Narrated by Paula Costello
Ever since the publication of Fifty Shades of Grey, a plethora of books have been published about men and women entering into relationships with no strings attached. Some involve kink, while others are more vanilla. Regardless of the kind of sex the characters engage in, the reader is supposed to believe it’s the only important factor between the hero and heroine. On Dublin Street, first in Samantha Young’s wildly popular series of the same name, is one such book.
Jocelyn Butler doesn’t want any attachments. She keeps everyone at a distance, thinking her heart is safer that way. Four years ago, she left the United States, determined to make a new life for herself in Scotland. When we first meet her, this is how she’s living, mostly alone, and relatively happy.
When she moves into a new flat on Dublin Street, Jocelyn finds it increasingly difficult to keep her walls as high and as thick as she’d like. She’s suddenly surrounded by people who want to know her in ways she hasn’t let herself be known in years.
Braden Carmichael is intrigued by his little sister’s new roommate. He finds her attractive, and believes the two of them would be good together. He’s aware of Jocelyn’s unwillingness to become involved with anyone on a serious way so he offers her an arrangement he’s sure she won’t refuse. What if they just have sex? That’s all. Sex with no strings.
Jocelyn is fully aware of Braden’s feelings for her, and she can’t deny hers for him. She thinks about him constantly, but should she agree to the offer he’s made? Will sex be enough, or, will a relationship with Braden cause her to let down her guard, risking her heart in the process?
Narrator Paula Costello’s performance was average, in this listener’s opinion. Her Scottish accents were passable. I’ve heard better, but I’ve definitely heard worse. Unfortunately, characters of the same gender were often difficult to distinguish, especially if they happened to be close in age.
Ms. Costello did a good job with the interactions between Braden and Jocelyn. She handled the sexual tension well, and did not seem uncomfortable reading the steamier portions of the book.
To be honest, I can’t find much to recommend On Dublin Street. The story is average, and so is the narration. Jocelyn supposedly has a super tragic past, which explains her unwillingness to get close to people, but, once I learned what it was, I couldn’t buy into it. It didn’t seem like enough of a reason for the level of resistance she put up. The sex was hot, but I didn’t feel a true connection between the characters. Beyond the physical, I have no clue what drew them together.
Much of the story dragged for me. I kept asking myself what the point was. Why did Ms. Young write this? Was I missing something? I kept listening, in hopes of discovering the missing piece. Sadly, it eluded me.
Shannon
Narration: C+
Book Content: C
Steam Factor: For your burning ears only
Violence: Minimal
Genre: New Adult
Publisher: Penguin Audio
On Dublin Street was provided to AudioGals for review by Penguin Audio.
I listened to this one not long after it came out and really enjoyed it, although the heroine got on my nerves a little bit. I loved Paula Costello’s performance and was really hoping to see more work from her after that book came out, but she’s only narrated a handful of books. Down London Road was my favorite of the series.
I liked this one too, and have since read another two or three in the series. I guess everyone’s mileage may vary. I also have KISSED IN PARIS on my iPod, and now I’m really regretting it, but maybe i’ll be able to buy into it.