Dare to Seduce

3.75 stars---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 !!

Dare to Seduce
Dare to Love series book #8
Release Date: November 17, 2015
Review copy provided by the publisher

Sometimes when I pick up a book, I get a sense of coming home. Comfort and joy. When Dare to Seduce landed in my hands, all of those feelings came rushing forward. From the beginning of this series, I've been entranced by every word.

Lucy and Max are cut from the same cloth. Both are struggling with their own perceptions of guilt and grief, for separate reasons. But one thing has never wavered, their burning love for each other. Though neither has any idea of how the other feels. I love a story that centres around childhood friends falling in love. The best friend of the older brother falling for the younger sister. It feels almost like a natural progression of falling in love. When things come to a point where Max is ready to make Lucy his, my heart flip flopped! He's tried to stay away. He even married another woman for all the wrong reasons. But his wife is gone and he's ready to give his heart to the woman it's always belonged to. Sweet Jesus, I fell so hard for Max. He's uber alpha and sex on a freakin' stick. Is it weird to lust after a fictional character?

I'll admit, I struggled a bit with Lucy. I was frustrated with her, and since I'm protective of Max, I kinda wanted to shake some damn sense into her. I found Lucy wishy washy...hot and cold. I felt like, at times, that she had Max trailing behind her, begging for a morsel of affection and acceptance of the love that is clearly there. But this is what made the story so damn great! Carly Phillips needed to make Lucy this way. Lucy has been wearing her parents death on her sleeve for so long and the fear of losing someone else that she loves is palpable. It wouldn't have worked if she gave in so easily. Max is struggling with similar pains, but his way of finding peace is to embrace love, grab it by the balls and hold on for dear life. Lucy invoked strong feelings in me. There were times that I didn't like her much ( that whole protectiveness thing for Max again) but I respected the hell out of her! When an author can make me feel so raw about a character, I know the story is something special. And hey, Lucy eventually loves up on my man Max, the way he deserves, so we made peace! I can't elaborate on all the little nuances of this beautiful story without giving everything away. Also, to truly feel Max and Lucy's journey, you need to be apart of it. Which means, you need coffee, chocolate, tissues, more chocolate, and then some pizza to shovel in your face to help soak up all the "feels" in your heart. Like, three slices minimum!

Max is panty wetting hot in the sack! Magical hands and enough dirty sweet nothings to make a girl swoon. And holy crap, Lucy swoons hard...multiple times, in various positions. I love when Carly gets all filthy and ramps up the heat in her writing! She can deliver a solid story, rip my soul to shreds, and then make my heart beat so loudly, it's like bloody ponies are galloping through my house! Did I mention that Max knows his way around the lady bits?

What can I say? Hmmm...buy this book! But do yourself a favour, start from the beginning of the series. This book can be read as a stand alone, but you'll be so happy that you visited with all the Dare men. Not even gonna lie...each and every damn one of em' makes for great fantasy material! The only thing left to say is that, Ms. Phillips left me a blabbering mess and I want you to go on the same journey with Max and Lucy!

I have most of Carly Phillips books. Keep them coming. I will be purchasing a Kindle so I can take advantage of some of her books that are only available on Kindle.

Carly Phillips just keeps getting better and better. I absolutely loved this next book in the Dare to Love series. Max and Lucy were just amazing together. Working together to overcome their past fears and issues was so touching. And the loves scenes were just smoking hot. Loved every moment of this story. Can't wait for the other books in the series!

Lovemthis series keep them coming.

The best in the series so far, for sure--but I have made no secret about loving the New York cousins of this series the best. What I loved the best about this story was the well-drawn back story that was created without slowing down the pace of an excellent and heart-wrenching plot. One of my favorite series ever, and this installment was simply one of the best books in it.

Another good story from Carly Phillips. Dare to Seduce was book 8 in the series and was as well written as the others in Phillips' usual style. But I didn't connect with the characters in the same way I had with the previous books. Still an enjoyable read, and I will continue to read Carly Phillips' books in this series and her others.

Carry Phillips has done it again in Dare to Seduce. It it kept me burning through the pages to find out what would happen to businessman, Max Savage and designer Lucy Dare. Their chemistry is combustible, their hearts sheltered behind walls and their past remains a past of their present.

For years, Max has had feelings for Lucy. But her being his best friend's little sister, he has kept his distance, doing what he thought was best, no matter the cost.

Years later when he finally sees Lucy again, he is determined to never let her go again. Will he be able to break down her walls and allow himself to finally be happy?

I absolutely love this series...all the alpha-males are everything a woman really wants in a man...Lucy & Max over come their past & find themselves in each other...this is a must read

I love Carly Phillips!! I have read all her stories in this series and I always find them a fun read. If you like your stories hot then this is the series for you! The characters in this book were introduced in earlier stories so it would be helpful to read those in order to get a better feel of the personal dynamics going on in the book (these are the New York Dares there are more Dares in Florida). I liked Max and Lucy from the start and enjoyed them throughout the book. My only complaint is that I would have like to see more of a seduction of Lucy by Max....it almost seemed like she caved a bit too easily but again we saw them in earlier books. If you want a fun, hot read this one is for you.