The Dare (Briar U #4) by Elle Kennedy

Pages: 354
Publish date: June 16, 2020
Publisher: –
ISBN: 9781777112134
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

College was supposed to be my chance to get over my ugly-duckling complex and spread my wings. Instead, I wound up in a sorority full of mean girls. I already have a hard time fitting in, so when my Kappa Chi sisters issue the challenge, I can’t say no.

The Dare:

I’ve been reading Elle Kennedy for some time now. She is one of my most read authors and while this series hasn’t been my favourite, I did want to finish it. It’s been nearly two weeks since I finished The Dare and I’m still not sure how I feel about it. There are parts that I loved and others that didn’t sit well with me.

The Dare follows protagonist Taylor as she tries to navigate her life in college. But Taylor feels like she doesn’t fit in. When she’s challenged by her sorority to seduce the hottest hockey player, she has no choice she accepts. But Taylor has a trick up her sleeve. When Conor Edwards becomes Taylor’s dare he doesn’t know what to expect. And he can’t help but want to help her. But what starts as a game, turns into something more the longer they play.  

Photo by Arthur Edelman on Unsplash

Taylor was an interesting protagonist. At first, it was hard for me to connect with her. I’m not sure what it was that held me back, but as the novel went on I began to enjoy reading about her. I felt that her voice was really strong and I liked getting to know her more. Taylor’s character arc was really interesting and the reader can see her grow throughout the book. I will talk more about this later, but I felt that there was a big focus on her insecurities. And that took away from getting to know Taylor as Taylor.  

If you have read any books previous in the Briar U series you would have met Conor. And while I wasn’t his biggest fan, I did want to know more about him. At first, Conor is your typical New Adult college boy and male protagonist. But like Taylor, as the novel went on the reader gets to see him grow. It’s always strange when your perspective changes on a character. Maybe it’s because the reader can see Conor in a different light. And instead of seeing him from the perspective of others, we get to see the real him. 

The romance in The Dare was really enjoyable. I liked that Taylor and Conor were friends before anything. It added something more to their romance and I loved that. They were adorable together, it just made me smile. I love the fake dating trope and this was a fun way to look at it. The chemistry is very clear from the start and the reader gets to see both Taylor and Conor fall for one another. 

Photo by Samantha Gades on Unsplash

Like I said I love the fake dating trope, so I loved that side of the novel. It was fun, engaging and just made me smile. Elle Kennedy is great at writing fantastic chemistry both romanticly and friendship wise and that is evident here. At times I did feel that the plot lack something, but I can’t figure out what it was. It was just missing some -. I don’t even know the word. I’m not a massive fan of the miscommunication or not talking trope and there was some of that here. 

There were a few problems that arose for me while reading The Dare. I wasn’t a massive fan of how body image was presented throughout the novel. At first, I  enjoyed that Taylor was curvy. But then it became all about that. I felt that her insecurities too over the novel, but not in a good way. I just want a novel where there is a curvy/plus size protagonist and it doesn’t come down to her weight or how she looks. That would be nice. I also felt that there were a few moments throughout the novel that made me cringe and second guess what I was reading. They were just some side remarks that didn’t sit well with me. 

Photo by Vince Fleming on Unsplash

Overall I enjoyed reading The Dare by Elle Kennedy. It was a great conclusion to the end of a series. While I didn’t fall in love with everything in this series, it was still fun to read. I’m interested in what Elle Kennedy brings out next. I enjoyed the romance between Taylor and Conor and loved seeing them fall in love. And while I did have some problems with the book, it didn’t take too much away from me. If you are looking for a fun new adult romance series, this is a great one to pick up. 

Have you read The Dare by Elle Kennedy yet? What did you think of it? Have you read any books in this series? Let’s Chat!