Thank you very much to the publishers and Netgalley for sending me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I have since purchased my own copy of this book.
Clumsy but popular Eva Ojo is used to men falling for her without her trying. So when her best friend dares her to talk to a guy at Notting Hill Carnival , she meets Saint.
Comic obsessed Saint Rowe-Falade connects with Eva and agrees to attend her upcoming birthday party, but it’s soon clear he’s not interested in her in that way.
When Eva’s friends set her the ultimate bet to get Saint to fall in love with her, Eva makes it her mission to find out all of Saint’s interests and even get a job at the comic book shop he works at. But just as Saint starts to warm to Eva, and her own feelings towards him develop, Saint finds out about the bet. Can Eva pull out the big guns and convince Saint she’s into him, or is it too late to fix the damage that’s been done?
After reading Abiola Bello’s Christmas themed stories, I was excited to see she was releasing a book set in summer. The Love Dare is a YA romance that is full of humour, friendship and adorable moments.
Eva is used to men falling for her without trying. So, when her best friend dares her to take to a guy at Notting Hill Carnival, she meets Saint. Saint connects with Eva and agree to attend her upcoming birthday party, but it is clear he isn’t interested in her in that way.
When Eva’s friends set her the ultimate dare to get Saint to fall in love with her, Eva makes it her mission to find out all about Saint and his interests. But, as Saint warms to Eva, she warms to him. But, could the dare ruin it all.
I adored Eva and Saint. Both bring something different to the story and I wanted nothing but the best for both of them. Eva is hilarious, caring and trying to work out what to do next in life. Saint always looks out for those around him, is so sure of himself and would do anything for people he cares about. The pair together were adorable. I loved watching their feelings for each other develop and the banter between them both.
We get to meet a few side characters in the book all of which are excellent and stand out from one another. In particular, I enjoyed the little easter eggs to characters and settings from the author’s previous books.
This book brings up some important discussions including not knowing what to do in regards to going to university or not. I’m glad it discussed both sides of this and how you should do what is best for you in the long run.
Abiola Bello is one of my favourite YA authors out there at the moment. Her writing is funny, honest and full of joy. This book in particular is about embracing what you want, not letting others pressure you and being true to yourself. I think that is an important message for anyone to read.
Overall, The Love Dare is an excellent YA romance novel that will bring you so much joy when reading it. It is fast-paced and a book I’m sure you could read in one sitting. I’d highly recommend it!
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