Double Dared

De: Raquel Riley

Narrado por: Zachary Zaba

First love. First betrayal. One dare away from unraveling everything.

Truen "Tru" Jameson:
I was twelve when I realized I loved him.
Thirteen when I kissed him.
And the next day, he made me hate myself for it.

Darien turned our friendship into a weapon.
Now he calls me his stepbrother and looks right through me like I’m nothing.
He pretends he doesn’t remember that night in the closet.

But I do.
I still taste him like blood in my mouth.
I remember how he kissed me back—and how he made sure I paid for it.

If Darien taught me anything, it’s that love isn’t a game.
The first dare broke us. The second dare might set us free.

Darien "Dare" Carter:
I kissed him back.
Because I wanted to.
Because it felt like falling, and I wanted to crash.

But wanting him meant admitting too much, so I crushed it.
I burned the bridge and left him on the other side, holding the match I lit.

He thinks I forgot. I didn’t.
I remember everything—his mouth, his breath, the sound he made when our lips touched.

I’ve hated him ever since for making it matter.
But I hate myself more for wanting it again.
And God help me, I do.

This isn’t a love story.
It’s a reckoning.

Double Dared is a standalone M/M romance packed with longing, banter, emotional gut punches, and heat that burns.

©2025 Raquel Riley (P)2025 Raquel Riley

💜

The story was sweet and I enjoyed their growth, but I do feel like dual POVs really needs duet narration to bring it to life (although I love Zachary Zaba even though I’ll always hear Romeo in his voice).

Beautiful, heartbreaking, and powerful story

There are very few authors I will trust when it comes to angst. Raquel Riley is one of those authors, and after having enjoyed the Scars & Stripes trilogy, I knew my heart would be safe in the end when listening to Double Dared. This book nearly broke me, though, before putting me back together again. I connected with Tru and Dare in a way I didn’t with former soldiers because their lived experiences were so much closer to my own. I could easily place myself in their shoes, and it was heartbreaking seeing the way they struggled as they tried to find their place in the world and come to terms with who they really were.

There were many times throughout the book that I just wanted to shake Dare and knock some sense into him. At the same time, I wanted to wrap him in my arms and let him know he was safe to be himself. I may have related more closely to Tru, but Dare was the one I wanted to protect even more.

I was ecstatic when I learned that Zachary Zaba was going to narrate Double Dared. He has become one of my favorite narrators and I always enjoy his work. The way his voice for Dare deepened as the story moved from them as kids to adults was one of my favorite little details. Listening to the way he brought these characters to life and the emotions in their voices made Raquel’s words even more impactful.

This book was beautiful, heartbreaking, and a powerful story of love and being true to oneself. The tears I shed as I listened helped cleanse my weary soul. If you enjoy books with angst, best-friends-to-enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and stepbrothers falling in love, I highly recommend Double Dared.

What a wild ride!

Oh my goodness! This book killed me. It broke my heart in so many places. Raquel Riley is the master of the best kind of pain! The performance was perfect! Highly recommend!

Get your tissues ready 😭

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

feelings:  😭🥰😱🥵😍🫠😡🥹😄

narration:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


You'd think that listening to the audiobook wouldn't ruin you if you've read the book before. WRONG! Zachary Zaba's interpretation hit me with a force I hadn't expected. 


This book destroyed me!

Raquel Riley creates such a beautiful friendship between two boys that you find yourself wishing you had experienced something similar yourself.

And then she rips your heart out! I accompanied Tru and Dare sobbing through several years (chapters). I was extremely emotionally involved and felt their mental anguish as if it were my own.

Dare turns into an absolute nightmare for Tru. Brutal bullying replaces what was once deep trust. Tru is so sweet, and even though he's suffering, he never closes the door in case Dare comes back. Dare is so strangled by his ingrained homophobia that he punishes Tru for awakening feelings that his father considers despicable. Although he is the ‘villain’ of the story, he is the one who suffers the most. His behaviour has not only has cost him his best friend, but also the only place where he felt fully accepted and safe.

The HEA in the story is hard-earned and beautiful. Raquel gives us a detailed glimpse into Tru and Dare's future. After all the stormy emotions I went through while reading, this was balm for my soul.


⚽Childhood best friends to enemies to lovers

⚽Slow burn

⚽Pining and regret

⚽Forced proximity

⚽Step brothers

⚽Second chance

⚽Angst

⚽First Times 

Tough listen

Maybe the book version would be better, but the audio actor just did not work for me. But the story is just so repetitive. I love a good slow burn, but this is far far too slow. It has moments, but between not advancing the romance plot for chapters on chapters and the audio actors tone, I really really struggled to complete this book.