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

4 Stars

I loved On Dublin Street, it was a six star read for me, so I was pretty excited for Down London Road.  So, I was pretty shocked on how disappointed I was with Down London Road, considering how much I loved book 1.  Now, it’s Before Jamaica Lane and I really, had no expectations.

Before Jamaica Lane is pretty much an adorable read, from start to finish. Samantha Young is getting back to her roots and I think she’s writing more romance than angst, and I’m very grateful for that.  Although Jamaica Lane was not quite as good as Down London Road, I definitely like the direction Young is taking the series.

Olivia and Nate are best friends.  Olivia is very reserved and doesn’t have a lot of experience with sex, she’s awkward, she doesn’t know how to flirt and she wants to date. Nate is a major man-whore with a bunch of issues.  Olivia proposes an idea to Nate.  Olivia wants Nate to teach her how to flirt and land her crush. As Nate “teaches” Olivia in the art of seduction, Olivia is finding it hard to separate her growing feelings from Nate.

 Cute story line right?  I liked Nate and I liked Olivia.  The beginning was a bit slow, but there’s plenty of character development.  You get a general idea of who Olivia is and yes it’s kind of hard to believe a twenty-something gal that inept in the world of dating, but it’s a book, so I go along with the story line.  Olivia could be only as describe as SUPER CUTE.  She’s smart, successful and pretty much the “average looking” girl (despite the cover model).

Nate is gorgeous, flirty, charismatic man whore we all girls love.  I liked Nate overall, he’s no Braden, but Nate did play the sexy guy with pent-up-issues very well.  Yes, the other characters from the previous books are sprinkled in throughout.  I am not sure if I cared for those parts, I think at some point, there can be too many characters and it was difficult for me to keep track of who was who.  Overall, the banter between Olivia and Nate was cute.  Nate was a bit possessive and arrogant, which I enjoyed.

There wasn’t anything completely wrong with Jamaica Lane, it just wasn’t a Dublin Street homerun.  If you want a sweet read with a little bit of tension in the mix, then Jamaica Lane is for you.

To be release January 7th, 2014   

Series Order

 On Dublin Street (On Dublin Street, #1)  - > GOODREADS

Until Fountain Bridge (On Dublin Street, #1.5) - > GOODREADS 

Down London Road (On Dublin Street #2) - > GOODREADS | REVIEW

Castle Hill (On Dublin Street, #2.5) - > GOODREADS

Before Jamaica Lane (On Dublin Street #3) - > GOODREADS

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