On Dublin Street by Samantha Young

On Dublin Street by Samantha Young
December 2012 by NAL Trade
322 pages
Amazon + Good Reads
5/5 stars

"Jocelyn Butler has been hiding from her past for years. But all her secrets are about to be laid bare... Four years ago, Jocelyn left her tragic past behind in the States and started over in Scotland, burying her grief, ignoring her demons, and forging ahead without attachments. Her solitary life is working well - until she moves into a new apartment on Dublin Street where she meets a man who shakes her carefully guarded world to its core. Braden Carmichael is used to getting what he wants, and he's determined to get Jocelyn into his bed. Knowing how skittish she is about entering a relationship, Braden proposes an arrangement that will satisfy their intense attraction without any strings attached. But after an intrigued Jocelyn accepts, she realizes that Braden won't be satisfied with just mind-blowing passion. The stubborn Scotsman is intent on truly knowing her...down to the very soul."

-Good Reads

*FTC Disclaimer - This book was purchased by me with my own money. I am in no way being compensated for my review. All opinions are my own.

**This review may contain spoilers - read at your own risk! 

Oh. My. God. This book was just... (fans self)... WOW.

If you follow me at all on YouTube or Good Reads, you'll know that I have been on a serious new adult kick - I've been reading everything that I can get my hands on... but for some reason, I kept putting off On Dublin Street. And now that I've read it, I want to smack myself up the head and say, "What took you so long?!"

Like every other new adult book, On Dublin Street follows a basic formula: ordinary girl (usually with a hidden naughty side) + sexy, single eligible bachelor (usually damaged and emotionally unavailable) enter into a purely sexual agreement only to fall in love. Sorry to spoil that for you guys, but... well, its true. 

But what makes this particular story special is the characters - Jocelyn is actually kind of kick ass. She's stuck in her ways and is convinced that no other way will work. She has a snarky attitude and her comebacks often made me laugh. Oh, and, she doesn't become totally obsessed with Braden when he starts paying attention to her. I loved that. And Braden? Gerard Butler - anyone? 

All in all, On Dublin Street isn't anything new... but I'm kind of convinced that if you're a staunch new adult fan (I'm slowly creeping towards that), you go into these books knowing exactly what to expect. Samantha Young shines with her characters. Each has their own voice, experience believable development, and the dramatic scenes weren't over the top. This story could possibly happen... and that is like a breath of fresh air in the new adult genre.

Here's to hoping that somewhere a Braden Carmichael look alike is walking the earth. Yum.

Check out this book if you enjoyed Bared to You by Sylvia Day, Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire, or Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James. 

Steer clear if you are offended by crude language or explicit sex scenes. 

Have you read On Dublin Street - let me know what you thought! If you're a new adult fan, let me know some of your favorite titles.

-Alyssa