DARE TO SEDUCE (Dare to Love #8) by Carly Phillips-Review and Book Tour
Dare to Seduce
Dare to Love #8
by Carly Phillips
Release Date: November 17, 2015
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romance
Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO
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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 17, 2015
Lucy Dare & Max Savage
NY Dare cousins … the hotter Dare books!
Max Savage has had a thing for Lucy Dare for as long as he can remember but he values his long standing friendship with her brothers too much to cross the line. When Lucy shows up at an engagement party on the arms of another man, Max doesn’t like the changes he sees in her.
It’s now or never. Max can think of one way to convince Lucy she’s with the wrong guy. He’ll dare to seduce her …
••••••••••••••••
REVIEW: DARE TO SEDUCE is the eight installment and latest novella in Carly Phillips contemporary adult DARE TO LOVE erotic romance series focusing on the Dare cousins and siblings. This is Lucy Dare –one of the New York Dare cousins, and professional chef and restaurateur Max Savage’s storyline. DARE TO SEDUCE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. We were first introduced to the Dare cousins in Dare To Surrender (Dare to Love #3)-the July 2014 installment in the multi-authored 1001 Dark Nights novella series- and Dare to Submit (Dare to Love #4).
Told from dual third person perspectives (Lucy and Max) DARE TO SEDUCE is a friends to lovers/second chance storyline that focuses on the building relationship between Lucy and Max. Max has always loved Lucy, but growing up neighbors and best friends with Lucy’s brothers there was always an understood hands-off policy between Lucy and Max. But years passed, lives changed, losses and other relationships carried forward until present day where Lucy and Max found themselves together at Decklan Dare’s engagement party to Amanda Collins (Dare to Love #4), wherein Lucy’s current boyfriend found himself on the outside looking in when Max and Lucy rekindled their long fought urges and need for one another. What ensues is the building relationship between Lucy and Max, and Lucy’s need to push Max away at every available opportunity.
DARE TO SEDUCE is an erotic storyline; a tale about two people who have loved one another but never took a chance on a happily ever after. Lucy had already lost too many people in her life, and wasn’t willing to risk her heart for fear of losing the only man she has ever loved. Max is a man whose childhood left our hero longing for a relationship with a woman he could love but Lucy kept Max at arm’s length as their relationship began to grow. Saying that, I felt the love between Lucy and Max was more one-sided –Lucy’s inability to let go of the past pushed everyone (including family and friends) to the periphery of her relationship needs. The $ex scenes are erotic and intense. Max likes to dominate both in and out of the bedroom.
The secondary and supporting characters include Lucy’s brothers and their respective mates: Gabe and Isabelle; Decklan and Amanda. We are also introduced to Max’s new business partner and executive chef Sebastian Del Toro; as well as Max’s parents who want to rekindle their relationship with their only son.
DARE TO SEDUCE is a quick and enjoyable read that takes the reader into the world of the ‘other’ Dare family: the cousins to the original Dare to Love series family; and the Dare’s who are members of an elite BDSM club and the Club Eden hotel and nightclub chain. The premise is entertaining; the characters have a history together therefore the build up to love is quick but not necessarily easy; the happily ever after fast forwards the storyline one year wherein Lucy and Max are in need of an extended vacation and some time away. Carly Phillips DARE TO LOVE series is a delight-no matter which side of the family you’re on !!
Copy supplied by the tour operator.
Reviewed by Sandy
The last time Max had seen Lucy, she’d been her wild and free self. Then she’d hooked up with that guy and she’d changed. And not in a good way. He wanted fun, sexy Lucy back.
“How badly do you want to punch that guy’s teeth in?”
“So badly,” Max muttered, then glanced over, realizing the question came from Lucy’s brother, Decklan Dare.
Max shook his head and changed his answer, because it would do no good to let his best friend know he was obsessing over the guy’s little sister. He’d kept it to himself for years, partially as an excuse to deny what he really wanted, but regardless, this wasn’t the right time to bring up the issue.
“Who do you mean?” Max asked.
Decklan rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on. I know you hate that Spielberg wannabe as much as we do.”
“Can’t say he’d be my first choice for your sister.”
“That’s rich considering it’s your fault she’s with him to begin with.” Decklan eyed Max with distinct annoyance in his gaze.
“How the hell do you figure that?” Max asked.
Decklan’s older brother, Gabe, joined them, and from the look on his face, he’d clearly caught the tail end of the conversation.
“Face it, Savage. We know you have a thing for Lucy,” Gabe said.
Just how the brothers had gleaned that bit of knowledge was beyond Max. Nobody had a better poker face than him.
Decklan merely nodded in agreement.
“You didn’t take your chance last time she was in town, and now she’s with that asshole,” Gabe added, angling his head toward where his sister stood with Lucas Kellan.
“Well, fuck.” Max wasn’t about to deny what had clearly been more obvious than he’d intended.
Both Dare brothers narrowed their gazes on him, waiting for an explanation.
“What? I didn’t think you’d approve, and I wasn’t about to mess up years’ worth of friendship if you didn’t.” He was sticking to the tried-and-true excuse he’d told himself for years. In reality, Max had his reasons for staying away from
Lucy for so long and for fucking up more than just his life in the process. But they were his, and he wouldn’t be sharing them.
“The only way you’d compromise friendships would be if you used or hurt my sister. If your intentions are honorable, I have no issue,” said Gabe, the man who’d raised Lucy after their parents died in a car accident.
Max glanced at Decklan. They both knew Max’s recent past. He’d married young, lost his wife, Cindy, in a car accident, and had a subsequent lack of serious relationships since. What Decklan didn’t know was the guilt Max harbored over the emotions he hadn’t been able to give his wife, due to the feelings he’d always had for Lucy. Hell, he’d married Cindy because he didn’t have those intense feelings, and everyone had paid a price.
Max shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat and glanced at Decklan, who, like Gabe, was extremely protective of his sister. “You too? You’re okay with this?” he asked.
His best friend shrugged. “Well, you’re an asshole but you’re our asshole.” He slapped Max on the back, his expression sobering. “Look, Cindy died four years ago, and you haven’t been with anyone seriously since.”
Neither one of them mentioned Max’s penchant for sex clubs on the weekends. It had been a way to fill the emptiness inside him, nothing more.
“But Gabe is right,” Decklan said. “I see how you look at Lucy. You should do something about it if your intentions are solid.”
They finally were. For years Max had denied his need for Lucy and the emotional bond he knew they would share if they took things to the next level. Fear had driven him. Now Max was finally ready to go after the woman he’d always wanted.
“Just don’t blow it or we will have an issue,” Decklan cheerfully added.
Max didn’t need to be told twice. He made his way across the lawn and veered between guests, coming up to where Lucy and her date stood by the bar.
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carly Phillips N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carly Phillips has written over 40 sexy contemporary romance novels that today’s readers identify with and enjoy. After a successful 15 year career with various New York publishing houses, Carly is making the leap to Indie author, with the goal of giving her readers more books at a faster pace at a better price. Her Serendipity books will still finish up in January/February 2014 via Berkley as planned. Carly lives in Purchase, NY with her family, two nearly adult daughters and two crazy dogs who star on her Facebook Fan Page and website. She’s a writer, a knitter of sorts, a wife, and a mom. In addition, she’s a Twitter and Internet junkie and is always around to interact with her readers. You can find all information about Carly at her website and other social media sites …
Website/ / Goodreads / Twitter /Facebook
Very nice review, Sandy. Usually family oriented stories are fun reads.
Wonderful review Sandy. Sounds great. I read the first couple of books in the series but I need to get caught up!
Great review, Sandy. Looks like a good book to read.
Looks great Sandy. Congrats to Carly on the new release
Terrific review, Sandy. Sounds like a good series, but being 8 books behind, hard to catch up. But I will add it to my tbr for when I do get a break. I find too many great books here.
Wonderful review, thanks Sandy. Congrats to Carly on the new release.
Nice review. Sounds like a good series to read.
Looks great Sandy. thanks for the update and adding it to my list !