Down London Road (On Dublin Street, #2) in Buddy Read Zone

Nov 13, 2012 Karen rated it really liked it

LOVED IT!!!!

I've been wanting to read this for a while now, only putting it off because of my ever-growing TBR list. Faced with mixed reviews, I wasn't sure how this one was going to compare with On Dublin Street. After all, Braden Carmichael is a tough act to follow, and just being in his presence again, here, in this book was again a thrill.

This story focuses on Johanna "Jo" Walker and her budding romance with the hot new guy...the tattoo guy, Cameron McCabe. A guy who has her questioning eve ...more

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Feb 09, 2014 Keertana rated it really liked it

Shelves: kick-ass-heroines, swoooon

Young surprised me, nearly a year and a half ago, when she released On Dublin Street. Usually, I struggle with the romantic genre, but despite the cookie-cutter appearance of On Dublin Street, its unexpected depth, warm characters, and complex love story won me over, heart and soul. By the time Down London Street rolled around, however, I bought myself a copy and proceeded to forget about it in the hidden depths of my Kindle. It got lost somewhere in my TBR Collection and though I would glance o Young surprised me, nearly a year and a half ago, when she released On Dublin Street. Usually, I struggle with the romantic genre, but despite the cookie-cutter appearance of On Dublin Street, its unexpected depth, warm characters, and complex love story won me over, heart and soul. By the time Down London Street rolled around, however, I bought myself a copy and proceeded to forget about it in the hidden depths of my Kindle. It got lost somewhere in my TBR Collection and though I would glance over its cover online, the synopsis failed to capture my attention and it slipped my mind. Again.

Desperately in the mood for an intense, all-emotions-consuming romance, however, I stumbled upon Down London Road and, re-calling the roller-coaster ride of emotions I went through while reading On Dublin Street, prayed that Young's sequel would be even half as good as its predecessor. From the moment I began reading Down London Road, though, I already knew it would exceed my every expectation. Quite simply put, Jo's narration sucked me in. While I re-called her character - and the worst aspects of her persona - quite vividly from On Dublin Street, I expected only to like her grudgingly, as the novel wore on and revealed her many layers. Yet, from the first few sentences itself, Jo's heart and soul were laid bare with her frank, honest voice which bled through the pages and I found myself a goner, re-evaluating everything I knew about Joss's friend and sympathizing with her every step of the way.

Stuck caring for her alcoholic mother and younger teenage brother, Jo's life has been far from easy. While juggling two jobs, she finds the time to snag rich, older men in the hopes that marriage and wealth will solve the plethora of problems she finds herself facing every morning. Accompanying her current "sugar daddy" at an art exhibition, Jo meets Cameron, a sexy young graphics designer who takes one look at her and immediately judges her. Long past caring what others think of her, Jo shakes off Cameron's rudeness and finds him a job as a bartender, working alongside her. As Cameron gets to know Jo, however, stripping away the layers of her day-to-day facade and acknowledging his prior errors in judging her too quickly, the two form a fast friendship and grow to unexpectedly trust one another as well; somewhere along the way, love slips in.

What I've come to appreciate about Young's romances are the fact that they so effortlessly subvert tropes. While the romance genre is known for its general predictability, Young forces her strong, independent, and intelligent protagonists to confront their own personal problems and face them. During crucial moments of common misunderstandings, Jo deigns to discuss her issues with her boyfriend, not hide them from him and stew in silent agony. While that isn't to say that Jo faces her own set of troubles at every corner, it makes for a painless read as Jo fails to stumble into the tell-tale potholes that countless romantic heroines have found themselves in. Jo even goes so far as to steer clear of the problems Joss faced in On Dublin Street which only made me appreciate Young further. Instead, the dilemmas brought up throughout this narrative are real, harrowing ones. It is impossible to feel emotionally detached from Young's characters and, as a result, my heart ached and my pulse quickened with every new problem brought forth.

Down London Road isn't the easiest of reads to breeze through, but the character relationships - everything from friendship to strong sibling bonds to true love - are strong, vital components that drag this novel forward. Young is a master at complexity, but she has also mastered the art of conveying the heart within her novels into our own hearts as well. Down London Road was just the sort of riveting, engaging read I needed to propel me out of a reading slump. Moreover, it certainly didn't hurt that I met a couple of unforgettable characters along the way. ...more

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May 09, 2013 Mahlyn rated it really liked it

Down London Road

I've read ODS a long time so it took me awhile to recall the character of Jo. I know about Joss and Braden but the character of Jo didn't stick to me that much.

I started reading OLR and realized that Jo was the flirt waitress in ODS. I remember hating her character but as I go along in the story I understood why she acts that way and I've learned to love her. Her character is what we called gold digger but the only difference is that she tries her best to care for the person she ...more

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Jan 03, 2013 Amaryllis rated it really liked it

Shelves: genre_contemporary, love-hate-relationship, sinfully-hot, favorites, hero_alpha, cheaters-and-cheating-hearts, hero_deserves-a-kick-in-the-nuts

So far, this series has been a SUCCESS to me.
The angst in this one was especially yummy.

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Sep 21, 2013 Tahsin rated it liked it

story was good and all, but i liked the story of joss and braden waaaay more. comparing the two, this one fell short

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Dec 23, 2012 Aman rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorites

Reviewed @ Enticed by Books

Oh.My.God! Johanna is one of the strongest and bravest heroines I've read in a long time. She totally rocked this book! I was so glad when I found out how wrong I was in judging her in On Dublin Street as a bimbo sugar daddy girl and I was even more happy to know that she wasn't any stereotypical cliched girl with the dark past. I mean she did have some pretty nasty childhood, but that wasn't the focus of the story. Johanna is a 24 yr old girl who is a mother to her 14 Reviewed @ Enticed by Books

Oh.My.God! Johanna is one of the strongest and bravest heroines I've read in a long time. She totally rocked this book! I was so glad when I found out how wrong I was in judging her in On Dublin Street as a bimbo sugar daddy girl and I was even more happy to know that she wasn't any stereotypical cliched girl with the dark past. I mean she did have some pretty nasty childhood, but that wasn't the focus of the story. Johanna is a 24 yr old girl who is a mother to her 14 yr old brother, Cole, and a caretaker (a very loose term) to her bed ridden alcoholic mother. Jo is not very financially stable and she's just trying to go through life, struggling and working hard to provide the best for Cole. I didn't necessarily agreed with the ways she took, but it was harmless and she wasn't overly greedy, so I was totally fine with it.

Down London Road opens with Johanna attending an art gala with her older boyfriend, Malcolm. Honestly, I really really liked Malcom; he was so nice, respectful and genuinely affectionate towards Jo. At the gala, she met Cam--a rugged, tattooed guy her age--and have the strongest sexual connection with him. I wouldn't call it insta-love, but there sure was a lot of insta-lust involved. First all of, I never pictured Cam as the guy on the cover, I saw him as a more sexy version of that, like Camden from Sins & Needle (minus the piercings). Oh, yeah! Hot. Sexy. Sinfully delicious with Fuck me Eyes. That was Cameron MacCabe for me. The only reason I didn't love this book as much as On Dublin Street was that I never warmed up to Cam. He was perfect for a one night fling or some casual dating, but I just never saw him as a forever and ever kind of a guy. Does that make sense? I'm happy that he and Jo are together, they fit well and compliment in each other, but I don't have that same powerful connection as I did with Braden & Joss. I guess no one can top Braden Carmichael in any department ;)

Speaking of Braden & Joss, they were a major part of the story and I loved loved loved seeing them again. Joss and Jo were really good friends and apparently Joss took the role of matchmaker in this one. Ha! That was fun to watch. I loved when she compared Jo & Cam's relationship to hers' & Braden's, that always brought a smile to my face. Besides the know secondary characters (Loved Hannah!), I really enjoyed getting to know some of the new ones. Cole was simply the best baby brother I've read, he was so understanding and lovable, and the best part, he was so open with Jo. I love their relationship and wish more books have that kind of sibling bonding. Really wishing he gets his own book.

Down London Road was another sexy, emotional and original story by Samantha Young. I love how unpredictable her books are; everytime I guess where the story is heading, it takes a different route and completely shocks me. I love those kinds of surprises! DLR was a one incredible read and I strongly recommend everyone to pick this book up. It doesn't matter if you have read ODS or not, DLR stands on it's own and will satisfy any romance fan. I absolutely loved Jo & Cam's story!
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Dec 11, 2012 Julie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-i-loved, contemporary-romance, own-on-kindle, hot-book-boyfriends, na-college-new-adult, abused, 2013-book-challenge

5 STARS!!!

“I've never met anyone as quietly brave and strong as you. I've never met a woman so unassuming, so kind, and so selfless. You are a complex lady." His mouth curled up at the corners. "And you are smart, and passionate, and funny, and exciting, and you blow me fucking away.”

I Loved Braiden, but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE CAM!!! WOW, he's now at the top of my Book Boyfriend List.
...more

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Feb 18, 2013 Denise Smithson rated it it was amazing

I absolutely loved this book and Jo and Cam are an awesome couple! Even with her insecurities Jo is a fierce protector of her wee brother and he friends. Cameron (Cam), what can I say but yummy and I love how he loves and strengthens Jo. I'm looking forward to Olivia's and Nate's book and January is so far away! ...more

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Nov 11, 2012 Laura Elizabeth rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ah-mazing-5-stars

I loved this one more than the first I think.

So much so, I bought it in paperback too.

Just, read it. I dont know that I have the best words for writing this review, except that It's on my top 10 list for this year. ...more

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