Down London Road

On Dublin Street #2

by Samantha Young

Johanna Walker is used to taking charge. But she’s about to meet someone who will make her lose control...

It has always been up to Johanna to care for her family, particularly her younger brother, Cole. With an absent father and a useless mother, she’s been making decisions based on what’s best for Cole for as long as she can remember. She even determines what men to date by how much they can provide for her brother and her, not on whatever sparks may—or may not—fly.

But with Cameron MacCabe, the attraction is undeniable. The sexy new bartender at work gives her butterflies every time she looks at him. And for once, Jo is tempted to put her needs first. Cam is just as obsessed with getting to know Jo, but her walls are too solid to let him get close enough to even try.

Then Cam moves into the flat below Jo’s, and their blistering connection becomes impossible to ignore. Especially since Cam is determined to uncover all of Jo’s secrets… even if it means taking apart her defenses piece by piece.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, New Adult, Contemporary, Adult, Erotica, Audiobook

384 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 7, 2013

About the author

Samantha is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author and a Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee. Samantha has written over 60 books and is published in 31 countries. She writes emotional and angsty romance, often set where she resides—in her beloved home country Scotland. Samantha splits her time between her family, writing and chasing after two very mischievous cavapoos.

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Reviews

[Blacky *Romance Addict* · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 50%

If only Jo didn't date Malcolm for half the book.

If only Cam didn't date Becca for half the book.

Sorry but I just don't feel like continuing with this one.

[Baba · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars**DNF at 60 %. I think my pic is more entertaining than the book.**Review posted May 10, 2013

As a side note
My review of Down London Road is negative. Recently I have been accused of bullying for posting another negative review. Again, reading and reviewing is a very subjective matter. A review reflects my opinion. It reflects my feelings and it will always reflect why I enjoyed a book or why I didn't like it. Besides, I'm living in a democratic country and if I remember correctly then we're living and breathing our statutory right called "FREEDOM OF SPEECH". With that said, I would appreciate it immensely when those authors and readers who don't appreciate my take on a book would stop wasting their time by reading my reviews and posting vicious comments. Thank you.

Just to make this very clear: it was NOT Samantha Young who accused me of bullying, however, I wanted to add this side note to my review to point out that I have a right to express my honest opinion.







Jo's mother is unbelievable. Enough said. Maybe I could add that I'm going to dedicate a special shelf to...what's her name...? Can't even remember her name anymore. You can't blame me, though, because she is so forgettable.




**My review contains spoilers!**


I bought Down London Road on a whim and I must admit it was a mistake. The first 10 % of the plot were incredibly BORING. It picked up a bit but I never really got invested in the story. When I read...

"You were a lot more loquacious last time we spoke."
Cam raised an eyebrow. "Loquacious? Does someone have a Word of the Day calendar?"

"A heads-up." Cam's deep voice washed over me. "So you're not too disappointed that Disney lied--no matter how much you wish it, I'll still be here when you open your eyes."
"I forgot to say condescending," I muttered unhappily. "Despicable, judgmental, self-righteous, obnoxious, condescending fuckwit."

…I really thought we were on the right path. Was I ever wrong though.

Let's talk about inconsistencies. Our heroine is twenty-four years old, however, I wanted to yell at her to grow up already. She is responsible for her wee brother's well-being, she looks after him and does a fairly good job as far as I can judge, but at the same time she comes across as insecure, whiny, needy, and totally immature. She is even bad-mouthing herself. Can you believe it?

"It's just part of being in a relationship with a guy who has money. I'm not good at many things, Joss. I'm not a scholar like Ellie or a writer like you. I'm a girlfriend. I'm a good girlfriend and my boyfriend likes to show his appreciation by being generous with his money."
(….)
"One: There's much more to you than that. Two: Do you realize you pretty much described yourself as a glorified whore?"

Why she felt a sting of tears in her eyes is beyond me when she belittled herself all the time. Grow a pair already!

Riiiight. So, our heroine who has a major history of hooking up with rich men is not good at many things but she is a good girlfriend. Not a bit of it! The money issue bugged me. Granted, Malcolm didn't pay her bills but there's no getting round to state the fact that the money was on her mind. I felt it was some kind of golden parachute; the dough just kept lurking in a corner of her mind. Well, I guess you need to keep 'em warm, right? *rolls eyes*

I don't know why anyone would call his lover "boyfriend" if you are not in love with him. Let's be honest, I call that an occasional f@ck buddy. Come to think of it, she doesn't even spend the night with her "boyfriend" because after the deed is done she is leaving his flat to go home to her brother and mom. They tell each other "I care about you." Um…I care about my nice furniture as well. And I swear I really did care about my hamster when I was a kid. Sorry for being a tiny bit sarcastic, but there is a difference between caring for someone and loving someone. It was very obvious that she didn't love him and she didn't want him anymore. She was, however, way too chickenshit to address the issue.



I must admit the "mental" cheating was crap-tastic! Congrats, Jo, you outdid yourself! Seriously? The sex must have been very boring (or the man) when you need to think about another guy to get off. Can't remember that I've had another dude on my mind while in the throes of passion. Besides, she hasn't dumped her so-called boyfriend and yet she has no shame whatsoever to spend time and have fun with Cam. Plus, she was shamelessly lying to herself and to her friends all. The. Time. Does she not have any self-respect? PATHETIC. Of course that goes the other way round too. Right, Cam?

My own hand smoothed over my stomach, slipping under my pajamas and knickers so I could bring myself to climax, fantasizing about Cam screwing me against Su's desk.
I muffled my moan as I came and once the tremors stopped, I curled into my side, guilt cascading over me once again.
I was a terrible girlfriend.

I couldn't agree more!

…I did the unthinkable. I closed my eyes and imagined Cam.
I came each time.
Malcolm took this to mean he and I were back on track and whatever had been bothering me before was dealt with.
I was an awful, awful person.
Yup. My world was full of color. Red for want. Yellow for shame. Green for jealousy.

I have to admit there are times when I truly feel ashamed to be a part of the female species when I have to make the acquaintance of women the likes of Jo.

Imagine, Jo is jealous of Becca. She'd rather mind her own bloody business! *shakes head disbelievingly*

I coughed up the lie quite easily these days. "Of course. I'm with Malcolm. Why?"
(…)
"Because it definitely sounds like Cam's too busy shagging some noisy bird to want to have coffee with us."
My whole body froze as I stared at my brother, my heart pounding, a horribly uneasy feeling in my stomach as jealousy seized hold of me.

Friendly advice, Jo, if it's not to your liking anymore then call it quits. But. Please. Act. On. It. Don't wait until the situation is escalating. Stilted drama, anyone? Honestly, and then when they did split up (at 45 %) poor Malcolm--who I really liked up until that incident--told her he would be waiting for her when the other guy would dump her. He seriously told her he would take her back. WTF? Does he want to be her doormat? *serious headdesk moment* It's safe to say that my appreciation for Malcolm went down the drain at that very moment. He must have been incredibly desperate to articulate such nonsense. Uh-huh…dump him and jump the other guy's bones within…hmmm…how many minutes? Is this woman for real? She deserves a f@@@ing gold medal. And Jo should spare me her guilt trips. *insert major eye roll moment*

Shortly after, Jo and Malcolm happily exchanged texts in secret.

Cam cocked his head to the side. "Female logic. It needs its own decipher code."

I sure as hell need a decipher code to understand Jo.

The long legs and the hardening, tightening and pebbling nipples were all over the place. And let's not forget that bloody fake giggle. Repetitiveness, much?

What I liked
Be Caledonia. That was lovely.


Overall the book was a huge disappointment. It provided too much stilted and forced drama, an extremely unlikable heroine, an even more extremely unlikable mother (yes, I need to borrow Lenore's gun) and the sex didn't do anything for me. At. All. Additionally I didn't feel their chemistry, the plot was mostly boring and the writing rather uninspiring. In conclusion, I'm going to return the book to Amazon for a refund because I didn't get my money's worth. I'm not willing anymore to pay Euro 8.52 for a bad ebook.



This might as well be another case of "It's not the book, it's me." Though it's safe to say it wasn't my cuppa. Just read it and I hope you'll end up enjoying it. Good luck!

[Aestas Book Blog]

CHECK OUT THIS BRAND NEW COVER!!!

[Seena Seena · Rating 5 out of 5]

10th November 2012



THERE IS MORE!!
THERE IS MORE!!
THERE IS MORE!!
THERE IS MORE!!
THERE IS MORE!!
THERE IS MORE!!
THERE IS MORE!!

MORE BRADEN! MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE!

**Trying to push Brittany back into her hole***

When I saw On Dublin Street, #2





9th January 2013

Soooooo I was just minding mah business, just chillaxin! Doing nothing really important.




Then I receive a notification that someone liked me review of "Down London Road" and I am all...... WTF?!?!?! I aint read or wanting to read a Down London Road (clearly not knowing a title had been given!)




So I have a look and I see not only does the 2nd installment have a title but also a BLURB!!!!!!!




Now I was absolutely heartbroken that it was not a continuation of our Bray Bray.....



But I don't doubt Samantha Young at all and I know she will captivate us as she did with On Dublin Street! I AM SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CHARACTERS MEETING FOR THE FIRST TIME! The Taxi scene was one of my all time best scenes for 2012! So I know this gotta be good!

Miss Young totally awesome!



And THEN I see release date for May 7th!



IT'S MAH BIRTHDAY! I think this will be the best birthday gift EVER!



8th February 2013

WE HAVE A NEW COVER!

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!!!!

Okay. On Dublin Street was one of my favorites last year. Braden Carmichael is one of my top book boyfriends... I had really high expectations for this one. It wasn’t quite as good as ODS for me, but I still really enjoyed it!

In ODS we meet Jo. Jo is friends with Joss, they work together at the bar. On the outside, we see a good looking blonde, a gold digger who only dates rich men.


But those that know the real Jo, the person on the inside know that is not the case.

“There’s so much more to you, Jo. How can you be happy to let people think these shitty things about you?”

Since Jo was a teen, she has been supporting her alcoholic mother, and her little brother. Cole means the world to her and she will do anything to make sure he is taken care of. She goes for guys that have money because she needs to feel secure. But she never dates anyone she isn’t attracted to, that she doesn’t at least care for. She works hard to provide for Cole, protect him. She doesn't only date rich men, she actually works to jobs. She wants things to be better for Cole, to make sure his life doesn’t turn out like hers. She loves Cole more than anything and he is the most important thing in her life.

I refused to ever let a day pass without him knowing how loved he was. Growing up, I’d never had that in my life and I was going to make damn sure that Cole did.

One night Jo is out with her latest boyfriend, Malcolm. They are at an art showing of one of his ex’s. She see’s a guy there. This guy is sexy. He’s got tattoo’s, and beautiful blue eyes. The moment she meets his eyes, she feels a spark unlike anything she's ever felt.

My body was panting, "He's hot. Can we have him?" while my mind was screaming, "Oh, dear God, what the hell are you thinking?

Jo knows her attraction to Cam is dangerous. He is not the type of guy she should be dating. And its obvious what he thinks of her. He see’s only whats on the outside. That she is an idiot, a gold digger. Nonetheless, Cam needs a job. Jo helps him out by getting him a gig bartending. While working together, they learn more about one another. Little by little, Cam starts to see the real Jo underneath it all. As luck would have it, Cam moves into a new apartment. That happens to be in the same building as Jo. He meets her brother and learns more about her situation. Things no one knows except Joss. He feels for Jo. He realizes how wrong he has been about her and sees that there is more to her than what meets the eye.

“I've never met anyone as quietly brave and strong as you. I've never met a woman so unassuming, so kind, and so selfless. You are a complex lady." His mouth curled up at the corners. "And you are smart, and passionate, and funny, and exciting, and you blow me fucking away.”

After spending more time with one another, they become friends. Cam is a godsend to Jo. He connects with Cole. There is finally someone in her life she can lean on. Here is the rather frustrating part... I waited and waited for them to dump Becca/Malcolm. I mean, the feelings were there, and they were strong. There was obvious attraction... what was the hold up?!?! Eventually, they both come to the conclusion that they can’t be without one another. No matter what the consequences or lack of security, Jo has to make the decision to be with Cam. She is falling for him. And when they are finally together, it is worth the wait!



For a while things are really good between the two of them. For the first time in Jo’s life, she has a partner. She is in a real relationship with someone she genuinely wants to be with. Cam wants Jo. All of her. He understands Cole comes first, and he is so good with him. But there are complications. Misunderstandings. Things fall apart for a while. Deep down Jo knows Cam is something special.

Cam wasn’t a perfect man- he’d proved that when we first met- but I was beginning to wonder if he might possibly be just a little bit perfect for me. Finally I’d found a guy who wanted to be with me- the real me.


People make mistakes. There is some drama... but there is a hea :D



I absolutely loved Cam and Jo together. Not only did I love the two main characters and the connection they shared, the supporting characters were just phenomenal! I fell in love with Jo’s little brother Cole. He was just awesome. And of course I love my Braden and Joss. Uncle Mick, Olivia, Ellie, Adam, Hannah, Nate, I mean there are just so many good characters!

“Some people are born with family, and others have to make family.”

It has only been Jo and Cole for so long, it was beautiful watching her see that she really did have a family and people she could count on who cared for her.

Samantha Young’s writing is wonderful, and this story was emotional and beautiful. It was a story about learning to trust, open your heart and accept love. 

I’ve seen many mixed reviews on this one... A lot of my friends loved it, many DNF. I respect any and all opinions. I may be in the minority with loving this book... but I can’t help it I LOVED THIS BOOK! Was it as good as On Dublin Street... no, not quite... Did I love Cam and Jo as much as I loved Braden and Joss... again, no, not quite. But still a worthy 4.5-5 star read for me! One I really enjoyed and would definitely recommend!

And just because I love him so much... I am going to end this review on a high note, with my Braden Carmichael <3

[Kristin (KC) · Rating 2 out of 5]

*2.5 Stars*

A largely uneventful read...

To be fair, I'll list some of my pros and cons:

What I liked
-Cole and Hanna were some of the coolest teens ever to grace a story!
-The initial tension build up between Cam and Jo was fun.
-Joss and Braden still being a strong part of story was awesome.
-The strong sense of family and togetherness between friends was heartwarming.

What didn't work for me
-I understood Jo's insecurities, but her self-depreciation was over-the-top and didnt feel natural.
-The book was dragged out with not much happening until the end, and by that point, I wasn't invested in the story.
-Hero and heroine weren't likable for me, and I never felt connected to either one.
-And finally, the plot itself and the story's occurrences just never genuinely interested me.

I really enjoyed On Dublin Street, but unfortunately did not end up loving this spinoff. I wasn't particularly fond of how Jo and Cam were portrayed, but I did adore many of the secondary characters and look forward to seeing how their stories evolve.

Book Stats:
▪ Genre/Category: Contemporary Romance
▪ Steam Caliber: Extremely steamy
▪ Romance: Intense connection, but lacked believability.
▪ Characters: Felt flat. Excellent secondary characters.
▪ Plot: Angsty and passionate, but uneventful.
▪ Writing: Decent execution but did not pull me in.
▪ POV: First person: Heroine
▪ Cliffhanger: None

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 AMAZING FANFUCKINGTASTIC STARS



My emotions runeth over with extreme happiness!! This book was so good.. so so so good. I loved it. Ask me if I loved it.. are you asking?? I LOVED THIS FREAKING BOOK. Did it live up to the hype?? Hell YEA! Did I totally love Cam and Jo? Hell Yea! Wow! The only thing I did not like about this book was how fucking long I had to wait for it!!! It seemed like forever and a day between Dublin and London. Why do we have to wait so long for such awesomeness I ask you??

My poor heart went through so many different emotions reading this.. and let me tell you that was a hell of a lot to go through in one freaking day! I loved Jo, that poor thing went through so much growing up and still today was just put through hell. Cam completely misjudged her like a douche ass dick head and I really wanted to kick that man's ass several times thoughout this book. A couple of times for just being a plain dickhead and a couple of times for being a big stupid head dickhead dumbass. But he made up for it.. so so soo good. I loved Cam..even when he was an ass and did several stupidass things.. I loved him.

Cam and Jo went through a lot of crap to get there HEA and it was all worth it.. every page, every word, every minute was worth it...


Parts of Cam I loved...

“It’s all-consuming,” he breathed, leaning his forehead against mine again. “It’s almost debilitating. It’s too much. It’s  .  .  . I can’t even describe it, but being with you is  .  .  . There’s this intensity inside me all the time, this  .  .  . constant pull, desperation  .  .  . it’s like you’re branded on me or something. And it bloody well burns.”

“I love to fuck you,” he whispered in my ear, his voice gravelly with emotion. “But I love to love you, too.”



I finished this book with a smile on my face and a fist around my heart... Loved It

[Rosalinda *KRASNORADA* · Rating 2 out of 5]

***PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THIS BOOK. SPOILERS AHEAD***




I am very sorry, really really sorry because I wanted to LOVE this book but it didn't happen. I loved Samantha Young when I read On Dublin Street & Until Fountain Bridge. They were WOW, amazing books, re-read worth it so I had expectations for this one... The thing is, in life you better have no expectations at all so you are not disappointed, right?

I must say I love Samantha's writing style and I will read more of her books, no doubt but I have to be honest and I cannot give this book a high rating because in my opinion and with all due respect, it does not deserve it.

This is the story of Jo & Cam. We knew Jo from ODS. Ok, let's be honest. I didn't like her in ODS so I knew it was going to be hard to like her now but well, the author explains us the situations Jo has been through so you kinda understand her now. There's something I can't approve on her behavior and that's taking advantage of her "hotness" to attract guys with money. No! That has a name in my country and that's totally wrong, unless you want to do it professionally, I respect that.

I know she had a hard life and she's just trying to take care of her youngest brother Cole but you can get money working (she does it that way also) but taking advantage of rich men, that's a HELL NO for me.

Enter Cam, a hot tattooed guy. Jo sees him and feels an instant electricity, connection or whatever. Seriously? I need a plot, I need them to have feelings for a reason, not just because they're the hottest persons on the earth. I get it that they can feel attraction but that's it, don't try to sell me anything else in the first pages of the book because I can't buy it.

I will be back on my review after work today but these are my main issues:

*The way she uses men (even if she does it for a reason, I just don't care)

*Malcolm, I loved him but I wasn't suppose to love him, right?. I just don't understand that they have been together for a few months but he's willing to wait for her after Cam breaks her heart, seriously??? Is that happening in real life?

*The way she thinks she's not worth it BUT when she refers to her she's the hottest thing ever . Baby, chill out!

*Joss, yeah, the heroine in ODS. Are you telling me she was the same character??? I get she changed because of Ellie & Braden but come on! I didn't recognize her at all, she was a new character for me.

*All the drama with her mum, you guys know I love drama but even this was way too much for me.

*Her jealousy about her ex-girlfriend from 10 years ago!!! OMG, noooo!

*Waking up after having sex and being with him 1 or 2 days and being in love! Don't try to sell me that because I just don't feel it.

*The story was very very very slow at the beginning, nothing happened in like AGES!

I also want to say a few good things about the book because the author deserves all my respect:

*I loved the sex scenes that I read. Samantha knows how to write sex scenes in my opinion.

*I liked knowing about Braden/Jo & Ellie/Adam.

*I want to know more about Hannah, she's a smart ass but I love her anyway.

*I loved the moment when they almost kiss but she just stop it and he says:

"So we're back to pretending there's nothing between us"

I had goosebumps but it was the only time that it happened.

BTW, I am more than ok with cheating on books, I never had a problem (I loved Thoughtless so that says it all). What I didn't like about that was that she didn't leave Malcolm before because of his money but it wasn't the cheating what bothered me.

Also, and to be TOTALLY HONEST, if watching Issac Jones in action counts as mental cheating, I am guilty too!

FULL REVIEW TO COME ;)

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

*spoiler free - apart from a few direct quotes*



When you meet Johanna Walker, what will you see?



We first met Jo briefly "On Dublin Street", what I saw was a gorgeous, confident young woman but a gold digging, money grabber, who worked at Club 39 with Joss, and when she wasn't pulling pints she was basically trying to pull any rich bloke who could kit her out in all the latest fashions.......Well thats what I saw.........

What does Cameron MacCabe see?



Cam....the sexy, hot, cocky tattooed guy, he's seen Jo's type before, the type that latches on to wealthy men, the type that use their bodies to get anything they wanted, the type with the annoying fake laugh and the fluttering eyelashes......

Well that's what Cam saw.......

But it's funny how in life you meet some people who build a mirage around them and if you really stop to look at them, if you really stop to peel back the layers, you'll find that what you thought you saw was really just an armour and underneath that armour is something else entirely.



So this story is about Cam peeling back Jo's layers, peeling back through her insecurities which are a result of the abuse she faced as a child, through her need to protect her 14 year old brother from their abusive, alcoholic mother, through her fear of not being able to provide for her family, fear of being hurt, of being left behind, fear of being her true self....

"You know, the world will always try to make you into who it wants you to be. People, time, events, they'll all try to carve away at you and make you think you don't know who you are. But it doesn't mater who they try to make you or what name they try to give you. If you stay true, you can chip off all their machinations and you're still you underneath it all."

This is one of those books that you pick up, you read the blurb, you think you know what you're getting but when you start to read you quickly see that you were wrong. So you keep reading and reading and all these emotions and memories hit you at once, suddenly real life fades into the back ground and it might be three in the morning but all you have to do is get to the end of this amazing story and as quickly as possible........ Yes this is one of those stories.....

This is Jo's story, a girl who's seen so much pain, a girl who will do what she has to do to protect the one she loves even if that means people never seeing the real Jo. In Jo's story, Samantha Young managed to make me experience nearly every possible emotion. Personally for me it was one of those books that brought such raw emotions to the fore front of my mind, I lived Jo's pain, when she was helpless, when she was anxious, when she felt worthless, when she was lost. But I was also there when she felt hope, when she felt strength, when she felt safe and when she felt loved.

"No one had ever told me I was smart or talented or brave, or that I deserved more than what I'd asked for."

After reading 'On Dublin Street' I was expecting to like this book, what I wasn't expecting was how much I was going to absolutely freaking love it. Right from the first chapter I loved learning everything there was to learn about Jo, the shadows that mark her past, her loyalty to her family, her determination to protect what is hers. I loved being immersed into her heartbreaking story, and watching as Cam tried to get under her skin.

As well as getting to know Jo I also loved reading more about the characters I fell in love with in "On Dublin Street". Joss, Braden, Ellie and Adam, Yes the team are all back, as well as some new characters who quickly endeared themselves to me. (Although there were a few who I wanted to throttle).

The writing was beautiful, Samantha Young is an amazing storyteller, who is able to breath life into her characters and really make you feel like you are their with them, rooting for their happily ever after. I was glued to the pages from the very first chapter, and OMG the sex scenes were amazingly erotic, in fact i'll be honest I was not expecting anywhere near the amount of steam this book delivers!!!!



..... Definitely needed a cold shower at a few points in this book!

It's a beautiful, powerful and at times heart breaking, love story about seeing behind a persons armour, its about not judging a book by its cover, letting people in, taking chances and learning to trust.



5 amazing and well deserved stars, a book I would highly recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin books UK for providing me with this amazing Arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Pavlina Read more sleep less blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 stars

When I first heard that Jo was going to be the heroine of Down Dublin Road I admit to being skeptical..
In On Dublin Street,Jo was known for going after wealthy men, and she was portrayed as a simple gold digger.
In Down Dublin Road, we learn that things aren't always as they seem, and that Jo has hidden depths..


Jo is actually living a very bad life.Her dad was an abusive bastard who went to jail when she was 12, leaving Jo, her alcoholic mother, and her baby brother, Cole. Jo works very hard to take better care of Cole, to give him a better life than she ever had.
She dreams of finding the perfect man that will take care of her and Cole. The thing is, Jo isn't your typical gold digger. She doesn't actually accept money from her boyfriends. She just hopes that eventually, she'll find the guy who will be good to her, and more importantly, will take care of her family.


And then she meet Cam...





When out at an art gallery with her current boyfriend she spots Cam instantly they have this strong undeniable connection. He is a down on his luck graphic designer who is there to support his girlfriend, that just happens to be Jo's current boyfriend's ex. After cornering her outside and telling her just what he thinks of her, they go to blows with each other...



After ending things with their current relationships you end up with some overly steamy intimate moments through the book....I love the sex scenes!!!Especially in the changing room ;)



What I love most about this book no matter how insane, irrational or stupid the main character’s feelings may be,I some how agree. Not just agree,but also feel rage at what ever slight is thrown at the main character.I get so into the story it’s as if they are a friend or loved one....


This book was great. Joss and Braden are staples in the story as well as Braden's family.there is lots of good, hot loving and great witty banter between all the characters. Looking forward to more from this couple as Cameron's friend Nate and Jo's new family Olivia explore their relationship!






For more reviews you can check mine and Kristinas's blog. :D

my link text

[Ramona Popescu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is really close to my heart, and each book has its unique story and characters.
Having suffered and laughed with Joss and Braden, now we do it all again but with Jo and Cam.
We know Jo from the first book, she is Joss's colleague and a good friend. Their relationship will go deeper in this book, and I enjoyed seeing the 2 of them together, so connected to each other and eager to help.

So, you all met Jo. She is smart, beautiful, caring, but with a bad background. She was abandoned by her father, an abusive man, who in a way marked her forever. Her mother is an alcoholic, who was pretty useless, and Jo had to take care of her. She has a brother, Cole, who is her main focus in life. She will do anything to protect Cole and to guarantee him that he will have all the commodities he needs in order to study and become someone in life. Their relationship melt my heart. They love each other so much, are there for one another and the things Jo does are strictly for Cole, to be sure he doesn't suffer materially speaking.

Cole will be developed in one of Samantha's book and you will love the boy he became, all thanks to the protection his sister provided. Cam will also have a solid contribution, he will became a role model for Cole and will be a positive example in his development and career choice. Just wait and see. You will love their bromance.

In the name of this love, Jo was looking for older man who can provide her and her brother a certain material stability. She wasn't a gold digger, but she wanted that safety for her brother and to try to keep him safe, considering his background with their mother, who besides from being an alcoholic, was also abusive towards Cole. Jo consider that she didn't deserve to be happy and focused mainly on making Cole happy, encouraging him to study and now worry about who pays the bills and takes care of their mom.

Enters Cam.. the moment he met Jo, he was very judgmental and I kind of hate him for that. He only considered the exterior, and wasn't able to see Jo for the person she was: kind, caring and able to sacrifice anything for her brother. He was very mean to her, considering her a gold digger and making her feel kind of cheap because she was dating an older guy, Malcom, basely for his money.
The situation changes when Cam moved in Jo's and Cole building and they star to spend a lot of time together.

The first half of the book was a little boring for me, because I wanted the 2 of them to just realize how good they are together. The second part was interesting and very captivating.
After Cam realized what a jerk he was and saw the real Jo, he was mesmerized by her and we can't blame him, but sincerely speaking it took him long enough. He became determined to show her how wrong he was, how he made a mistake in making assumptions without knowing her and her circumstances. The spider scene was overwhelming.



Their romantic scenes were so hot and had Samantha's print all over them. The thing that I enjoy the most is her capacity of creating a new and better love story, with more passion and intensity, but giving each couple unique elements to define their relationship. You just don't read the same thing for 6 books, no.. you read an unique story, the only thing that binds them are the characters from the series.

Our old friends, Joss and Braden, are actively present in this book and you will love them even more. They had a definite contribution to our heroes evolution and you will see what true friendship means by reading this story.
5 stars for this book, besides the characters and the unique love story, it also generates a strong domestic message, but I will let you discover this by yourself.



For more reviews please check https://readwithloveblog.wordpress.com

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a damn good book. This story that made me laugh, cry, and smile. I always appreciate a well-developed friends-turn-lovers story. And one of the reasons I loved this book so much is that there was no insta-love crap going on here. Sure, there was an instant spark of attraction the first time Cam and Jo meet, but the romance between Jo and Cam is a slow yet sizzling burn. The sexual tension between these two could melt butter.

I’d never felt so intensely attracted to someone before. Usually, it took me a while to get to know a guy before I felt that kind of deep tingling in all of my good-for-nothing places.

I really admire our misunderstood heroine. Jo’s a survivor, who is doing her best to keep from drowning in her struggles. And the way she protects and loves her little brother, Cole, when their parents failed miserably, is beautiful and courageous. But Jo has always been alone while dealing with her struggles. She never felt like she could be herself, always wearing a mask to hide who she is. And she’s never shared her issues with anyone. That is, until she met Cam, our hero, at a party one evening. Cam is exactly what Jo needs in her life - a lover, a friend, a companion, who understands and accepts everything about her. With Cam, she didn’t have to fake it, she could set herself free.

There is something about a Scottish hero that makes me weak in the knees. Sigh. I love how passionate and protective Cam is. He’s also funny, sweet, and quick with the witty remarks. I had this sudden intense need to claim Cam for myself from the moment he walked onto the pages. And the fact that he’s just as beautiful on the inside as he is on the outside, only strengthens the adoring feelings I have for him. I love how honest and raw Cam is. He doesn’t let Jo run from him. He brings out the fire in Jo she’s always hidden underneath her mask. Cam makes her face everything head on. And, once he decided it was time to claim her, he made it very clear that he wanted all of her, or nothing at all.

I absolutely adored Cam and Jo right from the start, even though they started off on the wrong foot. With any new romance, there will be problems and issues they will to work through. And there is definitely some drama, angst, and jealousy. This story is a little bit more serious and darker than the first book due to the topics addressed in this story. But, even with the bad, there is definitely a lot of good.

I love the flirtatious, witty banter between Jo and Cam. They are so much fun. Have I mentioned how HOT they are together? Phew! Samantha Young definitely knows how to write wickedly sexy scenes that heat up the sheets.

“Cam,” I whispered, wanting him to pull away and needing him to never leave. He groaned and gently slid his forehead down the side of mine, his nose skimming my cheek, following my jaw, and coming to rest in a nuzzle against my throat.
I held my breath, waiting.
His hot lips touched the skin there. One brush. Two.
And then I felt the wet, hot erotic touch of tongue and I shuddered, falling against him.

This book will leave an emotional impact on you and you will be wowed by the romance. There is no doubt in my mind that Samantha Young has become one of my favorite contemporary romance authors. I LOVE LOVE LOVE her writing. I have a feeling I know who the next couple is, and I’m very excited to read their story!

[Jessica Olson]

2020 re-read.

2016 review: I had a reading slump. I couldn't get into a book for a long long month. But I've read this book in two days. That was good.

[Georgia ♥]

*SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE*

I love you Samantha Young and I'll stop


Expected publication: May 7th 2013

And here is the COVER too!!! WOW... gorgeous couple!!

[♥Rachel♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my stars!!! Down London Road was sheer perfection!! My heart is soaring after turning the last page!! It had everything I love and want in a romance, and more!! Longing , sexual tension, panty-melting scenes, sweet and tender love!! Family, friendship, and loyalty are all within the pages. I LOVED EVERY BIT!! I probably should warn you, this review will contain gushing. Lots of gushing!

So it took me a minute to figure out who Johanna Walker was. Remember the gorgeous gold digger who worked with Joss at Club 39? Yep, that’s her. But she’s not what we thought she was, and in the time between stories Joss has discovered this too, becoming an important and close friend. So, that’s a yes to anyone wondering if Joss and Braden show up in here: YES!! And quite a lot, and it was lovely!!

Anyways, back to the story. Jo does have the reputation of dating men who have a lot of money. She’s not a gold digger per se, but she wants to find someone who will provide security for her and her fourteen year old brother, Cole. For years Jo has been the sole provider for their family, their mother being a raging, non-functioning drunk. She only pokes her head out of the bedroom if she comes up short on gin or to mutter a well placed verbal stab to Jo or Cole. However bad her mother is, her father was a hundred times worse. Thankfully, he’s out of their lives but not before inflicting serious damage to Johanna’s self-esteem. So, Jo does date nice rich men, and she masks her true personality to make sure she’s the perfect girlfriend.

Enter Cam; he appears to be the opposite of safe. He’s good-looking, tattooed; cocky with an attitude. He has lust in his eyes for Johanna when he first sees her, then contempt when he sees her with Malcolm, her boyfriend. He assumes she’s just into Malcolm for his money and tells her so, getting off on a very bad foot. However, Jo does care for Malcolm, and he is everything Jo feels she needs to have a happy and secure future. So, she ignores her immediate physical attraction to Cam, and stays with Malcolm. This becomes increasingly hard when Cam starts work as a bartender for Club 39 with Jo and Joss.

You know where this is going. Let me assure those out there, like me, who detest cheating stories. This isn’t one of them. What we do get is a friendship formed between Cam and Jo that builds into a slow, hot, burning desire! The hottest relationships start with the mind and emotions, and then turn into more!! They are my favorite type of romance to read about, and I LOVED this one!!

“Cam,” I whispered, wanting him to pull away and needing him to never leave. He groaned and gently slid his forehead down the side of mine, his nose skimming my cheek, following my jaw, and coming to rest in a nuzzle against my throat.
I held my breath, waiting.
His hot lips touched the skin there. One brush. Two.
And then I felt the wet, hot erotic touch of tongue and I shuddered, falling against him.

Oh, the delicious buildup!!

Did I mention the HOT factor? Any who read On Dublin Street knows that Samantha Young can write scenes that could make you spontaneously combust!! There really should be a safety warning: READ BY OPEN FREEZER.

This romance is not without some angst, and exciting drama. Cam and Jo are involved with other people when they first meet, so this is not an easy breezy road, at first. Plus, Jo’s insecurities plague on her mind which are not helped by an old girlfriend popping up! There were a few scenes that made me gasp from stabbing hurt I felt for Jo!! But for the majority of this story, I wore a stupid blissful grin. *happy, happy, sigh*

And now I get to the WORST part: I finished the story and now I have to wait for Samantha to write another!!!! *sobs*

One of my favorite quotes:

And I knew then as I was lying on our bed staring up into his familiar and handsome face that I had something I’d never had before. I had someone who wasn’t going to let me spend a single day of my life without knowing how much I was loved.


A copy was provided by NAL publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!!

[Kelena · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 FREAKISHLY SUPER STARS!!!
[image error]

…You and I are starting over today. I’m not some asshole who has judged you over and over again and got you wrong every single time. Trust me. Please.”


We one time afresh go in the world of Club 39, but this time we'll get to glimpse Jo and new bartender Cam
Lets meet Johanna

Jo designated date's men “who just occur to have money” in alignment to support her not-even-slightly-functioning alcohol-dependent mother and 14-year-old male sibling, Cole.
She's scared that her younger brother would be separated from her,he might get dispatched to reside with their dad, a man who Cole scarcely recalls but would identical a destiny poorer than the one they face with their mother.

It has perpetually been up to Johanna to nurture her family, particularly her younger brother, Cole.With an nonexistent father and a futile mother, she’s been establishing determinations supported on what’s best for Cole for as long as she can remember. She even ascertains what men to day of the year by how much they can give for her male kin and her

Than The Hwatest Hunk In Town came into the picture and all of Jo's resolves went flying out of the window and diving into the sea when her world collide with....

Cameron MacCabe

Cam blows Jo's world apart.
He's hot, intimate tattooed man, owning waist band t-shirts
Screaming with everything that this is not the guy Jo would like to hang out with. And dating him??? that was a far cry at that time. But there was no question about Jo's attraction towards Cam.

The intimate novel bartender at task gives her butterflies every time she stares at him. And for one time, Jo is tempted to put her desires first. Cam is just as fanatical with bringing to know Jo, but she had these huge walls that are solid enough towards lent him get finish adequate towards even try.

When Cam moves into the flat below Jo’s, their blistering binding becomes impractical to ignore. Especially since Cam is ascertained to uncover all of Jo’s surprises …even if it signifies taking apart her defenses portion by piece.

He accepts as factual that Jo is just after Malcolm for his money. In a way she is, in some ways she does... but as Jo states, she not ever went out with a man for his cash and she habitually nurtured for the men in her life. Cam draws close to understand this, though he is spectacularly stars climbing to conclusions. Luckily he is in addition spectacularly stars apologizing and aids Jo with her little brother.

This one episode fuels the spark between Cam and Jo. He’s the one confidant she’s not ever rightly sanctioned herself to have and he is entirely himself throughout her like she is with him



“Honestly, I don’t know. All I do know is that I’ve never treated anyone the way I’ve treated you, and I’ve never met anyone who deserved it less. I like you, Jo. And whether you want to admit it or not, you need a friend.”



Cam and Jo get concurrently even so, the passion and familiarity are explosive to the issue that they misplace view of where they are,but as we have arrive to understand with Jo, that’s certain thing she affectionately required to have in her life.



~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Do you need me to fetch another size, or is the dress okay?”

Go away! My wide eyes met Cameron’s in the mirror and he gave me no indication of what I should do. He was still inside me, for Christ’s sake. I almost laughed at that and glanced back at the curtain. “Everything’s great. In fact…it’s a perfect fit.”

At the innuendo, Cameron collapsed against my back, his laughter muffled in my hair, his shoulders shaking with amusement. It also cause him to jostle inside me, setting off little aftershocks of lust.

“Okay…” Her voice trailed off as she wandered away from the curtain.

“Do you think they heard us?”

He gave a low back of laughter. I don’t give a shit.”

And he meant it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


Samantha Young handles her individual characteristics with care and manages their matters both with gentleness but doesn’t timid away from the bluntness required to mend and address these issues.




Joss and Braden aare back. I considered it was a pleasant feel that scribe kept us up to designated day with them. They aren't in it many but it was still pleasant to have them emerge every now and then.


Down London Road Book Trailer

[Raj · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 Stars!

The thing that I loved most about this book was HIM


Cam -fucking-MacCabe

*drooling*


Ahhemm*clear throat*

So this story is about Joe.


Joe has responsibilities. Big responsibilities. She has to take care of her alcoholic/sick mother and her younger brother Cole. Joe loves Cole. Whatever she does she does it for him. She wants him happy and safe. She wants him not feel what she've felt and what she's going through.

He was my saving grace.
I didn’t know what I’d do without him.

She has two jobs barley make amends so she tend to date older rich guys. She uses her beauty to get them. But some who find out about her responsibilities leave her. So currently she is with Malcolm. Malcolm is sweet with her. He's been nothing but nice and patient. He understands what she has going on(somewhat). So one night when they go out on a date to one of Malcolm's friends art show she then meets Cam, Bracca/Becca-whatever-the-hell-her name-is boyfriend. Let me tell you, it wasn't pretty.

“Well, I guess that makes us a pair. I’m a brainless, morally corrupt, money-grabbing bimbo and you’re a jumped-up, pretentious, artsy-fartsy know-it-all dickhead”

After some events that happened and other things, they became friends. Really great friends.

I couldn’t lose Cam’s friendship. It was the best thing that had happened to me since Cole.

But there's one tiny-tiny problem. They want each other. Bad. I'm talking hormones all over the place.



So what will happen to these two?

If you still haven't read it, read to find out ;)

Overall, really great. Enjoyed it. Loved Cole. And I liked Jo and understood why she does what she does.

Some people are born with family, and others have to make one

Btw Brandon is still number one. No matter what.

[Auntee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Samantha Young is the real deal...

One of the signs of a good writer (to me) is when you can take a character who I was not that thrilled with in a previous work, and make me fall in love with them in your latest. And that is what Samantha Young has done with the character of Jo Walker. In On Dublin Street I wasn't all that thrilled with her (even though I was sure there had to be a story about why she was such a slut looking for her next Sugar Daddy). I know there were some hints about her past, but I had no idea how crappy it was, and after reading just a few chapters of "Down London Road", I forgave her for everything (even hitting on Braden!) and totally understood why she acted the way she did. Poor Jo, what she had to deal with...some of it brought tears to my eyes.

Jo...


So, when Jo meets the hero of the book, Cameron,(who comes to work at Club 39 as a bartender) and he is a judgmental ass to her at first, I wanted to kick his arrogant butt!:) Ooh, I was pretty peeved at him for a while. But once they worked their issues out, and decided to be 'friends', I sure did enjoy the sparks and the smokin' chemistry they had, and it was a pure delight watching them fall in love. (oh my, the sex scenes....sooo steamy and emotional too) Cam was so good for Jo and her low self-esteem...granted, he's no Braden, and he could be obtuse at times, but I still loved him.


Cam...



I absolutely loved seeing Joss and Braden again (can't get enough of them), and enjoyed Jo's young brother Cole (future book a bit down the line?), and loved meeting all the new characters, especially Jo's cousin Olivia, who may have her own book with Cam's best friend Nate

Hi Braden!



What I'm most pleased about is that I found a new favorite author. I think this lady could write a phone book and manage to touch my heart. Her characters just seem to come alive--you feel like you know them and how they will react--and with her words she gets you so wrapped up in the story that you never want it to end! I've got no complaints about this one--it was one sexy, emotional ride. 5 highly recommended stars!

[*J* Too Many Books Too Little Time · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is how things went for me....

20%--This is kind of slow!



40%--Nothing's happening!



60%--Is anything going to happen? Ever?



75%--Finally...bring on some drama!



And then it just kept coming and coming and coming. And I saw it all coming and coming and coming. It was just too predictable.

Of course....
*She was going to keep talking to Malcolm behind Cam's back
*Blair was going to come back to town
*Her dad was going to show up and threaten her
*She was going to walk home, at night, alone and subsequently get attacked by said dad
*She was going to show up on Cam's doorstep only to have Blair answer the door in Cam's T-shirt so that it looked like they were having sex
*Cam didn't have sex with Blair
*Uncle Mick was going to offer her a job as a painter/decorator


All in all, I found this one to be no where near as good as On Dublin Street. Despite the predicability, I devoured the last 25% of the book. I just wish things would have been more engaging during the first 75%. It prevented me from developing an emotional connection with Jo and Cam. It also didn't help that the main characters were with other people for 1/2 of the book--Jo with Malcolm and Cam with Becca. Honestly, I think I enjoyed the scenes with Joss and Braden more then anything else.

If you were a fan of ODS, then I would recommend Down London Road, if nothing else for a peek at the characters we fell in love with in On Dublin Street.

[Jess-i-ca · Rating 1 out of 5]

So maybe I should not be rating this since i abandoned at 25% but I mean really I had such high hopes and this book sucked. I paid 7.99 for a sucky book. I think Samantha Young is very talented and I absolutely loved On Dublin Street so I'm not sure where this book went wrong. I couldn't connect with the characters and with over 900 books on my TBR list I can't waste my time on something and force myself to finish it just to continue to hate it...

[Sharon ∞❥ is an emotional book junkie ❥∞ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You know, the world will always try to make you into who it wants you to be. People, time, events, they’ll all try to carve away at you and make you think you don’t know who you are. But it doesn’t matter who they try to make you, or what name they try to give you. If you stay true, you can chip off all their machinations and you’re still you underneath it all. Be Caledonia."



That quote epitomizes the book for me and even if you haven't read the book, try to keep it in mind because there are some things you may not like.

♦ You may not like: Jo (Johanna). Well, actually, you may not like her from On Dublin Road and if that's the case, you're really not going to like her here...at least until you're past the fifty percent mark then maybe she has a chance.

♦ You may not like: Cam (Cameron). You will probably think he's hot but there are certain things he does and says that are not very appealing....even after the fifty percent mark.

♦ You definitely will not like: Jo's mom (Fiona). She's got some problems to say the least.

♦ You may not like: some of the themes in this book. They don't give you the warm fuzzies. Consequently, some of the characters are messed up...just like real life.

♦ You may not like: the book and you'll give up and not finish. And that's okay.

But...I hope you'll stick it out and give it a chance. There are sooo many things to like.

♥ I hope you'll like: Cole (Johanna's wee brother). How could you not? Definitely a hottie in the making.

♥ I hope you'll like: Jo...after the fifty percent mark. She does change and come into her own "Caledonia."

♥ I hope you'll like: Cam. Okay...we all make mistakes and while there are reasons for some, he does see the error of his ways and makes changes. That has to account for something.

♥ I hope you'll like: The hot, steamy scenes...yep, there's some good ones especially the dressing room!



♥ I hope you'll like: Mick (Johanna and Cole's "Uncle"). Definitely someone they needed in their life and someone who has their backs.

♥ I hope you'll like: Joss and Braden. Yes...we gets lots of great moments between the two of them and I love how they both care about Jo.

"Some people are born with family, and others have to make family." (I love that!)

♥ I hope you'll like: the important theme which is about people liking you for who you are. Not trying to change you but being there for you, supporting you, making you stronger and above everything else...loving you. ♥

♦ My Thoughts: Obviously, I really enjoyed the book. The first half was hard to get through. Both Jo and Cam are in other relationships and I understand a lot of people don't like that. Was it crucial for the story? Yes. Could it have been shorter? Definitely. I think it would have flowed much better if that part was pared down.

For someone who loves lots of emotional drama, it was right up my alley even if some of the things were a bit cliché. It wasn't bad enough that I wanted to throw my kindle but SY did stir the pot up quite a bit.

Of course, I loved the epilogue. I really think that should be a requirement unless the story is ongoing. Cam and Jo were perfect for each other and I just LOVED how Jo took care of Cole but especially when Cole did as well.

"Baby, I already have taken on a teenage boy. I spend just as much time with the kid as I spend with you. He’s a good lad. I love him. I love you both."


Favorite quotes:

♥ "You and I are starting over today. I’m not some asshole who has judged you over and over again and got you wrong every single time."

♥ "A key: the way to a woman’s heart."

♥ "Perfectly good sex?" Cam interrupted us, drawing both our gazes. His voice was low with some unnamed emotion. "Abstain?" His now heated eyes ran the length of me before returning to meet mine. "Then he isn’t doing it right."

♥ "When I first saw you, I wanted you like I’d never wanted anyone. When you first tore me a new one, I wanted to know you. And when I got to know you, when I stood across a kitchen and you told me not to kill a spider because it didn’t say much for us as a species if we killed something because we feared it, I knew. I knew that I would never meet anyone as beautiful or as compassionate or as determined. I’ve known for a while that I was in love with you, Jo."

♥ "It’s almost debilitating. It’s too much. It’s … I can’t even describe it, but being with you is … there’s this intensity inside me all the time, this … constant pull, desperation … it’s like you’re branded on me or something. And it bloody well burns."

[Akanksha❤ Søren♰]

Epppppp!!!
She thinks she knows what she wants...
until he shows her what she needs.
Cover's out, and oh mighty hell is it blown!!

May 7th, 2013.
BLURB IS OUT!!

Johanna Walker is used to taking charge. But she’s about to meet someone who will make her lose control....

It has always been up to Johanna to care for her family, particularly her younger brother, Cole. With an absent father and a useless mother, she’s been making decisions based on what’s best for Cole for as long as she can remember. She even determines what men to date by how much they can provide for her brother and her, not on whatever sparks may—or may not—fly.

But with Cameron MacCabe, the attraction is undeniable. The sexy new bartender at work gives her butterflies every time she looks at him. And for once, Jo is tempted to put her needs first. Cam is just as obsessed with getting to know Jo, but her walls are too solid to let him get close enough to even try.

Then Cam moves into the flat below Jo’s, and their blistering connection becomes impossible to ignore. Especially since Cam is determined to uncover all of Jo’s secrets…even if it means taking apart her defenses piece by piece.

OHK, So there is some chaos on...
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17...

NO BRANDEN!! :"( *le sobs*
__
OMG OhMyGod MORE BRADEN!!! :D :D *Hoot Hoot*

[La-Lionne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm in shock. I can't believe I'm giving two stars to a book written by the same author who wrote On Dublin Street, which was one of my favorites of 2012. I still can't quite rap my head around it.

This book was nothing like On Dublin Street. I don't mean that I expected for stories to be similar or anything, I expected to be left with the same feelings I had after I read ODS: happiness, good kind of frustration, maybe a little of sadness or heartache. After finishing this one I was left with only irritation, disbelieve and disappointment. And that are not feelings I'm looking for to be left with after reading a book.

So here are the issues that I had:

- Jo. What is she about? I kind of get it what author was trying to create. Big sister trying to look after her brother and her alcoholic mother, who is absolute nightmare to have. She is struggling to provide for them working two jobs, stressing out of her mind. She dates only rich men, as an investment into her family's future (?). Her friends describes her as the strongest person they know. With a family situation like that, you have to be though as a nail. I get the idea.

* * * WARNING SPOILERS!!! * * *

Here is my problems with her character. Getting herself off while having sex with her boyfriend and thinking about Cam. Not all right! I get it. Author was trying to show her attraction to him. But do you have to push it that far? Not only I didn't find that hot or what ever, I actually thought it was kind of repulsing. Her certain parts were constantly tingling, panties vibrating in excitement (What?). I get it, Jo, you think he's hot, but pull yourself together and calm down will ya?

I didn't get why was she dating rich men. She didn't came across as a gold digger. She never asked for anything from them. Yes, she never said no to their gifts, but never asked for anything either. She never cared about any of them, there was no love. She admitted that she wasn't herself around them and they never knew the real her. Even her friends said that her constantly fake giggling around Malcolm, was most annoying thing ever. So why waist time then?

Then, there was the morning after, after she and he finally got together and did the thingy. She jumps out of bed and says "OMG we have to tell everybody that we are together." Are you freaking kidding me? You've known him for couple of weeks!!!! She knows half of rats a$$ about who he is, she doesn't know if relationship will ever work, but starts stressing out about telling people right away. All other guys, who she was dating for substantial amount of time, never got to see either her brother or her mother. And she was actually planning on marrying them if they would have asked. That just doesn't make any sense.

Then there was a scene where she quit her job and ran home to blame it on Cam, but ended up blaming on PMS. Completely unnecessary drama.

She was jealous of his ex-gilfriend, that he was with TEN YEARS AGO AND WHO SHE NEVER MET, only because he USED to be in love with her, and he haven't said I love you to her, yet! Oh Lord!

- Cam. I kind of liked him at first. His background story was alright. I thought he was being sweet when he offered a key to Cole, and meaning behind his tattoo was interesting. But one character doesn't make a story, plus, later he screwed up big time. Jo was calling him possessive caveman. I have read quite a few books with possessive men, and Cam is not even a little bit it.

- Story line. A complete mess. First half of the book dragged for ever, and after they got together hundred things started happening at once. She stressed so much to meet his parents, but when she finally did, all we got was "It was lovely, nice people, accepted her and Cole, his father loved her." We only got few lines of dialog the day after, something about freaking pancakes.

Then, Cam digs up her long lost uncle and his daughter. Ok, let the drama begin, I thought. No, they met, talked, apologized, met Cole. That reunion didn't feel like big deal at all. It should have. Then uncle Mick went to meet her mother. Again I thought, uh-oh, put your safety helmets on, people. I imagined her crawling out of her room cussing everybody or maybe even throwing things. What do you know, she came out all decent (?) looking, showered, hair blow-dried, exchanged few sentences and went back to her room. I thought maybe that will be a turning point for her. Nope. She went to her old ways, drinking herself into oblivion and being angry, after Mick left. What's the point of all of it then????

Later, after having a little steamy somethin' with Jo in changing room, they bumped into Blair, his ex from ages ago. Of course Jo went blue with jealousy. Cam, the great guy that he is, asks for her phone number so they can catch up sometimes. OMG! Jo had some kind of telepathic conversation with Blair.

"I resent you, she said. I think I hate you, I replied. He was mine first, she answered. He is mine now, I growled."
Seriously??!!

Now Jo is walking around all pissy. She comes to his place to talk about it, but ends up having gazillion orgasms. Ge goes on about that meeting Blair was just what he needed, about having a party next week and inviting Blair to catch up (??????!!!!!!). Afters fog wears off she wants to talk again, she thinks "Tell him! Ask him!". But when Cam asks "You ok?" she says "I'm fine. Just tired.".*GROWL*
But wait, she thinks it's not okay for him to keep in touch with his ex, but it is fine for her to keep texting Malcolm! I mean came on!!!

I was determend to finish the book, but that last part seriously got on my nerve, I decided to DNF before I gave myself a stroke. 79% was more than enough, returning for refund. I wonder if in those last 21% was an explanation for the book title... I will never know.

I did not like the story, at all. Confusing story line with no structure or clear direction to where story was heading, and all over the place characters.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

★★★☆☆ 3 out of 5 stars

Reading order


Novellas


I actually liked this book a lot. Down London Road was just another proof for me that I will read everything Samantha Young writes. It had almost everything for me. A likable heroine, a hot and sexy hero and a good plot. I enjoyed some parts in this book more then others, but overall, it was a great read!!

But first thing first, our heroine, Johanna Walker.
Jo was first introduced to us in On Dublin Street. I got the inpression that she was a gold digging bitch that just went after welthy men, and I definitly didn´t like her. But this book proved me so wrong. I actually liked her a lot more then Joss. It was so much more to Jo then what we saw on the suraice in book 1. Finally we got to read about an interesting heroine with depth!

And the hero Cam! Boy is it hot in here? What an incredible sexy and hot man. And of course he had tattoos. I can honestly say that I thought he was just as sexy as Braden!

I usually hate it when an author continues a series, but switch couples. But Samantha made it work. But I still hasn´t decided if I would have picked either this book or a sequel about Braden and Joss. It is a tie.
....but I guess if I'll have to choose, I'll chose Braden and Joss. But this was definitly a GREAT read!

[Steph · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, I am going to try and keep this review nice and short because I don't want it to turn into me just ranting about the things I didn't like.

The writing was wonderful, as usual with Samantha Young.

I really liked On Dublin Street, and have enjoyed other books by this author too. So I think I was expecting Down London Road to blow me away, but I was sadly disappointed.

I don't like it when people say they didn't like a book, but then doesn't give any reasons why, it annoys me. So here are my reasons...

I never connected with Johanna's charcter, I didn't like her in the beginning at all. I understand that she needs money, but just go out and get a damn job like the rest of us. Oh wait, she already has two jobs. What kinda money is this woman after? A cool million? Welcome to the real world. We don't all get to be rich, we do the best we can and live within our means.
She's always moaning that she has nothing going for her; the only way she can get by in life is by using her looks to her advantage. *gags*
I don't like the way she always goes for rich men, pretends to be this other person, gets them to like her and to buy her all these gifts, then she just sells them all on eBay. It just felt really dirty, and I didn't like it at all. No matter how bad she needs the money, it's horrible.
She really annoyed me with her idiotic pride. You'd rather be deceptive, and dirty to get your money, than accept a good job from a friend? What a moron!

Cameron was really great at times, but I didn't like the way he judges people, before he's even spoken to them.
He's sexy and sweet and fun. But he's also a bit of a dick at times. The way he handled the Blair situation made me want to punch him in the face.
Oh, she came onto me. I pushed her away, but said she could stay over, have a shower and wear my t-shirt to bed. I can't believe you have a problem with this, Jo.
What the hell... I would have kicked you in the balls, and then beat the shit out of her too. It was ridiculous.

They were pretty cheesy together. I had more than a few eye rolls.

There wasn't really a story line at all. Bar her dad coming back for like two pages.

I get that her mum is a complete bitch, and that her childhood was pretty rough. But I just felt like she was using her past as an excuse...
I can't get a good job like normal people because my daddy made my self-esteem really low. I can't move out and get my own place because my drunken mother won't allow it.
Blah blah blah. Just suck it up and make something of your life, lady.

Oh god, see I'm ranting now. Moving on...

I absolutely adored seeing Braden, and the dinners at Elodie's were the real highlights of this book.
But again, Joss seemed completely different. Like her personality had shifted into another person. It was weird.

Anyway, I will definitely read the next book in the series, because I know this author is capable of amazing things. But I won't be reading this book ever again.

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an adult contemporary romance story featuring Jo from On Dublin Street.

I liked Jo in this and I felt bad for her at the way she was living her life in fear of her parents. It wasn’t fair the way she had to work 2 jobs and look after her younger brother all the time because of her mother’s alcoholism, but trying to hide what she was living with wasn’t doing her any favours either.

The storyline in this was about Jo meeting Cameron and them both feeling attracted to one another even though they were both with other people. Cameron was quite rude to Jo at the start though, and it took a while for him to be nice to her. The story was interesting though, and held my attention pretty well, and it was nice to catch up with Joss and Ellie from On Dublin street as well.

The ending to this was pretty good, and I just hope that Jo’s father stays away from her and her brother.
7 out of 10

[Maria Clara · Rating 3 out of 5]

En general, me ha gustado. Vamos, me ha gustado cómo la autora retrata lo difícil que es la convivencia con un alcohólico; así como los traumas de tener una infancia como la de nuestra protagonista. Sin embargo, no he conseguido congeniar con ella.

[BookHeroin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STARS
Down London Road BY Samantha Young
Genres:Contemporary Romance/Erotica/Abuse



This book was so much better than On Dublin Street,i liked that one, but this has a great story! i absolutely loved this. The setting to this series in general was perfect, the characters were great . the story line was amazing, and heartbreaking. The dialogue could have been better but still it was good.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Johanna Walker:

At 24 years old Johanna has a lot of responsibilities, she has a little brother to take care of and a drunk mother to keep a live. some rich boyfriend to keep satisfied and two jobs to keep her family alive, and a past to keep as a secret!

“You know, the world will always try to make you into who it wants you to be. People, time, events, they’ll all try to carve away at you and make you think you don’t know who you are. But it doesn’t matter who they try to make you, or what name they try to give you. If you stay true, you can chip off all their machinations and you’re still you underneath it all.”

She lives Down London Road with her mum, brother Cole. She is used on having control over everything she does, and taking charge of everything, but when she meets Cameron MacCabe everything change. the hot tattoo guy is not her usual type. but she can't fight the attraction that she feels towards him.

“I’d never felt so intensely attracted to someone before. Usually, it took me a while to get to know a guy before I felt that kind of deep tingling in all of my good-for-nothing places.”

“My body was panting, "He's hot. Can we have him?" while my mind was screaming, "Oh, dear God, what the hell are you thinking?”

Cameron MacCabe:

Cam is not perfect, he has his own problems, his own past to deal with, but as it comes to Jo he was everything she needed. everything she wanted.


But will Cam be able to save jo from her own insecurities, From a life time of being put down, from a life time of abuse, from a life time of feeling that she's "less" ...

“I've never met anyone as quietly brave and strong as you. I've never met a woman so unassuming, so kind, and so selfless. You are a complex lady." His mouth curled up at the corners. "And you are smart, and passionate, and funny, and exciting, and you blow me fucking away.”

She thinks she knows what she wants, Until HE came and showed her what she needed.
Helping her to feel like she's "More" , Will she give Cameron a chance to give her the love and security she needs. Will she finally feel like she's worth it?

It all Started Down London Road...



Attraction. Understanding. Lust. Jealousy . Friendship. LOVE.

“When his blue eyes met mine, I inhaled sharply at the raw need in them. "You're stunning," he whispered hoarsely. "No man can possibly deserve you.”

“What I feel for you … It’s all-consuming,he breathed, leaning his forehead against mine again. ‘It’s almost debilitating. It’s too much. It’s … I can’t even describe it, but being with you is … there’s this intensity inside me all the time, this … constant pull, desperation … it’s like you’re branded on me or something. And it bloody well burns.”

Used some inspiration from this trailerin my review .


I really hope that the last book would be about Hannah, she's a great, talented, sweet, smart character . But it seems that it's going to be about Olivia and Nate, that's okay with me,these two are broken and hot their story is going to be epic.

thanks for reading This review, for more follow me. This book is for 17+ :)

[♥ Barb ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I’m going to fuck you so hard, sink so keep inside of you, you’ll never work me out from under your skin. Never.”

<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3


This is the second book in the On Dublin Street series and is about bartender, Johanna (Jo) and graphic designer Cameron (Cam). They meet when Cam is hired at the bar where Jo works and the attraction is instant. There is just one problem.....they are both dating other people. UGH! The heart wants what the hearts wants....will they finally wake up and see what's in front of them?? You will just have to read this to find out :)
Just wanted to say that I loved seeing Joss and Braden is this one...they are such a great couple!
I know this one got mixed reviews and I was on the fence about reading it, but I'm so glad I did...Cam is AWESOME, HOT, & AMAZING... *sigh*


for Mr. Tattoo ♥












“Be Caledonia”


“I’d never felt so intensely attracted to someone before. Usually, it took me a while to get to know a guy before I felt that kind of deep tingling in all of my good-for-nothing places.”








“I've never met anyone as quietly brave and strong as you. I've never met a woman so unassuming, so kind, and so selfless. You are a complex lady." His mouth curled up at the corners. "And you are smart, and passionate, and funny, and exciting, and you blow me fucking away.”























“Some people are born with family, and others have to make family.”




"Here With Me"

Wheels are turning
I remember when you were mine
Now just to reach you
Baby, I'd stand in line

But there's another world
We're living in
Tonight

And there's another heart
That's fading in
The light

Don't want your picture
On my cell phone
I want you here with me
Don't want your memory
In my head now
I want you here with me

Spent the summer, just laying out in the sun
Time seems to move so slow
When you're taking it as it comes
Maybe we were just too young

Your body was tanned and your hair was long
You showed me your smile and my cares were gone
Falling in love filled my soul with fright
You said "Come on babe, it'll be alright"
I must have been a fool to the bitter end
Now I hold on to hope to have you back again
I'd bargain and I'd fight

But there's another world
We're living in
Tonight

Don't want your picture
On my cell phone
I want you here with me
I don't want your memory
In my head now
I want you here with me

Well I saw you in a restaurant
The other day
And instead of walking towards you
I ran away
And I'll keep on waiting for you
Till you'll come around
Come around and say

Don't want your picture
On my cell phone
I want you here with me
Don't need those memories
In my head now
I want you here with me

Ooooh!
Ooooh!
Here with me
Ooooh!
Ooooh!
Ooooh!
Here with me

[ambsreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

WARNING: This review kind of sucks, mainly because I find it difficult to write reviews for romance books but enjoy.

Down London Road was a book I went into expecting not to really like. I hadn't enjoyed On Dublin Street very much, from what I can remember. So, with my low expectations, I found I actually really enjoy Down London Road.

This book is able to be read as a standalone, but, of course, mentions characters from the first book but kind of makes you feel as if you have to read the first book. However, I found myself being completely in love with the characters and even remembering their dynamics from the first book.

Now onto Amber's crappy book description:

Johanna was the kind of character who you couldn't help but love, and considering the perspective of the book is hers. Johanna hasn't had the easiest life. Her dad was abusive, her mum checked out and she was left to care for her family. So, she dropped out of school at 16, got a job and proceeded to support her mother and brother. I admired Jo and her go-getter attitude. In no way did I judge her either for dating primarily rich guys, you do what you have to do in these situations. So, Jo's life is going pretty well for once and she thinks she may have finally found a guy she can settle down with when Cam comes into her life and throw her into a spin. Of course, this book is primarily focusing on the romance, but I found it interesting to see how Jo grew through the book. It was some phenomenal character development.

Characters

Johanna had some crazy development. She started as a character who needed to take care of her family. A character who was ashamed by what she had to do and was incredibly self-conscious. Her development to a strong character who stands up for herself and doesn't let people treat her like trash or a gold digger, was amazing. I felt like it was slow and we really got time to watch each stage of Jo as she grew.

I loved her loyalty to her brother as well. That was probably my favourite part about the book. The overall relationship between the two siblings. Sometimes in books like this siblings get pushed to the back and forgotten, but her brother Cole was front and centre for a majority of the book.

Cameron was a character who annoyed me in the beginning. I found him judgmental and I kinda wanted to hit him, I wouldn't have blamed Jo if she had. I enjoyed learning about him and how he changed his treatment towards Jo, however, I wish we got the chance to learn more about him. It felt like we were sort of deprived of some information of him, considering he was theorised to have such a great life, especially when compared to Jo.

I was frustrated at Cam though with the whole Becca situation. From someone who has incredibly little relationship experience but has read a lot of books communication is key people.

Plot

The plot, as I mentioned before, was focused primarily on the romance - however, the development of the romance was well done and beautiful. I enjoyed it. The plot also focuses on how Jo changes in the book and how she decides to stand for herself in the end. I mean, she does stay in a relationship without a break, which I kind of wish she had had, but I still enjoyed it incredibly.

Writing

The writing was brilliant. Samatha Young wove words together to create a beautiful and heartfelt tale. I found myself wanting to cry for the characters in certain situations and getting mad at others - something that doesn't happen too often with books for me these days that I got a little more judgmental.

Overall

Overall, I had some problems with this book, mainly the cheating that seemed to play a large part and the ex-partners making reappearances. Despite these problems this book was an adorable and fast paced read that will warm your heart. It was super cute and quite fluffy but if you don't like cheating I would not recommend it for you.