Down London Road (On Dublin Street #2) by Samantha Young-A Review and Giveaway

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DOWN LONDON ROAD (On Dublin Street #2) by Samantha Young

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 7, 2013

Johanna Walker is used to taking charge. But she’s about to meet someone who will make her lose control….

It has always been up to Johanna to care for her family, particularly her younger brother, Cole. With an absent father and a useless mother, she’s been making decisions based on what’s best for Cole for as long as she can remember. She even determines what men to date by how much they can provide for her brother and her, not on whatever sparks may—or may not—fly.

But with Cameron MacCabe, the attraction is undeniable. The sexy new bartender at work gives her butterflies every time she looks at him. And for once, Jo is tempted to put her needs first. Cam is just as obsessed with getting to know Jo, but her walls are too solid to let him get close enough to even try.

Then Cam moves into the flat below Jo’s, and their blistering connection becomes impossible to ignore. Especially since Cam is determined to uncover all of Jo’s secrets even if it means taking apart her defenses piece by piece.

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REVIEW: DOWN LONDON ROAD is the second storyline in the contemporary romance series On Dublin Street by Samantha Young. Although this is the second novel in the series, and most of the characters from the first storyline are present and play secondary roles in this particular novel, Down London Road can be read as a stand alone without too much difficulty. There are a few references to events from On Dublin Street, but Samantha Young blends the information so that the reader is not totally lost and grasping for purchase.

From the outset, we learn that our heroine Johanna is a down on her luck, hard working twenty something woman who knows what it is in life she wants. Working two jobs to support her alcoholic mother and younger brother, Johanna has made some poor choices when it comes to the men in her life. Looking to escape the poverty and lower class stigma, Johanna’s relationships have all been with men who are no strangers to money, wealth and prestige. But at a recent art exhibition with her boyfriend Malcolm, Johanna will be introduced to Cameron MacCabe, who is more than willing to call it like he sees it. And to complicate matters, her best friend sees through Johanna’s relationship choices and the men in her life, as well. And it doesn’t help when Johanna’s lack of self-esteem takes everything Cam says to heart.

Cameron was and is a giant a$$ through much of the storyline until he accidently discovers the truth behind Johanna’s troubled life both present and past but that does not excuse his behavior and lack of respect towards the woman with whom he is falling in love. With both Cam and Johanna in relationships with other people, part of the storyline is spent with the couple dancing around each other’s attempts to ignore the elephant in the room. Their attraction to one another is immediate, the sexual tension is tight, but Johanna has a hard time forgetting that Cam equates her to a whore who will spread her legs for money-every time.

Johanna has spent much of her life protecting her younger brother Cole ensuring that he is safe, fed and loved. Sacrificing her own education, we learn about the hardships and struggles befalling Johanna throughout her life and she is reluctant to ask for help fearing rejection and a broken heart; but there will come a point when she finally needs help, and true to her belief, betrayal and heart break will follow. I shed a few tears at this point, knowing how badly damaged her already fragile self-esteem had developed, but to come face to face with her worst nightmare, only made the trauma that much more painful. This is a contemporary romance storyline, so a happily ever after will follow but not before some damage and issues of trust must be addressed.

There is one soul who deserves a HEA and I am hoping Samantha Young will give Malcolm a chance at love. He did not deserve to lose the woman with whom he was falling in love, but if not for that, there would not have been a story.

DOWN LONDON ROAD is a well-written, sometimes heartbreaking story of betrayal, struggle and the ability to overcome a painful past. But when the past comes face to face with the present, there is both an emotional and physical struggle that will pit the power of love against hatred and betrayal. If you love a storyline with an emotionally fragile but strong heroine, Down London Road will not disappoint. The reader will be pulled into a world of pain, sorrow, betrayal, heartbreak and above else, the ability to overcome a past fraught with abuse to find love where least expected.

Copy supplied by the publisher

Reviewed by Sandy

Excerpt from Down London Road by Samantha Young. Copyright May 2013.

I let myself quietly into the dark flat and slipped my heels off, tip¬toeing down the hall to Cole’s room first. I cracked open his door and from the light spilling in under his curtains I could make out his head buried nearly all the way under his duvet. The worry I always felt for him eased a little now that I could see with my own eyes that he was safe and sound, but that worry never ever completely disappeared— partly because parents never, ever stopped worrying about their kids and partly because of the woman who slept in the room across the hall from him.

New York Times bestselling author Samantha Young is a 27 year old book addict who graduated from the University of Edinburgh.  She lives in Scotland.  Visit her online at:

samanthayoungbooks.com
Twitter.com/SYoungSFAuthor
www.Facebook.com/OnDublinStreet
Goodreads

GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED-Thank you

Penguin Group Publishing is offering a paper copy of DOWN LONDON ROAD to one lucky reader at The Reading Cafe.

1. Please register using the log-in at the top of the page or by using one of the social log-ins.

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3. Giveaway is open to USA only.

4. Giveaway runs from May 27 to May 31, 2013