Review: ‘Dare to Rock’ by Carly Phillips
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Dare to Rock
by Carly PhillipsSeries: Dare to Love #5
Published by Self-Published on August 4, 2015
SubGenres: Contemporary Romance
Format: eBook
Pages: 298
Source: Kobo Plus
Audience: 18+/Adult
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Avery Dare lives a quiet life in Miami as an online fashion/makeup video blogger. She has good friends, a close, large family and if her love life is lacking, she likes it that way. But when she receives an invitation to one of her ex's concerts along with an invitation to meet him back stage, she decides to take the risk… and comes face to face with the reality of his rock star lifestyle - the press, the crowds, and the half naked groupies.
At eighteen, Grey Kingston left everything he knew and loved behind to seek fame and fortune as a rock star, and he found it as the lead guitarist and singer for the band, Tangled Royal. Fans adore him, women throw themselves at him, and he can afford everything he couldn’t growing up. Yet at the height of his career, he’s ready to walk away and return home to a simpler life… and the woman he left behind, if he can convince her to give him another chance.
Except moving on isn’t as easy as Grey would like. When Avery is threatened by a stalker, it becomes evident Grey’s fans not only don’t want him to retire, they don’t want Avery in his life either. And Avery isn’t sure she wants the pressures that are part of Grey’s life… but she doesn’t want to lose him again, either. Can their recently renewed love survive the fallout?
Dare to Rock is the fifth book in Carly Phillips’s Dare to Love series. This time, Avery Dare has a chance at happiness with Rockstar Grey Kingston, a man from her past. The book includes some of my favorite tropes: Second Chance, Billionaire, and Rockstar Romance. I never skip Rockstar Romance, and I enjoyed getting to know Grey, even though rockers often bring drama.
Grey left Miami to chase fame, leaving the woman he always loved, but he always planned to return to Avery Dare. Avery knows Grey has spent years on the road with his band and is now famous, with rumors about other women. What bothers her isn’t Grey’s fame but the spotlight that comes with it. She’s been in the public eye before because of her father’s actions, which made her anxious. She’s unsure if she can handle it again, but Grey will do anything to protect her from the spotlight and prove she’s always been his choice.
What I enjoy about this series is how each book features a new Dare Family couple. The Dare Family feels like my own as I get to know each member. Avery definitely is a favorite because I could relate to her when it came to her anxiety/panic attacks she was having, and I definitely understood her hesitation about being in the spotlight again. It would only trigger her attacks. She also stood out because she helped save her half-sister, Sienna, by donating her bone marrow. A plot that is mentioned in this book and in earlier books in the series. There’s drama around it, all tied to their father, but I’ll avoid mentioning this due to possible spoilers.
When it came to getting to know Grey Kingston, he brought typical rockstar drama, mostly through his unpleasant band manager. I loved that Grey was determined to be with Avery even if his band manager was causing trouble for him, plus other factors. There is also the fact that Avery has protective brothers that Grey will have to deal with and he knows how to handle them.
Overall, this is another great addition to the Dare to Love series, and I give it four stars. I can’t wait to read the next book, as well as the rest of Carly Phillips’s other books. Her characters feel like family, and I enjoy reading them find their HEA.
POV: Third Person (Dual POV)
Standalone or Part of Series: Interconnected Standalone in the Dare to Love series. Each book follows a new couple.
Would I recommend this book? If you enjoy reading Billionaire or Rockstar Romances, check out Dare to Rock. For fast-paced Romance, try the whole series. It doesn’t take long to read these books, and you may very well fall in love with these characters like I have.
Audiobook Recommendation: If you enjoy audiobooks, I especially recommend this series. Sophie Eastlake is a favorite narrator of mine, and she does a fabulous job bringing the story and characters to life.
What to Expect:
🎸Contemporary Romance
🎤Billionaire Romance
🎸Rockstar Romance
🎤Second Chance Romance
🎸Anxiety Rep – Panic Attacks
About Carly Phillips
NY Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestseller, Carly Phillips is the queen of Alpha Heroes, at least according to The Harlequin Junkie Reviewer.. Carly married her college sweetheart and lives in Purchase, NY along with her crazy dogs who are featured on her Facebook and Instagram pages. The author of over 75 romance novels, she has raised two incredible daughters and is now an empty nester. Carly’s book, The Bachelor, was chosen by Kelly Ripa as her first romance club pick. Carly loves social media and interacting with her readers.
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