Can 10 Dares help Melinda loosen up, conquer stress and find love? Or might they push her over the edge….Melinda Spencer had everything but now her life has fallen apart.Her two best friends, Mikey and Joanie are worried. Melinda’s been acting even more highly strung than usual. They decide to stage an intervention. Something to help her lighten up and take her mind off things: 10 crazy dares. … things: 10 crazy dares. After all, they say laughter is the best medicine…
Never one to squelch on a dare, Melinda accepts her challenge. The dares look simple enough: knock on a door and run away, tend her lady garden, flash a stranger… and if it gets Joanie and Mikey off her back about loosening up, it’ll be worth it. But with a sexy vet, a troublesome ex, and a village full of nutters hot on her trail, has Melinda finally bitten off more than she can chew?
Ten Dares is a hilarious romp about a strung-out single mum trying to hold everything together when life is throwing her lemons as curve balls. This standalone romantic comedy has a happy ending, no cliffhanger, and can also be enjoyed as part of The Power of Ten Series.
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Favorite Quotes:
Thirsty Thursday always leads to Fragile Friday…
Small town life, Melinda. You know how quick news travels around here. It’s probably all over the senior’s community bingo group and halfway to the London Eye by now. Mrs Bugden is not a happy camper. I saw her in Costco this morning. I’d nipped in for this week’s Celebrity Tattler magazine and ended up with a tale so salacious I’m not sure even the Tattler would print it.
Hyacinth Bugden, my neighbour of twelve years, is most well known for her calculating stares, blather-mouth and acid tongue. She’s stocky for an older lady and generously proportioned. I once saw her accost a shoplifter with the gusto of a sumo wrestler. She’s no sweet old lady, that’s for sure.
“We should make her shave off her lady garden.” Joanie laughs hysterically. “Doesn’t everyone tend their garden?” Mikey asks seriously. When no one bites, he nonchalantly grins and adds, “You don’t know what you’re missing. I’ve been as smooth as an eel since I was old enough to brave the blade, and the guys love it!”
His eyebrows shoot skyward with the precision of synchronised swimmers.
My Review:
What fun! I gleefully consumed this diabolically witty tale while enduring a constant smirk, frequent bouts of giggle-snorting, and the occasional uncontrollable bark of laughter. Emily James’ lithesome writing style was highly engaging and summoned vivid and outrageously humorous visuals. Her wily storylines were cleverly plotted, well-paced, and laced together with colorful levity and deviously and comically peculiar characters. I rued reaching the last page and am eager for the next installment.
10 Dares (The Power of Ten #2) was a great read by Emily James. Melinda Spencer has everything but finds her life falling apart. Her two best friends, Mikey and Joanie, stage an intervention because they are worried about her. To try and lighten her up and take her mind off things, they dare her to 10 crazy dares. She accepts their challenge. I really enjoyed reading this book and can’t wait to read more by the author.
I found this book to be even funnier than 10 Dates. The way that the author describes all of Melinda’s crazy situations is hilarious. The book is told in the author’s native British English which I totally enjoyed.
I did not read 10 dates and I did feel as if I missed out on some inside things, but I still was able to enjoy this book. Melinda cannot turn down a dare and her friends know it. In order for her to get out of her funk, her friends give her 10 dares she must complete. Emily james takes us along for the ride as Melinda completes the dares. Melinda shocked me as she completed many of the dares, and a few were laugh out loud crazy. I was so happy to have taken this ride with Melinda. I look forward to reading more in this series.
Kim Bretton has an easy to listen to voice. She narrated at a good pace and was easy to follow.Kim brought Melinda to life. She made the story fun and light with her narration. Overall, this was a fun listen.
And here I go again…
It’s amazing the way I’m feeling after reading just one book. This author has a powerful and positive writing that I really loved.
Emily James is amazing. Her precious book was super funny and I was left with the need to want more so… Here I am.
Ten Dares is the second book from The Power of Ten book series and explores Melinda’s life.
Have you read Ten Dates? If not I totally advise you to read it. You’ll see why.
Melinda is a single mom of 4 kids. She recently divorced her ling time husband and it was not a good breakup. He cheated on her and now she’s alone.
She is able to cope with this because of her best friends but she feels lonely.
So freaking awesome… This book nailed it.
Perfect plot, super engaging and sweet. A bit naughty and super funny.
It was the perfect combination of love, friendship, and comedy.
I adore every single character and I didn’t want it to end.
Each chapter was even more enjoyable than the latest and guys… I’ve laughed so hard that I almost wet my pants…
I DARE you to read it and write your review and let everyone know that they must read it.
Emily… Woman, you’re a genius. This book was super funny and I can’t wait to start the next one. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
10 Dares is the second book in The Power of Ten series and I loved it. This novel was hilarious, steamy, fun and sweet and I was hooked from beginning to end. This romantic comedy had delightful, engaging main characters you can’t help but love, quirky amusing secondary characters, humorous witty banter and a storyline that was realistic and relatable. I could not put this book down and I would highly recommend it to all lovers of romantic comedies.
I listened to the Audible version of this novel which was narrated by Kim Bretton. She did a fantastic job infusing humor and emotion into the story. She created varying voices for the different characters and brought the story to life. It was a pleasure listening to her narrate this novel.
After reading/listening to 10 Dares I need to find a new vet, preferably a Viking who can break down the walls around a woman’s heart faster than a battering ram. I absolutely adore The Power of 10 series and 10 Dares is laugh out loud funny. Poor Melinda, who appeared as the best friend in 10 Dates, always seemed to have her life together, until she didn’t. Now a divorced mother of four, she has to relocate her children to a new home, without leaving the school district they love. Limited funds restrict her choices, until she stumbles on an old farm that she can afford. Unfortunately, there is another party interested. Enter the Viking vet and a misunderstanding of who Melinda is and she snags a new home and a potential business venture.
Melinda tries to fit into her new small town but not everyone is accepting of her, and her nemesis, Darcy, also lives there to add to her woes. Her plan to open guest housing is met with one roadblock after another from some mysterious complainer and the town busybodies are always lurking around. Then add in her friend Joanie and Mikey and their dares, to pay Melinda back for meddling in their lives, and you have a recipe for hilarious situations that Emily James excels at creating. The close proximity of the vet, Toby, who needs to relocate his practice, turns up the heat between the couple and poor Melinda struggles trying juggle her family, her possible love interest, and an ex-husband who may not want to remain an ex. This story made me laugh out loud so many times, especially when the children tended to thwart their mother’s potential love life, I lost count.
I enjoyed listening to this story, the narrator is excellent. I love listening to the excellent banter the author creates in a lively British accent. Kim Bretton is a great narrator and pulls the listener into the story and the crazy antics of the characters. I highly recommend 10 Dares as well as the entire Power of 10 series.
Fabulous Story & Audible Listen10 Stars
10 Dares
The Power of Ten Book Series, Book 2
By: Emily James
Narrated by: Kim Bretton
Emily James pens another wonderfully delightful RomCom and I love everything about it, from her terrific writing style to the original and interesting storylines she created to the delightful & lovable characters. She continues to deliver the most amazing dialogue and captures humor like no other, creating so many laugh out loud moments. The characters are likable and realistic, you can easily relate to them and with them. Melinda first appears in “10 Dates”, her best friend Joanie’s book, which I loved too. Melinda and Mikey encouraged Joanie to start dating again after she broke up with her longterm boyfriend. In this book we find Joanie and Mikey teaming up to get Melinda out of her funk, they assign her to complete “10 Dares”. In addition to that a newly divorced Melinda needs to find a new home for her and her 4 children. She sets out to buy a defunct farm with plans of turning some of the cottages into vacation rentals. But she is not the only one interested in the property. When looking at the property she encounters the other buyer, the “Viking King” and what an encounter it is. Melinda outwits him and buys the property, she runs in to obstacles that delay her plans, she also meets the Viking King again too. I love who he turned out to be and how everything played out. This story is well plotted and has a natural flow to it, it contains drama, plenty of humor, some angst and twists and a slow burn romance. I highly recommend this book and “10 Dates”, guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Emily James, thank you for another wonderful story and for all the laughs. I am looking forward to listening to more of your great work.
I listened to the Audible edition, Kim Bretton is a fantastic narrator and voice performer. She continues to bring these characters to life, giving each their own voice and personality. You can hear how much heart she puts into her work as she projects the emotions of the characters into her performance. She is amazing at capturing and landing the humor in this story. She is an entertaining storyteller and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for this great listen
I really enjoyed this book it kept me chuckling to myself and I really enjoyed all the characters. Also included my favourite name, Melinda!
Melinda is struggling to conquer her stress levels and find love. When her best friends stage a crazy intervention this leads to completing 10 dares. No spoilers; this is a wonderful series, which deserves to be read. This is a well written story which is hilarious, fun and thoroughly entertaining. I was totally enthralled throughout this addictive page turner, and I cannot wait to read more from this extremely talented author, whose work I recommend for all.