Dare to Love again by Julie Lessman

Dare to Love again
By Julie Lessman
Reviewed by Martha Artyomenko
Book Description:
Spunky Allison McClare is determined to be a fearless, independent woman, resorting to a mammoth hat pin for protection on her way to and from the school where she teaches. But when she takes a notion to explore the wild Barbary Coast she quickly discovers she is no match for rum-soaked brute strength.
Detective Nick Barone would rather do almost anything than teach this petite socialite jiu-jitsu, but it seems he has little choice in the matter. Sparks fly every time the two meet until a grudging friendship develops into something deeper. But when Nick suddenly leaves town, Allison realizes he’s a fraud just like all the rest of the men she’s cared for. Does she dare love again?
My Review:
I had an advanced review copy on my kindle of this book and consequently it was somehow missing most of the “th” on many words. It made my brain stay on hyper drive the whole book! It was worth it though, as it was a great read.
Julie Lessman is known for her somewhat edgy romances, and this one is not really that way. It does however talk about two very broken people, in historical San Francisco, trying to clumsily make a difference in their own ways.
Nick always seems to be like he was huge, compared to Allison’s size, but even as he would walk into places, he was loud, large and rude. Allison though, was small, but also not the smartest chocolate in the box. She feels desperate to be independent, and risks her safety to do so.
They both were so irritating that you have to fall in love with them. They deserve to irritate each other.
Also, in the book is a sub-romance of her Uncle Lance and Allison’s mother, this romance started in the earlier book and still does not really finish it in this book. It whets your appetite for the next book without even telling you!
I think no matter what Julie Lessman writes, I am going to like it, but I have to say she just gets better with time. Each book, I think, is better than the last one. They are ones you cling to the cover and want to read slow because you don’t want them to end, but want to read faster, because you want to know how the story resolves. She gives you real romance, not with perfect people, but real, fallible characters. You have to pick up a copy!