After finishing an internship at a local hospital, radiation therapist Arianna Donovan is enjoying her last day in San Francisco with friends. When they see a handsome man sitting alone at brunch, her friends dare her to introduce herself to him. She does, and they spend a magical day together exploring the city. The next morning, Arianna is surprised but pleased to encounter Will Jameson a second time when they're booked on the same flight. She hopes that they can pursue a long-distance relationship, but instead he ghosts her after they get off the plane, and she's heartbroken. A year later, her oldest brother Liam returns home after being discharged from the Marines with his best friend and future business partner, Will, in tow. Knowing how protective Liam is of his younger sisters, Will chose not to pursue Arianna when he learned of their connection. Even though he'd never want to come between her and her brother, or risk losing his best friend, he's never forgotten her, and he can't help hoping that she might give him another chance. But the bigger challenge will be convincing Liam and the rest of the Donovans that he's the right man for Arianna when they decide to try setting him up with her older sister Ryleigh instead.
This fast-paced, funny, and sweet story was the perfect start to Chase's new series. Will and Arianna had fantastic chemistry and even though their relationship moved relatively quickly, I believed in the strength of their feelings for each other. Arianna's family was definitely overprotective and I totally understood why she and her sister Ryleigh were so often frustrated with their behavior. It was obvious how much they loved each other, and none of what they did was coming from a bad place, but even so, it was time for them to take a step back and allow their adult daughters and sisters to make decisions for themselves. I wanted to cheer when Arianna (and Ryleigh) stood up to her parents and brothers in the end. I don't think the family dynamic will change overnight, but they did seem willing to make the effort, and that meant a lot.
I highly recommend "Dare Me" for all contemporary romance fans and look forward to the next book in the series.
*Review copy provided by the author via Valentine PR. All opinions expressed are my own.
About "Dare Me"
One year ago, Arianna Donovan and Will Jameson met on a dare and spent a perfect 24 hours together before going their separate ways. She thought they would stay in touch, but he disappeared without a word.
Arianna thought she'd moved on. But when Will shows up at a family dinner with her older—and very protective—brother, she's angry and confused. How could he possibly forget to mention that he was friends with her brother? No one knows about their past and Arianna wants to keep things that way. No matter how tempting Will is.
When he walked away a year ago, Will thought it was for the best. Staying away from Arianna was the smart thing to do, especially with how protective her older brother—his friend and fellow soldier—can be. Time and distance will work wonders when you're trying to stay away from someone. Now that he's seen her again, he forgets all about doing the smart thing. He'll just have to first convince her to let go of her anger and give him another chance.
Will isn't above playing the nostalgia card, and when he challenges Arianna to a sexy game of truth or dare, she can't resist. Neither one is ready to tell the world what they're doing, but how long can they possibly keep things a secret when there are Donovans ready to meddle around every corner?
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