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Hero #1
Hero
欧宝娱乐 Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Romance (2015)The emotional and unforgettable new romance from the New York Times bestselling author of the On Dublin Street series.
Alexa Holland鈥檚 father was her hero鈥攗ntil her shocking discovery that she and her mother weren't his only family. Ever since, Alexa has worked to turn her life in a different direction and forge her own identity outside of his terrible secrets. But when she meets a man who鈥檚 as damaged by her father鈥檚 mistakes as she is, Alexa must help him.
Caine Carraway wants nothing to do with Alexa鈥檚 efforts at redemption, but it鈥檚 not so easy to push her away. Determined to make her hate him, he brings her to the edge of her patience and waits for her to walk away. But his actions only draw them together and, despite the odds, they begin an intense and explosive affair.
Only Caine knows he can never be the white knight that Alexa has always longed for. And when they're on the precipice of danger, he finds he鈥檒l do anything to protect either one of them from being hurt again鈥�
Alexa Holland鈥檚 father was her hero鈥攗ntil her shocking discovery that she and her mother weren't his only family. Ever since, Alexa has worked to turn her life in a different direction and forge her own identity outside of his terrible secrets. But when she meets a man who鈥檚 as damaged by her father鈥檚 mistakes as she is, Alexa must help him.
Caine Carraway wants nothing to do with Alexa鈥檚 efforts at redemption, but it鈥檚 not so easy to push her away. Determined to make her hate him, he brings her to the edge of her patience and waits for her to walk away. But his actions only draw them together and, despite the odds, they begin an intense and explosive affair.
Only Caine knows he can never be the white knight that Alexa has always longed for. And when they're on the precipice of danger, he finds he鈥檒l do anything to protect either one of them from being hurt again鈥�
410 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 3, 2015
475 people are currently reading
27k people want to read
About the author
Samantha Young
100听books27.7k听followersSamantha is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author and a 欧宝娱乐 Choice Awards Nominee. Samantha has written over 60 books and is published in 31 countries. She writes emotional and angsty romance, often set where she resides鈥攊n her beloved home country Scotland. Samantha splits her time between her family, writing and chasing after two very mischievous cavapoos.
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February 15, 2021
What does teach us? That even if some guy treats you like shit and tells you that he doesn't love you, if you try hard, and harder, and harder - if you're sure in your heart that he loves you, that he is good... Everything will be okay in the end.
Excuse me but that's FUCKING BULLSHIT.
Of course it works here, of course we have our holly HEA, but in real life? Not always. We might oppose that it is indeed a romance novel and that they often are all kind of unbelievable, and I can't deny it. But then, I've the right to despise the way a relationship is portrayed and that was the case here. Why? Strangely, not because of the male lead. Of course he has his flaws - I'm coming back to him later - but that's not what drove me mad. So, why?
Because Alexa is one of the most stupid characters I've ever met. Basically, her behavior shows everything I can't stand in female leads. Let's do a little list, shall we?
鈻� How to win some asshole's love? 鈻�
鈻� Assume responsibility for someone else's fault, let's say, your father. Apologize for him. If the guy doesn't accept your apologies, try again. And again. Because, somehow, you just know he's wounded and made for you. Because you're the same, you and him. He just has to fucking realize that!
"I believed I could see past that shield of his - like I could feel the emotion he fought so hard to hide."
鉃� Of course you can. I mean, you've known him for, like, almost ten minutes. Of course you can see that. OF. COURSE. Because you just know it.
"I guess it would make me feel better if I could see Caine happy."
鉃� No, that's not a pet project. That's not pathetic at all. You can make him happy. OF. COURSE. Because you just know it.
But there's the problem that he's acting like a jerk. There's that. Wait - OMG I'm so stupid!
"I was insulting because I didn't want to admit I was attracted to you."
鉃� What a fool I've been! Of course that's why. I mean, we're in 4th grade right? RIGHT?
鈻� If you're falling in love and the guy asks for a fling without any string attached, accept, because you will change his mind. You're awesome like that.
"He'd never looked at me that way before. There was something in that look. Someting ... more."
鉃� No, you're not delusional. There has to be something more between you. OF. COURSE. Because you just know it.
"Of course, I'd just agreed to a no-string-attached affair with him, so I guessed I shouldn't hold out for silly little important things like affection." No you shouldn't.
"I already wanted more from him and we were only five minutes into our casual fling."
鉃� Look, I'm trying very hard to stay calm here and not yell at you or shake you because I know you'll make him love you. OF. COURSE. Because you just know it, I know, I KNOW.
鈻� If you're pissed or mad or hurt, don't forget to say that's you're fine. And if you're feeling overemotional, that's because you have your periods, that's not because you're in a situation that's messing up with your head. No. Poor you, you're just a fucking woman.
"Everything is fine." I shrugged and gently pried my hand from his hold.
"You would tell me otherwise?"
"Of course." At that bald-faced lie I walked out."
鉃� Of course if you're feeling hurt by the situation don't tell him! I mean, guys are clever like that. He will know it. Hmm wait, no, you are the one who knows it. Right? Excuse me, I've been confused for a few seconds here. OF. COURSE. Because you just know it, everything is fine, you're not struggling to hold your tears, and if you are, that's not because you agreed on a fling with the guy you secretly love and who acts with you, well, like a guy on a fling. No, that's because "there was another part of me that wished my period would fuck off so I could return to my more rational, easygoing self." Silly me! I forgot! Women are so irrational when they have their periods! How could I forget THAT?
鈻� Even if the guy tells you a ridiculous amount of times that he doesn't love you, that's a lie. You just know it. Don't give up! That's a test to see if you're persevering enough. Life is testing you, but you're stronger than that!
"Maybe, God, just maybe ... I wasn't the only one falling in love."
鉃� OF. COURSE. Because you just know it.
鈻� If you could get physically hurt/wounded in order to show the guy that he loves you, it would be great. I don't know how, duh. Use a bit of imagination, for Pete's sake! I'm warning you here, if he's particularly
鈾� 鈾� 鈾� 鈾� Congratulations! You win the guy! 鈾� 鈾� 鈾� 鈾�
Now you can live with absolutely perfect sex in your wonderful happily ever after.
Apart from that? We have an asshole as a hero but then, I'm not sure that I can bring myself to resent him for that because come on, everything's fine, Alexa told you so. Moreover, I found him ridiculously shallow. I didn't care for him. I don't know him. Oh, and I almost forgot! A ridiculous mystery that made me roll my eyes!
Of course, there are the hot sex scenes. Yes, there's that. Too bad it's not enough to create a good love-story for me.
[ Last updated : June 2016 ]
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February 20, 2015
::: FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED ::: 4.5 STARS :::
I. LOOOOOOOVED. THIS. BOOK!!!!
Sexy, exciting, addictive, well-written... it was everything I'd hoped for!!! The heroine was strong and sassy, and the hero was this Alpha, dominant, wealthy CEO with a dark past. I loved their banter and sexual tension, and the way their shared history gave the story added layers and depth. I highly recommend it for fans of the Crossfire series. This is a new top favorite!! :D
The story in HERO is about a woman, Lexie, who ends up working for a powerful man, Caine, with whom she shares a painful family history. What neither of them counted on though was their intense attraction to each other and even though Caine wants to hate her, that soon proves to be harder than he'd imagined.
I'm not going to lie, Caine came off as a total asshole many a time throughout the book... but it wasn't without reason. I felt like the motivation behind his anger and assholery made sense to me. I'm certainly not excusing or dismissing all his mistakes, but I'm saying that I understood what prompted them.
I really loved that Caine and Lexie's past "connection" was revealed right at the beginning of the book... and that made the driving force behind this story be more about what they did about it, as opposed to focusing on it's mystery, which was something I found really different and refreshing.
The #1 thing that stood out to me as I read was how fantastic the writing was. I loved the flow of this story and I loved the way the author described the details and nuances of emotion. It really got me right inside these characters' minds and allowed me to perfectly visualize the whole story as I read.
Despite Caine's goal to make her life miserable, Lexie was equally determined to get through to him and show him that she was different than her family. She truly believed that she could break down his walls... In contrast, Caine was totally determined to hold on to his (albeit understandable) grudge. I loved their back-and-forth banter. Between his obvious discomfort, her small triumphs, their conflicting goals but ultimately same desires, this story kept me smiling, chuckling, and fanning myself for pages on end.
Luckily, it became clear quite quickly that he did indeed have a heart -- despite how well he chose to disguise it under his antagonistic exterior. But regardless, there was no denying that he was 鈥渒ind of honourable in a fucked-up way鈥� and one of the highlights of the book for me was seeing the way he slowly came around and the way both their relationship and attraction built alongside that change.
Ohhhh the sexual tension between them was SO intense!! It was HOT, sexy, like everything else in this book, the writing really shone through. I'd go so far as to say that this one one of the best written romances I've read. Every single glance, gesture, action, line delivery, everything was perfectly described.
I have to say that I was warned pretty strongly prior to starting this book that I should be prepared for Caine to be a supreme asshole extraordinaire but maybe it鈥檚 just that I鈥檝e read a lot of darker romances but even though he certainly had his moments, I honestly found that I quite understood his behaviour. It was clear based on the way he was so often apologetic that he wasn't really trying to be an ass, there was just a lot of baggage carried over from his past.
And like I said, he may have made some mistakes at times but he most certainly apologized. You just have to love a dominant Alpha hero who is humble enough to admit he fucked up and give a good apology.
I'd put this book in the same category as Crossfire (and Fifty Shades minus the BDSM) but instead of a series, this is a complete standalone story with a damaged, moody, powerful, and dominant hero who is healed through his relationship with a woman he unexpectedly falls in love with.
I haven't read a Samantha Young book in quite a while but reading HERO definitely made me want to go out and catch up on every single one of her other books that I'd missed. I love her writing, I loved this story, and it's easily a new favorite of mine. A top recommendation!
Rating: 4.5 stars. Standalone Adult romance.
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I. LOOOOOOOVED. THIS. BOOK!!!!
Sexy, exciting, addictive, well-written... it was everything I'd hoped for!!! The heroine was strong and sassy, and the hero was this Alpha, dominant, wealthy CEO with a dark past. I loved their banter and sexual tension, and the way their shared history gave the story added layers and depth. I highly recommend it for fans of the Crossfire series. This is a new top favorite!! :D
The story in HERO is about a woman, Lexie, who ends up working for a powerful man, Caine, with whom she shares a painful family history. What neither of them counted on though was their intense attraction to each other and even though Caine wants to hate her, that soon proves to be harder than he'd imagined.
鈥淪o what鈥� you get to act out some kind of vengeance by working me into an early grave?鈥�
鈥淪omething like that.鈥� He smirked. 鈥淚t鈥檒l be a comfortable grave, though.鈥� He told me the salary and I almost passed out鈥�
Caine鈥檚 eyes glittered triumphantly at my obvious excitement. 鈥淎s I said, it comes with a price.鈥� His grim was wicked and I suddenly felt a little breathless. 鈥淚鈥檓 a hard man to please. And I鈥檓 also a very busy man. You鈥檒l do what I want when I want and I won鈥檛 always be nice about it. In fact, considering what your surname is, you can pretty much guarantee I won鈥檛 be nice about it.鈥�
I'm not going to lie, Caine came off as a total asshole many a time throughout the book... but it wasn't without reason. I felt like the motivation behind his anger and assholery made sense to me. I'm certainly not excusing or dismissing all his mistakes, but I'm saying that I understood what prompted them.
I really loved that Caine and Lexie's past "connection" was revealed right at the beginning of the book... and that made the driving force behind this story be more about what they did about it, as opposed to focusing on it's mystery, which was something I found really different and refreshing.
鈥淚 wished Caine could see what I saw 鈥� that we were the same in some ways. And I didn't want to be someone he hated. However, it was clear Caine needed me to leave him alone. And I would. Even if it was the absolute last thing I wanted to do.鈥�
The #1 thing that stood out to me as I read was how fantastic the writing was. I loved the flow of this story and I loved the way the author described the details and nuances of emotion. It really got me right inside these characters' minds and allowed me to perfectly visualize the whole story as I read.
Despite Caine's goal to make her life miserable, Lexie was equally determined to get through to him and show him that she was different than her family. She truly believed that she could break down his walls... In contrast, Caine was totally determined to hold on to his (albeit understandable) grudge. I loved their back-and-forth banter. Between his obvious discomfort, her small triumphs, their conflicting goals but ultimately same desires, this story kept me smiling, chuckling, and fanning myself for pages on end.
Luckily, it became clear quite quickly that he did indeed have a heart -- despite how well he chose to disguise it under his antagonistic exterior. But regardless, there was no denying that he was 鈥渒ind of honourable in a fucked-up way鈥� and one of the highlights of the book for me was seeing the way he slowly came around and the way both their relationship and attraction built alongside that change.
鈥淐aine, is it?
鈥淢r. Carraway,鈥� I corrected myself.
She chortled. 鈥淵ou can call him Caine, sweetheart. He鈥檚 not a god.鈥�
鈥淒o you think you could tell him that? Because I don鈥檛 think he knows."
Ohhhh the sexual tension between them was SO intense!! It was HOT, sexy, like everything else in this book, the writing really shone through. I'd go so far as to say that this one one of the best written romances I've read. Every single glance, gesture, action, line delivery, everything was perfectly described.
鈥淪ay you鈥檙e mine. Right here, right now, you鈥檙e mine,鈥� he growled.
I have to say that I was warned pretty strongly prior to starting this book that I should be prepared for Caine to be a supreme asshole extraordinaire but maybe it鈥檚 just that I鈥檝e read a lot of darker romances but even though he certainly had his moments, I honestly found that I quite understood his behaviour. It was clear based on the way he was so often apologetic that he wasn't really trying to be an ass, there was just a lot of baggage carried over from his past.
And like I said, he may have made some mistakes at times but he most certainly apologized. You just have to love a dominant Alpha hero who is humble enough to admit he fucked up and give a good apology.
He briefly closed his eyes, and there was remorse written all over his face. 鈥淛esus, Lex, I should never have said what I said. As soon as the words were out of my mouth鈥︹€滺e lowered is head and I found my eyes caught in his. 鈥淵ou are the last person in the world I want to hurt."
I'd put this book in the same category as Crossfire (and Fifty Shades minus the BDSM) but instead of a series, this is a complete standalone story with a damaged, moody, powerful, and dominant hero who is healed through his relationship with a woman he unexpectedly falls in love with.
I haven't read a Samantha Young book in quite a while but reading HERO definitely made me want to go out and catch up on every single one of her other books that I'd missed. I love her writing, I loved this story, and it's easily a new favorite of mine. A top recommendation!
Rating: 4.5 stars. Standalone Adult romance.
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July 9, 2020
3.5 stars!
I love that Samantha Young writes stories that are more than just romance- they always have something special. With Hero- it had that combination of angst, suspense, humor and the perfect amount of steaminess. It was one of those books that had a hero you loved to hate at times, but usually they are my favorite type of guys!
Alexa Holland is an assistant to a popular photographer. Her life has changed majorly in the last few months. When she first meets Caine Carraway, things don鈥檛 go as planned. Alexa has amends to make with Caine. He won鈥檛 hear her out and ends up getting her fired from her job. Which leads her to becoming his PA. Even though she knows this job will be rough, it鈥檚 her way of letting Caine get to know the real her. She鈥檚 not just a Holland. She鈥檚 Alexa.
Caine does everything in his power to make Alexa鈥檚 life difficult. But underneath all that, he is immensely attracted to her. You can just feel the sexual tension radiating between them both. When if finally combusts鈥� wow. I love the office type romance and the love/hate relationships and it just made the sex that much hotter.
I loved watching Caine and Alexa鈥檚 relationship grow. Before long, Caine really started to see her. Not as Alexa Holland- but Alexa. Just Alexa. Their relationship had so many complicated aspects. It had a lot of seriousness to it- family secrets, etc, but I loved how it was laced with humor as well. Alexa and Caine made me laugh out loud more than once.
Alexa was the type of heroine I love. The kind that doesn鈥檛 back down, doesn鈥檛 take any crap. She鈥檚 strong and determined and it鈥檚 the only way she is able to break down Caine鈥檚 walls. Caine is a broken man. He鈥檚 spent a lot of his life not letting many get close and holding on to the past. He has secrets and he doesn鈥檛 feel worthy of love. Alexa is able to help with that.
Hero was an enjoyable read for me. I really liked both characters, the direction the story took, the banter between the characters and of course, the smoking hot sex scenes. The secondary characters (Effie and Henry) were also fantastic. I love Samantha Young鈥檚 writing style- her books always have this great flow to them. I can see this being a 5 star read for a lot of people. Honestly, as much as I enjoyed it, it just didn鈥檛 hit my love buttons. I would definitely recommend it <3
*ARC kindly provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
I love that Samantha Young writes stories that are more than just romance- they always have something special. With Hero- it had that combination of angst, suspense, humor and the perfect amount of steaminess. It was one of those books that had a hero you loved to hate at times, but usually they are my favorite type of guys!
Alexa Holland is an assistant to a popular photographer. Her life has changed majorly in the last few months. When she first meets Caine Carraway, things don鈥檛 go as planned. Alexa has amends to make with Caine. He won鈥檛 hear her out and ends up getting her fired from her job. Which leads her to becoming his PA. Even though she knows this job will be rough, it鈥檚 her way of letting Caine get to know the real her. She鈥檚 not just a Holland. She鈥檚 Alexa.
Getting Caine to see me for who I really was was proving more difficult than I had first thought.
Caine does everything in his power to make Alexa鈥檚 life difficult. But underneath all that, he is immensely attracted to her. You can just feel the sexual tension radiating between them both. When if finally combusts鈥� wow. I love the office type romance and the love/hate relationships and it just made the sex that much hotter.
I loved watching Caine and Alexa鈥檚 relationship grow. Before long, Caine really started to see her. Not as Alexa Holland- but Alexa. Just Alexa. Their relationship had so many complicated aspects. It had a lot of seriousness to it- family secrets, etc, but I loved how it was laced with humor as well. Alexa and Caine made me laugh out loud more than once.
Alexa was the type of heroine I love. The kind that doesn鈥檛 back down, doesn鈥檛 take any crap. She鈥檚 strong and determined and it鈥檚 the only way she is able to break down Caine鈥檚 walls. Caine is a broken man. He鈥檚 spent a lot of his life not letting many get close and holding on to the past. He has secrets and he doesn鈥檛 feel worthy of love. Alexa is able to help with that.
Hero was an enjoyable read for me. I really liked both characters, the direction the story took, the banter between the characters and of course, the smoking hot sex scenes. The secondary characters (Effie and Henry) were also fantastic. I love Samantha Young鈥檚 writing style- her books always have this great flow to them. I can see this being a 5 star read for a lot of people. Honestly, as much as I enjoyed it, it just didn鈥檛 hit my love buttons. I would definitely recommend it <3
鈥淵ou鈥檙e the one real think in my life right now鈥� You should know I don鈥檛 want to let that go.鈥�
*ARC kindly provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
February 3, 2015
Title: Hero
Series: Standalone
Author: Samantha Young
Release Date: February 3, 2015
Rating: 5 stars
Cliffhanger:. No
HEA:
I am very happy that I could start of my new year with Samantha Young鈥檚 book. Hero was on my anxiously waiting for list so you cannot even imagine how excited I was when I started reading Alexa and Caine鈥檚 story. I hoped and prayed for the best. I really didn鈥檛 want this book to disappoint me, my heart wouldn鈥檛 handle this bitter regret.
Fortunately, Hero was everything I wanted it to be - sexy, suspenseful, full of sexual tension and laugh out loud scenes and more. It definitely rocked my world. It is a tad bit different from On Dublin Street Series; I would say it鈥檚 more complicated and complex, yet at the same time, I got everything I loved from it.
Alexa Holland and Caine Corroway share a secret. They both know about incident that changed their lives and made them miserable. Alexa鈥檚 family done something terrible which in return broke Caine鈥檚 heart.
Alexa met Caine for the first time at photo shoot session for a magazine on which cover he would star. Then something surprising happens and Alexa loses her job and becomes Caine鈥檚 new PA. And Mr Corroway is a boss straight from hell. He enjoys tormenting Alexa and is doing everything in his power to make her life miserable.
鈥淚鈥檓 a hard man to please. And I鈥檓 also a very busy man. You鈥檒l do what I want when I want and I won鈥檛 always be nice about it.鈥�
Very quickly I found myself in love with Lexie鈥檚 persona. What a firecracker and smartass! I was in awe of how well she handled Caine鈥檚 assholish behavior. Her comments and actions were so cute and full of wit and sass. One of my favorite heroines for sure.
"Did you ever really grow up, Lexie?" I shot him a saucy look. "I did in all the places that matter."
Caine on the other hand is tough to like at the beginning. Everything just screams 鈥楢sshole鈥� but Jeez don鈥檛 I love a good jerk. I am sure that many readers would share my sentiment toward him. As the story progresses Caine is show in completely different light too. Under his hard exterior hides amazing, loveable and tender man.
The banter between two main characters was absolutely adorable and don鈥檛 let me even start on how intense the sexual chemistry was! I could talk hours about it! The lusty looks, sexy comments and great flirtation made this book very hot read. From small kisses to full on sex Samantha Young made sure I was entertained well.
鈥淚 fantasize about fucking you in this office a hundred times a day.鈥�
I liked this story very much. Some would may find some things that happened frustrating, but I didn鈥檛. Even though it was Alexa chasing Caine not the other way around I didn鈥檛 feel like it was wrong or something. On the contrary I loved that she was so confident and comfortable in herself that she was strong enough not to give up on a man. It鈥檚 very rare to read about a heroine like that. Mostly they just whine and cry about how not good enough they are, so in my opinion it was a good change of scenery.
Hero is fabulous read for a free evening; it will warm your heart and make you smile too. And the hot scenes will definitely make you forget about the cold weather. I certainly hope every fan of Samantha鈥檚 sexy and heartwarming reads would fall in love with Hero as hard and strong as me.
*Review copy provided by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for honest review *
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July 15, 2015
4.25 Stars
There is nothing better for me than a hate to love trope. Nothing. I eat it up and ask for seconds and thirds. I will never get enough of it. Add into that equation a brooding business man and a fantastic heroine and you've got yourself a recipe for a terrific read!
If you're a fan of Samantha Young's writing, I can almost guarantee that you will love this standalone novel for her about finding love in the most unlikely of places.
Alexa Holland is a succesful assistant to a photographer. She knows her job and she does it well. But her mother's death recently has left her reeling, and the dirty family secret that it unearthed even more so. She idolized her father as a little girl, so to learn about the dirty details of his shameful past mistakes was a shock. To learn that his actions also ruined the lives of another family was even more so. So she writes her father out of her life and tries to live her life even though she still continues to feel like she's living in the shadow of his sin.
This becomes glaringly obvious to her when she runs into the one person that her father hurt the most with his actions. A man whose life he ultimately ruined but still turned around to make himself an immensely successful and rich business man; Caine Carraway.
Even though she had nothing to do with her father's decisions, Lexie wants to explain to Caine who she is and that she's nothing like her father. Unfortunately her impulsive decision doesn't quite pan out the way she wants when the only reaction she gets from Caine is disgust and the loss of her job in the process.
Lexie is definitely one tough cookie. This was the thing that I really loved about her character. She never crumbles under the weight of her troubles, she faces them head on. And that's precisely what she does when she pushes her way into Caine's office the next day and demands he hears her out. She'll beg if she has to if it gets him to call her boss and get her job back and to see that she's nothing like her father.
But Caine has a different plan in mind. He refuses to see past the sins of Lexie's father, and he can make her pay for it...in the form of a job. She'll no longer be jobless, but she'll work for him...
Caine is a very intense character and he definitely doesn't shy away from making Lexie feel like she's below him. Luckily Lexie has a backbone and never fails to give as good as she gets.
Thus begins their intricate push and pull. I think this may have been my favorite part of the book. The banter between Caine and Lexie was fantastic. Caine was a straight up asshole at times, and Lexie always pushed his buttons right back. But beneath the obviously anger there was also this undercurrent of lust. Samantha Young did such a fantastic job writing that in without making it be too obvious or too sudden. The chemistry between them, though felt right away, is a slow burn. And when they finally give into the inevitable?
Caine doesn't thaw right away, not even close. The push and pull continues for a very large chunk of the book. There are times where even though you see that he's drawn to Lexie, he's still an asshole
I really enjoyed that part of the book, though. The progression of their relationship, considering their past, is a very realistic one, and I appreciated that. It takes Caine a while to really see Lexie and who she truly is and Lexie never gives up on him. The chemistry between them is absolutely sizzling. Miss Young can definitely write one incredibly sexy love scene.
This would have been a solid five star read for me if not for one small thing; Caine's 'secret'. There's a lot of build up to why he is the way he is and why he doesn't believe he can be the man for her. He continuously pushes her away because of this. But I have to say when the entire thing was finally revealed...I was left underwhelmed. It was this feeling of 'that's it? That's what it was?'. For lack of a better word, it just seemed a little lame. Luckily that was such a small part and it didn't really take away from my enjoyment of the books as a whole. I definitely really enjoyed this one and highly recommend to any fans of sexy contemporary romance that like their heroes a little intense with a dash of asshole ;)
ARC courtesy of publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
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The only thing I was starting to predict was that if I did by some miracle find a way to make Caine see who I really was, I was almost positive that I wasn't going to come out of it unscathed.
There is nothing better for me than a hate to love trope. Nothing. I eat it up and ask for seconds and thirds. I will never get enough of it. Add into that equation a brooding business man and a fantastic heroine and you've got yourself a recipe for a terrific read!
If you're a fan of Samantha Young's writing, I can almost guarantee that you will love this standalone novel for her about finding love in the most unlikely of places.
Alexa Holland is a succesful assistant to a photographer. She knows her job and she does it well. But her mother's death recently has left her reeling, and the dirty family secret that it unearthed even more so. She idolized her father as a little girl, so to learn about the dirty details of his shameful past mistakes was a shock. To learn that his actions also ruined the lives of another family was even more so. So she writes her father out of her life and tries to live her life even though she still continues to feel like she's living in the shadow of his sin.
This becomes glaringly obvious to her when she runs into the one person that her father hurt the most with his actions. A man whose life he ultimately ruined but still turned around to make himself an immensely successful and rich business man; Caine Carraway.
Even though she had nothing to do with her father's decisions, Lexie wants to explain to Caine who she is and that she's nothing like her father. Unfortunately her impulsive decision doesn't quite pan out the way she wants when the only reaction she gets from Caine is disgust and the loss of her job in the process.
Lexie is definitely one tough cookie. This was the thing that I really loved about her character. She never crumbles under the weight of her troubles, she faces them head on. And that's precisely what she does when she pushes her way into Caine's office the next day and demands he hears her out. She'll beg if she has to if it gets him to call her boss and get her job back and to see that she's nothing like her father.
But Caine has a different plan in mind. He refuses to see past the sins of Lexie's father, and he can make her pay for it...in the form of a job. She'll no longer be jobless, but she'll work for him...
Caine is a very intense character and he definitely doesn't shy away from making Lexie feel like she's below him. Luckily Lexie has a backbone and never fails to give as good as she gets.
"Should I shelve those next to 'personality'?"
Thus begins their intricate push and pull. I think this may have been my favorite part of the book. The banter between Caine and Lexie was fantastic. Caine was a straight up asshole at times, and Lexie always pushed his buttons right back. But beneath the obviously anger there was also this undercurrent of lust. Samantha Young did such a fantastic job writing that in without making it be too obvious or too sudden. The chemistry between them, though felt right away, is a slow burn. And when they finally give into the inevitable?
Caine doesn't thaw right away, not even close. The push and pull continues for a very large chunk of the book. There are times where even though you see that he's drawn to Lexie, he's still an asshole
I really enjoyed that part of the book, though. The progression of their relationship, considering their past, is a very realistic one, and I appreciated that. It takes Caine a while to really see Lexie and who she truly is and Lexie never gives up on him. The chemistry between them is absolutely sizzling. Miss Young can definitely write one incredibly sexy love scene.
This would have been a solid five star read for me if not for one small thing; Caine's 'secret'. There's a lot of build up to why he is the way he is and why he doesn't believe he can be the man for her. He continuously pushes her away because of this. But I have to say when the entire thing was finally revealed...I was left underwhelmed. It was this feeling of 'that's it? That's what it was?'. For lack of a better word, it just seemed a little lame. Luckily that was such a small part and it didn't really take away from my enjoyment of the books as a whole. I definitely really enjoyed this one and highly recommend to any fans of sexy contemporary romance that like their heroes a little intense with a dash of asshole ;)
ARC courtesy of publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
For more reviews visit
January 27, 2015
4-4.5 stars!
I had a blast reading this book! It鈥檚 got the perfect mix of steam, angst and humor, and the writing was extremely addicting I couldn鈥檛 put the book down. I honestly believe it鈥檚 one of those books where it doesn鈥檛 matter what mood you鈥檙e in 鈥� you could pick it up anytime and be easily swept away by the captivating story and charming characters. But at the same time, I want to warn you to not go in with any expectations that this鈥檒l be like the On Dublin Street books, because it鈥檚 not, and that鈥檚 a good thing. This one鈥檚 a fun, sexy, yet at-times emotional enemies-to-lovers office romance that just about had a little bit of everything sprinkled in the story, and is a winner for me!
So a little bit about the story鈥he heroine Alexa Holland is an assistant to a famous photographer and in one of those shoots, meets the hero Caine Carraway, an aloof CEO who shares a twisted and messed up past with her. A tiny altercation happens, and before you know it, Alexa is fired from her job and becomes Caine鈥檚 personal assistant. Frankly, I struggled a little with this first part of the story as I didn鈥檛 quite understand the motivations behind their actions 鈥� especially Alexa鈥檚 鈥� but the more I read, the more I started to get it.
Because she鈥檚 the only one who knows what it鈥檚 like to have her father destroy not only her family, but Caine鈥檚 as well鈥hat kind of similarity between them gives them a bond, and as much as he dislikes her and is reluctant to admit it, Caine knows that fact well too. From this moment on, everything I read was 5 star book material. I love that even though Caine was a mega jerk to her, Alexa took it all in stride and wasn鈥檛 easily intimidated by him, and had counterattacks of her own. There鈥檚 an underlying attraction there, but it鈥檚 not acted upon immediately (love that!!). Instead, I got to read how a genuine camaraderie developed between the two first, and it was so fun to see them banter. Seriously, I lost count the number of times I laughed! The romance and the steam gradually built up from all that and when it did blow up, it was explosive! One thing I can always count on this author to do is write scorching HOT sex scenes and she delivered again here.
Then the story took a turn down angst road, and for those that know my book tastes, you know that angst scares the crap out of me. I like to hurt when I read, but not too much you know? And I have to say, I adored the push/pull dynamic Alexa and Caine had here. Any and all drama wasn鈥檛 over the top, yet it was completely believable because of their intertwined pasts and loads of baggage they were each carrying. They both settled into a friends-with-benefits relationship and it both warmed and stabbed at my heart to see them struggle with their growing feelings for each other. Caine pushed, Alexa pulled, and the cycle repeated.
There was a lot of tension between the two, but not to the point where it was frustrating, and the main reason is Alexa. She鈥檚 persistent, know what she wants, and will make the effort to get it (in this case, it鈥檚 Caine). I鈥檓 a huge sucker for strong-minded heroines, and she embodied that sentiment perfectly. There鈥檚 actually a duality to her character 鈥� she鈥檚 a people-pleaser, yet she won鈥檛 let their demands get the best of her either. It鈥檚 not to say Caine was a total layover because he wasn鈥檛 鈥� he was dominant and aggressive when need be, but also had a layer of vulnerability he showed Alexa. And together, they burned up the sheets! But they鈥檇 also have the sweetest and most meaningful conversations too. I could really tell that they were two characters that complemented each other perfectly.
By the time I got to the final quarter of the book, I was a little surprised with a certain plot twist. It wasn鈥檛 bad at all and it actually added a suspenseful quality to the story, but it just felt out of the blue. I had a disconnect with the plot there, simply because it was unexpected.
One thing I have to mention is that this author writes such realistic stories. Her characters may be rich and famous, but they have the same problems just like the average person does. If anything, her stories reminds me that birds poop, people fart, and not every sex position works on the first try LOL! Things I usually nit-pick about, I don鈥檛 have the urge to in this book. The small issues I did have were minor and in no way derailed me from enjoying the story. The sizzling chemistry, the witty banter, the laugh out loud hilarious scenes, and of course the romance were all well done. I only wish there was more!
Hero is an adult contemporary romance standalone unrelated to this author鈥檚 other books.
ARC provided by Penguin Intermix via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I had a blast reading this book! It鈥檚 got the perfect mix of steam, angst and humor, and the writing was extremely addicting I couldn鈥檛 put the book down. I honestly believe it鈥檚 one of those books where it doesn鈥檛 matter what mood you鈥檙e in 鈥� you could pick it up anytime and be easily swept away by the captivating story and charming characters. But at the same time, I want to warn you to not go in with any expectations that this鈥檒l be like the On Dublin Street books, because it鈥檚 not, and that鈥檚 a good thing. This one鈥檚 a fun, sexy, yet at-times emotional enemies-to-lovers office romance that just about had a little bit of everything sprinkled in the story, and is a winner for me!
So a little bit about the story鈥he heroine Alexa Holland is an assistant to a famous photographer and in one of those shoots, meets the hero Caine Carraway, an aloof CEO who shares a twisted and messed up past with her. A tiny altercation happens, and before you know it, Alexa is fired from her job and becomes Caine鈥檚 personal assistant. Frankly, I struggled a little with this first part of the story as I didn鈥檛 quite understand the motivations behind their actions 鈥� especially Alexa鈥檚 鈥� but the more I read, the more I started to get it.
Because she鈥檚 the only one who knows what it鈥檚 like to have her father destroy not only her family, but Caine鈥檚 as well鈥hat kind of similarity between them gives them a bond, and as much as he dislikes her and is reluctant to admit it, Caine knows that fact well too. From this moment on, everything I read was 5 star book material. I love that even though Caine was a mega jerk to her, Alexa took it all in stride and wasn鈥檛 easily intimidated by him, and had counterattacks of her own. There鈥檚 an underlying attraction there, but it鈥檚 not acted upon immediately (love that!!). Instead, I got to read how a genuine camaraderie developed between the two first, and it was so fun to see them banter. Seriously, I lost count the number of times I laughed! The romance and the steam gradually built up from all that and when it did blow up, it was explosive! One thing I can always count on this author to do is write scorching HOT sex scenes and she delivered again here.
Then the story took a turn down angst road, and for those that know my book tastes, you know that angst scares the crap out of me. I like to hurt when I read, but not too much you know? And I have to say, I adored the push/pull dynamic Alexa and Caine had here. Any and all drama wasn鈥檛 over the top, yet it was completely believable because of their intertwined pasts and loads of baggage they were each carrying. They both settled into a friends-with-benefits relationship and it both warmed and stabbed at my heart to see them struggle with their growing feelings for each other. Caine pushed, Alexa pulled, and the cycle repeated.
There was a lot of tension between the two, but not to the point where it was frustrating, and the main reason is Alexa. She鈥檚 persistent, know what she wants, and will make the effort to get it (in this case, it鈥檚 Caine). I鈥檓 a huge sucker for strong-minded heroines, and she embodied that sentiment perfectly. There鈥檚 actually a duality to her character 鈥� she鈥檚 a people-pleaser, yet she won鈥檛 let their demands get the best of her either. It鈥檚 not to say Caine was a total layover because he wasn鈥檛 鈥� he was dominant and aggressive when need be, but also had a layer of vulnerability he showed Alexa. And together, they burned up the sheets! But they鈥檇 also have the sweetest and most meaningful conversations too. I could really tell that they were two characters that complemented each other perfectly.
By the time I got to the final quarter of the book, I was a little surprised with a certain plot twist. It wasn鈥檛 bad at all and it actually added a suspenseful quality to the story, but it just felt out of the blue. I had a disconnect with the plot there, simply because it was unexpected.
One thing I have to mention is that this author writes such realistic stories. Her characters may be rich and famous, but they have the same problems just like the average person does. If anything, her stories reminds me that birds poop, people fart, and not every sex position works on the first try LOL! Things I usually nit-pick about, I don鈥檛 have the urge to in this book. The small issues I did have were minor and in no way derailed me from enjoying the story. The sizzling chemistry, the witty banter, the laugh out loud hilarious scenes, and of course the romance were all well done. I only wish there was more!
Hero is an adult contemporary romance standalone unrelated to this author鈥檚 other books.
ARC provided by Penguin Intermix via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 8, 2015
4 stars!
This could have been an easy 5 stars for me but I had to knock off a star because of the hero's actions, which to me was just too much. More on that later.
First, I'm gonna break down what worked for me.
The chemistry between Alexa Holland and Caine Carraway is off the charts hot. The push and pull between them is so strong. The two of them cannot be in the room with each other without fireworks going off despite Caine's obvious dislike for Alexa.
Speaking of Caine's dislike...they share a convoluted family history, which colors Caine's attitude towards Alexa at the very beginning. That said, his attraction to her is also palpable. Love and hate never looked this hot. Seriously, I had to pause and fan myself the first time they got together. It was that hot. And Ms. Young certainly knows how to write an emotionally packed love scene.
Another thing I liked about this book was Alexa. I don't always agree with her decisions. And there were times that I wanted to tell her, "Girl, give up already. Have some respect!" But...I couldn't call her a doormat either because I think Ms. Young did a phenomenal job giving me her back story. I do however, think she's a people pleaser and she tries to win the affection of the people around her.
Which brings me why I couldn't give this a five. Caine. Look, I am a very forgiving reader when it comes to heroes who fuck up and fuck up bad. I am also forgiving toward heroes who run hot-and-cold throughout the book. But...Caine rejected Alexa too many times...too many. I could handle once and even twice if I'm feeling generous but...he did it thrice if you discount the other times he was being horrible to her.
Again, I could have easily forgiven that but his reason for acting like an ass was a bit lame really. I could understand if he pushed her once but he did it too many times. What saved me from giving this even a lower rating was the fact that you can totally see how much he loves her already. His actions, when he allowed himself to actually give in was really sweet. And not just towards Alexa either but towards the very few people who he allowed to let into his heart.
Despite those issues, I could not put this book down. The chemistry and connection between Caine and Alexa kept me flipping the pages until the very end. Plus, it didn't hurt that I got an HEA tied in a pretty bow at the end either. So yes, I enjoyed this book more than I got annoyed by it. A testament really to Samantha Young's engaging writing style which always works for me.
ARC courtesy of NAL via NetGalley.
This could have been an easy 5 stars for me but I had to knock off a star because of the hero's actions, which to me was just too much. More on that later.
First, I'm gonna break down what worked for me.
The chemistry between Alexa Holland and Caine Carraway is off the charts hot. The push and pull between them is so strong. The two of them cannot be in the room with each other without fireworks going off despite Caine's obvious dislike for Alexa.
Speaking of Caine's dislike...they share a convoluted family history, which colors Caine's attitude towards Alexa at the very beginning. That said, his attraction to her is also palpable. Love and hate never looked this hot. Seriously, I had to pause and fan myself the first time they got together. It was that hot. And Ms. Young certainly knows how to write an emotionally packed love scene.
Another thing I liked about this book was Alexa. I don't always agree with her decisions. And there were times that I wanted to tell her, "Girl, give up already. Have some respect!" But...I couldn't call her a doormat either because I think Ms. Young did a phenomenal job giving me her back story. I do however, think she's a people pleaser and she tries to win the affection of the people around her.
Which brings me why I couldn't give this a five. Caine. Look, I am a very forgiving reader when it comes to heroes who fuck up and fuck up bad. I am also forgiving toward heroes who run hot-and-cold throughout the book. But...Caine rejected Alexa too many times...too many. I could handle once and even twice if I'm feeling generous but...he did it thrice if you discount the other times he was being horrible to her.
Again, I could have easily forgiven that but his reason for acting like an ass was a bit lame really. I could understand if he pushed her once but he did it too many times. What saved me from giving this even a lower rating was the fact that you can totally see how much he loves her already. His actions, when he allowed himself to actually give in was really sweet. And not just towards Alexa either but towards the very few people who he allowed to let into his heart.
Despite those issues, I could not put this book down. The chemistry and connection between Caine and Alexa kept me flipping the pages until the very end. Plus, it didn't hurt that I got an HEA tied in a pretty bow at the end either. So yes, I enjoyed this book more than I got annoyed by it. A testament really to Samantha Young's engaging writing style which always works for me.
ARC courtesy of NAL via NetGalley.
February 11, 2015
4 Heroic Stars.
For many years Alexa believed her father was a hero. Until she found out the truth about his past and discovered that he did many mistakes, and the worst of them destroyed a family and left a little boy alone in the world.
Now, one coincidental encounter puts them together. Except he鈥檚 not a little boy anymore, Caine Carraway is a self-made man and billionaire CEO of his own company. And he wants nothing to do with Alexa.
But life puts them in the same path again and they end up falling for each other. Alexa wants to heal his father鈥檚 sin and make Caine happy, but he鈥檚 pretty adamant on his idea that he鈥檚 not the man Alexa鈥檚 wants. He鈥檚 too much broken by his past.
And when you fall in love with someone who refuses to admit the possibility of love, how long are you willing to fight when every time you do it, you鈥檙e pushed away?
This was a very good reading, I probably read this book in about 10 minutes. It鈥檚 a slight different style than Samantha usually writes, but t鈥檚 amazingly written and only proves that she can be very versatile with her stories, and always deliver a good romance story.
The only reason I鈥檓 not giving it five starts is because some attitudes of the hero and his constant indecision, which in my opinion brought a lot of unnecessary angst to a book that already had enough drama. All those angst wasn鈥檛 really necessary.
However, if you鈥檙e in the mood for a steamy and heartwarming with some drama and angst thrown in the middle, this is a great choice.
Rating: 4 Stars.
Characters Development: This was one of those rare cases where I liked the heroine more than the hero. Yes, there are a few moments where Alexa can almost be considered a doormat, and believe me, in those moments I just wanted to beat the heck out of her, but she was relentless in proving her love and that was something pretty good to see. Caine was good too, he was sweet, possessive, and charismatic when he wanted to be, but sometimes he could be a complete asshole as well. I spent half the book agitated with him and his refusal in seeing what was right in front of him. I usually have no problem with a little 鈥渁ssholeness鈥� from the heroes, but there were some moments when we was real rude and disrespectful, and I can鈥檛 let that slide. There are some behaviors simply unacceptable, no matter how hot/sexy/rich/whatever the hero may be and unfortunately, that book had some of those moments
I loved, LOVED Effie, she was an amazing fake 鈥済randma鈥�, and Henry was great as well. I wish we could have a book about him and Nadia!
Steam: Hot.
Sensible Subjects:
Love Triangle:
Cheating:
HEA:
For many years Alexa believed her father was a hero. Until she found out the truth about his past and discovered that he did many mistakes, and the worst of them destroyed a family and left a little boy alone in the world.
Now, one coincidental encounter puts them together. Except he鈥檚 not a little boy anymore, Caine Carraway is a self-made man and billionaire CEO of his own company. And he wants nothing to do with Alexa.
But life puts them in the same path again and they end up falling for each other. Alexa wants to heal his father鈥檚 sin and make Caine happy, but he鈥檚 pretty adamant on his idea that he鈥檚 not the man Alexa鈥檚 wants. He鈥檚 too much broken by his past.
And when you fall in love with someone who refuses to admit the possibility of love, how long are you willing to fight when every time you do it, you鈥檙e pushed away?
This was a very good reading, I probably read this book in about 10 minutes. It鈥檚 a slight different style than Samantha usually writes, but t鈥檚 amazingly written and only proves that she can be very versatile with her stories, and always deliver a good romance story.
The only reason I鈥檓 not giving it five starts is because some attitudes of the hero and his constant indecision, which in my opinion brought a lot of unnecessary angst to a book that already had enough drama. All those angst wasn鈥檛 really necessary.
However, if you鈥檙e in the mood for a steamy and heartwarming with some drama and angst thrown in the middle, this is a great choice.
Rating: 4 Stars.
Characters Development: This was one of those rare cases where I liked the heroine more than the hero. Yes, there are a few moments where Alexa can almost be considered a doormat, and believe me, in those moments I just wanted to beat the heck out of her, but she was relentless in proving her love and that was something pretty good to see. Caine was good too, he was sweet, possessive, and charismatic when he wanted to be, but sometimes he could be a complete asshole as well. I spent half the book agitated with him and his refusal in seeing what was right in front of him. I usually have no problem with a little 鈥渁ssholeness鈥� from the heroes, but there were some moments when we was real rude and disrespectful, and I can鈥檛 let that slide. There are some behaviors simply unacceptable, no matter how hot/sexy/rich/whatever the hero may be and unfortunately, that book had some of those moments
I loved, LOVED Effie, she was an amazing fake 鈥済randma鈥�, and Henry was great as well. I wish we could have a book about him and Nadia!
Steam: Hot.
Sensible Subjects:
Love Triangle:
Cheating:
HEA:
February 4, 2015
4.25 Stars
"...sometimes you've got to let yourself be vulnerable even when it's the scariest thing in the world."
Samantha Young delivered a hot well-paced story with an added element of secrets and mystery. I adored both main characters and the secondary characters, Effy and Henry. To my surprise, I even loved the push and pull of their relationship. The sexual tension was well done and seriously that office sex scene was crazy hot.
This is the story of Alexa Holland coming face to face with the man whom her family wronged so many years ago. Alexa and Cain are very attracted to one another but that all goes on the backburner when Alexa tells Cain her last name and sadly losses her job and standing in the business world if she doesn鈥檛 face Cain once more and ask him for help.
Cain hires Alexa as his PA....sooo my friends he tries to break our snarky, wise cracking girl to no avail.
鈥滻鈥檓 a hard man to please. And I鈥檓 also a very busy man. You鈥檒l do what I want when I want and I won鈥檛 always be nice about it. In fact, considering what your surname is, you can pretty much guarantee I won鈥檛 be nice about it.鈥�
Alexa feels connected to Cain鈥檚 pain and hopes that showing him who she is will help him feel that same connection.
鈥滻 see who you are because鈥e鈥檙e not so different, you and I. We both deserve happiness.鈥�
Cain has no plans on being Alexa鈥檚 white knight/hero he just wants to have a sexual relationship and nothing beyond that. Alexa agrees but she holds out hope. As for her estranged family they play a part in the secrets and oh yeah鈥� Cain鈥檚 got a secret himself.
Their banter, sexual tension and sex scenes were palpable鈥�
Overall, this was a good read that was hot and steamy with likable characters and a few good twists. I also really loved that epilogue great job Ms. Young!
鈥滻鈥檓 not looking for more. I鈥檓 not looking for a great adventure. I鈥檓 not looking, because I found it. You are my more. You are my great adventure.鈥�
"...sometimes you've got to let yourself be vulnerable even when it's the scariest thing in the world."
Samantha Young delivered a hot well-paced story with an added element of secrets and mystery. I adored both main characters and the secondary characters, Effy and Henry. To my surprise, I even loved the push and pull of their relationship. The sexual tension was well done and seriously that office sex scene was crazy hot.
This is the story of Alexa Holland coming face to face with the man whom her family wronged so many years ago. Alexa and Cain are very attracted to one another but that all goes on the backburner when Alexa tells Cain her last name and sadly losses her job and standing in the business world if she doesn鈥檛 face Cain once more and ask him for help.
Cain hires Alexa as his PA....sooo my friends he tries to break our snarky, wise cracking girl to no avail.
鈥滻鈥檓 a hard man to please. And I鈥檓 also a very busy man. You鈥檒l do what I want when I want and I won鈥檛 always be nice about it. In fact, considering what your surname is, you can pretty much guarantee I won鈥檛 be nice about it.鈥�
Alexa feels connected to Cain鈥檚 pain and hopes that showing him who she is will help him feel that same connection.
鈥滻 see who you are because鈥e鈥檙e not so different, you and I. We both deserve happiness.鈥�
Cain has no plans on being Alexa鈥檚 white knight/hero he just wants to have a sexual relationship and nothing beyond that. Alexa agrees but she holds out hope. As for her estranged family they play a part in the secrets and oh yeah鈥� Cain鈥檚 got a secret himself.
Their banter, sexual tension and sex scenes were palpable鈥�
Overall, this was a good read that was hot and steamy with likable characters and a few good twists. I also really loved that epilogue great job Ms. Young!
鈥滻鈥檓 not looking for more. I鈥檓 not looking for a great adventure. I鈥檓 not looking, because I found it. You are my more. You are my great adventure.鈥�
February 8, 2015
It's been a while since I've read something about sexy millionaire. I'm so glad I gave this millionaire a chance, because this book was awesome! Samantha Young at her best. This one was as good as her Braden and Nate's story. Caine definitely won't remain in the shadow of those two.
He was equally sexy and cocky and self-confident. I just loved him. He was my kind of asshole hero, he acted like a douche but deep down you knew he cared, and it was enough to like him even though he didn't deserve it at times.
"I keep waiting to not feel like this, because there are times I can't bear it. To care this much. To worry about you day in and day out. I love you so fucking much. I sometimes... I feel consumed by it."Seriously, Caine...
Alexa was smartass, smartmouthed, funny, cute and pushy. She came like a bulldozer to his office and stayed like that ever since. She didn't take no for an answer and didn't put up with his bullshit. She might have seemed weak sometimes, but I think it was all part of her plan. She fought for Caine till the end and it payed off. She was exactly the kind of woman he needed, apparently.
They were great and crazy hot together. I loved the pushing and the pulling, the angst, the fighting and results of those fights. Sex office scene?
Overall, great story with a bit angst, some sexy times, sassy heroine, asshole hero that is not that asshole in the end, recommended for all Samantha Young fans. Loved it!
"I'm not looking for something else from life. I'm not looking for more. I'm not looking for a great adventure. I'm not looking, because I found it. You are my more. You are my great adventure."
June 28, 2021
(1.5) goddamn bestie, tone it down a little
February 5, 2015
鈽呪槄鈽呪槄4-4.5 STARS鈽呪槄鈽呪槄
It鈥檚 been a while since I鈥檝e read a book by this author, so I almost forgot how much I enjoy her style. Almost. I must admit, I didn鈥檛 expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. Mrs. Young surprised me in a very good way with this novel. It was an entertaining read, with a great heroine and a captivating hero and I couldn鈥檛 put it down. With a premise that I enjoy almost every time, enemies to lovers, 鈥淗ero鈥� it's an angsty, steamy read that for sure will hold your attention.
Our heroine, Alexa, works as a personal assistant for Benito, a famous photographer. At one of his shoots he meets one of the most eligible bachelor, Caine Carraway. But Alexa knows who Caine is. She also knows the man who she considered a hero as a little girl, her father, not only destroyed her family, but he destroyed Caine鈥檚 family and childhood as well. When Caine finds out Alexa鈥檚 surname, he鈥檚 furious, he doesn鈥檛 want anything to do with her, he wants her to stay away from him. Alexa wants for Caine to see her, to see she鈥檚 nothing like her father, she wants somehow to be there for him. When Alexa loses her job, because of Caine, Caine makes her an offer she can鈥檛 refuse, to work for him as his PA.
Despite what happened in the past between her parents, they are attracted to each other. They start a sexual relationship, no strings attached, Caine making it clear from the beginning he wants nothing more than an affair.
Alexa tries not to fall for Caine, but the inevitable happens. She sees the real Caine, she sees in him what he doesn鈥檛, she knows for sure he deserves happiness as much as she does and she tries to make Caine admit that he loves her back.
I really enjoyed this story. Both Alexa and Caine are well developed characters. Alexa was my kind of heroine鈥� smart, hardworking, determined and a smartass. I just loved her personality. She tough and she鈥檚 not afraid to speak her mind. She knows what she wants and she鈥檚 not afraid to go for it.
Caine is an interesting, intense and a complicated man. He鈥檚 an asshole with Alexa when she comes to work for him, yes, but I liked him. I loved his possessiveness and jealous he is with her. As the story progresses you can see how Caine starts to change his attitude towards Alexa. He鈥檚 sweet and even caring and I loved this side of him as well.
The slow build relationship between Alexa and Caine progressed naturally. It also felt very real, considering their past. The banter was fantastic and the push and pull dynamic between them was amazingly done. The connection, the chemistry and the sexual tension between them are strong and palpable and the sex scenes are off the charts hot.
I liked the storyline a lot, I wasn鈥檛 bored for one minute and I also enjoyed the twists and turns. What I didn鈥檛 expect and liked too much was Caine鈥檚 secret.
Overall, a really great read!
It鈥檚 been a while since I鈥檝e read a book by this author, so I almost forgot how much I enjoy her style. Almost. I must admit, I didn鈥檛 expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. Mrs. Young surprised me in a very good way with this novel. It was an entertaining read, with a great heroine and a captivating hero and I couldn鈥檛 put it down. With a premise that I enjoy almost every time, enemies to lovers, 鈥淗ero鈥� it's an angsty, steamy read that for sure will hold your attention.
Our heroine, Alexa, works as a personal assistant for Benito, a famous photographer. At one of his shoots he meets one of the most eligible bachelor, Caine Carraway. But Alexa knows who Caine is. She also knows the man who she considered a hero as a little girl, her father, not only destroyed her family, but he destroyed Caine鈥檚 family and childhood as well. When Caine finds out Alexa鈥檚 surname, he鈥檚 furious, he doesn鈥檛 want anything to do with her, he wants her to stay away from him. Alexa wants for Caine to see her, to see she鈥檚 nothing like her father, she wants somehow to be there for him. When Alexa loses her job, because of Caine, Caine makes her an offer she can鈥檛 refuse, to work for him as his PA.
鈥淚 would take this risk because I wanted him to see I wasn鈥檛 anything like my dad. I wanted Caine to see that if anything, I was like him.鈥�
Despite what happened in the past between her parents, they are attracted to each other. They start a sexual relationship, no strings attached, Caine making it clear from the beginning he wants nothing more than an affair.
鈥淚 don't know what this is you're trying to do, but you and I are not the same." He took another step back from me. "And I am not for you. I'm not your white knight. I'm just the guy who wanted to fuck you."
Alexa tries not to fall for Caine, but the inevitable happens. She sees the real Caine, she sees in him what he doesn鈥檛, she knows for sure he deserves happiness as much as she does and she tries to make Caine admit that he loves her back.
I really enjoyed this story. Both Alexa and Caine are well developed characters. Alexa was my kind of heroine鈥� smart, hardworking, determined and a smartass. I just loved her personality. She tough and she鈥檚 not afraid to speak her mind. She knows what she wants and she鈥檚 not afraid to go for it.
Caine is an interesting, intense and a complicated man. He鈥檚 an asshole with Alexa when she comes to work for him, yes, but I liked him. I loved his possessiveness and jealous he is with her. As the story progresses you can see how Caine starts to change his attitude towards Alexa. He鈥檚 sweet and even caring and I loved this side of him as well.
The slow build relationship between Alexa and Caine progressed naturally. It also felt very real, considering their past. The banter was fantastic and the push and pull dynamic between them was amazingly done. The connection, the chemistry and the sexual tension between them are strong and palpable and the sex scenes are off the charts hot.
I liked the storyline a lot, I wasn鈥檛 bored for one minute and I also enjoyed the twists and turns. What I didn鈥檛 expect and liked too much was Caine鈥檚 secret.
Overall, a really great read!
February 8, 2015
鈥淚 fantasize about f*cking you in this office a hundred times a day.鈥�
You know you鈥檝e really liked a book when you find yourself re-reading it four times in the span of a month! At first glance, the premise of this book might appear to be just another billionaire-falls-for-the-girl-next-door scenario, and you might walk into this story expecting nothing more than some good ol鈥� smutty fluff with great chemistry between the characters and a few blazing sex scenes. But you would be wrong. Because when Samantha Young tells a story, she injects it with so much heart-clenching angst, you find yourself gripping your chest because your heart won鈥檛 stop hurting, thus turning any clich茅 into a phenomenal and truly unforgettable reading experience. I adored this book, from the stubborn, feisty, but inherently vulnerable heroine, to the brooding, arrogant, but essentially tortured hero. I loved their banter, I loved the energy between them, whether they were fighting or getting tangled between the sheets, every scene they shared being a delectable delight start to finish.
Caine Carraway and Alexa Holland are apparent strangers to one another, but their lives have been tragically connected from a very young age. Now a self-made billionaire and one of Boston鈥檚 most eligible bachelors, Caine has overcame family tragedies and betrayals to become the man he is now鈥攁 man who does not trust easily or let many people into his inner circle. So when a reminder of the most painful event in his past walks into his life unannounced, he lashes out and cuts the ground from under her feet by getting her fired. But even jobless and with no professional prospects in sight, Alexa is determined to put aside her pride and heal the breach between them, even if it only means he sees that they are more alike than he realises.
鈥淚鈥檓 not here to fall for him. I鈥檓 just trying to be there for him somehow. I get him, even if he doesn鈥檛 realize it, I really do get him. I would like to be his friend if he鈥檒l have me.鈥�
As the estranged daughter of a disowned diamond heir, Alexa feels deep shame for the sins of her father, but her own family history has made her even more sympathetic to the pain that Caine carries in him. Desperate for him to see that she is nothing like her father, she accepts an offer that is obviously intended to make her life hell鈥攕he agrees to be his personal assistant.
鈥淚 need a PA who will fulfill all my wishes and demands immediately. That鈥檚 not easy to find鈥攎ost people have social lives. You, however, are desperate and the way I see it, you owe me.鈥�
Their reasons for such an arrangement might vary drastically, but Alexa is no pushover, and while she has made herself an easy mark for Caine鈥檚 relentless contempt, her snarky and at times insolent personality shines at every turn. The more they fight, the stronger the attraction between them becomes, and very soon their chemistry moves to the bedroom.
鈥淚鈥檒l come by your place when I鈥檓 finished up here.鈥�
鈥淢y place?鈥�
鈥淢mm. I鈥檒l text you when I鈥檓 on my way.鈥�
鈥淪houldn鈥檛 you wait to be invited first?鈥�
鈥淟exie, may I come to your apartment tonight so I can f*ck your brains out?鈥�
But from the very beginning, their intentions towards one another have not been the same, and not even a sizzling affair changes that. While Alexa sees how great they truly are together and wishes for more, Caine remains an impenetrable fortress of emotions, his past making him blind to what is right in front of him. Until he risks to lose it all forever.
鈥淚鈥檓 not the guy you鈥檙e looking for, Lexie. I鈥檓 never going to be that guy.鈥�
This story truly has it all鈥攁n emotionally charged romance, two multifaceted characters whose actions are as unpredictable as they make sense, a suspenseful background storyline to keep us wondering until the very end, and the kind of romantic angst that sets our hearts racing and where mere words start hurting like daggers. Alexa is a heroine I connected with from the start, her persistence, her courage, and her generosity with her heart making me very protective of her. So much so that I felt every one of her emotions, her pain in particular. This is just one of those stories that got to me, Ms Young鈥檚 exceptional writing style playing a vital role in that, and it left me with a goofy grin on my face, even though I felt like my heart had gone through the wringer. A truly great contemporary romance to sink our teeth in and lose ourselves in unabashedly. Over and over again.
鈥淚鈥檓 not looking for a hero. I never asked for that. I just wanted you鈥︹€�
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January 25, 2015
What a bonus I received when I got accepted for an ARC of this very enjoyable book written by Samantha Young. I will admit that I am one of those people who haven't jumped into her other popular series. After reading "Hero" this author has gained my respect for not only talented writing; but being able to capture my attention with highly entertaining characters who take a love and hate relationship to a whole new level! The banter between Alexa Holland and Caine Carraway was absolutely charming, and had me laughing out loud several times. In fact, I am dying to use this wonderful new word that I learned in story..."Jackassery" and it will be forever remembered in my greatest words of all time category! LOL "Hero" is scheduled to be released on Feb.3/15, and it comes highly recommended by me!
Alexa Holland is a heroine who thought of her father as quite the Hero as she was growing up. Unfortunately, she found out very fast that he was majorly flawed, and not only hurt her family; but someone else's as well. Considering the world is a small place, our heroine meets up with the man who has been hurt by her dad, and this man is not willing to even look at Lexie..let alone talk to her. Caine Calloway is Boston's most eligible bachelor who has a chip on his shoulder, and is known for it very well. If a woman is lucky enough to grab his attention, it isn't for very long, and he does not let their encounters become personal. This is his way of not leading them on. When he is thrown into a situation with Alexa, and he finds out who she really is...he sees RED. He wants nothing to do with her and he despises her. This begins a major love/hate dynamic between these two intriguing characters. Their chemistry has so much sizzle, and the way these two talk to one another is quite amusing. I love how Lexie tries to see the silver lining in everything; including grumpy man himself; Caine! She takes a lot from him, but she is determined to try and make him see that they are truly kindred spirits. She doesn't want to be judged by her father's mistakes, and she sets out to prove that she is indeed a very lovable person.
Caine does not make her life easy. He is a huge jerk most of the time with Lexie. I was able to over look a lot of his mean ways because deep down he just was terrified to learn that he isn't good enough. He carries a huge secret that he never wants to get out, and this causes him to have walls built so high that no one will ever be able to penetrate them. That is, until he meets his match in Lexie! When they begin an explosive affair...neither one of them will ever be the same.
An absolute must read by Samantha Young! This book is a stand alone, and will have you reading deep into the night. I am for sure going to read Ms. Young's "Dublin series" as I was so impressed with her quality of writing. It is becoming harder to find great reads; but this one is going down as one of my favorites for 2015!
Received ARC from PENGUIN GROUP Berkley, NAL / Signet Romance, DAW via Net Galley, in exchange for an honest review.
Alexa Holland is a heroine who thought of her father as quite the Hero as she was growing up. Unfortunately, she found out very fast that he was majorly flawed, and not only hurt her family; but someone else's as well. Considering the world is a small place, our heroine meets up with the man who has been hurt by her dad, and this man is not willing to even look at Lexie..let alone talk to her. Caine Calloway is Boston's most eligible bachelor who has a chip on his shoulder, and is known for it very well. If a woman is lucky enough to grab his attention, it isn't for very long, and he does not let their encounters become personal. This is his way of not leading them on. When he is thrown into a situation with Alexa, and he finds out who she really is...he sees RED. He wants nothing to do with her and he despises her. This begins a major love/hate dynamic between these two intriguing characters. Their chemistry has so much sizzle, and the way these two talk to one another is quite amusing. I love how Lexie tries to see the silver lining in everything; including grumpy man himself; Caine! She takes a lot from him, but she is determined to try and make him see that they are truly kindred spirits. She doesn't want to be judged by her father's mistakes, and she sets out to prove that she is indeed a very lovable person.
Caine does not make her life easy. He is a huge jerk most of the time with Lexie. I was able to over look a lot of his mean ways because deep down he just was terrified to learn that he isn't good enough. He carries a huge secret that he never wants to get out, and this causes him to have walls built so high that no one will ever be able to penetrate them. That is, until he meets his match in Lexie! When they begin an explosive affair...neither one of them will ever be the same.
An absolute must read by Samantha Young! This book is a stand alone, and will have you reading deep into the night. I am for sure going to read Ms. Young's "Dublin series" as I was so impressed with her quality of writing. It is becoming harder to find great reads; but this one is going down as one of my favorites for 2015!
Received ARC from PENGUIN GROUP Berkley, NAL / Signet Romance, DAW via Net Galley, in exchange for an honest review.
October 13, 2020
鈰扳嫳鈰扳嫳鈰扳嫳*Don't Feel The Same*鈰扳嫳鈰扳嫳鈰扳嫳
Re-read: 13.10.2020
The book centers around Alexa Holland and Caine Carraway (33) one of Boston鈥檚 most eligible bachelors. He鈥檚 the CEO of Carraway Financial Holdings. Caine hates the Hollands as they ruined his family, and when Alexa lets it slip that she's a Holland, Caine gets her fired. But in order to punish her, he hires her as his personal assistant and becomes a pain in the ass towards her. And Alexa with her guilt over what her father had done, takes on the challenge, hoping that one day Caine will see that she gets him.
Overall, I didn't feel this book this time around. I didn't connect with Alexa at all, and frankly Caine didn't feel so powerful as I remembered. He just felt... petty? And Alexa... there was just something about her that bothered me. Her constantly pushing for more with Caine didn't go well with me. Like I get going after what you want, but there goes a line, you know. That said, I many times wondered how much I had left as I wanted it over with. I even thought of quitting it. I had just expected more from this re-read. More of the book. I hadn't remembered that so little actually happens in it.
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Contemporary Romance (M/F)
Series: - Standalone.
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - Caine Carraway.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Probably.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Unsure.
Will I read this again in the future? - Don't think so.
New Rating - 2.5 stars.
First read review:
I like it. A lot. Samantha Young just have a way with writing good male characters.
Rate: 4/3 stars.
February 8, 2015
4 stars!
鈥淵ou鈥檙e the one real thing in my life right now 鈥� You should know I don鈥檛 want to let that go.鈥�
Samantha Young is one of my all time favorite authors. Even when her books aren't my favorite, I've never given her anything less than 4 stars because she delivers the perfect romance books that work for me. Hero follows in the footsteps of her other books as a highly addictive, angst inducing, well written romance.
Alexa Holland grew up believing her dad was a hero. That is, until she was in college when he dropped the bomb on her that he had ruined the lives of another family. On top of that, Alexa's mother had been his mistress and Alexa was his illegitimate hidden child. Now in her late twenties, Alexa works as a personal assistant for a fashion photographer. One day on set, Alexa comes face to face with the man whose life was ruined by her father, Caine Carraway. Caine becomes furious with Alexa on the set, which results in her boss losing the shoot and Alexa being fired.
In an attempt to make amends, Alexa bombards Caine at his office. Caine has grown up to become a successful businessman despite his horrible past. After she makes an apology, Caine offers Alexa a job, with the intent being clear that he was only doing so in order to make Alexa's life miserable. Desperate and wanting to prove she wasn't her father's daughter, Alexa accepts.
Caine is literally the boss from hell, making Alexa do an insurmountable amount of meaningless and degrading tasks, but Alexa forges on. Soon it becomes clear that the feelings between Caine and Alexa do not contain only hatred, but a surprising amount of lust. Can either one of them overcome their pasts to accept the other?
I had so much fun reading this book. As I said before, I love this author and how she tells her stories. The amount of angst and emotion mixed in is the perfect amount and was not overwhelming. The push and pull dynamic made this book really fun, I'm used to seeing the guy chasing the girl in Young's books and not the other way around. It was a bit sad to continually read Alexa getting her hopes up about a real relationship with Caine knowing as the reader that he wasn't ready yet.
"I鈥檓 not your white knight."
The chemistry with these two characters was off the charts! It's not normally something I point out, because I prefer angst over steam (yeah I'm weird, I know this already) but this book was pretty darn steamy!! For all of you out there who love steamy scenes, get your fans ready to help cool you off.
This was a 5 star read for me all the way up until about 80%. When Alexa
^^^so 0.5 stars off for that. Another 0.5 stars off for not enough groveling. I WANTED TO SEE SOME HANDS AND KNEES BEGGING FOR ALL OF THE TUG-A-WAR BULLSHIT HE PUT ALEXA THROUGH! But I love groveling, so maybe I'm asking for too much.
"I鈥檓 not asking for forever, I鈥檓 asking you to stop pushing me away. I鈥檓 asking you to be real with me for however long this lasts."
So while it's not my favorite Young book, I do have to say that this is the most intricately plotted book she's come out with so far and it's great to watch her to continue to grow as a writer with the new work she's putting out. Alexa and Caine were so well developed and complicated and it just made me love them all the more for it.
"No, you鈥檙e no fucking white knight, but you鈥檙e what I want."
鈥淵ou鈥檙e the one real thing in my life right now 鈥� You should know I don鈥檛 want to let that go.鈥�
Samantha Young is one of my all time favorite authors. Even when her books aren't my favorite, I've never given her anything less than 4 stars because she delivers the perfect romance books that work for me. Hero follows in the footsteps of her other books as a highly addictive, angst inducing, well written romance.
Alexa Holland grew up believing her dad was a hero. That is, until she was in college when he dropped the bomb on her that he had ruined the lives of another family. On top of that, Alexa's mother had been his mistress and Alexa was his illegitimate hidden child. Now in her late twenties, Alexa works as a personal assistant for a fashion photographer. One day on set, Alexa comes face to face with the man whose life was ruined by her father, Caine Carraway. Caine becomes furious with Alexa on the set, which results in her boss losing the shoot and Alexa being fired.
In an attempt to make amends, Alexa bombards Caine at his office. Caine has grown up to become a successful businessman despite his horrible past. After she makes an apology, Caine offers Alexa a job, with the intent being clear that he was only doing so in order to make Alexa's life miserable. Desperate and wanting to prove she wasn't her father's daughter, Alexa accepts.
Caine is literally the boss from hell, making Alexa do an insurmountable amount of meaningless and degrading tasks, but Alexa forges on. Soon it becomes clear that the feelings between Caine and Alexa do not contain only hatred, but a surprising amount of lust. Can either one of them overcome their pasts to accept the other?
I had so much fun reading this book. As I said before, I love this author and how she tells her stories. The amount of angst and emotion mixed in is the perfect amount and was not overwhelming. The push and pull dynamic made this book really fun, I'm used to seeing the guy chasing the girl in Young's books and not the other way around. It was a bit sad to continually read Alexa getting her hopes up about a real relationship with Caine knowing as the reader that he wasn't ready yet.
"I鈥檓 not your white knight."
The chemistry with these two characters was off the charts! It's not normally something I point out, because I prefer angst over steam (yeah I'm weird, I know this already) but this book was pretty darn steamy!! For all of you out there who love steamy scenes, get your fans ready to help cool you off.
This was a 5 star read for me all the way up until about 80%. When Alexa
^^^so 0.5 stars off for that. Another 0.5 stars off for not enough groveling. I WANTED TO SEE SOME HANDS AND KNEES BEGGING FOR ALL OF THE TUG-A-WAR BULLSHIT HE PUT ALEXA THROUGH! But I love groveling, so maybe I'm asking for too much.
"I鈥檓 not asking for forever, I鈥檓 asking you to stop pushing me away. I鈥檓 asking you to be real with me for however long this lasts."
So while it's not my favorite Young book, I do have to say that this is the most intricately plotted book she's come out with so far and it's great to watch her to continue to grow as a writer with the new work she's putting out. Alexa and Caine were so well developed and complicated and it just made me love them all the more for it.
"No, you鈥檙e no fucking white knight, but you鈥檙e what I want."
February 24, 2015
DNF @ 56%
I hated this book. I was so excited to sit down and read this novel. All of the reviews that I had seen were good and the overall rating was excellent. As I started reading the book, I kept wondering what everyone saw in this story that I couldn't see. I kept wait for the book to hook me. I wanted to get to the great part. At 56% I still haven't found anything that makes me want to keep reading so I have decided to move on to a book I might actually like.
I hated almost everything about this book. I hate the characters. Alexa is a doormat and a stupid doormat at that. Alexa wants more than just sex with Caine but she still agrees to it hoping he may eventually want more. She lets Caine control her life when she goes to work for him. When he says jump, she jumps and doesn't bother to stand up for herself. She even lets her grandfather get away without publicly acknowledging their relationship.
Caine is an ass without a single thing that makes him attractive. He blames Alexa for the things her father has done. He is controlling and when he hires Alexa, he makes sure to make it so that she cannot have a life because of his demands. When Alexa wants time off work to go buy a dress, he assumes that he should be the one to pick it out. When he sees her at a baseball game, he wants to know why she didn't tell him she would be there never mind the fact that he has invited a whole private box of people but not her. When Alexa speaks up for herself, Caine says that she has a smart mouth.
Caine's elderly neighbor and Henry were the only somewhat likeable characters in the whole story and it just wasn't enough. I didn't feel any chemistry between Caine and Alexa and I found the sex scenes to be boring. To be honest, there were a lot of things about this book that remind me of Fifty Shades of Grey and I didn't care for that book either. I really tried to finish this book but I just got to a point that I could not take it anymore and I simply don't care what happens. When I read a story, I need to find something that will make me want to keep reading and I just cannot find it in the book.
I cannot recommend this book to anyone. There are just too many wonderful books out there to spend any time reading about an ass and his doormat.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Penguin Group via NetGalley for the purpose of providing an honest review.
I hated this book. I was so excited to sit down and read this novel. All of the reviews that I had seen were good and the overall rating was excellent. As I started reading the book, I kept wondering what everyone saw in this story that I couldn't see. I kept wait for the book to hook me. I wanted to get to the great part. At 56% I still haven't found anything that makes me want to keep reading so I have decided to move on to a book I might actually like.
I hated almost everything about this book. I hate the characters. Alexa is a doormat and a stupid doormat at that. Alexa wants more than just sex with Caine but she still agrees to it hoping he may eventually want more. She lets Caine control her life when she goes to work for him. When he says jump, she jumps and doesn't bother to stand up for herself. She even lets her grandfather get away without publicly acknowledging their relationship.
Caine is an ass without a single thing that makes him attractive. He blames Alexa for the things her father has done. He is controlling and when he hires Alexa, he makes sure to make it so that she cannot have a life because of his demands. When Alexa wants time off work to go buy a dress, he assumes that he should be the one to pick it out. When he sees her at a baseball game, he wants to know why she didn't tell him she would be there never mind the fact that he has invited a whole private box of people but not her. When Alexa speaks up for herself, Caine says that she has a smart mouth.
Caine's elderly neighbor and Henry were the only somewhat likeable characters in the whole story and it just wasn't enough. I didn't feel any chemistry between Caine and Alexa and I found the sex scenes to be boring. To be honest, there were a lot of things about this book that remind me of Fifty Shades of Grey and I didn't care for that book either. I really tried to finish this book but I just got to a point that I could not take it anymore and I simply don't care what happens. When I read a story, I need to find something that will make me want to keep reading and I just cannot find it in the book.
I cannot recommend this book to anyone. There are just too many wonderful books out there to spend any time reading about an ass and his doormat.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Penguin Group via NetGalley for the purpose of providing an honest review.
February 2, 2015
****ARC received by Netgalley***
Genre: Office love/hate Romance with a hint of mystery & quite a bit of sex
Cover: 9/10
Writing: 10/10
Heroine: 6/10
Hero: 6/10
Humour: 2/10
Hotness: 6/10
Romance: 7/10
Extra book Details: Heroine POV; 1st person. Stand alone.
Photographer's Assistant; Alexa Holland meets CEO Caine Carraway at a photoshoot. She reveals to him that she is the daughter of the man who caused his world to be turned upside down.
Caine instantly hates her and causes her to lose her job. But Alexa is a pushy little thing, she insists that he speak to her ex-boss and get her job back for her. Instead Caine offers her a job, as his PA. The pay is good, but it comes with a price. Caine's wrath. He wants to work her to the bone, punishing her for her father's sin.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I think if it weren't for a few things that niggled at me, this could have been a happy 4 star read. The beginning didn't kick off well for me. Alexa's MO for wanting to know Caine seemed contrived. After her estranged father did what he did to Caine's life, Alexa feels some kind of instant want to make Caine happy. She also instantly believes that they have a connection.
After I got over this, and things started swinging, I was enjoying it, of course Caine is the perfect asshole with a soft side. I enjoyed the little back and forth, the little emotion Caine showed, the 'smart-assery' Alexa had, the side characters, the sexual chemistry.
But for most of the book I was left to feel that it was somewhat one sided, where Alexa is instantly romantically invested, Caine takes a lot longer to come around. It made me feel like Alexa was over-thinking things. In fact, I seemed to have a little love/hate for Alexa myself. I loved her boldness, her confidence, but I disliked her weakness for Caine.
What bothered me the most was the little repetitive cycle of jealousy. Alexa & Caine seemed to get themselves into an non-exclusive exclusive relationship. They weren't going to see anyone else, but they didn't want anyone else to know. It was just sex; though Alexa always wants more. Because of this, Alexa & Caine got jealous over every member of the opposite sex who came into contact with the other one. It ranged from a his friend, to her friend, to his client, to her blind date, to his other client...
The last quarter of the book notched things up a little, adding some real plot which has been hinted at through the book. It was a little out of the blue, but made it more interesting.
All in all, I didn't love the characters or their romance. I did however love the writing, certain scenes, the emotional side of things and the little bits of humour and wit here and there.
3 STARS
Genre: Office love/hate Romance with a hint of mystery & quite a bit of sex
Cover: 9/10
Writing: 10/10
Heroine: 6/10
Hero: 6/10
Humour: 2/10
Hotness: 6/10
Romance: 7/10
Extra book Details: Heroine POV; 1st person. Stand alone.
Photographer's Assistant; Alexa Holland meets CEO Caine Carraway at a photoshoot. She reveals to him that she is the daughter of the man who caused his world to be turned upside down.
Caine instantly hates her and causes her to lose her job. But Alexa is a pushy little thing, she insists that he speak to her ex-boss and get her job back for her. Instead Caine offers her a job, as his PA. The pay is good, but it comes with a price. Caine's wrath. He wants to work her to the bone, punishing her for her father's sin.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I think if it weren't for a few things that niggled at me, this could have been a happy 4 star read. The beginning didn't kick off well for me. Alexa's MO for wanting to know Caine seemed contrived. After her estranged father did what he did to Caine's life, Alexa feels some kind of instant want to make Caine happy. She also instantly believes that they have a connection.
After I got over this, and things started swinging, I was enjoying it, of course Caine is the perfect asshole with a soft side. I enjoyed the little back and forth, the little emotion Caine showed, the 'smart-assery' Alexa had, the side characters, the sexual chemistry.
But for most of the book I was left to feel that it was somewhat one sided, where Alexa is instantly romantically invested, Caine takes a lot longer to come around. It made me feel like Alexa was over-thinking things. In fact, I seemed to have a little love/hate for Alexa myself. I loved her boldness, her confidence, but I disliked her weakness for Caine.
What bothered me the most was the little repetitive cycle of jealousy. Alexa & Caine seemed to get themselves into an non-exclusive exclusive relationship. They weren't going to see anyone else, but they didn't want anyone else to know. It was just sex; though Alexa always wants more. Because of this, Alexa & Caine got jealous over every member of the opposite sex who came into contact with the other one. It ranged from a his friend, to her friend, to his client, to her blind date, to his other client...
The last quarter of the book notched things up a little, adding some real plot which has been hinted at through the book. It was a little out of the blue, but made it more interesting.
All in all, I didn't love the characters or their romance. I did however love the writing, certain scenes, the emotional side of things and the little bits of humour and wit here and there.
February 7, 2015
4.5 Full of Hope Stars!
(BR with Sharon)
Alexa Holland aka Lexie is a woman living in Boston working as a personal assistant to one of the city's most successful photographers. She arrives to a photoshoot one morning, and knows they are shooting for a magazine cover, but has yet to find out who the person is. She is stunned to find out their cover model is one of the most gorgeous, wealthy, eligible bachelors in Boston.
His name is Caine Carraway. He is a well known influential, ambitious, ruthless business man who was orphaned at the age of 13, & then beat the odds, & went on to become one of the most powerful men in Boston. After college, Caine started Carraway Financial Holdings, & opened a private bank which he has expanded on over the years. Alexa was just in awe of this man & how beautiful he was. She also felt the urge to connect with him on a deeper level. After she finds out her father's secrets hurt this man, she feels the need to make amends to him. Unfortunately even though she has good intentions, true confessions aren't always received well, & when she bares her soul to this stranger who was previously flirting with her, he is anything but kind in return. He has deep hurt & anger toward Alexa's family & she has just given him somewhere to direct it all.
Caine & Alexa are suddenly thrown together by circumstances & even though he harbors this misplaced hostility towards her, he can't help how attracted he is to her & how much he wants her. One evening they give in, & take what they've both been desperately wanting & whooooweeee is it explosively hot!!! ;)) LOVE me some Caine Carraway! From that point on they quit fighting their attraction & start a secret affair that is to be just sex.
This couple's chemistry is amazing! They say it's just sex with no strings or feelings, but they start to enjoy spending time together & grow closer. They both become a bit jealous & possessive of each other, & just can't get enough of one another.
-"You want me?"
-"From the moment I saw you."
Alexa quickly realizes she wants more with Caine, but Caine has those walls up high & doesn't want to let anyone too close to his heart. He isn't big on change, but we slowly see his hard shell start to crack. We get some action & Caine will do anything to protect Alexa. I really loved this book & thought it was very enjoyable! For me it was right up there with my love for On Dublin Street. Just a fantastic read! :D
-He made me feel safe for the first time in my whole life.
(BR with Sharon)
Alexa Holland aka Lexie is a woman living in Boston working as a personal assistant to one of the city's most successful photographers. She arrives to a photoshoot one morning, and knows they are shooting for a magazine cover, but has yet to find out who the person is. She is stunned to find out their cover model is one of the most gorgeous, wealthy, eligible bachelors in Boston.
His name is Caine Carraway. He is a well known influential, ambitious, ruthless business man who was orphaned at the age of 13, & then beat the odds, & went on to become one of the most powerful men in Boston. After college, Caine started Carraway Financial Holdings, & opened a private bank which he has expanded on over the years. Alexa was just in awe of this man & how beautiful he was. She also felt the urge to connect with him on a deeper level. After she finds out her father's secrets hurt this man, she feels the need to make amends to him. Unfortunately even though she has good intentions, true confessions aren't always received well, & when she bares her soul to this stranger who was previously flirting with her, he is anything but kind in return. He has deep hurt & anger toward Alexa's family & she has just given him somewhere to direct it all.
Caine & Alexa are suddenly thrown together by circumstances & even though he harbors this misplaced hostility towards her, he can't help how attracted he is to her & how much he wants her. One evening they give in, & take what they've both been desperately wanting & whooooweeee is it explosively hot!!! ;)) LOVE me some Caine Carraway! From that point on they quit fighting their attraction & start a secret affair that is to be just sex.
This couple's chemistry is amazing! They say it's just sex with no strings or feelings, but they start to enjoy spending time together & grow closer. They both become a bit jealous & possessive of each other, & just can't get enough of one another.
-"You want me?"
-"From the moment I saw you."
Alexa quickly realizes she wants more with Caine, but Caine has those walls up high & doesn't want to let anyone too close to his heart. He isn't big on change, but we slowly see his hard shell start to crack. We get some action & Caine will do anything to protect Alexa. I really loved this book & thought it was very enjoyable! For me it was right up there with my love for On Dublin Street. Just a fantastic read! :D
-He made me feel safe for the first time in my whole life.
September 29, 2015
鈽呪槄鈽� 3 Stars 鈽呪槄鈽�
This book started off with a bang, Alexa Holland is working on the set of a photo shoot where her boss is photographing business magnate, Caine Carraway.
She recently discovered that her father had an affair with Caine's mother, leading to unfortunate events that forever scarred Caine and changed the fate of his family, so when she sees him she immediately tries to put things right.
Unfortunately for her, Caine is not happy about being ambushed by a woman who brings back bad memories and she ends up not only with a mouthful of hate from Caine, but is also fired from her job for causing a scene.
Caine decides that he will torment Alexa by employing her as his PA and treating her like dirt. Now jobless and desperate to stay in her expensive apartment, Alexa agrees to put up with his bad moods and contempt and is eager to make amends with him for her father's mistakes.
Caine hates that he is attracted to her but Alexa is determined to make him see her for who she really is and not just someone associated with all the pain that her father caused him.
_ _ _ _
I really enjoyed the first half of the book, the Love/Hate theme and the sexual tension was delicious and you could feel the chemistry between them which further increased every time they failed to resist each other. The banter was particularly good and I loved that Alexa was a smart ass and didn't hide her personality even though she was trying to please him.
There was lots of back and forth between the couple, Caine struggled with his growing feelings whilst Alexa embraced them and wanted to show Caine that they could be good together.
Alexa felt lonely and unloved because she was estranged from her father, her mother had died and her grandfather only spoke to her in secret. It's almost as if she was so desperate to be loved that she was weak when it came to Caine. He never gave her any indication that he wanted more than sex but she seemed to think that he needed her even though it was plain to see that he wasn't quite ready to commit to her.
The second half of the book waned a bit for me and I found myself getting bored with the push and pull. Also, I wasn't a fan of the events that occurred near the end of the book, it seemed really random and it was though it was just thrown in there in order for Caine to realise that he couldn't live without Alexa.
Overall, I really liked the characters and it was a great steamy read but not my favourite Samantha Young book.
ARC gratefully received from Little, Brown Book Group UK in exchange for an honest review
This book started off with a bang, Alexa Holland is working on the set of a photo shoot where her boss is photographing business magnate, Caine Carraway.
She recently discovered that her father had an affair with Caine's mother, leading to unfortunate events that forever scarred Caine and changed the fate of his family, so when she sees him she immediately tries to put things right.
Unfortunately for her, Caine is not happy about being ambushed by a woman who brings back bad memories and she ends up not only with a mouthful of hate from Caine, but is also fired from her job for causing a scene.
Caine decides that he will torment Alexa by employing her as his PA and treating her like dirt. Now jobless and desperate to stay in her expensive apartment, Alexa agrees to put up with his bad moods and contempt and is eager to make amends with him for her father's mistakes.
Caine hates that he is attracted to her but Alexa is determined to make him see her for who she really is and not just someone associated with all the pain that her father caused him.
_ _ _ _
I really enjoyed the first half of the book, the Love/Hate theme and the sexual tension was delicious and you could feel the chemistry between them which further increased every time they failed to resist each other. The banter was particularly good and I loved that Alexa was a smart ass and didn't hide her personality even though she was trying to please him.
There was lots of back and forth between the couple, Caine struggled with his growing feelings whilst Alexa embraced them and wanted to show Caine that they could be good together.
Alexa felt lonely and unloved because she was estranged from her father, her mother had died and her grandfather only spoke to her in secret. It's almost as if she was so desperate to be loved that she was weak when it came to Caine. He never gave her any indication that he wanted more than sex but she seemed to think that he needed her even though it was plain to see that he wasn't quite ready to commit to her.
The second half of the book waned a bit for me and I found myself getting bored with the push and pull. Also, I wasn't a fan of the events that occurred near the end of the book, it seemed really random and it was though it was just thrown in there in order for Caine to realise that he couldn't live without Alexa.
Overall, I really liked the characters and it was a great steamy read but not my favourite Samantha Young book.
ARC gratefully received from Little, Brown Book Group UK in exchange for an honest review
March 2, 2015
4 - 4.5 Stars
I am huge fan of Samantha Young and couldn鈥檛 wait to start this new standalone about a sexy billionaire, because no matter how many times this story is told I still love reading them. However, this book is not your average billionaire book. Young brought a something new with her amazing writing and character development.
Alexa Holland knows all about Caine Carraway, not because he is a sexy playboy, but because he is collateral damage to his father鈥檚 mistakes. Alexa is not your average heroine she is open, honest, and can鈥檛 wait to tell Caine the truth about her. I was actually blown away by this. It is so uncommon in books or life for that matter for someone to openly tell you things that could hurt them. In this case Alexa is selfless in her decision and opens up to Caine.
Despite her selflessness things still blow up in her face. When she is left unemployed and at the end of her savings, Caine steps up and offers her a job. From this point things really take off in the story. I loved watching these two battle their feelings for each other. More than that I enjoyed seeing them get to know each other and explore their feelings.
This story is so different from what Young usually writes, but I loved it just the same. The characters were unique, fresh, and real. I loved Alexa and her strength when it came to Caine. I love how she persevered and wasn鈥檛 afraid of him or her feelings. Caine is a damaged hero, who has allowed his past to shape his future. So yes he is a little hard to love at times, but I do love a sexy, assholes who have their charming moments.
I highly recommend this story!
I am huge fan of Samantha Young and couldn鈥檛 wait to start this new standalone about a sexy billionaire, because no matter how many times this story is told I still love reading them. However, this book is not your average billionaire book. Young brought a something new with her amazing writing and character development.
Alexa Holland knows all about Caine Carraway, not because he is a sexy playboy, but because he is collateral damage to his father鈥檚 mistakes. Alexa is not your average heroine she is open, honest, and can鈥檛 wait to tell Caine the truth about her. I was actually blown away by this. It is so uncommon in books or life for that matter for someone to openly tell you things that could hurt them. In this case Alexa is selfless in her decision and opens up to Caine.
Despite her selflessness things still blow up in her face. When she is left unemployed and at the end of her savings, Caine steps up and offers her a job. From this point things really take off in the story. I loved watching these two battle their feelings for each other. More than that I enjoyed seeing them get to know each other and explore their feelings.
This story is so different from what Young usually writes, but I loved it just the same. The characters were unique, fresh, and real. I loved Alexa and her strength when it came to Caine. I love how she persevered and wasn鈥檛 afraid of him or her feelings. Caine is a damaged hero, who has allowed his past to shape his future. So yes he is a little hard to love at times, but I do love a sexy, assholes who have their charming moments.
I highly recommend this story!
June 13, 2022
This is a spicy enemies to lovers romance where Lexi and Caine unfortunately share a tangled past through some missteps of their respective parents twenty years ago that lead him to loathe her. She ends up working for him and their sniping is quite fun to read, and even better once they eventually get together. I always enjoy Samantha Young books.
Things heat up even more once they enter a NSA strictly physical arrangement which leaves Lexi consistently confused and hurt. I really enjoyed the way Samantha Young navigated the emotional side of this and slowly revealed pieces of their pasts as they worked their way to one another.
Things heat up even more once they enter a NSA strictly physical arrangement which leaves Lexi consistently confused and hurt. I really enjoyed the way Samantha Young navigated the emotional side of this and slowly revealed pieces of their pasts as they worked their way to one another.
February 4, 2015
5 I love me some Caine Stars
I love the Dublin series (I鈥檝e read every single one), but I was really happy to see a new Samantha Young book that isn鈥檛 related.
I feel like Samantha Young is going back to her roots. We all love On Dublin Street and Hero reminds me of it
Alexa has bad family history. Long story short her Papa did something really bad and it affected Caine. Caine does not like Alexa鈥檚 family and he doesn鈥檛 like Alexa.
Alexa works as an assistant to a photographer, who happens to be shooting Caine. Caine doesn鈥檛 want to work with Alexa and refuses to the do the shoot and Alexa gets fired!
I love the way Hero starts out. I was grinning ear to ear and I couldn鈥檛 stop reading. I found it all VERY VERY VERY cute. Very much like On Dublin Street.
You get a little history to why Caine hates Alexa so much and its valid reason. I get it. I hate grudges that have no reason, but this one does. So Alexa doesn鈥檛 have a job and she鈥檚 really ticked off by Caine. She shows up at his office to let him know she鈥檚 sorry for her family鈥檚 actions.
Caine feels so sorry for Alexa, that he hires her as his personal assistant. Alexa is strap for cash and accepts.
I love this story line! Caine hates Alexa, but Alexa is Caine鈥檚 new PA Come on, it鈥檚 beautiful.
I love the tension and dynamics between Caine and Alexa. Caine is a horrible boss. He makes Alexa run around town doing mind-less errands and he even calls her on weekends! Alexa鈥檚 reaction is adorable too. She鈥檚 a little snappy, but she is still the perfect PA.
Of course lots more stuff happens. Secrets come out, other characters are involved and emotions are spilling all over the place.
Hero is a very fast pace book and I enjoyed it a lot. I felt like I was getting the cute Samantha Young book I crave, but of course with a touch of angst.
You will always get that one character that frustrates you a bit, but we wouldn鈥檛 have it any other way right?
READ IT if you are a Dublin Fan.
An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review
$3.99
I love the Dublin series (I鈥檝e read every single one), but I was really happy to see a new Samantha Young book that isn鈥檛 related.
I feel like Samantha Young is going back to her roots. We all love On Dublin Street and Hero reminds me of it
Alexa has bad family history. Long story short her Papa did something really bad and it affected Caine. Caine does not like Alexa鈥檚 family and he doesn鈥檛 like Alexa.
Alexa works as an assistant to a photographer, who happens to be shooting Caine. Caine doesn鈥檛 want to work with Alexa and refuses to the do the shoot and Alexa gets fired!
I love the way Hero starts out. I was grinning ear to ear and I couldn鈥檛 stop reading. I found it all VERY VERY VERY cute. Very much like On Dublin Street.
You get a little history to why Caine hates Alexa so much and its valid reason. I get it. I hate grudges that have no reason, but this one does. So Alexa doesn鈥檛 have a job and she鈥檚 really ticked off by Caine. She shows up at his office to let him know she鈥檚 sorry for her family鈥檚 actions.
Caine feels so sorry for Alexa, that he hires her as his personal assistant. Alexa is strap for cash and accepts.
I love this story line! Caine hates Alexa, but Alexa is Caine鈥檚 new PA Come on, it鈥檚 beautiful.
I love the tension and dynamics between Caine and Alexa. Caine is a horrible boss. He makes Alexa run around town doing mind-less errands and he even calls her on weekends! Alexa鈥檚 reaction is adorable too. She鈥檚 a little snappy, but she is still the perfect PA.
Of course lots more stuff happens. Secrets come out, other characters are involved and emotions are spilling all over the place.
Hero is a very fast pace book and I enjoyed it a lot. I felt like I was getting the cute Samantha Young book I crave, but of course with a touch of angst.
You will always get that one character that frustrates you a bit, but we wouldn鈥檛 have it any other way right?
READ IT if you are a Dublin Fan.
An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review
$3.99
January 12, 2025
I enjoyed Hero far more than I expected. I鈥檝e been at my limit for angst, and have a low tolerance for it, but somehow Samantha Young writes it in such a way that I鈥檓 not annoyed, instead I鈥檓 moved. I was plunged into Alexa and Caine鈥檚 romance feeling everything they experienced, profoundly, right along with them. I forgot how addictive Ms. Young鈥檚 books are, so addictive that I read Hero in one day!
When Alexa Holland meets Caine Carraway for the first time she鈥檚 surprised and stunned. Not only is he handsome, and a famous self-made millionaire, he鈥檚 someone she shares a painful connection with. Both have been hurt by the same man, Alexa鈥檚 father, but Caine doesn鈥檛 want to hear any of that. He instead lashes out and turns her life upside down. What Caine doesn鈥檛 realize is that Alexa鈥檚 is determined and she won鈥檛 go down easy.
Alexa鈥檚 persistence lands her in a position close enough for Caine to torment her on a daily basis, but it also allows her a chance to get close and correct his assumptions. Yes, she鈥檚 attracted to him, but that鈥檚 only part of what draws her. It鈥檚 a shared connection in pain, and Alexa wants to find a way to say sorry for all he鈥檚 gone through. She has no hope that Caine would ever look at her, a Holland, with desire, but boy was she wrong. They kick off on a tumultuous, passionate affair, and Alexa knows her heart is headed for a spectacular break, but oh what a ride!
I felt more connected to Alexa than Caine, which is to be expected since the story was written from her POV. She was patient with Caine, hoped for more when he promised nothing, and at times I wanted her to step up and stand up for herself. BUT that may have backfired. I don鈥檛 think Alexa would鈥檝e wedged herself into Caine鈥檚 heart so deeply had she let her pride get in the way of her feelings for him.
I didn鈥檛 get much insight into what Caine was feeling or his motives beyond speculation on what Alexa experienced with him. But his actions spoke louder than words, and his denials of feeling more for Alexa than just a desire to screw her didn鈥檛 match his actions. His possessiveness, protectiveness, and needy desire spoke volumes and shined light on his true feelings long before his words did.
As usual with Samantha Young, she expertly twisted my emotions, sending me on happy highs and then crushing lows before delivering a dreamy happily ever after. I loved every minute!
A copy was kindly provided by NAL in exchange for an honest review.
When Alexa Holland meets Caine Carraway for the first time she鈥檚 surprised and stunned. Not only is he handsome, and a famous self-made millionaire, he鈥檚 someone she shares a painful connection with. Both have been hurt by the same man, Alexa鈥檚 father, but Caine doesn鈥檛 want to hear any of that. He instead lashes out and turns her life upside down. What Caine doesn鈥檛 realize is that Alexa鈥檚 is determined and she won鈥檛 go down easy.
Alexa鈥檚 persistence lands her in a position close enough for Caine to torment her on a daily basis, but it also allows her a chance to get close and correct his assumptions. Yes, she鈥檚 attracted to him, but that鈥檚 only part of what draws her. It鈥檚 a shared connection in pain, and Alexa wants to find a way to say sorry for all he鈥檚 gone through. She has no hope that Caine would ever look at her, a Holland, with desire, but boy was she wrong. They kick off on a tumultuous, passionate affair, and Alexa knows her heart is headed for a spectacular break, but oh what a ride!
I felt more connected to Alexa than Caine, which is to be expected since the story was written from her POV. She was patient with Caine, hoped for more when he promised nothing, and at times I wanted her to step up and stand up for herself. BUT that may have backfired. I don鈥檛 think Alexa would鈥檝e wedged herself into Caine鈥檚 heart so deeply had she let her pride get in the way of her feelings for him.
I didn鈥檛 get much insight into what Caine was feeling or his motives beyond speculation on what Alexa experienced with him. But his actions spoke louder than words, and his denials of feeling more for Alexa than just a desire to screw her didn鈥檛 match his actions. His possessiveness, protectiveness, and needy desire spoke volumes and shined light on his true feelings long before his words did.
As usual with Samantha Young, she expertly twisted my emotions, sending me on happy highs and then crushing lows before delivering a dreamy happily ever after. I loved every minute!
A copy was kindly provided by NAL in exchange for an honest review.
March 25, 2015
4-4 陆 鈥� It could鈥檝e been a 5 but I needed more from the Hero 鈥� stars 鈥� Contemporary Romance
This was an addictive, entertaining, and scorching hot page turner. The push-pull chemistry and enemies-to-lovers interaction between Cain and Alexa was off the charts magnetic and explosive and kept me riveted. But Cain鈥檚 repeated highhandedness, hurtful, asshat actions, rejection, and cold-cold-hot-possessive-cold-cold-hot-possessive-cold-cold-hot-possessive-cold-cold routine and Alexa鈥檚 exasperating dichotomy between doormat-in-pursuit and spunky, sassy, independent persona ultimately became rather frustrating and tiresome.
Not having enigmatic Cain鈥檚 POV hindered the story and lessened my enjoyment because I wanted, no needed, more insight into his thoughts and actions. The ending was satisfying, and I liked finally seeing Cain so . Even though I didn鈥檛 entirely love it and keenly missed having the hero鈥檚 perspective, I really enjoyed reading Hero .
This was an addictive, entertaining, and scorching hot page turner. The push-pull chemistry and enemies-to-lovers interaction between Cain and Alexa was off the charts magnetic and explosive and kept me riveted. But Cain鈥檚 repeated highhandedness, hurtful, asshat actions, rejection, and cold-cold-hot-possessive-cold-cold-hot-possessive-cold-cold-hot-possessive-cold-cold routine and Alexa鈥檚 exasperating dichotomy between doormat-in-pursuit and spunky, sassy, independent persona ultimately became rather frustrating and tiresome.
Not having enigmatic Cain鈥檚 POV hindered the story and lessened my enjoyment because I wanted, no needed, more insight into his thoughts and actions. The ending was satisfying, and I liked finally seeing Cain so . Even though I didn鈥檛 entirely love it and keenly missed having the hero鈥檚 perspective, I really enjoyed reading Hero .
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January 27, 2015
3 stars
I found this much better than the last few SY books I read. I did enjoy the sexy time and the banter was hilarious. But after halfway Caine and that stick up his ass started to bug me. I must applaud Alexa for pursuing what she wanted (she was an awesome character) but there's only so many times a guy can treat her like shit. Also his excuse felt so random.
Recommend if you enjoy
Fun banter
Smoking hot sexy time
Quirky smart ass challenging heroine
Jackass moody brooding rich hero
Office romance
ARC provided by NetGalley
I found this much better than the last few SY books I read. I did enjoy the sexy time and the banter was hilarious. But after halfway Caine and that stick up his ass started to bug me. I must applaud Alexa for pursuing what she wanted (she was an awesome character) but there's only so many times a guy can treat her like shit. Also his excuse felt so random.
Recommend if you enjoy
Fun banter
Smoking hot sexy time
Quirky smart ass challenging heroine
Jackass moody brooding rich hero
Office romance
ARC provided by NetGalley
Want to read
April 13, 2015Excited to finally start this!
**Buddy-read with Pavlina**
May 24, 2015
鈥淗ate is giving them too much power.鈥�
What I expected to be a standard "millionaire takes poor girl to bed and they live happily ever after" book was so much more. Samantha Young has wowed me again. Hero was an amazing story.
Alexa is a PA who works hard for her success. Her mother passed away recently and it has caused her a great deal of grief. She has been reminded of the dark cloud hovering over her families history. After taking some time off to grieve, she returns to work to find that she has a major photo shoot to assist on. Imagine her surprise when the center of her families little black secret is standing in front of her.
"Today I鈥檓 shooting Caine Carraway for Mogul magazine鈥檚 Top Self-Made Men Under Forty. Caine is to grace the cover.鈥�
Caine Carraway is a successful business man. He is a well known eligible bachelor. When he first meets Alexa, she seems flustered and obviously bothered by his presence.
When I found out there was a "big secret", I thought oh boy (insert eye roll and huge sigh). How many pages will I have to read to find out what the big secret is? How far will the heroine take the relationship before she reveals the big secret? After the big secret is revealed, how bad will the break up be? How long will it take them to get back together? To my absolute delight and surprise, Alexa turns my preconceived world upside down and reveals her true identity to Caine the moment she meets him.
I must stop right there and acknowledge my gratitude to Ms. Young. What a fresh and vibrant character. This heroine isn't afraid to lay her cards right out on the table. I knew right then this book was going to be special.
Caine is so taken aback by Alexa's big reveal that he fires the photography team instantly. In turn, Alexa is fired from her job. Instead of wallowing in her own misery, Alexa goes to Caine and asks him to get her her job back. Needless to say, there second meeting isn't much better than the first.
鈥淲hat part of you being here is fair? I鈥檓 going to ask you to leave one more time, and if you don鈥檛 I will physically remove you.鈥�-Caine
Alexa puts aside her sassy spunk aside in order to ask Caine to help her get her job back. Caine concedes and we think all will be well in Alexa's world. The fates have different plans for her. When Caine isn't able to get her her job back, he asks her to work for him.
Alexa and Caine working together is like fire and gasoline. They have the sins of their parents bleeding into their relationship. Their dialogue is sharp and quick witted. The day to day banter kept a smile on my face for days! As Alexa becomes acquainted with the true Caine Carraway, she finds that underneath the tough exterior is a kind hearted and passionate man. It doesn't take long for these two to come together! As they try to "keep things casual", things become more complicated!
Besides the central conflict between Alexa and Caine, Alexa has her own demons to battle. She has a grandfather that "secretly" spends time with her. The rest of her family doesn't acknowledge her existence. I immediately connected with Alexa because I have experienced a bit of this in my own family history. I never knew my father's family because they basically turned their back on my mom when she divorced my dad. I could relate to Alexa's plight and was quite inspired by her strength and perseverance. When Caine begins to make her want more, she knows that she has fallen for him!
Alexa and Caine work through the tensions of their past and begin a sordid affair. Alexa fears revealing their relationship would cause further issues with her family. Caine struggles with feeling more for Alexa than he should. He too has baggage weighing him down. He does everything he can to push her away.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what this is you鈥檙e trying to do, but you and I are not the same.鈥� He took another step back from me. 鈥淎nd I am not for you. I鈥檓 not your white knight. I鈥檓 just the guy who wanted to f**k you.鈥�
There were so many amazing twists and turns in this read. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the secondary characters. Alexa's best friend and Caine's neighbor Effie were my favorites! Effie becomes Alexa's cheerleader. She is like Caine's surrogate grandmother and gives Alexa a mother's comfort as well!
"I could hear Effie in my head, urging me not to give up on Caine, urging me to keep pushing and pushing at him until he finally gave me his secrets."-Lexie
I lavished in the transformation in this story. Caine and Alexa were well matched and I couldn't put this book down. Alexa isn't afraid to bang down the walls that Caine has put in place.
"Being honest had been scary and it hurt, but at least I wasn鈥檛 a coward."-Lexie
When Lexie and Caine come together, it is smoking hot! Who doesn't love a good old fashioned boss/employee romance! The intimacy builds between the two and the emotions that these two evoked were breathtaking.
"The men who had come before him had always made me feel attractive . . . but not one of them had ever made me feel necessary. Vital. Not like Caine. Like if he didn鈥檛 have me this very second the world would come crashing down around him."-Lexie
I can honestly say this book has reminded me "don't judge a book by it's cover"! This was not your standard millionaire office romance! This book was chalked full of sexual passion, emotional intimacy, tension, and witty dialogue. It had what we call in the theater world "the perfect storm". A well defined beginning, middle, and end. A clear and concise conflict and resolution. The Epilogue was the icing on the cake. Well done Ms. Young! Well done!
"I鈥檓 not looking for something else from life. I鈥檓 not looking for more. I鈥檓 not looking for a great adventure. I鈥檓 not looking, because I found it. You are my more. You are my great adventure.鈥�
What I expected to be a standard "millionaire takes poor girl to bed and they live happily ever after" book was so much more. Samantha Young has wowed me again. Hero was an amazing story.
Alexa is a PA who works hard for her success. Her mother passed away recently and it has caused her a great deal of grief. She has been reminded of the dark cloud hovering over her families history. After taking some time off to grieve, she returns to work to find that she has a major photo shoot to assist on. Imagine her surprise when the center of her families little black secret is standing in front of her.
"Today I鈥檓 shooting Caine Carraway for Mogul magazine鈥檚 Top Self-Made Men Under Forty. Caine is to grace the cover.鈥�
Caine Carraway is a successful business man. He is a well known eligible bachelor. When he first meets Alexa, she seems flustered and obviously bothered by his presence.
When I found out there was a "big secret", I thought oh boy (insert eye roll and huge sigh). How many pages will I have to read to find out what the big secret is? How far will the heroine take the relationship before she reveals the big secret? After the big secret is revealed, how bad will the break up be? How long will it take them to get back together? To my absolute delight and surprise, Alexa turns my preconceived world upside down and reveals her true identity to Caine the moment she meets him.
I must stop right there and acknowledge my gratitude to Ms. Young. What a fresh and vibrant character. This heroine isn't afraid to lay her cards right out on the table. I knew right then this book was going to be special.
Caine is so taken aback by Alexa's big reveal that he fires the photography team instantly. In turn, Alexa is fired from her job. Instead of wallowing in her own misery, Alexa goes to Caine and asks him to get her her job back. Needless to say, there second meeting isn't much better than the first.
鈥淲hat part of you being here is fair? I鈥檓 going to ask you to leave one more time, and if you don鈥檛 I will physically remove you.鈥�-Caine
Alexa puts aside her sassy spunk aside in order to ask Caine to help her get her job back. Caine concedes and we think all will be well in Alexa's world. The fates have different plans for her. When Caine isn't able to get her her job back, he asks her to work for him.
Alexa and Caine working together is like fire and gasoline. They have the sins of their parents bleeding into their relationship. Their dialogue is sharp and quick witted. The day to day banter kept a smile on my face for days! As Alexa becomes acquainted with the true Caine Carraway, she finds that underneath the tough exterior is a kind hearted and passionate man. It doesn't take long for these two to come together! As they try to "keep things casual", things become more complicated!
Besides the central conflict between Alexa and Caine, Alexa has her own demons to battle. She has a grandfather that "secretly" spends time with her. The rest of her family doesn't acknowledge her existence. I immediately connected with Alexa because I have experienced a bit of this in my own family history. I never knew my father's family because they basically turned their back on my mom when she divorced my dad. I could relate to Alexa's plight and was quite inspired by her strength and perseverance. When Caine begins to make her want more, she knows that she has fallen for him!
Alexa and Caine work through the tensions of their past and begin a sordid affair. Alexa fears revealing their relationship would cause further issues with her family. Caine struggles with feeling more for Alexa than he should. He too has baggage weighing him down. He does everything he can to push her away.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what this is you鈥檙e trying to do, but you and I are not the same.鈥� He took another step back from me. 鈥淎nd I am not for you. I鈥檓 not your white knight. I鈥檓 just the guy who wanted to f**k you.鈥�
There were so many amazing twists and turns in this read. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the secondary characters. Alexa's best friend and Caine's neighbor Effie were my favorites! Effie becomes Alexa's cheerleader. She is like Caine's surrogate grandmother and gives Alexa a mother's comfort as well!
"I could hear Effie in my head, urging me not to give up on Caine, urging me to keep pushing and pushing at him until he finally gave me his secrets."-Lexie
I lavished in the transformation in this story. Caine and Alexa were well matched and I couldn't put this book down. Alexa isn't afraid to bang down the walls that Caine has put in place.
"Being honest had been scary and it hurt, but at least I wasn鈥檛 a coward."-Lexie
When Lexie and Caine come together, it is smoking hot! Who doesn't love a good old fashioned boss/employee romance! The intimacy builds between the two and the emotions that these two evoked were breathtaking.
"The men who had come before him had always made me feel attractive . . . but not one of them had ever made me feel necessary. Vital. Not like Caine. Like if he didn鈥檛 have me this very second the world would come crashing down around him."-Lexie
I can honestly say this book has reminded me "don't judge a book by it's cover"! This was not your standard millionaire office romance! This book was chalked full of sexual passion, emotional intimacy, tension, and witty dialogue. It had what we call in the theater world "the perfect storm". A well defined beginning, middle, and end. A clear and concise conflict and resolution. The Epilogue was the icing on the cake. Well done Ms. Young! Well done!
"I鈥檓 not looking for something else from life. I鈥檓 not looking for more. I鈥檓 not looking for a great adventure. I鈥檓 not looking, because I found it. You are my more. You are my great adventure.鈥�
November 17, 2024
I couldn't be happier right now!!! It's only February and this is my second 5 鈽呪槄鈽呪槄鈽� read!
I don't even know where to begin...
Hero was such an amazing book. For me, it had it all. Great storyline, fantastic writing, an amazing Hero/heroine and just the right amount of steaminess.
This is also one of those rare situations where I loved the heroine even more than the hero. Alexa was amazing. Strong, independent, witty...
鈾♀櫋鈾� I SIMPLY LOVED HER! 鈾♀櫋鈾�
Since there are already so many wonderful reviews out there, I'm just going to leave this here...
..just one of my many many favorite scenes....*sigh*
Now please excuse me while I go and do my HAPPY DANCE!
February 10, 2015
FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED
4 "Be careful what you wish for " Stars
How could I explain the state I'm in after reading Hero... Do you remember the time when you meet your first love and then reconnect after many years where you lost sight? Well that's me right now.
When it comes to books and book boyfriend, my first "love" were CEO. And right now I met my first love again after so many books and times apart.
Caine Carraway is an ass... well it's not said as it is in the book but that's what I thought about him after the first chapter. What he's for sure is intimidating, cocky, demanding, ruthless and a little rude.
Thank God it's only a facade.
Alexa Holland couldn't believe her eyes when she found Caine in the same room as her because she knows something that might send Caine over the edge if he ever found out who she is.
From the beginning, I liked the fact that the story doesn't round in circles. We know immediately who Alexa is, what happen with Caine's parents, ...
Unfortunately for her, but as expected, the famous CEO doesn't react well to Alexa being an Holland.
But she is decided to not let it go. It's not because her father made horrible things in the past that she has to be responsible for it + she's nothing like a father, she would find a way to prove it!
" I wish Caine would see what I saw 鈥� that we were the same in some ways. I didn't want to be someone he hated"
"I couldn't explain the connection I felt to him. I just knew that it was possible I was the only person who could understand his pain,..."
Thinking he would make her life hell, Caine hired her as his PA... but who will give in first?
The conversation and time together are fun, intuitive. They play cat and mouse without it being tiring for us readers.
Samantha Young manages to captivate us with her story, even though it was quite predictable for me but still a total success!!
Alexa is a clever, smart young woman who is asserting herself and never shows she can be intimidated sometimes. Yet she has a sensitive side, she wasn't spoiled in life even if she can't complain either.
"I felt alone. Alone, unloved and with no one to trust"
"Like always I'd be second best"
Caine is someone secretive. He controls his emotions like no other and he isn't easily moved. How long will he resist his smart-ass PA?
" Caine was ambitious and hardworking. He was strong and stubborn and ruthless, but he was also this contradiction. He could be kind and companionate and generous"
More and more books are told from dual pov and I almost forgot what it was like to have a story told only from one pov. And ad weird as it can be, I like not to be in Caine's head. I wanted to at some moment but I liked the fact we only have Alexa pov.
teasers from web
4 "Be careful what you wish for " Stars
How could I explain the state I'm in after reading Hero... Do you remember the time when you meet your first love and then reconnect after many years where you lost sight? Well that's me right now.
When it comes to books and book boyfriend, my first "love" were CEO. And right now I met my first love again after so many books and times apart.
Caine Carraway is an ass... well it's not said as it is in the book but that's what I thought about him after the first chapter. What he's for sure is intimidating, cocky, demanding, ruthless and a little rude.
Thank God it's only a facade.
Alexa Holland couldn't believe her eyes when she found Caine in the same room as her because she knows something that might send Caine over the edge if he ever found out who she is.
From the beginning, I liked the fact that the story doesn't round in circles. We know immediately who Alexa is, what happen with Caine's parents, ...
Unfortunately for her, but as expected, the famous CEO doesn't react well to Alexa being an Holland.
But she is decided to not let it go. It's not because her father made horrible things in the past that she has to be responsible for it + she's nothing like a father, she would find a way to prove it!
" I wish Caine would see what I saw 鈥� that we were the same in some ways. I didn't want to be someone he hated"
"I couldn't explain the connection I felt to him. I just knew that it was possible I was the only person who could understand his pain,..."
Thinking he would make her life hell, Caine hired her as his PA... but who will give in first?
The conversation and time together are fun, intuitive. They play cat and mouse without it being tiring for us readers.
Samantha Young manages to captivate us with her story, even though it was quite predictable for me but still a total success!!
Alexa is a clever, smart young woman who is asserting herself and never shows she can be intimidated sometimes. Yet she has a sensitive side, she wasn't spoiled in life even if she can't complain either.
"I felt alone. Alone, unloved and with no one to trust"
"Like always I'd be second best"
Caine is someone secretive. He controls his emotions like no other and he isn't easily moved. How long will he resist his smart-ass PA?
" Caine was ambitious and hardworking. He was strong and stubborn and ruthless, but he was also this contradiction. He could be kind and companionate and generous"
More and more books are told from dual pov and I almost forgot what it was like to have a story told only from one pov. And ad weird as it can be, I like not to be in Caine's head. I wanted to at some moment but I liked the fact we only have Alexa pov.
teasers from web
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