What a thrilling and gripping read! It was entertaining and had me hooked from the beginning through the end. The pace of unveiling the surprises was perfect and I truly enjoyed this book!

Alice and Lizzie are best friends who have normal teenage arguments as normal teenage girls do. Unfortunately Lizzie suffers from epilepsy and when the two girls go towards some train tracks only Lizzie makes it back alive. Lizzie can’t remember exactly what happened as she had a seizure and it makes her memories cloudy. Twelve years later as she has tried to move on in her life coincidences begin and her nightmare adolescent life starts to surface again. People lie and the deceit is thrilling on how it’s all revealed!

The book is told mainly in Lizzie’s POV and alternates from when she was young to the present. There are inserts from someone unknown that you quickly piece together the more you dive into the story. Really a good read and one I highly recommend.

Thank you netgalley and Ballantine for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I received a complimentary copy of The Dare from NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Mind-blowing! I could not sleep until I finished this book—which was in one sitting. Lizzie, an epileptic, endures a horrible tragedy in childhood—the loss of her best friend, Alice, who was killed by a train in her presence. Trying to put the past behind her, with fiancé, doctor Ross, she finds herself still tortured by this experience years later when she is reminded at the sudden appearance of her friend’s cruel older sister, Catherine. Even after I saw the mind-blowing twist coming, I could not wait to see how it unfolded! Gripping suspense and a FANTASTIC read!

The Dare is a twisty-turny thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat!

The Dare is told in three different times: Then:Before, Then:After, and Present. It was an interesting take going back and forth during the "then" time frame which was 13 years prior to the present. Lizzie and Alice are best friends, but Alice is killed one day while they are on a walk. Lizzie had a seizure and can't remember what happened and this haunts her as well as Alice's family.

Present day, Lizzie, the protagonist, is a 26 year old woman living with her fiance Ross. She has epilepsy, but has been doing well and hasn't had any issues for a few years. When Catherine Dawson, Alice's older sister, shows up out of the blue, things begin to spiral out of control. Life begins to get messy and Lizzie isn't sure who to trust.

Many secrets are revealed throughout the book. I thought the book was well-paced and had a good plot. There were some shocking secrets revealed that I had a hunch about from the beginning of the story. I enjoyed reading about a character that had a disability yet was still strong.

Great story!

Oh.My.Word! It has been aeons since a book kept me up all night. Lizzie has epilepsy, her best friend died when they were 13 years old. Lizzie cannot remember what happened, and she feels guilty. Was she responsible for the death? What exactly was the dare?
Highly recommended especially if you like secrets and surprising twists. I'm off to search for other Lesley Kara books. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Ballantine for allowing me to read this.

Lizzie is suffering. She has no memory of her friend Alice’s death, althoigh she must have been with her. Many years memories start to emerge. Was Alice’s death an accident or was it something more.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a character drive mystery with intrigue in the background. The book was sent to me by Netgalley for review on Kindle. The stoeynis character driven with not the most likeable characters.

From the book blurb - When teenage friends Lizzie and Alice decide to head off for a walk in the countryside, they are blissfully unaware that this will be their final day together – and that only Lizzie will come back alive.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publishers and I must say I was unexpectedly surprised with the unveiling of the storyline and suspects. I was wrong in my initial thoughts as to who the guilty party was until it was revealed in the story. Poor Lizzie has been living with Epilepsy since she was a child and that has affected how she has lived her life. The story jumps from past to present and we have the insights of an unknown character filling in the backstory for us. In the present we can see how naive Lizzie is and I wanted to shake some sense into her. The ending was not much to my liking but it concluded the story with a positive vibe for her.

The Dare by Leslie Kara is a compelling story whose characters are multifaceted and interesting. It provides some twists and surprises. In fact,, the author lulls you into thinking you've figured out one twist, only to sucker you into surprising you with a bigger twist you didn't see coming. Leslie Kara's books never disappoint and The Dare is no exception. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

I was provided an ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

I liked this book, it was certainly a fast-paced thriller, and I did not immediately guess the twist that came halfway through, so good for the author for that! overall, a good fun summer thriller!

I have read Lesley Kara before and, once again, found her to be a great writer. The story is mostly about Lizzie and a little about Alice, who was Lizzie's best childhood friend. Alice's tragic death has haunted several people, but mostly Lizzie. And someone doesn't want her to forget!

A few shockers (aka twists and turns) will keep your attention!

Intrigue, suspense, a gripping story, flawless writing, strong characters.
This book has it all! I give it 5 well deserved stars and a strong recommendation!

Hello Rollercoaster! That is how I felt with all the ups and downs. I thought I knew it all then the story adds another unseen surprise right until the end!
Lizzie and Alice were the best of friends until one fateful day when they were only thirteen and a terrible accident steals Alice’s life. One tragic moment that Lizzie was witness to but can’t remember. 12 years later, Lizzie opens a box from her parents filled with items from her childhood and the trauma of the loss of her best friend and the uncertainty of what happened that day come back to haunt her. Lizzie is finally happy with her fiancé and ready to build their life together but she starts to be haunted by the past. Someone thinks that she is responsible for Alice’s death and is not ready to let it go.
Story lines switch from childhood to present day as Lizzie tries hard to remember what really happened that day so she can know once and for all that she is not at fault. She needs to rest her conscience so that she can move on and build a happy life with her family!
Thank you Netgalley and Bantam Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Very surprising and twisted plot. Revenge is best served cold. Psyco-drama/thriller at its best. Would recommend.

You can tell that this was well written because at first I wasn’t crazy about Lizzie but absolutely had to keep going and read her story. A lot of times if I don’t care about the lead character I just can’t finish it. Her having to deal with a tough medical condition and all the questions and guilt over Alice’s death make for an enjoyable read. Very suspenseful at the end!

Lizzie and Alice are the best of friends, as close as can be. Until the day when they’re out playing by the train tracks and a childish spat triggers Lizzie’s epilepsy. When she comes to, she finds an unimaginable horror: Alice has been killed. Lizzie is devastated, and as she tries to cope with her grief, she is shocked to find herself alienated from Alice’s friends and relatives, who are convinced Lizzie somehow had a role in her friend’s death.
And this is the past that comes back to haunt Lizzie as an adult. While this is pegged as a thriller, I found it more a story about loss and coping with it the grief over the years. Yes, there is a mystery and some twists and turns but they take a backseat to the main theme. This story is very well written and regardless of what you chose to call this, it is an amazing story that I really enjoyed from start to finish.

I was disappointed in the book. The characters were very well written. The book seems like it was mostly about grief and loss. A little bit of suspense too. Not enough for me however. Thank you Netgalley for an advance copy of this book

The train tracks where 2 children play. Lizzie and Alice are best friends and often walk the trail that leads to the tracks. One of the games they play is listening to the whistling noise on the tracks and then counting how long it takes the train to pass them. Lizzie is epileptic and one awful day, when the two girls are near the tracks, Lizzie has a seizure and when she comes out of it, Annie is not there. That is when she sees Annie's coat sleeve hanging on a branch the other side of the tracks.
Years later, Lizzie is engaged to a doctor and planning her wedding when a person from her past comes back into her life and Lizzie realizes that the horror of that awful day is just beginning all over again.
I thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Terror, mystery, twists and turns are all on board with this thrilling thrill ride of a thriller. Grab a beverage, put on something comfy and prepare for intrigue.

Wow. This is a great psychological thriller than has twists and turns right up to the end. Lizzie, an epileptic, and Alice are best friends. Alice is killed in a train accident while Lizzie has a seizure. Everyone thinks Lizzie had something to do with the death of Alice. After moving away with her family and growing up out of the area, she meets Ross. He becomes her fiancé and the love of her life. Strange things start happening and Lizzie learns that someone from her past is back in her life. She has to figure out who to trust and who to fear. And finally put to rest what really happened on those train tracks so many years before.

I like the way the author sets up the past colliding with the present and ramps up tension and suspense!
The book is told in 2 time frames by Lizzy, at the time of Alice’s death and the current time frame which is 12 years later. It's a tense read, with quite a few twists along the way, and that final one was most unexpected. This is the first I've read by this author but certainly won't be the last.