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Dare Nation #1

Dare To Resist

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He’s about to find a baby on his doorstep … and his assistant in his bed.

Austin Prescott is a lot of things. Ex football player. Sports agent. And as of this morning? Father. Finding a baby on his doorstep should have been a joke but the pink sticky note and baby carrier she came in is deadly serious.

What’s an out of his depth bachelor to do? Call his tempting and beyond gorgeous executive assistant and beg her to move in.

Quinnlyn Stone agrees to help Austin until he can straighten out his messy life. It’s just another item on her very long To-Do list. It’s absolutely not because she’s attracted to her very single and extremely handsome boss.

Close quarters. A baby. Undeniable chemistry. What could possibly go wrong?

A complete standalone novel!

268 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 12, 2020

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About the author

Carly Phillips

291 books9,385 followers
NY Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestseller, Carly Phillips is the queen of Alpha Heroes, at least according to The Harlequin Junkie Reviewer.. Carly married her college sweetheart and lives in Purchase, NY along with her crazy dogs who are featured on her Facebook and Instagram pages. The author of over 75 romance novels, she has raised two incredible daughters and is now an empty nester. Carly’s book, The Bachelor, was chosen by Kelly Ripa as her first romance club pick. Carly loves social media and interacting with her readers. Want to keep up with Carly? Sign up for her newsletter and receive TWO FREE books at www.carlyphillips.com.

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5 stars
1,613 (36%)
4 stars
1,625 (36%)
3 stars
969 (21%)
2 stars
182 (4%)
1 star
68 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 447 reviews
Profile Image for KaylaJane.
102 reviews
May 13, 2020
Ugh! yet another DNF.... Third one today!



This shit is getting old. Why are they even calling them romances?
Profile Image for Nana .
1,201 reviews36 followers
May 30, 2020
Esta es un historia muy sencilla, sin mucho drama pero muy linda, me la pase muy bien leyendo y es que tengo una especie de debilidad por los romances con padres solteros hehe sip, que lo voy hacer me encantan.

La historia trata sobre Austin Prescott un ex jugador de fútbol que un día
encuentra a un bebé en la puerta de su casa con una nota que dice que es su hija. Como no sabe que hacer con la bebe le pide a su asistente Quinn Stone que le ayude a cuidarla. Ella lleva trabajando un año para Austin y desde el dia en que se conocieron siempre se han sentido atraídos por el otro, pero en ese entonces decidieron solo mantener una relación de trabajo, pero ahora la cosas estan por cambiar.



Profile Image for Lorena ♡.
429 reviews47 followers
September 9, 2022
Yes, i do in fact love boss/assistant romances and that trope where someone finds out they have a baby and suddenly becomes a parent (does that even have a name?) so i ate this book up

I really liked the romance between Austin and Quinn and i loved the little scenes with them and baby Jenny, but there's something else i want to highlight from this book. I don't think this can be considered a spoiler since it becomes pretty obvious but just in case, spoiler (?): as someone who doesn't want kids, don't think she'll ever change her mind and it's pretty vocal about it, i appreciate the way Quinn's situation was handled. Yes, i do not want kids but if i ever change my mind i shouldn't need to worry about people's "i told you so" or about feeling less or like a hypocrite because of that decision. It was always my decision and only mine, and whichever way it goes shouldn't be the topic of anyone's discussion but mine
Profile Image for Anna.
1,036 reviews47 followers
May 14, 2020
Austin hired Quinn as his personal assistant despite his intense attraction to her. Both of them know there's chemistry there but they also keep trying to keep it professional.
Profile Image for Coco.V.
50k reviews4 followers
Want to read
April 28, 2021
🎁 FREE on Amazon & on Apple iBooks today (4/28/2021)!🎁
Profile Image for Jennifer.
2,027 reviews90 followers
May 5, 2020
* A review copy was provided by the author *

~ 4 Stars ~

Dare to Resist is the start of a new Dare Nation Series by Carly Phillips. I think this series is off to a great start. I found this book very enjoyable and entertaining.

If you are a fan of an office romance and a single dad story, then this is one you should read. Also who wouldn’t want to read about more Dares?!?!

Dare to Resist is the first book in this series and is a standalone novel. Even though this is built around the Dare family, you don’t have to read any previous books to enjoy this one. This series will have interconnected characters as well as you will see past characters, but you aren’t missing anything if these books are read out of order. This is told in Dual POV from the third person. I thought the flow and pace was good, but one thing I felt was different from other Carly Phillips books, was that we didn’t get right into the story, like she does in her other books. She added some filler in the beginning that I wasn’t expecting….it just slowed things down a little bit.

In this book we follow Austin and Quinn. I loved Austin, but I will be honest and say I didn’t really connect with Quinn. There was just something about her that I just didn’t like. Austin made this book for me!!

Austin is an ex NFL player who has now made it big as a sports agent and is looking to hire a new assistant. In comes Quinn. The attraction is immediate but both know nothing can happen because they work together…..or can it?? When Austin’s life is upended by a baby being dropped off on his doorstep, he turns to Quinn for help. Will they be able to hold back their attraction and feelings or will they cave and cross that line?? Read this book to find out.

I loved seeing some of the past Dares in this story. I found the connection between this family and the Dares an interesting one. I look forward to reading more books in this series .

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Profile Image for Kahea.
2,110 reviews117 followers
May 6, 2020
***4 Stars***

This was a fun, quick read and not only a great start to a new series, but also in the ever expanding Dare family saga. I have to come clean and admit that much of the fun for me was due to watching Austin go through every emotion and reaction possible to having a surprise baby dropped off on his doorstep, but I did love how the whole baby issue pushed Austin and Quinn to confront their attraction to each other.

Austin and Quinn were a lot of fun. Austin is a good man with a generous heart who finds himself in a bit of a crossroads when it comes to how he is living his life. Quinn is sweet, sassy and driven. She has goals she wants to achieve and isn’t afraid to put the work into get them accomplished.

Their journey to their HEA was a fun one. While the whole baby issue did push them closer together, the attraction they felt ~ but didn’t really act on ~ was there from the first moment they met. They respected and admired each other and found that they truly liked who the other person was outside of the office. The baby helped both see the others softer and more vulnerable side and bumped up the chemistry that was already simmering between them. The roadblock in their journey wasn’t a surprise, but I actually liked how it happened because it showed just how well they really knew each other.

This was a fun read, there is a bit of drama and suspense thrown in for good measure, but overall an enjoyable read. Much of the fun was due to Austin’s reactions to everything ‘baby’. Some surprised me, but many were ones I would have expected of any man finding an infant on his doorstep. As for the supporting cast of characters, the Dare’s, in general, are always a lot of fun, so I’m totally looking forward to getting to know this section of the family better!

~ Copy provided by the author & voluntarily reviewed ~**~

Profile Image for Bookgasms Book Blog.
2,836 reviews1,427 followers
May 12, 2020
Oh man, I love a secret baby book! Especially one where the dad is completely clueless and helpless and needs to call in every favor he can to get some assistance!

And that’s exactly what happened with Austin Prescott. He never expected to find a tiny baby on his front step. Never expected her to invoke such fierce protective feelings in himself either. And he never expected to need the help of his executive assistant, Quinnlyn Stone, to get him through the initial “how do I do this” phase.

Especially since he’s kept Quinn deep in his “can’t touch” zone—she’s far too valuable as his employee to screw it up by trying to get into her pants. But man, he’d like too!

But having Quinn in his home, watching and learning from her how to take care of the baby, Austing is struggling to keep things professional.

And Quinn is struggling too. But she’s bound and determined to not give in to Austin’s charms. Bound and determined not to fall in love with the baby. Bound and determined to continue living her life free of the confines of a relationship and children.

But that determination is weakening quickly. And I greatly enjoyed watching Quinn and Austin find their way—bumbling through taking care of the baby and living together. Bumbling through their growing feelings for each other and their undeniable chemistry. I loved that Quinn and Austin accepted each other for who they were—knew their strengths and supported each other too. And finally realized that the future they never thought they wanted was exactly what they needed. And I cannot wait for more in this series! ~ Missy, 4 stars
Profile Image for Kayla Brunson.
1,470 reviews262 followers
June 23, 2020
I'm a sucker of single dad romances. So when I read the blurb I was so excited. While it didn't turn into a new favorite, I did enjoy my time reading it.

Both of the characters here got more than what they bargained for in life and in love. Seeing them come together after a baby was cute to read about. Baby Jenny was adorable!

I feel like I need to read the author's previous books because there were quite a few of Austin's family members that it seemed like I should know. I do remember the Dare last name in another book of hers that I read.

All in all, it was cute and made me want to read the author's backlist.
Profile Image for Jackie.
3,792 reviews124 followers
July 2, 2021
Liked story premise, characters and execution but did not totally love this first in series as much as other books in original series written by author.

I did though love baby Jenny and together the Austin/Quinn pairing worked beautifully as first individuals then as a team.
Profile Image for Flavs is Mrs David Gandy♥~♥’.
3,119 reviews2 followers
May 4, 2020
From the moment that Quinlan and Austin met they had a connection. But because Austin became Quinn's boss he decided to push his feelings aside and focus on his business, well except for the one kiss that will never be mentioned again.

One year later and they have an incredible business relationship. Austin can't believe how lucky he was to get Quinn as his assistant. And even though he can't seem to stop thinking about her, he has to put his feelings aside for the sake of his business. But when Austin finds himself in a bind and an unexpected surprise on his doorstep, the only person he thinks of calling is Quinn. Now that they are spending more and more time together at work and home, they can't seem to put their feelings on the backburner anymore.
Quinn doesn't want anything to do with having kids of her own, after being the permanent babysitter for her siblings and cousins, she has had enough of kids. She doesn't want to have kids at all. But now that Austin has another person added to his life, will that be enough to push them apart or will it bring them closer to each other.

I enjoyed this story. And even though Quinn had me on edge as I didn't know how she was going to cope with Austin's surprise and would she give up the man she was in love or would she change her mind. I haven't read many of this authors books. But now that I met the Dare's I am really curious how this family came to be. And definitely want to read the other books. This story I finished in a day and was hooked with how Austin reacted to the change in his life and how he was going to get Quinn to see what she really wanted in life.

Reviewed on behalf of
Fay's Corner
Profile Image for Taryn.
932 reviews24 followers
May 19, 2020
Quinnlyn Stone has just gotten her dream job she will be working for Austin Prescott who is a sports agent. With this new job she is hoping to climb the ladder and make a name for herself. Austin is happy with his new hire but she is quite attractive and he worries he won't be able to keep things just business. When Austin finds a baby on his doorstep with a note saying he's the father everything in his life changes. Quinnlyn agrees to help him care for the baby until things can be figured out. Is he really the father, if so where does he go from there. The two get into a routine and at the same time sparks fly between them. Quinn has to Austin she doesn't want children and Austin is already attached to the baby. Follow along as these two dance around their feeling, will either be able to make a compromise or will their video g romance never get off the ground?
Profile Image for Jessica Alcazar.
4,066 reviews565 followers
May 12, 2020
Carly Phillips truly is one of the best authors I have had the pleasure of reading. I stared reading her books about 8 or so years ago and she didn’t disappoint then, and she doesn’t disappoint now. Her style and voice have changed thru the years, but they have always been excellent reads for me. This new series charmed the pants of me from the beginning!



Two excellently developed characters with an undeniable connection from the moment they met, but they couldn’t just jump into anything because life is never that simple. So, they held off until life got a little complicated and they found themselves not only immersed with each other in the workplace but out of it as well. Their story had a little bit of everything all wrapped in a lot of heart! A bit of angst with the secret baby situation, lots of chemistry wrapped in a bit of steam and romance with relatable characters in a realistic situation.



Great start to what I am sure will be another hit series for this author!



GRAB YOUR COPY NOW!
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Profile Image for Jill M.
1,302 reviews92 followers
April 29, 2020
The Dares keep popping up everywhere and I’m okay with that. I love this family and can’t get enough of them. Once again Carly delivers a sweet and sexy story with depth and emotion. I loved the insta-chemistry and the slow build. Austin and Quinn’s connection was unstoppable and amazing to watch grow.

A hunky ex-football player and a confident woman who both have hearts of gold, and a secret baby, what more could you ask for? A little angst, a little steam and a whole lot of romance and you have a great book.
Profile Image for The Written.
415 reviews3 followers
January 14, 2021
I'm absolutely disgusted that this piece of absolute trash has a 4.17 rating. I stopped reading at the point where the baby is left on his doorstep and he calls his assistant to help him. They have the hots for each other, obviously. This man has money and the baby is left with some formula, a car seat and 4 diapers but before I stop reading he nor his assistant go out and buy one thing for baby. All you mamas know 4 diapers...wtf!!! Not only that the assistant makes a pallet, an fing pallet, on the floor for the baby next to the guys bed. in the middle of the night the baby cries, the assistant comes in ends up falling asleep in his bed. They put the baby back on the floor and he proceeds to dry hump the assistant to orgasm. W-T-F!!!! A baby has just been left by its mother and is on the floor in a strange place and the author thought yep let's put in a sex scene right now. Garbage! Carly Phillips needs therapy and I question the intelligence and morals of all the readers who rated this book so highly!!!
Profile Image for Simply Love Book Reviews.
7,046 reviews842 followers
May 12, 2020
4.5 stars

Wow! What a story. You could cut the sexual tension between Austin and Quinn with a knife from their very first meeting. Trying to keep their relationship professional prices to be a challenge for these two. Austin is out for a good time until his past catches up with him in the form a baby. Having no idea how to handle his, he asks his loyal assistant for help. Quinn helps him out, but tries to teach him so she can leave and get back to her life. I really loved the way that Austin’s family was so close and always had each other’s backs. Really looking forward to reading more about this family!

Review copy provided for a voluntary review.
Profile Image for Daniela.
417 reviews37 followers
July 17, 2020
Single Dad, yes please! Der Teil der Geschichte hat mir gut gefallen. Aber der Rest war nicht ganz überzeugend. Ein Fall von instalove ohne viel Entwicklung. Vom Schreibstil her war es nicht schlecht. Aber es war mir zu oberflächlich. Werd die Reihe abbrechen.
Profile Image for All Booked Out.
464 reviews22 followers
May 13, 2020
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Dare to Resist is the first book in The Dare Nation series and what a perfect start to a new series. Office romance, secret baby and a forbidden love, Carly has spoiled me!

Desire and attraction are the first things that hit Austin and Quinn when they first meet, but their jobs must come first. After a steamy kiss, they both decide the only relationship they can have is a professional one. A year later, a surprise baby and a combined living arrangement bring the two together and sparks fly!

I loved Austin. I mean who wouldn’t love a selfless, respectful and generous man. I know I definitely did. He respects and understands Quinn on a level that most, even her own family don’t. Her opinions and choices matter to him, and I love that he allows her to make those decisions for herself.

Quinn is a badass heroine. She is sassy, bold and direct. She stands up for herself, follows her dreams and doesn’t let others tell her what her life should be like. She has denied and convinced herself all of life that children are not in her future but cannot help the unexpected emotions and feelings towards she has for adorable baby Jenny.

Dare to Resist was a fantastic and beautiful love story. The writing was excellent as always and the sentenced flowed effortlessly, captivating me for the book’s entirety. I am beyond excited to read the rest of the Dare Sibling’s stories!

ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
Profile Image for Jenn Amy.
894 reviews80 followers
October 20, 2020
Dare to Resist by Carly Phillips is the first standalone book in her new series, Dare Nation. I loved it. It is a sweet, quick sexy read. It follows the story of Quinn, assistant to Austin, ex football player now a highly successful sports agent. Austin is a gorgeous man. He is a bit of a playboy, never really looking for anything serious. Due to his previous football career he didn’t feel he could trust women’s intentions in the past. So he is surprised when he comes home one night to find a surprise baby on his doorstep. He immediately calls Quinn and although she is there for him instantly she has major reservations. I have to admit that Quinn irritated me the majority of the book. She had some major hang ups and resisted her feelings until the end. One thing I can admit though is their chemistry was undeniable. Holy sexual tension right from their very first meeting. There was a bit of push and pull but when they connect it’s magical and explosive. Austin was reserved at first but he falls hard and fast for his new baby daughter and becomes protective of her instantly. I fell for him fast. I loved Austin’s mom and siblings and can’t wait to read the rest in this series after the teasers dropped in this story.
Profile Image for Laura.
2,419 reviews115 followers
May 19, 2020
***ARC Provided by the Author***

Austin and Quinnlyn were just what I needed. They were fun, they were sexy and they were a great escape into someone's else problems, story and life.

I loved their relationship. The idea that the attraction was present well before any of the things that happened to them with the baby on his doorstep.

And, I loved that this book, above anything else, was about how life often puts us in situations that finds us reevaluating the things we believed, or thought we knew about ourselves. And watching both of them have this happen to them, and watching them end up in the same place, was a lot of fun.

I enjoyed and recommend this title.
Profile Image for Amazeballs Book Addicts.
2,812 reviews241 followers
May 15, 2020
I say this every time I read this author but it always bares repeating...Carly Phillips is one of the best! Truly, she hooks you every time from page one. It is impossible to not love the characters. I LOVE all the Dare books. Doesn't matter which Dare's we are reading about, they are all my favorites!! From the first Dare guys to the new ones, they are all fantastic!! That all being said, Austin and Quinn are no different. This new Dare series is going to be amazing. I laughed so hard sometimes in this book and had many heartfelt "awww" moments too. And lets not forget the HOT moments. WHEW yep those are present as well. I can not wait for the next book in this series or any series from this author!

Review by Tabitha

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
2,803 reviews21 followers
May 12, 2020
love secret babies and love watching the dad go through the motions looking for help any where he can get it, lots of laughs and sweet and sexy moments with Quinn who is one confident go get em girl and Austin looking at his life to make a change.
The attraction flies off the pages with these to and I can't wait for more Dare I'm loving this new series.
Profile Image for Becky Claxon.
1,927 reviews12 followers
March 13, 2020
I loved this book! I can’t seem to get enough of the Prescott/Dare family. Austin is looking for an administrative assistant to help him, especially when he goes in to donate a kidney to his uncle/father. I loved how he is taken with Quinn when she walks in to interview for the job. Just his luck, he is attracted to her and can’t have an outside of work relationship with her if she is working for him. Quinn is smart and prepared for his interview as she has read up everything she could about the man and the job. I felt bad that Quinn had to take care of her brothers, sisters and cousins as she was the oldest. The worse part was that no one asked her how she felt about it and if there were other places she wanted to go. This has colored her outlook on ever having children. Unfortunately Austin gets a big surprise when he comes home one night and finds a baby girl by his front door crying. I loved watching him learn to take care of a baby with the help of Quinn. This also gave Quinn a look at another side of Austin she hadn’t seen. There are some more bumps in the road that broke my heart at times. I strongly encourage you to read the book. I was given a copy of the book and voluntarily wrote a review.
Profile Image for Miia.
242 reviews4 followers
May 14, 2020
2,5/5⭐️

I received an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book in the Dare Nation series and first out is Austin and Quinn. He is a former football player that now works as a sports agent and is in need of an assistant.
Quinn gets the job as his assistant and the attraction between them is instant. Problem is that both of them wants to keep it professional, so hooking up is out of the question. But as time passes ,the attraction gets more and more difficult to resist.

To me the story had far too many cliches which made it difficult to connect with the story as to the characters, I felt while I read the novel that I’ve read these kind of happenings before,it didn’t really stand out.

There are two things that I do want to mention though that got me a bit confused;

One was the fact that Quinn didn’t want children but at the end she changed her mind because she fell in love with Austin,I think the author could have put more focus on that it’s ok for a women to not want children,it doesn’t means she can’t fall in love, get married or is less of a women.

Second thing that got me wonder was that Jennys mother was clearly suffering postnatal depression or some other mental illness.
Why not develop that in the story?

What I did like was the interaction between the characters and the dialogues, it made me laugh and smile on occasions, that was the reason that kept me reading and finish the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 447 reviews

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