Dare and Z

This story is so sweet just like sugar. Dare and Zayden have been best friends forever and it was so nice to see them admit their feelings and be a couple. I fall in love with Zayden, he was just a sweetheart. I enjoyed every second of this best friends to lovers romance.

I like a lot of Payton Jin Huang narration! It was very smooth and easy to listen. It was the first audiobook I listen with this narrator but I hope it isn't the last. Can't wait for the next audiobook from New Gothenburg world.

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best friends to lovers

I have already listened to a few audiobooks by this author duo and was therefore already curious about this audiobook.
Dare is straight and lives with his best friend Zadyen. Dare is the protective type and Zayden likes to be protected more and is looking for a daddy.
After an incident in the apartment, Dare catches Zayden in a compromising situation. This is the beginning of the friends to lovers relationship. The attraction between the two is undoubtedly there, and the bisexual revival was kind of sweet, nothing was rushed, and the story comes off completely without angst. Over all, I found the two of them very cute together. They slowly found their way into their relationship.
What wasn't my thing at all was Zayden's breeding kink. This didn't bother me much while reading or listening to it, I just found it strange. But I can imagine that this is not everyone's cup of tea. The Daddy Kink, on the other hand, I liked and he somehow fit well with the two. Overall, I was quite entertained by the audiobook.

The narrator Payton Jin Hunag was new to me and he certainly has potential. Overall, he didn't read badly, but I wasn't convinced by all the character voices. He did a good job with Dare, but I found his voice for Zayden too high and squeaky.

I requested a free copy of the audiobook and this is my honest opinion that I am volunteering.

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1 person found this helpful

Sweet but kinky.

This is a rather sweet and low-angst book, with super steamy parts!
It’s really all about Zayden and Dare exploring together their new relationship as they go from best friends to being a couple.
The fact that Dare has never been with a man before doesn’t seem to pose much of an obstacle, as he has just loved Z all his life and, apparently, getting physical with him is not really a struggle.
Nor, it seems, is he bothered in the least by Zaydan’s kinks, be it the Daddy king, or the breeding/pregnancy one. He’s just worried about not knowing enough and somehow hurting Z.
Now, I have to admit, this was my first encounter with breeding kink, and, though I can’t say it has become my favourite to read, it lost the “weird” factor it had when I started listening to this book. It probably isn’t for everyone, but, you know, to each their own…
This was my first time listening to a book narrated by Payton Jin Huang; I think he did a pretty good job with the voices, especially Z’s, as he has the kind of sweet voice that went really well with the characters.

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The book I didn’t know I needed until I had it

Really enjoyed listening to this book
Very well written and performed
I don’t often relisten to books but this one I will

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Dare and Z 💚💚

Zayden is a gorgeous guy with a protective bff. Dare hates when Z gets used by his boyfriends. It’s a bff turned to lovers story with an unusual kink, at least for me. Dare is so understanding and loving I get toothaches lol. It’s a sweet listen!

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Sweet story about best friends to lovers with kink

One of my favorite trope’s is friends to lovers and gay for you - and if you like that too this is a sweet story about Zaden and Dare who has been best friends always.
Zaden has had a secret crush on Dare almost as long as they’ve known each other but Dare is straight.
It is a lovely story about realizing that what you is right in front of you and being brave and ask for for what you want even if you might be hurt.
Zaden and Dare are so cute and together they explore Zaden’s kink :)

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Pleasant enough exploration of breeding kink

Straight boy Fern ‘Dare’ Darrow has always felt protective of his BFF / roommate Zayden ‘Z’ Shoemaker, especially since Z seems to attract then repel a revolving door of douchy boyfriends. When Dare walks in on Z in a compromising position, he uncovers Z’s secret kink which he finds strangely enticing. This bisexual-awakening / friends-to-lovers romance was low on angst and high on fluff. I wasn’t familiar with the breeding kink but I didn’t find it offensive or erotic, it just evoked a mild curiosity. The workplace subplot was a good addition, although it didn’t seem believable that childhood friends, Z and Dare, would both study to become paralegals and work in the same office. I appreciated that Dare’s transition from straight to bi and the sex scenes weren’t rushed but I felt like the daddy kink on top of accepting everything else was unlikely. I think audio narrator Payton Jin Huang has potential, but his delivery was uneven: sometimes smooth and perfect, other times stilted with weird character voicings. He captured Dare’s voice best; Z and friends were a little too high-pitched or comical.
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I received a free copy of the audiobook from the authors in exchange for an honest review.

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not really my cup of tea

I struggled to finish this book. The story at sometimes got a little two weird for me. I found myself skipping whole scenes.

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Sweet, tender best friends to lovers, Daddy/boy

I absolutely loved this. Dare and Zayden were so sweet.
They've been best friends for a long time.
Zayden has secretly been in love with Dare for just as long and Dare has been completely oblivious to how he truly feels about Zayden.
Dare just thinks he sees Zayden as his little buddy and he's very protective of him.
He's sick and tired of Zayden's dating choices because he keeps getting hurt but he doesn't realize why he hates his boyfriends so much until the light bulb goes off and he finally recognizes that he's perfect for Zayden and can give him everything he needs because he already knows him so well.
Zayden is hiding a secret though because he's always been made to feel like an outcast, strange and weird because of something he so desperately craves and is inherently necessary to him.
I really appreciated how sweet, tender, and willing Dare was to explore with Zayden and let him know there was nothing wrong with his needs.
Seeing them settling into a Daddy/boy dynamic was wonderful and also so hot.
Dare stepped into his role naturally because in reality he was already a Daddy to Zayden, he just wasn't aware but one he was it was no holds barred.
Payton Jin Huang is a new to me narrator and he did a wonderful job.

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Sweet and steamy best friends to lovers romance

Dare and Z are so sweet together and add in some fun k!nk and you have one steamy and oh so sweet story! There is a bit of pining, a lot of questioning and realisations and so many cameos!! I can't wait for Kwan's story!!

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