A review by bribreez
I Dare You by Ilsa Madden-Mills

hopeful lighthearted sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

4⭐️/ 3🌶️

A football romance with an anonymous secret admirer, now that sounds like an interesting plot line already. In this story, Ilsa Madden-Mills wrote about, Delaney, the Star Wars loving, quiet girl, and Maverick the popular athlete on campus at Waylon University as the two of them formed a connection over…texting. Except, the kicker being Delaney didn’t know the identity of the guy she was texting, but Maverick was well aware it was Delaney he was sending messages to. Ilsa Madden-Mills wrote a unique romance with a mix of lighthearted moments as well as some of the emotional ones that played a part in Maverick’s life. If you love a sports romance where the MMC has always had a crush on the FMC, is determined to make her his, and an interesting twist on the way two people fall in love, then definitely read this book.

I think it’s safe to say when it comes to Ilsa Madden-Mills books, she always finds a way to tug on your heartstrings either in a happy way or sad one. Maverick’s backstory was actually sad due to a horrible car accident that took his mother, and resulted in his younger sister suffering from it. As much as Maverick was the popular guy on campus with big prospects of making it into the NFL, all the girls wanting to be with him, at the end of the day all that mattered was making sure his family was safe, namely his sister, Raven. I wasn’t expecting the story to have a bit of a sad tone to it, but I actually liked it since there was a bit more depth to Maverick’s story as well as the overall one. Seeing the way Maverick took on all the responsibilities ensuring Raven was taken care of at all times, even when that meant driving back and forth between campus and his dad’s trailer, and it resulted in Maverick being tired, he didn’t matter as long as he made sure Raven was taken care of. 

One of the things I liked about this story was the anonymous texting that occurred between Delaney and Maverick. Obviously, Maverick knew fully well he was texting Delaney, but Delaney only knew that she was texting someone who was essentially her secret admirer, liked, “The Princess Bride”, and got along with her naturally. Compared to other guys, Delaney finally felt like she had found someone she genuinely loved talking to and wanted to know who the mysterious guy was behind the phone. Thankfully, once Delaney figured out it was Maverick, it was like the pieces coming together, and they finally got together! I could tell that Maverick had always had a crush on Delaney, but because Delaney had been dating Maverick’s teammate he temporarily lost his shot with her…until Delaney became single again! Maverick was determined more than ever to take the opportunity before him, and make Delaney his, and he indeed made her HIS! 

Delaney and Maverick ended up finding their happily ever after, and it all worked out. This book was easygoing, had some lighthearted moments as well as some depth to interest readers in both Delaney and Maverick’s story, and the occasional “Star Wars” and “Princess Bride” reference. If you’re looking for a fairly quick and sports romance then I think you’ll like this one. Delaney and Maverick had an instant connection, but didn’t get together until a few years later. Nonetheless, it all worked out nicely, and I loved seeing Delaney embracing Maverick’s sister as her own. I also, loved how the epilogue gave more insight as to what ended up happening with Maverick’s future specifically the NFL, and Delaney’s career that fit her perfectly. Cute romance, with some depth, and two characters falling in love.