| Title | : | Before Jamaica Lane (On Dublin Street, #3) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 432 |
| Publication | : | First published January 7, 2014 |
| Awards | : | Goodreads Choice Award Romance (2014) |
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….
Before Jamaica Lane (On Dublin Street, #3) Reviews
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Before Jamaica Lane is the third installment in the ODS series. I love Samantha Youngs writing, and with the exception of On Dublin Street, this is my favorite book of hers yet! It was a wonderful combination of funny, steamy, swoony, sweet and ansgty. A beautiful friends to lovers story!
Olivia has been to Scotland for a while now. She’s settling in. She has a job she loves as a librarian, her father, her ‘family’ which consists of Jo and Cole, and her friends. Nate has become one of her very best friends. He’s attractive, he’s a sweet, and he’s a manwhore. Olivia is the exact opposite. Her experience in that department is very... er... limited. When she starts to develop a crush on a guy at the library, she asks Nate for advice.
“There’s a guy at the library. A student. Postgrad. I like him, but I sound like Rain Man every time I try to talk to him.”
Olivia has an idea. She will get Nate to help, to tutor her. She wants to be good at sex. Who better to help her than the most experienced guy she knows? Nate is hesitant at first. He doesn’t want getting physical to change their friendship. As long as Olivia can agree to that, then he’s in. Let the lessons begin!
“So lets get this straight. You want me to fuck you in order to teach you how to fuck another guy?”
One of my favorite things about this book was the relationship between Olivia and Nate. There was an obvious connection there. They had passion, but they could always just hang out, watch movies, and talk. Liv was a never annoying, sweet, comical, feisty and fun heroine. She was so lovable. Then there was Nate. Nate appeared to be the super hot manwhore, but there was so much more to him than that. He was actually a little nerdy like Liv, he was understanding and had been through a lot. It’s made him the way he is. His heart it always in the right place.
Sex between friends... what could go wrong? After being with Nate, Olivia is finding herself thinking of her crush less and less. Not only are her lessons with Nate amazing, she feels like she has the whole package with him. She just wants him to feel the same. To love her, to want to be with her. Nate has things from his past. Things that hold him back from expressing the way he truly feels.
Nate and Olivia have a lot of obstacles to overcome. Will they be able to continue their friendship with these feelings in the way? Will Nate ever be able to get over his past and return the feelings Olivia is so freely giving him? Olivia is not willing to settle for anything less than someone who can give them his all. Who wants her, loves her, needs her. She just hopes Nate is that someone for her.
Even though book one is my favorite of the series (duh... Braden!) Olivia and Nate are the best couple of the series! I adore them! They aren’t perfect, but they are perfect for one another. Friends to lovers stories are some of my favorites. Although they aren’t always the most original, I love the little twist this storyline brought to the original tale. If you’re looking for a great story with a near perfect heroine, sexy and swoony hero, smoking hot chemistry, some mild tension and a few laugh out loud moments, you’ve found your book!
My favorite quote... ♥ ♥ ♥ -
reread #idfk i reread this too many times — 5 stars
this is my favorite friends to lovers book of ALL. TIME. also, this is the best book in the series imo. like, Joss and Braden who?? i can't think of any other friends to lovers books that would top this cuz this is s u p e r i o r. like the 5-star michelin steak, only the 1% can afford it kind of superior.
even though my reading taste has changed a lot, i still love this book and this is my go-to reread if i read something with shitty grovelling or if the heroine forgives the hero after one grand gesture OR if the heroine has betraying body syndrome and gives in too easily or any of the other shit i hate.
but anyways, why is this my go-to reread you ask? well this has THE BEST GROVELLING i've ever read. hands down. why? because the heroine knows WHAT👏🏼SHE👏🏼DESERVES👏🏼 and she won't settle for less. whenever she doesn't forgive him and makes him work for it? i just tear up cuz i- i'm just so proud.
like, yes ma'am. please make the hero suffer some more thank you.
so here's what the book is about:↳ Nate (H) is a certified man ho who has a lot of experience, while Liv (h) has zero experience (she ain't a virgin tho). since Liv is insecure with her physical appearance and her lack of dating life and she's into this guy she sees at work, Nate offers to help her. after Nate gives a tutorial on how to flirt and how to kiss properly, their lessons turn sexual and well, y'all know how that goes.
to be fair, i think some might find the tropes here annoying cuz Nate's introduction was kinda iffy since, again, he's the ho of the group and the heroine sees him flirting with someone he was about to take home. i don't know why i overlooked this the first time but now im just like
uhh... yeah. that wasn't fun. despite the fact that Nate was the man ho of the group, this book has the least problematic/annoying OW drama out of all the books in the series. even though he wasn't celibate after he met the heroine (this book is 7 months after the last book so that's how much they've known each other), we were spared from all that unlike other books in this series.
y'all don't believe me?↳ Exhibit A:
moonlight on nightingale way (#6)
H and h are neighbors and H pulls a
wallbanger move where he has sex every night and heroine hears him every. damn. night. h hears the same OW for 3 nights straight and H sleeps with this OW while h is already falling in love with him and vice versa.
↳ Exhibit B:
down london road (#2)
H thinks of h while having sex with his girlfriend. oh, and there's cheating in this one.
i could go on and on and on so yup. this book has the least annoying OW/OM drama.
also, the heroine wasn't in love or pining after him, in fact, she was more into the OM than the hero himself in the beginning. she does feel jealousy but it's not what you think. she feels jealous of Nate cuz it's so easy for him to "date" and talk to the opposite sex so i guess those are the silverlining.
as for Olivia, i actually didn't mind her insecurities."I don't want to be the person who looks in the mirror and hates what she sees, or be the person that moans about how she can't interact with a guy long enough to secure a date. That's not a good person to be, Nate."
her personality, dorkiness and sarcastic sense of humor made me love her. also, imma be real here for a sec, i can relate to her insecurities cuz i can be shy when it comes to my dating life too soo it is what iss. the only thing i found annoying here was that she needed Nate to validate the fact that she IS hot and sexy but i guess that's part of the plot so whatever.
i actually really liked Nate. he's the type of guy who's goofy and nerdy but when it comes to the bedroom, he turns into this possessive dude that just left me
I HAVE A WEAKNESS FOR NERDY HEROES OKAY? don't judge.
now let's get into the grovelling. the reason why Nate fucked up is because when Olivia was pouring her heart out and told him she loves him, he told her he'll never love her and walked away from her. Nate has baggage cuz he lost Alana (his first love) when he was young which then made him a man ho and have commitment problems so yes, this has dead ex drama. he even has a tattoo of OWs initial by his heart...
yikes i know. Olivia thinks she'll never be the love of his life and will forever be second best to his first love.
the grovelling here lasted a looong time and that's one of the reasons why i love this book. Olivia never gave in until Nate proved she was the love of his life, even though he already told her he loved her at one point. Nate is not the type of hero who gives the heroine space. nope. he's insistent as fuck. and ya know what? im glad he was cuz it SHOWS how much he was willing to fight for her."I never meant to fall in love with you. But I did. I felt it the first night I made love to you. I tried to walk away then because I've never felt so lost and yet so fucking found as i felt that night looking into your eyes as I moved inside you."
i mean...
i felt that. he does A LOT to prove his love for her and i honestly think this is the only book that left me 100% satisfied with the grovelling.
and btw, if y'all wanna know the OW drama (SPOILERS) here is the dead ex drama, 3 scenes of Olivia seeing Nate flirt with random women, and seeing him with this random OW after their break up but apparently he never did anything to her. as for OM drama, h kisses a random OM as part of her lesson, h goes on dates with OM after the breakup and OM is also the reason why the lessons started in the first place.
anyways, we need more books with grovelling scenes such as this one cuz im finding these lacking nowadays since apparently betraying body syndrome and H's being an asshole and makes the h work for it even though they're the ones who didn't do anything wrong is the trend nowadays. i can name plenty of books like this but just look at my 1-2 star rating for 2020 and if you know... YOU KNOW.
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original rating (march 2018) — 5 stars -
This audiobook has been sitting on my shelf for at least a year. After being disappointed by the second book in this series, I figured that this series had lost it's luster for me. If it weren't for the fact that I've made it a personal mission to listen to all the books sitting on my Audible shelf, I probably would have continued to ignore this one. Lucky for me, I didn't. This story was fantastic!
'Before Jamaica Lane' tells the story of Olivia and Nate. Close friends, they never explored their attraction to one another. Their friendship was too valuable to risk.
When Olivia finds herself crushing on a hot guy that frequents the library she works at, she is immediately overwhelmed by her own insecurities. With the exception of the disastrous night that she lost her virginity, she hasn't had sex with a man. In fact, she hasn't done much of anything sexual with other guys. Her youth was consumed by her mother's illness and grief over her death, not leaving time for normal teenage pursuits.
Nate has spent the years since the loss of his first love sleeping with random women. He was the quintessential manwhore. With superstar looks, he didn't have to try hard to land a different woman in his bed anytime the mood struck. He kept it simple. Just sex. No emotions.
Olivia approaches Nate with a proposal. She want to "practice", so that she can gain skills and confidence. Olivia wants to feel secure in her sexual prowess before she pursues her crush. If anyone can keep it "strictly sexual", she figures it's Nate.
As I'm sure you can imagine, things between Nate and Olivia won't stay that simple. It isn't easy to keep emotions out of the sex, especially when the two have such a close relationship already. It doesn't take long for jealousy and love to become big factors.
I loved the way Olivia and Nate's relationship evolved. This was a great friends to lovers storyline, with plenty of humor, drama and passion. It was a great story from start to finish.
I also appreciated the fact that Nate had to do some significant groveling after he screwed up. I hate it when an author lets the hero off with minimal effort or remorse after they seriously wrong the heroine. Maybe I'm bloodthirsty, but I expect them to pay!
Overall, this was an excellent audiobook. The story was great, as was the narration. It wasn't overly complex, but had plenty going on to hold my interest. It was definitely better than the last book in this series, in my opinion. If you're looking for a friends to lovers story, this is a great choice. -
I am a huge sucker for the best friends to lovers thing, and this one worked for me splendidly :D
It was so sweet and swoony, even angsty at some points and *sigh*, I just loved it <3
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4.5 Stars
An excellent friends to lovers story! I loved every minute of this book. Both Olivia and Nate were wonderful characters and their story was fun, sexy and sweet.
"It’s a manwhore miracle"
Olivia is lacking confidence in dating, men and sex. Nate lost his first love at 17, and has embraced the manwhore life style. Nate has tons of experience and Olivia has none, so Nate becomes Olivia's teacher.
The lines begin to blur for these best friends, can their friendship survive these lessons? Before Jamaica Lane has that perfect balance of humor, steam, angst that had me constantly smiling. Highly recommend this one! Seriously read it <3
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5 STARS! ★★★★★
“It occurred to me that more than loss, it was the longing that hurt the most.”
I can't remember the last time a book has made me feel the way I did after this one. It involves a) asking myself where has this book been all my life b) kicking myself very hard for not reading this sooner c) wanting to stay in this fictional world forever d) wishing that I could have this kind of all-consuming love in my life.
I've read On Dublin Street a year ago and while it still remains as one of my all-time favorite reads, I admit I've put off the series after reading mixed reviews for the 2nd book. But after all my lovely buddies insisted that I MUST read the 3rd instalment here and it could be read as a standalone, I finally caved in.
Let me just say that it was undoubtedly the best reading decision I've made in a while. Samantha Young puts out a story that not only transports her readers to the streets of Edinburgh but breathes life into this story by creating these completely endearing characters that you'll fall hard for.
Each book in the ODS series revolves around a couple and Before Jamaica Lane is Nate & Olivia's story. Olivia moved to Scotland with her father after her mother's death while they were living in the States. During her stay here, she meets Nate who is Cam's best friend and they easily bonded sharing similar interests. Both of them are polar opposites with Olivia being the shy and inexperienced one at dating while Nate is the walking playboy of the city who can have any lady he wants.
When Olivia develops a crush on one of the guys in the library she works at, her lack of experience in the dating department had her pushing her luck by asking Nate for some advice. What started out as flirty lessons turned out to be something much more when the lines started to blur between friendship, lust and love.
There were just SO MANY things I loved about this read, honestly I'm flustered on even where to begin!
I can easily say that Olivia is one of the best heroines I've met and she's one of those women I can easily relate to, especially when it came down to her insecurities. She has a brilliant sense of humor with a touch of geek and above all, she has some major backbone. Her character growth was done so well that I swear she had me tearing up in a number of scenes, it made me feel so proud watching her firmly stand her ground. I was internally yelling "In your face, Nate!" when she didn't put up with Nate's bullshit anymore. In other words, she really owned her choices.
Nate Sawyer <- Oh yes adding him to my precious list of book boyfriends this instant. Although he was being portrayed as a walking manwhore in the beginning, the author did an amazing job by slowly peeling back the layers and revealed a much deeper and emotional side to this sexy man. There's a reason for his commitment-phobe issues and you can't even stay mad at him for long because you know deep down, he really cares for Olivia. He just needed time to work out his issues and it was easy for me to empathize with him after hearing his past.
Another thing I really loved about this book is Nate & Olivia's connection right from the beginning. Their platonic relationship was fun to watch and had me chuckling at their geeky banters. Gradually it grew into something more when all the flirtatious and seduction lessons started and holy sex on a stick, the sexual tension was enough to burn down my reading device! Nate was absolutely divine in these scenes and if I was Olivia, I sure as hell wouldn't turn him down either. I need some Nate lovin' in my life!!
And then let's talk about that angst, I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. Nothing spells out angst better than the amount of grovelling done on Nate's part to get Olivia back in his life. Pretty sure my heart went through some massive workout during these scenes followed by me being in a blubbering mess of emotions that had me tearing up multiple times as both of them ripped apart their defenses and bear their hearts out. By the last stretch, I may have even cried harder because of how it was all tied up beautifully for this couple.
Samantha Young surely knows how to capture her readers' heart with her writing as I found myself consumed with Nate & Olivia's love story from start till the end. Perfect balance of romance, steam, angst and humor; the author delivers a read that will sweep you off your feet with her storytelling. Fans of the friends to lovers trope will highly enjoy this one and definitely one of the best reads of this trope I've come across so far!
Before Jamaica Lane is the 3rd book in the On Dublin Street series and can be read as a standalone.
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5 stars!!!
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THIS BOOK!!! It was fun, steamy, had a swoony, to-die for hero, a lovable heroine, and oh my god, the HUMOR!! I had a goofy grin on my face the entire time I read this gem of a story. Samantha Young’s writing is crazy addicting, and she combines just the right amount of angst, humor, and romance to create these passionate, all-consuming stories that hit the right spot. And I have to say, even though On Dublin Street will probably always be my favorite and have a special spot in my heart, this book features the BEST couple – two characters who are so well-matched, well-rounded, and couldn’t be more perfect for each other. It’s truly a beautiful, romantic friends to lovers tale that had my heart RACING and fully invested in this story!
One thing this author absolutely excels at is creating irresistible, one-of-a-kind heroes I can’t help but fall in love with, and Nate Sawyer is no exception. He’s a manwhore – and he knows it well – but beneath that, he’s really such a good guy. Sweet, sensitive, caring and best friends with the heroine Olivia Holloway. They just get each other’s quirks and oddities.
While Nate is self-confident, Olivia is the complete opposite – she’s shy (adorably so), and has fears and body-image insecurities I could really empathize with because I’ve been there myself. When she finally finds a guy she’s interested in, she enlists her best friend Nate’s help to learn to be more comfortable in her own skin. I have to mention that these were the scenes that made me SWOON. Hard. Witnessing Nate’s patience, understanding, and gentleness with the way he treated Olivia made my heart go pitter patter and want a Nate of my own.
The romance here was gradual and built up from the beginning. Of course, the attraction was there, but it was never acted on and Nate and Olivia were comfortable with being friends. Once those seduction lessons took place though, lines were blurred and feelings took place – deep, heartfelt emotions that neither of them realized existed until this point. In friends to lovers romances, I ADORE that self-realization where the characters come to an epiphany and see how much the other means to them...that final fall. And I have to say, the author nailed it in this book! So much swoon! ;)
Another aspect that was done really well in my opinion was the brilliant inclusion of all the other characters I’ve come to love since the start of the series. I think it’s a risky move because there’s always a chance these side characters will take up more book space than the main characters, but it worked well! Part of what shapes Nate and Olivia’s characters is their long-standing friendships with the others, and I’m glad they were part of their story.
I was surprised by the last 10% of the book, meaning I became a big baby and started crying because of how beautiful things were wrapping up. For me, that’s an indicator that this romance novel hit its mark, that things never got too cheesy or too angsty and drama-filled. Even though I tried to read this book as slow as possible to savor everything, I ended up finishing it in just hours. Sigh...this is one of very rare times I can say I genuinely adored EVERY. SINGLE. THING. about this book. And even though it’s only February, I already know this book will be one of my top favorites for this year, and how I wish I read it sooner!!
Before Jamaica Lane is the 3rd book in the On Dublin Street series and can be read as a standalone. It’s been over a year since I last read anything from this series and when I picked this book up, I fell right into it. There is overlap with characters from the first two books, but I didn’t think it was so much they overshadowed the main couple. -
4,5 Seductive Stars!!
This starts when Olivia asks Nate to give her seduction lessons.
After all, Nate is a sexy-as-sin playboy who jumps from one-night-stand to another and Olivia is a shy girl that doesn’t know exactly how to connect with the opposite gender.
Since they are best-friends and geeks-soul-mates they believe that it will not going to interfere with their friendship. (Yeah, right.)
So, since you all see where this is going, I’ll be short. Obviously their agreement starts to change things between them, their feelings also start to grow and somehow along the road they find out they aren’t just friends anymore.
And that’s will be when the problems begin, because Olivia’s insecurity’s and ghosts will set her back and Nate will also have a troubled path because reasons. (In the end, it always come down to their past. But you know that already.)
So in the end it comes down to this: How to you keep a person in your life after everything is changed and going back is no longer possible?
I love this series. My review could be resumed in just this sentence.
I loved Cam from the previous book, and Braden will always have a special place in my heart, but I think Nate just became my favorite. (It was probably his geek side! I felt connected :P ) Yeah, there was the times he annoyed me, but I loved him through basically the whole book.
And the best thing about this? MOST AWESOME HEROINE EVER! I think I have a book-crush on Olivia, she is one of the most amazing female MC that I’ve read. And I normally don’t like the girls that much.
Not to mention the whole gang is there, and it’s always great to read about them.
Rating: 4,5 Stars.
Storyline: Not the most original one, but so well written that you quickly forget about that. Too much slow-paced in the beginning, dangerously close to boring, and that’s the only reason why I didn’t gave it 5 stars.
Writing Style: amazingly written, as always. The Scottish expressions get me a little confused, but I can’t really judge that.
Character Development: Loved both of them. I loved the fact that they’re both a little nerdy (not that usual) and had a pretty close friendship before their story began. Nate was a great MC and as I said before, Olivia was pretty much perfect.
Steam: So hot! Probably the hottest in the series so far. At least in my opinion.
HEA: -
5 FUNNY,SEXY, EMOTIONAL STARS
"You're the first person I though of"
"The only one I wanted here with me."
Wow I loved it!!!I didn't like the previous book and I wasn't sure for this one! But after I read some of the reviews I decided to read it!! And I wasn't disappointed!! This was really good!! I loved the story and the characters!!! There were so many emotional scenes. I really wanted to cry!!
I didn't want this book to end!! I can honestly say that this is one of my favorite books from this series!!! In the beginning I thought Branden and Joss were my favorite couple, but I was wrong!!
I loved the friendship between Nate and Olivia. As their relationship progressed into more than just 'friends', I connected with both of them both. I felt their love and their pain...
Olivia isn't sexually experienced and she wants the help of her friend Nate. Nate doesn't stay with the same woman for more than one night and he has so much experience when it comes to . So he decides to help her.They have a sexual relationship.
But can they keep it without, causing damage to their friendship?
I loved Olivia!! She was honest about her insecurities and finding ways to change the things she didn't like about herself. I like that she slowly found her voice and was able to express her feelings to Nate and what she wanted from him.
OMG Nate Nate....mmmm *sigh* He is a hot,sexy,funny,alluring Scot!! He wants to help Olivia...but in the beginning he didn't want to feel more...He has experienced a loss in his past, a person he loved a lot and he doesn't that to happen again. Sometimes I was pissed with him but I understood where he was coming from..
The chemistry between them was so hot!!! I loved Nate's dirty mouth!!
I think this book is the hottest in this series!!!
"I couldn't believe you'd been hiding those long, gorgeous legs.I dreamt of your legs that night,Liv.I dreamt they were wrapped around my back while I fucked your brains out."
"I want you.I want you to ride my c@ck and I want you to ride it hard.And then afterwards I want to site with my friend,eat some food and watch a movie with her.I'm not going anywhere."
If you like friends who becoming lovers with a little drama this is what you really need!! I recommend it to everyone!! -
A fantastic book to begin the year!
You should definitely read this book.
What held me captive was Nate and Olivia. The moment they were introduced in Down London Road you know they will just "click" as a couple and eager to want to have their own book, I'm happy that they got one and it was awesome.
The highlight in the story was their engaging relationship.
Their chemistry together made the sexy scenes explosive.
How they connect emotionally because of their past intertwined them and made their bond more realistic.
Their banter is going to make you laugh. They're the best of friends ever! combine that to their undeniable love and it's the perfect read.
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Previous post:
If this is going to be Nate and Olivia's love story then...
oh look I found them :D
I hope Nate and Olivia will have some Hot "wicked" games too *sigh*
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4.5 Stars
Lines were being blurred, and other lines were actually being crossed. There were a whole lot of lines and none of them were of a solid consistency. 
I only have one question after finishing this book: WHERE HAS THIS BEEN ALL MY LIFE?! I have no idea why I didn't continue with this series after reading
On Dublin Street when it just came out. I'll blame my mile long TBR. But after hearing all about Nate from gushing GR friends, I figured it was way past time we get introduced. I was a little bit hesitant starting this since I read On Dublin Street such a long time ago, I remember a sum total of nothing from it. Oh and I kinda sorta mighta skipped book 2. (What? I'm a rebel like that) But I digress. My fear was since I couldn't remember any of the secondary characters introduced in ODS that I'd feel lost jumping straight into book 3. And while it took a bit for me to get everyone straight, I never did find myself confused. I was totally enraptured in this wonderful book in just a few paragraphs.
Olivia, even though she's not my preferred type of heroine, was easily one of my favorite characters I've read in a while. She's so quirky in her nerdiness that her insecurities never bothered me. As a matter of fact, I found absolutely everything about her endearing, especially her insecurities. After losing her mother to cancer, Olivia moved to live with her father in Scotland. Having been taking care of her ailing mother, Olivia never really had a chance to experience the things that most teenagers do; going on dates, fooling around. So despite her outgoing and quirky personality, the second she's around a guy she's attracted to, she gets shy and absolutely tongue-tied. Meeting Nate when she first moved to Scotland, she would have been just as shy around him, had he not immediately put her directly in the friend zone. Now they're the best of friends. So who else can Liv come to to help her get over her shyness with men so that she can catch the eye of a super cute graduate student she meets in the Library where she works?
Nate is the biggest manwhore of the group. His gorgeous looks and charismatic personality guarantee that never spends the night alone. But Liv gets something that the women don't get... his true self. So when she comes to him for help, he knows that he'll help her. If the constant zing of attraction that runs between them is any indication, it certainly won't be a chore either.Liv?" his brows creased. "Just say it."
It rushed out in a burst of geek. "It's size is a little problematic because despite my tendency to ramble, my mouth is pretty small and it won't all fit in it and I have a gag reflex that might be a problem so I don't know how-"
"Liv-" Nate was choking on laughter. "Take a deep breath."
OK...so maybe it won't be all serious either.
I have to say how much I loved Liv and her personality. Her nerdy sayings, her and Nate's movie nights and "would you rather" games were so adorable. I honestly couldn't get enough of it. Also, it's so refreshing to read about a shy and awkward with the opposite sex girl that isn't a virgin. And despite her insecurites, Liv was anything but weak. This is a woman that had no fear speaking her mind and standing up for what she wants and is right.
Then there was the electric connection between her and Nate that only continued to get hotter and hotter with each new "lesson"God...Nate..."
"That's right, babe...
I'm taking you straight to heaven."
"Heaven. Hell," I panted, my fingers raking the wall. "Who cares as long as I ride there on an orgasm."
Nate is not the simple manwhore that he appears. Having had an experience in his teenage years that have forever put him off of love, he has reasons for his sleeping around. And for once in my reading history, I thought they were ones that make sense. Nate was just this perfect combination of sexy and adorable. The way that he's with Liv makes you completely fall in love with him.Does this feel like I don't want you?"
I reared against him, silently begging for more. "No." I shook my head, and then arched back as he thrust into me. Just like that, Nate began to screw the mortification right out of me.
There was also the sex. Did I mention the sex? Because oh my god, the sex.
Even though you know right away where these lessons will lead, it was still fun as hell watching both Liv and Nate fall for each other. Liv being strong and accepting of it, while Nate? Not so much. I wanted to throttle him for the way he handles everything. And then I wanted to hug Liv for not being the pushover that she could have been and standing up for herself...no matter how stubborn she may have been about it later. This was one of the best grovels I've read in a long time. It was, in a word, perfection.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 your future is me, Liv. The only kids in your future are mine.
If you're a fan of the friends to lovers trope, this book is simply a must read. Don't be an idiot like me and keep pushing off reading it. Drop whatever you're doing right now, and read it immediately. Trust me. You won't be sorry.
For more reviews visit
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5 stars!!
WARNING: This review may contain slight spoilers and copious amount of sentences starting with "I loved..."
I've always been a sucker for books with a friends-to-lovers theme and Before Jamaica Lane is one of the better ones out in the sea of books with similar tropes. Yes, the recurring themes in this book has been done a number of times but what set this apart from other books is the connection and the chemistry between the two main characters.
We met Olivia and Nate during Cam and Jo's story in Down London Road. Olivia moved to Scotland with her father after she lost her job there. Nate was one of Cam's bestfriend. He's gorgeous, fun and is a total commitment-phobe. They started off as friends, bonded by their love for movies, books, etc.
There was already an attraction there especially on Olivia's part. But she's painfully shy around guys and a little bit insecure because of her inexperience. Plus, she never thought that Nate might see her that way. So she buried that flicker of attraction and moved on.
Nate doesn't do commitment. It sounds like a tired old cliche but he has a pretty good reason (at least in his head) for it. Nate had already met the love of his life but she died and Nate's heart died along with her. So he flirts with everything that moves and doesn't make any promises. But Olivia was different. She was the first female that he feels comfortable with. He can actually be himself around her.
Then someone caught Olivia's eye but being painfully shy especially around guys, she doesn't quite know how to deal with it. Enter Nate, the manwhore best friend who's going to teach her how to get the guy. They find themselves spending more and more time together and things started escalating from there. And boy, did it escalate. Their first kiss...wow!
Samantha Young had me emotionally invested in both Olivia and Nate. They are, by far my favorite couple in this series. (Sorry Ellie and Adam) I loved how their relationship developed and the transition between friends to lovers doesn't feel rushed or contrived.
The author really took her time to develop these characters. I understood why Olivia was insecure. I hate it when heroines are insecure for no apparent reason whatsoever but Olivia's insecurity didn't annoy me. They endeared her to me. Same with Nate's reluctance to enter into any relationship. I did want to slap him upside in the head a couple of times but he's a guy. Making stupid decisions in relation to matters of the heart is a given, so I wasn't too upset with him.
I loved their conversations and their "Would you rather" game. Olivia is hilarious. She's the best heroine evah. She's a librarian, a little geeky with a wonderful sense of humor. She fits Nate perfectly. And I can totally see why Nate could totally fall for her. I usually hate it when a hot guy goes gaga for a girl and I'm left confused as to why he likes her in the first place. But here, I TOTALLY GET IT!!
Of course, this wouldn't be a Samantha Young book without some angst. But don't worry it's not that bad like On Dublin Street. (READ: NOT THE JOSS-INDUCED KIND OF ANGST) But still pretty angsty if may say so myself. I especially love the groveling in this book. I totally understood why Olivia didn't immediately forgive him. No one wants to feel like they're the second choice. I loved that Olivia wanted it all and she wasn't willing to settle for second place. I must say Nate more than proved himself, so I was totally happy when how everything turned out.
We also get to catch up with the gang in this book. Some parts of this book actually overlaps Castle Hill. And while I still like Braden, Joss really annoyed me. She has gotten progressively abrasive and annoying in this series. Ugh! (What does Braden see in her again?)
Anyway, I still loved this one very much. I'll definitely recommend it to everyone who love these types of stories.
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5 **manwhore miracle** STARS
“I didn't just want Nate to love me. I wanted him to love me the way I loved him. The kind of love that's so big it would last beyond a lifetime.”
I promised myself I wouldn't review this book. Just some pressure free reading, but then the characters started to come off the page. And before I knew it I was in love with the story, made a little graphic and here I am writing a review. Oh well, stranger things have happened.
Before Jamaica Lane is the third book in
Samantha Young’s
On Dublin Street series and just like all my friends predicted it was a complete win for me. After loving the first book and being slightly disappointed with the second I was reluctant to go back, but I can honestly say I don't regret picking this series up again. A complete win for me.
This is the story of Olivia and Nate, a friends to lovers contemporary romance, that will melt your heart, make you giggle like a little girl and fall madly in love with Nate in the meantime.
“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.”
Who are Nate and Olivia?
Both characters first appeared in the the second instalment
Down London Road. Nate is Cam's best friend and he works as a reviewer for video games and movies. And on top of that he is a manwhore with commitment issues. Just to put it out there, but don't hold it against him. He still needs to realise that his other best friend is the one.
Olivia is sort of a sister for Jo and only recently moved to Scotland with her dad. She is a librarian and the 'other best friend' who will eventually be madly in love with Nate.
Olivia is simply adorable. A quirky, sharp witted gal with an interesting sense of humour, who is incapable to form a single coherent thought when faced with men she is attracted to. Nate is a charmer, warm hearted, a nerd and probably the best friend any girl can have. Romantic interest or not.
I have to say, I love both main characters on their own. Nate and Liv are wonderful, but when they come together magic happens. They click as friends right from the start and rather quickly become inseparable. They have amazing banter and complete each other. But things get really interesting when Liv falls for a guy at work and asks Nate to help her become more confident. Those lessons may or may not turn out different than what she would have thought.“It occurred to me that more than loss, it was the longing that hurt the most.”
What can I say? Ms. Young created a lovable story about two friends who belong together. The chemistry and connection is undeniable and really captured my attention. The writing is smooth and effortless. The family aspect with all the surrounding characters makes this a well rounded and highly enjoyable read. Not to mention an explosive one when Nate and Liv get into their lessons. Holy hotness batman. And you know it can't all be smooth sailing, right? There are a lot of people involved that could get hurt and things in their past might turn this little game into a powder keg. But that's where the fun begins.
Well, I am convinced to keep going with the series. There are after all some very interesting and still single friends and family member left on the streets of Edinburgh...;D
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Title: Before Jamaica Lane
Series: On Dublin Street #3
Author: Samantha Young
Release Date: January 7th, 2014
Rating: 4 stars
Cliffhanger: No
HEA:
Samantha Young once again done a very well job. I can only congratulate her writing this wonderful mix of fluffy, fuzzy emotions, angst, hot sex and heartwarming romance. Before Jamaica Lane is a cute story that I highly recommend to every fan of ‘best friends to lovers’ kind of stories. Why? Because it made me laugh, swoon, melt, throw myself on the floor, pick myself from it and then once again roll of the bed. And even if my back hurt a little bit because of that, my fluttering heart made up for it. Twice.
Before Jamaica Lane had everything a good new adult read has to have: hot romance, panty melting hero, relatable heroine, adorable storyline, awesome dialogues and making you laugh out loud sense of humor.
Before Jamaica Lane tells story of Olivia. She’s been only few months in Scotland and almost from the beginning she formed deep bond with Nate. They fell into best friends category very quickly. Olivia is curvy and being as inexperienced as she was made her very self-conscious. So when the hot ‘I can have sex with every woman in this city’ Nate promised her to tutor her in Eros’ ways Olivia said yes. Plain and simple. But when between librarian Liv and Panty dropping Mr Fuck me senseless tutoring in flirting turned into lessons between the sheets, things started to change..
Olivia was fabulous heroine. I felt her so much. Not only did she suffer from the problems which seemed similar to mine’s, which made me relate with her on another level, she also took everything with smile and witty, snarky comments even if inside she was blubbering mess. I admired her for that. I found Liv’s inside voice great. She was funny, so darn cute and she was a geeky librarian! What’s more to need?
Nate was another story altogether. I liked him, I really did. He was a geek (score!), he was a very sexy, drool worthy Love Teacher (can I get a tutor like him too? I really need one.) and he made me feel all kind of bothered! What’s more my heart easily ached for him.
Together they were the bomb! The funniest, most adorable on geeky level couple I’ve ever read about. They were a match made in heaven. Swoon!
Samantha Young used every trick she had up her sleeve and she did it wisely. Fans of On Dublin Street series should feel extremely satisfied with what she came up with. I definitely was. Not only did I have a great time, while reconnecting with the gang, I also glimpsed into lives of Nate and Olivia and fell in love with both of them. Perfect read for those who crave some lightness and romantic tale of love.
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Reread May 2020: still holds up
**5 stars!**
“You'll end up living a lonely life if you're waiting around for perfect.”
So, it's no secret that I absolutely adore Samantha Young's books. There seems to be the perfect balance of angst, happy, and emotional in her writing formula that just works for me as a reader. Ever since I read On Dublin Street, I've been not so subtlety shoving her books down my friends' throats for them to read.
Before Jamaica Lane is the story of library assistant, Olivia and her best guy friend Nate, who embark on a series of flirting lessons in order for Olivia to gain more confidence around the other sex. We've heard this story before, right? WRONG! Ms. Young did a wonderful job with an old story line and making it into something uniquely her own.
“I want to be someone's big love, Dad. I think I deserve to have the man I love love me back just as much.”
Olivia is a heroine to stand by; she's loyal to her friends and family, not quick to judge anyone, and very endearingly hopeless when it comes to men (at the beginning of the book at least). I loved the development of her character throughout the book from a semi-meek girl, into a woman who finally accepts herself for what she is: a confident, attractive and smart woman with a lot to offer.
I'm not one for dual perspectives, but I really did find myself wishing as a reader that we could see Nate's point of view, as he could be so hard to read sometimes. And here is a segment from the main summary of the book as proof that I'm not spoiling anything, "But then Nate’s past and commitment issues rear their ugly heads, and Olivia is left broken-hearted." Even without the summary giving this away, it was fairly obvious that Nate had many issues due to his tragic past and he would end up hurting Olivia. The scene in which this happens had me in knots and I felt like I was going to puke (not really, but you know what I mean). I kept returning to it as I continued reading because I felt I gained more insight to the story. So if only for that scene alone, I bow down to Ms. Young. You like to play with reader's heartstrings like they're a bloody violin. Bravo!
.
One thing that stood out to me in this book and On Dublin Street was how well Ms. Young wrote as an American. I am convinced that she's lived in the states, despite being from the UK because she does such a wonderful job writing as an American that it's believable in the books. I know what you're thinking, there aren't that many differences between Americans and the Scottish, but it's the small things that make up one's culture. Like how Olivia calls shotgun and the Scots have no idea what she meant. Plus the American slang/idioms used throughout the entire book. Masterfully done.
“I didn't just want Nate to love me. I wanted him to love me the way I loved him. The kind of love that's so big it would last beyond a lifetime.”
So now that I'm done gushing over Ms. Young and her book, I highly recommend this series to anyone. This book technically could be read out of order, but I wouldn't recommend it. Start with the first book and make your way down. Plus, I am extremely excited for the next book about Hannah and Marco, an intriguing romance that began to develop in Down London Road.
“I never meant to fall in love with you. But I did. I felt it the first night I made love to you. I tried to walk away then because I've never felt so lost and yet so fucking found as I felt that night.” -
4.5 Stars
"You have next to no experience and I have too much.”
My mouth twisted with annoyance. “It’s not really a good time to brag about that shit, Nathaniel.”
He grinned at me. “I’m not bragging. I’m helping.”
“Helping?”
“Helping you.”
“Helping me how?”
“Helping you get laid.”
That’s it Nate. Take one for the team! Olivia and Nathaniel have been best friends for nine months, ever since meeting through the rest of the Dublin Street crowd. Olivia’s been insanely attracted to Nate from the beginning, but with her self confidence level hovering somewhere near ankle level there’s no way she’ll ever try for anything more than friendship. Add to the fact the Nate is a practicing manwhore who’s vowed never to commit and you have a relationship slotted firmly in the friend zone. Not that this was a real problem for Olivia or Nate. These two genuinely enjoyed their friendship and the time they spent hanging out together with no promise of sex. Until the thought of sex entered the equation.
Though Olivia’s ruled out the idea of pursuing anything with Nate, a girl still feels the need for a little somethin somethin every now and then and poor Liv with her stunted sexual history would rather not feel like a socially awkward freak every time she tries to interact with the penis carrying half of the population. So when our gal Liv finds herself attracted to a big, hot piece of man trying to get his education on at the library she works at, she knows she has to make some changes if she ever hopes to come into contact with a living, breathing cock again. It only takes Liv getting fall on your face drunk and some embarrassing confessions about her sexual history and our man Nate’s on board to help his bestie learn to let loose and become the confident sex kitten she’s meant to be.
So at this point I was reminding myself that this was one of the oldest tropes around and of course they’d develop feelings for each other. You know what? I didn’t give a shit. The story was that cute and melt-your-panties right off of you hot that it didn’t even faze me. When these two finally got together, I could actually FEEL the heat and attraction that had been simmering between them for months. It stopped being a story about hot piece Nate helping Olivia discover her sexy and all about Nate and Olivia enjoying the hell out of each other’s sexy. From the first time they hooked up and every time after, the bond between Liv and Nate was an undeniable force, even though Nate’s told Olivia over and over theirs isn’t a relationship that can ever be anything more than friendship because he lost his first love to cancer and that’s it for him. He’s only got one go ‘round in him. What’s a newly sexed up and in love girl to do when she realizes she may not get the guy?
”But my girl deserves more than whatever you two are up to. You deserve to start making a life with someone. You deserve to be the love of some man’s life.”
It’s obvious the road to happily ever after is not going to be an easy one for these two, but it was absolutely a believable and satisfying one. I loved Olivia and how she knew her worth and stood her ground. I loved Nate realizing almost immediately he’d fucked up and fucked up royally. Seeing Nate own up to his mistakes and Liv grow as a confident person and stand her ground made the entire book worth the read.
I kept going back and forth between a 4 and 5 star rating for this but it comes down to the fact that I keep reading this book over again between other books or during downtime. If I’m going to keep re-reading it after only one week, I think it warrants the big 5 Stars from me. -
(3 - 3.5)
’It was more than frustrating – it was painful – to know what was right but feel what was wrong.’
this was a fun friends-to-lovers and a fun take on ‘teaching the heroine to get laid’ trope. even though i was bored and skimmed at some parts, i finished this in a matter of few hours, so thanks for that, book :)
‘Know what it takes to get you off and then let him know. If he doesn’t want to know how to get you off, then get him off you.’
however….. the hyped up groveling? ………… i was
it was acceptable ofc, the heroine didn’t give in easily and the hero did grovel, but i was just not satisfied. i heard so many great amazing things bout the (apparently too hyped up) grovel hence why i was v v let down. ᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴs ᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴs ᴡᴇ ʜᴀᴛᴇ ʜᴇʀ
also, at times this book reminded me to
Melt for You loosely. obvi i didn't like it as much as that one, but there were moments that gave me that vibe -
1/5 ⭐️ OMG this book irked and bored me so much. There was a lot of time spent on the lives of the characters from the previous books. I wanted more time with the main characters. And Nate’s POV would have been greatly appreciated. I didn’t really feel his love for Olivia at all other than his sexual need of her.
And I was definitely expecting more groveling from Nate 🤬. I feel like he loved his dead ex more than Olivia and that’s a big no no for me. I actually wanted Olivia to end up with Ben instead.
And I hated that the only reason he went after her after their separation was because he saw her with another man 😑. -
5/5 stars.
Aw Liv and Nate are so cute. Review to come. -
4 Stars
Overall Opinion: I liked this one. I like the friends-to-more type stories, and this didn't disappoint. I was frustrated with the H, but he made up for it in the end with some good grovel -- which I've found is necessary for me to like a character again. We all make mistakes and have our own baggage we bring into relationships, but I think it is crucial that we acknowledge our mistakes and grow from them. I feel like both of these characters did that, and they ended up being better individuals together. I loved their "would you rather" questions, especially in the epilogue ;)
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Olivia and Nate's story. They meet with mutual friends, and become best-friends right away by bonding over their geekiness. They both have an underlying attraction, but value their friendship enough to not cross the line. Olivia gets drunk one night, and confesses her insecurities and struggles with men because she is inexperienced. She ends up propositioning Nate to tutor her in the art of dating and sex, because Nate is a well known manwhore. Lines get crossed and stronger feelings develop, but they have some big obstacles to get over before they figure out that they're meant to be...but they do get a HFN ending.
POV: This was told in Olivia's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed, and I thought it flowed well.
Instalove: No. They were friends before they developed stronger feelings.
H rating: 4 stars. Nate. I liked him. I understood why he pushed away, but I appreciated how he worked hard to get the h back.
h rating: 4 stars. Olivia. I had some issue with her and her insecurities at first, but I ended up liking her in the end.
Sadness level: Low/moderate. I teared up a few times, but I never needed any tissues.
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Moderate. They don't become intimate until about halfway through, but they have some hot chemistry and scenes once they do.
Descriptive sex: Yes
Safe sex: Yes. Birth control and std status are mentioned. The H states that he had never gone without condoms before, but I don't remember any mention of what happened with the h's one other sexual experience.
OW/OM drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This had a cute jump ahead epilogue and as close to a HEA as you can get being a HFN . I'm sure many will be fine with this ending and call it a HEA, but for consistency purposes -- I'm going to call it a HFN ending.
How I got it: I got it on loan through my local library.
Safety: I'd say that this should be Safe for most readers. -
Nate and Olivia are best friends but can their friendship survive being lovers as well?
Likes:
• Olivia...I think we can all relate to her in one way or another. I loved her humor and especially her growth.
• Nate...Wow, he really won me over. I liked him before but I guess I never caught on to how yummy he is! His growth was a little harder to read.
• The lessons...OMG, where was my Nate when I needed him? Scratch that...all girls need a Nate!
• Olivia's lingerie.
• Liv and Nate's banter...loved the "Would You Rather."
• The letters/notes.
• The dirty talk!
• The Gang! I loved how we got updates on everyone and I love how they are all one great, big family!
• I have to mention Cole, aka yummy in the making. If Hannah's book is next, we better get a Cole's!
• Hannah...I just love her and I can't wait till June!
• Nate's parents especially Nathan and his stories about Nate. LOL @ the toothbrush and his poor dog!
• "After" ~sigh~
• The Epilogue.
Dislikes:
• Nate's "dating".
• Alana's memory.
• Their fight.
• The Epilogue...I just wish it didn't have to go there.
• I really would have loved Nate's POV!
Overall:
I loved this book...it had everything I like in a book from angst to humor, romance to love. I enjoyed the spin on the best friends to lovers and especially seeing Nate's reactions.
Mostly, I enjoyed their humor. The book had me smiling A LOT!
I would advise you to read Castle Hill before you read this because there are some scenes that you will be lost about if you don't.
Favorite quotes:
♥ Hannah now looked traumatized.
"Not one of you has a good “losing my virginity” story?"
We gazed back at her apologetically.
"Well, that’s settled it. I’m not doing it with someone I don’t love."
♥ "You’ve put up a locked door between us and I understand why. But I’m going to stand outside it, bugging the absolute shit out of you." He smiled wryly. "Until you let me back in."
♥ We have a date with melted chocolate waiting in our future … I’m going to paint you with it and lick my fill until you … Well, what is it the French call it? La petite mort. I love you.
Nate
♥ "This may sound selfish and childish, but it’s how I feel. I want to be the love of someone’s life. I can’t be second best."
♥ "It was the excuse I’d been waiting for, for nine months."
♥ "So," Nate said once he had his breathing under control, "this is my place."
Smiling, I said, "I like the wall. And that’s a good ceiling."
♥ "It’s a manwhore miracle," Joss breathed, her eyes wide.
♥ "Here’s to “after,” baby." -
FIVE PERFECT STARS.
"One simple lesson in seduction between two friends can turn into so much more."
I loved everything, and I mean everything about this perfectly romantic novel. I've been told over and over again that I would love this story, and to those of you who knew me enough well of course you were completely correct. I didn't want this book to ever end. This story came complete with the perfect heroine, an outrageously gorgeous hero and a story line that left me weak at the knees, bravo Samantha young you've written the most perfect novel and my favourite in the series so far. Here are my 'I fell in love hard' dreamy book thoughts ...
What's it all about?
Olivia has no shortage of great friends, a job that she loves and security living in a city that she has started to call home. What she doesn't have is a whole lot of confidence when it comes to matters of the heart so when her gorgeous best friend, Nate Sawyer agrees to give her some lessons in the art of seduction Olivia jumps at the chance. Olivia knows that nothing will develop between them, Nate likes the ladies a little too much and never promises to commit and Olivia has a bad case of insecurity which means she believes someone like Nate would never fall for her. Olivia and Nate have firmly landed themselves into the friend zone but when attraction starts to develop into something more they have to make the decision to fight for something real or allow broken hearts, insecurities and bad decisions get in the way of what could be a loving forever, together.
What did I love?
This novel showcased Samantha young at her very best, I felt butterflies in my tummy at every romantic filled page and conversation, so much so that I felt like I never wanted to say goodbye to this book. The characters were marvellous, move over every book boyfriend that I've ever fallen for and make room for my favourite heroine to date, Olivia was everything that I like in a female character, she was relatable, funny, sweet, gorgeous and had enough back bone to make me cheer for her from page one right to the end. Unusually for me Olivia as the heroine was the shining star in this novel but that's not to say that I didn't enjoy this books commitment-phobe, the delectable Nate Sawyer. I loved his friendship with Olivia and I adored how he made her feel special and loved. Everything about their connection was super duper lovey-dovey and I can gladly say that this couple have won the spot for most favourite couple of the series. As for the story itself well I can't deny that I go ga-ga over a friends to 'lets-tear-up-those-sheets-together-baby' story. The narrative was engaging as well as entertaining and as crazy as it sounds I feel such a fondness for these characters and their developing friendships as the series continues. Samantha Young has created a series that I'd be sad to say goodbye to but I'm hoping she already realises that readers will continue to love her characters and novels, I for one will continue to be a firm fan and I'd be happy to be left to re-read this gorgeous story over and over again.
Final thoughts ...
It's no secret that I'm a little infatuated with authors who truly know how to write romance stories, especially those than make readers fall in love right alongside the characters. Samantha Young is an author who never fails to make me smile, swoon and get swept up in her delicious story telling. Olivia and Nate are a couple that I'll love to re read over and over again and I can't imagine ever forgetting about this loveable novel. This is the third instalment in the 'On Dublin Street' series and for me most definitely stands out as a favourite. If you love a well put together romance story with plenty of friendship, steam, moments of fun and an added bit of angst then you must not miss out. Go grab it readers, enjoy ... Kisses.
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4.5 Stars
Before Jamaica Lane is a best-friends-that-turn-into-something more type of romance, albeit, VERY reluctantly and with some heartache along the way. This was such an addictive read I read it in one day, but I can’t say I’m surprised with this story coming from one of my favorite romance authors: Samantha Young.
Olivia has moved to Scotland with her father for a fresh start and to be closer to her father’s sort of adopted daughter, Jo. Olivia is ready for the move after caring for her mother through a bout with cancer and then ultimately losing her in the battle. Because of putting her mother first, Olivia basically skipped over those years fumbling through romances, so even though she’s in her mid 20s, she has next to no experience with the opposite sex, and is extremely shy. Therefore, when anyone seems to be interested, Olivia invariably mucks up her chances. This is with the exception of Nate. He’s gorgeous, and pretty much a man-whore, but for some reason she immediately clicked with him upon arriving in Scotland, bonding over all things geek. That doesn’t mean she’s immune to Nate’s charm and charisma. Olivia’s pretty much a goner and harbors the crush of all crushes for him, but because romance doesn’t seem possible, she’s comfortable with him and they become best friends. She tries to turn off the hurt and jealousy that comes whenever he snags a girl to take home, which is OFTEN!
Nate has no problem with the opposite sex. He’s the king of the one-night stand after having a very painful experience in love very early on. When Olivia asks Nate to help her overcome her crippling shyness with men, he agrees, but makes it clear he doesn’t want any confusion on his position:
“You trust me to do this with you, but I’ve got to trust that you won’t try to make this into anything more than a friend helping out another friend.”
And I want to smack Nate again after reading that quote!
Soon their “lessons” turn into so much more (big surprise) and before they know it Olivia and Nate are in over their heads. Olivia figures this out pretty early on, but can’t stop because her heart is too far gone. Oh, Olivia! Nate on the other hand is very stubborn and I wanted to slap him upside the head more than a few times! And this is where the angst comes in. Samantha Young has a talent for incorporating just enough drama and angst to puncture your heart, and keep you hooked without drawing it out to the point of frustrating you and turning you off the story. Don’t let me turn you off of Nate, though, he had good reasons and he was a sweetheart helping Olivia see her value and desirability:
Nate said quietly, “Liv’s perfect. She deserves perfect. She won’t be settling for anything less.”
See, sweatheart.
Nate and Olivia were so very hot together! Ms. Young writes some of the hottest scenes and this story is no exception. She builds things up, and up, and up, until the sexual tension makes you ready to combust!
As if this lovely romance wasn’t enough we get updates on our favorite past couples: Joss and Braden, Jo and Camden, and Ellie and Adam. Fans will recognize the events of this story overlap with the events in Castle Hill, the Joss and Braden novella and we get a little of what happened through Olivia’s perspective. I must mention that I love the whole “family” feeling you get with all the characters. Olivia was accepted into this big group almost like a surrogate sister. All the girls were in her corner when she needed them the most. I adored Olivia’s father Mick, as well. Every girl needs a father like him.
Favorite Quote: (Spoilery)
“I never meant to fall in love with you. But I did. I felt it the first night I made love to you. I tried to walk away then because I’ve never felt so lost and yet so fucking found as I felt that night looking into your eyes as I moved inside you. I thought I should walk away…but I couldn’t stay away from you.”
A copy was provided by NAL in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! -
4.5 Stars
Wow Samantha Young has a fantastic sense of humor! This book had fun banter, one HOT couple, and a terrific group of great friends. What a good read!
Olivia was a lovable heroine who I found to be very relatable. I LOVED her sense of humor, her insecurities and her courage to ask for MORE!!
Nate and Olivia have a terrific friendship and these two would be a perfect couple…
"Nate, your commitment phobia is showing again." He turned to me in mock horror.
"Where?" He patted his cheeks anxiously. "Get it off me."
This story gets all sorts of sexy when Olivia asks for “lessons” from her bff, Nate…
"I want you...I want you to teach me how to be...good at sex."
"We'll start tonight."
In true friends to lovers fashion, Nate and Olivia hit some snags along the road...
"I want a love like what my dad had with my mom. I want want Joss and Braden have. Jo and Cam. Ellie and Adam." The tears flowed freely before I could stop them. "You already had that with Alana."
Nate and Olivia were downright perfect together and the ride although predictable was nonetheless enjoyable!
"...the 'after' we'd found together...well...it was forever." -
Spoilers ahead, 2.5 just too messy for me stars
Normally this is a book I wouldn't touch. Friends to lovers is a really tough trope for me ESPECIALLY if they have feelings for each other yet the H continues to sleep around. However a few gr buddies said he had to really work for it for her to give him a chance but I'm honestly not seeing it....my stomach is actually rolling at how much of a manwhore he is. So far I've got
1) They become friends because of mutual friends, she's attracted to him from the beginning but they settle in as friends, during this time she sees him leaving with OW
2) She keeps suppressing her attraction and actually has a crush on OM
3) She is painfully inexperienced and shy and has body issues. As such she's unable to even speak to her crush
4) She approaches the H for lessons to boost her confidence so she can flirt with her crush and they eventually kiss
5) After the kiss which exploded with attraction they go out to a bar for her to practice flirting. She speaks to and kisses a guy after she realised the H had a woman with him and wasn't even paying attention to her. She's hurt and angry
6) Knowing that he's about to have sex with the OW she asks him to have sex with her to further her confidence lessons
7)After the first sexual encounter which is mutual oral he hightails it outta there
8) During the first sexual encounter he has to go for the condoms because he hasn't been checked yet.....is it me alone that's completely grossed out at the fact that she gave oral to a manwhore who was about to have sex with OW the night before and he hasn't been tested??? Like she swallowed the HIV??? 😂 That's where my mind goes in these types of scenes( not sure if she swallowed but ya got my drift). At least he promised not to be with OW during their lessons
9) Her first sex in years and he disappears immediately after( I really can't wait for the grovel)
10) Unprotected sex and the dumbass h says she's on the pill and HE has to remind her he hasn't gotten his test results back as yet.....like how stupid could she be? And really how Unsafe were his previous sexual practises that we don't get the usual " I've never had sex without a condom" ewwww
11) They go to visit his family with their friends and when his parents start asking about their relationship he gets defensive and is quick to emphasize tat she's JUST a friend....and the way he spoke to her.....uh uh ion like that
12) She actually defended his treatment of women,saying he made them no promises like it's ok that he keeps having sex with these women only to never call them again?
13) Of course she'll develop feelings for him and confess, this trope always makes me feel for the guy because he TOLD you he didn't want a relationship,he TOLD you he didn't and wasn't going to love you but you confess your feelings so he must too?? Why didn't she cut him off when she realized she was falling for him?? Kinda felt like she got a taste of her own medicine after she defended his horrible treatment of women
14) I like that she told him she deserved better and stuck to her guns.....this was probably the only time I liked her 😂
15) She walked in on him with a date at their friend's house, she of course flees into the night. She had an opportunity to move on with Ben but she was to "heartbroken" . I wonder if she hadn't shown up if he'd have had sex with the OW.....and this is closer to the end of the book
16) It took him seeing her out with Ben for him to call her after weeks of separation
17)Anger engulfed me and I ripped my hand away from him. ‘You left me,’ I growled. ‘You treated me no better than one of your random hookups, and suddenly because you’ve decided that no, wait, you do love me, I’m to come running back?’ I stood up, my chair clattering behind me with the force of the movement. ‘Your words are nice in the moment. But at the end of the day it means fuck all. I don’t trust you with your own feelings, Nate. Why the
hell would I trust you with mine. " Finally!!!!! Yassssssss sis yasssss you tell him!!!!
18)This may sound selfish and childish, but it’s how I feel. I want to be the love of someone’s life. I can’t be second best. And I definitely can’t be second best for you.’ I reached behind me, turning the door handle. ‘I’m sorry, Nate. I really am. But I can’t spend the rest of my life loving a man who can’t love me back in the same way.’ I opened the door, trying to block out the pain in his eyes. ‘So stop. For the both of us. Please.’ YOU go girl!! Hold strong!
19)Ben came into the reserve section and we talked amiably, but I didn’t let on that I hadn’t chosen Nate. I didn’t let on because not choosing Nate didn’t mean I was choosing Ben.
I was choosing me.
And me needed some peace and quiet, away from any potential added heartbreak. This is what I always hope to see, women taking the time to find themselves.
20)I’m sorry I was selfish. I’m sorry I ever made you doubt what you knew was between us from the start. Because it has been there since we met, Liv. The sex lessons just pushed it to the fore. Since we met, I’ve enjoyed.......... Now why'd he have to say this??!!! That means he felt the connection from the start yet slept with many OW!! Ugh
21) The reason Nate was a manwhore who ran from commitment? He lost his childhood sweetheart to lymphoma. She died when he was 18 so 10 years later he's still fucking any woman who'd have him and ghosting them after......even after he'd met the h. (Words escape me)
HEA
This wasn't what I was expecting, the grovel was good but not good enough. As always this author's writing is excellent BUT as most often happens it's just too damn messy for me.
No cheating
Friends to lovers, H was a manwhore before and after he met the h but not after they had sex
We get quite a few references to the dead ex
h dated during the separation but nothing happened
H wasn't with anyone else though he did take OW out after hearing the h had moved on -
All my friends loved this book. The friends-to-lover and learning-seduction troupes are my favorites! What could go wrong? As it turns out, everything.
I really didn't like the way it was written. I think the language may have hindered me from enjoying what could have been a good story. I don't care for 1-POV past tense. I really missed Nate's perspective. But worse than that, it was written in tell-not-show mood. The author wrote stuff like "I felt so attracted" instead of writing about the actually feeling. I don't want to know, I want to feel. And this book enticed no other feelings than boredom from my part.
I might go over this review in the future. Right now, I just want to move on to a great book. There was good stuff, but for me, it sadly didn't work out. Obviously, I'm in a minority here so just because I didn't love it doesn't mean that you won't. -
The On Dublin Street series has been all over the place for my star ratings:
»On Dublin Street was definitely ★ ★ ★ ★ ★. I loved that book.
»Down London Road was ★ ★. I felt bored through the majority of the book.
»Before Jamaica Lane is ★ ★ ★.
I spent the first 19% of the book trying to keep tracking of all the characters. It felt like character chaos. I made cliff notes (see below) so I could refer to them as I was reading. I suppose that is expected when you read book 1 in 2012, book 2 in 2013 and now book 3 in 2014.
Once the story started just focusing on Olivia and Nate it flowed better and was easier to follow. I never got fully immersed in their love story because all the old gang with their issues kept popping up in the story.
I am intrigued by book 4 and 5 because I want to see how Ms. Young does Hannah and Cole's books. So, I may continue on.
***********************************************
Cliff notes for me to keep the characters straight while I read this one.
Book 1 - Jocelyn/Joss & Braden
Book 1.5 - Ellie (Braden's sister) & Adam (Braden's best friend)
Book 2 - Johanna/Jo (waitress where Joss worked) & Cameron/Cam (bartender where she works)
Book 3 - Olivia/Liv (librarian and & Nate (Cam's friend)
Cole - Jo's younger brother
Olivia's dad - longtime friend of Jo's dad (in prison)
Clark & Eloide - parents to Hannah & Declan
Mick - Liv's dad
***********************************************
SERIES:
Continuing story where secondary characters from the first book become the main focus in subsequent books.
Book 1 - Jocelyn & Braden | Book 2 - Johanna & Cameron | Book 3 - Olivia & Nate | Book 4 - Hannah & Marco | Book 5 - Cole & ?
Novellas:
(#1.1)(#1.5)(#2.5)
**Won this book in the January monthly book challenge held by
New Adult Corner group. Thank you for the book. ** -
*UNPOPULAR ONINION COMING YOUR WAY*
Friends to lovers - one of my favorite tropes to read about. And I know so many people who love this series, and this book specifically. I really feel like this was one of those books that if I read maybe 3 years ago, I would have liked so much more.
But too many things in here didn't work for me to fully enjoy it.
1. The first 30% of this book is a mashup of so many characters and their backstories I had a hard time keeping up with who was who. There was Liv and Nate and Joss, Braden, Ellie, Adam, Cole, Clark, Eloide, Jo, and Cameron....and like 10 more that I am sure I am forgetting. I skimmed so much of the beginning of this because I didn't care for the others and the focus on what was happening with them, I just wanted to get to the meat of Liv and Nate's story.
2. I understand this book is a part of a series, but if it's being marketed as a standalone the story should focus on the two MCs more than anything else. And because it didn't for SO long, I felt like the MCs were one dimensional and I didn't get a good grasp on who either of them really were. There was barely any backstory on their friendship, not enough of them in the present story for me to feel fully engaged, and it just felt like there was no real depth in Olivia's and Nate's relationship.
3. Now a days, it takes a really solid story for me to enjoy a single POV. I want to be in the heads of both characters.
4. Liv's constant reiterating of her low self esteem started to annoy me. Not to mention the writing was really repetitive and the dialogue felt robotic and stiff, ESPECIALLY during the sex scenes.
Overall this was a bland story for me, and nothing in it blew me away. I can see why fans of the series would enjoy it, but for someone like me who hasn't read the other books first, this was more of a disappointing read.
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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.
An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review
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Series Order |
AMAZON |
AMAZON
REVIEW | AMAZON
AMAZON
AMAZON -
The Dublin Street books are one of my favorites book of all time! I connected at such a deep level with all the characters and loved spending my time with them. I managed to enter their big family and soon I felt part of them, without ever wanting to leave.
Samantha Young did a great job in creating such great and strong heroes, that surely leave a mark on her readers.
In "Before Jamaica Lane" we get to read the story of Liv, Jo's sister and Nate, Cam's best friend. Since the second book, we got a glimpse of their relationship and find that they are close friends, spending a lot of time together. I simply love friends that turn into something more. There is something about this kind of connection that surpasses the instant love element. When you are a true friend, you understand all of that person's aspects and accept his pros and cons without judging. I consider that relationship being complete, having a natural path, from loving that person's soul to loving and enjoying their exterior.
As for the heroes, Olivia was a very sweet and lovely character to follow. I kind of connected with her better that with Nate, because in a way I could see a lot of her features in me. Olivia is also very shy, has a passion for books and wants to make a change, to be more confident and to express her feeling more openly. Her greatest fear is being confident with her body and managing to attract men. Having around a best friend that oozes confidence helps a lot, because Olivia asks Nate to teach her how to be seductive and sexy. After Nate agrees, they soon embark in a thrilling ride, full of lust, sex, passion and in the end, love.
I loved the way their relationship developed, from being friends to passionate lovers. The love scenes were amazing, hot and made you want so much more. You could see how good they are together and wanted them to soon realize it as well.
Thanks to Nate, Olivia changed so much, not only in her body confidence but as a person. She became stronger and more aware of her priorities and desires. In relationship with Nate she wanted to be the only one, to be cherished, to fully trust his love for her. She believed in the ONE and I swoon as well over that idea, of loving someone for life.
" This may sound selfish and childish, but it’s how I feel. I want to be the love of someone’s life. I can’t be second best. And I definitely can’t be second best for you. I can’t spend the rest of my life loving a man who can’t love me back in the same way. "
Although she wanted Nate to teach her how to be sexually confident, she realized that love means so much more, and was not going to have only a half of it. She wanted all, and I was so in love with her for this thing.
Nate on the other hand, had some demons of his own, losing his great love at the age of 18. We could now understand why the man whore attitude and the lack of commitment from his side. He didn't want to go through that again and his heart was out of any relationship. Until he met Olivia, of course and his barriers began to fall one by one. I liked Nate so much when he realized what Olivia means to him, his speech was one of the most romantic lines I've ever read.
" I always thought that I kept a distance from women because I knew I’d never be able to love someone the way I loved her. I was wrong. I kept my distance because I was afraid of finding the kind of love my parents have, and I was afraid of what it would do to me if I lost that kind of love. I never meant to fall in love with you. But I did. "
I liked how tender, gentle and romantic he could be.He changed her, making her more confident and aware of her qualities, and Olivia changed his life forever, she gave him her heart and never let go.
"I want you all the time, Olivia. The past few weeks have been torture without you. And despite what you might still think, I promise there has been no one else. How could there ever be?"
I enjoyed seeing all the characters from the previous book together, they have a special place in my heart and all the books from this series are unique and with a strong story behind them.
Second to Cole, Nate is my favorite, because although all the mistakes he made, he fought hard to get Olivia back, and I enjoyed every second of it. He had the love of his life right under his nose and just couldn't figure it out in the beginning. Once realizing it, you will love the person he's become.
5 stars!!
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