The Dare (Briar U, #4) (2024)

2.5 stars

When the miscommunication trope is used not once but Twice in one book, that’s when you know that there’s some level of stupidity between the characters! Never in my life have I seen something like that!

Imagine this; Boy does something dumb. Miscommunication occurs. Results in some conflict. Everything is back to being okay. Girl does the exact dumb thing that the boy did even though she was mad that he acted that way. Does that makes sense to you? probably not. Trust me it’s not me it’s them and their stupidity!

The plot in this one was just boring and repetitive. I wanted something different or more interesting, but it was just meh. Even though I was excited for Connor’s book, I kinda liked him more as a side character? Also, their relationship was kinda insta-lovey and I hate when this happens in books. Now add two miscommunications to the plot and you get a complete disaster. Overall, the plot was just so obviously weak and it was unnecessary dragged.

1.5 stars!

I went into this book prepared to love it. Why? Well for one, the blurb promised a heroine with "an ugly duckling complex" + a popular jock hero + fake relationship = pure NA romance catnip.

Unfortunately, this book didn't deliver the kind of romance that I would associate with Elle Kennedy.

There are things that I still liked. I mean, I genuinely liked Conor. And the way his story unfolded was satisfying. Not my favorite EK hero but I liked him a lot.

The chemistry between the main characters was great and I enjoyed the romance between Conor and Taylor. Plus, there were some great secondary characters that I really enjoyed.

However, there are two things that dragged down the rating for me. One was about Taylor's weight. The other one is a spoiler so I'm save that for last.

When the blurb mentioned Taylor's ugly duckling complex, I didn't expect it to mean that Taylor was fat and therefore ugly. I'm tired of equating fatness with ugliness. Tired of it. This book is just one of the many popular books out there with this trope and it bothers me that in the year 2020, we're still parroting the same old harmful message: fat people are/feel ugly and therefore, need a hot man to feel validated.

Sure, insecurity is a real thing but I feel like Taylor never learned how to accept herself. She accepted herself because Conor loved her, which is fine but ugh, I wish the book had a moment where Taylor had made a decision to be comfortable in her own skin even without Conor's acceptance.

And you know what's even more annoying? Being constantly told that Taylor was fat and in the next sentence, she's described as a Marilyn Monroe lookalike and describes her weight as somewhere between Ashley Graham and Kate Upton.

I. cannot. Even.

The other thing I didn't like was how the only queer character in the whole book was treated. I won't go into details but basically, this character was outed in the worst way possible. It left such a bad taste in my mouth because this character was just there to serve as a device for the final conflict in the book.

sigh

CW - fat phobia

ARC provided by the author

I really wish goodreads gave us the .5 star option, because I keep waffling between 3 and 4! So The Dare is a 3.5 star read. It’s not quite a new favorite Elle Kennedy book for me, but still fun and enjoyable for the most part. I always love being back at Briar U and with the hockey team. I’ve loved Conor’s character since he was first introduced in the series, and he turned out to be an absolute sweetheart of a hero. I didn’t realize before going into this it would have the fake dating trope, but I loved that aspect here!! My main frustration in this book was with the heroine.

Conor is the resident manwhor* at Briar U (think Dean 2.0 😂) but lately the women he’s been with have him feeling a bit bored.. So when a gorgeous girl goes up to him during a frat party and asks him to pretend to have sex with her? It’s the most exciting thing he’s done in a while. This leads to a fantastic fake relationship between Conor and Taylor. And even though there’s always an underlying chemistry between the two, they become genuine, incredible friends.

I loved the fake relationship. I loved how their romance is friends to lovers. I always love when there’s a foundation of friendship from which the romance can be built upon. Conor is SUCH a nice guy, and definitely a reformed manwhor* kind of hero. He realizes soon enough that Taylor is it for him, and is so patient with her and her insecurities with herself and her body. (Though there is something towards the end of the book that he does that annoyed me.) But as much as I love a flawed heroine, Taylor did get on my nerves more often than not. I completely understand feeling insecure about one’s body, but it felt like Taylor was a bit careless with Conor because of those insecurities. She’s fat and thinks she’s nowhere near Conor’s level of gorgeous and therefore doesn’t deserve him. But that’s why his patience was a perfect match for Taylor, and by the end of the book I was happy with how their romance turned out.

Elle Kennedy always writes entertaining stories, and I hope she never stops writing new adult/college romances, because I live for them. I have no idea if The Dare is the final Briar U book but whatever she has in store for us next, I’m reading it!

4 stars

Elle Kennedy writes some of the best new adult books. I've enjoyed this Briar U series and I'm sad to see it come to an end, but The Dare was a great finale!

Conor is newish to the Briar U hockey team as a transfer student from California but he's gotten around during the short time he's been here. Still, he's a really sweet and easy-going guy you can't help but to love. Taylor is in a sorority and here comes the dare... she is dared to hook-up with Conor from some of her mean girl sorority sisters.

This isn't Taylor's norm and it doesn't make her comfortable, but Conor does. Conor helps Taylor out and they become friends. Friends who fake date. Conor has such a big heart and I love that he always stands up for Taylor and tries to help her out. It's when the fake dating leads to real feelings that things get a little dicey.

One of my favorite things about this book was Taylor. Taylor isn't your run of the mill, cookie cutter heroines. She's a curvy girl and she has her insecurities. You don't always have these type of relatable characters, especially in new adult so it was nice to see. I loved how Conor looked at her and treated her and in turn it made her see herself in a whole new light.

I loved Conor just as much as I loved Taylor. Both of them were fantastic characters. These two together made me so happy. Of course there was some conflict, but it was more outside things coming in and not issues between them.

If you love friends to lovers, fake dating, or sports romance, this is one I'd highly recommend. It was a fun, sweet, and sexy romance that had just the right amount of humor and feels. Elle Kennedy has another win with this book!

2.75 Stars

Is this a joke?

One day I woke up and it was like two massive tumors just erupted on my chest. — Taylor

It doesn’t help that she beats herself up all the time. Idk why EK chose to explore the plus size rep this way, but I think it’s seriously whacked. Instead of spreading body positivity awareness, she focuses on highlighting the negatives.

Also, what is this?

Women are supposed to be soft and curvy and squeezable. — Connor

Second, I’ve been sick the past couple of weeks and am currently not in a happy mindset about my weight. So Taylor’s constant bitching really struck a nerve. She made it hard for me to root for her. It’s not until Connor whips out his magic d*ck that she starts to see clearly.

I’d let Conor fool me into believing I was beautiful. That he didn’t see a chubby girl or just a pair of breasts, but me. All of me. He made me believe I was something desirable. Worth having. — Taylor

Conor’s my happy accident. My wrong place, wrong time, exactly right guy. He taught me how to love myself against my best efforts, showed me an image of myself I’d never believed was there. Strong. Beautiful. Confident. — Taylor

I think that there might be some who can relate to Taylor, but her narrative completely missed the mark. It’s neither powerful nor uplifting.

Now, Connor on the other hand . . .

“I only see you.” He takes my hand, rubbing his thumb over the inside of my wrist. “Just as you are. I don’t imagine you as some impossible ideal. To me you’re…real.” His lips quirk in a half-smile. “Stubborn, opinionated, pushy, funny, intelligent, kind, too hard on herself, snarky, sarcastic, jaded, yet somehow a closeted optimist. I fell in love with you for you, T. Nothing you could say or do would embarrass me. Ever.” — Connor

As for the romance, I liked how it started but down the line it was irritating. It’s littered with two dumb miscommunications. The 1st one from Connor, and I actually appreciated how it was resolved. The 2nd one from Taylor, and I hated it because she didn’t relent and open up like Connor did when confronted.

I don’t mean to dismiss the issues being discussed here, but they seem petty and juvenile. It’s 2020, and there are more important matters to deal with than making fun of someone’s body type, trying to one up your friends out of jealousy, or fighting over a guy who’s not even worth it to begin with.

I’m not even sure college experiences as well as sorority and frat houses are anything like what this book portrays anymore. Maybe to some extent. In any case, I think I’ve outgrown high school/college romances. Gimme the real deal cause this ain’t it!

(Read as an Audiobook)

'THE DARE:' Is a full length slow burn, friends-to-lovers trope by Elle Kennedy.

This author is the Queen when it comes to giving us our sports fixes and the hot hockey players she introduces us to in her stories are ones that we all fall in love with and swoon over years later. And hockey playboy Conor was no exception. He was dropping swoon worthy bombs all over the place.

When a few catty sorority sisters on Greek Row, throw out a dare during one of their parties for Taylor to seduce one of the hot hockey players in junior class, she heads right for Conor and whispers in his ear and begs him to just go with it. Conor bored with the goings on at the party and being the gentleman that he is follows her to one of the empty bedrooms upstairs. And instead of making out as they are mean't to, they sit talking for hours on end, even falling asleep side by side after staying up way past the party had ended.

And that ladies and gents is where a sweet, cute friendship blossomed from.

Conor was just utter perfection and my opinion about him didn't change throughout the book. He's probably one of my favourites within this series. Just his big heart and kindness, and protectiveness towards Taylor throughout cemented me towards him.

Taylor believed she was a chunky girl that everyone behind her back whispered about, always hiding her figure wearing unflattering clothes, never believing for a minute that maybe some guys liked her curves.

My curves have been the bane of my existence since I was twelve years old.

I think too much time was wasted on Taylor and her insecurities when it came to how she perceived herself in the eyes of her peers, she was always dieting, always wearing clothes two sizes too big for her and always going on about the size of her chest. It just made her issues too much of a focal point.

And poor Conor always trying to boost her self-esteem up.

But as the story progressed I loved seeing Taylor grow as a person, from hiding in big clothes and staying out of the limelight to coming into her own, to the point of even sticking up for herself.

Super cute, Super sexy, Super hilarious, AND Super easy to fall in love with these two characters.

An unexpected fake relationship trope romance in which will have your heart melting and wanting so much more...

I mean, where do I start? Do I start with the fact that Elle Kennedy is a queen of sports romance? Or simply just straight up admit that her characters are one of a kind and will always have your heart in knots of loving them? Taylor and Conor are just... UGHHH! SO FREAKING GOOD TOGETHER! I actually love them! Especially Conor, he is one drool worthy of a man. Seriously ya'll, he is just so darn sweet and the things he says to Taylor to try to comfort her and make her feel more empowered are just exactly what I needed to read and love more and more. And let's also be honest, the story plot is just what the doctor ordered as well. Fake trope romances are not my favorites but this one truly did it for me for sure.

Once the plot thickens, gosh do things get real. And good do they get! Emotions are at stake, and real and fake relationships are also, but at the end of the day everything becomes one. This is a story that you do not want to miss out on.

ARC kindly provided by the publicist in exchange for an honest review...

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↝ 2.5 stars

I didn't want to leave a review, cause I'm not going to say anything new that someone else hasn't already said, but ranting is therapeutic... so here we go:

➸ "Taylor's body is a thousand times more appealing to me than, say, Abigail's scrawny one. Women are supposed to be soft and curvy and squeezable. I'm not sure when they were brainwashed into thinking otherwise." first of all, we have the year 2020 can we stop saying how women are "suppose" to be. second, stop trying to lift someone up by dragging someone else down. that's not it.

➸

➸ This book was a train wreck of miscommunication. Kids, didn't we learn in school that communication is key? Conor and Taylor failed that class not only slightly but by miles. Everything was running smoothly and then BAAM at around 60% we get drama after drama where Conor would avoid Taylor or Taylor would avoid Conor because they didn't want to talk about it. Communication skillzzz on point.

➸ The last conflict was that someone uploaded a video of Taylor and another girl making out to a p*rn site. Taylor feels humiliated and doesn't want Conor getting harassed for having a girlfriend like that and breaks up with him. That same week Conor is partying and MAKING OUT with another girl. I quote "She took me into one of the bedrooms. We were going at it, you know. Kissing and whatnot. Then she tried to get my pants off to blow me and I bugged out. Couldn't do it." and "She took me to a bedroom to do more, but I couldn't go through with it - physically or emotionally. Honestly, though, it was more of a physical impairment. I might've gone through with it if the equipment was working." DUDE.... DUDE... WHAT THE f*ck? I adored Conor until that point. I would have given this book gladly 3 stars because he was awesome. He's sweet and charming and such a chill dude but then that happened and I was like nope 2 stars. I don't care that he didn't cheat and had every right to make out with other people cause Taylor broke up with him... it was not even days later and he can't keep it in his pants wth we reached the 90% mark by that point.

➸

Now that the series is over I can say without a doubt Off Campus >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Briar U.

3.5 STARS

Yup, hungering for Conor Edwards is very, very bad. Because he’s exactly the kind of man who will break my heart. Even if he doesn’t mean to.

Now don't pay much mind to my rating. Because a 3.5 star for me means that I enjoyed it. Quite a bit actually. This was a super cute, slow burn, friends-to-lovers trope with plenty of laughs and deliciously steamy. Of course I will never get enough of the Briar boys, so I was all over this like white on rice.

Conor. *swoons* Who doesn't like a sexy goofball that's quite the manwh*re but with a heart of gold and plenty of hidden insecurities and vulnerabilities. Certainly not me. I fell fast and hard for this man.

Taylor and Conor are a total case of opposites attracting. Taylor is trying to survive her sorority one ridiculous dare at a time. With some catty girls that certainly have it out for her, it's not as easy for her to slide under the radar at their parties. So when she gets dared by one of her more catty sorority sisters to pick up the hottest guy at the party, she goes for it. And tells him exactly what she's doing and begs for his help. Conor, being the true gentleman that he is, is happy to oblige. And so begins the cutest friendship with an overload of sexual tension. It was sew gewd! I absolutely loved these two together.

What I didn't love was the amount of time this story focused on their insecurities. Taylor and her body issues eventually began to wear on me. I think us females all suffer from this so I can absolutely sympathize with a girl that's on the curvier side who is constantly surrounded by skinny perfection having some body issues. But she focuses so much on this, that it began to wear on me. It's all she thinks about. I was thrilled to see her finally grow a backbone towards the later part of the story and begin to come out of this shell, but I'm not going to lie, it did drive me a bit crazy. Considering that Conor has his own insecurities to boot with not being good enough and going from dirt poor to the rich and have everything side and still feeling like he doesn't belong. However, so much of the story concentrated on this, that it began to wane my interest a bit. I found myself pausing more than usual and it took me a lot longer to finish than any other Elle Kennedy book.

That being said, the ending of the story certainly made up for a lot of this. I loved seeing Taylor take back her power and the way that things resolve in her sorority. I also really loved the way that her and Conor both fight for each other. They're not my favorite Briar couple, but they're still up there. There's a secondary relationship that happens in this book that I absolutely LOVED. It served up some laughs to boot.

If you're looking for a swoony and steamy New Adult sports romance, this will certainly fit the bill. Was it my favorite in the series. Not quite. But it still hit the spot just right.

ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review

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After a while a few things started to annoy me and near the end one of those things made me want to DNF in the last 10% of the book.

This is obviously not a favorite.

—————————

I am really happy this book has been written, but...

Am I the only one who is a little annoyed that the cover doesn’t exactly match the rest of the series? I absolutely love the covers of the first 3, but this one...

Aside from that, YAS. NEW BOOK.

4-4.5 STARS

It’s official y’all, this is my favorite book in the Briar U series.

“Everyone comes from somewhere, Conor. We’ve all screwed up, made mistakes.” Her tone is soft, but ringing with conviction. “I don’t care who you were before. Only who you choose to be now.”

Conor f*cking Edwards. My sweetest, softest boy. I love him so much, people. He is literally the type of character that makes you grin like an idiot, produces butterflies in your tummy (and other places) and makes you just feel super good. He’s a huge goofball, not at all what I was expecting to be honest with you, but I fell HARD for him. Conor is, in my opinion, the most gentle EK hero to date but he still got that edge and grittiness about him. He had his own struggles and inner demons, and he came a long way in this book. He f*cked up, he grew, he learned. He was perfection.

Taylor Marsh. I swear to God that Elle Kennedy writes the BEST heroines in the business. I have not hated a single heroine of hers yet, and most of them always go to my favorite-heroine-shelf. Taylor was not an exception. I adored her COMPLETELY. She is such an amazing character, with insecurities and inner struggles that match my own so I really, really felt for her. I loved being inside her head. She’s the perfect blend of sweet, kick-ass and adorable and she definitely has a piece of my heart.

In his arms, I feel steady again, finally upright after being thrown askew. Because when we aren’t together, the world feels misaligned.

Conor and Taylor together were SO. CUTE. And I cannot stress that enough. They were so perfect for each other and I sound like a broken record, but EK really does pair her characters together perfectly. I loveeeeed the way Conor behaved with her and vice versa. Some of their scenes had me literally crying from laughter, they were SO funny and cute. And of course there was quite a bit of angst and damn if I didn’t enjoy those scenes too. Yum.

All in all, this book was so so good. The side characters, the overall dialogue, the relationship building. I loved it. Elle Kennedy is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors and this book is definitely on the top for me. A high recommendation.

She and I found every possible way to try to sabotage our happiness, each of us falling back on old habits and insecurities. But what gives me faith in us is that we always managed to end up right back here. Together.

**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review**

I shed a f*cking tear because I thought this series ended, but we've been BLESSED!

I really enjoyed this book. It took me a week to read only because I had surgery and have been recovering. It was a good escape when I needed it though!

YES. YES. YES. This is what I want from Elle Kennedy. I enjoyed getting a glimpse of Conor's character in The Play, but I was worried about having yet another playboy hockey player hero. We've gotten that so much throughout this series and the Off-Campus series, so I wasn't sure how much I would like Conor's character. Good thing I ended up loving him!

From the start, I loved our two main characters. Conor likes to get around and enjoy the company of women, but he doesn't like it when he's objectified or treated as a conquest. He really is a real person and wants girls to want to be with him, not be with his hot-shot hockey star persona. And with Taylor, I really liked how she was a curvy heroine. She does have insecurities and I was a little annoyed with how she forced herself to eat salads and was very insecure about her weight, but I understood why she felt that way. Taylor is in a sorority and one of her best friends is in it with her, but there are also some nasty girls in the sorority, which is what begins the dare given to her to sleep with Conor. I love a good fake dating story and it was so cute when Conor agreed to pretend to sleep with her and then wanted to pretend to date her so that her sorority sisters would stop being mean.

I really loved how Taylor and Conor were good friends and then started to get feelings for each other. Conor was so patient and made sure that Taylor consented to anything before they did it, which I loved. I do think that there was some miscommunication near the end that annoyed me because I just hate that trope and I wish that the conflicts at the end didn't feel so separate from the romance plot line of the story, but overall I really enjoyed Taylor and Conor's story.

Probably my favorite Briar U installment!

“I dare you to seduce Conor Edwards.”

I’ll never get tired of Elle Kennedy’s hockey romances *insert heart-eyes*. While she stays true to her recipe for success (hotness overload, angst, humor) she always spices up her dish, making her relationships unique and so, so enjoyable. The Dare is the ideal combination of heart-warming, scorching and funny; one moment you’re cackling like a hen, then you proceed with the necessary damage control related to explosions that occur in the ovaries area and then boom! your insides are twisted in knots and you can’t handle the tension and the conflicts that crush your soul. But you’re also thankful because of those fuzzy things called feelings which are all over Conor and Taylor’s story.

There are many reasons to love The Dare, but the main one is that the world doesn’t deserve Conor Edwards. Conor’s easygoing and charming manner, his flirtatiousness but also the hurt and shame he tries to hide behind his carefree demeanor and the string of conquests add up to a fascinating, utterly endearing male lead who is dirty and at the same time considerate and kind. His relationship with Taylor, despite the occasional bumps (I’ll come back to this later) is genuine, infused with mirth, scorching times and butterfly dances.

However, there is one thing that prevented me from rating it with 5 stars: there were two events falling under the llama drama category, and while the drama per se didn’t bother me, Conor and Taylor’s reactions did. I won’t elaborate further in order to avoid spoilers, but I’ll just say that they could be resolved without inflicting so much pain.

Now, let’s address one of the basic themes of this novel: body issues. When I finished the book, I felt Taylor’s fixation on her body and what she considered her flaws were over the top, and I was mentally prepared to embark on a rant about how much space her insecurities took up.

And then I went shopping for a swimsuit.

All those insecurities that haunted Taylor almost drowned me. Having a tiny waist and disproportionate hips has always been the bane of my existence, but there came a point when I accepted, albeit reluctantly, that I was not willing to starve in order to be skinny because I’ll never get skinny. That’s my body. I was okay with that. But when you go shopping, when you find yourself struggling to get in those gorgeous pants or that cute bikini bottom, every speech about accepting and embracing your body, your cellulite etc. flies out of the window. And I am mad at the world for what it does to women. I am mad that people who are beautiful inside and outside constantly question themselves and judge their worth by the size of their clothes. Taylor was over the top, but I empathized with her. She was me. She was you. She was every girl throughout the centuries, the one who wore horrible corsets or the one who suffers from anorexia, who has felt inadequate and not comfortable in her own skin, who thinks she’s too thin, too fat, too ugly, too tall, too short, too real. And I am happy that Elle Kennedy decided to acknowledge and tackle this problem, that she voiced the body issues and insecurities that always plague us and make us undermine our value.

The Dare was the perfect conclusion to Briar U (unless Elle Kennedy plans to bestow more hockey hotness on us thirsty fangirls *wiggles eyebrows*), and the definition to one-sitting-read. So, as a wise man once said, read it people.

*ARC generously provided in exchange for an honest review*

Review also posted on BookNest!

Title: ➳ ❤ The Dare
Series ➳ Briar U 4#
Author: ➳ Elle Kennedy
Published June 16th 2020
💖💖💖

👄 I am a huge fan of Elle Kennedy's books , even though I’m not huge sports fan. but this author just knows how to draw you into her characters, I love how this author knows how to get you to laugh out loud …..come on Elle Kennedy wrote (Off-Campus series) now the (Briar U Series)

Now I must be completely honest I’ve been waiting & praying that Conor would get his book since he was introduced in (The Play)… And wallah, praying to the book god does really work 😈😈

❥❥ Taylor Marsh, a sorority girl who's working towards her elementary teaching degree. Gets caught up in an ( dare or dare) were she is dare by one of her sorority girl to hook up with Conor f*cking Edwards.. oh did I mention that this particular sorority sister is Taylor’s sworn enemy

💋 Conor Edwards is the newest addition to the Briar hockey team. The man is completely chill, laid back dude where nothing really gets to him. But there is obviously so much more to this sexy sweet, charming, funny, Viking giant, I’ll leave that for you to discover on your own

🤔 The storyline & characters was great, the only trouble is that was too much similar to Garrett & Hannah's book, The Deal

Note: I can’t believe that I’m going to say this out loud, sadly despite that The Dare didn’t live up to my expectations, but I still enjoyed it, Definitely the weakest book in the series
I know that most of us women suffer in one way or another with insecurities, but damn to hear about it in pretty much every chapter was bit too much

📖 It was somewhat hard to say good-bye to all these amazing characters, each with their own unique personality’s… I will once again say a prayer to the almighty book god, that Elle Kennedy start another college/sports series soon 🙏🙏

Briar U Series & reading order
Book 1: The Chase (Summer & Fitz’s book)
Book 2: The Risk (Brenna & Jake’s book)
Book 3: The Play (Hunter & Demi’s book)
Book 4: The Dare 💕(Conor & Taylor)

📚 Hope you enjoy this read & also always keep in mind this is just my opinion+ Also I wouldn’t never discourage anyone from reading this book, This is my honest, voluntary review.

Happy Reading & Enjoy --------Paulette thoughts

TITLE: THE DARE
AUTHOR: Elle Kennedy
SERIES: Briar U #4
RELEASE DATE: June 16, 2020
GENRE: NA, Sports Romance
RATING: 4.5 STARS
CLIFFHANGER: No

READ MY REVIEW ON THE BLOG

What I love most about Elle Kennedy's books is that she always packs issues into her books that most people can relate to, even if you currently don't or never have experienced them. They are still close to life. In THE DARE we meet a new female character, Taylor, who has been insecure about her curvy body since she was a kid.

Being bullied in her sorority at Briar U is nothing new for her. Neither are the douchebags that talk to her cleavage instead of her face.

“Wanna dance?” he then asks, leaning toward my chest like he’s speaking into the box at a fast food drive-thru.
“Sorry,” I retort, “they don’t dance.”

No matter how good I look in a suit, though, I still feel like they can smell it on me. The stench of poverty.

Taylor Marsh has no idea how cool she is, and that’s a f*cking shame.

If I have one niggle it's the repetitiveness of the characters insecurities. It was mentioned pretty much in every chapter and I guess that can get a little exhausting. This reader wasn't too bothered but I wanted to mention it since I did notice it.

Elle Kennedy is my unicorn author. Her books are my fix for when life is taxing. She always makes me laugh and the fake sex scene including a "Was it good for you?" had me in stitches for minutes. But make no mistake, despite the lightness of her books they don't lack depth. This author combines entertainment and wisdom in her books. THE DARE is an utterly enjoyable, sweet, steamy story with endearing characters that will put a smile on your face until it hurts.

Sometimes we make all the wrong decisions, end up in all the wrong places, and still find exactly where we’re supposed to be. Conor’s my happy accident. My wrong place, wrong time, exactly right guy. He taught me how to love myself against my best efforts, showed me an image of myself I’d never believed was there. Strong. Beautiful. Confident.

4,5-5 STARS

Loved it, so so good!It's a long time since I finished a book in one siting!I had a smile on my face for most of the time with these two!I adored Conor and Taylor so much!They were cute,sweet,fun and sexy!

They were so perfect for each other,I could speak for them for hours.They make me swoon and I was melting !I fall in love with Conor from the first pages and I felt connected with Taylor and I could feel her!

This is a heartwarming story and one of my favorite in this series!I highly recommend it!

I am a huge fan of Elle Kennedy's "sport-themed" series and books. I mean she did co-write my absolute favorite book "Him" and the absolutely awesome "Off-Campus" series, which I re-read all the time.

Of course, I have also read all the other books in this series, and even though this one can be read as a stand-alone... I would recommend reading all of them since they are all pretty awesome.

Now while I loved this one a lot, I have to be honest and admit that shy heroines with low self-esteem are usually not my favorite. I am more of a "kickass" heroine fan, which is what made me love Brenna from The Risk so much. But, even though Taylor wasn't my favorite heroine out of this series, Conor certainly was.

He is what really made this book for me.... swoon-worthy I say ;)

Taylor and Conor meet on a Dare, meaning Taylor's mean sorority sisters dare her to ask one of the hottest guys upstairs to join her for some sexy times... Taylor being very insecure about herself is very afraid of rejection, and so even though she does accept the Dare ... she picks Conor and confesses everything to him Conor being the awesome dude that he is, of course, decides to help her out take her upstairs.. and fake it :P

Now as we all know, this is the start of a wonderful friendship where feelings seem to grow and grow and Conor spends most of his time convincing Taylor that she is being much too hard on herself and that she is absolutely stunning...

Damn, I want a Conor for my own!!!

I think Taylor was a bit too stuck in her head and there were definitely times she started to annoy me a bit. That said... there wasn't a moment that Conor annoyed me, so thankfully they balanced each other out ;)

So, all in all, I had an awesome time reading this one and I can't wait to see what is next. I am sure it will be great!!

4-4,5 stars ;)

An ARC was provided to

in exchange for an honest review

Bis auf ein paar Kleinigkeiten hat mir das Buch wieder sehr gut gefallen, wie man es von Elle Kennedy eben gewohnt ist :)

Den Start in die Story fand ich sehr gelungen, ich mochte den Ansatz. Auch Taylor und Conor waren mir als Leserin direkt sympathisch, obwohl ich mir die anfängliche Anziehung zwischen den beiden nicht so recht erklären konnte. Das wurde aber im Laufe des Buches besser und man konnte sehr gut mit den beiden mitfühlen, im positiven wie im negativen.

Natürlich hat hier wieder jeder der beiden so sein Päckchen zu tragen, klar sonst fehlt ja das Drama in der Story. Conors Hintergrundgeschichte fand ich ziemlich unrealistisch und nicht wirklich greifbar, dafür mochte ich was bei Taylor am Ende noch so passiert. Die Message finde ich einfach immer gut und wichtig in solchen Büchern. Auch die Entwicklung gewisser Nebencharaktere war schön anzusehen, vor allem im Bezug darauf, dass Frauen sich gegenseitig unterstützen sollten!

Alles in allem also eine schöne, prickelnde, witzige Lovestory, die dennoch genug wichtige Themen behandelt und Tiefgang hat.

Definitely the weakest in the series, which saddens me. I really liked Conor in The Play, so I hoped to like his book much more than I did. The chemistry was good, I appreciated their dynamic and the fake dating part was well executed. But overall the plot was really weak and didn't intrigue me much. I really dislike miscommunication or not communication at all, and instead of dealing with things together and talking, they kept breaking up, which was tiring. Okay one time, but doing more than that is really a plot hole and drags the story for no reason. A shame really. I enjoyed this series overall - not as much as the off campus series - but still a good one by Elle Kennedy.

I am sad we didn't have more scenes with the other Briar couples considering this was the last book and we won't see them anymore, but oh well.

Gah!!! Elle Kennedy has done it again!! I am so overwhelmed with love for the Briar U series. The humor and romances are fantastic and the bromances just take the cake. There is something almost magical about this series that I rarely see. But after reading (Read: inhaling) The Dare I feel like Elle Kennedy might have just saved the best for last. Ok I take it back. I KNOW she saved the best for last. I died for Jake and Brenna but Conor and Taylor were next level for me!! The Dare completely swept me off my feet and reminded me why I am completely head over heels in love with Kennedy's writing. This story was banterific, full of fiery chemistry, angsty-hair tearing moments and allllll the swoons. Good Lord!! Kennedy knocked it out of the park and then some!!

Ahhhhhh!! What can I say about Conor Edwards without swooning in my cheerios. Ohhh, just that he is the sexiest thing since anything EVER!! I loved his total confidence, humor, charisma and his easy going demeanor. But more than anything I loved his kind heart and the heartbreaking insecurities he strived to overcome. That boy was all heart and delicious heat and the full package! He had so many hidden facets beneath the surface and was so much more than a pretty face. And Taylor! Gah!! She was the absolute best! She was so relateable, completely real, honest and adorkable. I loved that the she had very real issues that hit home and was overall the most perfect match for Conor.

Overall this couple had me smiling from ear to ear. Separately they were fantastic but together they were just amazing. I loved every word of this story and how I tried to savor every page while refusing to stop and take breaks. The Briar U series and all its characters feel like a family and I for one will miss this series so much! Here's to a million rereads! 5 magnificent stars! ~Ratula

***

Oh my gosh y'all? Hold on to your hearts because Conor ~f*cking~ Edwards is about to steal them away forever.

Not even a little bit exaggerating. GAH! I am still in my feelings about this story. I always forget how much I freaking adore the Briar U series, and then I pick up the next book and fall in love all over again. And holy hannah, y'all?

I fell hard for Conor and Taylor's story.

This was one of those books that I wish I could read again for the first time. Even as I was in the middle of it, I was mourning the fact that it was eventually it was going to be over. I tried to savor all the ways it made me smile, made me laugh, made my pulse race, my heart twist with emotion, and my tummy light up with butterflies because it felt so good and I never wanted it to end. And then, when it inevitably did? I wanted to flip right back to the first page and start it all over again.

It was SO GOOD!

Elle Kennedy dialed into the perfect formula with The Dare. It's the perfect amount of banter, chemistry, sizzling sexy times, and heartfelt emotion. I can't even tell you who I loved more. My heart fell fast and furious for Conor Edwards and all his earnest, adorable playfulness masking a tender, steadfast heart. But I also completely adored Taylor Marsh whose insecurities felt like they might have been plucked from my own brain, but whose indomitable spirit and lion heart stole the entire freaking show.

These two were something special. There was an authenticity in their interactions with each other, a playful affection that lit me up inside. I loved literally every minute I got to spend in this story, and absolutely gobbled it up with gusto. I couldn't put it down, and when I had to? I still found my mind drifting back to the addictive romantic chemistry that sparked between Taylor and Connor. I am low key obsessed with them and somehow - even though it's over - I'm still not ready for it to end.

This is the magic of the Briar U books. What a magnificent capstone to a fantastic series. I'm so sad to leave it behind, but am so thrilled that I was along for the entire ride - leaving pieces of my heart with every couple, in every story, and taking pieces of those stories forward with me. This is the best of romance, right here. And if there's a chance I've left any doubt in your mind? I cannot recommend it highly enough! ~ Shelly, 5 Stars

***

Life is funny sometimes. Funny how a simple bet—well, maybe not so simple when it involves snarky sorority sisters, alcohol and sex—can change just about everything in someone’s life. For the better.

Which is just what happens between Conor and Taylor. All it takes is a bet and a fake relationship that turns into a chance at something real.

I loved Conor and Taylor. Loved their instant connection, their immediate friendship. And of course their undeniable attraction to each other. I loved their banter, their snark, and of course their sexiness. They were perfect for each other. Especially when life got real—when they really put their relationship to the test.

Conor and his swoony, smart, sexy ways smoothed over Taylor’s insecurities. And Taylor did the same for Conor. I loved how they worked things through, even when it wasn’t an easy discussion. Oh, sure, there were some bumps in the road, but in the end, Taylor and Conor’s love and friendship pulled through—with a little help from their friends.

I hate to see this excellent Briar U series end, but it certainly ends on a high note with The Dare. ~ Missy, 4.5 stars

4.5 Stars!
(ARC provided by author)

Taylor Marsh lives in Hastings, a college town in Massachusetts where she's a junior at Briar University. She's studying to be a teacher, and also getting the full college experience by joining a sorority. She's reinvented herself with a total life makeover trying to shed her ugly duckling complex. This was her chance to finally be part of the in crowd, but with a house full of mean girls it's often a challenge. When she's given a dare to seduce a gorgeous hockey player at a party, how can she refuse.

Conor Edwards is the new guy in the junior class, and already a notorious playboy on the Briar U hockey team. He transferred last semester from LA needing a change of scenery, and jumped at the opportunity to attend an ivy league school. He looks like a sexy, viking/surfer , and is a regular at parties. He's hands down the hottest guy on campus, and possibly the most beautiful she's ever encountered, so when he goes along with her plan, and follows her upstairs to pretend they are going to get physical, she's completely shocked. Mr. Popular is clearly more than a pretty face, and surprises her by offering to continue their charade. He thinks pretending could be fun and add a little excitement to his life.

Everyone already thinks Conor and Taylor hooked up, and Conor is wildly attracted to the Marilyn Monroe lookalike. She intrigued him, and was a welcomed change from the women he usually spent his time with. She was honest, intelligent, kind, genuine and real. As their fake relationship grows into something more, an intense connection forms. Feelings develop, and soon one touch and Taylor realizes she's way in over her head. His kisses should come with a warning label, and she's terrified if she takes a chance on Conor, she'll end up with a broken heart.

-"Taylor, you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

-"I want you. I've wanted you since the moment I watched you cross the room at that party."

-"You're the stuff of my fantasies."

The Dare (Briar U, #4) by Elle Kennedy is a flirty, fun, slow burn, college sports romance that is captivating and hilarious. I absolutely loved Conor Edwards! Something funny and unexpected always seems to fly out of his mouth, but he also has such a beautiful heart. I couldn't get enough of these fabulous characters, and love this series so much!

***NOW AVAILABLE***
https://amzn.to/2B9BmJI

*****FOUR STARS*****

I loved Conor and understood Taylor's insecurities.
Enjoyed the book but think the author should have removed the drama with Taylor at the end.
We had just gone through Conor's ordeal and then to throw some additional angst for Taylor seemed unnecessary.

**3.5 Stars**
I’ve been waiting and hoping that Conor would get his book since he was introduced in The Play. So I was very happy and excited when his book was announced. So my expectations were definitely high.
Did I love The Dare? No. Did I enjoy it? Yes but I had my issues with it. Unfortunately.

First I absolutely adored Conor. It was easy to be back with him. He’s such a good laidback guy and so much fun. He and his roommates were hilarious. They teased each other but it was all in good spirits. They had each other’s back first and foremost. His friendship with Hunter in particular was great. Also the girls and guys from the previous Briar books made appearances which was awesome.

Conor and Taylor was a great couple but sadly I couldn’t feel the connection between them. I felt it was to insta love when I think about the overall story and how long they’ve been together. Together as friends they were great and they brought out the positive/good sides out of one another. Taylor’s friendship with Conor’s roommates was amazing and they made me laugh numerous times.

Taylor’s body image insecurities was something that was mentioned in almost every chapter. I liked that Taylor was so relatable cause I’ve struggled with body insecurities too. Whenever Conor did or didn’t do something she immediately thought it had something to do with her because of her size and curves. Sadly it became repetitive and took away some of my enjoyment from the story.

I’m a huge huge fan of Elle Kennedy. Her Off Campus series is a favorite of mine. So despite that The Dare didn’t live up to my expectations I still enjoyed it and had a good time with the Briar gang. It was great to be back with some of the characters from the previous Briar books so the series could get a proper send off. And it did.

3.5 Stars

*I received an arc from the author*

I adore Elle Kennedy's writing and her Briar U series has been on point. I have loved them all and I had all these good intentions of doing a re-read of the previous books before I started this one. But sadly time got away from me and As soon as this landed on my kindle my self control joined my time management and went surfing.

The meeting between these two was great, I couldn't help but giggle at Taylor's introduction. She was such a perfect new adult character. I loved everything about her. But the fact that she had such an awesome growth that felt so organic made the story for me. She was such a mess of insecurity and just genuine human flaws I couldn't help but relate and sympathize.

But omg Conor. Seriously, he hit all the marks for me. A reformed bad boy player with a heart of gold who falls hard for the normal, sweet, girl next door. And gives great boyfriend and works so hard to be everything she deserves. Yup I'm in lust. Throw in the blonde surfer god with the hockey body and I'm gone.

I loved this book. It felt real. There were dramas and mistakes but they were dealt with maturely and added to my character love. Now I'm off to stalk the author to see if we are getting more of this series.

Update: 6/16/20
I may or may not have stayed up until 3:30 reading this book and then immediately finished it when I woke up. Ugh I just have so much love in my heart for this series that there is no way I could write an objective and articulate review. I'm so upset that this series is ending, but I cannot wait to read whatever Elle Kennedy writes next. I am now going to go wallow over the fact that it's over.

Update: 6/2/20
If June 16th could just come a little quicker, that'd be great. I swear the more time passes the more excited I get. I will be reading this on the day it comes out.

4/16/20
I have never been more excited for a book

The latest entry in Ms. Kennedy's Briar U series mixes typical new adult antics with some topical issues and comes up with a mixed bag for me. Conor Edwards, or Conor f*cking Edwards is the latest Briar hockey player who finds his HFN with Taylor, a sorority girl who's working towards her elementary teaching degree. They're both at a Kappa party when Taylor's mean girl sorority sister decides to play Dare or Dare, their version of social torture. Abigail dares Taylor to hook up with Conor, and Taylor begs Conor to pretend to hook up with her upstairs. A very flirty, meet cute
ensues along with some raging insecurities (more on that later), and eventually, real romance happens.

The Good
The Briar U series has several hallmarks- super hot hockey players, new adult shenanigans (drinking, sex, and questionable partying choices), and good hockey as a backdrop to the romance. These are in full effect, and honestly, it's a little soapy and smack dab in my wheelhouse. Ms. Kennedy really has a skill to make the dialogue sound genuine, and the banter always makes me laugh. There's some inappropriate, occasionally cringe moments, but it feels believable for twenty year olds away at college. I've read this series from the beginning with The Deal, so I have a great affection for this 'verse.

Now, I'm going to keep my review as spoiler-free as possible, but while I'm not a huge fan of the mean girls subplot that's hinted at in the blurb, I have to say that the mean girl subplot felt cohesive and has a fairly satisfying ending, and works better than other parts of the story, such as...

The Bad
Taylor's character arc. I went into this story with high hopes because I've enjoyed so many of the Briar books, but when I read the blurb and saw "fake relationship," I couldn't click the link fast enough. Garrett and Hannah's book, The Deal, was fresh in my mind, as I'd just re-read it not too long ago for a pick me up. Unfortunately this didn't work for me, and alot of this comes down to my difficulty in connecting with the romance between Conor and Taylor. Both have similar traits to Garrett and Hannah (she even has the same type of mole as Hannah), and both are wracked with insecurities, like Taylor's dysmorphic perception of her body, and Conor with money/class issues. However, the character arcs for Garrett and Hannah are so good, that Taylor and Conor's journey suffered in comparison for me.

When I started the book, based on the blurb, I was expecting her to be a non-traditional heroine, which again, is smack dab in my wheelhouse. Ugly duckling syndrome automatically equating to a heroine who's curvy or fat, depending on who's talking about her, is upsetting, but unfortunately, all too common. Having said that, I love seeing a curvy heroine find her strength and find love along the way.

Unfortunately, I struggled mightily with her character arc. Taylor spends a not-insignificant portion of the book fat shaming herself, as well as hearing casually cruel comments from peripheral characters. It was disappointing to see that this book falls into the same pitfalls and stereotypes that many books with "curvy" heroines suffer from - Taylor is described as being between (supermodel) Ashley Graham and (supermodel) Kate Upton, more than one character compares her to (movie icon gorgeousness) Marilyn Monroe, and there is literally NO PLACE in my life where that level of self-hatred makes sense or shouldn't be addressed with some good old fashioned therapy. She spends too much time obsessing about her weight and how unattractive that makes her, and frankly that's just hard for me to read and potentially triggering to anyone with body issues.

The storytelling was uneven. Besides the random fatshaming for conflict, little things were left unresolved and/or felt so unnecessary. There was enough to unpack with the mean girls at the sorority, where the main complaint (at least initially) was not about her weight. There is one queer character, but this person barely had an impact on the story other than as a minor plot device, so it felt tacked on. Taylor's self-hatred just kind of fades away without really addressing it, and the book seemed to tie her self-esteem to how attractive Conor thinks she is, which was very disheartening and sad.

Without diving into spoilers, both Conor and Taylor are emotional runners who don't take the time to speak to each other. There's some messy contact towards the very end that, while it is handled quickly off-page and doesn't affect the ending, I definitely didn't enjoy it. Add to it the lack of resolution or growth regarding their insecurities, mostly Taylor's, and I was left dissatisfied as a result.

Everything in Between
While this series is very youth-centric, I actually enjoyed the scenes with the Briar hockey coach, Chad Jensen, and only wished there was more of them. This is a very young, privileged, and white 'verse, so any type of diversity would be nice to see more of, even if it's only age and it's only a few parents making cameo appearances.

While I enjoyed some elements of Conor and Taylor's romance, the story felt uneven and that severely curtailed my enjoyment of this particular entry in the series. I will say, these are very particular pet peeves of mine that may or may not align with yours, so if you love the Briar U series, you may enjoy this more than I did. If you haven't read the series, I would rather recommend you check out the first book, The Deal, which is still my fave. Otherwise, Conor and Taylor's romance is only ok for me.

**ARC provided by author for review**

so here we are at the end of another hockey series..
in summary, I have to say that all books after The Deal tried it but couldn't compete, I just love that book so so much... but some were fun dive into sport New adult romance with some great, interesting & entertaining characters..

I enjoyed this book plenty, Connor is an amazing lead, the storyline flows & reads fast...
but unpacking it a bit there are some things to point out...

wrap of all the storylines wasn't very well done..and then is that crap at 88% of this book..
do we need two bad communications twists in one book and then that insult diarrhea and then all is resolved just as fast.... one of the main issues the heroine is having is her dealing with her body image.. she is feeling very insecure AND that was never resolved after being brought up constantly..
the ending is very unsatisfying..

it is kind of bittersweet to say goodbye to these characters but it is time and we leave them all in a happy place...

I have conflicted feeling about this book. On one hand, I liked its exploration of insecurities, how they can affect ones thinking and actions. I liked both main characters, I enjoyed reading about their relationship. But on the other hand, I wasn’t a huge fan of the plot, I felt like all the things that happened were not explored deep enough.