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cobaltbookshelf's review
4.0
You Wouldn't Dare delivered a full dose of cuteness. Junie and Graham were both so well developed and the challenges of friends to lovers, were really well handled and relatable.
In addition to the romance that I was rooting so hard for, setting and writing style really kept me hooked. This has been so much fun and I wish Samantha Markum the best with this release.
If you enjoy lighthearted, lively YA contemporary, you absolutely need to add this to your TBRs.
A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
In addition to the romance that I was rooting so hard for, setting and writing style really kept me hooked. This has been so much fun and I wish Samantha Markum the best with this release.
If you enjoy lighthearted, lively YA contemporary, you absolutely need to add this to your TBRs.
A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
amybrummer's review
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
megmccreery's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Cute but also kind of all over the place. I did like the faux-Anna Maria Island vibes, though.
alexis_castellanos's review
5.0
I think this book solidifies Samatha Markum as one of my favorite current contemporary YA authors. her banter is so on point, the slow burn romance is delightful, and the friendships are just as well developed as the romance. Nina Moreno and Sarah Dessen are the perfect comps for this book! It's a really cute coming of age story that takes place on an island off the coast of Florida, full of beach life fun and small town shenanigans. This is a book about family, both the ones you're born with and the ones you choose. Junie has a strained relationship with her father that informs how to treats other people, and it's something she hasn't really realized or come to terms with.
Junie is not a perfect teenager, she's moody and a bit of a drama queen, she's petty and she's a little dense. But, she loves her friends and her mother deeply, and once someone comes under the umbrella of her love, she is a fierce and protective friend. She was such a fun protagonist to follow in this adventure.
Jess Vilinsky was the perfect narrator on the audiobook as well! For a character who is a drama queen with dreams of the stage, Jess's performance really added dimension to her character. It was an absolute treat to listen to!
Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with an ARC!
Junie is not a perfect teenager, she's moody and a bit of a drama queen, she's petty and she's a little dense. But, she loves her friends and her mother deeply, and once someone comes under the umbrella of her love, she is a fierce and protective friend. She was such a fun protagonist to follow in this adventure.
Jess Vilinsky was the perfect narrator on the audiobook as well! For a character who is a drama queen with dreams of the stage, Jess's performance really added dimension to her character. It was an absolute treat to listen to!
Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with an ARC!
indigoivee's review
3.0
I’ve read Samantha Markum’s previous work *This May End Badly*, and absolutely loved reading every page of it. Naturally, I thought I’d enjoy her second book too.
The author has a way of writing that has you diving into the world and escaping your own. She is detailed and descriptive an created characters you can easily fall in love with or grow and emotional attachment towards.
You Wouldn’t Dare was such a heartfelt and sweet novel. You can’t help but to love and adore Juniper Nash (with a name like that, it’s hard to ignore her otherwise) and her close knit group of friends, her family and the cute coastal small town she lives on. I truly enjoyed reading this story, and growing along with Juniper and her character flaws. Her journey to repairing her friendship and relationship with Graham, her everlasting and crucial bond with Miles and stepping into a new live with her step-sister and step-father while pining after her own father, was truly what drove the plot. Not to mention, the Shakespearean play which combined all his classics! I wish I could see a show like that live.
It’s like Gilmore Girls, but make it modern, coastal, heartwarming and so much more fun! The author writes with such enthusiasm and a realistic way which makes her stories to easy to read and fall into.
A great, lighthearted, summer read!
Favourite quote: “I think love is about finding a way to fit together even after the hard stuff happens,” I say. “I don’t think it’s supposed to always be easy. It’s about choosing someone in spite of the obstacles.””
The author has a way of writing that has you diving into the world and escaping your own. She is detailed and descriptive an created characters you can easily fall in love with or grow and emotional attachment towards.
You Wouldn’t Dare was such a heartfelt and sweet novel. You can’t help but to love and adore Juniper Nash (with a name like that, it’s hard to ignore her otherwise) and her close knit group of friends, her family and the cute coastal small town she lives on. I truly enjoyed reading this story, and growing along with Juniper and her character flaws. Her journey to repairing her friendship and relationship with Graham, her everlasting and crucial bond with Miles and stepping into a new live with her step-sister and step-father while pining after her own father, was truly what drove the plot. Not to mention, the Shakespearean play which combined all his classics! I wish I could see a show like that live.
It’s like Gilmore Girls, but make it modern, coastal, heartwarming and so much more fun! The author writes with such enthusiasm and a realistic way which makes her stories to easy to read and fall into.
A great, lighthearted, summer read!
Favourite quote: “I think love is about finding a way to fit together even after the hard stuff happens,” I say. “I don’t think it’s supposed to always be easy. It’s about choosing someone in spite of the obstacles.””
rachrreads's review against another edition
I’m already incredibly bored and don’t care at all about the FMC. This probably would’ve hit a lot better when I was in high school but right now it’s not for me.
lauren_soderberg's review
4.0
“I think love is about finding a way to fit together even after the hard stuff happens… I don’t think it’s supposed to be easy. It’s about choosing someone in spite of the obstacles.”
You Wouldn’t Dare is a sunshine-steeped coming-of-age story set in the Florida Keys.
When Juniper kisses her best friend Graham, she doesn’t know that it’s going to set off a chain of events that just might obliterate their relationship. After establishing a tentative peace, Juniper also has to manage a new would-be stepsister, an upending move, and acting in a summer play. As Juniper experiences her last summer before things dramatically change, she has to decide whether or not to take chances or to play it safe.
If you love a truly adolescent, flawed protagonist, you are going to love this book. Juniper is, at times, as annoying as she is endearing. Which makes her character all the more compelling. She’s 17 and acts like it, trying to navigate through complicated emotional situations and trying to face her fears. Would I have like to see a bit more character growth? Sure. But the pacing and the character development feel right. Graham, too, is such an interesting character. One who has grown a lot, and helps Juniper become more grounded. I liked him a lot, and sometimes wanted to shake some sense into Juniper.
In all, this is a wonderful summertime story, and a true homage to those tumultuous teenage years.
Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the ARC.
You Wouldn’t Dare is a sunshine-steeped coming-of-age story set in the Florida Keys.
When Juniper kisses her best friend Graham, she doesn’t know that it’s going to set off a chain of events that just might obliterate their relationship. After establishing a tentative peace, Juniper also has to manage a new would-be stepsister, an upending move, and acting in a summer play. As Juniper experiences her last summer before things dramatically change, she has to decide whether or not to take chances or to play it safe.
If you love a truly adolescent, flawed protagonist, you are going to love this book. Juniper is, at times, as annoying as she is endearing. Which makes her character all the more compelling. She’s 17 and acts like it, trying to navigate through complicated emotional situations and trying to face her fears. Would I have like to see a bit more character growth? Sure. But the pacing and the character development feel right. Graham, too, is such an interesting character. One who has grown a lot, and helps Juniper become more grounded. I liked him a lot, and sometimes wanted to shake some sense into Juniper.
In all, this is a wonderful summertime story, and a true homage to those tumultuous teenage years.
Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the ARC.