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Available
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Series
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Publication
NAL (2012), Edition: 1, Kindle Edition, 415 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. Romance. HTML: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.… (more)
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User reviews
LibraryThing member BookWhisperer
I have a confession. I had lined my Kindle’s carousel up with books that I promised myself I would start and finish before I added any more books to it. And then out of the blue, Jackie emails me “On Dublin Street” synopsis and I broke my promise to myself. I immediately had to read it.
The character Braden was mesmerizing and basically the man of my dreams. I loved how he absolutely adored his little sister Ellie (Joss’s roommate.) He showed her so much love and would give her anything that she could ever dream of if she wanted it and asked. And when he set his eyes on Joss, that is when I feel in love with him. He was patient and willing to work with her, protective, and all around a great guy. He was broody, he was suave, he was loving, he got angry, and best of all, he got super hot. I will just say when you read the section of the break-room, you will know what I am talking about.
Joss’s character was just a tad bit too strong for me. I understand why she is so reserved and stand-offish but there were times where I wanted to shake her and scream “Stop it! Just let the feelings happen! Good things can come from it.”
I liked the sessions with the therapist because it showed Joss in a different light. You got to read about how she truly felt (even when she lied to everyone) and received insight into her past that otherwise wouldn’t be revealed. And because of this, throughout the story, Joss’s character grows with the help of her therapist, Ellie and Braden and it was really nice to see that transformation.
This book showed their relationship in both high and lows. Both Braden and Joss had many witty moments that made me laugh out loud (highs). It was the kind of interaction that every relationship needs. It was also sweet to see how Braden took care of Joss during her panic attacks (lows). How he was there to help her bring herself out of them.
I will say that Ellie was my favorite character. Something about her got under my skin. Joss describes her as this sweet, caring, and fun loving person and to me that is exactly the kind of person that Joss needed to be around to help her poke out of her shell.
I loved the story line of this book. I loved the writing, the characters, basically everything about it. I am pretty sure I emailed Jackie half way through reading this book and said, “We have to read more Samantha Young books….Stat!”
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Everything else was put on hold and it was worth it. This was the kind of book that I would read past my bed time and then make myself get up early so that I could fit a few chapters in before I headed off to work. The character Braden was mesmerizing and basically the man of my dreams. I loved how he absolutely adored his little sister Ellie (Joss’s roommate.) He showed her so much love and would give her anything that she could ever dream of if she wanted it and asked. And when he set his eyes on Joss, that is when I feel in love with him. He was patient and willing to work with her, protective, and all around a great guy. He was broody, he was suave, he was loving, he got angry, and best of all, he got super hot. I will just say when you read the section of the break-room, you will know what I am talking about.
Joss’s character was just a tad bit too strong for me. I understand why she is so reserved and stand-offish but there were times where I wanted to shake her and scream “Stop it! Just let the feelings happen! Good things can come from it.”
I liked the sessions with the therapist because it showed Joss in a different light. You got to read about how she truly felt (even when she lied to everyone) and received insight into her past that otherwise wouldn’t be revealed. And because of this, throughout the story, Joss’s character grows with the help of her therapist, Ellie and Braden and it was really nice to see that transformation.
This book showed their relationship in both high and lows. Both Braden and Joss had many witty moments that made me laugh out loud (highs). It was the kind of interaction that every relationship needs. It was also sweet to see how Braden took care of Joss during her panic attacks (lows). How he was there to help her bring herself out of them.
I will say that Ellie was my favorite character. Something about her got under my skin. Joss describes her as this sweet, caring, and fun loving person and to me that is exactly the kind of person that Joss needed to be around to help her poke out of her shell.
I loved the story line of this book. I loved the writing, the characters, basically everything about it. I am pretty sure I emailed Jackie half way through reading this book and said, “We have to read more Samantha Young books….Stat!”
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LibraryThing member Capnrandm
I really enjoyed the first half of this book. Young established great chemistry, despite the instant attraction, and I applauded each time she managed to write a difficult, damaged heroine without devolving into melodrama. Little did I know, she was just saving the drama for the climax. I didn't
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enjoy the growing pains of Joss freaking out, to the point where I could have happily stopped reading and just imagined the HEA that would inevitably result, but I powered through. Show Less
LibraryThing member Tinkerbell4726
I totally needed a cold shower after reading this book! This book totally got me out of my YA/Paranormal Romance funk. I loved the setting and the characters. I finished this book in one sitting!
LibraryThing member ljduett
As for the writing, let me just stop and say that I am a big fan of Samatha Young. I came across her Tales of Lunarmorte a while ago and was blown away. When she published her Fire Spirits series, I was giddy with excitement. Needless to say, I KNOW Samantha Young is a great writer, which is a good
So why? Well it wasn't the writing style, I assure you. Samantha Young is a excellent writer and even after this book, I will continue to follow her. The tone was set perfectly as was the word building, character building, and plot. Focusing on my reading experience, I'm thinking that perhaps my lack of clicking is due to me alone. Perhaps I do not enjoy a steamy sex scene? Well no that's not true, as I love reading romance. Christina Feehan, Johanna Lindsey, Kresely Cole are all favorites of mine.
I guess perhaps this book just reminded me slighted of Fifty Shades in the fact that there was an 'arrangement'. Perhaps that is what threw me off of enjoying this book. I do know that I felt throughout the book that Young did an excellent job portraying emotionally handicapped characters and a true blooming of love. If I could have actually CLICKED with the book, I know I would have enjoyed it. So I guess that means officially, the faults lies with me and not Young.
Overall, I believe this book goes into that it's my fault not yours category. I'm sure certain groups would enjoy this book but for me...eh, not so much.
E-galley was provided in return for an honest review. Thanks so much!
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thing because me and On Dublin Street just didn't hit it off like all her other works. Don't get me wrong, this newest novel isn't a bad book. It was okay but it lacked a certain BAM! In other words, the story didn't reach out and grab my attention with a good slap. Throughout the whole story, I was barely there. Basically reading in body but not in mind because there was no interaction, no enrapture, no enthrallment. For me, On Dublin Street could have been considered a reluctant book from my book club reading list. You know the one that you wait til the last possible minute to read? So why? Well it wasn't the writing style, I assure you. Samantha Young is a excellent writer and even after this book, I will continue to follow her. The tone was set perfectly as was the word building, character building, and plot. Focusing on my reading experience, I'm thinking that perhaps my lack of clicking is due to me alone. Perhaps I do not enjoy a steamy sex scene? Well no that's not true, as I love reading romance. Christina Feehan, Johanna Lindsey, Kresely Cole are all favorites of mine.
I guess perhaps this book just reminded me slighted of Fifty Shades in the fact that there was an 'arrangement'. Perhaps that is what threw me off of enjoying this book. I do know that I felt throughout the book that Young did an excellent job portraying emotionally handicapped characters and a true blooming of love. If I could have actually CLICKED with the book, I know I would have enjoyed it. So I guess that means officially, the faults lies with me and not Young.
Overall, I believe this book goes into that it's my fault not yours category. I'm sure certain groups would enjoy this book but for me...eh, not so much.
E-galley was provided in return for an honest review. Thanks so much!
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LibraryThing member TabathaV
Oh Sweet Baby Jesus. Seriously. This book hardcore ROCKED MY FACE OFF! I know I am way late in getting it read & now that I have read it – I am insanely mad that I didn’t read it earlier! Talk about hotness.
Joss is messed up. Not in a crazy psycho lady kind of way – but in a “the past has
Joss is messed up. Not in a crazy psycho lady kind of way – but in a “the past has
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seriously deluded my thought process when it comes to relationships” kinda way. She doesn’t do them. AT ALL. Packing up her entire life and moving to Scotland to start over seemed like the best thing for her to do. She loves it there & really, who can blame her. Then she finds the PERFECT apartment to rent out & it just happens to come with an awesome roommate, Ellie. Win/Win kind of thing right? Well, when you factor in the HOT, SEXY brother (whom she happened to run into before knowing this) – things get a little bit.. hectic? Crazy? Insane? Freaking amazing to read about? Show Less
LibraryThing member LCOP
I think I am in love with Braden. He is amazing in all is alpha glory, some of alphaness scenes totally gave me that stabbing "OMG jealousy type pain".
And I loved Joss - she had me at and inappropriate quote that amazon wont let on in any form- because it is a very satisfying phrase when things go
I related to them - I loved that we were 38 percent into the book before anything major sexually happens. Can't tell you how refreshing it is not to have Joss try jumping him when they met in the cab or vice versa.
It was fantastic to have it drawn out, and I loved it. This is the first time I have read this author and it will not be the last. I liked being invested in the characters. It was believable and the issues were dealt with.
If there was anything I did not like about the book - occasionally Ellie got on my nerves especially at the end, and I felt the therapist sessions were disjointed, but the content was good - storyline placement was awkward.
I will also be checking out any and all future works by this author. I am very excited to have a new author to look forward to.
And I loved Joss - she had me at and inappropriate quote that amazon wont let on in any form- because it is a very satisfying phrase when things go
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badly. Needless to say there is cursing in this book, even if some of it is english cursing vs american.I related to them - I loved that we were 38 percent into the book before anything major sexually happens. Can't tell you how refreshing it is not to have Joss try jumping him when they met in the cab or vice versa.
It was fantastic to have it drawn out, and I loved it. This is the first time I have read this author and it will not be the last. I liked being invested in the characters. It was believable and the issues were dealt with.
If there was anything I did not like about the book - occasionally Ellie got on my nerves especially at the end, and I felt the therapist sessions were disjointed, but the content was good - storyline placement was awkward.
I will also be checking out any and all future works by this author. I am very excited to have a new author to look forward to.
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LibraryThing member bethorne
Um, no. On all counts.
LibraryThing member hjarta
What a wonderful surprise! Absolutely loved it.
LibraryThing member 2Sunny
This is Ms. Young's first book in the adult romance area and it is a huge winner in my opinion. HOT, and addictive do not often go together but this book is impossible to put down. To recap the story of an American girl with a background of heartbreak falling in love with a Scottish business tycoon
The story is not that out of the ordinary, it is the character discription that makes this book so well written. Jocelyn Butler is an author and is an island to herself and lets no one in. To watch her gain strength and finally become a loving girlfriend to Braden and to his sister and her roomate Ellie, is very touching. Right up to the last word of the Epologue she is growing and learning to love, trust and laugh.
Braden is a playboy of the first order but he too has some heartbreaking tales to tell of his past. He is gorgeous, rich, aloof and very intuitive. The characters are realistic, Hot and loveable. The humour in the book is quick witted and typically Scottish and dry. It sneeks up on you. There are many lines I would love to quote, to me a sign of a good writter.
I would reccommend this book to anyone who loves to cheer for the underdog. Joss' path to happiness was not an easy one and she slips many a time. Braden never gives up and supports her in his way even when she doesn't realize it.
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just doesn't do the writing justice. The story is not that out of the ordinary, it is the character discription that makes this book so well written. Jocelyn Butler is an author and is an island to herself and lets no one in. To watch her gain strength and finally become a loving girlfriend to Braden and to his sister and her roomate Ellie, is very touching. Right up to the last word of the Epologue she is growing and learning to love, trust and laugh.
Braden is a playboy of the first order but he too has some heartbreaking tales to tell of his past. He is gorgeous, rich, aloof and very intuitive. The characters are realistic, Hot and loveable. The humour in the book is quick witted and typically Scottish and dry. It sneeks up on you. There are many lines I would love to quote, to me a sign of a good writter.
I would reccommend this book to anyone who loves to cheer for the underdog. Joss' path to happiness was not an easy one and she slips many a time. Braden never gives up and supports her in his way even when she doesn't realize it.
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LibraryThing member shayanasha
3.5 stars
I really enjoyed the book - the fact that I lost my entire night of sleep emphasizes the fact. It was just that I was expecting more from this book with all the hype surrounding it and was left feeling utterly lacking...
I really enjoyed the book - the fact that I lost my entire night of sleep emphasizes the fact. It was just that I was expecting more from this book with all the hype surrounding it and was left feeling utterly lacking...
LibraryThing member TheBookHammock
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
I loved that there were fun and funny parts in the midst of all the angst, and the romance, and the smut.
Recommended!
Onto the story:
I REALLY enjoyed it. Joss was a great damaged heroine, and Braden was perfection. I can't and don't
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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!
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LibraryThing member Deserie.Comfort
ABOUT THE BOOK: All she wants is the present. But tomorrow is waiting…
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
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.
REVIEW: Ms. Young hit the mark with this one. I was leery walking into it as there has been so much hype on Fifty Shades and with this one being compared to it, I wondered what I was getting myself into. It’s not that I didn’t like Fifty Shades, that’s not the case at all. It was more so that I didn’t want to read a book that was JUST LIKE that one.
Ms. Young didn’t disappoint. It was very well built and I found myself thinking on the characters throughout the day. The angst had a great build up and the plot was very well placed.
Now, the only problem I had with this piece was the passive tone in the writing. It seemed as if there were a lot of extra words that didn’t get to the point; HOWEVER, it still didn’t distract too much from an enjoyable read.
If you want a piece to read that will turn up the fire on a cold night, then this is the one for you. It’s one you won’t be able to put down or forget for a long time.
Four out of five stars for a great job!
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
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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.
REVIEW: Ms. Young hit the mark with this one. I was leery walking into it as there has been so much hype on Fifty Shades and with this one being compared to it, I wondered what I was getting myself into. It’s not that I didn’t like Fifty Shades, that’s not the case at all. It was more so that I didn’t want to read a book that was JUST LIKE that one.
Ms. Young didn’t disappoint. It was very well built and I found myself thinking on the characters throughout the day. The angst had a great build up and the plot was very well placed.
Now, the only problem I had with this piece was the passive tone in the writing. It seemed as if there were a lot of extra words that didn’t get to the point; HOWEVER, it still didn’t distract too much from an enjoyable read.
If you want a piece to read that will turn up the fire on a cold night, then this is the one for you. It’s one you won’t be able to put down or forget for a long time.
Four out of five stars for a great job!
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LibraryThing member TanaT
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
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.
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
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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.
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LibraryThing member lcrabtree
I absoloutely love this book!!
LibraryThing member lcrabtree
I absoloutely love this book!!
LibraryThing member punktastic6661
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
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there was a book for Ellie and Adam's back story that'd be awesome! Show Less
LibraryThing member cool_mia
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..
If you love romance with strong characters,you will love this one..
LibraryThing member Ceilidhann
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
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.
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
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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.
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LibraryThing member cranberrytarts
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
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.
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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.
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LibraryThing member Bitchie
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,
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,
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when the story would flip from present, to a therapy session, and back to the same present we were just in. Show Less
LibraryThing member kuris
I love reading this novel! The main characters and supporting ones are awesome. The story just has the right amount of angst. I did cry... a couple of times but most of the time, I was giddy, I'm in looove.
Oh, and I decided to read this after reading the blurb and thought it has some similarities
Oh, and I decided to read this after reading the blurb and thought it has some similarities
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to Beautiful Disaster. I can't help compare everything now to BD and most of the time, I end up disappointed. This time, lucky me, I didn't. Ü Show Less
LibraryThing member asgwilli
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,
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?
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,
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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?
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LibraryThing member olongbourn
Flat out, plain and simple, thoroughly enjoyable romance. Definitely a reread one day -- it's that good.
LibraryThing member JanJanFreeman
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
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.
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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.
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LibraryThing member CyndiTefft
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
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*
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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*
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Language
Original publication date
2012-08-31
Local notes
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 Brandon Carmichael, a man who shakes her carefully guarded world to its core.