Reviewed by Jen
TITLE: Double Dared
AUTHOR: Raquel Riley
PUBLISHER: Self
LENGTH: 548 pages
RELEASE DATE: January 23, 2026
BLURB:
First love. First betrayal. One dare away from unraveling everything.
Truen “Tru”
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”
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.
REVIEW:
Well, this is a bit of a painful story. Tru and Dare become fast friends when they are young. With things not all that great at home for Dare, he spends most of his time with Tru and his mom who act more like a family with him than his own family does. They make a pact to be bffs forever, but things take a bit of a turn when they are forced into a closet on a dare and unfortunately, these two react in completely different ways.
Basically, Dare freaks out and runs the complete opposite direction than Tru and it doesn’t bode well for Tru. This is a drastic change in the relationship, and honestly, the next few years that take place were a little difficult to get through. Dare is horrific to Tru who mostly just takes it and continues to hold out hope things will change. To be fair, Dare hates himself for it as well, but that doesn’t make it much easier to swallow. However, this goes on for YEARS.
Things get a little crazier for these guys when Dare’s dad ends up seeing Tru’s mom and they are thrown together and become stepbrothers. Off to college and they end up dorming together. Again, this is Tru not taking the opportunity to move on and accepts subjecting himself to the treatment of Dare.
There is a lot more bullying and jealousy fits adding to the continuous push and pull as Dare yanks Tru’s emotions and heart. They eventually get there, but boy, do they not go the easy route. It was hard to imagine the lives of each of these boys and what they were each dealing with. We do see them grow and while they do a good amount of it apart from each other, it is together that they really blossom in the end. I enjoyed seeing this relationship come full circle and these guys to finally find some peace and happiness. I love a story that can make me feel, and this one definitely did that. I will for sure be looking for more from Ms. Riley in the future.
RATING: 
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