What did I get out of this book? It was a good read - good storytelling - but overall, not a spellbinding book. Molly was an interesting heroine - for a change. She was so "fiercely independent", as it says below, that she was like an island, not part of her family or any other social group.

What we heard of her boyfriend, whom she split from not long before her kidnapping - how could such a woman be attached to such a man? He provided a conduit to a social life - that was it. Still, she was engaged to him! T

She meets Dare, the professional soldier, now someone who does dangerous work such as rescuing kidnapped women from human traffickers. Despite her "island" nature, in no time she's drawn to Dare, the kind of man she's never met. A protector. I found it startling! out of character.

Should every woman "wait" for such a man?! Holy smoke! Unfortunately I have enough scepticism left, after 4 years of romance reading, to feel this man is not real. You might be waiting a while.

I didn't quite trust this story, and I didn't feel a lot of chemistry between the MCs. Dare was an attractive character, but not fully drawn; Molly was a mash of contradictions. The setting, Dare's house in the mountains, now that was something.

The book blurb, necessary to remind me what happens:
"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." ( )

This was a solid read but nothing really lifted it out of the ordinary. The heroine didn't have any real TSTL moments but she didn't have anything really outstanding in her personality that would make me remember her as a heroine after the book is over. There weren't any of the funny bits that I know Ms. Foster is capable of. The suspense was okay but a bit slow moving. A lot of the story was the relationship between Dare and Molly. Dare was not as fully developed as Molly so you didn't know him as well. We didn't know his history. For example what is his relationship with Chris? Why are they such friends? He says they've known each other for 20 years and they love each other so obviously there is a story there.

There was a bit of self biographical stuff in the book where Molly talks about the bad reviews one of her books received. In view of the bad reviews any long time reader of LF knows she received for one of her recent books, that was just a little too obvious for me. Especially since some of the words out of her month are the exact same as words that I received when I corresponded with LF about said book. (My letter, while it expressed my disappointment with the book, was polite and appreciative of all the other books of hers that I've enjoyed over the years). So seeing those exact words come out of Molly's mouth knocked me out of the story and made me think "Look! a writer writing about writing." ( )

I don't usually read this genre but I started writing in it and decided I should probably get acquainted with some of the more popular titles. This was pretty good. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and see how they grew to love one another despite the adversity set against them. ( )

I loved Molly and Dare, and Chris and the dogs. Everyone is rational and honest and competent. Molly and Dare's relationship had a sweetness that did not dilute the hotness, and I appreciate that balance. That said, the obstacle, the situation that set everything in motion, was absurd for a modern story. I don't want to include spoilers, so I will just say that the perceived scandalous behavior here would not have been considered particularly scandalous any time in the last 100 years. Since the story is built around this anachronism it bugged me a lot. But still, Molly and Dare 4eva. ( )

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. ( )