Just One Tease (The Dirty Dares #5)

Carly Phillips

Blurb:

He’s the last single Dare sibling standing.

She’s his lost love who disappeared.

Now she’s back, bringing secrets and danger.

Hadley Stevens is on the run with her younger sister—again—but this time, she’s in control. Zach Dare might hate her, but she knows he’d never turn away someone in need. He’s the only man she trusts. The man she’s never gotten over. Even if she left him without a word.

Zach never expected the girl he once loved to walk into his bar. The last time he saw her, he’d dropped her off after school and promised to pick her up for prom. Except she disappeared.

Now, she’s back with a new name, but the same doe eyes and pouty lips, and she’s asking for the help he would have gladly given her all those years ago.

Zach agrees to protect them, but he refuses to fall for Hadley again. But late nights working side by side give them a tempting glimpse at the life they could have had…and all the reasons he loved her come flooding back.

He’ll have to keep her safe.

Before he can convince her to stay.

Themes: Contemporary, Series Finale

Rating: 4.25 stars

Heat Rating:

Review:

The final Dirty Dare sibling has finally found their love and mate in this finale by Carly Phillips, but don’t worry we have more coming in this amazing family and a fun spinoff as Zach’s sexy partner Remy and his family get their own series. Carly’s Dare family has intrigued readers for many years now, but we are looking forward to the Sterling family for sure while the last set of Dare siblings has a chance to grow up. This story is one that we have really looked forward to, getting hints from Zach as he watched his siblings find and fall in love and learned bits and pieces of his story, but we never realized just how heart-wrenching it was going to be for him and his girl. I enjoyed this story, the emotional turmoil, the family connections, the drama, and the second chance at love for two people who so badly deserved to find one another again. If you are looking for a romantic and stormy tale of two people who have been hurt and lost in their lives but finally find each other again, Carly’s Just One Tease, will fulfill every need and give you the HEA you need on a cold November night.

Hadley Stevens is once again running for her life, this time with her teenage sister in tow, and she finds herself heading into the arms of the one man she never imagined she would ever see again, but who can offer her the safety and security they both need so badly. Zach Dare once loved Hadley—who he knew as Mia—with all his heart, but when she disappeared from his life suddenly, leaving him with a hole in his heart, he built a wall around himself and having her back asking for help only makes him want to reinforce those walls. While his friends and family seem more than willing to embrace both Hadley and her sister, Zach is more resistant to letting her back into his life, despite knowing she is in danger and needing to protect her, but he could never turn away a damsel in distress, much less one that once meant the world to him. The more time they spend together, the more they both remember the love and passion that once made them everything to one another, and the deeper their hearts become connected again. They both know that even if Hadley and her sister find a way out of the danger surrounding them, Hadley has to return to her life, but Zach is determined that he will fight for her and them, even if it means losing everything again.

Hadley was a wonderful character, one that tugged at your heart from the very beginning and you could see being your best friend. She was witty and smart, always having a backup plan and knowing that she had to be prepared to protect her sister in case her idiot father messed up again. She has worked hard to make something of herself and make sure that her sister has a chance at a normal life, even though it cost her the love of hers, and she is determined to do whatever it takes for her sister to continue to have that normal. She gives her all in everything she does, be it in her profession, caring for her sister, or giving her heart and body to the man she loves again, showing him that she never really stopped wanting or loving him. Hadley’s life has been tragic, but she won’t let it stop her from grabbing any happiness she can when she has the chance to have it and embracing any chance with Zach that he will let her have. Zach was a little bit of an ass, spoiling for a fight, at the beginning of their story, but once he finally released the chip on his shoulder and allowed Hadley to tell her side of their story, his true loving and caring nature had a chance to come out. He is such a good guy, sweet, and loving while still being strong and alpha, that you just want to grab him and never let him go. He is obviously smart as all get out, compassionate, thoughtful, and tender with his family (especially the women) as well. I especially loved seeing him interacting with his sisters-in-law and nieces, but his whole family obviously means the world to him and he will be a great father and I can’t wait to see him in future novels as he and Hadley grow their own family. Once he opened his heart again, he truly was the perfect man and he gave Hadley exactly the love and forgiveness she needed to remind her why they are the perfect couple.

Just One Tease might be the ending to the Dirty Dares, but it is just the beginning for Hadley and Zach, offering them the forgiveness and second chance at love that they always deserved and the chance for a life they should have had from the beginning. Zach is the Dare sibling who has been the most mysterious and canny, but we finally learn all of his past and get to see that he has more layers than we ever imagined. He is sexy, smart, caring, tender, and passionate and truly the perfect match for Hadley once he learns to let go of the pain of their shared past. Hadley has had so many heartbreaks but has stood strong against the pain and heartbreak and finally takes a chance on the man she loved and lost when she needs help for her sister and herself. Her pain is nothing compared to the need she feels for Zach and the need to protect her sister, but she never imagined he would truly give her the forgiveness she wanted or the chance to have him in her heart again. I loved the passion and fire between these two and it truly was spectacular to see these two fall into one another and find their way back to love. I am dying for the next series Carly plans to release, revolving around Remy Sterling—Zach’s partner—and his large and crazy family, and I imagine that series will be just as awesome as all the Dare series. Carly, as always, finds a way to end a series with a bang and shows us that two people truly can be made for one another, even if they are separated by year, miles, and circumstances, because nothing can truly keep love apart if it is meant to be. Well played Carly, well played.

*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review. No compensation was provided.