Julie Lessman is a master at romance! Her books are always filled with tension, intrigue and love stories that leave the reader wanting to read more. A reader can not help but be drawn into the story and feel as if they are almost there watching the action unfold, experiencing first hand each deep running emotion. This story is no different.

A wealthy lady with a tender heart feels that she must bridge the gap between the rich and the poor - a perilous and dangerous road to walk upon. Allison McClare steps from her upper society into the dark and stained streets of the Barbary Coast to discover that the world of poverty is unlike anything she could have ever dreamed. Every darkened corner and dirty street, every drafty window and falling down house had the possibility of danger. The presence of the enemy lurked in every shadowy corner. She soon found that she was no match for the things she would encounter as she tried to reach out and help those who were less fortunate than she was. Yet she needed this very thing to keep her mind busy while her heart healed from being broken by the one she had thought was her true love.

A brusque, hardened detective with walls as thick and high as Jericho is hired to guard her and to teach self-defense. His heart is walled up against love, his mind set on fending off any woman from the upper class. He does nothing to hide his disdain for the wealthy from Allsion and she in like does nothing to bridle her tongue when it comes to a sparring match. Both find that they have met their match, but neither is ready to fall in love again - or are they?

Action, suspense, danger and love. Healing in unexpected ways at unexpected time through unexpected people. This book is a page turner for sure!

Thanks to Revell for this review copy. ( )

I loved the fearless and spunky character known as Allison McClare and the whole dialogue and interaction her and detective Nick Barone had in this story, which is book two in this delightful series. Allison wants her independence as a teacher to the less fortunate down in the Barbary Coast district of San Francisco. Nick Barone works in the district and knows how dangerous it is and the two have sparks flying whenever they seem to meet. As the back cover of the book puts it, "She's a sassy socialite burned by love. He's a jaded cop burned by the upper class. When sparks fly. . . will love catch fire again?" It was fun to watch these two come to care for each other and sad to see how their love for each other was almost torn apart before it truly began. A well written little twist of events there near the end of the story.

This is book two in this series and could be read as a stand alone but then you wouldn't fully get to know some of the other characters in this story unless you read them in order. And the author writes such interesting and engaging stories that I am never disappointed by reading her work. Looking forward to book three next, "Surprised by Love". ( )

I loved Ali and Nick! There were lots of LOL moments as well as heart-touching scenes. Another wonderful, fantastic read for me! Oh, Julie, keep on writing! ( )

"Dare to Love Again" is the second novel in The Heart of San Francisco trilogy of the McClare family, from award-winning author, Julie Lessman. Socialite Allison McClare's goal to be an independent woman is met with opposition from Detective Nick Barone (long e), whose beat is the streets of the wild Barbary Coast, in which the Hand of Hope School for girls - where Allison is the new teacher of English and drama - is located. Nick's secrets from the past have left him with a grudge against the upper class - Allison's belief that all men are liars, frauds, or fortune hunters, stems from the pain caused by a broken relationship. The humorous barbs between Nick and Allison start on the first page and don't let up until the last page of this delightful novel. Nick and Allison are equally surprised when romantic sparks start to fly.

From Julie Lessman's description of a "lighter, shorter, less complicated series - with less romantic and spiritual passion" (as compared to her Daughters of Boston and Winds of Change trilogies), I wasn't sure what to expect with this series. What I DID expect was to be thoroughly entertained and inspired - as Julie is a masterful writer - and I wasn't disappointed!!

Julie's heart-warming characters are in abundance, as usual. The girls and staff of Mercy House Orphanage are a touching addition to the story - watch out for little Lottie, she'll "steal your heart"!! The "on-again, off-again" romantic relationship between Allison's mother, Caitlyn, and Caitlyn's deceased husband's brother, Logan, will have you cheering for, and sympathizing with, each of them before the story ends.

"Dare to Love Again" is chock-full of humor, suspense, passion, drama, secrets, romance, realistic characters, redemption, forgiveness, warm family setting, hope, regret, love, faith, and the ever-wonderful happy ending - it's a treat for ALL readers!! The McClare family is a delight - just as the O'Connor family was in Julie's two previous series!! I've loved each and every novel she's written, and I await - however impatiently - the October 2014 release of the final novel in the series, "Surprised By Love"!! ( )

“Dare to Love Again” by Julie Lessman is a historical romance novel that takes place in San Francisco in the early 1900’s.

Caitlyn McClare and her daughter and niece have started a school for underprivileged girls on the edge of the Barbary Coast area of San Francisco. This area is not one in which genteel women should ever walk alone. Logan McClare, Caitlyn’s brother-in-law and Allison’s uncle, hires a policeman to be their bodyguard, unbeknownst to the women. Nick Barone is quite competent in that regard. Both he and Allison McClare are wounded souls who have been rejected by former loves and are determined not to become involved with anyone for a very long time. There are other problems that Nick is trying to overcome and these present a real danger to him and to Allison.

I liked this book, but I thought that it was a slow read for me. I just couldn’t get really involved with the characters, which is something that, for me, makes a great novel. There was quite a bit of dialogue between Nick and Alli that was very sarcastic. I skipped a few paragraphs that seemed to bog down with that dialogue. The dangerous and thrilling actions came towards the very end of the book. I wish that part could have been drawn out and more written about it. I think it would have added to the book.
I was sent a free print copy of this book by Revell Reads in return for my honest assessment of the book posted during the January 2014 Blog Tour.

You can find this review on my blog at http://wp.me/p2pjIt-9D. ( )