To Dare A SEAL

Natalie Lewis works as a bartender in Coronado, California. She is two days away from attending her younger sister’s wedding in Las Vegas; her sister is marrying Natalie’s best friend, Cade Daniels. And that’s when Prince Charming walks in: Navy SEAL Jack Barnes. Jack is accompanied by his brothers. Natalie and Jack fancy each other, but have never acted on it; Natalie, because of a difficult childhood, doesn’t want to make permanent attachments. She is a very independent and take-charge kind of woman, still Jack and Natalie have a playful non-relationship, and when Jack’s brother Colton makes a disparaging comment towards Jack, Natalie kisses Jack. Then Colton bets Jack he can’t get Natalie into bed. Natalie overhears the conversation, so she is prepared. But a little problem surfaces: Jack is Cade’s best man, but something comes up and Natalie will have to take Jack along with her to Vegas. She swears Jack will not win, and since both like to win, it’s game on! TO DARE A SEAL charmed me from the opening lines, which are quite funny, and I really liked the tone of the book, overall. I was also very pleasantly surprised that the bet issue did not go the way I expected; Ms. Stone dealt extremely well with that plot twist, which for me can kill a story if not well done. There are, of course, several sexy bits, but the author provides plenty of character development and thorough, and necessary, backstories. My heart went out to Natalie; she has built a nearly impregnable wall around her, and her reasons are heartbreaking; I’m not a crier, but Ms. Stone had me wiping my cheeks a few times. Jack and Natalie have great chemistry, the banter they exchange is most entertaining, and I loved how the relationship progressed. TO DARE A SEAL is a very sexy book with a lot of depth and intelligence! I give 4 ½ stars I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

When I was presented with the opportunity to read the first book in the Sin City Seals series: To Tempt a Seal was the first time Natalie was introduced. To Tempt a Seal was her sister Lucia's and Natalie's best friend Cade's moving story. She was the protective older sister who unwittingly played matchmaker. In To Dare a Seal Natalie gets her own story. Natalie uses her touch girl persona as a shield. She feels deeply and struggles with guilt for not being able to protect her baby sister from the evil that she faced at an early age. Pain for how she lost her parents when she needed them most. Anger for the things in her life she has had no control over and irritation for the one person who will not let her wallow in self-pity. I liked Jack. Beneath the gruff and overtly sexual exterior he was a really sensitive guy. Natalie was his dream girl that he wanted for his reality. Sara Jane Stone has done a really good job with this series. I received an ARC of To Dare a Seal in exchange for an honest review. To Dare a Seal is heartbreaking, irresistible and sexy. I enjoyed every minute of this story.

I struggle writing this review. I have loved all the prior books I've read from this author but I just didn't feel this one lived up to my expectations. To be fair though, there are a number of good points about the book too so to summarize from my perspective, the good - good writing, lots of steamy hot sexy times, strong female lead, yummy male lead, and a perfect HEA ending. The bad - I'm not a fan of the on a dare trope so maybe this colored my judgement, the fact that the female lead knows about the bet and still gets involved rubbed me wrong. I just didn't feel the chemistry or connection between Natalie and Jack. Those are my thoughts but if you are a fan of this trope then I would recommend it.