On Dublin Street by Samantha Young
Where do I even begin?
I don't understand this phenomenon in which female readers believe that a controlling, stalkerish, rich bastard is some sort of swoon-worthy hero to be worshiped. There's absolutely nothing attractive about Braden Carmichael and any time he opened his mouth, I wanted to punch him in the face. His character leads the pack in terms of douchebaggery.
Then there is Joss, our reformed virtuous heroine who is all high and mighty and above everyone else. She has a "past," but has sworn off all men until the mere sight of Braeden gives her all the feels. Jocelyn went through a traumatic event during her teenage years which lead her to make all kinds of bad decisions. To some extent, I get that Joss is grieving. However, her character is aware that she has some serious mental health issues and the whole woe-is-me routine can only garner so much sympathy. A lot of people have hard lives and lose people they love. Yet, they still manage to function in society and act like a decent human being. Joss is a shitty excuse for a friend and one of the most self-centered characters ever written.
There's nothing remotely redeemable about this story. The conversations between Joss and Braden were cringe-worthy and lacked humor. The supporting characters were so one-dimensional I wouldn't even be able to tell you their names or what they did in the story. The writing is sloppy and there are many repetitive words and phrases.
Sorry to disagree with the majority of readers, but this book was PAINFUL to read.
