Book Review: Down London Road by Samantha Young.

Product details:
Publisher: Penguin.
Paperback, 464 pages.
Release date: May 9th 2013.
Rating: 3½ out of 5.
Ages: Adult.
 Series: On Dublin Street  #2.
Other Books in Series: On Dublin Street.
Source: Received from publisher for review.

Johanna Walker knows what she wants. And that's a strong, steady, financially secure man who will treat her well and look after her and her little brother, Cole - something her parents have never done.

But when she meets the gorgeous Cameron MacCabe, a new bartender at work, Jo can't deny the instant and undeniable attraction she feels. Cam doesn't fit into her strict specifications of her perfect partner at all - but for once she is tempted to let her heart rule her head.

And as their intense connection grows, Jo has to stop hiding the truth about herself and her family. Is Cam prepared to accept Jo for who she really is? And is Jo willing to let someone into her life for keeps?

Sensationally sexy, Samantha Young’s On Dublin Street was one of my favourite reads of 2012 and it came as no surprise to me when this self-published best-seller was snapped up by traditional publishers the world over.  In this companion novel, Young is once again in fine form as she takes us Down London Road. While this novel sometimes lacks the charm of its predecessor, the page-turning story of Cam and Jo nonetheless brims with sizzling chemistry and super hot times from start to finish.

Thanks to her alcoholic mother, Johanna Walker has had to grow up fast. Now twenty-four, Jo has carved out a life for herself and her brother, Cole. Jo never wants to go back to the dark days of struggle she experienced as a child, and she wants the best life she can provide for Cole, so much so that she’s willing to do whatever it takes to get what she wants.  For Jo, this means finding a very rich guy and being the perfect girlfriend in the hopes that one day it’ll lead her down the aisle.  Jo thinks she might have just found this in Malcolm, the business man she’s been dating for a few months. Only problem is, while Jo cares for Malcolm, she doesn’t love him – there’s no chemistry, no passion.

Enter Cameron McCabe, who takes one look at Jo and figures out exactly what she is – another money grabbing blonde who is just out for what she can get.  Jo can’t believe the audacity of this guy – and she also can’t deny her attraction to him. What Cam says hits home for Jo – is that how people see her? Is that how she is? But she doesn’t have a choice…She could never date a guy like Cam. Jo needs a guy who can provide for her and Cole long-term– she needs a guy like Malcolm.

You might remember Jo as Joss’s co-worker from On Dublin Street – the tall, leggy blonde who gets by on her looks. I didn’t warm to Jo in On Dublin Street, but I had hoped that as I got to know her better, she might grow on me. That didn’t happen. Right from the start of this book, Jo’s actions didn’t sit well with me. Now, I know she has her reasons for what she does, and I know she’s had a tough upbringing, but none of that really makes up for the fact that at times, she’s an unlikeable heroine. I know quite a few people who didn’t like Joss from On Dublin Street – and I really liked her – so I guess it’s just a case of can’t win them all.

The love-to-hate you dynamic between Jo and Cam is fun with all the sexual tension it brings, but the fact that both of them are attached to respective partners for quite a lot of the book means that the real action takes its sweet time to arrive. When it does, though – it’s good – Samantha Young knows how to write sexytimes, that’s for sure. While I fell for Braden in On Dublin Street immediately, though, I never really fell for Cam. Sure, he’s hot, but I don’t think Cam is really my type. Also, I thought he was pretty rude at times. Can you say attitude problem?  Maybe I’m just being picky. Maybe I've been totally spoiled for all other men with perfect-for-me Braden. (Thankfully he makes a couple appearances here – YUM!)

While I had a few qualms with the characters in this book, I nonetheless enjoyed Down London Road as a smart, fun, sexy read, and once again I loved Young’s flowing style and witty prose.  The characters might not have totally worked for me in this one, but I still read Down London Road pretty much in one sitting, and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series which will release next year.

In the meantime, Samantha Young is self-publishing her first New Adult book Into the Deep which is releasing in August 2013. Super excited to find out what that one is all about!