Before Jamaica Lane (On Dublin Street #3) by Samantha Young- a review

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BEFORE JAMAICA LANE (On Dublin Street #3) by Samantha Young

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 7, 2014

One simple lesson in seduction between two friends can turn into so much more…

Despite her outgoing demeanor, Olivia is painfully insecure around the opposite sex—usually, she can’t get up the nerve to approach guys she’s interested in. But moving to Edinburgh has given her a new start, and, after she develops a crush on a sexy postgrad, she decides it’s time to push past her fears and go after what she wants.

Nate Sawyer is a gorgeous player who never commits, but to his close friends, he’s as loyal as they come. So when Olivia turns to him with her relationship woes, he offers to instruct her in the art of flirting and to help her become more sexually confident.

The friendly education in seduction soon grows into an intense and hot romance. But then Nate’s past and commitment issues rear their ugly heads, and Olivia is left broken-hearted. When Nate realizes he’s made the biggest mistake of his life, he will have to work harder than he ever has before to entice his best friend into falling back in love with him—or he may lose her forever…

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REVIEW: BEFORE JAMAICA LANE is the third full-length instalment in Samantha Young’s contemporary, new adult, erotic ON DUBLIN STREET series focusing on a close knit group of family, friends and lovers in Edinburgh, Scotland. This is American-born Olivia Holloway and Nate Sawyer’s storyline-one that made me cry for a woman who considered herself less than worthy of a man’s love. When Olivia approaches her best friend Nate for help in the seduction department he jumps at the chance to help-but of course-when two people are attracted to one another, playing with fire will only get them burned.

The storyline focuses on Olivia’s reluctance to approach a sexy postgrad who is her current crush. Her lack of self-esteem and negative self image perpetuates the belief that she is unattractive to the opposite sex. Asking her best friend Nate for help in seducing the object of her affections begins to backfire when their friends with benefits policy and instructions becomes something more. Not only does Olivia realize she is in love with Nate but Nate’s heartbreaking rejection throws Olivia into a depression that will be difficult to overcome. Nate is a player and his inability to commit to one woman will bring pain and sorrow to two people who need to overcome the past to more forward.

The relationship between Olivia and Nate begins as best friends to lovers when Olivia’s lack of confidence forces her to ask the impossible of the one man in her life that has always been there. You know that the ‘lessons in sexual seduction’ involve the physical act of sex but the heart doesn’t know what the mind has been told. Keeping the relationship from growing into something ‘more’ is impossible when the heart wants what it can never have.

Samantha Young brings together all of the previous storyline characters. BEFORE JAMAICA LANE slightly overlaps the events of the novella CASTLE HILL where Joss and Braden get married and the epilogue continues eighteen months into the future. The series will fast forward into Hannah and Marco’s storyline-FALLING FROM INDIA PLACE in June 2014.

This is a friends to lovers storyline that will break your heart for two people afraid to open their hearts to the possibilities of finding their happily ever after –together. Nate will push away the woman that he loves only to realize he may have pushed too far.

BEFORE JAMAICA LANE is a seductive, sexy and heartbreaking storyline about two people who are perfect for one another but past losses prevent each from moving forward. Samantha Young pulls the reader into an emotional tale about love and loss; heartbreak and sorrow; friendships and family. Keep the tissue box near by –you are going to need it.

READING ORDER
On Dublin Street
On Dublin Street Christmas (novella)
Until Fountain Bridge (novella)
Down London Road
Castle Hill (novella Dec 2013)
Before Jamaica Lane (Jan 2014)
Fall From India Place (June 2014)

Copy supplied by the publisher.

Reviewed by Sandy