When You Dare

Written by Lori Foster

Narrated by Jim Frangione

Readers can "feel heat radiating off the pages" (Publishers Weekly) of New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Lori Foster's steamy romances. Her work has even earned her a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award. The first in her compelling Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor series, When You Dare is sure to satisfy Foster's loyal fans-and win her new ones.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 26, 2011
• ISBN: 9781461803850

Lori Foster

Lori Foster is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author with books from a variety of publishers, including Berkley/Jove, Kensington, St. Martin's, Harlequin and Silhouette. Lori has been a recipient of the prestigious RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award for Series Romantic Fantasy, and for Contemporary Romance. For more about Lori, visit her Web site at www.lorifoster.com.

Reviews for When You Dare

[beckymmoe_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The first in her new series Edge of Honor, When You Dare by Lori Foster is a solid start. The characters are solid, and the action and suspense keep you on the edge of your seat. I figured this one out about when Dare did, though I did have my suspicions earlier. The only real issue I had--and it wasn't actually with this book but with its prequel ("Ready, Set, Jett" from the anthology The Guy Next Door)...the weather in the two stories just doesn't "work". They--at least in the beginning--take place at the same time and fairly close geographically. However, the prequel has a freak snowstorm that is a major plot point and this novel has abnormally warm spring weather. The two locations are close enough that is those two weather events were indeed occurring it most likely would be mentioned, yet they're not. It really made the snowstorm in the prequel feel like it had been forced into being, regardless of the consequences. As I said, though, that was really the prequel, not this story. I had no major complaints with this story--except that I couldn't put it down and it was over too soon. :-)

[lferris_10 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I got the opportunity to read the first book in the upcoming Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor series from one of my favorite authors, Lori Foster, and I must say she has done it again. When You Dare brings us more of what make Lori such a great writer; strong characters, believable plot lines, hunky man candy and steamy romance.Molly, an author of sexy romantic fiction, and Dare, the security specialist, fill these pages with chemistry and emotion that just pulls you in. You are served a couple of plot twists just to keep you guessing, and I love that. I hate when I know in the first few chapters who the true villain will turn out to be.The story begins when Dare has been hired to rescue the sister of one of his closest friends who has been taken by flesh traders into Mexico. While he is freeing her from her captives, he comes across Molly and jut cannot leave her there. Molly proves to be a very independent woman who surprises Dare at every turn with her strength and fortitude. No spoilers here, folks. Let's just say, you will not be disappointed.As a long time Lori Foster fan, I have read most of her books and count her to be be in my top 5. That being said, the not so subtle, tongue in cheek dig at those of us who felt so strongly about her deviation from contemporary romance into paranormal romance with her My Man Michael book (SBC Fighter Series), did not go unnoticed and brought a whole new level of understanding to Molly’s dilemma with her fans. Kudos, Ms. Foster, for staying true to your muse.ARC from-NetGalleyPublisher-HarlequinAvailable - April 26, 2011

[tabathav_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book surprised me. While I have always been a fan of Military related romance novels, not to mention thrill seekers, every book began to look the same. I was literally at the point where I didn't want to read anything else because nothing was holding my attention. *Enter Lori Foster Stage Left*From the moment I picked up this book I was captivated. Dare is every bit the Alpha male that I love to read about in the books I pick up. He amazes you at every turn. His dedication to his job is inspiring and affections that come from him are heartwarming. My favorite thing about Dare is is loyalty. To me, things like that make a person who they are and can tell you alot about them. Even though this is a fictional character, you kind of get to know them as you read.Molly is an amazing person in her own right. To have gone through such a horrendous even like she did and have the courage to go after your attacker is inspiring. Having gone through trauma myself, I can understand where she is coming from. To move forward with your life, you sometimes have to face the demons that threaten to hold you back. In the beginning, the story wasn't all that telling, and I had a very hard time believing that she was kidnapped, beaten and raped. Yet, once the back story came into play and everything fell into place, I found myself angry over what she went through, beyond thrilled that she had someone like Dare to take this life altering journey with and inspired by her strength, determination and overall self pride.The plot itself was amazing. I've never read a book that kept you guessing like this one. Just when you thought you had something figured out - BAM! - you got proven wrong. Most people think that once you read one book about kidnapping, there really isn't any other way to write about it. You would be amazed. I believe this book gives great insight as to how the attack actually happened. Like I stated before, it is very vivid and amazingly detailed.

[damarisgcr · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is another first for me. I've never really read a romance suspense story before. When I was asked if I would like to read and review When You Dare, I jumped right on it. The synopsis is what really pulled me in. I thought it would be a nice change from all the YA and Paranormal books I read. Dare is on a mission to rescue his friends sister who was taken to Mexico to be traded. When he finds her, not only does he find a group of women being held, but he also finds Molly. Who was being abused and beaten and kept separate from the other girls. He frees all the women and takes his friends sister along with Molly, back with him to the states. Curious as to why Molly was kept separately and who she really is, Dare takes it upon himself to help her. Molly hires Dare to find out who wanted her kidnapped and why? What the both of them did not expect was the chemistry that they both shared. It was undeniable and strong. I did enjoy When You Dare, but I have to admit that at times I did find myself losing interest in the story. What I really liked was how in control of himself Dare was. He wasn’t afraid of showing his soft side, but at the same time he made it clear that he was very deadly. When it came to Molly he was so gentle and sweet. It was hard not to fall in love with him. Molly was a very strong character. If you ask me, she was a little too strong. With everything she went through, I felt Molly’s emotions and actions were a little unreal. I wanted a little more emotion from her and a little more drama. She seemed a little unfazed by what happened to her. That was the only thing that really bugged me about her character. I would have been dramatized if I were her.Overall, I felt that When You Dare had an excellent romance between two characters and lots of serious events that left me a little shocked and sad. Lori Foster is a great writer and I am looking forward to the next book in the series. 3.5 Stars out 5!

[Sarah K · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you like romantic suspense with a hot alpha protector, this one is for you! The book was well written and well performed. Not a huge fan of insta love and there were some parts that didn't make sense to me, but overall an entertaining, suspenseful listen. And any book that shows a spotlight on human trafficking has my respect because it's not talked about enough in our society, and yet is a huge issue.

[urbanfan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Edge of Honor series was brought to my attention by The Book Vixen after a recent review of book #2, Trace of Fear. Looking at the covers alone had me interested to try a taste of Lori Foster’s adult, suspenseful, romance. I was not disappointed in book #1, When You Dare.This book is one of the very few quick attraction books I’ve been able to buy into. The circumstance in which the two main characters meet is actually plausible, if not, hopefully, very rare. The steps that bring them closer together make sense and I found myself being able to let a quick romance and attraction bloom without rolling my eyes. Dare is a very likable man and he can save my day anytime! The thought of someone who is smart, strong, and very capable of keeping you safe under any circumstance is very appealing, not to mention he is very handsome. Molly comes across with enough spunk and back bone that I like her, and yet still has the vulnerability that should accompany the type of treatment she endured when Dare finds her. The way in which he finds her makes the story even more plausible and a great opening for book #2.The action is just enough, the feel of tension right on, and the chemistry between Dare and Molly enviable. The secondary character Chris, is a nice addition, along with Dare’s “girls.” I also need to add that Foster created and described Dare’s home as if picking thoughts of my dream home. The suspense aspect of the plot is my only complaint. Not the actually suspense feeling or trying to find out who is responsible for the crime against Molly. That is done well and you feel the underlying fear as the story goes along. But, the actual person who it ends up being, the why, and the semi, anti-climatic way it comes about. I pretty much clued in on the right person at the right time in the book, but how it ends up being revealed and why felt a bit weak to me. Saying that, the book overall is not weak. The other aspects such as writing style, development, characters, relationship building, all prove to be stronger and more of the story to me.

[reginar_447079 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is my first Lori Foster book and it is the start of a new series by Lori Foster and I have to say I was impressed. I typically do not like straight romance novels, they just are not my preferred reading genre – basically I get bored with them. What Lori Foster does in When You Dare, is definitely romance. Foster adds in strong elements of suspense, mystery and mixes these with great character development and the result is a story that is a fantastic read. I could not put it down and I cannot wait for the sequel to this series! When You Dare addresses issues if human trafficking, but does it in a way that the reader feels like there is hope and it is not too depressing. The setting for this story begins internationally, but moves back into the United States in an almost rural location. The setting was appealing and at the same time, realistic. The lead female character is very accessible. She is a strong woman who is successful (and a writer of romantic suspense!), but she is not physically perfect. This real life touch made her accessible to me and I believe will make her likeable to many readers. The lead male character, well he is perfection. We are introduced into his world, his home, and his friends. Foster has these great side characters that show other sides of the main characters and lead the reader into the next book of the series. The thing about some romance books that I do not like, is the inner voice of the characters (especially the male “voice”) feels distant or not legitimate to me. I did not feel that way reading When You Dare, Foster writes her characters in a way that we see them interact with friends and family members, we learn about them in different settings and as a result their “voices” seemed real to me. Some things were predictable, I figured out who the bad guy was and some things that were supposed to be a point of confusion between the “couple” early on were pretty obvious. But these points do not take away from a great story. I will definitely be reading on in the series and I recommend this series to people who like romantic suspense or contemporary romance books. This series started out with a short story Men Who Walk The Edge Of Honor in the anthology The Guy Next Door, and the series continues with two more books yet to be released, Trace of Fever and Savor the Danger.

[jennrenae · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

How have I not discovered Lori Foster sooner?I really loved When You Dare. Lori Foster writes with a perfect mix of seduction, suspense, and sex! She will keep you on your toes until the last minute!This story follows Dare after he resues Molly from human traffickers--only she wasn't taken to be sold. Someone is out to teach her a lesson and her life hangs in the balance. Along comes super sexy mercenary Dare--he's strong, confident, sexy, and not a stranger to kicking a little butt! He's the perfect tough guy, and he will sweep you off your feet.The action is great--you will not find a dull moment, which is great because I find I get bored with romance stories that don't have good amount of action to them. At the same time, there is great romance and hot sexy scenes that will not disappoint. It's not mushy romance, either--it's tough love at its best.No matter what type of romance you like, you MUST check this one out!

[dasuzuki · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I typically am not a fan of straight contemporary romances. Usually I go for historical or contemporary mixed with paranormal so I was a bit surprised just how much I enjoyed this one. The cast of characters were wonderful. Dare was wonderfully alpha male but still reasonable and not full blown cave man. Molly while no beautiful still had spunk and a back bone which made her an engaging character. I did find it strange that she handled her kidnapping so well but it just adds to the sense of uniqueness to her character. The supporting cast of characters was just as intriguing. We meet Trace, a close friend of Dare's, who also appears to be deadly, sweet and hot. I'm happy to see he will be featuring in his own story at the end of this month! I also love Chris, Dare's best friend and caretaker. He was quirky, had a fun sense of humor and charismatic. The only minor thing that bugged me about his part was in the beginning the author mentions how he it took him so long to learn how to make proper coffee because he doesn't drink coffee and yet through out the rest of the book he's always drinking coffee. The story line was somewhat predictable. You can tell about half way through the book who the person responsible for Molly's kidnapping is and I was hoping for a little more action but the personalities of the characters still draw you into the story and keep you entertained and not wanting to put the book down. I will defiitely be checking out Foster's other books and am happy to see Trace of Fever is coming out at the end of the month and Savor the Danger is due out the end of June. I love when I don't have long to wait to read from great authors.

[zosiacanberra · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I’ve been looking forward to this one, as Lori Foster’s contribution to The Guy Next Door anthology (and a prequel for this book) was the only one I enjoyed. That, and look at the cover! Our hero, Dare Macintosh, is pretty much the guy you see in the picture. He’s tall and strong and too good to be true, but Foster writes him in a way that all that perfection didn’t annoy me. In fact, I thought he was pretty great. The story begins with Dare rescuing a friend’s sister from the sex trade in Mexico. There he comes across a complication in the form of Molly Alexander. She’s been drugged and beaten and is obviously not being held hostage for the sex trade. The problem is that she has no idea why she’s been taken. I really liked both main characters, and while their relationship developed fairly fast (as it had to), it also felt realistic. Foster managed to give us a satisfying ending without wrapping it up in too many pretty bows. The thing that makes When You Dare stand out are the people. As far as romantic suspense goes – and I’ve read hundreds upon hundreds of suspense books – there’s nothing all that new here. I kept reading because the author had me so invested in Dare and Molly’s story. Sidekick Chris was also a good character, and it was great to see a return for Natalie and Jett from The Guy Next Door. For the most part the way the story unfolded was good. Sometimes this author has a tendency to draw her scenes out for a long time. At the beginning of the book Dare and Molly spend nearly seventy pages in a hotel room (not doing anything naughty, but when we get to those scenes Foster does an excellent job!). While it’s good for character development, scenes like that can feel dragged-out. In some ways it reminded me of Maya Banks’ KGI books – especially The Darkest Hour – where sometimes there’s so much focus on the relationship the author forgets about the danger the characters are in. However I liked the dynamic between the pair, and while Molly didn’t consider herself to be beautiful, nor was she one of those irritating self-righteous Plain Janes who get the hot guy for no particular reason. The characters mostly acted like intelligent people. There weren’t TSTL moments left, right and centre. However I figured out who was behind Molly’s abduction long before Dare did, and it was a little painful to watch this ‘highly-trained’ Special Ops guy who was apparently ‘good at everything’ running around with no idea who to place the blame on. There were a few little things that were a bit weird too. • Dare should have asked Molly about her actual abduction the moment she woke up. It was the most intelligent place to start looking for clues, but it took them until page 128 to discuss it, and then it was Molly who brought it up! • Molly should have worried about her apartment and possessions immediately. It took a long time (I believe over a week) for it to even occur to her that her apartment was abandoned and the door was unlocked. • Even if it was dangerous to tell her everything immediately, Molly could have – and should have – called her sister to let her know she was alive. The sister was frantic with worry, and keeping her in the dark made no sense. • Molly should have cancelled her credit cards as soon as she could, not a few weeks later! It only takes a few minutes for a stolen card to be put to the test, and I do not understand why she wasn’t more concerned about having her savings stolen. I sure hope she didn’t use her birthdate as her PIN! Molly is a writer, and the plot pretty much hung from that fact. It’s great when writers give their characters professions they know about (so there’s no need to worry about glaring inaccuracies), but the fact this was a romantic suspense book, and Molly was a romantic suspense writer was too close to home. The constant comments about fans writing bad reviews might have been crucial to the story, but it also felt a little too personal for fiction. Everything taken into account, it all comes down to that cover. It seems that after the cover fairies gifted Jaci Burton with The Perfect Play they paid Lori Foster a visit. I intend to read more of these.

[samantha71020 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

From Goodreads:"Professional mercenary Dare Macintosh lives by one hard and fast rule: business should never be personal. If a cause appeals to him and the price is right, he'll take the mission he's offered. But then the lovely Molly Alexander asks him to help her track down the men who'd had her kidnapped—and for the first time, Dare's tempted to combine work with pleasure.Fiercely independent, Molly vows to trust no one until she's uncovered the truth. Could the enemy be her powerful, estranged father? The ex-fiancé who still holds a grudge? Or the not-so-shy fan of her bestselling novels? As the danger heats up around them, the only anchor Molly has is Dare himself. But what she feels for him just might be the most frightening thing of all…"My Thoughts:What a fun read this was! A mystery and suspense mixed in with a hot romance was the perfect combination for me and I couldn't get enough of this book. The book starts off with a bang as Dare rescues Molly and gets caught up in all of her troubles. The beginning of the book was action packed and kept me on my toes while I was reading it. I just didn't want to put it down. I loved the chemistry that was building between Dare and Molly from the very beginning. I liked that they each tried to resist the feelings they had for one another but with little success. The romance that grew between them was HOT and I was constantly rooting for them. The mystery portion of the book was interesting and kept me constantly guessing while I tried to figure out who might have had Molly kidnapped. While I really enjoyed the book, I did find it a bit slow at times in the middle of the book. I'm not sure if I was expecting more action or what but that would be my only complaint with this novel. Although the end sure made up for it and once again had me turning pages as fast as I could. All in all, I found it to be a fun, fast-paced read that left me wanting more. I can't to read more by Lori Foster and I've heard that the 2nd book in this series is Trace's story. Recommended to fans of romance and romantic suspense!Disclosure: This book was sent to me for review the publisher for review. And of course this is my honest opinion. Thanks!

[emigre_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great hero who rescues heroine from a human trafficking ring and manages to have HEA with her as well.

[lauren2013_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

When You Dare
3 Stars

Synopsis:
On a mission to recover his friend’s sister from human traffickers, professional mercenary, Dare Macintosh, rescues a badly beaten Molly Alexander. Intelligent and independent, Molly is not your usual victim and she hires Dare to help her track down those responsible for her abduction. As the suspects pile up and the danger increases, Dare becomes the only person Molly can trust but can he save her from the looming threat?

Review:
A little disappointing after all the hype. The basic premise of human trafficking is interesting but most of the action takes place before the book even begins. The rest of the story lacks tension and suspense and the ending is predictable. Hard Evidence by Pamela Clare offers a far more in-depth and detailed look at this theme and is a more intense and exciting read.

While Molly and Dare have steamy chemistry, their character development is problematic. There is too much focus on their internal thoughts, emotions, and motivations. Molly's reaction to her ordeal is unrealistic - no one could possibly be that stoic after the torture and abuse she suffered. Dare is very sexy but seems too laid back, sweet and caring to be a mercenary and is more in line with law enforcement.

Finally, the villain is obvious and the motivation for the crime is bewildering and even trivial.

Nevertheless, the writing flows and the romance is sweet. So if you are interested in a light read to take your mind off things then this fits the bill. I will probably read the next one if I come across it at a used book store but I won’t be going out of my way to get it.