Buy: Kindle Ebook | Paperback | Audio
Review
4.5 stars!
I love this book! A fantastic enemies-to-lovers story with epic banter, chemistry and sexual tension, and a rude, broody Scot that you can’t help but fall for. This book recaptured the Braden and Joss feels from On Dublin Street (which is very high praise indeed), and I relished in every moment of this story!
Ava and Caleb ‘meet’ in an airport where a series of run-ins leads them to a pretty strong case of insta-hate – mostly because Caleb is a rude, irritating asshole (even if he has a hot-AF Scottish accent). They irritate the crap out of each other, which is only exacerbated when they are seated next to each other on their flight. Stuck on a layover, their miserable day of traveling ends with them indulging in a steamy night together that is the best sex either of them have ever had.
“You’re going to be as good at this as you look aren’t you?”
“Never fear, babe. I’m about tae ruin you.”
They are both happy to walk away from the other, but they find themselves thrown together again and again, so they decide to make the most of their epic chemistry while Caleb is temporarily visiting Ava’s home town of Boston, indulging in casual sex wherever and whenever they can manage it, knowing that it will all come to an end when Caleb returns home. Their situation becomes tricky when Caleb leaves only to find himself back in Boston for a longer stay, and the two of them still can’t keep their hands off each other, and with neither of them interested in a relationship, they slip back into the same arrangement. Although this time, with no pre-arranged end date, things get complicated.
This is SUCH a fun relationship. The chemistry between Ava and Caleb absolutely sizzles, and the sex is passionate and super steamy. I could feel how much they wanted each other, and I could feel it as their relationship shifted and changed, and I loved watching it happen. It seems so easy, their agreement for keeping things casual works well for them, but they naturally and effortlessly slip into a relationship anyway, and the shifting dynamic is super entertaining.
Somehow, impossibly, I’d developed feelings for my Bastard Scot.
Feelings plus sex?
Bad idea.
I love Ava! She’s smart, funny, sensible and relatable, and she’s such a great match for Caleb, who is a gruff and broody asshole. She doesn’t take his crap, and the dynamic between them is so much fun! The book is written entirely from Ava’s POV, which I loved, because it makes Caleb this mysterious creature, and we never really know where his heart is at, so wondering what he’s thinking and what he’s going to do creates a great sense of anticipation for the story – especially when we know that something is holding him back. And with Ava also dealing with a painful situation from her past, it brings an emotional side to the story that is well developed and that explains a lot about them and their situation.
“We’re all afraid of something, sweetheart. It’s up to us whether we stay and fight that fear… or whether we run and hide from it.”
I also really enjoyed the side characters, with Ava’s best friend and Caleb’s younger brother both playing an important part of the story. I’m hoping we get to see more of them in a future book.
So why not 5 stars? Well, after all that they went through, I would have loved to have seen something a bit more epic at the end. The resolution came a bit too quickly for me and there just needed to be a bit more ‘oomph’, but up until the drama at the end this book was pretty much perfect. And though it takes a while for the romance to really come, when it does… *dreamy sigh*
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
Lifting his head away from his hand, he shrugged. “Nothing else is worth looking at when you’re in the room.”
I listened to this as an audiobook and the audio narration is sensational! Angelica Lee does a wonderful job with this book, and the Scottish accent she does for Caleb is just perfect, and definitely brings the shivers. I couldn’t stop listening!
I loved this one! Proving once again why Samantha Young is an auto-buy author for sexy, fun and emotional contemporary romance.
4.5 stars!
Check out our Samantha Young Author Spotlight for more great reads!