Dare to Love by A.L. Brooks
- Publisher: Ylva Publishing, 2020
- Genre: Romance, LGBTQ+
- Format: Ebook
- Page Count: 270 pages
- My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
When Carmen accompanies her best friend to Ash’s tattoo studio, she isn’t looking love. She is straight and in a relationship. But when she visits her friends Tamsyn and Maggie, she finds herself reconsidering what relationships mean. After running into Ash at Alma’s during coffee break, the pair strike up a friendship. With painful past experience of falling for a straight woman, Ash is determined not to make the same mistakes again. Besides, what can their friendship possibly turn into?
The process of Carmen and Ash getting to know each other is purely beautiful. Even before any of the romantic elements fall into place, I love the bond the pair have. Since I always enjoy a good slow-burn romance, Dare to Love definitely had me feel like falling in love. With Carmen figuring her sexuality out at forty-three and Ash’s distrust in “straight” women’s feelings, their interactions were sometimes frustrating to read. Yet, it was those struggles that makes the story real because both were fighting so hard against their own insecurities.
In addition to the drama between our two main characters, Sophie, Ash’s niece, has a wonderful storyline as well. The teenage girl is also wondering about her own sexuality. We get to see dealing with coming out at different stages of life, and what it means to dare to love when you trust someone over your own fears.
Dare to Love is a beautiful story that I will definitely reread. I love everything about it, including all the amazing friendships between main and supporting characters. This originally high-four is now a solid five, and I recommend it to anyone, especially those questioning their sexualities regardless of age. You are not alone. [7 May 2020]
