If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk’s home life, they’d send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom’s freedom and her own happiness. That’s how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn’t want her and going to a school that doesn’t understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn’t get her, but does….
Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can’t tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn’t be less interested in him.
But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won’t let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all.
Remember when everyone and their mother was flipping out over Pushing the Limits? I read it; I liked but not loved-loved it. However, when I saw Dare You To on NetGalley, the ‘request’ button was pushed without any kind of consideration. I wanted this book mainly because I really liked feisty Beth and wanted to see her story.
From the first moment I picked up Dare You To, I was hooked. I’d put it down because I’m about to move and should be, you know, packing, but before I knew it, my Nook would be back in my hands and I’d be reading again. I can’t put my finger on what exactly was so addictive about this book, but I think a strong component was the construct of the good-boy, country jock Ryan meets mouthy, tough, trailer park-y Beth. In their first interaction, she drops the f-bomb and he’s bothered by her language, thinking “girls don’t use fuck”. How cute is that?! As a bit of a potty mouth myself, I was quite intrigued to how this was going to go; either they were going to get along with some resistance, or they would tear each other apart. No matter, I wanted to see it happen.
On that note, let’s talk about Ryan Stone. Seriously. Ladies. This boy. I can’t tell you how many moments I had where I put the book down and just asked the universe how Ryan Stone was so hot. He was such a gentleman. Not in that general sappy way, but in the way you could tell he was acting with a good heart. That of course, sounds sappy, but seriously. He was so honorable and did everything with best intentions. Of course he wasn’t perfect in every way, but in dealing with Beth and her plethora of issues he was pretty damn perfect. If I kept a list of dreamy book boys (no, I really don’t do that) Ryan would make it.
You know, I could go on and give you more reasons to check this book out, but really, I feel like I’ve covered all of my biggest selling points already. You want to read this book because there is a super hot, small town baseball player with a heart of gold, a ballsy and brazen drug addict with her own plan. And then to sweeten the deal, there’s a catty small town social drama, an awesome best friend (both on the girl and boy sides), a bad girl, a bad man and all topped with an awesome, yet struggling to deal with teenagers, uncle Scott. Really now, no more convincing should be needed.
Now, if you’re sitting thinking, ‘well, this is all well and good, but I haven’t read Pushing the Limits yet’, don’t worry. This is a companion book. You don’t have to read Pushing the Limits first! If you do, you’ll just know a bit more about Noah and Echo and Beth’s initial set-up, but it’s not vital.
Similar recommendations: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry, Want by Stephanie Lawton and for you sports fans, Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally.