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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-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
ARC Review
A Heartwarming M/M Romance Full of Swoons and Smiles
• Rating 4/5
• Romance 3/5
• Spice Level 2.5/5
• Writing Style 4/5
• Audio Narration N/A
Becca Steele’s Dared, the fourth installment in the LSU Series, is a low-angst, feel-good romance that hits all the right notes. With its blend of sweetness, steam, and swoon-worthy moments, it’s a must-read for fans of character-driven love stories and the found family trope.
Finn, the outgoing footballer, and Leo, the shy computing student, are polar opposites on paper, but their chemistry is undeniable. Watching Leo blossom from a reserved introvert into someone who dares to take chances is pure joy. Finn’s unwavering belief in him is both heartwarming and inspiring, and their relationship evolves in the most natural and tender way. What starts as playful dares turns into a story about courage, self-discovery, and love.
Author’s ability to craft such relatable characters makes Dared an absolute pleasure to read. The book is delightfully low-drama but keeps you hooked with just the right amount of conflict to keep things interesting. As always with the LSU series, there’s a strong focus on the relationships—not just romantic, but also friendships and the wider found family. Cameos from previous books tie everything together beautifully, offering a sense of continuity and connection.
Whether you’re new to the series or a longtime fan, Dared delivers exactly what you’d expect: a swoony, steamy, and utterly adorable romance that leaves you with a big smile. Finn and Leo’s journey is one of my favorites in the series so far, and I guarantee it’ll make your heart flutter.
**I received an ARC of this book from The Author Agency, and this is my honest review**
A Heartwarming M/M Romance Full of Swoons and Smiles
• Rating 4/5
• Romance 3/5
• Spice Level 2.5/5
• Writing Style 4/5
• Audio Narration N/A
Becca Steele’s Dared, the fourth installment in the LSU Series, is a low-angst, feel-good romance that hits all the right notes. With its blend of sweetness, steam, and swoon-worthy moments, it’s a must-read for fans of character-driven love stories and the found family trope.
Finn, the outgoing footballer, and Leo, the shy computing student, are polar opposites on paper, but their chemistry is undeniable. Watching Leo blossom from a reserved introvert into someone who dares to take chances is pure joy. Finn’s unwavering belief in him is both heartwarming and inspiring, and their relationship evolves in the most natural and tender way. What starts as playful dares turns into a story about courage, self-discovery, and love.
Author’s ability to craft such relatable characters makes Dared an absolute pleasure to read. The book is delightfully low-drama but keeps you hooked with just the right amount of conflict to keep things interesting. As always with the LSU series, there’s a strong focus on the relationships—not just romantic, but also friendships and the wider found family. Cameos from previous books tie everything together beautifully, offering a sense of continuity and connection.
Whether you’re new to the series or a longtime fan, Dared delivers exactly what you’d expect: a swoony, steamy, and utterly adorable romance that leaves you with a big smile. Finn and Leo’s journey is one of my favorites in the series so far, and I guarantee it’ll make your heart flutter.
**I received an ARC of this book from The Author Agency, and this is my honest review**
4.5⭐️
Listen, Leo and Finn were the cutest!!
They start as online friends gaming together to absolute Best Friend hanging out all the time. The transition is very quick, the author skipping some parts of their early friendship, but it didn’t bother me at all.
Now. We get two best friends who can stop from touching and practice kissing and hanging out and sleeping in the same bed and hugging and … you get it, everyone around them know before them that they might not be just best friends! I loved that trope, and even if they’re a bit oblivious to what is happening, they are just too cute together!
Leo’s social anxiety broke my heart more than once, but Finn truly is the best boyfriend there is out there. And all the side characters were amazing, I loved seeing some of the previous MCs!
If you’re looking for a low angst bf to lovers, this is for you!
Listen, Leo and Finn were the cutest!!
They start as online friends gaming together to absolute Best Friend hanging out all the time. The transition is very quick, the author skipping some parts of their early friendship, but it didn’t bother me at all.
Now. We get two best friends who can stop from touching and practice kissing and hanging out and sleeping in the same bed and hugging and … you get it, everyone around them know before them that they might not be just best friends! I loved that trope, and even if they’re a bit oblivious to what is happening, they are just too cute together!
Leo’s social anxiety broke my heart more than once, but Finn truly is the best boyfriend there is out there. And all the side characters were amazing, I loved seeing some of the previous MCs!
If you’re looking for a low angst bf to lovers, this is for you!
emotional
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
This book completely stole my heart! It’s a sweet, heartfelt romance about Leo, a shy guy who struggles with self-esteem, and Finn, his friendly, outgoing counterpart who lights up every room he’s in. Their bond starts over a shared love of video games and quickly deepens into a friendship that feels so genuine and real.
Leo’s journey really resonated with me. He’s used to feeling more comfortable online, where he can be his truest self without fear of judgment. But when life throws him into a situation where he has to be vulnerable with Finn, the connection they build is so honest and pure. Watching their friendship blossom into something more was such a treat.
Leo and Finn’s relationship is full of patience, support, and mutual understanding as they navigate their feelings. Their story is different from what I expected, but it exceeded my hopes. These two are absolutely adorable together, and their journey left me smiling from ear to ear.
If you’re in the mood for a cozy, feel-good romance that’s all about love and growth, Dared is a must-read!
Leo’s journey really resonated with me. He’s used to feeling more comfortable online, where he can be his truest self without fear of judgment. But when life throws him into a situation where he has to be vulnerable with Finn, the connection they build is so honest and pure. Watching their friendship blossom into something more was such a treat.
Leo and Finn’s relationship is full of patience, support, and mutual understanding as they navigate their feelings. Their story is different from what I expected, but it exceeded my hopes. These two are absolutely adorable together, and their journey left me smiling from ear to ear.
If you’re in the mood for a cozy, feel-good romance that’s all about love and growth, Dared is a must-read!
emotional
lighthearted
medium-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
This was such a sweet & Low angst read , which I really enjoyed. There were loads of cute moments between Leo & Finn. Everyone was just so lovely in this book 😍I also loved Niccolo so much ( I need to read his book 🤗) Finns family were just the best and perfect 🤩🥹.
This was an enjoyable read for this time of the year as a way to wind down from all the heavier reads over the past few months
.
I’ll sum it up as a very cosy book about two strangers who become good friends who then use dares to push each other out of their comfort zone and work on anxiety & issues with personal doubts … and end up developing very strong feelings for each other along the way. They get to share a lot of first together as well. 🥰🥰
✨MM romance
✨College setting
✨Friends to Lovers
✨Sports romance
✨Soccer player x shy gamer
✨Nerd/jock
✨Bi-awakening
✨Found family
✨First times
✨Low angst
This was an enjoyable read for this time of the year as a way to wind down from all the heavier reads over the past few months
.
I’ll sum it up as a very cosy book about two strangers who become good friends who then use dares to push each other out of their comfort zone and work on anxiety & issues with personal doubts … and end up developing very strong feelings for each other along the way. They get to share a lot of first together as well. 🥰🥰
✨MM romance
✨College setting
✨Friends to Lovers
✨Sports romance
✨Soccer player x shy gamer
✨Nerd/jock
✨Bi-awakening
✨Found family
✨First times
✨Low angst
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
The thing I really enjoyed about the book was how laid-back the characters were, and how there was no unnecessary drama. Plus, the baby Finn named Leo was a nice touch.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was so fucking good! The truest definition of friends to lovers I have read yet. Becca just writes such well-rounded characters. I was crying on the plane while I read this because Leo goes through so much and it takes him a long time to truly come into his own and love himself despite his flaws. Finn is the perfect boyfriend but my god don’t tell him that because they’re *just friends* for a painfully long time. I loved their dynamic. The entire story was so sweet! I will be sad when this series comes to a close.
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
I read this in one sitting! I started it in bed and before i knew it, it was 5am 😭😂
Safe to say I think this became one of my top friends to lovers romance. Finn was EVERYTHING!! The was he cared for Leo and helped him grow had my heart swooning. The found family in this book made me cry, Leo finally getting the love he deserves 🥹💖
Safe to say I think this became one of my top friends to lovers romance. Finn was EVERYTHING!! The was he cared for Leo and helped him grow had my heart swooning. The found family in this book made me cry, Leo finally getting the love he deserves 🥹💖
emotional
medium-paced