Hart Street Lane

Return to Dublin Street #3

by Samantha Young

A steamy fake engagement from New York Times Bestselling Author Samantha Young.

Faking it has never been so hard…

Breaking up with my fiancé wasn’t on my agenda this summer, neither was hiding the truth from everyone, including my colleagues at Pennington’s department store. But that tiny evasion gets me into trouble when I’m forced to play bride-to-be for our new marketing campaign. If my boss finds out I’ve lied to her, it won’t just be my reputation on the line; it’ll be my job.

Enter my new bestie, Baird McMillan. Professional goalkeeper, professional heartbreaker, and now my professional fake fiancé. Baird’s public escapades have gotten him on the wrong side of his football club’s new owner, and he needs to prove he’s settling down. A fake engagement is a win-win for us both.

There’s just one problem. It turns out there’s nothing fake about the explosive connection Baird and I share.

I may not have been looking for love, but every moment with Baird tempts me to reach for it. Yet just as I start to believe a future together could be a real possibility, our pasts come surging back with a vengeance. And with it, those who will do anything to destroy our chance at forever…

Genres: Romance, Sports Romance, Contemporary Romance, Soccer, Contemporary, Sports, Friends To Lovers

Paperback

Expected publication January 15, 2026

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

[lia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leaving this 5-star rating just to spite whoever gave this UNRELEASED book a 1 star.


Ridiculous.

[✰ Bianca ✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰]

Maia + Baird

The third book in the Dublin Street Second Generation series!

Baird is a football (soccer) goalkeeper and a super flirt.
But he's been in love with his buddy's girl's cousin ever since he met her.
Maia. She's four years older than Baird's 26 years. She works her dream job as a fashion something in a department store.
But now that she dumped her fiancé that job is in danger, because she was supposed to be the face of the new social media wedding campaign - with her ex.
Enter Baird. Pretending to be in love is the perfect way to get Maia to fall in love with him too. Right?

══════════════════




Adorable.
We've been waiting for Baird's story for decades! And now he's here. And he's just asamazing as we knew he would be. He's such a flirty fun guy! But he has to grow up now. His team's new boss is not happy with him, so playing Maia's fiancé is not only helping her but him too. In more than one way obviously. He's hoping that she'll fall in love with him too. She's always seen him as this super flirty serial dater. But he'll prove her wrong.
So adorable! So many funny and sweet and cute moments. But we also get some sad and heartbreaking moments. Both (especially Maia) didn't have the easiest life and the past and other bad people might come calling ...

I loved reading this so much.
Amazing cast of people - loved all the friends and family! (Hated that one person at work!)
Can't wait for whatever's coming next!

HART STREET LANE was another great book in this new On Dublin Street Second Generation Series!
Sweet and flirty and funny and adorable and a bit heartbreaking and just beautiful!
Run to your nearest bookdealer for your own Baird - this one is soo MINE!

If you can't click the buy-links
from your phone - click ► HERE!


💜 💜

[Taylor.Korrin]

TWENTY. TWENTY. SIX???? 😭😭😭 she is mean!! (Jk take your time, I love your books Samantha!!)

[Madison Rusnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️
🌶️

Baird 😍😍😍

I'll be so happy to never hear about Becky again 🙃

Maia!!! The strength you have? Inspiring!

I devoured this book and I cannot wait for the next one!

Thank you, Samantha, for the chance to read this book early!

[Aina · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a perfect way to start the year! I absolutely loved it! Baird and Maia stole my heart!

I was not ready for the emotional rollercoaster this one took me on, but absolutely worth every second!

Full review soon!

💙 Fake engagement
📖 Friends to lovers
✨ He falls first
⚽️ Football/Soccer MMC
💌 Forced proximity
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Set in Scotland

Thank you to Samantha Street team and Valentine’s PR for the ARC, all my thoughts are my own!

[raya_reads_love · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review about ARC provided by the author will be released on release day.

But let me say just that:
Loved every single page

[Trish- Late Knight Luna Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my Hart, I loved these two so much! “Hart Street Lane” is a swoony, emotional and wonderful fake engagement, he falls first Scottish romance that as a fan of the first generation series made my heart so happy.

The last thing Maia MacLeod thought she would be doing is breaking up with her fiance. But after he comes to her and tells her he might still have feelings for his ex, she knows it’s time. And this also throws a wrench into a work problem she has, she’s being featured with her fiance showcasing their upcoming wedding for their upcoming promotion. Enter her best friend, football superstar Baird McMillan, he offers to be her fake fiance so her job isn’t in jeopardy. Baird is always happy, a big flirt and has always been there for Maia. But what she doesn’t know is that Baird has been pretty much in love with her since the first day that they met. And he’s going to use this time to prove that he’s the one for her.

I absolutely loved Baird from “On Loverose Lane” and I’m so happy that we got his story next. Baird is flirty, protective and will do anything for his friends, especially Maia. I could tell that man was down bad from the very beginning and I loved how all in he was once she was a single woman. Maia is genuine, caring and adores her family and friends. She had a rough childhood until she found her Dad (who didn’t know she existed) and she carried that on her shoulders into adulthood. But Baird was always there to let her know how amazing she is. I loved their friendship and how it evolved into more once Maia realized she felt the same way. Both have mental struggles, Maia with how she sees herself and Baird with how scary it was for him when he got injured. Once they opened up about that, they were so honest and helpful in their journey into overcoming the walls they had built. The steamy scenes were fantastic and showed off their amazing chemistry. Both grow so much emotionally and they are just perfect for each other. The ending was perfect and I can’t wait for the next book in this series.

[Bari (justbookedup) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't get enough of this series. I knew Baird's story was going to be something special, and Samantha Young did not disappoint. I loved every single thing: the reverse age gap, the intense drama, the emotional healing from family trauma - this one was so captivating I had to finish within 24 hours.

While this can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading the first book in this series, On Loverose Lane, to get some background (plus you get some memorable Baird scenes). Baird, the cocky, super flirt, professional football goal keeper, has had a major crush on Maia for years. Unfortunately for him, she's been in a serious relationship until now. He's bided his time, been the best friend on the sidelines, but now he can finally make his move. When Maia needs a fiancé to save her job, he is more than happy to step in.

This is so adorable but also more emotional than I anticipated. Maia's character development is so stellar, realizing what she wants and how she wants to be treated. I love the way she steps into her confidence, standing up for herself and shedding some of her people-pleasing ways. Baird might be only 4 years younger (26 to Maia's 30), but he also does some growing up. He's fallen first and hard; now he just has to show Maia he's serious about her.

The dynamics at play are incredible. The way Baird supports Maia is sweet and steady; he's a man who pays attention, which Maia absolutely needs. This story has everything I love in a romance - there's family and work drama, a slow burn tension between our MCs that just builds until it explodes, the emotional vulnerability of both Baird and Maia that tug at all the feels, great supporting characters (shout out to Maia's step-mum) - I can't say enough great things.

If you love a great audio performance, Shane East & Mhairi Morrison absolutely crush it (dual narration), bringing Baird & Maia to life.

⚽️ Pro Football (Soccer) Romance
💕 He Falls First & Hard
💍 Fake Engagement
💋 Friends to Lovers
🔥 Slow Burn
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scottish Golden Retriever MMC
✌🏻 Dual POV in Dual Narration

[Lisa Icard · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic read!! I’m so in love with Baird and Maia’s story and the magic their love story creates!! When we knew Baird was getting his own book, I couldn’t wait to start reading!

Baird has always loved Maia from the first moment they met; however, he kept his feelings secret knowing she was engaged to Will. He was just happy to have her in his life, being a friend and meeting for their weekly swim time. Baird is the super hot goalie for Caley United, who flies by the seat of his pants engaging in risky behavior mostly due to his previous head injury, but deep down there is so much depth to him just waiting to shine its light.

Maia works for a fashion store, Pennington’s, where she not only works the part, but dresses the part who is engaged to Will. After a bout of wanting your cake and eating it too, Maia has no choice but to break off her engagement to Will, but soon finds herself in a pickle with her employer, which ensues a fake engagement. Baird sees this as his perfect in to try to convince Maia, he’s really the one she should be with.

I fell in love with these two so hard. As Maia begins to spend more time with Baird, you discover she has a lot of trauma from her past that have shaped her into who she is today and trauma has kept her true self hidden from those around her. Baird breaks through all her walls giving her a safe space to land. Maia soon finds Baird is who she needed all along and once she realizes his love for her and her love for him, what ensues is truly a remarkable and beautiful love story!!

Baird and Maia are one of my absolute favorites! These two heated up my kindle the way they love so hard! This story has all the feels and will take you on a roller coaster of emotions,like loss, abandonment, abuse, self~worth, friendship, hope, love and family. A fantastic read to start off the New Year!!

[Elie Hernalsteen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adore ending the year with a captivating book! Samantha Young has once again outdone herself with this amazing love story. Every aspect of this book is simply perfect!

Since my first encounter with Baird, I couldn’t wait to dive into his story because I genuinely adore him. He’s incredibly funny, protective, and a wonderful friend and fiancé. Baird was prepared to do anything for Maia, even going to great lengths to conceal his feelings for her until she was ready to confront the truth.

Maia, oh Maia, her past and self-reflection truly break my heart. She deserves so much more than the unfortunate circumstances she’s been through. She deserves love and encouragement for her actions. I’m incredibly grateful that Baird is the perfect man for her. The nickname she gaves him was simply perfect. I love it when a female protagonist can give a nickname to her partner without any hesitation or discomfort.

Another aspect that I thoroughly enjoyed is Ainsley’s unwavering protection of her younger brother, Baird. She was always there for him, even when she couldn’t trust the dynamics between Maia and Baird.

I was thrilled to see the parents from Samantha Young’s previous series make an appearance!

Another thing that I absolutely adore is the fact that I was in Edinburgh last week, and reading about places that I had personally visited was simply perfect.

[Court · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG, I fell I love with Baird in On Loverose Lane and I’m so excited to get his own story in Hart Street Lane. Samantha Young does it every time, I get lost in the pages and fall in love with the characters and never want their story to end. Baird and Maia will steal your heart and leave an indent on it by the end. This book is an intense emotional rollercoaster that is worth all the tears, laughter, and swoon worthy moments. Baird and Maia formed a friendship and became close, but both were on a different path, until Maia needed a fiancé, since she broke up with hers. Baird has been waiting in the sidelines for his chance and now he has it and he’s not going to waste it. Baird and Maia take us on a whirlwind fake engagement that lines start to blur and feelings start to get involved. These two go through their ups and downs, then add in the added drama and stress of the campaign and life and these two are pushed past their limits. Can Baird and Maia figure out their feelings and make it work or will others drama and the past ruin it before they can give it a fighting chance? I loved this story and it’s one that will stay with me well past finishing this beautiful story. I devoured this book and if you e been waiting for Baird, the waits been worth it. He is Mr. Swoon worthy!

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

Tropes:
- Friends to Lovers + PINING
- Fake Relationship
- Football (Soccer) Player Hero
- He Falls First
- Based in SCOTLAND 😍

Baird is my one true love! I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Samantha at it again, making me want to move to Scotland. lol

Baird and Maia are best of friends despite how in love Baird is with Maia. Maia is in an unhappy relationship that ends abruptly right before she gets volunteered to be the focus of her works wedding campaign. She needs a fiancé and fast! In walks Baird who is having his own PR crisis. This is the perfect way to convince Maia he is the one for her. Let the rollercoaster begin!

These two went through so many ups and downs where I wanted to yell at both of them. But through it all, I adored them and their relationship. They know each other on such a deep level and with Maia being so guarded it truly shows how special Baird is to her.

Baird and Maia both show great growth in this book. They had my emotions all over the place. Samantha is a master story teller and will have you gripped from the start!

[Laura Duffy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

Spicy rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3.5/5

Samantha Young does not miss.
I’ve loved books 1 & 2 in the return to Dublin street series and Hart Street land was no exception.

I knew I was going to love Baird because I loved him in the first two as a supporting character. His comedy value held strong in this one but it was also great to see him be more vulnerable and get more depth to his character.
Reading about how he’d yearned for Maia for years and finally getting to have her (even if it was a marriage of convenience at first 🤭). Big bear of a man has been down bad crying at the gym!

Sam always manages to bring in important and emotive topics in to her stories and I really like the way she handled the concept of having a loved one with an addiction and how it affects everyone around them.

Honestly I can’t believe this series isn’t getting more attention from contemporary romance lovers. It’s absolutely fab and I’d highly recommend it!

[Kali Dempsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐ 3 🌶️ 5 🎧

I think this is my favorite Samantha story yet. I absolutely adored these two to pieces. I loved them both from the sidelines in books one and two, but nothing could prepare me for the way Baird would have me falling head over heels for him and the way my heart would absolutely shatter for Maia. They were black cat and golden retriever personified and I couldn't get enough.

This was a slower burn than I expected even knowing Maia was engaged to a twatterwaffle at the beginning. Baird was determined to make her fall in love with him, or at least well on her way, before he let things gets physical. And Maia fell H A R D. I seriously want to start over again, I just loved this story so much.

The audio was fantastic too. Shane East is back, this time with Mhairi Morrison, and together they made all my Scottish dreams come true. I lovedddd this listen. Thank you so much to Must Love Audio for the advanced copy!

[emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hart Street Lane is the newest book in the Dublin Street Second Generation series. This installment is Baird and Maia's fake engagement romance and I adored every second.

From the moment we met Baird in On Loverose Lane, I knew that he needed his own book. Baird is so charming and charismatic and I completely fell in love with him throughout the pages of Hart Street Lane.

I absolutely adored how Baird was head over heels for Maia from the very beginning of the book and I love how he is willing to risk everything for a chance to be in a relationship with her for real. Maia was such a wonderful FMC and I loved reading about her slowly realising she had feelings for her friend. I loved the individual growth that both characters went through throughout the story and I felt so proud of them by the end.

If you love sports romances and books set in Scotland, you will absolutely adore Hart Street Lane!

(Thank you so much to Samantha Young for sending me an eARC)

[Livelyreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been waiting for Baird and Maia's book since they were introduced in the first book of the series and I'm so happy we finally got it.
Baird and Maia were absolutely amazing and thier story was mind blowing. I loved every bit of it and enjoyed it thoroughly. I mean who doesn't enjoy a friend to lovers romance, unrequited love, throw in a cocky football hero, smart successful independent heroine, fake engagement, swoony chemistry, some drama and an amazing love story.
Also it was great reading all characters from this series and from on Dublin series. I'm excited to know what's next in this series

[gretareadsromance · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was SO excited to read Baird & Maia's story and it was everything I needed. The friends to lovers lead up to the why and how of their marriage of convenience to her realizing how much he's loved her all along. So well played out. It's an angsty slow burn of the best variety and I couldn't love them more! I was surprised at all the details with both of their back stories but it just made their connection that much more. I'm so glad we returned to Dublin Street and got this story!

[Audrey Krofchick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book! I would give it more than five stars if I could. I love Baird from the very first book he was in, but this book is sealed it for me. He’s everything you want in a hero. Maia really went through a lot in her past that was explored in this book. They were perfect for each other.I highly recommend this book.

[Annabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't even have to know to know that Baird's story is going to be 5 star!!!!

[Huniyah]

Expected publication January 15, 2026

[Viviana]

I received an ARC from the author today.

[Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to follow

[Katie]

full review to come!

[Pauline Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review to follow

[Jamie Rosenblit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been waiting for Baird’s book ever since the Return to Dublin Street series started and it did not disappoint! Maya was the perfect counterpart to Baird and I love the moments when fake dating turns real in this trope.

I received an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.