I loved this book! Super cute. Will recommend for sure! This book was exactly what I didn't know I was looking for!

Super excited for Kody to get his story told! I was ready for him to get his HEA and I was not disappointed!

This was a average romance with no great surprises.
The characters were full of depth though.

I will not restate the plot nor reveal any spoilers in this review.
S.B. Alexander has written another 5 star novel. It has romance, family drama and personal health decisions that some women face. I appreciate the research this author has done in order to provide the medical information necessary for the heroine to make an informed decision regarding her health. She also provides a web address at the end of the book to educate the reader on this health issue.
As part of this story, the hero must face his fears that interfere with his ability to love whole heartedly. He must learn to cope with his fears or remain emotionally stunted. There are many obstacles that the H and h must overcome before they can find their HEA. This novel is well-written and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I wanted to love this book. I did. At parts I was a fan and at others I just wanted to put it down and walk away. It's a toss up between amazing and average.

Romance with family issues. Story is a bit long winded in places, with lots of side chat. It also covers breast cancer issues.

This is the 5th book in this series and I hadn't realized that when I started reading it and although it is a standalone, I believe I would have enjoyed it more if I read the other 4 books first. So much of the storyline refers back to the other family members that I think reading this series in order is the way to go. That being said, I really enjoyed this book! This is my first experience reading this author's work and I found it to be enjoyable. Not alot of angst, but enough to keep you turning the pages. I must say that Kody's character was written as though he was much older than 21 -- I was surprised that he was so young because he seemed so mature, but I guess some 21-year olds are! There was alot of back and forth with Jessie and Kody but considering what Jessie was going through, I guess that would be expected. This was a solid 4-star read and I would recommend it if you like contemporary romance. I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC for NetGalley.

Kody had lost a lot in his young life and almost list his own life, so when he meets Jessie and is drawn to her in a way that he hasn't experienced in a long time, he tells himself to stay away. The only problem is that his heart, which he thought was barricaded forever, won't let him give up. Jessie has also had a lot of turmoil and lots in her life and has just found out some life-changing news, so she is also afraid to admit her feelings.
Each character had valid reasons for not wanting to get involved: he was afraid that he would lose her the same way he lost the only woman he had ever loved and she was afraid he would leave her when she told him he medical 'secret'. Add in that a closer family friend is in love with with her and is one of the people who almost ended his life and it almost seems like there is too much to overcome.
The side story of the music was good and the story of her brother, as well as the friend were also good stories and I hope to see more of them in future books. Although there were times that I wanted to shake both Kody and Jessie because they weren't communicating, it was a wonderful second chance story.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

Dare to Live, The Maxwell Series,  S.B. Alexander

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Women's fiction, Romance

*sigh* Women's Fiction – just why? Why exclude men, why shouldn't they enjoy romance too? Many of them even write romance so why do we cut them out like this?
Rant over....

I was sucked in by the description, and didn't notice it was book five til too late. Still, each are stand alone reads so it wasn't a huge issue. I think though if I'd read earlier books I'd probably have got more from this, as it is its a decent read but didn't have any magic for me and I found myself putting it aside for something else several times. Given there's a slew of reviews from people that adore the story clearly its one of those reads where its Me not the book that's out of step ;-).

I hadn't realised Kody was so young, just 21, and Mack too was similar age. Somehow I'd got the idea the characters were all late 20's early 30's. It only matters in that for me at 21 he/they just haven't usually experienced enough of life to be so mature in outlook, to be so decided about family, kids etc. Most guys at that age are still finding their feet, deciding on priorities ( Beer!!) I'm using a very rough generalisation there of course.
Then there's Jessie, a little older but wow – that girl has the trails of job. Still grieving her mum's death, who has her older wheelchair bound brother for whom she feels responsible, the financials of their struggling business and the breast cancer gene scenario to deal with. On top of that she gets even more drama heaped on as the story flows, accident, obsessive behaviour from an ex one nighter, possible singing stardom....

In a way I felt there was so many things happening here that it was hard for any one of them to really form a solid part. The story seemed to be so packed. Even Kody's parents were multi layered and had lots going on. I often whinge about too simple, one plot reads, but this almost went to other extreme. Again, if I'd been following the series I think it would have flowed naturally, instead all these events and characters seemed to overload the romance between Jessie and Kody for me. My bad for not being observant enough, and if you're in a similar position I'd say start with book one.

Stars: A good story but which didn't really make more than an OK read for me though.

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers