Welcome back! I have a hot, hot read for you all today! First here are the sizzling stops you don't want to miss:
Kimba@ The Caffeinated Reviewer:Susannah Sandlin:Omega
Diana@Book of Secrets:Victoria Roberts: X Marks the Scot
Ali@My Guilty Obsession: Cambria Hebert: Recalled
Christy@Love of Books:Ron C. Nieto: Silent Song
Andrea@The Bookish Babe: Laura Kaye: Hearts in Darkness
Wow~ look at all those stops! Better head over and get entering!
I am super excited to welcome best selling author Samantha Young here today! If you aren't familiar with Samantha, let me introduce her:
I'm a 26 year old Scottish book addict and I graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2009. I studied ancient and medieval history at uni, and it was in my first year there, in the middle of a classical literature lecture, that I first came up with the idea for The Tale of Lunarmorte. I've been writing since as long as I can remember, and I write in a number of genres including romance, paranormal, urban fantasy, fantasy, and contemporary.
I love pulling pieces of historical fact (or mythology) and twisting it to fit my stories, and am more than thankful my degree is being put to good use in my writing. I began self-publishing in 2011 and now write full time. Find Samantha on her website, Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.
Samantha is here to share with us all a date night for Braden and Joss from her sizzling hot book: On Dublin Street
A Romantic Night out with Jocelyn Butler & Braden Carmichael
A sexy night out for Joss and Braden would centre around a good meal, so keeping in mind the restaurant of their choice, the American and her cocky Scotsman would start off the night with a few relaxing drinks not too far from the restaurant.
Sitting down for a chilled out beer at The Villager on George IV Bridge, the couple might lounge on a sofa in their finery (Braden in a straight-cut three piece suit…purr), catching one another up on their day.
From there they’d take a casual walk hand-in-hand north toward the Royal Mile where they’d turn left and head up the cobbled street to the beautiful restaurant by the Castle—The Witchery.
Braden will have reserved a table in the stunning ‘Secret Garden Dining Room’ where they’ll enjoy a delicious three course meal, a bottle of red wine, and most definitely some blunt dirty talk.
Feeling mellow and satisfied (well, appetite-wise), the couple will head back down the Royal Mile, and up along George IV Bridge, where they’ll turn left onto Chamber Street to finish off their romantic night in Old Town at The Jazz Bar, a basement bar with live music. Nursing a couple of whiskeys, Joss and Braden will find an intimate booth along the back wall of the bar. Snuggling into Braden’s side Joss will sit for an hour or two with him, no need for conversation as they enjoy each other’s company and the music.
And finally, Braden will call them a cab that will take them back to Dublin Street… and I think we can all guess what happens from there…
I don't know about you all, but I am ready to head to Scotland! The pictures are amazing. Thank you so much, Samantha for sharing with us this fantastic post. Now the lovely Samantha comes bearing gifts for you all, and guess what!? It is an International giveaway for a signed copy of On Dublin Street
Here is my review:
On Dublin Street
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.
Paperback, 322 pages
Published December 31st 2012 by NAL Trade (first published August 31st 2012)
Four Stars: A sinfully hot smoking read you won't want to miss!
Joss reaches for the door to the cab, startled when a male hand clamps over hers. A handsome stranger brazenly suggests that they forgo the hassle of arguing over the cab and just share it, after all they are going in the same direction. Joss is heading to Dublin Street to check out an apartment rental as she is forced to move since her former roommate and best friend moved to London. Joss warily agrees to split the cab with the gorgeous guy, but she doesn't expect the entire ride to be full of sizzling tension. There is something electric in the air as the two eye each other. He is amazingly good looking, a bit cocky and very forward. Joss jumps out of the cab as soon as it arrives on Dublin Street, eager to be rid of the sexy stranger. He asks her name, but she avoids the question and dodges away, fully expecting not to see him again.....that is until a few days later while she is unpacking in her new apartment she has an unexpected guest. The very same man from the cab just happens to be the brother of her new roommate. Joss the broken and closed off girl soon finds herself in a whole passel of trouble as the sexy Braden pursues her and refuses to take no for an answer. Can Joss, the lonely girl prevent, Braden from stealing her heart?
What I Liked:
- Wow! This book is hot! Hot! Hot! If you are looking for a book with sizzling chemistry that practically leaps off the page, get this book now! This is one of those romances that is full of tension, heat and passion not to mention it is antagonistic. Joss refuses to let down her barriers for anyone after her parents died when she was sixteen. She has floundered alone for eight years and she wants to keep it that way, but when Braden storms into her life, her refuses to take no for an answer. What follows is a dynamic dance of chase and pursue that finally explodes into sinfully passionate scenes. It is one of those romances that starts off with one of the parties claiming extreme dislike for the other, and there is plenty of tension throughout that will keep you turning the pages wondering if they will finally get it right. If you enjoy antagonistic romances like I do, be sure to check out this one. I especially enjoyed how Joss said one thing, and thought another.
- Jocelyn, the protagonist, is certainly a character that takes awhile to grow on you. The book opens with a traumatic event that scars her for life, and consequently causes her to become emotionally distant, closed off and uptight. She is broken and flawed beyond measure and only through the constant persistence of Ellie and Braden does she begin to let down her barriers. She is fierce, strong and very determined, but underneath it all is a scared little girl longing desperately for love and acceptance. My heart ached for her as I learned all of her troubled past. By the end, she makes a marked transformation. I am a sucker for books that show dramatic character growth, and this one certainly fit the bill. I truly admired her by the end of the book.
- Braden, can you say smoking hot, sinfully sexy, hear me roar male? Braden is all of that and more. He is confident, charming, demanding and a bit chauvinistic, kind, and caring. Believe it or not, all of these qualities pull together to form a male lead who will knock your socks off. Sure, he is not perfect by any means as he has a bit of a caveman attitude and he is bossy and overbearing, but underneath he is incredibly caring and determined to get through to Jocelyn. There were times when he made my heart melt, and other times when I wanted to punch him because he was controlling, but in the end, he will ultimately end up on my list of memorable swoon worthy males.
- This book also has some great secondary characters such as the adorable Ellie, whose infectious and delightful personality will win you over. I also enjoyed Jocelyn's co workers, especially Craig who was always asking her to shag him. All in all, this book has fantastic characters all the way around!
And The Not So Much:
- First, this book is packed full of sinfully hot sex, so if you are not a fan of lusty scenes that may make you blush or drool or both, do not read this one. This is an adult book and certainly with the sexy content best suited for mature readers.
- I was a bit disappointed that I never got a better picture of what Jocelyn's life was like before her tragic loss. There is just little snippets here and there, and I longed to know more about her life before and to see what kind of person she was before all the trauma and emotional damage.
- This book starts off a little slow, after the first dramatic scene, the pace slows and it takes awhile for it to take off. I still enjoyed the book as I immediately became invested in the characters, it really picks about the midway point when Braden and Joss enter into a sex only relationship, no strings attached, and of course you know that will only notch up the tension! From that point on it is hot, and fast!
- There was one scene in the book that I am still confused over. It is a very minor thing, but Joss and Braden are eating in a fine restaurant and a sexy woman comes up to the table and brings up something that was key to Braden's past, but I could not for the life of me figure out who this woman was. This is just a little quibble for me, nothing that detracts from the story by any means.
On Dublin Street is a sexy, steamy read that will certainly keep you warm during the cold winter. This is a book with electric chemistry and sizzling tension that culminates into hot passion. This is also a book with flawed characters who come together and grow and change. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and I can easily see why it has been burning up the charts. Don't miss On Dublin Street. I am now eagerly awaiting Ms. Young's next release in this series, a companion novel titled On London Road.
Favorite Quotations:
"I expected him to pretend he hadn't been ogling me, or to look quickly away or something. I didn't expect him to just shrug and then offer me the slowest, wickedest, sexiest smile that had ever been bestowed upon me."
"I wore what I liked, I looked the way I looked, and I didn't give a rat's ass what any guy thought. Somehow that seemed to work in my favor."
"I'm not backing off, so rather than coming up with a new defense- which I'm sure I'd find highly entertaining- just give in, babe. You know you're going to eventually."
"If we could only go back and knock some sense into those kids we once were."
I purchased a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.
See you back tomorrow with Cambria Hebert guest posting on TMST and a giveaway!
