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Book Review-Before Jamaica Lane by Samantha Young

by | Jun 4, 2016 | Book Reviews | 2 comments

Book Review-Before Jamaica Lane by Samantha Young

Book Review-Before Jamaica Lane by Samantha YoungBefore Jamaica Lane by Samantha Young
Also in this series: Down London Road, Fall from India Place, Echoes of Scotland Street
Series: On Dublin Street #3
Published by NAL on January 7th 2014
Genres: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Narrator: Lee Angel
Length: 11 Hours and 3 Mins
Pages: 314
Format: Audiobook
Source: Self Purchased
Goodreads
AmazonLibrary ThingLiteral Club
four-stars

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 brokenhearted. 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….

My Review Updated

Summary 

Olivia feels uncomfortable around the opposite sex. She was always painfully shy when she was a teenager. But when her mother had cancer, Olivia stayed by her side and took care of her up until her college years. She has never been able to get past her lack of confidence. But then she has a crush on a post grad that she encounters at the library where she works. Olivia goes to her closest friend, Nate Sawyer, a virtual player and bad boy who takes a different woman home almost every night. They make a pact, Nate will show her to be confident and how to flirt and get over her shyness including sex lessons. Olivia isn’t a virgin, but has only had sex one time and it was horrible. She has very little sexual experience and it’s awkward for her. So best friends turn into lovers. Our hero, Nate lost his childhood sweetheart to cancer when they were only seventeen and only has casual sex and refuses to have any serious relationship with anyone until Olivia. There is powerful chemistry between Nate and Olivia inside and out of the bedroom. Can Nate and Olivia hold onto the love they both have for each other?

Plot and Story Line 

Before Jamaica Lane is the third book in the series and what a story this turned out to be!! I truly adored every moment this story has to offer. I do enjoy the friends to lovers trope and Samantha Young did a great job with this one. This is a story that slowly builds and it definitely will tie you up in emotional turmoil at times. Olivia and Nate have been friends for a year and spend alot of time together.

“What would you prefer? Life in a maximum-security prison or trapped in Jurassic Park?”

“Do I have a social standing in this prison?”

“No. You’re just an average Joe.”

“Then I guess I have to go with Jurassic Park.”

“Why?”

“Well, I’ll have constant fresh air, for a start, and also if I’m going to be anyone’s prey, I’m going to be the prey of an animal that’s acting out of instinct rather than psychopathy… You?”

“If you’re in Jurassic Park, I’m in Jurassic Park.”

However their relationship takes a turn, when Olivia reveals some truths while drunk. Truths that no one would really see about it, things that she keeps hidden and hides away. To her group of friends, they see her as self-assured and confident but Olivia has never seen herself that way. She craves something more than just being the “friend” to the guys. She wants to get numbers from strange men she flirts with but it never happens. The story really gets interesting when Olivia and Nate begin “sex lessons”. hehe oh boy was that different and when it comes to the bedroom, these two are very explosive to each other. However when spending so much time together in and out of the bedroom, when Nate wants Olivia to meet his parents, their relationship is taken to the next level without either of them realizing it before its too late and love has gotten tangled up in the mix. View Spoiler »

“You’re not ready to hear this yet,” he concluded. “But I do need you to know that I’m going to fight for you. I’m not making the mistake of walking away from you again. The only man in you future is me, Liv. The only kids in your future are mine.”

This story was quite spectacular from beginning to end, and I had some fun times with this group of friends and excited for the next book in the series.

Narration 

I truly liked this narrator and she did a brilliant job with this book. She does great with the setting and the Scottish accents were so real and I loved the inflections and how she brought the story to life.

The Cover 

Not my favorite of the series, but I do like the closeup of the pair here.

Overall View 

Before Jamaica Lane is a well written story that takes friends to lovers to a whole new level. Its stimulating, provoking, and dramatic.

Series Order (2)

About The Author Updated

About Samantha Young

Samantha Young is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author from Stirlingshire, Scotland. She's been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award 2012 for Best Author and Best Romance for her international bestseller ON DUBLIN STREET and Best Romance 2014 for BEFORE JAMAICA LANE. ON DUBLIN STREET is Samantha's first adult contemporary romance series and has sold in twenty-eight countries.

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2 Comments

  1. Ann Lorz

    I’m not a fan of NA Romance. Of course so many sound good!

    Reply
  2. Anna@herding cats&burning soup

    The covers in this series are just so random. I still need to get caught up in them all but the ones I’ve read I just loved too 😀 Good to know on the narration. I might have to do that to get caught up on them 🙂

    Reply

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