This was a very good book! I finished it in 2 days because I needed to know what was happening next. Definitely wasn’t expecting the ending. You will be guessing through out the entire book!! Definitely recommend!!!!!

This was a super engaging, fast-paced thriller that I sped through! The story is told from multiple characters' perspectives and follows events taking place across three time periods: the 1920s, the 1990s, and the present. I enjoyed figuring out how the events of different decades were connected and was very satisfied with the ending. I've read other books about teenage friend groups gone wrong, but this one stands out with its unique plot, surprising twists, and the bonus element of an early Hollywood mystery.

Thank you to the publisher for providing this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Childhood friends with a secret……
While this was a slow burn for me especially in the beginning, the tension was steadily built throughout and I couldn’t put it down. The 2 timelines kept me intrigued and guessing throughout. The twist at the end was completely shocking!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hera for this eARC

The Summer Dare is a gripping, can't-put-down psychological thriller that is easily read in one sitting. Twenty-five years ago, Lucy was the new girl at school who happened to attract the attention of the older, cooler girls. When Lucy's semi-famous mother gets the group into an acting summer camp, Lucy is hoping this will cement her status as popular. However, while at camp, a tragedy occurs resulting in the disappearance of one of the group. A quarter of a century later and still friends with the remaining group, Lucy begins receiving unsettling text messages. While no body had been found, everyone, including the authorities, had assumed Maddie had died. But with these new messages, Lucy wonders if Maddie has been alive and in hiding all this time. And if so, why is she choosing now to confront her friends? And does she know exactly what happened that night at camp?

The Summer Dare is fast paced with short, exciting chapters. The story alternates between two timelines, with a third timeline and story weaving throughout. In the present, Lucy and her friends' lives are unraveling with these mysterious text messages. In the past, the reader learns about that fateful summer through alternating POVs (Lucy and Maddies'). Then, the story of a famous actor turned murderer is told throughout both timelines. The author does a beautiful job weaving all of the timelines together. Again, the pacing is perfect for a thriller; I seriously just had to keep reading. The characters are reasonably all well-developed and interesting. Finally, the mystery (ies) kept me needing to keep turning the pages. With that said, I did predict the big twist from the start; however, even that didn't take away from the book. I thoroughly enjoyed The Summer Dare and will be recommending it!

Dear goodness! What a mystery!

When a dare between friends ends with a missing girl at summer camp.
25 years later, anonymous messages are sent possibly from the dead with threats.

Thank you NetGallery for this ARC!!

I always enjoy reading a good thriller, and this one had several twists and turns that I didn’t anticipate! The story goes back and forth between 1999 and the present, telling the story of a group of high school friends who have remained friends largely due to a shared tragedy and a secret they have kept for 25 years. I really felt for the main character, Lucy, especially for her 13-year-old self!

Thank you Net Galley and publishers for the advanced copy!

A thrilling debut novel that will have you on the edge of your seat. As a teenager, Lucy agreed to a dare that would get her into the cool crowd. As a result, another girl Maddie is never heard from again. Then years later a married Lucy receives a mysterious, anonymous text that makes her think it could be from Maddie or someone else that wants to expose Lucy's past.

A slow burn suspense novel that keeps the intrigue and mystery coming! Although I felt it started of rather slowly, it definitely picked up the pace and kept me reading!

With dual timelines it was interesting to see the plot development. It had me guessing what had happened that night but for the majority of the book I was wrong. While I did figure out what had happened before the end of the book, there were still enough twists in the last few chapters that it was still a very enjoyable read!

I liked the comparisons between the main storyline and the history of the house. It was a clever way to show history, and mystery, repeating itself!

Definitely an interesting, but easy, read!

What a fantastic read.

I flew through this book. What a gripping read

Thank you for the opportunity to review

This book was just okay for me. I found it hard to get into at first, and skimmed a bit. Everything ties up in the end, although the reveal wasn't too shocking.

The Summer Dare by Joanna Dodd is a psychological thriller and follows a group of friends who are harbouring a secret from their teenage years. Twenty five years ago, they all went to a summer drama camp, but one of them, popular and beautiful Maddie, disappeared. The story is mainly narrated by Lucy, the youngest of the girls and perhaps the most ill fitting of the group.

The plot was solid and I was eager to keep turning the pages. Easily palatable, I finished this fast paced book in a day. It had an amazing twist which I didn’t see coming at all.
I really liked ‘-she’s like a beautifully wrapped parcel that’s smashed to smithereens inside’ , ‘The trouble with fearless people, Lucy thought, was that they sometimes did very dangerous things’ and ‘At what point do you stop being the picture of innocence, and why?’.

I found the characters to be lacking a little bit of depth and felt more flashbacks to the past could’ve helped make them all more vibrant, especially Maddie, as missing girls usually do have that aliveness and aura about them. I would have loved to hear a lot more about the camp.

I enjoyed this and will give anything else by Joanna a read. Thank you Hera and NetGalley for my ARC.

Such an amazing thriller! I did NOT expect the end. I was shocked. The book kept my interested and was engaging.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

A very short friendship, years later sinister messages begin.

This book is too long, not enough time has been spent on streamlining or character study and it wasn’t an engrossing read.

Frustrating main character aside, the book is well written, and the plot is compelling, though too much is revealed throughout to make the twist at the end much of a shock. This will make for a fun beach read for fans of the genre.

A dare turned deadly.

Lucy and Maddie were friends for 6 weeks in 1999. The time was cut short when Maddie disappeared inside of a rumored haunted house. Now, 25 year later, Lucy start getting texts seemingly from Maddie. Now, she and her (and Maddie's) friends must try and find out who is sending the messages and if Maddie is back in their lives.

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The Summer Date by Joanna Dodd started a little slow for me, but then I couldn't put it down. It took some time to establish the pacing, who everyone was, and how they were related, but the story itself was rather stressful. I had to know what happened to Maddie. I had to know WHY Lucy was so scared of these texts.

This is a good thriller, but could use a smidge of revision by cutting some of the build-up to the final events. I did feel like there were some missing resolutions, but I was still satisfied at the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this novel. It was full of questions about what happened to Maddie.

I enjoyed the sinister messages and how it made the group have to face their past. I like books that have dual timelines, particularly of childhood into adulthood groups.

The ending seemed odd to me. I didn't see it coming which is usually a good thing but I find it hard to believe THAT character would've done THAT. There weren't enough clues that they would behave that way towards Maddie. It didn't make sense regarding some of the narrative and plot, going back either.

Still, it's generally an enjoyable read.

Just finished book - thrilling read. Had it read in a day, twists and turns all the way through out. Very talented author, highly recommended.

A strange read for me. Having stayed friends from school we dip in and out of there lives. When we are first taken back to there teenage years i felt like i was reading something meant for TEENAGERS. Having said that i did finally become absorbed in the storyline and the ending was a real shocker.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

This was a such a gripping suspense thriller which had me hooked from start to finish. It was full of secrets and lies I loved the writing and how the story just flowed throughout. Overall excellent book which I will definitely be recommending. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy.

Really gripping thriller that weaves together mysteries from the 20's, 90's and follows the characters into present day where the past is coming back to haunt them. I really didn't know who to trust in this one and the ending really shocked me.