Once Upon a Dare Books in Order

Once Upon a Dare is a smaller spin-off that zooms in on the athletes orbiting Ava Miles’s extended Dare family, starting with star quarterback Jordan Dean. Where the main Dare Valley books might show a game on television or a jersey in the background, this series steps directly into the high-pressure world of professional football.

In The Gate to Everything, Jordan appears to have it all, a Super Bowl ring, endorsement deals, and the kind of public image most players would kill for. Off the field, though, his longtime girlfriend Grace Kincaid has walked away, tired of waiting for a proposal and worn out by the demands of his rock-star lifestyle.

When Grace calls with life-changing news, Jordan expects a second chance at romance and instead learns he is about to become a father. Rather than rush into a wedding she does not trust, Grace agrees to move into the dream house Jordan secretly built for her, with a small gate in the fence connecting their two yards. The physical gate becomes a symbol of everything between them, the history they share, the distance she keeps, and the family they might still grow into.

Unlike some sports romances that focus heavily on the season schedule, Ava keeps the emphasis on emotional stakes. Jordan has to figure out who he is when the stadium lights go off, what kind of partner and father he wants to be, and how much of his old playboy persona he is willing to shed. Grace wrestles with fear of repeating old patterns, the realities of pregnancy and new motherhood, and the question of whether love is enough without real change.

The tone is still hopeful and romantic, but the conflict feels grounded in everyday issues like communication, family expectations, and work-life balance rather than locker-room drama.

Readers who enjoy the Hales and Merriams will recognize the same themes here, loyalty, messy families, and friends who meddle for all the right reasons. On this page you will find the current Once Upon a Dare book in order, plus space for future stories about other players in Jordan’s orbit. It is a good choice if you like sports heroes with heart and romances that explore what happily ever after looks like once the final whistle blows.