Title: One King’s Way
Series: On Dublin Street #6.5
Author: Samantha Young
Release Date: November 3, 2015
The New York Times bestselling author of On Dublin Street returns to the bar where it all began with Braden and Joss for a white-hot new novella full of passion and drama.
When he’s not working at the club, Craig Lanaghan looks out for his mother and little sisters. So when it comes to women, all he wants is a good time. But once Rain Alexander walks into his life, there’s no denying that this woman could be worth much more than a one-night stand….
Rain’s lifelong regret is having left her sister Darcy alone years ago with a guardian who turned out to be abusive. So when Darcy’s boyfriend publicly humiliates her in a cruel way, Rain’s overprotective instincts kick in and she follows him to Club 39—where she meets a guy who just might be her perfect match.
The chemistry between Rain and Craig is explosive, but Rain is out for revenge, and refuses to be sidetracked by flirtation. As things between them heat up, she’ll have to make a heartbreaking choice between giving in to the man of her dreams or putting her sister’s happiness first….
Craig Lanaghan is a flirt and a player—two things that come easily to him as a bartender at a local club. He’s also the exact type of guy for whom Rain Alexander has no place in her life. Rain has a pretty solid set of criteria for the man who she’ll take a chance on, and Craig doesn’t tick any of her boxes. When the two meet while she’s on a revenge mission to take down her sister’s sleazy ex-boyfriend, she immediately catches Craig’s interest.
Craig has no interest in a lasting affair. The bachelor life has served him well, and his bartending gig ensures that he’s never lonely. However, when Rain Alexander walks into his bar, all bets are off. He’s drawn to her in a way that he’s never experienced before. She’s a throwback to another era, a little salty, and a whole lot intriguing, and Craig decides he’s going to draw her out of her shell.
This is a really sweet story about two people who need to look past the exterior façade and find the tender stuff inside that binds them together. Craig takes his time bringing down Rain’s walls, and in the process lets down a few of his own. They learn that maybe they’re not so different after all and once they let each other in, they are swoony and sweet and hot—way hot.
I really enjoyed this short, sweet story. I didn’t always understand Rain—and sometimes she hovered just shy of the line of becoming unlikeable to me. But I adored Craig; he’s irreverent and flirty and fun, but also protective and sweet and persistent. Together, they make each other better—they smooth out each other’s wrinkles, making it impossible to not love everything about them.
Wonderful, lighthearted and swoony, this novella packs a punch of steam. But its true charm lies in the push/pull between Craig and Rain, and the path they take to realize the true love they’ve found in each other. I loved their relationship with each other, and the relationship they had with their families, who are quirky and hilarious, added a wonderful depth to this short little story.
If you’re already a fan of the On Dublin Street series, you’re going to love this sexy, sweet addition. If you haven’t dipped your toes in the water yet, you won’t be disappointed. It reads well as a standalone and will leave you with damp panties (like, seriously, so hot) and a full, happy heart.
~ Review by Shelly
Samantha Young is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author from Stirlingshire, Scotland. She's been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Author and Best Romance 2012 for her international bestselling novel ON DUBLIN STREET and Best Romance 2014 for BEFORE JAMAICA LANE. ON DUBLIN STREET is Samantha's first adult contemporary romance series and has sold in twenty-eight countries.
