Cover Image: The Dare

The Dare

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Wowza, what an unputdownable, riveting read! Hooked me from page one and kept me glued to the pages until the very end! Excellent writing, with a unique style and phenomenal character development, making it even more absorbing! Intriguing and full of fun twisty turns, thrilling thrills, chilling chills, and gasp worthy shocks! I would highly, highly recommend to my fellow thrill seekers, as this is one that’ll definitely keep you on the edge of your seat, flipping pages, while completely captivated in the story!!

Will make sure to buzz around and use my top Amazon reviewer number on release!

Was this review helpful?

WOW! This is the story of childhood friends Lizzie and Alice. Alice dies in a very tragic accident that Lizzie was present for but does not remember because she (Lizzie) had a seizure.

Lizzie is an adult, engaged to a doctor and still does not remember the "accident". Someone from her past re-enters her life and well, that is the plot of this thriller that will keep you guessing until the end.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this advanced readers copy. This book is scheduled to release August 3, 2021.

Was this review helpful?

Lizzie suffers from epilepsy and has been protected by her parents her whole life... until she meets her fiancée Ross. Although she is still grieving the death of her best friend Alice 12 years ago, she can finally see her self moving on to this new life with Ross, a handsome, caring doctor. However, when she finally meets the new nurse that works with Ross, she is thrown back into the past as it is Alice's older sister Catherine who has always blamed Lizzie for Alice's death.

The book is told from Lizzie's POV and goes back and forth between the past (before and after Alice's death) and the present. It is a fast-paced psychological thriller with a crazy twist at the end.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed The Dare by Lesley Kara. Lizzie and Alice are childhood friends. An accident occurs which leaves Lizzie feeling very guilty of what might have happened. Alice suffers from epilepsy and one of her episodes occurred exactly when Alice met her demise.
Did Alice cause her friend to die? All their friends seem to think so. I don't want to reveal the rest of the plot but definitely read it!

Was this review helpful?

I love these books so much that bring in a childhood/teen tragic event into the main character's adult life as something they're trying to forget, but someone just won't let them. The writing is very well done and does a great job at adding to a currently popular trope.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Was this review helpful?

"Now all we can hear is the sound of the shovel slicing into the mound of soil and the soil falling into the hole. It makes me remember the day Alice was buried and, for one hideous moment, I imagine her hand thrusting up through the soil, her finger pointing straight at me."

Thrillers written by Lesley Kara are always pure insanity. Where it leaves you guessing right up until the end. Her books seem to get better and better, so I knew that I was getting myself into something amazing. Something that would blow my mind into a million pieces.

This book starts off with a bang and never lets up. As the story progresses, the more I lost my mind. I didn't see any of this coming and I couldn't get enough. I found myself trying to finish this book in any way that I could. It was just that good that I couldn't put it down. It ate away at me when I did. I mean, I even snuck around at work to read here and there. It was worth it.

The Dare was a fast-paced mystery that kept me very entertained throughout. It was twisty with enjoyable characters but you never knew who to trust. I love those kinds of books. On the downside, they give me severe trust issues. I'm excited to see where Lesley takes us next because I know It'll be a tasty treat.

Was this review helpful?

When I first began reading this, it felt like a bit more of a slow-burn read, but about halfway through, it was just propulsive. This first reveal, about halfway through, turned everything I'd thought on its head and I didn't want to put it down.

Was this review helpful?

I have enjoyed Kara's other books so knew I was in for a treat! Alice and Lizzie were best friends until a childish argument sent Lizzie into an epileptic seizure and Alice onto the train tracks. Lizzie still feels guilty years later as she can't remember anything and assumes she mush have pushed Alice. Alice's big sister, Catherine made her young life miserable and now as an adult, engaged to Ross, Lizzie is horrified to realize he works with Catherine. Catherine begins to insinuate herself in their lives, even coming to their housewarming part. Of course, things go downhill from there and secrets come to light that we may not have seen. Another exciting novel from Lesley Kara!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read and review The Dare, by Lesley Kara, prior to its release date.

WOW! This narration was absolute suspense! I love books that are narrated between two different timelines. This story is told from both 2007 and 2019. You get to see a teenage point of view as well as an adult. PERFECTION!

Alice and Lizzie were best friends until tragedy strikes. Alice is killed in an accident and Lizzie has zero recollection of what happened and is unable to assist authorities. This has haunted Lizzie her entire life. As an adult Lizzie is thrown back in to the chaos of that fateful accident. Will she be able to finally put her past beyond her and get the closure she needs?

Lesley Kara did an incredible job captivating my attention early on. I had to keep going because I needed to know what happened!!!!! I would highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys suspenseful thrillers!

Was this review helpful?

Lizzie has epilepsy and also lives with the knowledge that she was with her best childhood friend when the friend died a horrific death. Lizzie and her family moved to a new town after the accident, but she faced bullying before their move. Now Lizzie is an adult and feels she has finally put Alice’s death behind her, when someone from the past shows back up in her life. Will Lizzie finally learn exactly what happened on that horrible day? Was she somehow responsible? This book kept me guessing!

Was this review helpful?

** spoiler alert ** Oh my, so many spoilers ahead. Consider yourself amply warned.. I enjoyed this book, even though it was fairly predictable. Call me a cynic, but I knew from the beginning that Ross was no good just from the way Lizzie spoke about him. Too fake. Way too good to be true. Of course, the second Catharine turned up as Ross's coworker, I then knew they were in cahoots. It was even predictable by the end that Ross was turning on Catharine and that he would turn up to save the day when Catharine inevitably cornered Lizzie to exact her revenge. The one thing I didn't see coming was that Alice had died trying to save Lizzie. That was a nice touch. Even though I knew what was coming, I felt like the story was well written and captivating. It was an enjoyable read.

I do think it's weird though that this is the third book in a row that I've read that had nonlinear storytelling. Either this is a new trend or just highly coincidental. I hope it's not a trend because it's definitely not a tool that works in every story.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed this book so much! My first read by Lesley Kara. It was a little slow in the beginning, but next thing I knew, I just couldn't put it down. It was a well executed plot that just seemed to flow. Nothing felt forced or out of place in the story.

Was this review helpful?

Lizzie and Alice have always been best friends. At 13, they are still there for each other. And as they leave for a walk in the country, a place they often go to jump the railroad tracks and argue and make-up and just be kids.

But this time one of them won’t come home. And one will have no clue what happened.

Lizzie has no memory of what happened. It’s all a nightmarish dream she can’t stop or make any clearer. As an epileptic, she tries to figure out what happened before her seizure that day and deals with grief and uncalled-for blame being placed on her by Alice’s sister.

Time goes on and twelve years go by. Lizzie is unpacking in the new place she and her fiancee have moved into when memories come flooding back and they still don’t make sense. As her fiancee, a GP tries to be supportive he ends up hiring Alice’s sister as a nurse.

Now you know this isn’t going to end well, but oh my goodness, Kara strings you along until the last minutes! And what???

I loved every second of this one.

NetGalley/ August 3rd, 2021 PRHP-Ballentine

Was this review helpful?

A story about best friends who know everything about each other and do everything together. Until they don't. One minute they're walking, get into an argument and the next one is dead. Years later, the past collides with the future. This book was addicting, riveting and unputdownable. Well written and more twists than a pretzel. Thank you so much!

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this book. Character development was good. The plot was very interesting. Not a lot of typos.

Was this review helpful?

Lesley Kara does it again! A unique and powerful novel that draws a reader in from the very first page. Highly recommend to all readers. Be prepared to devour this in one sitting.

Was this review helpful?

Like Lesley Kara's other books, I was totally absorbed in this story. I was reading right along, thinking I knew where things were going when BOOM, everything changed. It was clever how she twisted the story around when I least expected it. You'll just have to read it too see what I mean. No spoilers here.

Was this review helpful?

If you ever read Colleen Hoover's "This Is Us" and enjoyed the ending - this is a book for you!

Now, please meet our main character - Lizzie. It seems that Lizzie, who had a rough teenagehood that followed after the tragic accident that involved her best friend, has finally found her happily ever after. A new home and loving fiance were a new start to the life she never imagined would happen... And suddenly, like a domino effect, the memories, people, and secrets from the past began to appear at a rapid pace and made Lizzie question not only her future... but also her painful past.

The pages of the novel are full of hatred, anger, remorse, loss, happiness, and a little bit of hope. The reader goes thru multiple ranges of emotions before heading for the final chapter. Thank you NetGalley and Bantam Press Publisher for an advanced copy of the novel.

Was this review helpful?

I wish to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a book I am really happy to be able to review. I have read Lesley Kara stories before and was anxious to read this one. The story grabs you in the first page and never lets go until way after you finish it. It is a story of family dynamics, health issues, secrets at every twist and turn and you never see the end coming. I love a good mystery.

The story is told in two time periods 2007 and 2019 and goes back and forth as the reader begins to understand the situation in both times. In 2007 Alice and Lizzie are best friends doing everything together, keeping secrets, making dares and being teens. One day as they walk along the train tracks Lizzie suffers a seizure and when she wakes up she discovers that Alice has been hit by the train and died. Lizzie does not know what happened and many of the kids at school believe that Lizzie killed Alice. Lizzie suffers greatly. In the 2019 period Lizzie is happily engaged to a doctor and they plan a housewarming party. One of the invited guests is a person from Lizzie’s past and the past and present collide head on. Hang onto your seat for this one it is an amazing journey and a bumpy ride.

I loved it and think you will as well.

Was this review helpful?