Before Jamaica Lane (On Dublin Street Series) Paperback – January 7, 2014

Literally so good drooled over every page!!! The ROMANCE IS SO GOODI CRIED, I LAUGHED, I GOT EXCITED!! I would most certainly recommend

A little character recap... Olivia & Nate we first meet them in Jo & Cam's book Down London Road. Olivia is the daughter of Mick, the man that Jo thought of as a father, the one that left to raise his daughter who he did not know existed. Nate is the playboy friend of Cam, who we get a few sneak peeks into during Jo & Cam's story. He's the one that never in a million years is going to settle down and fall in love...Now on to the story...Olivia is inexperienced when it comes to men, dating, sex etc. She never had a chance to really be the typical teenage girl due to her mother's illness and once she decided to give it the old college try, things did not go so well. So instead of trying to get back on the horse and suffer through the clumsiness of dating, she just focuses on work and her friends. But her lack of experience is destroying all her confidence. She needs to find a way to get past her mental block when it comes to men.Nate is the eternal playboy. He's capable of love, he had it once and lost it in the most tragic way. He doesn't make any promises and he doesn't linger when things seem to get too intense. He always wanted a great love, something that could change his life; but fear of it all slipping away has ensured that he stays as far away from commitment as possible."Nate, your commitment phobia is showing again."He turned to me in mock horror. "Where?" He patted his cheeks anxiously. "Get it off me."Brushing my thumb across an imaginary speck on his cheekbone, I reassured him. "There it is . All gone.""Phew." He took a swig of his lager and looked toward the bar. "I'll never get laid with that thing on show."Now Nate and Olivia's friendship is something special. She's had to push down her attraction to him, but they both find that they can truly be themselves with each other. The grief of their past is not a secret that they keep from one another, they share a similar pain. So when one night Liv finally speaks her fears out loud Nate wants to help her see the girl he sees, wants to make Olivia see herself for who she really is.But Liv needs a bit more to really boost her confidence, flirting and talking is one thing, but she has no clue as to what to do if she was to finally face the intimate parts of a date. And so begins the lessons. Nate is going to teach her everything she needs to know about sex and we all know how well this is going to turn out, right? Two best friends who are attracted to each other, having sex, no emotions, nothing more than just a physical relationship... sure that will all work out just fine.When their relationship shifts, liv is ready to take it to the next place but Nate is ready to run. The only problem is, once he walks out that door he is going to loose his best friend, not just his lover. Nate's past and future collide in a painful way that makes him have to face things he's pushed aside for years. But it all may just be too late. Liv might just want more than Nate can give. Now he just has to prove he can be that and more.I love a 'friends to lovers' story. There is something about that type of relationship that just sets off all the butterflies. Samantha Young delivers another fantastic romance where you get drama, love, romance and just a bit of angst, but nothing so over the top - just a taste. Their friendship was wonderful to watch unfold. They had such ease when it came to how they functioned together and chemistry.Both Olivia and Nate were wonderful characters that you just fell in love with. Although he was a bit of a man-whore, there was so much more to him and he was never a jerk about it, he was almost sweet about it all. Olivia's insecurities are usually something that triggers an eye roll or two, but they felt realistic and justified due to her circumstances.I am not sure if any of these books will ever top On Dublin Street, but this came very close to it. There was just something so special about the way their story developed and how it was told. It had a great mix of humor and romance, and two characters that felt a bit more real than the ones that preceded them in this series. This is a must read series, not a single book has let me down yet and I am happy to see that Hannah is going to be featured in the next book, all grown up from that sweet girl we met so many books ago.

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 friends-to-lovers theme, and Before Jamaica Lane is one of the best ones out in the sea of books with similar tropes. Yes, the recurring themes in this book has been done a number of times before. But what set this apart from other books is the connection and the chemistry between its 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 best friend. He's gorgeous, fun and is a total commitment-phobe. They started off as friends and bonded over 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 a gorgeous man like 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 cliché, 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 but doesn't make any promises. But Olivia was different. She was the first woman 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 best friend who's going to teach her how to get the guy. As their lessons progressed, they find themselves spending more and more time together, and things escalated 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. Their banter and their chemistry was exquisite. It leaps of the page and wraps itself around you and sucks you in.I loved how 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. Olivia's insecurities didn't annoy me. It 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 ever. 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!! Actually, both of them were hilarious. Even during the sexy times, they never failed to make me laugh.Of course, this wouldn't be a Samantha Young book without some angst. Ooohh, the angst. The angst that always comes with this trope is my favorite. My heart broke in that one particular scene. But what's great about the angst in this book was the groveling that followed. I especially love the groveling in this book. I totally understood why Olivia didn't immediately forgive Nate. 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 best. I must say, Nate more than proved himself, so I was totally happy when how everything turned out.I love, LOVE this book very much. I would (and have) re-read this every month if possible. I also the audio version, which was divine in and of itself. I'll definitely recommend it to everyone who love friends-to-lovers stories.

I loved On Dublin Street, wasn't so keen on Down Dublin Rd but I'm right back in the game for Before Jamaica Lane, I love series' that work through a group of characters, it's like curling up for a pj & dvd day with people you feel you know.I wasn't sure what I thought of Liv to begin with - I thought she was a bit odd, all gangly & awkward - ya know, the girl we all love but don't want to be!! However, as the story developed I realised that her opinion of herself was not necessarily what others saw - her confession to Nate after Joss & Braydens wedding and their conversation about it the following day broke my heart (I actually shed a tear or twenty). Liv is smart and completely switched on, she was dealt some rough cards during her childhood and missed out on the lessons of refinement that most people suffer through their teenage years and she's been beating herself up ever since, never quite getting where she wants to be.Nate had similar teenage experiences and this in the main seems to bond them as firm friends, though he is the complete opposite to Liv on the social scale with his man whoring ways, they trust each other and are able to be themselves in each others company. Nates a good guy, he's loyal & despite his whoring around he's honest and upfront with women, I didn't get the impression that he was particularly arrogant or overly cocky.When Liv & Nate decide to cross the proverbial line (uh oh) under the guise of "lessons" for Livs confidence - it's playing with fire and as we all know what happens when you play with fire!!!!!Will the risk they take pay off, will they divide their friends loyalties, will Liv get what she truly think she deserves and is Nate the right person to give it to her - you'll have to read to find out and hold on tight because it's one hell of a ride.I love the side characters in this book, the group of friends are a solid gang that truly have each others backs and it was lovely to see the development of Hannah, she's being brought into the fold as a mature, opinionated 16 year old and is having her own mini dramas, we're also treated to a delightful little secret of Joss & Brayden's, these characters sure have some interesting times ahead.

Och, she's done it again (I'm part Scot, couldn't resist) and whilst I found it quite predictable in comparison to On Dublin Street and Down London Road, Before Jamaica Lane was still a great read and I loved Olivia and Nate. Liv's sweet, kind and fun and her vulnerablities are realistic ones; they aren't as deep or painful as Joss or Jo's and this made for a refreshing addition to the series. As for Nate, you can't not fall in love with him. He may be a player, but get to know him and there's plenty more to him.With our favourite characters all playing an important part, it has emotion, passion and intimacy but ultimately my heart went out to both Liv and Nate as their story is one that you become completely invested in. The thing I do love about Samantha Young's writing is how she encompasses the real in these books; You can't beat a good escape from reality but I also equally like realistic elements every now and then. From losing virginity to flatulance these bring that. Let's be right, how many of us have lived the perfect romantic dream of flowers, candles and losing your virginity to the love of your life and the man you marry?A worthy addition to the series and Hannah's story has been set up nicely.

I've loved this series since I read On Dublin Street but I have to say I think Nate and Olivia are now my favourite couple and Before Jamaica Lane is the best book so far. I always enjoy the friends to lovers trope and I loved that Nate and Olivia had such a strong bond long before things started to get physical between them.Olivia has always been attracted to Nate but she knows what a player he is so she put him firmly in the friendship only box so she didn't get hurt. She was such a sweet character, sometimes she could be a little too naive and innocent but she had the same kind of insecurities that most women have experienced at some point in their lives which made her very easy to relate to. I quickly warmed to her character and I laughed a lot at how clumsy she could be and the way she kept putting her foot in it. Olivia is a normal girl, someone I could easily picture myself being friends with and I just generally enjoyed spending time with her.Nate is sexy as hell but he's also a player, his heart was broken when his childhood sweetheart died and there is no way he's ever going to put himself in a position where he could feel so much pain again. Olivia is his best friend and no matter how beautiful he thinks she is he has no intention of taking their relationship beyond friendship. He had no idea how lonely Olivia was though and after she makes a drunken confession he wants to help her overcome her shyness. He offers to teach her the art of seduction so that she can find the man of her dreams but what starts out as just a friends with benefits kind of situation soon becomes so much more. The more he starts to feel for her the more he starts to panic and he makes a very stupid mistake by pushing her away.Thankfully Nate comes to his senses but Olivia makes him work hard to earn her trust back and I really enjoyed seeing how far she'd come from the shy girl she was at the beginning of the book. I loved Nate for the way he built up Olivia's confidence too, he helped her see herself for who she really was and he made her feel beautiful inside and out.Before Jamaica Lane is definitely a feel good romance, I smiled and swooned the whole way through reading it and the ending was completely perfect. If you're new to the series then you could probably read this book as a stand alone but I would highly recommend reading the books in order, all of the books have been great and I love the close knit group of family and friends who we've come to know so well throughout the series.

So well written, Samantha Young is just great at writing a story building on a romance and making you fall in love with the characters. Olivia has an outgoing personality but is painfully shy around the opposite sex. She is interested and develops a crush on a post-grad student so she asks her best friend Nate to help her go get what she wants.Nate is reluctant at first to help but agrees, afterall who is better at teaching her what a man wants than him, someone who is a man whore, afraid of commitment.Overall this is a sweet romance, one that has a few hiccups along the way but, like most of Samantha Young's books, will leave you wanting more!

Samantha Young is freaking amazing and i have loved every book she has written and this goes for this one too. I love Nate and Olivia story and what a roller coaster it was. I was gripped from the start, i think it had something to do with sexy Nate.....Oh My God!! Irresistible and having him as a best friend, must a been hard for Olivia. I had a few laugh out loud moments, especially when Olivia gets embarrassed about not be experienced. She gets into some embarrassing situations because of this, classic! Highly recommend to anyone! Brilliant read and it will NOT be my last from Samantha Young. Amazing Writer!