Review: Dare to Take by Carly Phillips

She was off limits, 

But he couldn't resist. 

There are just some guys you don't touch--even someone as innocent and inexperienced as Ella Shaw knows that. But when her brother's best friend is up for grabs and willing, she can't resist. After all, she's wanted him for years... 

On leave from the army, Tyler Dare is just looking for a little fun, but his best friend's sister is off limits. Yet unable to deny how sexy and alluring she is, he finds it all too easy to succumb to a night of passion and heat that ends the next morning in the worst way possible. 

Now, Ella is stranded on a tropical island with a hurricane bearing down, and only Tyler can save her. It's his chance to make amends for the past and show the woman he's never forgotten that he's coming after her . . . in more ways than one.

Dare to Take is a quick and enjoyable romantic read. With that said, I didn't fall in love with the characters or the story; this was a case of like over love. I think the story happened too quickly for my liking. I felt like the novel could have been expanded and that would have added the depth and complexity the story and characters needed to be a great read. The characters did not seem to grow or change much within the twelve chapters. It was a well written story, but it was too short for me to really connect with the characters.

Dare to Take is a standalone within a series, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the other books in the series because previous characters make appearances in this one. I did enjoy seeing the different family members interacting and found them all intriguing. The back story was also really interesting. Part of me wants to read this series from the beginning so I can have a deeper connection to all of these characters and get a bigger sense of the Dare family. One of my favorite parts of the story was the way Carly emphasized the importance of family and the closeness of the Dare's. It's easy for the reader see how much they all love and care for one another.

Another thing I didn't particularly care for was the romance. I liked the mystery and suspense that flowed within the book, but for a main character to be more focused on a man instead of worrying about who is targeting her and why is not believable even within the pages of a romance novel. I would have loved to see the mystery aspect of the story play a larger role. But it was nice to see these characters succeed at their second chance of happiness.

Dare to Take is a cute, short romance with mystery/suspense mixed in. Though I wasn't crazy about it, I will definitely try out some of Carly's other novels. I enjoyed her writing and was intrigued by most of the Dare family.

I do think that a lot of people will enjoy this read though. The story is full of romance and has just the right amount of sexy to please romance lovers. I recommend this story to anyone that likes second chance romances with a hint of mystery and spice.