Down London Road by Samantha Young

SYoungDown London RoadI simply adored On Dublin Street by Samantha Young and had been not so patiently waiting for the sequel, Down London Road for the last few months.  While I enjoyed Down London Road, it didn’t quite live up to my expectations.  Don’t get me wrong, Down London Road was good but it just wasn’t as great as its predecessor.  I hate when that happens.

Johanna Walker is used to taking charge. But she’s about to meet someone who will make her lose control….

It has always been up to Johanna to care for her family, particularly her younger brother, Cole. With an absent father and a useless mother, she’s been making decisions based on what’s best for Cole for as long as she can remember. She even determines what men to date by how much they can provide for her brother and her, not on whatever sparks may—or may not—fly.

But with Cameron MacCabe, the attraction is undeniable. The sexy new bartender at work gives her butterflies every time she looks at him. And for once, Jo is tempted to put her needs first. Cam is just as obsessed with getting to know Jo, but her walls are too solid to let him get close enough to even try.

Then Cam moves into the flat below Jo’s, and their blistering connection becomes impossible to ignore. Especially since Cam is determined to uncover all of Jo’s secrets ?even if it means taking apart her defenses piece by piece.

I can’t really put my finger on why I felt that Down London Road didn’t quite meet my hopes.  Maybe it’s because I wasn’t expecting a new couple? I think I’d gotten fairly attached to our main couple in On Dublin Street and wanted more time with them and when I opened Down London Road and got Jo and Cam, well my hopes were a bit dashed.  Otherwise, I really did enjoy my time with Jo and Cam, though fair warning, Jo will break your heart just a bit.

Down London Road still has that really great writing from Ms. Young.  I felt connected to Jo on all levels.  Young has this way of writing so that you feel like you’re right there with the characters.  I could feel Jo’s pain, her dilemma of leaning on  people and feeling like you have to be someone else to please the person you’re with–all to make sure you can care for your family.  Now, did I want to simply smack her at times, too? Yep.  Just like her friends, and Cam, did.

Young creates such multi-faceted/layered characters.  It’s easy to just get engrossed in the story and into the characters and their lives.   Perhaps this is why Young’s series is becoming a favorite contemporary series for me.  One of the main reasons I read is to escape reality and is why I usually stick with PNR/UF, as contemp romances can sometimes feel like my real life too much.  But, I don’t feel this way with Down London RoadNot entirely sure why, other than I don’t really know anyone like Jo or Cam, or their group of friends.  But, my guess is some of you might–and hopefully that won’t deter you from reading Down London Road.

If you’re looking for a good, well written contemp romance, then look no further than Down London Road.  It will capture you from the first page and won’t let up its grip until the end.  No need to worry if you didn’t read On Dublin Street, with a new couple as the focus, there is only small snippets from On Dublin Street, woven in and not nearly enough that you’d be confused.  But, don’t be surprised if you want to go read it anyway, because Young’s writing is just that awesome ;).  If you’ve read On Dublin Street, then I assure you, you will love Down London Road just as much.

Read Order for On Dublin Street:
On Dublin Street
Down London Road
Until Fountain Bridge
Before Jamaica Lane (Jan 7, 2014)

About Nicole 146 Articles
Attorney by day, Publicist for Barclay Publicity and reviewer/LE (assistant) editor by night. I'm a huge book nerd and love to read. I have 2 dogs, both Labrador retriever mixed breeds, who are very rotten and think they run the house. Let's not lie, they totally do, I just can't them know it ha ha! My usual genre is romance or urban fantasy. I love all things having to do with paranormal, with the occasional good contemp/BDSM/erotica thrown in to spice it all up.