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Dare to Love
Investment banker Ash Taylor left her cut-throat world to set up a cool, cutting-edge tattoo studio. Her love life’s been a lot bumpier, though. Ever since a heart-breaking affair with a straight colleague, she’s vowed to steer clear of women unsure of their sexuality.
Talent-agency executive Carmen Lyttleton is straight, career focused, and not prone to distraction from her occasional casual relationships. When her best friend gets a tattoo at Ash’s studio, Carmen finds herself unexpectedly impressed by Ash and her business.
When they accidentally meet again, Carmen is shocked by the sparks between them and the realization that she feels a lot more than just admiration for Ash’s work ethic. It can’t possibly mean what it seems…can it?
The pull between the women is powerful but so are their fears, old baggage, and stubbornness. Can they dare to love?
A slow-burn lesbian romance about leaving the past behind and opening your heart to new possibilities.
Talent-agency executive Carmen Lyttleton is straight, career focused, and not prone to distraction from her occasional casual relationships. When her best friend gets a tattoo at Ash’s studio, Carmen finds herself unexpectedly impressed by Ash and her business.
When they accidentally meet again, Carmen is shocked by the sparks between them and the realization that she feels a lot more than just admiration for Ash’s work ethic. It can’t possibly mean what it seems…can it?
The pull between the women is powerful but so are their fears, old baggage, and stubbornness. Can they dare to love?
A slow-burn lesbian romance about leaving the past behind and opening your heart to new possibilities.
270 pages, Paperback
First published April 15, 2020
194 people are currently reading
708 people want to read
About the author
A.L. Brooks
23 books330 followersA.L. Brooks was born in the UK but currently resides in Frankfurt, Germany, and over the years she has lived in places as far afield as Aberdeen and Australia. She works 9–5 in corporate financial systems and her dream is to take early retirement. Like, tomorrow, please. She loves her gym membership, and is very grateful for it as she also loves dark chocolate. She enjoys drinking good wine and craft beer, trying out new recipes to cook, and learning German. Travelling around the world and reading lots and lots (and lots) of books are also things that fight for time with her writing. Yep, she really needs that early retirement.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
April 30, 2020
3.50 Stars. This was a sweet, slow-burn, toaster oven romance. This is technically a sequel to Write Your Own Script. What I mean by that is that the main characters from that book are secondary characters in this one. You could read this book without reading WYOS first, but it is nice seeing characters from that book really get their HEA in this one. I did enjoy WYOS slightly more than this book, but it’s because I’m a sucker for “celebrity” or “Hollywood romances”. I did enjoy this read and I expect most fans of slow-burn romances will too.
I found myself drawn into the main characters lives right away. One is the owner of a tattoo shop and the other owns a talent agency. One of the mains is 43, the other is slightly younger but I don’t know if it was ever said so I was guessing maybe 38. I liked the mains being a little more mature and set in life except for their love life. They had good heads on their shoulders and were just likeable. There always was a storyline with one of the mains trying to help her teenage niece with the coming out process and that was really sweet to read.
This is slow-burn. I’m a fan of my romances to be medium to slow so I’m always up for a good slow-burn. What I like about the slower process is that you get to see the chemistry really develop before your eyes and by the time they finally have sex, you are like “yes, finally!” And that is exactly what happened in this book. The chemistry was really well done for my tastes. The actually sex scenes didn’t blow me away, but since it was the first wlw relationship for one of the mains, you didn’t want her to be a porn star already, that would just not be believable. I was glad they finally found the bedroom, so I was fine with it and honestly their chemistry together did make the sex scenes steamier than the actual mechanics of it, if that makes any sense.
While I did like a lot that was here, I did have few issues. For one, how can you date a tattoo artist and not let her tattoo you? This is really a fake issue that I didn’t take into account in my rating, but yes I did actually think this while reading. My real main issue was the story behind the angst. I did like where the angst in this book occurred. I liked that it all happened before the “I love yous”. The problem I had was the origin story behind the angst. One character was so damaged by another woman, that it affected her dating life still to this day. I kept thinking wow it must have been really bad. But when they story comes out I’m like that’s it?! I mean it must have sucked and I felt sorry for her of course but I can think of a million people who has had worse heartbreak. I needed a much more dramatic story for the way that main character was acting so damaged.
So while yes this book had a few bumps for me, I still really enjoyed it. There was a lot of good in here and I’m glad I read it. I do want to warn that it is a slow, slow-burn romance. If that is not your thing this book might not be for you. If you are a slow-burn fan, chances are good that you will enjoy this too.
An ARC was given to me for a honest review.
I found myself drawn into the main characters lives right away. One is the owner of a tattoo shop and the other owns a talent agency. One of the mains is 43, the other is slightly younger but I don’t know if it was ever said so I was guessing maybe 38. I liked the mains being a little more mature and set in life except for their love life. They had good heads on their shoulders and were just likeable. There always was a storyline with one of the mains trying to help her teenage niece with the coming out process and that was really sweet to read.
This is slow-burn. I’m a fan of my romances to be medium to slow so I’m always up for a good slow-burn. What I like about the slower process is that you get to see the chemistry really develop before your eyes and by the time they finally have sex, you are like “yes, finally!” And that is exactly what happened in this book. The chemistry was really well done for my tastes. The actually sex scenes didn’t blow me away, but since it was the first wlw relationship for one of the mains, you didn’t want her to be a porn star already, that would just not be believable. I was glad they finally found the bedroom, so I was fine with it and honestly their chemistry together did make the sex scenes steamier than the actual mechanics of it, if that makes any sense.
While I did like a lot that was here, I did have few issues. For one, how can you date a tattoo artist and not let her tattoo you? This is really a fake issue that I didn’t take into account in my rating, but yes I did actually think this while reading. My real main issue was the story behind the angst. I did like where the angst in this book occurred. I liked that it all happened before the “I love yous”. The problem I had was the origin story behind the angst. One character was so damaged by another woman, that it affected her dating life still to this day. I kept thinking wow it must have been really bad. But when they story comes out I’m like that’s it?! I mean it must have sucked and I felt sorry for her of course but I can think of a million people who has had worse heartbreak. I needed a much more dramatic story for the way that main character was acting so damaged.
So while yes this book had a few bumps for me, I still really enjoyed it. There was a lot of good in here and I’m glad I read it. I do want to warn that it is a slow, slow-burn romance. If that is not your thing this book might not be for you. If you are a slow-burn fan, chances are good that you will enjoy this too.
An ARC was given to me for a honest review.
April 17, 2020
Phoenix rising.
Carmen is a self-made talent manager for celebrities. She is overworked and just going through the motions with her boyfriend of convenience. After a meeting with her lesbian friends, Tamsyn and Maggie, she realizes that she wants what they have. A meaningful and loving relationship.
Ash is a self-made business owner. After slaving away as an investment broker, she realized that she was killing herself for nothing. Now she owns her own business and creates works of art on people's skin.
Carmen accompanies her best friend, Felicity, to get a post divorce tattoo. There, she meets the charming and handsome butch, Ash. Carmen is thrown by her attraction to Ash since for as far as she can remember she has been a member of the boys only club.
Carmen starts to pursue a friendship with Ash to explore the connection she felt. Ash is into Carmen but has had a bad experience with falling for a straight woman in the the past so she is hesitant to get too close.
I enjoyed this story because Carmen wasn't flippant with her newfound attraction to Ash. A lot of books where someone is newly discovering their sexuality, they seem to go back and forth and generally confuse everyone involved. I liked that this one avoided the whole dramatic hot/cold aspect we so often see. Alternatively, the drama mainly comes from Ash and her putting Carmen in a straight girl box and assuming she will get hurt because she is obviously and stereotypically confused and just wanting a sapphic try-out.
While I liked the characters and the story, I found the book dragging a bit in places. Both main characters had family and friends that they would go and recount whatever had happened and how they were feeling. Too often, really. I give Brooks major kudos for not falling into the trap of re-telling everything in a different way. That would have made this DNF material. But it still had a sense of repetitiveness to it. The friends seemed mostly superficial. Nothing really deep there except to provide a way for the main characters to process and move the story forward. With the small exception of Ash's family drama
Overall, I thought that the chemistry between Carmen and Ash was good. I love slow burn romance and this was exactly that. The anticipation of two people flitting and fluttering around each other before coming together is so satisfying.
I didn't recognize Carmen or her friends, Tamsyn and Maggie, from the book 'Write Your Own Script.' It wasn't until after I read acknowledgements in the end that I was made aware. I might have enjoyed it had I realized that tie-in earlier. It has been a little while since I read that one.
I recommend to people who enjoy reading about romance, questioning sexuality, celebrities, tattoo artists, double espressos, gin, travel, and pastries.
I received an ARC from the publisher for an honest review.
Carmen is a self-made talent manager for celebrities. She is overworked and just going through the motions with her boyfriend of convenience. After a meeting with her lesbian friends, Tamsyn and Maggie, she realizes that she wants what they have. A meaningful and loving relationship.
Ash is a self-made business owner. After slaving away as an investment broker, she realized that she was killing herself for nothing. Now she owns her own business and creates works of art on people's skin.
Carmen accompanies her best friend, Felicity, to get a post divorce tattoo. There, she meets the charming and handsome butch, Ash. Carmen is thrown by her attraction to Ash since for as far as she can remember she has been a member of the boys only club.
Carmen starts to pursue a friendship with Ash to explore the connection she felt. Ash is into Carmen but has had a bad experience with falling for a straight woman in the the past so she is hesitant to get too close.
I enjoyed this story because Carmen wasn't flippant with her newfound attraction to Ash. A lot of books where someone is newly discovering their sexuality, they seem to go back and forth and generally confuse everyone involved. I liked that this one avoided the whole dramatic hot/cold aspect we so often see. Alternatively, the drama mainly comes from Ash and her putting Carmen in a straight girl box and assuming she will get hurt because she is obviously and stereotypically confused and just wanting a sapphic try-out.
While I liked the characters and the story, I found the book dragging a bit in places. Both main characters had family and friends that they would go and recount whatever had happened and how they were feeling. Too often, really. I give Brooks major kudos for not falling into the trap of re-telling everything in a different way. That would have made this DNF material. But it still had a sense of repetitiveness to it. The friends seemed mostly superficial. Nothing really deep there except to provide a way for the main characters to process and move the story forward. With the small exception of Ash's family drama
Overall, I thought that the chemistry between Carmen and Ash was good. I love slow burn romance and this was exactly that. The anticipation of two people flitting and fluttering around each other before coming together is so satisfying.
I didn't recognize Carmen or her friends, Tamsyn and Maggie, from the book 'Write Your Own Script.' It wasn't until after I read acknowledgements in the end that I was made aware. I might have enjoyed it had I realized that tie-in earlier. It has been a little while since I read that one.
I recommend to people who enjoy reading about romance, questioning sexuality, celebrities, tattoo artists, double espressos, gin, travel, and pastries.
I received an ARC from the publisher for an honest review.
July 20, 2020
This is a lovely, gentle romance set in the same universe as Write Your Own Script. Carmen has worked hard to get her business representing artists to where it is and now, most of the time it consumes her life. She sees her boyfriend when she can but it’s a pretty lacklustre relationship. When her best friend, Felicity, decides to get a tattoo celebrating her 2nd divorce, she goes along for moral support. Carmen finds herself being drawn to Ash, the tattoo artist, and a chance meeting a few days later leads to another. Carmen has never had any attraction to women so this is a new feeling at the age of 43 and one she’s not sure what to do with.
I don’t think this needs to be read in sequence with Write Your Own Script but it would be a loss not to because they are both wonderful stories. Although the story is told from both Carmen and Ash’s points of view I had a better understanding of Carmen, probably because she had three friends to confide in. Ash was more of a loner with her life entangled in a disagreement with her sister over her niece. This was a really nice plot line in the story because it at least gave some background to Ash’s life.
I sometimes find slow-burn romances don’t hold my attention the entire way through because the tension is difficult to sustain. This is definitely not the case here and I read the entire novel in one sitting. It was also nice to have my country visited even if it was a minor background destination. Well worth reading but make sure you have a stash of pasteis de nata (Portuguese custard tarts) on the side.
Book received from Ylva Publishing for an honest review.
I don’t think this needs to be read in sequence with Write Your Own Script but it would be a loss not to because they are both wonderful stories. Although the story is told from both Carmen and Ash’s points of view I had a better understanding of Carmen, probably because she had three friends to confide in. Ash was more of a loner with her life entangled in a disagreement with her sister over her niece. This was a really nice plot line in the story because it at least gave some background to Ash’s life.
I sometimes find slow-burn romances don’t hold my attention the entire way through because the tension is difficult to sustain. This is definitely not the case here and I read the entire novel in one sitting. It was also nice to have my country visited even if it was a minor background destination. Well worth reading but make sure you have a stash of pasteis de nata (Portuguese custard tarts) on the side.
Book received from Ylva Publishing for an honest review.
August 12, 2020
Very nice, well written and warm romantic story with likeable characters. I like Brooks writing style. This was an enjoyable read for me and my rating is 3.8 stars which comes to four. Enjoyable as it was I don’t think I wil read this again soon. It was a little too slow for me for that.
October 31, 2020
3.5 Stars
Slow burn romance with Carmen ordering her own toaster oven which was a refreshing change and a nice update to one of the first WLW romance tropes. Ash and Carmen are beautiful, have interesting careers and are mature enough to recognize their attraction. They also carry baggage which must be acknowledged and handled. Characters from Write Your Own Script make an appearance but this can easily be read as a standalone novel. It's a sweet romance that drags a bit while the women work out their differences. I'm not a big fan of celebrity romances so that also impacted my reading pleasure.
Slow burn romance with Carmen ordering her own toaster oven which was a refreshing change and a nice update to one of the first WLW romance tropes. Ash and Carmen are beautiful, have interesting careers and are mature enough to recognize their attraction. They also carry baggage which must be acknowledged and handled. Characters from Write Your Own Script make an appearance but this can easily be read as a standalone novel. It's a sweet romance that drags a bit while the women work out their differences. I'm not a big fan of celebrity romances so that also impacted my reading pleasure.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 5, 2020
A.L. Brooks is one of those consistent authors that we all love to read. You know when you get one of her books that it will be interesting and well written. That is definitely the case with her latest novel, Dare to Love.
This is a slow-burn, coming-out romance. Ash Taylor is a tattoo artist with her own business. She used to be a corporate banker until she decided to leave that stressful job to run her own tattoo shop. Carmen Lyttleton is a successful talent agent who has always considered herself to be a straight woman, at least until she meets Ash. There is such a connection, a spark that gets stronger every time the two women are together. The attraction is strong, but there are many obstacles in the way to true love for these two women.
This book is a companion novel to Ms. Brooks’ Write Your Own Script, and you will find the main characters in that book are fairly important secondary characters in this one. I do love seeing characters that I’ve connected with in other stories continuing to thrive in new tales.
This book also deals with a main character finding her true sexuality later in life. This is refreshing since it happens more often than you think in real life. Ms. Brooks handled this well from the perspective of both characters. There is also a secondary story line in this novel that shows Ash’s young niece questioning her own sexuality, so you actually have a chance to see two people from two very different age groups going through the process of coming out.
All of the characters in this novel are well-developed and realistic, both main and secondary characters. The romance is heart-warming and I had a good time reading it. Though Dare to Love and Write Your Own Script are companion books, you do not have to read them both to appreciate them. However, I can recommend them both as lovely romances you would definitely enjoy.
I received an ARC from Ylva Publishing for an honest review.
This is a slow-burn, coming-out romance. Ash Taylor is a tattoo artist with her own business. She used to be a corporate banker until she decided to leave that stressful job to run her own tattoo shop. Carmen Lyttleton is a successful talent agent who has always considered herself to be a straight woman, at least until she meets Ash. There is such a connection, a spark that gets stronger every time the two women are together. The attraction is strong, but there are many obstacles in the way to true love for these two women.
This book is a companion novel to Ms. Brooks’ Write Your Own Script, and you will find the main characters in that book are fairly important secondary characters in this one. I do love seeing characters that I’ve connected with in other stories continuing to thrive in new tales.
This book also deals with a main character finding her true sexuality later in life. This is refreshing since it happens more often than you think in real life. Ms. Brooks handled this well from the perspective of both characters. There is also a secondary story line in this novel that shows Ash’s young niece questioning her own sexuality, so you actually have a chance to see two people from two very different age groups going through the process of coming out.
All of the characters in this novel are well-developed and realistic, both main and secondary characters. The romance is heart-warming and I had a good time reading it. Though Dare to Love and Write Your Own Script are companion books, you do not have to read them both to appreciate them. However, I can recommend them both as lovely romances you would definitely enjoy.
I received an ARC from Ylva Publishing for an honest review.
April 8, 2020
This book will appeal to lovers of long, slow burns. The majority of the book explores one woman discovering she has feelings for a woman and questioning what that means every step of the way. Equally, her love interest questions what that means, every step of the way.
The story is told from both heroine's point-of-view which is something I always appreciate. Other than the heroines' inner battles with themselves, there's not a lot of angst, another plus during a time of uncertainty in the world.
Recommended to those who like a slow burn romance with a heroine coming to terms with her sexuality later in life.
ARC provided by Ylva Publishing upon my request
The story is told from both heroine's point-of-view which is something I always appreciate. Other than the heroines' inner battles with themselves, there's not a lot of angst, another plus during a time of uncertainty in the world.
Recommended to those who like a slow burn romance with a heroine coming to terms with her sexuality later in life.
ARC provided by Ylva Publishing upon my request
June 15, 2020
his book takes slow burn to a whole new level, and for someone who isn’t always a massive fan of slow-burn, I understood why the author wrote it this way. You couldn’t rush Carmen and Ash’s romance because of Ash’s past hurts but also because of Carmen’s not-so-straight revelation. Carmen is learning about a new side of herself and Ash is learning to open up a side of herself she’s had to deny for a long time.
I really enjoyed watching Carmen discover the new side of her personality and sexuality! She was on the most significant journey, and it was a delight to watch her open up instead of living in denial.
I would call this book a sequel, as it follows on from the authors other book Write Your Own Script and I was so glad that we got some glimpses into Tamsyn and Maggie’s now happily ever after. I especially loved all the advice they gave to Carmen.
My one and only negative would be that I felt the story slowed substantially in a few areas where I would have liked things to have ramped up on an emotional front.
My one and only would be that I felt the story slowed substantially in a few areas where I would have liked things to have ramped up on an emotional front.
This is book is a fantastic follow up and I really enjoyed getting to know Carmen more. Now if A.L. Brooks wants to jump into the future and write the lovely, Sophie’s story… Trifecta?
Go grab a cuppa and settle in for Carmen and Ash’s beautiful love story.
I really enjoyed watching Carmen discover the new side of her personality and sexuality! She was on the most significant journey, and it was a delight to watch her open up instead of living in denial.
I would call this book a sequel, as it follows on from the authors other book Write Your Own Script and I was so glad that we got some glimpses into Tamsyn and Maggie’s now happily ever after. I especially loved all the advice they gave to Carmen.
My one and only negative would be that I felt the story slowed substantially in a few areas where I would have liked things to have ramped up on an emotional front.
My one and only would be that I felt the story slowed substantially in a few areas where I would have liked things to have ramped up on an emotional front.
This is book is a fantastic follow up and I really enjoyed getting to know Carmen more. Now if A.L. Brooks wants to jump into the future and write the lovely, Sophie’s story… Trifecta?
Go grab a cuppa and settle in for Carmen and Ash’s beautiful love story.
September 11, 2024
I listen to the audio on this one and the narration was great. Very easy to differentiate the two characters. One with a posh accent and the other with a cockney tinge.
This story was very life like and honest. Carmen is a 43 year old business women discovering her attraction to Ash, a tattoo artist.
This story was very life like and honest. Carmen is a 43 year old business women discovering her attraction to Ash, a tattoo artist.
August 8, 2020
3.5* An enjoyable slow-burn romance involving Carmen, a 40+ yr old woman who discovered that she might be attracted to Ash. Having never even thought about romance with another woman, we see Carmen as she deals with this revelation about herself. Ash has her own issues, having been heart-broken by a straight woman before. But their attraction and chemistry is undeniable. They bond over coffee and Portuguese egg tarts. There's a secondary plot of Ash's 14 yr old niece discovering she's attracted to girls too. So it's a nice parallel to have these 2 people in very different stages of their lives, exploring their sexuality. This is also a companion novel to A.L. Brooks other book, Write Your Own Script. The MCs of that book, Tamsyn and Maggie, also appear in this book, as Carmen is Tamsyn's agent. As always, it's great to see couples from previous books "living on" as it were, after their story ended in their book. For those who have read the other book, this one is definitely much slower paced. But, it's understandable as both MCs are hesitant to dive into a relationship for their own personal reasons. Overall, a gentle romance that's a very easy read.
May 5, 2020
I suppose it's not easy at all to realize in your 40s that you might be lesbian, or at least bi. Not easy at all. So I liked the story of Carmen. She's really adorable. I liked also the appearance in this book of Tamsyn and Maggie (and Gizmo)—the main characters of Write Your Own Script. It was nice to meet them again.
July 14, 2020
This is a slowburn, slice of life romance between Carmen, an overworked talent agent who has always believed she’s straight, and Ash who was badly burned by a straight women years ago and still carries the scars.
The sexual tension is written very well, subtle at first and then gets stronger until they can’t ignore it anymore. Carmen especially has several discussions with her friends, and her journey is mirrored by Ash’s niece Sophie. Ash hangs into her insecurities for too long, causing some friction and grief in the budding relationship.
Overall, communication is well done, if sometimes overdone where the same incident is discussed several times with different people. The actual relationship is very slow-moving, which I thought was fitting, given the late-bloomer aspect.
The ending was abrupt. I kept checking the percent remaining and wondering when the other shoe would fall. There’s an epilogue, which wraps things up nicely but I would have liked to see Carmen and Ash together as a couple for just a bit longer.
Overall, a nice read. Carmen is with a man at the beginning, but there aren’t any MF intimate scenes.
My rating: four stars
The sexual tension is written very well, subtle at first and then gets stronger until they can’t ignore it anymore. Carmen especially has several discussions with her friends, and her journey is mirrored by Ash’s niece Sophie. Ash hangs into her insecurities for too long, causing some friction and grief in the budding relationship.
Overall, communication is well done, if sometimes overdone where the same incident is discussed several times with different people. The actual relationship is very slow-moving, which I thought was fitting, given the late-bloomer aspect.
The ending was abrupt. I kept checking the percent remaining and wondering when the other shoe would fall. There’s an epilogue, which wraps things up nicely but I would have liked to see Carmen and Ash together as a couple for just a bit longer.
Overall, a nice read. Carmen is with a man at the beginning, but there aren’t any MF intimate scenes.
My rating: four stars
September 22, 2020
Really enjoyed this book - fantastic minor charcters who really worked well - sister, niece etc - and great to catch up with old friends from previous book (Write your Own Script.) One of my favourite reads of 20/21.
April 30, 2022
3.75 stars
While not breaking any new ground with this very slow burn toaster oven romance, I found it enjoyable. Talent agent Carmen Lyttleton is thrown for a loop when in her early 40s she finds she is attracted to Ash Taylor, the owner of a tattoo studio she happens to meet when her best friend drags her along for moral support to an appointment. While Carmen finds Ash's business and personality interesting, it's when she runs into her later that she registers a spark of attraction.
Carmen has been dating a man for some time, and although it's been comfortable, something is missing. But she's never been attracted to a woman before, so how can that be happening now?
Ash can't help but notice how beautiful and appealing Carmen is, but knows she's straight so wouldn't even consider looking at her beyond friendship. But when Carmen slowly comes to terms with her feelings, how can Ash possibly consider allowing her in, setting herself up for certain heartbreak? She's been down that road once before and swore she'd never do it again.
I listened to this on audio and while the narration was okay, I found myself wondering if I would have enjoyed the written word more. I may allow some time to pass and try that. I can usually picture characters in my head when I'm enjoying a book and in this case I could never quite do it. There's a lot of coming to terms for both of these characters that takes up the bulk of the book. There is a nice secondary story about Ash's teenage niece, who is also awakening to her sexuality that I really appreciated.
I am fortunate to have been able to listen to this through my library because it's not one I would want to own otherwise. I really like AL Brooks as an author and am interested in trying this in another format in the future.
While not breaking any new ground with this very slow burn toaster oven romance, I found it enjoyable. Talent agent Carmen Lyttleton is thrown for a loop when in her early 40s she finds she is attracted to Ash Taylor, the owner of a tattoo studio she happens to meet when her best friend drags her along for moral support to an appointment. While Carmen finds Ash's business and personality interesting, it's when she runs into her later that she registers a spark of attraction.
Carmen has been dating a man for some time, and although it's been comfortable, something is missing. But she's never been attracted to a woman before, so how can that be happening now?
Ash can't help but notice how beautiful and appealing Carmen is, but knows she's straight so wouldn't even consider looking at her beyond friendship. But when Carmen slowly comes to terms with her feelings, how can Ash possibly consider allowing her in, setting herself up for certain heartbreak? She's been down that road once before and swore she'd never do it again.
I listened to this on audio and while the narration was okay, I found myself wondering if I would have enjoyed the written word more. I may allow some time to pass and try that. I can usually picture characters in my head when I'm enjoying a book and in this case I could never quite do it. There's a lot of coming to terms for both of these characters that takes up the bulk of the book. There is a nice secondary story about Ash's teenage niece, who is also awakening to her sexuality that I really appreciated.
I am fortunate to have been able to listen to this through my library because it's not one I would want to own otherwise. I really like AL Brooks as an author and am interested in trying this in another format in the future.
April 1, 2020
I keep repeating myself when it comes to reviewing books by Ms Brooks but I can’t help it. Her books just keep getting better.
Ash Taylor grew up on the wrong side of town but that didn’t stop her from going to university, only to graduate and promptly find herself a job as an investment banker. The money was good but after a few years she just couldn’t take it anymore. Deciding to quit she looked into opening her own studio, working as a tattoo artist. She had made the mistake of falling for a former co-worker that she knew was straight, so the idea of ever dating another straight woman wasn’t part of her plans.
Carmen Lyttleton was enjoying her life, working as an agent for the stars including actress Tamsyn Harris ( Write Your Own Script). Her love life, if you could call that, consisted of dating Gerald for the past three years, a man she knew she could never love. The only question was how long she could endure it.
When Carmen’s best friend Felicity decides she wants a tattoo she asks Carmen to go with her. And that is when Carmen and Ash meet. Remember Carmen is straight, she had never been interested in the fairer sex. And Ash had no intentions of ever dating a straight woman again.
Ms Brooks has given us a very enjoyable story. Fast paced, with a few little surprises make this a great little read. A very nice read.
ARC via Ylva Publishing
Ash Taylor grew up on the wrong side of town but that didn’t stop her from going to university, only to graduate and promptly find herself a job as an investment banker. The money was good but after a few years she just couldn’t take it anymore. Deciding to quit she looked into opening her own studio, working as a tattoo artist. She had made the mistake of falling for a former co-worker that she knew was straight, so the idea of ever dating another straight woman wasn’t part of her plans.
Carmen Lyttleton was enjoying her life, working as an agent for the stars including actress Tamsyn Harris ( Write Your Own Script). Her love life, if you could call that, consisted of dating Gerald for the past three years, a man she knew she could never love. The only question was how long she could endure it.
When Carmen’s best friend Felicity decides she wants a tattoo she asks Carmen to go with her. And that is when Carmen and Ash meet. Remember Carmen is straight, she had never been interested in the fairer sex. And Ash had no intentions of ever dating a straight woman again.
Ms Brooks has given us a very enjoyable story. Fast paced, with a few little surprises make this a great little read. A very nice read.
ARC via Ylva Publishing
May 20, 2020
I really want a love like that!!!
Carmen finds herself intrigued by tattooist, Ash when accompanying best friend Felicity for her first tattoo. When she can’t get Ash off of her mind, and they casually bump into each other a couple of times, Carmen can’t deny she feels some attraction to Ash. But she’d always dated men, and worries that she might just be having some sort of mid-life crisis where Ash is concerned.
Unable to concentrate at work, and unable to deny the pull she feels to Ash, the desire to spend time with her after they have a couple of evenings out as friends, Carmen has a big decision to make. But Ash is wary of falling in love with another straight women and getting hurt. Together they have to work through their hang ups, and worries, past experiences, and doubt if they want the happiness they are sure they’ll find together.
This was totally amazing, and I had withdrawal symptoms the second I put the book down. I just didn’t want it to end and I hadn’t had enough of the slow burn perfection that was Carmen and Ash! (You know this means I am praying there will be more from them in future.) Sheer perfection, it’s the only way I can describe this. Carmen is a character we first met in Write Your Own Script, so naturally there was cross over in the universe for this story and it just added to my love of it (Tamsyn and Maggie, you guys, I can’t even!!!) but then here come Carmen and Ash, and I am like speechless. They were so suited to each other that they were literally perfect. The connection and love you can only dream to find.
I was complete emotional wreck after reading this because I was just so happy. It’s one of those ‘I’ve just finished, pick it up, start again, over and over’ books. I just can’t get enough of it. The whole story, the characters, everything easily makes this one of my favourite A. L. Brooks stories (because let’s face it, you can’t have just one favourite of hers, they’re all amazing and just get better and better!) My soul is happy because Carmen and Ash had insecurities, vulnerabilities, and all sorts of things that made them so beautiful. We were on a rollercoaster with them and watching them fall in love was just *sigh* so beautifully romantic.
The biggest thing for me though was the important message with this story, both in the main plot and a smaller sub plot, about coming out. You can experience feelings for another person, or feel different at any point in your life and whether young or old, you will be supported if you discover this and find yourself on a journey to discovering something about yourself that might be quite scary but no matter what, it will be ok and there is lots of support and love. It was a lovely message to include, and I think especially in Carmen’s case. She was extremely brave, and I admire her greatly. You don’t have to supress any feelings you have if they are true.
Truly beautiful and the most wonderful romance that I highly recommend. Completely in love!!!
Carmen finds herself intrigued by tattooist, Ash when accompanying best friend Felicity for her first tattoo. When she can’t get Ash off of her mind, and they casually bump into each other a couple of times, Carmen can’t deny she feels some attraction to Ash. But she’d always dated men, and worries that she might just be having some sort of mid-life crisis where Ash is concerned.
Unable to concentrate at work, and unable to deny the pull she feels to Ash, the desire to spend time with her after they have a couple of evenings out as friends, Carmen has a big decision to make. But Ash is wary of falling in love with another straight women and getting hurt. Together they have to work through their hang ups, and worries, past experiences, and doubt if they want the happiness they are sure they’ll find together.
This was totally amazing, and I had withdrawal symptoms the second I put the book down. I just didn’t want it to end and I hadn’t had enough of the slow burn perfection that was Carmen and Ash! (You know this means I am praying there will be more from them in future.) Sheer perfection, it’s the only way I can describe this. Carmen is a character we first met in Write Your Own Script, so naturally there was cross over in the universe for this story and it just added to my love of it (Tamsyn and Maggie, you guys, I can’t even!!!) but then here come Carmen and Ash, and I am like speechless. They were so suited to each other that they were literally perfect. The connection and love you can only dream to find.
I was complete emotional wreck after reading this because I was just so happy. It’s one of those ‘I’ve just finished, pick it up, start again, over and over’ books. I just can’t get enough of it. The whole story, the characters, everything easily makes this one of my favourite A. L. Brooks stories (because let’s face it, you can’t have just one favourite of hers, they’re all amazing and just get better and better!) My soul is happy because Carmen and Ash had insecurities, vulnerabilities, and all sorts of things that made them so beautiful. We were on a rollercoaster with them and watching them fall in love was just *sigh* so beautifully romantic.
The biggest thing for me though was the important message with this story, both in the main plot and a smaller sub plot, about coming out. You can experience feelings for another person, or feel different at any point in your life and whether young or old, you will be supported if you discover this and find yourself on a journey to discovering something about yourself that might be quite scary but no matter what, it will be ok and there is lots of support and love. It was a lovely message to include, and I think especially in Carmen’s case. She was extremely brave, and I admire her greatly. You don’t have to supress any feelings you have if they are true.
Truly beautiful and the most wonderful romance that I highly recommend. Completely in love!!!
March 31, 2020
*ARC from Ylva for Review*
I have to say, I didn't read the "prequel" Write Your Own Script and don't know the characters from there. And the book thankfully doesn't require it.
Here we have on the one side Carmen, a talent agent entrepreneur, so engulfed in her work she becomes overworked. And on the other side is Ash, a tattoo artist, set in her work, serene. Clearly at opposites in their lives, they met by chance several times and build up a friendship.
While Carmen til then only had male love interests, Ash seems to become one too. So for the first part of the story Carmen comes to terms with her attraction to a woman. Meanwhile Ash fights with her sister about her niece who struggles with her new interest in girls too.
We meet a lot of secondary characters but they keep in the background, mostly giving - mainly Carmen - a sounding board.
And after Carmen confesses her attraction to Ash, it now is Ash's time to struggle with that. Scarred from a previous, rather disastrous experience, she has to overcome her fear.
Overall it was a pleasant read. No earth shattering or enlightening but also without any unnecessary villains or some over engineered hindrances. Ash's angst was not overly stretched, just a tad annoying. And the play with expectations in the epilogue was a nice goodbye.
I have to say, I didn't read the "prequel" Write Your Own Script and don't know the characters from there. And the book thankfully doesn't require it.
Here we have on the one side Carmen, a talent agent entrepreneur, so engulfed in her work she becomes overworked. And on the other side is Ash, a tattoo artist, set in her work, serene. Clearly at opposites in their lives, they met by chance several times and build up a friendship.
While Carmen til then only had male love interests, Ash seems to become one too. So for the first part of the story Carmen comes to terms with her attraction to a woman. Meanwhile Ash fights with her sister about her niece who struggles with her new interest in girls too.
We meet a lot of secondary characters but they keep in the background, mostly giving - mainly Carmen - a sounding board.
And after Carmen confesses her attraction to Ash, it now is Ash's time to struggle with that. Scarred from a previous, rather disastrous experience, she has to overcome her fear.
Overall it was a pleasant read. No earth shattering or enlightening but also without any unnecessary villains or some over engineered hindrances. Ash's angst was not overly stretched, just a tad annoying. And the play with expectations in the epilogue was a nice goodbye.
April 2, 2020
It is always refreshing in this youth obsessed world to find a romance novel which has women in their forties as the main characters.
A.L. Brooks also brings into play two mains characters from her 2019 novel Write Your Own Script. I always enjoy the inter connectivity of known characters from previous novels surfacing into new ones. To me it creates a community feel to the story.
Dare To Love is about Carmen, a self made and driven talent agent who feels a strong attraction to a woman for the first time in her life. Ash is a former high finance investment banker who uncomplicated her life and became a tattoo artist. Her heart broken by a straight woman who was experimenting, Ash vowed to never put herself in that position again.
Carmen’s coming to terms with her sexuality mirrors Ash’s 14 year old niece’s journey. It is interesting to see the added complexities and pressures adulthood adds to this journey when mirrored against Sophie the niece.
This is a lovely slow boil romance with characters you care about and cheer on. The build up is worth traveling through the angst to see love shine.
4⭐️
A.L. Brooks also brings into play two mains characters from her 2019 novel Write Your Own Script. I always enjoy the inter connectivity of known characters from previous novels surfacing into new ones. To me it creates a community feel to the story.
Dare To Love is about Carmen, a self made and driven talent agent who feels a strong attraction to a woman for the first time in her life. Ash is a former high finance investment banker who uncomplicated her life and became a tattoo artist. Her heart broken by a straight woman who was experimenting, Ash vowed to never put herself in that position again.
Carmen’s coming to terms with her sexuality mirrors Ash’s 14 year old niece’s journey. It is interesting to see the added complexities and pressures adulthood adds to this journey when mirrored against Sophie the niece.
This is a lovely slow boil romance with characters you care about and cheer on. The build up is worth traveling through the angst to see love shine.
4⭐️
April 16, 2020
This one is a bit of a sequel to Brooks' Write Your Own Script this time focusing on the gregarious agent Cameron and a new character, Ash. Both women are pretty strong personalities, and they don't necessarily clash because of that, but other things that they have to work through. The biggest is when they first meet, they instantly feel a deep connection, but Cameron is pretty darn sure she's straight as an arrow. Ash also has problems with women using her as either a fling or experiment, one woman especially has pretty much messed her up for anything else.
This is a more well rounded book than the first book in this universe, mostly due to the way the main relationship builds up. There's a lot of give and take, but it builds on that, and the women are capable of communicating with each other clearly, even if one is hurt. It also helps that the chemistry is off the charts and both women have a hard time justifying why they shouldn't give the relationship a chance. It was great fun watching them figure this whole thing out. Recommended.
I received this ARC from Ylva in exchange for my honest review.
This is a more well rounded book than the first book in this universe, mostly due to the way the main relationship builds up. There's a lot of give and take, but it builds on that, and the women are capable of communicating with each other clearly, even if one is hurt. It also helps that the chemistry is off the charts and both women have a hard time justifying why they shouldn't give the relationship a chance. It was great fun watching them figure this whole thing out. Recommended.
I received this ARC from Ylva in exchange for my honest review.
June 14, 2020
ARC received via Ylva in exchange for an honest review.
This is a follow on from Write Your Own Script and features Carmen (Tamsyn’s agent) and Ash, a tattoo artist. The two meet when Carmen’s BFF decides to get a tattoo in reaction to her latest breakup. Carmen is intrigued by Ash, who doesn’t fit any of Carmen’s preconceived ideas of what a tattoo artist would be like. They meet again by chance and start up a friendship. Both MCs are mid 40s and written as fully fleshed out, with careers, family and friends that enrich their lives.
Ash has been burnt by a straight girl in the past, so she’s up front about only wanting a friendship with Carmen, even though they are both falling for the other. Ash is also helping her 14 yr old niece Sophie (who is a delight) through the coming out process. This also involves Ash’s sister, Courtney, and some of their scenes were really moving.
On Carmen’s side, we have Tamsyn and Maggie from ‘Write’ and Carmen’s best friend Felicity, who I thought was going to be some vapid divorcee, but was a wonderful friend. Carmen’s brother Tristan and his partner are also featured, and I loved the scenes between the siblings, their relationship was very sweet.
The relationship between the MCs is the very definition of a slow burn. Even after they get together there’s no rush towards sexy times, so if you’re waiting for that, you’ve got a long wait. This is the opposite of ‘Write’ in that regard. I loved the slow build and that we got to see the MCs get to know each other. I also liked that though this is a coming out story for Carmen, she wasn’t tooing and froing at any point, she discussed her fears with her friends and with Ash, and was very brave about putting herself out there. Her first attempt at that had me choking up.
The only downside in the story was Ash’s hesitation about becoming involved with Carmen, I could understand her hesitation (although I thought her backstory was a little too... I don’t know, it just didn’t seem like something that should have held her back for as long as it did, given that the relationship wasn’t even a relationship, but YMMV). In any event it got too repetitive towards the end, and is the reason I knocked off a star.
This is a lovely romance between two sweet MCs who deserve their HEA, with the added benefit of also being able to catch up with Tamsyn and Maggie again. Four stars.
This is a follow on from Write Your Own Script and features Carmen (Tamsyn’s agent) and Ash, a tattoo artist. The two meet when Carmen’s BFF decides to get a tattoo in reaction to her latest breakup. Carmen is intrigued by Ash, who doesn’t fit any of Carmen’s preconceived ideas of what a tattoo artist would be like. They meet again by chance and start up a friendship. Both MCs are mid 40s and written as fully fleshed out, with careers, family and friends that enrich their lives.
Ash has been burnt by a straight girl in the past, so she’s up front about only wanting a friendship with Carmen, even though they are both falling for the other. Ash is also helping her 14 yr old niece Sophie (who is a delight) through the coming out process. This also involves Ash’s sister, Courtney, and some of their scenes were really moving.
On Carmen’s side, we have Tamsyn and Maggie from ‘Write’ and Carmen’s best friend Felicity, who I thought was going to be some vapid divorcee, but was a wonderful friend. Carmen’s brother Tristan and his partner are also featured, and I loved the scenes between the siblings, their relationship was very sweet.
The relationship between the MCs is the very definition of a slow burn. Even after they get together there’s no rush towards sexy times, so if you’re waiting for that, you’ve got a long wait. This is the opposite of ‘Write’ in that regard. I loved the slow build and that we got to see the MCs get to know each other. I also liked that though this is a coming out story for Carmen, she wasn’t tooing and froing at any point, she discussed her fears with her friends and with Ash, and was very brave about putting herself out there. Her first attempt at that had me choking up.
The only downside in the story was Ash’s hesitation about becoming involved with Carmen, I could understand her hesitation (although I thought her backstory was a little too... I don’t know, it just didn’t seem like something that should have held her back for as long as it did, given that the relationship wasn’t even a relationship, but YMMV). In any event it got too repetitive towards the end, and is the reason I knocked off a star.
This is a lovely romance between two sweet MCs who deserve their HEA, with the added benefit of also being able to catch up with Tamsyn and Maggie again. Four stars.
June 17, 2020
I enjoyed this slow burn romance by AL Brooks. The storyline was well developed if a little slow at times. The main characters of Ash and Carmen are strong and witty and are supported by a great secondary cast. I loved best friend Felicity!!
The developing attraction between the Ash and Carmen drew me in and I wanted to see how their connection unfolded.
I received a free arc in exchange for an honest review.
The developing attraction between the Ash and Carmen drew me in and I wanted to see how their connection unfolded.
I received a free arc in exchange for an honest review.
May 28, 2020
Dare to Love is a sweet romance based on a character who is discovering her attraction to women later in life. A few of these characters are in the Write Your Own Script which I really enjoyed. This one wasn't as good for me, but I still enjoyed it. I give this one 3.5 stars.
May 21, 2020
Solid well written romance. Both MCs were really likable. I have to side with Lex when she writes in her review when the big reveal comes on what is keeping one of the MCs from committing to trying a relationship with the other it's very, What? Really? That's it?! Even so, who cares because I really enjoyed the read and it has one of my fav tropes: The straight lady realizing she aint so straight after all. And it's trope-adjacent to my other fav - anything to do with actors/singer etc.
May 2, 2020
Some parts are good some parts I snoozed.
May 26, 2020
This book had a great buildup with a lot of kissing. I like getting to see Ash and Carmen interact with family and friends. Ash's niece Sophie was a great side character and how her and Carmen are actually going through some of the same feelings. It was also great to have more of Tamryn and Maggie. Would love to see how Sophie develops.
July 3, 2020
My very first novel by Brooks and man, it got me good. This was fantastic.
May 27, 2020
3 stars. Ash Taylor left the banking industry to start a tattoo parlor. she meets talent agent executive Carmen Lyttleton, who comes in with a friend getting a tattoo. The only problem is Carmen is straight but she cannot help but at least try and be friends with her. Ash knows not to fall for a straight girl, as she has gotten hurt before. Ash and Carmen cannot stay away from each other and Ash tries to hold back from getting to close to Carmen. Ash does not want her heart broken again. Carmen cannot help but feel something for Ash.
I enjoyed this book but it felt like it dragged a lot. The middle of the book dragged more than I wanted and they made the tension a little too long. I enjoyed this book but it is not something I would re-read or really recommend as there are better books. There is a good dynamic between the two characters but I am not sure I believe everything that Carmen feels as it seems a little out there from the way they described the character.
I enjoyed this book but it felt like it dragged a lot. The middle of the book dragged more than I wanted and they made the tension a little too long. I enjoyed this book but it is not something I would re-read or really recommend as there are better books. There is a good dynamic between the two characters but I am not sure I believe everything that Carmen feels as it seems a little out there from the way they described the character.
June 24, 2020
4.25 stars | Tattoo artist, older women and a nice slowburn 👌
May 1, 2020
A long courtship and warm up that keeps the interest going throughout the romance. This is due to the both the quality of the writing, the inclusion of pre loved characters and an exploration of sexuality and coming out; where the teenager mirrors the adult. It’s a nice read and the women in it feel real and touchable. Indeed I’d definitely like to touch the phoenix tattoo.
April 16, 2023
Reality is that trials come and go but this story makes a convincing argument that with the right person/energy by you, trials become mere instances that are easily overcome.
What a sweet story!
What a sweet story!
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