Lesley Kara

A twisty new thriller from the author of The Rumor and Who Did You Tell?

A Novel

The Dare

When teenage friends Lizzie and Alice decide to head off for a walk in the countryside, they are blissfully unaware that this will be their final day together - and that only Lizzie will come back alive. 12 years later, unpacking boxes in the new home she shares with her fiance, Lizzie is horrified to find long-buried memories suddenly surfacing.

Cheri McElroy

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Enjoyable but predictable.

Hannah Lane

This book takes place in 3 parts over the course of FOUR POVs (Now, “before the incident”, “after the incident”, and a POV that is mysterious as to who’s it is until the last part of the book). It picked up in the second half but took me until the last third of the book to really get invested, 

I didn’t enjoy a lot of the tropes in this book, especially at first. But then I realized their place in the plot. The plot/characters were a bit all over the place for my liking.

GREAT concept, just wasn’t executed as well as I’ve read in other books. 
If you enjoyed Verity by Colleen Hoover I would give this a read. 

Kerri McDonald

“You may wonder why I let her take the lead. Why I surrendered all sense of self on the altar of her desires. I wonder it myself sometimes, but I never had a choice. Not really.”

Before I get into this review, I want to thank the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! It is, as always, very much appreciated.

When I tell you this book was a wild ride… oof! This thriller took me on a lot of ups and downs and the twist actually made my jaw drop.

In this story, we’re following a young woman named Lizzie Molyneaux. Lizzie has just moved in with her fiancé, is thinking of going back to school to get her degree, and is finally on the right medications to keep her seizures at bay. It seems like things are looking up for her, but there is something in her past that still pops into her head. The death of her best friend, Alice, when they were both thirteen. Alice was tragically hit by a train at an unsafe crossing and Lizzie was there when it happened. She’s tried to move on from that past, to live her life without the specter of Alice and what happened after hanging over her. But then, the past drops on her doorstep and everything starts to change.

This is my third Lesley Kara thriller and, as with the other two, the writing is some of the best I’ve encountered when it comes to pulling me into a story. It just so incredibly readable, if that makes any sense 😂 The pages flew by and I found myself halfway through the book in what felt like a blink! I love the way she can pull you into Lizzie’s head and have you inhabited that space. I was fully immersed in Lizzie’s past, her fears, and everything she was dealing with as the story progressed.

Seeming as I loved the writing so much, you’d think I’d have finished with this in the span of a day or two. Unfortunately, I ran into a bit of snag because of a plot element. I’m always a little tentative when pregnancy comes into play in any book, but even more so when it’s a thriller. And I acknowledge that this is totally a me-thing! Before I had my son, I suffered a miscarriage and it’s one of the few things I try to avoid reading about in books. It happened 8 years ago, but it’s still a tender spot in my heart that I don’t really like to poke. So when Lizzie became pregnant, I was worried. To the point that I put the book down and just couldn’t make myself read for a couple of days. Eventually, I sat myself down and made myself continue because I had really been loving the book up until then!

And I’m glad that I did! Because, though the pregnancy plays a large role in this story, it didn’t go down the route I thought it would and I ended up really enjoying the twists and turns the author took. The bit in the middle involving the little asides in italics truly blew my mind! Once I got back into the book, it was hard to put it down! I will admit to the ending feeling a tad rushed and a little bit unsatisfying when it comes to a particular character. I also can’t speak to the epilepsy rep, but I thought it was handled well in my limited opinion. But, overall, it was a thrilling story that sucked me in and had me on tenterhooks throughout.

Final thoughts: This was an intense and frightening tale of a past that just won’t let go. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing and have come to realize I will read anything that Lesley Kara puts out into the world. Her writing has a way of gripping you within the first few pages and keeping a hold until you’ve closed the book. Though I’m not a fan of pregnancy as a plot point in thrillers (for very personal reasons!), I think this book handled it well. And though the ending felt a bit rushed, I still ended up really enjoying this read! If you’re a fan of thrillers with big twists, dual timelines, and lots of secrets, I think you would enjoy The Dare!

Jolie

I am a big fan of mystery/thriller books. They make up 80% of the books that I read and review. So, when I had gotten the review request for The Dare, it was an immediate acceptance.

The plotline for The Dare was interesting. Alice and Lizzie were best friends, and they did everything together. But, when Alice died, Alice’s family blamed Lizzie for her death. Why? She was found having a seizure by the train tracks and had no memory of the events before Alice’s death. Alice’s family blamed her, but Lizzie never forgave herself. Twelve years later, Lizzie still has no memories of Alice’s death, but she has moved on with her life. Her epilepsy is under control, and she is engaged to a wonderful man. But, as she’s unpacking, she comes across a box that stirs up memories. What happened the day Alice died? Was Lizzie at fault? And who is trying to get at the truth? Will it cost Lizzie everything that she has worked so hard for?

I am not overly familiar with epilepsy or how it affects the brain. So, I thought using it as part of the plotline was fascinating. Lizzie could not remember what happened after she left her house with Alice. All she knows is that she was with her, and then she was on the ground, being tended to by EMTs. A massive chunk of time was missing, and Lizzie could not tell people what happened to Alice because she didn’t know. Like I said earlier in this paragraph, it was fascinating.

Lizzie made for an interesting main character. She had lost her closest friend to a horrible accident, and Alice’s family blamed her for it. Lizzie had to live with a debilitating illness and hope that the medications she’s taking will curb the seizures. But she had done well with her life. She had a fiancee who cherished her and parents who loved her. Her outlook on life was good. But then, life starts to go sideways for her. It was how she dealt with everything that struck me (in a good way).

Parts of the book were written from the angle of an unknown person. It starts when this person was a child and goes to when they are an adult. I was surprised at who that person was (the author does reveal it halfway through the book). I was even more surprised at what that person was going to do.

The mystery angle of the book was well written. There were a couple of mystery angles. One is the obvious one (did Lizzie kill Alice). The other is what is Catherine’s plan (I did figure that out). And the third angle (which was introduced halfway through the book) deals with Lizzie, her mother, and secrets that her mother had been keeping. They were all wrapped up at the end of the book, and the author did it in such a way that you couldn’t help but pity everyone involved.

The suspense angle of the book was also well written. It was closely tied in with the mystery angle and complimented it. I was kept on the edge of my seat, trying to figure out what would happen next.

The end of The Dare was good. There was a twist in the storyline that made me go, “Whoa.” I didn’t see it coming, and it surprised me (in a good way). It was also bittersweet because of what was revealed.

I would recommend The Dare to anyone over the age of 21. There is mild language, violence, and sexual situations.

THE TWISTY NEW THRILLER FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE RUMOUR 'A plot packed with surprises, and it has an ending that won't disappoint.' Daily Mail Come on. You'll be fine. It's only a game. Lizzie has no memory of the accident in which her best friend Alice died as a teenager. And it was an accident. Wasn't it? Alice's friends and relatives suspect Lizzie was to blame, but Lizzie knows that can't be true. She would never have hurt Alice. Twelve years on, unpacking boxes in the new home she shares with her fiancé, Lizzie is finally beginning to feel like she can move on with her life. But someone has other ideas . . . _______ 'This psychological thriller gets under your skin, meaning some late nights till you finish it.' Heat 'This twisty psychological thriller will grip you within minutes.' NOW! Readers can't stop talking about The Dare: ***** 'I just couldn't put it down and read it all in one go!' ***** 'This is a great twisty psychological thriller that is told from the past and the present, which in my opinion adds to the suspense'

The Dare A Novel

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