"On Dublin Street" By: Samantha Young Review

On Dublin Street 
By: Samantha Young

Synopsis from Goodreads

Four years ago, Jocelyn Butler left her tragic past behind in the States and started over in Edinburgh. Burying the grief, ignoring her demons, and forging ahead without any real attachments has worked well for her so far but when Joss moves into a fantastic apartment on Dublin Street, her carefully guarded world is shaken to its core by her new roommate's sexy older brother.

Braden Carmichael is a man who always gets what he wants. And what he wants is Jocelyn in his bed. Knowing how skittish Joss is concerning any kind of relationship, Braden proposes a sexual arrangement that should satisfy the intense attraction between them without it developing into anything 'more'. An intrigued Jocelyn agrees, completely unprepared for the Scotsman and his single-minded determination to strip the stubborn young woman bare... to the very soul. 

My Thoughts
    I think one of my favorite things about having a book blog is finding new authors. I love the books, don’t get me wrong, but finding that great new author that I want to tell my friends about? Well that’s pretty special and with Samantha Young, I have definitely found a new favorite. “On Dublin Street” is one of my favorite books of the year without a doubt, featuring wonderful characters, hilarious situations, and a super romantic and thoroughly satisfying romance.
    Jocelyn lost her parents at a young age and has been wandering for a long time. A confused teenager who made bad decisions, she has ended up living in Scotland, the homeland of her dearly departed mother. Ready for a change of scenery, she finds a new roommate and falls for her new roommate’s brother slowly but surely.
   Braden is no stranger to adversity. A distant mother and overly controlling father have ruled his life but when he meets Jocelyn, he sees something different. Overbearing at times, Braden tries to fit Joss into his neatly ordered life but like all things in life, things don’t quite go as planned.
    I loved Jocelyn and Braden individually, but loved them more together. They each were so independent that when they finally decide to be together fireworks erupted. Hilarious, dramatic, emotional and shiver worthy, Joss and Braden were made for one another and I loved it!

“Where are the others?”

Braden flicked me a casual glance as he took a sip from the cold glass of water the waiter had just poured. “What others?”

What others? I gritted my teeth. “You said this was a business meeting.”

“Yes, but I didn’t say what business.”

Oh my God. This was a date! No way. First the bossiness, then the handholding… no. No, no, no. I pushed my chair out, about two seconds from shooting up to my feet when Braden’s next words froze me in place.

“You try to leave, I’ll tackle you.” Even though he wasn’t looking at me when he said it, I could tell he was deadly serious.

Something else I think should be addressed is Young’s attention to Joscelyn’s mental state. Having her parents die at a young age and partially growing up in the foster system is enough to scar anyone. Young takes this into account and throughout the story shares glimpses of Joss’s interactions with a therapist. It doesn’t automatically heal the character overnight and seems realistic in terms of a person’s mental state, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Fast paced, emotional and filled with wonderful characters, this romantic novel takes you to Scotland and makes you never want to leave. I checked Samantha’s website and right now she doesn’t have any concrete plans for what comes next, but I must implore, we are dying to read whatever else you have coming our way! Exceptional writer with a wonderful story, you can find “On Dublin Street” in paperback or e-book format.

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

“On Dublin Street” Official Website

Book Details 

Publisher: Samantha Young Self-Published

Date of Publication: August 30, 2012

# of Pages: 414

ISBN: B0094J01VG