Dare to Love by Alleigh Burrows

Dare to Love Reviews

• 
  Kiltsandswords

  Dare to Love by Alleigh Burrows
  Overview by Amazon:
  Nivea is determined to convince Lord Landis love and betrayal are not synonymous.
  The only tangible benefit Dare Landis has of finally claiming the title of Marquis of Raynsforth will be that the current marquis has finally gone to the Devil where he belongs. Until then, Lord Landis will continue to enjoy life on his own terms…as a heartless rake who’s beholden to no one.
  Nivea Horsham knows there’s more to Dare than he reveals to the world. She’s loved him since her older brother brought his ridiculously handsome friend home from school all those years ago. But getting him to notice her has proven to be an impossible endeavor.
  Is it possible for Nivea to shatter Dare’s carefully crafted facade and show him how to love?
  
  It’s great when you read a book and you love the hero. You enjoy reading about him, like him and enjoy his transformation from rogue to husband material. Sometimes though it’s even better when you really can’t stand the male character for most of the book. Some male rogues are arrogant and entitled, but Dare takes this to a whole new level. He is an ass most of the time. He is disparaging to most of the people he interacts with, he thinks his acquaintances are boring and he uses and discards women with alarming haste.
  You know there must be some reason he is like this. Some men are just mean, but as the reader you hope that deep down there is something so damaging in is past that he has built up this defence. You desperately hope this because you know there is no other way that you will like him or believe in the romance of the characters. It took a long time with Dare. There are reasons that have made him the way he is and it takes the strength of Nivea to bring it out.
  I love when the main character is not a tall, willowy blond. Nivea is on the plump side and a plain jane. She is firmly on the shelf and has no prospects for marriage. It doesn’t matter to her as her family loves and adores her just the way she is. The only thing they don’t get about her is her lack of enthusiasm for horses – the family business. She is excited for her sister to wed a man she is crazy about. The family is growing and happy. Like most girls, she developed a teenage crush on her brother’s friend Dare. Over the years it has not abated. She knows that she is the last woman on earth he would ever look at, but hope can be a dangerous thing.
  Nivea must travel with Dare to her sister’s wedding. It’s a calamity. She is so excited at the prospect, but Dare treats her with such cruelty and disinterest, it’s heartbreaking. What made it bearable was the surprise and delight Nivea turned out to be. Dare may be stuck in his ways, but she is changing and growing. Forced to ride a horse for days, which was her worst nightmare, she finds the positive in a situation that most women would give up.
  The wedding celebration is a few weeks in the country. Almost right away Dare has a dalliance with one of the guests. This is why it was so hard to like Dare. He isn’t a likeable person. He’s rude and cutting to Nivea and others. He ends up spending time with Nivea almost of out boredom, but upon reflection realizes that she is a calming presence and makes him feel remorse for probably the first time in years.
  Bored out of his mind, he agrees to help Nivea learn to ride. He hates himself for thinking of her. He loathes the fact that he finds her skin beautiful and her smell intoxicating. A few kisses leave him so conflicted and torn about what on earth is going on inside him. Nivea is beyond astounded that she has his attention and passion. She knows who Dare is, but she can’t help but hope. Hope is a dangerous thing.
  Aghast at his actions, Dare seduces Nivea. It was spectacular. It happens again and again and Dare is beside himself at what he’s doing. It’s Nivea – the one woman who should be safe from him. People would laugh at him if they knew what he was doing.
  The time they spend together unravels the mystery of Dare. He was raised in a horrible, abusive family. He became a jerk as a strong defense mechanism. The only person he shares the details of his young life is with Nivea. When there is a misunderstanding orchestrated by the lady he seduced his first night at the wedding, he blames Nivea. His words are harsh and abominable. He also has harsh, despicable words for her brother, demonstrating once again what a mean person he can be.
  They part on poor terms. Dare returns to London and to his life as fast as he can. However once back, his usual haunts, his usual activities and proclivities no longer held the allure and relief he sought. He didn’t understand what was happening to him until his friend claims that the impossible has happened and Dare has been snared by a woman. He vehemently denies it, but the more he ponders his life, he realizes that he misses Nivea. She made him comfortable and happy. He misses her enthusiasm for life and her very lush curves.
  Dare is changing. He wants to see Nivea, but for the first time in his life, he is unsure of how to proceed. Things ended badly and he doesn’t know how to make amends. Finally the evolution of the character is happening. As the reader, we know about his family, we know about his struggles and we know his weaknesses. I felt at this point in the book, that maybe he now deserved the love Nivea would give him.
  He devotes himself to winning Nivea after he realizes that some other man may see what he found in her. Jealously is a powerful motivation. He makes amends to her family, humbling himself in the process. It was so fun to see this stiff, arrogant man willingly put himself as the object of ridicule in order to win forgiveness. Nivea has always loved him and has missed him deeply. She accepts his apology and is amazed at the very public attention he showers on her. He gets her alone and they reunite in a passion fueled carriage ride. They have amazing sex, lucky Nivea. She is honoured and worshipped by him and he likes to teach her all the tricks he knows.
  Dare’s horrid family rears its ugly head. He has had no contact with them in years, but he is summoned as his father is dying and has arranged a wedding for him. I was SO proud of Dare when he defies these orders, takes the courage to face all his friends and propose to Nivea in front of everyone. He has been playing the perfect suitor for weeks, with a ring in his pocket waiting for the right moment. He likely would have liked to have had privacy for proposing, but he declares his love and intentions to all. With Nivea at his side he deals with his terrible family. Her love and support strengthens him and he manages to get through the toughest time. He has changed as a character so much and now it was hard not to love his smirk and laugh. He believed in being a unit and found that Nivea was the best partner for him.
  When you read a book about a rake and rogue, they usually change pretty quickly. Dare was a nasty piece of work. It was very hard to find any redeeming qualities in him, beside his abilities in the bedroom. Love with the least likely woman changed him profoundly. As a reader, it was a realistic plot line that felt like a natural progression as Dare came to realize that a treasure Nivea was. I really enjoyed that they were not ‘Ken and Barbie’. While he is handsome and attractive, Nivea was more like the average woman who struggles with her weight and isn’t the bell of the ball. It was delightful that she could capture the scandalous Lord Dare.
  I enjoyed this story as it had me feeling so many emotions. I was angry at Dare, hurt for Nivea, hopefully for both and elated at promise of a wonderful ending. For a first book, the author has a real talent for weaving an entertaining tale that tugs at the heartstrings and takes you away to the fantasy of romance.
  Reviewed for
  www.kiltsandswords.com
• 
  Farrah

  A wonderfully romantic, sweetly emotional historical romance, Dare to Love was a brilliant read that I absolutely loved. I expected a standard rake/wallflower romance going into it, but it turned out to be more than that and I really enjoyed it.
  
  Nivea was a wonderful heroine. She was definitely outside of the mold. Heavy-set, somewhat plain and too sweet to trade sharp set downs with the rest of the nobles, she was a different type of heroine. And, that's what made her a more memorable character. She was a genuinely kind, loving person who could bring love to a man stubbornly opposed to love. I thought she was just lovely and I really liked her.
  
  To be honest, Dare was a complete ass at first. He was so repelled by the idea of love that he often said hurtful things and pushed people away. After hearing about his family life and how they twisted love into something hateful, it become much more understandable. But, that wasn't what sold me on him. What really made me like him was that he changed over the course of the book. After letting himself trust Nivea, he realized that he had been wrong about love. Not only did he apologize for his behavior, he did his best to make up for it. He proved that, without the shackles of his past, he could be a very sweet and kind man who was a worthy hero. I thought he was wonderful.
  
  The romance was great. Nivea had loved Dare for a long while, seeing the good qualities in him that he tried to keep hidden. Dare, on the other hand, started off as dismissive toward Nivea. But, as he learned what more there was to her, he slowly fell for her as well. They definitely had some chemistry, too, and the heat was turned up a few times. I thought they were a perfect couple.
  
  The plot moved quickly and I was totally engaged the entire way through. I absolutely loved the story and the ending was perfect.
  
  Dare to Love was a fantastic, utterly delightful historical romance that I truly loved. It was sweet, emotional, and simply wonderful. Romance lovers, this book is a must read.
  
  
  
  *I received a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
  
• 
  Sylvia

  Nivea Horsham is a little plump wallflower with a very gracious heart. She knows she is different from the rest of her family. Nivea has a strong familial bond. When her young sister is about to get married, they ask her brother's friend, Lord Adair Landis to escort Nivea to their county home. Nivea always had an infatuation on Lord Landis since childhood. Lord Landis always has his good looks and his charm when all the women would flock to him. Beneath all that beauty, he was bitter. He has a rough childhood and it made him harsh. Nivea never gives up. With all her congenial smile, she dares to love Lord Landis. It was a sweet and hot historical romance. I would love to read more from this author. I received a complimentary copy from the publisher thru NetGalley for an honest review.
• 
  Eva

  Another book I got for an honest review and yes, I enjoyed reading it.
  This one was my first Alleigh Burrows book and it seems like it’s her first one. If I am right, she isn’t the 0815 writer, she has characters in her books that are different from the ones in other books. Of course the rake is a cliché but the female is different. More about that later.
  
  The story isn’t that complicated.
  Nivea’s sister is getting married and she has to travel from London to the Horsham family home. Dare Landis, the future Marquis of Raynsforth, or shore Dare – Nivea’s brother’s best friend is about to travel with her. He’s a rake. He takes women, preferable widows or married women because he doesn’t plan to marriage so he does not ruin unmarried women. He knows that he has to marry one day to produce an heir but not in the near future.
  Nivea on the contrary isn’t the standard woman. She’s older. She had her seasons. She’s on the heavy side and isn’t exactly what fashion prefers at the moment. She has mouse brown hair and people think that she’s the wallflower. All of her sisters, also the younger ones, are already married or about to get married. Nivvy always had a thing for Landis, since year teenager days so she is thrilled to travel with him.
  What both do not plan is that the carriage breaks down. Nivvy’s family is famous for their passion of horses but Nivea hasn’t taken any riding lessons because she doesn’t want to put her wait on such a poor animal. Nevertheless she has to take the horse now to be able to attend her sister’s wedding. Day by day she finds out that riding isn’t that bad and Landis helps her to get comfortable. She’s shy but always hopes that he would talk more with her but Dare always think about the fact that she’s his best friend’s sister and that he doesn’t plan to wed her, so he always keeps some distance.
  There they have their moments when they are comfortable around each other and Nivea thinks that they are getting closer but in the next second Landis says something to hurt her or brings distance between them. Plus the woman finds out that riding slims her down so she plans to keep torturing herself when they are at her family’s house.
  The story is an endless seesaw story but endless isn’t meant negative, in no way. It’s adorable. She writes poems. He has a dark background story. Her family accepts him as a friend of their son but doesn’t like to see him near any of their daughters. And it’s a slow developing story, slow because Dare is so fixed in his cliché role that he has to accept the changes.
  
  ++
  
  Why only 4 stars …. Because after 200 pages of seesaw I got a little tired of it. 150 pages would have been enough.
  What I liked a lot is that Nivea isn’t the 0815 woman. She’s heavy, has a nice bosom and that her attributes are exactly what Landis turns his head. Nivvy is different from the type he usually preferred.
  Burrows has a hand for the details – Nivea’s dresses, Dare’s scars and his family. The way he hurts her with his words and all those things. I felt with Nivea, when he said something again about her to her directly or to one of his friends.
  Of course there’s a happy end ;) But the story towards is it long and rocky.
  
  Stars: 4****
  
• 
  bookaholic ge

  Hmmm how did I feel about this book...I really really loved it!
  
  Now I must admit at first I really disliked Dare, he was extremely selfish and vain for pretty much the first 2-3 chapters. But eventually you see why, and then his carefully crafted facade slowly crumbles. Nivea was the polar opposite of Dare she was completely selfless. She thought of others before herself and saw the good in everyone.
  
  This book was fun and sexy. Nothing better that a good girl jumping over to the wild side for the best ride of her life. Even though Dare kept Nivea on an emotional roller coaster she knew that there was good in his heart and she would not give up on him. My heart really went out to both of them. Every little verbal stone thrown at Nivea and Dare brought a tear to my eye. I love a story with an underdog that fights to win and in this book both Dare and Nivea find a way to be the victor.
  
  Great job Alleigh Burrows, I did receive this book as an ARC from Net galley for my honest review. My honest review is that if you want a book filled romance, laughter, naughty sex, and redemption...this is the book for you!
  
  Dare Landis was a rake of the highest order. He goes from woman to woman leaving broken hearts in his wake. Nivea is a wall flower who is loved by her family and just so happens to be Dares best friends younger sister. So when Nivea needs an escort to a family members wedding Dare is selected to be her escort. Never in a million years would anyone in Nivea's family think that any thing would happen between Nivea and Dare.
  
  Nivea has been in love with Dare since they very first time her brother brought him home for the holidays. When Dare saves her brother during a childhood accident she gladly gives her heart to him with no signs of hesitation. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder and that loves conquers all... Nivea and Dare prove this saying is very true!
  Dare Landis was a rake of the highest order. He goes from women to women leaving broken hearts in his wake. Nivea is a wall flower whi is loved by her family and just so happens to be Dares best frineds younger sister. So when Nivia needs an escort to a family members wedding Dare is selected to be her escort. Nerver in a million years would anyone in Nivias family think that any thing would happen between Nivia and Dare.
  
  Nivia has been in love with Dare since they very first time her brother brought him with him for the holidays. When Dare saves her brother during a childhood accident she gladely gives her heart to him with no signs of hesitation. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder and that loves conquers all... Nivia and Dare prove this saying is very true!
• 
  Gaele

  A debut novel from Alleigh Burrows, I enjoyed the story and the writing, I’m just not so sure that I loved the hero. Going in I knew that this story was a wallflower / rake story, I just was not aware how well that Burrows would play with the formula that has served others so well for so long.
  
  Nivea is a wallflower, staying in the background for her is part social shunning and part personal choice. A bit on the heavy side for the taste of her time, not gorgeous and stunning, quiet and endearingly sweet, she isn’t able to withstand the slings and arrows that the other debutantes are so freely throwing about. With few to no prospects for marriage, and completely adored by her own family, she is comfortable and happy, holding her own personal crush on her brother’s good friend for many years.
  
  Dare is an unapologetic rake, and is actually quite dismissive of those who don’t instantly meet his needs, and those who do, are dismissed thereafter. Handsome and completely enjoying his life, Dare is completely uninterested in marriage, and really doesn’t seem to ‘like’ women even as he runs through them like water.
  
  When Dare needs to accompany Nivea to her sister’s wedding – the time spent together is a novelty for him: Nivea calms him, settles him in ways that he never thought possible, and staunchly refuses to rise to his verbal bait, which Nivea bears with grace. It was a testament to her own kindness and gentle reactions to his boorish acts that stuck with him.
  
  I loved that Nivea was no fawning and gushing maiden. She grew and learned as the story progressed, but she never lost the real sense of who she was – and would allow herself to be. Her quiet confidence and gentleness in herself, hiding her deathly fear of horses and riding, along with her very eligible status has other men noticing the diamond in the rough, and Dare just can’t believe he is jealous.
  
  And he tried, really he did – to explain his bad behavior, to acknowledge Nivea and how she helped him be better, want to be better. I could understand him more, but I just didn’t see that his apologies, excuses and issues were enough. I will say that Burrows did everything right in trying to redeem him in my eyes, his story was sad and his reasoning made sense, and Nivea’s ability to gentle him did feel honest and real. I just really didn’t like him.
  
  Even disliking the rake, I couldn’t help but love the story and I needed to know if Nivea would be happy in getting her wish. A wonderful romance that is well written from an author that is sure to become many reader’s favorite.
  
  I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
  
• 
  Amy Alvis

  Nivea Horsham has been in love with Dare Landis, the Marquis of Raynsforth, since she was introduced to him. When Nivea's step-mother arranges for Dare to share a ride with her, she hopes that this will be the time that he notices her.
  
  Dare is not ready to settle down even when all of his friends are. He likes that he is a rake and beholden to no one. But will what happens at the wedding he is attending change all that?
  
  I'm going to be honest. I thought I would really like this story based on the write-up I read. Unfortunately it just fall flat for me. The hero was a j@ck@$$ and the heroine didn't think enough about herself to stop chasing said j@ck@$$.
  
  The first thing that irritated me was that Dare was with 2 other women in the story before getting together with Nivea. The first one being at the very beginning, which I was ok with since the story had not really started yet. But I don't want to read about the hero in a story getting together with someone other than the heroine after their story starts...yuck!
  
  Another thing that bothered me was that the weight of the heroine was brought up constantly. Yes, I liked that the she wasn't a tiny little thing, but don't keep going on and on about it. At one point in the story, after Nivea had ridden a horse all day for maybe 3 days straight, her maid says like ...I'll have to take in your dress as you've lost half a stone. Seriously you would lose 7 pounds (equivalent to 1/2 a stone) in 3 days of riding a horse. If that could actually happen, I'm going to start riding a horse every day!!
  
  I just couldn't like either of the characters and couldn't get into the story, although I did finish it....
  
  As this is the first book by the author I will probably give her another chance and see what she comes up with next...
  
  Thanks go to Kensington Books via NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange of an honest review.
  
• 
  Amanda Richardson

  3.5 stars, this book is a hard book for me to review because while I liked the writing and the heroine, I despised the "hero". Nivea has been in love from afar with her brother's best friend, Dare, for years. Nivea's step-mother arranges for Dare and Nivea to travel together in a coach to Nivea's sister's wedding in the country. Dare is basically appalled that he will have to spend time with plain, plump, dowdy, on-the-shelf Nivea.
  Nivea is over the moon about spending time with Dare, she just wants him to "notice her,". The problem I have is Dare definitely "notices" her and he can't stand her. He thinks he is above her in looks and everything that matters to him, which is all pretty much shallow. Nivea might be naive, but after she hears of him talking horribly about her, and yelling at her that she is untrustworthy, she should have been done with him. She wasn't, she really believed that he could love her. Of course this is a romance novel so he did in the end, but even when he started thinking about marrying her, he thought of her in contempt. He still thought she wasn't good enough to marry him. I didn't see that he actually changed, and I don't see how a person can go to feelings of utter contempt for a person to loving that person.
  
  I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  M.K. Schiller

  It’s been so long since I’ve read a regency. I’d almost forgotten what I loved about them, but this book helped me remember: The language. Beautiful, poetic language that you almost want to read aloud because it’s too gorgeous to be stuck in your head. That’s what Alleigh Burrows delivers.
  But that’s not all.
  This book had a great character arch. A shy but adorable spinster heroines who has a few extra pounds (who couldn’t relate to that). Nivea Horsham was a divine character full of strength and compassion, which Dare Landis was in desperate need of.
  Dare I talk about Dare? Who doesn’t love a good rake, the olden age version of the modern man-whore. Dare delivered. I really hated him for the first half, but that also kept my interest going. I prayed for his redemption as Nivea did. I loved the way he slowly falls for Nivea until he realizes how much he needs her. It’s refreshing to read a romance that colors outside of the love at first sight lines. In fact, this was annoyance at first sight at best. I appreciated the author provided insight into the reasons for Dare’s behavior. It turned me from a Dare-hater to a Dare-believer.
  This was a nicely paced, exquisitely decadent read. If you love regency romance, this is a must-read.
  
• 
  Lesia Chambliss

  I absolutely loved this book. The main character, Lord Landis "Dare" is very complex, he carries many secrets that the author thoroughly explores to depths that not many have gone too. He is a torchered soul in need of love, unbeknownst to him his best friends sister, Nivea has been in love with him since she first met him. He's a love 'em and leave 'em kind of guy, never letting anyone get too close, not even friends. Most see Nivea Horsham as plain and on the shelf. Little do they really know of her. This story really touched something deep in my heart when exploring Dare's character, as well as the secondary characters who are his friends. This is a complex story, but very well written and takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotions till the very end. It will make you question humanity, and then realize good really does exist. This is truly a wonderful romantic story, it was hard to put this book down once I started reading it. I will recommend this to friends, and it will definitely go on my to read again shelf. It's hard to believe this book is Alleigh Burrows' first novel. Well done Alleigh, I look forward to more of your writing.
• 
  Margaret Sholders

  This is Alleigh' s debut book. I am sure there will be more in the future. I liked this story. She must have worked hard to develop this devilishly rough rake. There are lots of ups and downs with all her people with spoilers on the side. Lord Landis, Dare, knew Nivea. She had a crush on him for years. She worked hard to get close to him. He would ignore and tease her. HE was never getting married. HE would never fall in love. Nivea was plumper than prime ladies should be. Then she discovered that riding, she was terrified of horses, let her lose weight. It took awhile to gain his trust and help him understand his dire childhood. It took me 3/4 of the book to like Dare. This is an Adult book and I would recommend reading this book. Give this book a chance and find a new author! I have this book for an honest review for NetGalley.
• 
  P.H. Turner

  I loved how Dare grew from a mistreated childhood into a man comfortable with his feelings and his ability to express his love for a woman. And Nivvy grew also, into a confident, direct woman who blazes a different trail from the herd in this Regency romance.
  Well written and engaging, Ms. Burrows has created a cadre of unique characters interacting believably in Dare to Love. Entertaining all the way to a sweet ending.
  
• 
  Lisa Hertsenberg

  Cheering for the Girl
  
  The writing had a wonderful amount of romance, and a historical storyline. I found myself routing for Nivea and her quiet, charming personality to win over Dare's heart. The love scenes were exciting to read because of the chances they took, and the ability to let themselves go with no inhibitions. Way to go Nivea!
• 
  Laura

  I am on the fence with this novel. There were many parts that I liked, but many times I was confused. Please read my full review at my blog:
  
  
  http://letague.blogspot.com/2014/12/d...
• 
  Andi

  Hard to resist a reformed rake! I'm not a regular reader of historicals, but I thoroughly enjoyed this story and read well past my bedtime 3 nights in a row to finish it. Nicely done, Alleigh. I look forward to your next book!
• 
  Isha Coleman

  A story of love, redemption and forgiveness. Nivea and Dare have a beautiful love story. You will not be able to put this book down.HIGHLY RECOMMEND READ.
• 
  RomLibrary

  Nivea is determined to convince Lord Landis love and betrayal are not synonymous.
  
  The only tangible benefit Dare Landis has of finally claiming the title of Marquis of Raynsforth will be that the current marquis has finally gone to the Devil where he belongs. Until then, Lord Landis will continue to enjoy life on his own terms…as a heartless rake who’s beholden to no one.
  
  Nivea Horsham knows there’s more to Dare than he reveals to the world. She’s loved him since her older brother brought his ridiculously handsome friend home from school all those years ago. But getting him to notice her has proven to be an impossible endeavor.
  
  Is it possible for Nivea to shatter Dare’s carefully crafted facade and show him how to love?