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 Nicole Cosgrove (P)2025 Nicole Cosgrove

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.

Fantastic!

Double Dared was so freaking good! What a fantastic story, I was hooked right from the start! Tru and Dare had such a deep connection, you could really feel both their pain and longing and eventually their love. I thoroughly enjoyed their journey to their hard earned HEA. Not to mention, Zachary Zaba's performance was superb, highly recommend!