Natalie Naudus did a great job with this rom-com. This audiobook was fun, playful and angsty. I really enjoy secret relationship tropes even though they are pretty predictable.
We met Tara and Seth in a Sweet Mess, so I was looking forward to their HEA.

I liked Tara and Seth individually and as a couple. They had the friendship part done and I loved how Tara ate large amounts of food with NO shame in front of Seth. The dare took away the need to impress, or create false expectations. It made "non-dates" a more friendship based outing but with an agreement to have fun for four dates and not fall in love.

This audiobook was entertaining and fun. I enjoyed their flirtation even though I knew exactly how it will play out. If you want a low angst and fun rom-com, this series is for you.

I really liked the concept of this book. Tara and Seth dare each other to 4 dates. It seemed to be a safe bet since Seth was moving to Paris in a month. I liked how their story developed and it kept me engaged wondering what was coming next. I liked the way that the dare helped both of them heal from scars in previous relationships. This is a second book, but it did a great job of not having to read the first book to understand the second. I listened to this on audio and really enjoyed the narrator!

I give this book 4.5 stars.
This audiobook was decidedly cute. I really liked the chemistry between Tara and Seth and the friendship that forms is written perfectly! I can honestly say that their friendship grew so naturally that it is my favorite friendship between main characters in a romance novel. I had not read A Sweet Mess but found Jayci Lee's writing style to be so enjoyable that I placed that audiobook on hold before even finishing this one.
The book starts at the wedding of the main characters from A Sweet Mess. There is immediate chemistry between the maid of honor, Tara, and the best man/brother of the groom, Seth. They both want to play with fire and get drinks after the wedding, but declare that they will not have be a stereotype by having sex on the wedding night. Instead they drunkenly create a work-around. Seth dares Tara that they can't go on four dates without her falling in love with him. It seems like the perfect plan, neither are interested in Love and Seth is leaving the country in 4 weeks! However, the dates become less formal as the friendship deepens past the point of lust.
Something that confused me was Tara's complete opposition to anyone knowing about her dates with Seth. Maybe if I had read the first book before this one I'd understand the overprotectiveness better. To me it just seemed like Tara was taking it too far and I was surprised Seth wasn't insulted by her behavior. Seth also seemed borderline too perfect as a character. The only flaws were really mirrored by Tara too.
I loved the representation in this book. Tara is Korean American and I don't remember if Seth is Korean American as well, but the book doesn't make their race part of the plot. They are just people who are attracted to each other described in attractive ways without fixating on their Asian features.
Personally, I like less closed door. Plus, as a librarian would need to warn people that this book isn't clean, but also it is not explicitly descriptive. In the end none of that affected my opinion of the book as a whole. I have already started recommending it to friends and family!

This was a super cute, fun, and flirty rom-com!

The Dating Dare is the second book is Jayci Lee's "A Sweet Mess" series. Honestly, I did not read the first book, and did not feel that I was missing anything! (Obviously, it is probably better to read the series in chronological order to get all of the history though!).

Synopsis:
Tara Park is over serious relationships. She has been heartbroken and has sworn off love.
Seth Kim (Tara's best friend's new brother-in-law - the story that takes place in A Sweet Mess) has made himself out to be a handsome player type. Seth dares Tara to go on four dates with him and to not fall in love with him. Easy enough since he is moving to Paris in a month and Tara doesn't do love right? We'll see!

Thoughts:
I thought this book was super fun. I loved the connection between the two MC's. I thought the transition from POV's was fantastic. Their chemistry was palpable, which has been missing in quite a few romances that I have read lately. I also loved the beer theme! The food and drink description was to die for!

Overall, a pretty average, cute, fun, and fast book for me!

✍️ One Sentence Synopsis: Seth dares Tara to go on 4 dates with him without falling for him, can she do it?

💭 Overall Thoughts:
This is a cheesy yet cute feel good romantic comedy. It’s a fake dating— but kind of real dating (aren’t they all) trope. It’s a bit cliche and surface level but I feel like that’s what you sometimes need.

I have not read Jayci Lee’s first book, and felt that this was fine as a stand alone story if you haven’t read it either.

Tara and Seth are both likable characters but they cannot communicate for the life of them. Seems like the story of my romcom reads this summer though.

The audio narration of the book was well done, smooth and engaging. I listened at 1.75— 2 felt too rushed and a little warped on this one for me.


What I Liked:
👍 Despite communication issues, the main characters were both likable.
👍 There was an adorably flirty chemistry between the two.

What I Didn’t Like:
👎 That shake factor of not communicating!
👎 The culmination at the ending was a bit awkward for me.
👎 I wished Lee dove just a little deeper into some of background to give it a bit more substance.


⚠️ Content Warnings: manipulative/narcissistic relationships (more alluding to)

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen with request for review.

I wanted to like this more than I did, but I couldn't seem to get past some things that were bothering me. For me, he writing sometimes felt forced. I know the romcom has a formula, and it's not about the destination, it's about the journey. I just didn't feel myself pulled into the journey with these characters. I felt as if I was being dragged along.

I know a lot of people love the sweetness between these two characters, and I enjoyed that. But I just couldn't get into it.

I absolutely loved this story. The relationship between the two main characters was so sweet. It is definitely a steamy read but also such a cute love story. The narrator was brilliant and I loved the fact that the transition between characters was flawless. Would definitely recommend.

This audio book was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I thought the narrator did a great job. However, this book was just a little boring.
I never felt a real connection between Tara and Seth.

Also, there was a constant use of both first person and third person, sometimes in the same sentence. It was very confusing. Not sure I would recommend this to anyone.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for my audio copy of The Dating Dare by Jayci Lee in exchange for my honest review.

The narration by Natalie Naudus was good. I have listened to her on many other books and enjoy her performances. She gave a distinct voice for each character and really brought them to life.

Unfortunately, I did not care for the actual story. I have not read the first book in the series, and that may have had an influence on my opinion of the book. I felt like the relationship between Tara and Seth was forced and kind of off. And the banter just wasn't working for me. I did find the whole storyline of Tara and the brewery to be different and interesting.

**A huge thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this Advanced Listeners Copy**

The Dating Dare follows Seth and Tara on their journey to have a short fling with no strings attached before he leaves the country for a new job and NOT fall in love with each other, but we ALL know it never turns out that way.

The characters were likeable with just enough past baggage thrown in to give them some kind of depth so that they could find true love and meaning in each other. It had it's sweet and steamy moments that were fun, but it wasn't quite as memorable or funny as say, The Hating Game or ANYTHING by Christina Lauren. Everything I have read by Christina Lauren had me laughing out loud.

Also, more than a few times it had me rolling my eyes saying, "oh jeeeeez" with how cheesy it was in some parts, but I understand that comes with the territory in the romance genre (which i'm not saying is necessarily a bad thing, don't get me wrong!) This was your everyday run-of-the-mill romance read. It was fun while it lasted, however, I can't see this sticking with me. It's a little bit forgettable.

The Dating Dare was a cute, straightforward--if not sometimes trite--rom com. I did enjoy the audiobook though it may have been better to consume as a physical copy. Nonetheless, I did enjoy it.

Disclaimer: This was my first time listening to an audio book.

I really enjoyed “The Dating Dare”. I loved how developed and fleshed out the characters were and I really started to care for them. Seth in particular was super adorable. Both Tarra and Seth were so hilarious that I caught myself audibly chuckling. Both had internal monologue that were so fun to listen to and I loved that they both had their own voice/personality shine through the dual POVs as opposed to sounding like they were written by the same person (kudos to the author because some authors struggle with this). The different scenes throughout the story were interesting and creative. I was always entertained while listening.

One of the only major things that shied me away from giving this five stars was that sometimes the characters were written with dialogue that seemed out of character or just unrealistic. Especially with hearing the lines being spoken from the narrator, it added to the cringe if the dialogue was especially cheesy. Even more so before getting used to it, the narrator’s voice could be off-putting when reading in the main characters’ “voices”. Also, some lines weren’t read how they felt they should have been if spoken in the real world (i.e., natural sounding).

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and can’t wait until I get my hands on a physical copy.

I listened to its audiobook. Sweet inviting and pleasant voices by the narrators adding up to overall experience. A funny fast paced with humor narrated story; ideal for a lazy Sunday afternoon. I really enjoyed it. It's what someone expects from a modern romance.

Thanks to NetGalley for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. I admit, this was a sweet summer romance. Tara is at her best friend’s wedding. She plays truth or dare with the groom’s brother. Both had been hurt in the past, and safely within the confines of the game, they agree to go on four dates, with the rule that neither is allowed to fall in love. I bet you can guess what happens. ::wink, wink:: Tropes abound, and this romance isn’t super steamy. All in all, it was a fine, easy summer read, but there is nothing in this story that really sets it apart from the pack. After reading The Hating Game and It Happened One Summer, this one just fell flat. I enjoyed the narration and had no issues with the voice acting. The emotions were clearly presented and believable.

I really wasn’t a fan of this one. It’s pretty much all smut and no real story line. It was cheesy and awkward. It didn’t feel real at all, it felt so fake and staged. There was no good flow to the story.

4.5 stars - The Dating Dare is a cute multicultural read! I enjoyed the banter between the hero and heroine and particularly enjoyed the insights into how familial pressures influence relationship choices.

The narrator did a great job!

I struggled to finish this book. I didn't like it from chapter 1 and had varying feelings of 'this is ok' and 'ugh, I can't'.. I haven't enjoyed Jayci since her first book and I think I am going to give it a break and let her voice develop. I can't hang with this romcom vein- I just don't enjoy them.
I am first turned off by women that assume men want to sleep with them, so the first chapter of the book was rough, but I decided to power through. I did catch the conflict of the MCs falling for each other even though one of them was leaving. What could have been a fun series of dates and then oh nooo we really like each other, whatever will we doooo, there was a confession that simply comes entirely too early with nothing to back it and a mean conversation that I just don't think would ever happen. And then the ending grand gestures are more over the top than I can really take in a book.
This isn't a *terrible* book. It is a cute read, humorous, light, swoony. It was more awkward and clunky and at certain points uninteresting than fits my taste.
I listened to the audiobook version and it was well-performed.

I read this book a few months ago and was hoping that the audiobook would hold my interest a little more. However, this book still fell a little flat for me. It was cute and enjoyable, but still frustrating in a lot of ways.

Just not the book for me.

This was a cute and quick romance. I loved the banter between the two and how comfortable they were in there relationship. While the standard miscommunication issue drives me crazy it was a good read.

This is a pretty standard romcom novel. The premise is cute but makes no sense under examination, the characters' problems could be solved by having a real conversation at literally any point, big gestures are made. Overall, I found it a very middle-of-the-road story with some very bad dialogue.