Post by linviolet on Mar 25, 2020 12:13:15 GMT -7
Play On (Play On Series #1 By Samantha Young
WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD. Not a full on review but venting mostly.
I got the ebook free, and I'm glad I did not buy it.
I love Samantha Young books. I enjoy reading about Americans living in Scotland. I love her descriptions of certain areas, and the easy manner her characters joke with one another after they become close. I started this book thinking it would be along the lines of the second book in this series, they can all be read as standalone. As Dust Dances On (Play On Series #2) by Samantha Young Killian and Skylar are complex and broken, and become whole together. Her Dublin Street series was a good one. So this book was a bummer to read, I wanted to DNF it but decided to stick through it to the end, I was hoping for the heroine to become less annoying, less of a victim of her own making in certain situations. I wanted the hero to become this charming, wiser older hero that was described to me. I did not get any of that. I can say that there are scenes with our leading characters that are cute, and you cheer for them, until all that is obliterated by their actions and attitudes.
The book is about a young American woman, recently a high school graduate but with no way of attending university, living with her parents and hating the fact that she was stuck in a dead end job with her dreams crushed and she meets a charming young Scotsman who sweeps her off her feet. They date, and then elope together. Her husband is not the hero of this book. Nora, our heroine left one dead end job for another. Her husband doesn't want to hear about her attending university only wants to save to buy a house and start a family.
Nora instead of fighting for her future was about to conform (no matter what she was telling herself her past actions told the reader she was going to stay unhappy). Her husband isn't a bad man he just wants a wife by his side and to start a family of his own.
Except he wasn't meant to have that, and because plot to this story to add to Nora's sob story be becomes a widow.
Nora at this point has already met the hero of the story, and no there isn't any cheating, but they meet and its an instant attraction. They never gave each other their names, but it is clear that there is also an age gap, he is older than her by quite a few years, she's only 21.
A year later our hero, Aidan, and our heroine cross paths again, she pretends she doesn't remember him and he allows the pretense to happen. Aidan is raising his young niece, which Nora becomes really close to the young girl, they form a bond as Nora volunteers at a hospital and reads to young children who are sick. (there was apparently a history of her doing this in the past, but we never heard or saw her do it.) She dresses up as Peter Pan and reads to the kids, even acts out some scenes. And she's apparently really good at it.
Aidan also shares custody with the young girl's dad, and for a while the dad has been asking for more time with the girl, though Aidan isn't happy about it but he allows it, after all that's her dad.
Aidan is this amazing music producer, and he lives a rather comfortable life,
Aidan and Nora begin hanging out together and as they do this their attraction grows and they date (like two real dates) but something always interrupted their dates, a "best friend" of Aidan who was obviously in love with him. I forgot her name.
Later the sister in law of Nora who had a break down due to something she did and believed it was a mistake.
When something happens with Aidan and the situation with his niece, Nora who is there when it happens sort of becomes second fiddle when he contacts his "best friend" and in moments she's there making Nora feel even less welcomed and she suggest to Nora she leave then turns and tells Aidan to tell Nora to leave since she looks dead on her feet. Nora leaves and contacts her sister in law for comfort. The next morning she goes to the apartment and finds out from the "best friend" Aidan has decided to move and he just wants to do what's best for his niece.
Nora did one of the few smart things and actually calls him, he never answers, she texts him and THAT he answers, only confirming what his "best friend" had just told her.
Skip a year or two into the future, Nora learned a few things about her mom and dad. She is now in school, everything that had been holding her back was now nearly all behind her. She's now doing amateur theater, and in walks a friend of the owner of the theater Aidan.
Now he's a man of a particular age, who you would assume would be a bit more mature and would try and have a convestation with Nora to clear up what happened. Instead he acts like a 5 year old throwing a tantrum, he treats her badly verbally, any chance he gets. And Nora is hurt but takes it because she's Nora. I mean only once she stands up to him for herself, very publicly though. And even after all that she still bangs him, he treats her horribly right after.
Things happen that everything is cleared up, the lies that the "best friend" said to Nora, the fact that Aidan had tried looking for Nora. And long story longer, they end up happily together.
If this had been my first Samantha Young book I would think twice about giving her books another chance.
WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD. Not a full on review but venting mostly.
I got the ebook free, and I'm glad I did not buy it.
I love Samantha Young books. I enjoy reading about Americans living in Scotland. I love her descriptions of certain areas, and the easy manner her characters joke with one another after they become close. I started this book thinking it would be along the lines of the second book in this series, they can all be read as standalone. As Dust Dances On (Play On Series #2) by Samantha Young Killian and Skylar are complex and broken, and become whole together. Her Dublin Street series was a good one. So this book was a bummer to read, I wanted to DNF it but decided to stick through it to the end, I was hoping for the heroine to become less annoying, less of a victim of her own making in certain situations. I wanted the hero to become this charming, wiser older hero that was described to me. I did not get any of that. I can say that there are scenes with our leading characters that are cute, and you cheer for them, until all that is obliterated by their actions and attitudes.
The book is about a young American woman, recently a high school graduate but with no way of attending university, living with her parents and hating the fact that she was stuck in a dead end job with her dreams crushed and she meets a charming young Scotsman who sweeps her off her feet. They date, and then elope together. Her husband is not the hero of this book. Nora, our heroine left one dead end job for another. Her husband doesn't want to hear about her attending university only wants to save to buy a house and start a family.
Nora instead of fighting for her future was about to conform (no matter what she was telling herself her past actions told the reader she was going to stay unhappy). Her husband isn't a bad man he just wants a wife by his side and to start a family of his own.
Except he wasn't meant to have that, and because plot to this story to add to Nora's sob story be becomes a widow.
Nora at this point has already met the hero of the story, and no there isn't any cheating, but they meet and its an instant attraction. They never gave each other their names, but it is clear that there is also an age gap, he is older than her by quite a few years, she's only 21.
A year later our hero, Aidan, and our heroine cross paths again, she pretends she doesn't remember him and he allows the pretense to happen. Aidan is raising his young niece, which Nora becomes really close to the young girl, they form a bond as Nora volunteers at a hospital and reads to young children who are sick. (there was apparently a history of her doing this in the past, but we never heard or saw her do it.) She dresses up as Peter Pan and reads to the kids, even acts out some scenes. And she's apparently really good at it.
Aidan also shares custody with the young girl's dad, and for a while the dad has been asking for more time with the girl, though Aidan isn't happy about it but he allows it, after all that's her dad.
Aidan is this amazing music producer, and he lives a rather comfortable life,
Aidan and Nora begin hanging out together and as they do this their attraction grows and they date (like two real dates) but something always interrupted their dates, a "best friend" of Aidan who was obviously in love with him. I forgot her name.
Later the sister in law of Nora who had a break down due to something she did and believed it was a mistake.
When something happens with Aidan and the situation with his niece, Nora who is there when it happens sort of becomes second fiddle when he contacts his "best friend" and in moments she's there making Nora feel even less welcomed and she suggest to Nora she leave then turns and tells Aidan to tell Nora to leave since she looks dead on her feet. Nora leaves and contacts her sister in law for comfort. The next morning she goes to the apartment and finds out from the "best friend" Aidan has decided to move and he just wants to do what's best for his niece.
Nora did one of the few smart things and actually calls him, he never answers, she texts him and THAT he answers, only confirming what his "best friend" had just told her.
Skip a year or two into the future, Nora learned a few things about her mom and dad. She is now in school, everything that had been holding her back was now nearly all behind her. She's now doing amateur theater, and in walks a friend of the owner of the theater Aidan.
Now he's a man of a particular age, who you would assume would be a bit more mature and would try and have a convestation with Nora to clear up what happened. Instead he acts like a 5 year old throwing a tantrum, he treats her badly verbally, any chance he gets. And Nora is hurt but takes it because she's Nora. I mean only once she stands up to him for herself, very publicly though. And even after all that she still bangs him, he treats her horribly right after.
Things happen that everything is cleared up, the lies that the "best friend" said to Nora, the fact that Aidan had tried looking for Nora. And long story longer, they end up happily together.
If this had been my first Samantha Young book I would think twice about giving her books another chance.