Kiss or Dare (Book 3)

Lillian was such a shy, quiet wallflower but when faced with determination she transforms into a diamond. Desiring only to be seen. But her heart has always belonged to Lord Devon, but he has never seen her. So she sets her heart on a new path. To not be Princess but a Fairy godmother, helping others to be seen.
I loved getting to see the hidden depth of Devon. Always a charmer and always seen, but then we learn that he is just as invisible as Lillian feels. The way these mysterious depths are written are so beautiful and endearing, we understand how he captured Lillian’s heart. From the first time he called her Lil Bean, you could see his love developing. Understanding that though he has referred to others as goddess endlessly, that was an empty platitude. The Bean reference spoke so closely to his heart and his greatest obsession, coffee. And of course, his acceptance of her love of books. “When Lillian wants books, she gets books” - how could she not swoon!
This entire story made me swoon! Lillian & Devon coming together to realize that they were stronger together, that they could be seen by each other. So many of the smaller relationships though are what truly made the story. Her father taking Devon under his wing, Freddy’s patience to help Devon achieve his dream. These little touches combine to make utter perfection!

I haven’t read any of the other books in this series, but I loved this one. I recently discovered Charlie Lane through the anthology, The Brazen Belles. As a result, I joined their mailing list and received this as a free gift. Apparently, there are two previous books in this series, with at least one more to come. This one centers on Devon and Lillian. I always enjoy an intelligent and quick-witted heroine and Lillian exceeds my expectations. Naturally, Devon is also clever, if only because he is not intimidated by Lillian’s brilliance.

There are some wonderfully evocative descriptions, like this one about Lillian’s hair: “it streamed down her back like a river of sunlight. If he touched it, his hand would evaporate in a wave of heat.” And this one is wonderful: “her eyes so brown he could drown in them but, in doing so, find life, not death, air, not suffocation.” I adored this description because it was so easy to visualize: “He slumped lower onto the table and turned his head until his cheek pressed against the cool wood, and when he spoke, his lips pouted out under the pressure of his smooshed cheek.” And this one made me truly feel Devon’s heartbreak: “He understood he felt like crying. His lip even maybe slightly—barely at all, really—trembled when he spoke.” Although he appeared to be a flirt and a libertine early on, these were the masks he wore to disguise his tender heart and his free spirit.

The theme of the book is significance and peoples’ definitions and quests to find it.
Lillian wants to be significant enough to be noticed, to be a respected member of the ton, so she can help other wallflowers (she was once one) to shine. Devon wants to be significant in his own right, not to be defined as “the spare,” since his older brother is a duke. To that end, he refuses to use his inheritance, preferring instead, to earn his own money. Naturally, the ton looks down on that, so when Lillian and Deven realize their attraction to one another, it puts their individual dreams in opposition to one another. As they fall more in love, the question becomes whether they can have their dreams of significance AND have love.

The arc of the story is unexpected and engaging. Conversations are clever as when Devon discusses an issue of importance with his brother Arthur and a friend, George (both characters in the other stories mentioned earlier). The brother is not as helpful as Devon would like so he tells George, “‘You are a gentleman among swine, my dear friend.’ Devon cut his eyes to his brother at the porcine part of the sentence to make it clear what he thought of his brother.”

There’s also this gem of an observation from Lillian that made me laugh: “Handsome men always refuse to acknowledge the presence of other handsome men out of fear of being the least handsome man in the room.”

I am loving this Debutante Dare Series by Charlie Lane. This is the third book in the series and Lord Devon intrigued me from the previous book and I loved every moment of his story. He is the second son of a duke and has always thought of himself as the heir’s spare. He refuses to accept his inheritance and wants to prove himself.

After a scandal with Lady Jane he losses himself in drink and bad manners. Lillian Clarke was very much attracted to him and was hoping he would see her for more than a shy wallflower. She is disappointed when that does not happen and her feelings towards him change. She leaves an anonymous letter for him that clearly tells how she feels about him. She is unaware that he knows the note was from her. He is angry that she judges him and he does everything in his power to annoy her except he needs the help of her successful inventor father. He has plans to invent a machine that improves the taste of coffee and does so at her father’s home.

You will not be disappointed in this story because it has a little of everything, unforgettable characters, emotional baggage, insecurity, vulnerability, misunderstandings, and passion. They had so much to overcome but somehow they faced the good with the bad to find their way to happily ever after.

Charlie Lane writes absolutely relatable characters with tons of depth and isn’t afraid to address insecurities and issues that everyday real people experience. I loved this enemies to lovers story and anxiously await the next book in the series.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Wolf publishing.

A lovely regency romance that swept me away. I'll take the kiss and the dare! Witty banter and back and forth with Lillian and Devon. Their story kept me engaged to the end, and loved their happily ever after.