Review: Dare to Desire by Carly Phillips

Posted April 10, 2014 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Rowena’s review of Dare to Desire (Dare to Love #2) by Carly Phillips.

Quarterback Alex Dare, had it all — an all-star football career with the Tampa Breakers and his choice of willing women — until a severe injury forces him into early retirement. When he is offered a ground-breaking position with a rival team, he’s intrigued, but there’s a catch. He’ll be working alongside the same woman he hasn’t been able to get out of his head for too long.

Social worker Madison Evans grew up in foster homes and knows first hand what it means to have-not. She isn’t impressed by Alex Dare’s wealth or charm. Not since she fell hard for him once before, only to discover she was just one of his too-easy conquests. This time around Madison refuses to succumb to Alex so easily.

But Alex wants Madison. And if there is one thing Alex does well, it’s to get what he wants. The playboy athlete must prove he’s got game in more places than on the field. He means to prove that he’s a changed man but no sooner does he begin to break through Madison’s defenses when a new opportunity comes knocking and threatens her new-found trust. Can he make Madison take a risk and dare to love?

This was a quick read for me.  It’s also the second book in the Dare to Love series by Carly Phillips and it features Alex Dare, half brother to Ian Dare (hero in Dare to Love, Book 1).  Alex is the starting quarterback for the Tampa Breakers, a professional football team.  Well, he was the starting quarterback until he got severely injured and his career came to an early end.  He wasn’t ready for life after the NFL so his new reality doesn’t sit well with him.  He doesn’t know what he wants to do, what life has in store for him anymore or what his new purpose is but when Ian Dare offers him a job working in Miami for his team’s rival, he’s curious.  Especially since he’d be working with Madison Evans, the woman he hasn’t been able to completely rid his thoughts of.

Alex and Madison had a thing going before Alex got hurt and flipped on her.  In his flipping on her, she was humiliated and wanted nothing more than to move on. She let her emotions get the best of her and she wasn’t going to allow that to happen, now that they’ll be working together.  Her background in social work makes her perfect for the program that Ian wants to incorporate into his program in Miami and even though his relationship with Alex is still rocky, Riley talks Ian into offering Alex the job because like it or not, the program benefits NFL players with early ending careers.  The program Ian wants to bring to his program is a program that helps players plan for the future after their careers, while still playing.  So many football players throw their money down the toilet on bad investments and no proper financial plans and it is Ian’s hope to help players plan for their futures appropriately.

Having to work with Alex was going to be hard and Madison knew that but she wasn’t prepared for the onslaught of flirting that he brings her way.  Alex wants to start things up with Madison again but Madison doesn’t want a repeat of the last time.  She’s not interested in a relationship with Alex anymore but she’s still attracted as all get out to him.  Watching these two battle wits and their mutual attraction for one another was fun.  Alex was a solid hero, one that knew he messed up and was trying to make up for it and Madison was smart and strong and knew what she wanted, even when she shouldn’t have wanted it.

I haven’t read Ian and Riley’s story yet but I’m going to change that soon.  I liked seeing them both in this book and I’m curious enough after reading this one to want to read their story.  This was a cute read, an enjoyable one at that.  It wasn’t the most perfect of books, there’s a bit of cheese in the dialogue (some of the things Alex said to Madison in the beginning made me roll my eyes) but I still enjoyed it.

Grade: 3.5 out of 5

This book is available from CP Publishing.  You can purchase it here or here in e-format.  This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.


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