Title: The Dare
Author: Harley Laroux
TW: Knife-play, Blood-play, Erotic Humiliation, Orgasm Denial, Orgies, Light BDSM
Rating: 4/5

This book was not a comfortable read for me. I initially stopped reading it after only a few pages and only returned to it later, despite it being a short read. The content warning should have been a red flag, but I thought it couldn’t be worse than Fifty Shades of Grey. I was mistaken.

While the themes in the book were heavy, I knew what to expect going in. However, some of the content was beyond what I was prepared for. It’s important to note that all the acts in the book were consensual, both implied and explicit.

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In this book, our female protagonist was once a popular high school student, dating a jock and part of the in-crowd. Unfortunately, she was also a bully, which caused the male protagonist, an outlier, to be bullied and ultimately expelled.

The two meet again at a party where they engage in a game of dares that leads to her becoming his slave for the night. From there, the story takes a wild turn, exploring themes of eroticism, humiliation, flagellation, knife and blood play, bondage, and orgies.

While it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it’s definitely an intense read for those who enjoy this genre.

Although the themes it covers are quite heavy, the author handles them with sensitivity and skill, resulting in a powerful story. I highly recommend this book and encourage readers to give it a chance despite its challenging subject matter.

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