just okay. I wasn't invested in the characters or the mystery. I felt like I was going through the motions. And I felt like the ending was a big let down. This one will probably appeal to a lot of readers. It just wasn't for me.

I wanted to like this book so much but in the end the characters were so unlikable and selfish and overall awful. Plus it was predictable. And the ending was not satisfying whatsoever. I'd read more from the author because the premise was brilliant just wasn't sure about the execution.

I recommend this book for anyone that likes physiological thrillers and want to have a quick read that keeps you guessing until the very end. Jessica Hamilton is a wonderful author and I will be looking up more books from her now.

I could not put this one down! I love dark academia, and I love dual timelines, so this book was perfect for me. I was so invested in Hannah and Thomas' toxic, twisty relationship - to the point that I was questioning my taste in men. I was constantly thinking I had this story figured out, and I kept getting proven wrong! Pick this one up if you love sexy, mind-blowing psychological thrillers with dark academia settings.

I really liked this book - there was a lot going on and I thought the suspense was great throughout. It held my interest the whole way through and left me wanting more.

There was lots of twists and turns. The characters were interesting and the pacing was really quick. The main plot was strong and I liked how it ended.

Good read.

Don’t You Dare by Jessica Hamilton is a story of dysfunctional friendships, secrets, lies, and the fallout of all of this. Scarlett and Hannah are best friends, but are way too dependent on one another. Then Thomas enters the picture in college and the three of them have a hot mess of a relationship filled with desire, jealousy, and even more dysfunction. They create and play The Daring Game, which results in hurting one another and others. 10 years after the three were all in the same place, Thomas is back and The Daring Game is started again. Who will be hurt this time around?!

It was an interesting premise. However, this one would be more for readers who enjoy dark romance books.

Thank you @crookedlanebooks and @netgalley for allowing me to read this book ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

A suspenseful, romantic thriller that keeps you guessing. I loved this unique premise with dual timelines and very morally grey characters so you never know who to trust. The mystery ad me hooked and I really loved seeing how the characters changed from the past to the present and throughout the progression of the story more of their personalities and secrets get revealed by giving this small flashbacks. Generally the writing, fast pace and mystery was amazing it kept me on the edge of my seat and I was left guessing so nothing felt predictable. I would definitely recommend.

Another winner from this Canadian author!

Hanna Scarlett and Thomas were the three musketeers in college. They had a tight bond nobody and nothing could break. That is until the incident.

Now grown up Hanna has a husband and two young children. Hanna is also is struggling with life and looking for some of that old love of life and excitement she once had. Luckily Thomas just happens to be in town and looks her up. What harm could come from two old friend meeting up for old time sake? Seems innocent enough one would think.

Such a tense mystery. Old friends trying to relive done of their youth, or a new enemy trying to sabotage her life.

Don’t You Dare really surprised me! This book has a lot to offer, a lot going on, and it delivers!

The Daring Game brings together Hannah, Scarlett, and Thomas in college, but then also tears them apart. Fifteen years later we meet Hannah as a suburban mom, unhappily married and needing a spark. Enter Thomas and all bets are off!

The story is more than just your typical thriller. It is suspenseful, romantic at times (!!!), and even a little… sexual. Anytime you include NSFW scenes it will definitely turn away some readers, but I do think that the scenarios in this book were important to the story and helped add to the picture and connection overall. This is certainly not a smutty novel by any means.

I also enjoyed the overall twists and turns! The author did a great job of keeping you suspicious and guessing. My only real gripe is the ending. It felt rushed and let put together to me (and I selfishly wished it would’ve been different) but overall I loved the story!

I see a lot of books marketed as “unputdownable” and I have to say this fits the bill! This book was an easy, fun, quick read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC!

Thank you NetGalley and Ms.Hamilton for giving me the opportunity to review "Don't You Dare." I love thrillers, but I am not very fond of romance novels. "Don't You Dare," is advertised as a thriller, but is very much a romance novel also. In fact the book really didn't peak my interest till I was about 60% through with it. There are plenty of readers who like romance and thrillers, they may enjoy a novel like this. Ms.Hamilton writes very detailed intimate scenes, which just isn't my cup of tea. Also, I like thrillers that grab you from the start and I didn't feel this way with "Don't You Dare." This novel is a good suggestion for select readers.

Blurb.
Don't You Dare follows Hannah, a stay-at-home unhappy mother with an unconventional past. Her friends Scarlett and Thomas used to play the Daring Game, a game where each dare is riskier than the last.

A game that ended up in a tragedy and the trio moved on in their lives. But sixteen years later, Thomas is back with the Daring Game. With Scarlett out of the picture, the sparks begin to fly between them once more. But someone else knows about their affair.

Using their game against them, they are taking away Hannah's newfound happiness. Who could it be? The list of suspects is long. Will Hannah dare to find out the truth and risk everything she loves?

My Thoughts.
This book started on a very intense and mysterious note. The first half had me hooked on the chemistry between Hannah and Thomas, and the mysterious plot😍

I loved the way there was confusion as to who else knows about the game.. the mystery of it all. Moreover, I was very interested in where the plot would go and the chaos all around was captivating.

The hot romance, the uninterested husband, the jealous best friend, the nosy neighbours and the creepiness of someone lurking around, who knows all your secrets. This book was everything a mystery calls for and I was enjoying it more than I anticipated.

But as the second half came, the plot lost that mysterious vibes and it became very predictable. The twists didn't seem that shocking as I knew what was happening long before they came.

Plus, everybody needed help in this book because there was not a single sane character in my opinion. And the ending was a letdown, it could've been different..🧐

Conclusion.
Overall, I would say that enjoyed this book. If the second half was not that predictable, this would have been an incredible read coz the first half had me hooked and I just couldn't put it down.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

Read if you like:
👀 Thrillers
🥵 Erotic Spice
🧩 Games
💨 Fast Paced
🌪️ Twists and Turns

This one was such a wild ride! Spice mixed with psychology thrillers is something I haven’t really experienced before, but I really liked it!!!

I normally hate the affair cheating plots but it worked for the thriller aspect of this book as Hannah is trying to figure out who knows her secrets.

What happens when a game that three individuals played that ended badly once is picked up again as a sexy affair?

Thank you to the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I had a lot of trouble getting into this book and it was a bit slow. The characters weren’t very likable and I didn’t connect with any of them. I skipped over parts of the book and finished only because I wanted to see how it would end. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Great domestic suspense read. Kept me interested.

Presented in two timelines: past and the future we get a sexy and twisty mystery through Supreme secrecy, family drama and a fun fast paced thriller. I'd consider this a popcorn read, perfect for those new to the genre. But if you're a thriller enthusiast, you might be on to this who dun it within seconds. Good news is that you'll fly through this, and still have time to pour yourself a nice glass of wine before you can say Gotcha!

Thank you Netgalley, author and publisher for letting me read this book in advanced!

Don't You Dare is a gripping, twisty psychological thriller that centers around a cast of quite unlikable characters. Hannah, Scarlet, and Thomas were inserparable their second year of college. While they studied, partied, and made lasting memories, most notably, they played the Daring Game together. One person dared another, and after that dare was complete, the next person had to "up" the dare. Of course, things didn't end well, and now Hannah is in an unhappy marriage, Scarlet is living overseas, and Thomas is unknown. Sixteen years after the game ended, Thomas suddenly returns to town and Hannah finds herself mixed back into the Daring Game, as well as a dangerous relationship, with Thomas.

The book is fast paced and there are plenty of twists and exciting reveals. However, the characters are truly all unlikable. The author does a nice job of tying almost everything together by the end. The one main issue I had with the ending was that the ultimate villain (in my opinion) gets away with everything. Everyone else in the story suffers in one way or another for their mistakes; however, this one character just is able to continue on. This character was also, by far, my least favorite. There are also a lot of decently graphic sex scenes. I don't think SO many were necessary, and they actually started to detract from the overall plot.

Because of the intrigue, pacing, and reveals, I'll recommend this book to those looking for a "can't-put-down" thriller.

To say that I was ADDICTED and OBSESSED with this book would be an understatement! I was immediately drawn into the book and could not turn the pages fast enough. This fast-paced thriller was so unique and steamy that I could not put it down. The mystery had me on the edge of my set and my mind was blown on the final plot twist. You will not see it coming!

*****Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books, Jessica Hamilton, and NetGalley for the #gifted copy as it was provided to me in turn for an honest opinion.

fast paced and a page turner! I love the past and present timeline presented in this book. I would say there were some parts in the book where i was confused but overall I really like the plot line about the rivalry, family drama, and the twist and turns that follow the characters!

Don’t You Dare started out a little on the slow side for me, but once it got going I couldn’t stop reading!

This is a story told in dual timelines. One is the story of three friends in college who had an uncomfortably close relationship, complete with hookups, drugs, and a game they called the daring game. The stakes got higher and higher in their game, until one day the dare was too much and it broke their group apart. The other timeline is in present day, when one of the three friends (Hannah) is in an unhappy marriage, drinking too much, when a second friend reaches back out to her and wants to restart the game.

I did feel some empathy for Hannah, as she has had several terrible things happen in her past and her marriage is definitely not a dream. However, she is really quite unlikable as she makes horrible decision after horrible decision throughout the story. I truthfully didn’t like a single one of these damaged characters, but I still wanted to know everything that was happening to them.

The book plays with themes of trust, connection, and how far someone will go to fit in with their friends. Unfortunately it seems most of these people trust the wrong person. This was a fast paced, easy to read thriller after getting past the initial few chapters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.