Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Unavailable
On Dublin Street
Unavailable
On Dublin Street
Unavailable
On Dublin Street
Ebook395 pages6 hours

On Dublin Street

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this ebook

In this New York Times and USA Today bestselling sensation that enraptured readers everywhere, a women hiding from her past has all of her secrets laid bare. Perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover, Samantha Young's blockbuster New Adult series is riveting and sexy!

Braden Carmichael is used to getting what he wants, and he's determined to get Jocelyn into his bed. He knows she has a past, one that has made her skittish about getting into a relationship, so he proposes an arrangement that will satisfy their intense attraction without any strings attached.

But after an intrigued Jocelyn accepts, Braden decides he won't be satisfied with just mind-blowing passion. The stubborn Scotsman is intent on truly knowing her...down to the very soul.
LanguageEnglish
PublisherPenguin Group
Release dateOct 12, 2012
ISBN9781101623497
Unavailable
On Dublin Street
Author

Samantha Young

Samantha Young is a New York Times bestselling author who resides in Scotland. Her novels have been published in thirty countries. When Samantha's not writing books she's reading them. Or she's shoe shopping.

Related to On Dublin Street

Related ebooks

Romance For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for On Dublin Street

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5

26 ratings43 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    booknook — Young Adult book reviewsIf you read my review of Just for Now by Abbi Glines, you'll know that I've been DESPERATE for something sexy. Just for Now was okay, but it wasn't really the hot, dirty, heavy, dripping with lust kind of book I was looking for. I'm very pleased to say that On Dublin Street rocked my sexual universe.This book was HOT. I mean.. really, really hot. The book itself was screaming sex. I loved it. Consider my hunger for a heavy, lusty book satisfied.But moving on from the sex for a second.. I really connected with On Dublin Street because of the whole American-in-Scotland thing. Jocelyn is an American but she moves to Scotland for university and then continues living there afterwards and then starts a relationship with a Scotsman. So we have people teasing her about her accent, people arguing over lingo, Jocelyn adapting to a new culture, etc. I can totally relate to this because that character is ME! I'm an American and I moved to the UK to go to university and I fell in love with a Brit! Well, it was more like I fell in love with a Bit so then I moved to the UK.. but let's not get technical. It was awesome just to read about someone who went through the same experiences I did and in a similar part of the world!What I found most interesting about this book was that the traditional male and female roles were reversed. In books like this, normally you have the girl and then the strong, badass playboy. The girl wants a relationship and the guy is kind of closed off and struggling to change. It was the complete opposite in On Dublin Street! I mean, yes, Braden was a bit of a playboy (or a serial monogamist), but Jocelyn was the one who was emotionally closed off and against having a 'normal' relationship.On Dublin Street did more than just fulfil my craving for a hot book; it also fulfilled my craving for another mind blowing emotional roller coaster. I've been craving more books like Beautiful Disaster, Easy, and Seduced in the Dark. Well, ladies and gentleman, we have a winner!On Dublin Street was certainly loaded with intriguing emotional baggage. As much as it is about a hot sexual escapade, it's also about a girl struggling with her past and trying to come to terms with the horrors that linger there. I have to admit, sometimes Jocelyn drove me completely insane. She was an emotional wreck and refused to let people into her life. Towards the end it started bothering me most, because that's when her friends really needed her to be there for them and she just closed herself off completely. I wanted to bang her head against the wall! But I just forced myself to remember that this was the point of the book—it's about an emotional journey and overcoming traumas. Not everyone is able to deal with things like that, and it's about Jocelyn struggling to overcome it.And then there was Braden. Braden is a complete and utter sex GOD, but still manages to be a nice guy. Sure he may date a lot of women, but he doesn't cheat on them. Yes, he's rich, but he's not an arrogant asshole. He's kind and sweet and he truly cares about people. But in bed, he's no gentleman. ;) He does have his moments of jealousy, but don't we all? Braden puts up with a lot of crap from Jocelyn and it was nice to see him hang in there. He supports people through the bad times and doesn't just bail when things get tough.On Dublin Street was everything I hoped it would be. It was HOT THROUGH THE ROOF, an emotional whirlwind, drove me to the edge of tears, and was also a little heart-warming. I highly recommend it!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Jocelyn Butler, has been living in Edinburgh for quite some time, and in search for a new place to live, she shares a cab with the most compelling man she has ever met, with eyes that sears her under her clothing and makes her feel sensations she has never felt before. Then they part, and she knows she likely will never see him again. She finds a new apartment with a sweet roommate, and as she starts to settle in, she bumps into her mysterious man again, only to learn that he is her roommates brother. Which means Jocelyn is in big trouble, because deep down she knows she is not ready for what he wants. At first attraction is fierce and hot, and they can barely keep hands off each other, and eventually Jocelyn gives in to Braden, and agrees to a temporary sexual relationship, but then Braden worms his way slowly into her heart, and despite her fears and her struggles with her past, Braden could be the one man who could make her dreams come true.I have to say I had my doubts about this book, and for quite some time I have debated whether or not to read this, so after reading a friend blogger's review of this story, I knew I had to take a chance on this one, and WHEW I can hardly believe I waited so long to read this story!!! SENSATIONAL!!! I loved every moment, and I could barely contain my excitement as I started to fall in love with Jocelyn and Braden with each page. I wanted to yell to the whole world how great this book is!! This isn't any normal contemporary, it has so many qualities to the story that will make you get up and cheer for this couple and each road block that stands in their way.On Dublin Street is the first book in the series, and it takes place in one of the most romantic places in the world...Edinburgh, Scotland. I have been to this city, and its beautiful and majestic and the people are way too friendly to be real. As we begin we get a small insight into Jocelyn. Oh lovely Jocelyn, she needs love more than most heroines you read about. Jocelyn lost her family in a accident, and for years has separated herself from forming any bonds. Even her best friend, doesn't know certain things about her. Braden is one of those heroes guaranteed to make you swoon!! I know I Know that is so a understatement, he is a super ALPHA male and I adored him from the first chapter. Braden has his own scars, and he is used to being in control until Jocelyn. From their first cab together we see fireworks and they haven't even kissed yet. Both of these characters have plenty to work out, and their relationship has plenty of hills and mountains and it gets pretty rocky at times, but by the time I reached the ending, I had a feeling of WOW, and how that was one of the most satisfying reads I have ever had the opportunity to read. Normally I rarely get that from contemporary romance....but this book changed my whole view on contemporaries.Guaranteed to keep you captivated all the way through. A story of tears and laughs, of fierce passion, enduring characters, and such emotional connections that it will pierce you from the intensity of it. A TRUE GEM!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    On Dublin Street
    4 Stars

    This is one of those books that actually lives up to the hype. The hero in pursuit romance is intense, emotional and sexy; the characters are well-developed and endearing, and the angst stops just short of becoming overly irritating.

    Joss is an easy heroine to identify with despite her hangups and watching as her defenses crumble under the onslaught of Braden's relentless determination to fulfill their undeniable chemistry is exceedingly entertaining.

    Paula Costello's narration of the audiobook is exemplary. Her Scottish accents are well-done and contribute to the overall setting of the book in Edinburgh. Listening to the descriptions of places I've visited only added to the enjoyment of the story and the characters.

    All in all, a compelling tale of love overcoming all obstacles and I look forward to listening to more books in the series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Love, Love, Love this book!


    This book was everything I could ask for.

    There was a beautiful storyline with amazing characters.



    Joss is beautiful, kind, and fragile. Braden is gorgeous and cocky. Together they have an amazing connection.




    The Author did a great job with the storyline. There were charming parts that left me smiling, emotional parts that brought tears, and romantic parts that made me feel in awe.



    I loved how Braden and Joss were good for each other and I loved the friendships in this book. The family parts were great too. Usually I am not into background stories, but with this book you need them to understand the main characters better.


    Highly Recommend this book to every reader!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The first book in the On Dublin Street series. Jocelyn (aka Joss) Butler has seen her share of heartbreak. She lost her parents and sister when she was 14 and her best friend about a year later. Now she has hardened her heart and refuses to let anyone in, especially her new roommate's gorgeous brother, Braden Carmichael. Braden first saw the gorgeous Jocelyn when they shared a cab to Dublin Street. But Joss isn't making things easy for him. The development of the story and characters was wonderful. I liked both Braden and Joss, though I did want to slap Joss a few times for being so hard. But that was who she was.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    HOT HOT HOT! BRADEN CARMICHAEL IS EVERY WOMANS HOTTEST DREAM,
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was a really sweet story. I was expecting it to 'tug the heartstrings' a bit harder (based on other reviews) but it realy was a nice story. There was the standard 'misunderstanding' (which went on for an extended period) and I swear that Braden posessed the patience of a saint (which seems to only occur to this extent in fictional settings) but I did enjoy this one.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I have no idea why I pushed back reading this book for so long. Its probably one of the best book i've ever read. The story is well written. Loved the HEA and how it got to it, with some drama but not over the top usually heroines who freak out all the time annoy me but Joss was so loveable. I wish there was a book for Ellie and Adam's back story that'd be awesome!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I absoloutely love this book!!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    On Dublin Street by Samantha Young

    I found this book yesterday on Amazon and thought it sounded good, now lately I tend to read books that authors given me through my blog to read and review or from blog tours I sign up for, but I have those days when I just want to go buy a book and just sit back relax and read. Well I picked up on Dublin Street this morning and thought it was going to be a light read and I could spend my Sunday morning/afternoon drinking coffee and reading. Well to my surprize this has been one of the better books I've read recently. I put it up there with Pushing the Limits and rated both books 5 stars.

    This is not just another romance story On Dublin Street is about a young woman who has closed herself off from her emotions and relationships. Jocelyn Butler has had to deal with a lot of loss and she feels safe being on her own without to many attachments. When Jocelyn needs to find a new place to stay she meets Elle who is looking for a roomate and things seem to click for them. Then in walks Elle's older protective, over bearing, alpha male brother Braden Carmichael. First they met in a taxi, next meeting he walks in to the apartment without knocking catching Joss as she likes to be called coming out of the bath (missing towel)....oh it only get better!

    So not to have to write any spoilers Braden and Jocelyn are attracted to each other is putting it mildly. The story is more then just a romance novel though, its about love, loss, grief and moving forward.

    I loved everything about this book all the other characters, I hoping for a book about Elle and Adam next. I really enjoyed Samantha Young's writing and cannot wait to read more.

    So if your reading this you should go buy this book you will not be disappointed. This in an adult fiction noveland it does have some adult themed scenes in it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Absolutely Stunning!!This is one of my favourite books EVER!!..Joss is feisty strong who falls in love with the man that makes her safely vulnerable.Braden is just adorable and strong and loyal..If you love romance with strong characters,you will love this one..
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Wonderful story with very satisfying characters. You love seeing Braden fight for what he wants and in the process help Jocelyn start to heal. Highly recommended.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a good steamy story with a fun setting in Scotland and while I could sympathize with the drastic event the heroine went through I thought how she dealt with life was too extreme and I never really liked her. Jocelyn's new roommates brother Braden is constantly coming on to her.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really liked this book, it was believable, it was enjoyable, and it was well written. There wasn't so much drama that it was frustrating, and there wasn't so little that it was boring. Nice balance, and I liked all the characters. Only complaint I had was in how little attention and interest she paid to Rhian. She kept saying how good of friends they were, but she did nothing but avoid and use her for most of the book. That bothered me.

    This wasn't a really juicy book, there wasn't all that much to it, but regardless, I enjoyed it, and I really liked the main guy.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Incredible! I have never thought a heroine could be so messed up and wrong in the head as Joss was. Well, I'm clearly not thinking about Chess from Downside Ghosts. lol
    And can I say that I have a new love in my life?! That's right, and his name is Braden Carmichael. Beautiful, sexy as all hell, bossy, alpha-male, a jerk and a moron but that guy can sweep a girl off of her feet. The plot was something that you may have read in another book, but the sides the author chose to show of her heroine and how she interacts with all the other character is what gives this book its edge. Can't wait for the sequel.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Flat out, plain and simple, thoroughly enjoyable romance. Definitely a reread one day -- it's that good.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I liked it. I really enjoyed the banter between Braden and Jocelyn, yes I called her Jocelyn... They had such good chemistry together. I adored Ellie too! A good story although I felt it dragged on a little longer than necessary but worth the read!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5


    This book made me laugh, made me cry and made me want to slap Joss and Braden!!! Love the story of how Joss gets through the loss of her family to finally putting life back together. This book will draw you in right from the beginning
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really enjoyed this saucy romance! I love the very electric connection between the 2 main characters: Jocelyn (Joss) & Braden. It was very easy to see their perspective on things, even though it is told by Joss' point of view. The two of them are so stubborn, and strong-willed. They each embody a part of the fight-or-flight response theory. Joss will flee in the face of anything emotional or any thoughts on commitment. Braden will be very aggressive and fight for it. There were many times when I found myself siding with one or the other. There was a LOT of miscommunication in this story, probably due to the insecurities, that this love tale was almost downright neurotic. Not just between Joss & Braden, but between Joss' friends Rhian & James, and Joss' flatmate (and Braden's sister)Ellie & Braden's friend Adam. There is an overlying theme of the definition of family being more than just blood relatives, but deep friendships too. Also, there is an overlying theme of distrust. Mostly from Joss' tragic past, and some from Braden's past. Final note: Joss refers to Braden as a "caveman" several times in the book, which proved to be true on several occasions. He got to be so territorial and barbaric that at some points it was almost offensive to read, rather than romantic. That's the only reason why I gave the book 4 stars, instead of the full 5.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I noticed that this book got a lot of great reviews and I just had to try it out.
    Wow! What an amazing love story! I think I have found my new best author. Ms. Young has fashioned a stunningly detailed love affair between the two most unlikely souls. Two souls haunted by memories buried deep. One searching for that everlasting love, the other running from life.

    To say that Jocelyn Butler has a few issue is an understatement. Never getting too close. Never giving too much of herself to any lasting friendship or relationship. While she may find a certain suit attractive, that's as far as she is willing to invest herself. That is until that certain suit turns out to be her new roommate Ellie's, brother. The attraction is instant and volatile. Her need to stay in her nice neat little world is constantly challenged by first Ellie then Braden's need to nurture and comfort.

    Braden Carmichael puts the alpha and alpha male. Whatever he wants, he gets. This time he's set his sights on Jocelyn Butler and he's not taking no for an answer. Braden is every woman's dream guy. Thoughtful and caring, yet a bit overbearing. His sexuality seeps from his pores and he's not afraid to express his desires physically or verbally. Boy, can he express them verbally! Sometimes I think he speaks just for the shear shock factor.

    "On Dublin Street" transports a reader to the beautiful landscape of Edinburgh, Scotland; the land of rolling hills and castles. Nestled in the heart of the story-line is a tale of healing. A healing of both the mind and the heart. Life is about living in the light not hiding in the shadows; afraid to experience what life has to offer to those that are willing to take a chance. Taking a chance putting your heart on your sleeve for all to see.

    I loved this book! The pace of the story-line was perfect; adding just the right measure of emotional angst. Its scene transition were seamless and the secondary story-line added extra drama to the overall story.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    First off, I have to say this book cracked me open in a way I didn't expect. I did some serious eye rolling after the prologue where her family is killed in a car accident. It was a well written prologue; it's just that I am so tired of dead parents in books. It seems like every character is an orphan these days.

    But the panic attacks that plagued her years later over not dealing with their loss definitely rang true to me and triggered something similar in my chest over the loss of one of my best friends years ago. So I spent most of the book reading through a haze of grief and pain, which helped me relate to the main character in a significant way. However, I thought the episode with Dru was unnecessary pain. She already has a dead family, why all that, too?

    Young has a couple of writing ticks (i.e. her stomach 'flipped' about a dozen times throughout the course of the book, and her excessive use of the hero's name needed to be pared way down), but the character development was solid. I even laughed out loud a few times.

    The sex was hot, too! Braden is a caveman but in the best way. I really liked that he wasn't afraid to say "I love you" or fight for her, rather than just giving up, even though she was doing her best to push him away.

    Beautiful book, but now I definitely need to read something made of fluff and cotton candy. *sniff*
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I'm in the minority of readers of On Dublin Street by Samantha Young, a self published author. This is the start of a series of Adult Contemporary Romance novels that I won't be pursuing. It might be the genre that I'm not keen about, but it could be the author's style - whatever the reason, I really found the main character, Joss, incredibly irritating, shallow, immature and narcissistic.The backstory was alright, but Joss' tragic past seemed contrived with its heaping miseries. The psychological premise, that her grief and guilt would lead to fear and withdrawal was a valid one. In this case though, Joss is such a slow learner, even after seeing a therapist. The friends she's surrounded with are too good to be true, as is her love interest, Braden. They are all a bit cardboard, and the storyline respecting Ellie could be seen coming well beforehand.The steamy sexy scenes are pretty well done, but my inability to admire or relate to Joss rendered them flat and predictable. I found I was jumping paragraphs thoughout the book, just to be done with it. This is another case of my being taken in by the many 5 star reviews of a self published writer. In the end, I found On Dublin Street unappealing and cannot recommend it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Not the kind of book I usually read, but once I started I couldn't put it down. I started it this afternoon and read it straight through with only one brief interruption. I loved the (admittedly simple) progression of the plot and I did find many of the plot 'twists' to be easy to predict. I will definitely find and read Samantha Young's other books.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Hot steamy sex scenes~ nothing raunchy or over detailed.
    Rich powerful male however the girl holds her own money wise.
    Kinds of reminds me of Bare to you so if you liked that you will like this book. Towards the end of the book I was getting mad because Jocelyn was so damn bullheaded and wouldn't just give into Love even know it was breaking her heart. I had to actually put down the book for a bit as it was just getting to be too much. Jocelyn definitely comes to terms with a lot of demons. Braden does to but he is much quicker at it and doesn't give up so easily. Wonderful ending.................iloveladyporn.com
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Um.. WOW!! *blushes*

    I am on a huge contemporary adult (or NA) kick lately, and this book is one of the hottest I've read! Braden Carmichael can caveman me anytime he wants! I read this book straight through, a solid 5 hour was blocked off for Dublin Street. I've heard a lot of hype over this book, and it was well deserved.

    I love it when the main character is flawed, it makes the story seem so real. This book has a lot of elements going on.. for one, the emotions you get from it is amazing.. one minute hot an bothered, the next pissed, then finally kicked in the stomach. It also seems so real, the characters are all relatable and likable! A must read (18 ) and one of my faves for the year!

    Jocelyn Butler has made a life for herself, keeping people at arms length and ready to run if shit gets deep. Her family died when she was a teen, and Joss' way of coping was to be emotionally distant. But all of that was about to change when she struck a deal with Braden, an attractive, prominent business man, with a body to kill. Would she crack and let him in, or do what she does best and run?
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Let me just get it off my chest: EDITORS - YOU HAVE A JOB TO DO. DO IT!!! Your and You're are not the same word. When it's missed once, fine. When it's missed more than once? I rage.

    Onto the story:
    I REALLY enjoyed it. Joss was a great damaged heroine, and Braden was perfection. I can't and don't want to imagine what it's like to lose your whole family as a young teenager, but if I had to imagine it, I don't think I'd have acted differently than Joss. Her screwed up view on life made sense to me in the grand scheme of things.

    I loved that there were fun and funny parts in the midst of all the angst, and the romance, and the smut.

    Recommended!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This looks good, but I admit to being wary when there are SO many good reviews and people talking about it! Guess we'll see.



    Happy to day, this lived up to the hype. Sure, there was an editing error here and there, but overall, it was pretty well done. I do admit to some confusion once in a while, when the story would flip from present, to a therapy session, and back to the same present we were just in.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book started out strong. I was immediately pulled into the story. When young Joss is notified her parents and baby sister were killed in a car crash my heart stuttered. From there her move to Dublin Street and meeting with The Suit pulled me right along. My heart hurt for her when she started having panic attacks as she tried to have normal relationships with all the new people in her life.

    Her relationship with Braden is complicated because of her past and his. I really enjoyed the early development of it. It was painfully obvious that Braden had come to care for Joss, just as she had come to care for him. That she had such a hard time dealing with that was understandable and heartbreaking.

    Sadly, as the novel wore on, my patience began to wear thin. Both Joss and Braden had enough baggage to fill the cargo hold of a jumbo 747. While I sympathized in the beginning, it went on way too long. The constant push and pull, misunderstandings and lack of communication really drug the story out.

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Emotional

    This was a enjoyable read ,I couldn't put on Dublin Street down. Joss was a great character broken but real and Braden can I just say oh yummy he was such a babe , this was one seriously emotional journey, a beautiful get there in the end love story with a HEA , A well written and addictive tale that I highly recommend.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    So… this was awful.

    To say that I didn’t like “Fifty Shades of Grey” is the understatement of the year. It was one of the worst books I’ve ever read – a sexist, woman shaming badly written fan-fiction that romanticised an abusive jerk, made “Twilight” look like Dostoyevsky and left us all a little relieved that our own pornographic fan-fiction wasn’t so terrible in comparison. For some reason I have yet to figure out, the series has become wildly popular, with all three books occupy spaces in the top five biggest selling Kindle books of all time, and has led to a smorgasbord of self-published erotica sensations filling the bestseller lists. The big 5 publishers, suffering greatly from the rise of the e-book and seeing their importance in the industry diminish, are scrambling to survive and throwing big advances at self-published big sellers as if it’s going out of business, and one of the biggest books to profit from this has been Scottish author Samantha Young and her Edinburgh set contemporary romance “On Dublin Street”. If I were the publisher, I’d be asking for my money back.

    Contrary to popular belief, I actually love romance novels. The romance genre is one of the hardest to do well, although I’d argue that most genre fiction is far tougher to write than the literary establishment gives it credit for. However, there are many elements in the genre that have become very popular recently as “Fifty Shades” continues to dominate the industry, no pun intended, and most of them are my personal form of literary hell. Unfortunately, “On Dublin Street” ticks off almost every single square on my bingo card, from the prose to the characters to the ridiculous plot and the so-called romance.

    Let’s start with the general quality of the writing. This book supposedly had two editors. I can only assume that both of them are prone to frequent bouts of unconsciousness. From the far too frequent misuse of punctuation to the simplest of spelling errors (there were at least three instances of you’re/your mix-ups that I can remember), the book fails on the basic literary level. I don’t care if a book’s self-published or done through the traditional manner. If it’s being sold and marketed as a novel, I expect it to meet the simplest of standards, particularly now that a big publisher has showered this with money and doesn’t seem to care about the quality. Then again, if you’re going to attempt to make a fast buck then perhaps there isn’t time for a quick spell-check. The book is also about a third too long, with massive contrivances, leaps of logic, and just straight-up stupidity from the characters occurring just to get the plot moving. For what is supposedly a relatively simple contemporary romance, there’s a lot in the book that doesn’t make sense. The final quarter of the novel is a jumbled up mess of cheap emotional punches, emotional and illogical flip-flopping, and forced drama, all in the name of dragging the action out a few more pages. It’s unnecessary and in the end just plain boring.

    There’s no easy way to say this, but the protagonist is irritating beyond belief. She’s so derivative of the genre that I can still see the serial numbers from the assembly line. Joss (renamed Jocelyn by the romantic hero despite her repeated protests – because lack of respect is sexy) is the proto-typical messed up perfect girl – beautiful, snarky but only when convenient, with a traumatic past that conveniently keeps the family out of the scene (Disappearing Parent Syndrome strikes even in adult romance) and absolutely no financial worries. We frequently hear about her big breasts and panic attacks but that is the extent of her characterisation. The dead family is a very convenient plot device to use in fiction because it’s assumed that it will automatically give the character some depth. It doesn’t. It’s just lazy, and in “On Dublin Street” it serves no purpose other than to occasionally move the plot forward and add more angst. Joss frequently goes to therapy to provide some handy summaries of events we’ve just read about (much in the same way fan-fiction does, but this book is 100% original, from what I’ve been told), but the therapy itself does nothing to advance Joss’s character. These scenes also felt slapdash at best. I’ve been to counselling for something similar to what Joss has, but on a much milder level, and it mainly involves crying and spewing out your problems whilst someone listens and hands you tissues. It’s cathartic and incredibly boring to everyone not directly involved. Here, it just doesn’t achieve its intended purpose. Joss is also an incredibly judgemental character, particularly in regards to other women. When I say other women, I mean anyone that’s vaguely considered a threat to her burgeoning relationship with Fifty Shades Alpha Douche Model #3217, Braden. Fortunately for Joss, the author is equally as judgemental towards these women, who are all automatically characterised as gold-digging selfish whores. Joss and Braden happen to be very wealthy, but of course they’re good, generous people. In contrast, every woman who’s interested in Braden seems driven by money. The class element of this really got to me – Dublin Street is part of a rather wealthy area of Edinburgh, and Joss works in the nearby George Street. I’m fine with the typical rich guy romance, even though it’s not my thing, but I truly resented the elitism on display here. Of course, pretty much everything bad that happens in the novel is the result of a woman, because that stereotype’s apparently still fresh for reuse.

    Braden is a nasty piece of work. Once again we have the wealthy, entitled, extremely handsome and slightly older alpha male imposing himself on the heroine despite her repeated protests, with a conveniently angst-filled back-story packed full of mummy issues, drug-addicted rape victim girlfriends and beating someone to within an inch of their life because it’s the “honourable” thing to do. Braden, of course, has frequent bouts of temper that manifest as violence, and these are far too quickly swept under the carpet for my liking.

    Violence is not acceptable in these circumstances, particularly when it’s part of the “Get your hands off my woman!” plot strand. Of course (there’s a phrase I’m going to be using a lot), he has absolutely no respect for the heroine’s boundaries, despite her repeated demands. Pretty much every conversation they have follows the same pattern of him imposing himself on Joss, only to be met with protests, then Braden’s smarmy smugness that he knows best and will fuck her until she can’t walk. Once again (OF COURSE!), we have the love interest making possessive demands of the heroine, which include, but are not limited to, walking into her flat without permission, making demands of her choice of clothing and how she does her hair, beating the crap out of another man for approaching her then making veiled threats about how he doesn’t like to share, stealing and destroying her property, initiates sexual encounters with her while she’s sleeping (no discussion of consent, by the way), and, solely to get a reaction from her, tells her she’s a cold, manipulative bitch and says he slept with someone else.

    None of those things are okay. None of them have a place in a trusting relationship. None of these things are “hot” or “sexy” and none of them are excused or justified by the character’s pitiful backstory. The “messed up bad boy” trope is not a blanket cover for justifying possessive, borderline abusive traits of a relationship. I don’t care how good the sex is (and really, you can read better stuff on Archive of our Own). Telling a woman, after you’ve tricked her into going on a date with you, that if “you try to leave, I’ll tackle you”, is not acceptable. The fact that we continue to normalise such things as romantic terrifies me.

    At the end of the day, “On Dublin Street” is nothing new. It’s derivative, sloppily written, poorly plotted, dull, full of women shaming, thinly veiled elitism, and the alpha jerk dynamic that we’ve become sadly all too used to in the genre. If the publisher hopes to make a quick buck from this then good luck to them, and hopefully they’ll forget it as quickly as I did. It’s awful, but luckily entirely frivolous and easy to push from your mind. We must take these small pleasures where we can.

    1/5.

    My thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC.