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A review by ireadlikeaboss
Play On by Samantha Young
2.0
Samantha Young has penned some of my favorite love stories, including On Dublin Street and Before Jamaica Lane. However, unlike those old favorites, PLAY ON, didn't capture my heart or leave an impression on me.
Nora meets and falls for the ever-charming Jim in her Ohio hometown. Jim and his friend are from Scotland who are backpacking across America. Instead of going to college like she wanted to, Nora has been forced to stay home and help her mom provide and care for her disabled and verbally abusive father. Her hard work is unappreciated by her parents and Nora longs for more. She and Jim's whirlwind romance offers such escape. When he proposes, she accepts, leaving behind her parents for a new beginning in Scotland. The story flashes forward years later where Nora's love for her husband has faded, finding herself once again trapped.
While married, she runs into Aidan, an enigmatic and charismatic music producer, in a bar. There is an instant spark and attraction to this man that she realizes she doesn't feel for her husband, planting a seed of guilt inside of her. Her husband tragically passes away and her guilt only grows. As luck would have it, she runs into Aidan years later at a local children's hospital. They begin a very intense relationship but something later tears them apart.
Samantha Young can write chemistry really well. Aiden and Nora definitely have it and I felt their romantic connection. But I lacked a connection to them as characters. In many ways, I felt as though Play On was almost too reminiscent of On Dublin Street: Braden-like alpha male, female character afraid of commitment, wealthy hero, secretive romantic past.
The story lacked a sense of direction and natural flow. It's told in three parts and considering how Nora and Jim's romance ended, I didn't really understand why their story was even included. Much of the novel's plot felt contrived and very heavy-handed, which pains me to say. The multiple time jumps contributed to the novel's choppy and inorganic feel.
If you're a fan of Samantha Young's romances it may be a hit for you. As a fan myself, I can't whole-heartedly recommend it.
* I purchased this book myself.
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★★UPCOMING BOOK RELEASES★★
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Nora meets and falls for the ever-charming Jim in her Ohio hometown. Jim and his friend are from Scotland who are backpacking across America. Instead of going to college like she wanted to, Nora has been forced to stay home and help her mom provide and care for her disabled and verbally abusive father. Her hard work is unappreciated by her parents and Nora longs for more. She and Jim's whirlwind romance offers such escape. When he proposes, she accepts, leaving behind her parents for a new beginning in Scotland. The story flashes forward years later where Nora's love for her husband has faded, finding herself once again trapped.
While married, she runs into Aidan, an enigmatic and charismatic music producer, in a bar. There is an instant spark and attraction to this man that she realizes she doesn't feel for her husband, planting a seed of guilt inside of her. Her husband tragically passes away and her guilt only grows. As luck would have it, she runs into Aidan years later at a local children's hospital. They begin a very intense relationship but something later tears them apart.
Samantha Young can write chemistry really well. Aiden and Nora definitely have it and I felt their romantic connection. But I lacked a connection to them as characters. In many ways, I felt as though Play On was almost too reminiscent of On Dublin Street: Braden-like alpha male, female character afraid of commitment, wealthy hero, secretive romantic past.
The story lacked a sense of direction and natural flow. It's told in three parts and considering how Nora and Jim's romance ended, I didn't really understand why their story was even included. Much of the novel's plot felt contrived and very heavy-handed, which pains me to say. The multiple time jumps contributed to the novel's choppy and inorganic feel.
If you're a fan of Samantha Young's romances it may be a hit for you. As a fan myself, I can't whole-heartedly recommend it.
* I purchased this book myself.
Read this Review • My Website • Facebook • Twitter • Pinterest • Instagram • Subscribe by Email
****************
★★UPCOMING BOOK RELEASES★★
****************