Review: Great visit with Joss and Braden!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 23, 2013
See this review with Graphics and more at Ana's Attic Book BlogCastle Hill by Samantha Young - NovellaAdult ContemporaryPart of the On Dublin Street Series (a favorite!). Not a standalone.4.5 starsOn Dublin Street by Samantha Young was one of my favorite reads of 2012. If you haven't met Braden Carmichael yet, what the heck are you waiting for? He is by far one of my favorite Book Boyfriends.Scottish and sexy, he even wore a Kilt for his wedding!"Life isn't perfect, we aren't perfect, but I'm telling you now, Jocelyn, we're indestructible."Castle Hill read like an extended epilogue for On Dublin Street. We get a glimpse beyond the Happily Ever After to see the proposal, the honeymoon, and maybe the fact that there are always bumps in the road to the Ever After. Some big and some small.I loved that Castle Hill had the trademark sexy banter:“You’re my everything. You know that right?”“You don’t need to sweet-talk me to get sex, babe.”My eyes smiled. “Well that kind of knowledge could have saved me months of uncomfortable expressions of love.”Not only banter, it had the hot sex Samantha is great at writing.“Now walk into the bedroom , lie on your back on the bed, stretch your arms above your head, spread your legs, and prepare to take me. Hard and deep.”He wouldn't have to ask me twice! And let me say...airports, airplanes and showers? All frigging HOT.There is also a great amount of romance in this one.“You’ve challenged me since the day I met you. No woman has ever challenged me more. Nor made me laugh harder. There is not a moment that passes where you don’t make me feel more alive than I ever thought I could, and today you gave me something I thought was lost a long time ago for the both of us. You’ve given me peace, babe. You’ve given me everything.”While you think this should be just a sweet little novella showing the happy ever after, it was a lot more. Believe me, there is ANGST! Joss has finally broken down most of her walls, and you can really see her growth in this book. Braden, however, actually was the one who acted like a jerk. I mean, I understand it a little. His background makes it make sense, but he over-reacted and didn't give Joss a minute to talk to him.I liked this added drama, though it made me sad to read, it certainly added more of an engrossing story to what could have been a fluff read.Likes:•"Best. Shower. Ever"•I love Braden, it was a pleasure catching up with one of my favorite couples.•Great reminders of On Dublin Street, so you don't need a re-read.•Hot sex!•The angst made the HEA that much better•The banter is still there.•Joss's growth.•Little reminders of the two other couples that have been featured in the series.Dislikes:•Braden's reaction seemed a little out of character from what I remember.Rating: 4.5 stars for a novella, 4.5 heatVisiting with Joss and Braden was a great pleasure. While sometimes you feel cheated from a short novella, I felt like there was a lot of story packed into 97 short pages, and I loved every minute of it. I can't wait to read the next full length novel, Before Jamaica Lane. If you have not read this series, it is a guaranteed favorite!See this review with graphics and more at Ana's Attic Book Blog