REVIEW: On Loverose Lane by Samantha Young

On Loverose Lane by Samantha Young: With trying to set up her social media empire, the last thing that Beth has time for is a blast from the past, so you can just imagine her surprise when she learns that her new neighbour is non other than Scottish football hottie, Callan Keen, the boy that once stole her heart. Now this could have been the makings of a cute reunion if only Callan wasn’t still holding on to an old grudge over something that Beth might or might not have done all those years ago. However when a huge possible client opportunity comes up, Beth has no choice but to swallow her pride and ask Callan for a bit of help… it would be a simple favor for a favor, Callan poses as her date and she helps connect him with her father to help further his own business interest, simple really… well it would have been if only the burning chemistry between them would just stop getting in the way. Soon the line between fake and real begin to blur, old feelings begin to resurface and a very real connection starts to form, the question is will the stubborn Scot allow someone close enough to his heart again?

“It’s always been you, Beth. Even when I didn’t know it.”

On Loverose Lane was the perfect welcome back to the On Dublin Street universe, if you have not read this series yet do yourself a favour and do so asap, this book had everything that I love about reading a Samantha Young book and just a touch more. The characters were easy to love and so relatable, the story flowed seamlessly and really by the end of this book you are already wishing that you had the next in this series. In this book we get a great blend of spicy sports romance meets slow burn angsty second chance with a touch of a fake dating thrown into the mix, all combined together to deliver one heartwarming love story.

I really liked our leading lady, Beth was independent, driven, and deeply relatable. Her struggle with anxiety was portrayed authentically, adding a layer of realism to her character. Though what I really loved about her character was her resilience, she didn’t allow anything to hold her down or derail her plans in life, and this only made getting to see her character growth all the more relatable and understandable. Now for our hero, well really who doesn’t love a cocky footballer? While Callan comes across at first as the typical arrogant athlete, as the story unfolds we get to see his vulnerabilities emerge. His personal struggles and emotional barriers make his transformation throughout the novel all the more relatable. I really enjoyed getting to see him open up to Beth about his struggle with allowing people into her heart with his fear of being used and really not knowing who are his real friends.

One of the things that I really enjoyed about this book was the comfortable familiarity that these two characters shared, while they had a bit of unresolved tension there was an undeniable comfortableness that ebbed between them that made falling into their love story so easy. Things between Beth and Callan really began to heat up as they tried to fake their relationship, though while they tried to deny their feelings there was no possible way to deny that chemistry and gosh was it perfectly sparky! I loved the banter and the moments of jealousy that helped spark their realisation and ultimate fall. Truly there was nothing not to love about this couples build up, they had familiarity, steamy chemistry and a slow burn longing that just made for the perfect combination.

On Loverose Lane is a must-read for fans of romance, particularly those who enjoyed the On Dublin Street series. It’s a beautiful, emotionally rich story filled with longing, healing, and undeniable chemistry. I can not wait to get my hands on the next book in this series, I can already say that this series is going to be one of my new favorites!

Book Info:

Publication: February 20, 2025 | February 20, 2025 by | Return to Dublin Street #1

Imagine my surprise when my new neighbor turns out to be one of Scotland’s most famous (and hottest) professional footballers, Callan Keen. I’m even more shocked to discover that the brooding player is still holding a grudge for something that happened (or didn’t happen) between us years ago.

Too busy trying to take my social media management company to the next level, I don’t have time for this gorgeous blast from the past. Or at least I shouldn’t. Yet whenever I see him, I can’t help but engage in a battle of wits with the grump upstairs.

When a huge client opportunity arises, circumstances force me to enlist Callan’s help. I require a fake date and Callan needs me to facilitate a meeting with my dad to further his own business interests.

The deal between us should be simple. Except, of course, the blazing chemistry we’ve shared since the moment we met. We can’t deny it, we can’t control it, and soon we’re agreeing to six weeks of no-strings-attached, mind-blowing, steamy shenanigans.

I told myself I was too smart to catch feelings. But when Callan finally finds out the truth about our past, he becomes the guy I used to know. And that man is way too easy to fall for.

The problem is that Callan has vowed to never let another person close enough to break his heart again.

It just might prove impossible to show my stubborn Scotsman I’m worth the risk, especially when old wounds are re-opened and threaten to wreck any chance of a future together…