Love Stories: A Novella Collection by Samantha Young is live!
This book is contains four novellas released by Samantha Young to her newsletter subscribers, all published together in one convenient collection. All complete standalones, these are sweet, sexy and heartfelt stories, each of them a delightfully easy read, that deliver gorgeous romance and will leave you with a smile on your face.
Featuring some of my favorite tropes – brother’s best friend, forbidden, age gap/reverse age gap, friends-to-lovers, enemies-to-lovers and single dad.
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The Forbidden Christmas Gift
4 stars!
I loved this novella! It’s a quick read, but is full of chemistry and heat, and left me with a smile on my face.
Evan is working as the PA to the CEO of a big department store in Edinburgh, every day a torment because she’s crushing on her boss… hard. Not only is Reid her boss, but he’s also her older brother’s best friend who she has loved from afar since she was a teenager. But he is 12 years older than her, serious and broody, and has never really given her the time of day.
While my boss could glower for Scotland and brood and cut a person with a look so dirty I’d seen grown men crumble under it, he rarely raised his voice. He was always so in control. It made me want to ruffle his feathers.
And by ruffle his feathers, I mean drive him so wild with passion he falls on me like a wild thing.
What Evan doesn’t realise is that Reid has recently started looking at her in a new way – all grown up, sexy and alluring, and not just his best mate’s baby sister. He is completely distracted by her, and increasingly smitten, and it’s messing with him in all kinds of ways.
“Haven’t you ever met a woman who made you lose your common sense? How made your skin hot and your blood pump and everything else but kissing her, touching her, ceased to matter?”
Not until now.
It’s a difficult position they are in, and the ‘forbidden’ element creates fun tension. Their attraction continues to blossom and the sexual tension builds beautifully until they can’t resist anymore, and their coming together is full of heat, passion and emotion, and is so freaking gorgeous.
“I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. If I let you walk away, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.”
Though it’s a short read, Young gives us a surprising amount of depth, and a complete story – complete with the hilarious telling the family scene…
“Oh, dear God,” Patrick groaned, reminding us he was still there. “I’m in pain. Physical pain. New rule.” He wagged his finger at us. “When I’m in the room, we will all pretend that yours is a spiritual union in name only.”
Reid shook with laughter at my side. “Really?”
“I will end you,” Patrick warned. “If you break this rule, I will end you.”
I loved this one, and finished it grinning hugely.
4 stars!
New Year’s Eve
4 stars!
This is a great novella! It’s a short read, but it packs a punch of chemistry and emotion, with a wonderfully swoony alpha hero and a gorgeous age-gap romance.
Ryan is mortified after drunkenly kissing the man she’s been crushing on for years – her younger sister’s father-in-law. Joe is 16 years older than Ryan (he is 40, she is 24), but he’s just as hot for her as she is for him, and when they find themselves alone in a secluded cabin for New Year’s, all of that heat can’t help but ignite.
This isn’t just a ‘little attraction.’” He took a step toward me, determination and need dark on his face. “This is a code-red situation.”
“Code red?” I could barely breathe.
“Code red. I can’t live my fucking life because all I can think about is you.”
It’s all kinds of steamy, and as much as they are passionate for each other, there also is a strong emotional connection between them, and I loved watching them come together.
“I want you so much.”
“God, baby, you have no idea how much I want you back.”
But Ryan has had a difficult life. She has walls up to protect herself. Luckily, Joe is just the man to smash them down.
“I can’t bear the idea of you thinking I don’t want you or need you enough to fight for this. Because I do.”
…
“I’m in love with you. It took me years to find you, and I’m a selfish bastard for wanting to keep you, but if you feel even half of what I feel, I’m willing to fight for this.”
Holy. Freaking. Swoon!
I loved this story, and I freaking love Joe! Such a fun read.
4 stars.
Loving Valentine
2.5 stars
Micah and Valentine and have loved each other for years, ever since Valentine’s family took Micah into their home when he was just a teenager. He became a part of the family, and Micah and Valentine formed a close relationship, but he never pursued her romantically, knowing that his place in the family was precarious and never wanting to cross that line and push any boundaries.
The story book follows them over ten years, and they never seem to be on the same page at the same time. But finally, they’re both single, and Micah is tired of waiting, and he’s finally going to take the chance of pouring his heart out to the girl he’s always loved.
“I let you go. But you should know, I have never regretted anything more in my life. And God … I have missed the hell out of you.”
It’s sweet and swoony, and a little bit sexy. But for me the story moved too quickly. It’s more like highlights, jumping between key moments in Micah and Valentine’s lives, and while we can definitely see that they have feelings for each other, I didn’t really get the chance to become invested in them as a couple, and didn’t feel it as much as I was hoping to. It was just too short for anything more than that. Still an ok read.
2.5 stars.
Ember in the Heart
4 stars!
A modern twist on Pride and Prejudice, this is a fun, sweet romance that is full of fabulous tropes:
Enemies-to-lovers
Single dad
Age-gap
Older woman/younger man
Ember is a 36 year old woman living in her family home, with her sisters who she helped raise following the death of their parents. Her comfy life is disrupted when a new neighbour moves in to the house next door, and it’s none other than Foster – the man who she overheard talking rudely about her at her sister’s engagement party.
Foster had no idea that he was moving in next to the Bonet’s house. His best friend is engaged to the Ember’s sister, and though he was instantly attracted to Ember, he does his best to dismiss her, instead focussing on his 5-year-old daughter, and his new role as her sole parent. He doesn’t have time for the sexy distraction next door, but when he needs somebody to help watch his daughter for him, Ember is there, and as she and Georgie develop a sweet relationship, Foster can’t help but be more and more drawn to his feisty neighbour.
This is a cute romance with a fun set-up. Ember is a great heroine, strong and confident, and though her life didn’t turn out the way she had originally planned, she has made the best of things and has created a successful and satisfying life for herself. Though Foster initially comes across as a giant a-hole, there is so much more to him, and it doesn’t take long for us to see his other side. They have issues to contend with – such as Foster’s attitude, the age gap, and his parents also have high expectations of him, that he should marry the ‘right’ kind of woman (Ember is not that woman). But the chemistry between the two of them is too strong to ignore, and their coming together is sweet, sexy and gorgeously swoony.
“I know I don’t deserve you. You are incredible, smart, kind, funny, loving, and passionate, and there is no doubt in my mind that someone who is your equal is out there waiting for you. But I’m a selfish bastard because the mere thought of letting him have you feels like my heart is being ripped from my chest.”
For such a short read, this novella feels like it’s longer, with a nice amount of depth, and good character development. I really enjoyed the story, and finished it with a smile on my face.
“I promise you that no man will love you harder than I do or work harder to prove it.”
4 stars.
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Meet Samantha
Samantha Young is a New York Times and #1 International bestselling author from Stirlingshire, Scotland. On Dublin Street was Samantha’s first adult contemporary romance series and has sold in thirty countries. She has since published over thirteen romance titles including the New York Times Bestsellers Into the Deep, Hero, and her most recent contemporary romance Black Tangled Heart. When writing Adult Paranormal romance she writes under the pen name S. Young.
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