Review: On Dublin Street

On Dublin Street by Samantha Young

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Behind the strongest walls of a fortress, lies a treasure so great, one can only imagine. Only the bravest hero will be able to scale the walls, avoid the traps, soothe the ravage beast, survive the arctic chill, navigate through the maze and find this precious item. Are you willing to accept this mission? Braden Carmichael nonchalantly shrugs, rolls his neck and smirks. What is this artifact he seeks? What dangers befalls this naive white knight?

This story is an amazingly well written contemporary romance novel. Most romance novels are sweet with a predictable plot and a happily ever after. I'm thrilled if I even remember the names of the characters. I will NEVER forget Braden Carmichael. Who is this man? This is a dangerous man. Listen up all you mothers, do NOT. I repeat NOT let your daughter ever read this book before they start dating. No man will measure up. Braden Carmichael is the ideal man who does not exist. He is rich, smart, loyal, caring, funny and a total alpha male. The reason why he is different from many of these other smexy romance heroes is that he has flaws. Flaws which make him human. He also is romantic in ways that are beyond the flowers and chocolates. He is romantic because he loves a woman and he wants to understand her like no other. Now THAT is a sexy man. His bossy take charge attitude could come off arrogant and bullying. He isn't. He comes off sexy, dominating and confident. Nothing sexier than a smart confident man who knows how to go down on a woman.

Ms. Young created characters I loved. I couldn't relate to them since I don't have any similarities or experiences, but I fell in love with them. It's obvious she loves her characters and built them with loving hands. The experiences each character goes through is presented in a way which isn't melodramatic yet it makes a reader gasp or wince in pain. I like how Ms. Young pulls no punches with what she does to her characters. What is admirable is her characters don't wallow and whine about their issues. They deal with it in sometimes unhealthy manners, but it doesn't drag everyone else down.

One can argue that Joss drags everyone down. Not really. She is closed up and for good reason. What is sad is that she is punishing herself. The self isolation and imprisonment is so out of hand, she is now lost in it. I cry for this girl who's had everything she's loved ripped away from her. It is a reality of life and many go through it. She could have turned to drugs. She didn't. She did got a little wild and she paid for it. Was it a fair payment in blood? Probably not. Yet she still strives to survive and she's doing pretty well.

When these two strong forces - Joss and Braden collide, it's great to watch. Ms. Young writes great dialog between the two. Joss is this forbidding stone fortress which Braden must get through to so he can capture her heart. It's not an easy journey but every heartbreak and set back is worth it. There aren't many books that can make me cry in sympathy. This was one of them.

The sexual tension in this book is smoking hot. Braden's rough forcefulness has me melting into a puddle of goo. I'm not the only one. Joss short-circuits and submits to his spell whenever he seduces her. The sex is not graphic in this story. It's more tease. This is fine by me since I can then imagine all the dirty smexy sex I want with Braden and Joss featured. As a romance novel, this is just right. I highly recommend this book to all my romance reader friends. This is my favourite contemporary romance novel this year. Read it now!



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