Title: It Started with a Dare
Series: Southern Comfort: Book One
Authors: Julie Lynn Hayes and S.L. Danielson
Publisher: eXtasy Books
Length: 214 Pages
Category: Contemporary, New Adult
At a Glance: For me, this book was a disappointment. The two most exciting characters were the ones I was supposed to hate, only because they contained greater depth and intrigue than any of the rest.
Reviewed By: Taz
Blurb: Boredom at the Junior Prom leads to a dare that leads to a kiss between two eighteen-year-old boys. Mark and Blake come from different backgrounds, but the one thing they have in common is a mutual attraction to each other. Limited employment prospects throw them together unexpectedly. Forced to get along, they uncover truths about themselves and embark on a daring relationship.
But they have one major strike against them—Mark is unwilling to come out about his sexuality, and Blake doesn’t want to live in a closet. They either have to come to a meeting of the minds, or let the flame between them sputter and die.
Review: It Started with a Dare by Julie Lynn Hayes and S.L. Danielson follows Blake and Mark as they engage in their first relationship, with each other. As the tile states, things start when Mark is dared to kiss a boy (Blake).
Honestly, I thought the concept of the book sounded cute, but after reading the story—actually, very soon after beginning the story—I realized that the characters and plotline were falling very flat for me. There is basically no tension as things between the two boys progress to a comfortable place and then stay there. Characters either react to Mark and Blake in ways that were a bit too difficult for me to swallow, or which gave me whiplash. No mother would let her son’s boyfriend sleep in his bedroom while living under their roof. Best friends don’t often have fall-down nasty fights and then turn it around without some kind of a serious heart-to-heart where one, or both, are hesitant to reconnect. And there are several more examples like this.
For me, this book was a disappointment. The two most exciting characters were the ones I was supposed to hate, only because they contained greater depth and intrigue than any of the rest, but I could have overlooked all of that and said this was a decent summer beach read, if it hadn’t been for the last chapter. I’m a fan for cliffhangers throughout a book, but not at the end. Not only are we left with a cliffhanger, but the authors chose to have both of the main love interests seem interested in other boys. I understand it’s setting up for book two, but each book, in my opinion, should bring its own story to a conclusion. They could have introduced this new conflict (and one which seems a bit more interesting) into the next story.
You can buy It Started with a Dare here:
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