Book Shelf: Daring the Bad Boy by Monica Murphy

Annie McFarland is sick of being a shy nobody. A session at summer camp seems like the perfect opportunity to reinvent herself—gain some confidence, kiss a boy, be whoever she wants to be. A few days in, she’s already set her sights on über-hottie Kyle. Too bad her fear of water keeps her away from the lake, where Kyle is always hanging out.

Jacob Fazio is at Camp Pine Ridge after one too many screw-ups. Junior counseling seems like punishment enough, but the rigid no-fraternizing-with-campers rules harsh his chill. When a night of Truth or Dare gets him roped into teaching Annie how to swim, she begs him to also teach her how to snag Kyle.

Late-night swim sessions turn into late-night kissing sessions...but there’s more on the line than just their hearts. If they get caught, Jake’s headed straight to juvie, but Annie’s more than ready to dare him to reveal the truth.

More info on Goodreads......


Review:

Daring the Bad Boy by Monica Murphy is a fun and flirty contemporary read, perfect if you’re looking for that summer romance tale that is endearing, sweet and an honestly good read. 

Sixteen year told Annie McFarland has only ever been known as a good girl….and she’s sick of it! Tired of never being noticed and being known as shy and quiet, Annie decides to take advantage of going to camp for the summer to reinvent herself. And after a few days in, Annie is already making new friends and has set her eye on the hottest camper there, Kyle. If only she could work up the courage to face her fear of water to spend time with Kyle. Enter Jacob Fazio, bad boy and camp councilor. After a run in with the law, Jake has been sent to work at his uncle’s camp for the summer in the hopes that it’ll straighten him out and keep him out of juvie. Jake just wants to get though his punishment, but when a game of Truth or Dare turns dangerous, Jake saves Annie, somehow getting convinced to teach her to swim in the process. There’s a rule about no relationships between campers and councilors, but when Jake’s teaching lessons see Annie and Jake begin to fall for one another, will the resident bad boy be willing to break the most important rule yet?

I’ll admit, the concept within Daring the Bad Boy isn’t something that hasn’t been done before; girl meets boy, boy meets girl, girl likes someone else, boy helps girl and ultimately boy and girl fall for one another……but that doesn’t mean Daring the Bad Boy wasn’t a good read, because it was! Daring the Bad Boy was one of those feel-good YA romances that are simply plain fun to read. 

Told through both main characters Annie and Jake’s alternating POV, Daring the Bad Boy had a great vibe, wonderful characters and a really lovely romance. I easily read this book in a couple of sittings and found it easy to follow both main characters. Annie was a real sweetie, and Jake turned out to be a genuine guy too; he didn’t have an attitude and wasn’t too “bad”. He was actually a really funny, cheeky guy who quickly wanted to spend time with Annie. 

Monica Murphy creates a great camp environment in this book and wonderfully develops Annie and Jake’s romance. What starts out as blackmailed swimming lessons soon turns into a sweet friendship that hints at something more. Both teens are attracted to each other and as they become stronger friends who trust each other, their feelings for each other develop into a very adorable, yet electric romance with shared kisses and stolen moments. 

Sweet and enjoyable, Daring the Bad Boy is a fun YA read perfect for those looking for a light and easy contemporary tale full of teen romance, fun and friendship.   

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by publisher via Netgalley (Thank you guys!)
Publisher: Entangled Crush
Format: Kindle eARC via Netgalley
Release Date: 22nd August 2016
Purchase: The Book Depository | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
Final Thoughts: A sweet and enjoyable YA read.