Before Jamaica Lane by Samantha Young

One simple lesson in seduction between two friends can turn into so much more...

Despite her outgoing demeanor, Olivia is painfully insecure around the opposite sex—usually, she can’t get up the nerve to approach guys she’s interested in. But moving to Edinburgh has given her a new start, and, after she develops a crush on a sexy postgrad, she decides it’s time to push past her fears and go after what she wants.

Nate Sawyer is a gorgeous player who never commits, but to his close friends, he’s as loyal as they come. So when Olivia turns to him with her relationship woes, he offers to instruct her in the art of flirting and to help her become more sexually confident.

The friendly education in seduction soon grows into an intense and hot romance. But then Nate’s past and commitment issues rear their ugly heads, and Olivia is left broken-hearted. When Nate realizes he’s made the biggest mistake of his life, he will have to work harder than he ever has before to entice his best friend into falling back in love with him—or he may lose her forever...


I am a sucker for bestfriend stories and this book was no different. Where do I start to gush about this beautiful piece of work?

I already love this series. It hasn't been perfect--there've been ups and downs since the first book. But to add this book to the line-up really just upped the bar for this series. Even when I thought at first that the characters were too young, it still appealed to me. And we don't have mega-billionaires here in this series so if that doesn't float your boat, then this book or series isn't for you.

But that's what makes this book, like the rest of this series, sooo appealing. SY made her characters realistic and made them more relatable. I enjoyed reading the first few chapters when Nate and Olivia were still friends. I was glad they had their nine months of friendship as a fallback. It was a solid foundation for their relationship even if you can feel the attraction off the pages when they first meet.

When they decided to take their relationship to a more less platonic level, I thought it was sooo bad it could only be good in the end. And it was! I loved that Olivia really had a spine and made Nate work on having her back. I think I loved that the best. And it was great visiting with the other characters in the series and reading about how much their characters and stories have grown since the earlier books and novellas. Oh, I'm still gooey in the inside. Help!


Final verdict: 9/10. Great must-read.


On Dublin Street series reviews:
On Dublin Street
Until Fountain Bridge
Down London Road
Castle Hill