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Verdict: A warm, well-written and very slow-burn romance between a tattoo studio owner burned by a straight woman before and a straight-identifying talent agent in her forties who can’t stop thinking about her. Readers love the grown-up leads and supporting cast; a few found it too slow and the final obstacle underwhelming.
Best for: Readers who enjoy patient, realistic coming-out romances with older leads.
Heat level: 🌶️🌶️
Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.8/5 — a 3.99 Goodreads average across 1,028 ratings, 3.76 on StoryGraph from 191 reviews, and 4.5 stars across 689 Amazon ratings)
Tropes: Queer awakening, slow burn, “straight” love interest, opposites, found family, London.
Dare to Love is A.L. Brooks’s 2020 contemporary lesbian romance from Ylva, set in the same world as Write Your Own Script. Investment banker turned tattoo studio owner Ash Taylor has vowed to steer clear of women unsure of their sexuality since a heartbreaking affair with a straight colleague. Talent-agency executive Carmen Lyttleton is straight, career-focused and not prone to distraction — until her best friend gets a tattoo at Ash’s studio.
It holds a 3.99 average across 1,028 Goodreads ratings, with 73% of them four or five stars, 3.76 on StoryGraph from 191 reviews, and 4.5 stars across 689 Amazon ratings.
What Is Dare to Love About?
When Carmen and Ash keep bumping into each other, Carmen is shocked by the sparks and by what they might mean. Both women carry fears, old baggage and stubbornness.
Can they dare to love?
What Works in This Book
- Women in their forties: Readers find a romance with older leads refreshing.
- Realistic awakening: Carmen’s questioning is handled step by step, mirrored by Ash’s teenage niece Sophie.
- Supporting cast: Felicity, Ash’s family and returning favourites Tamsyn and Maggie are highlights.
- Tension: Readers praise sexual tension that builds subtly and steadily.
Book Synopsis
A tattoo artist who swore off straight women meets a talent agent who has never looked at a woman — until now.
A slow-burn romance about leaving the past behind.
My Review
Brooks writes consistently well, and here she lets two strong, witty women take their time. The slice-of-life feel and the found family make it a comfortable read.
The slowness is the recurring reservation: a few readers found parts sleepy, and one wouldn’t reread it for that reason. Another felt that when the reason Ash holds back is finally revealed, it is anticlimactic. It doesn’t break new ground, but most readers don’t mind.
My honest note: A dependable pick for slow-burn fans.
| Element | In Dare to Love |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Ash Taylor (tattoo studio owner) & Carmen Lyttleton (talent agent, 40s) |
| Core tropes | Queer awakening, slow burn, “straight” love interest |
| Setting | London |
| Heat level | 🌶️🌶️ |
| Length | 270 pages (Kindle) |
| Connected book | Write Your Own Script (characters return) |
| Content notes | Homophobia, outing, suicidal thoughts (minor, StoryGraph) |
How Spicy Is Dare to Love?
Moderate: a long build with lots of kissing before things heat up.
StoryGraph users flag homophobia, with minor mentions of suicidal thoughts and outing.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you want a grown-up, realistic queer awakening. It is on our late-bloomer lesbian romance list.
You may want to skip it if: you need a fast pace.
In short: Slow, warm and grown-up.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)
On Goodreads the split is 30% five stars, 43% four, 21% three, 3% two and under 1% one. On StoryGraph, 52% called it slow-paced and 63% tagged it emotional.
Why readers love it (according to the discourse): Older leads first. Second, the supporting cast. Third, the tension.
What readers argue about and complain about: Slowness, above everything. Second, an underwhelming final obstacle.
The comparison worth making first: Write Your Own Script, the book where Tamsyn and Maggie get their story.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to read Write Your Own Script first?
No. Tamsyn and Maggie from that book appear as secondary characters, but readers who skipped it had no trouble.
How old is Carmen?
One reader gives her age as 43; several reviewers note she discovers her attraction to women in her forties.
Is Dare to Love a slow burn?
Very. Readers say it takes slow burn to a new level — with a lot of kissing along the way.
How spicy is it?
Moderate; the tension builds slowly before the payoff.
Is Dare to Love on Kindle Unlimited?
Yes, at the time of writing; otherwise the Kindle edition was $9.99. Readers praise the audiobook’s distinct accents for the two leads.
If You Loved Dare to Love, Read These Next
Try Something in the Wine, or browse our late-bloomer list and the full Book Reviews archive.
The Bottom Line
Dare to Love sets out to tell a patient, grown-up coming-out romance, and it does so warmly. What holds it back is how slowly it moves. A good Kindle Unlimited pick. Check Dare to Love on Amazon →
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, Dare to Love ranks as a good late-bloomer romance — steady, sincere.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall ★★★★☆ 3.8/5
- ✓ 3.99 average across 1,028 Goodreads ratings
- ✓ 73% of Goodreads ratings are four or five stars
- ✓ 3.76 on StoryGraph from 191 reviews
- ✓ 4.5 stars across 689 Amazon ratings
Romance ★★★★☆ 3.7/5
- ✓ Very slow burn
- ✓ Lots of kissing
- ✓ Real tension
- ✓ Anticlimactic obstacle for one
Characters ★★★★☆ 4/5
- ✓ Witty Ash
- ✓ Relatable Carmen
- ✓ Great Felicity
- ✓ Returning favourites
Writing ★★★★☆ 3.8/5
- ✓ Consistent quality
- ✓ Slice of life
- ✓ Slow in places
- ✓ Dual POV
Emotional Impact ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ Tagged emotional by 63%
- ✓ Late awakening
- ✓ Past hurt
- ✓ Warm
Heat Level ★★★☆☆ 3/5
- ✓ Moderate
- ✓ Long build
- ✓ Tension
- ✓ Adult romance
Ending ★★★★☆ 3.7/5
- ✓ Satisfying
- ✓ Rarely detailed
- ✓ Connected world
- ✓ Hopeful
Re-read Value ★★★★☆ 3.5/5
- ✓ On Kindle Unlimited
- ✓ $9.99 Kindle price
- ✓ Good audiobook
- ✓ Too slow to reread for one
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