Hero

A++++! Bravo Samantha Young! I only leave comments for books that I strongly dislike or absolutely love! and I loved this one! I have read most of Samantha Young's books & have enjoyed them. But this one is my favorite by far! Samantha has grown as an author, much more mature writing! very witty, sexy & smart. I loved both the hero & especially the heroine. She was a pleasure to read about! BUY THIS BOOK!

What an excellent story! Great characters, funny in places, yeah, wanted to slap a few faces here and there, but a good book does that to you. Ms. Young is one of my favorite authors and I didn't think her Dublin Street books could be beat. This one is SO much better! I'm from Boston, you nailed the vibe, the geography and the talk. Well done. I hope more stories will grow out of this setting and group of people. I'd love to see more. Well done!

Even though the book had some negative reviews in regards to our heroine I still gave it a try and everything was going well until the halfway point. She was too much of a pushover especially when it came to Caine. The "secret" that kept him away from her was also terrible and not too serious for it to cause so much drama. Overall not the best I've read.

Once again Ms Young delights the reader with her strong, emotional and sexy writing. Gripping us from the start with a story that we can all relate to -a girl with baggage working for a man who has even more baggage. I loved that these characters had tempers flare and at the same time we're falling for one another at a speedy pace. Sometimes life happens that way and Ms Young captures that for all to enjoy!

I loved this book! Caine was so tortured and broody. Alexa was strong willed and sassy. Their chemistry was fantastic. Samantha Young is a master at describing the personality and physical traits of her male leads in a way that creates a tremendous attraction to them right from the start. Another great book from one of my favorite go-to authors.

Samantha Young you have done it again!! As a huge fan of the On Dublin Street series I knew I would not be disappointed in this book. Love both the Caine and Alexa characters. Such a great story and the banter between the characters made me smile at times. Add in the grandmother type neighbor and you have an absolute winner.

Samantha Young has become one of my favourite authors. Her books are consistently great reads and she never lets you down. The characters are complex and many times flawed but it certainly makes the story line more real. There is a depth to her characters that keeps your interest and makes her stories more real. I wait patiently for her next story. She hooked me with Dublin Street and I'm still hooked!

What a great read. The story began like any other, guy wants girl but can't have her because somehow he's been horribly wronged by someone close to her but can't live without her, the usual fare. Soon after though, the story took on a life of its own. The characters were so well written I felt their joy and their pain. I would definitely recommend this book.

BEST READ YET!!!! I highly recommend this to all the On Dublin St fans and anyone else looking for a great read. However, I will say that I was a little disappointed in the big secret, I felt it could have been a bit not dramatic but all in all this was a threat read! It grasped my attention from the very first line, until the end! I look forward to Samantha Young next book.

This novel blew me away! Every little detail, every single character, every moment within the story was perfect. I started this novel and finished this novel within a 24 hour period because I couldn't stop reading. I was so attached to the characters. Alexa is the perfect female lead for me! And Caine! Oh my goodness. I adored this novel! Definitely a new favorite! Highly recommend.

Another exquisitely written novel by Samantha Young. Her stories are unique...not your normal cookie-cutter romances. Her characters are well-developed and realistic. The settings well-defined to the point where I feel like I've been there. If you are a discriminating reader you'll enjoy this book.

Wow. Caine Carraway may be my favorite Alpha A-hole of all time. His tough outer shell and closely guarded secrets makes it seem impossible for Caine and Alexa to find their happiness. Samantha Young weaves a sexy, complex story that's full of secrets and intrigue. Highly recommended.
Gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review see more reviews at shamelessbookclub.com

if you enjoyed the Dublin series you will love this! When I finished the book I wanted to start over. I missed Lexie and Cain. I hope there is more to their story. I thought Christian Grey was my favorite male lead, but Cain is giving him a run for his money.

Caine...boring Alexa...boring and a spineless excuse for a human being! Kept waiting for character and story development but they never came! Contemplated quitting reading several times but trudged through to the blais end. Usually love this authors work but this book fell way flat! Very disappointed!

This is a quintessential Samantha Young novel-bravo! Ms Young creates multidimensional characters displaying both the strengths and weakness of human frailties. You become part of their lives! You feel their hearts and you see into their souls. As always the extra treat is the settings in this case-Boston and Beacon Hill! This is a reading experience you have to take.

Another great story from Samantha Young! If you haven't read Samantha before this is a great standalone to start with. I highly recommend her On Dublin Street series. She writes a beautiful tale of misunderstandings to lovers and it has one of the best happy ever after's she ever written, in my opinion. Can't wait for more from Samantha.

From the first page I was hooked. Interesting storyline and interesting characters. I loved it. Caine was a hard nut to crack. Alexa could see the real Caine and if she kept chipping away, she'd find him. What a tortured soul Caine was. I couldn't hate him. And then there was Effie! Everyone needs an Effie in their lives. Well Samantha Young, what's next? :)

I loved Caine and Lexi's story. The chemistry between the two was believable and the story line kept pace. Canines big secret wasn't so huge of a deal, but I can see the trauma of his childhood having an impact on his ability to love and feel loved. I really liked Lexi's maturity and perseverance to love Caine and her hope that he loves her in return.

I adore Samantha Young's On Dublin street series, but I didn't really connect with this one. I didn't find it to be a heart tugging realistic situation of love. Personally, I'm getting tired of the hurtful past situations that causes the heroine or hero to hold back on their true feelings.

I enjoyed this book and really liked both Caine and Alexa. To me, she seemed like a strong woman who knew her own worth, but was still willing to be vulnerable and put it all on the line for the man she loved. A very fine line that is hard to walk, but Samantha Young did a great job in making these characters come alive. I would definitely recommend this book to others.

Hero is a wonderful story with lots of yummy tension from the start, plus fun dialogue and endearing characters! The author's writing is fabulous, easy to read and I found myself completely enchanted with their world. It's a rollercoaster that I really couldn't get enough! Totally captivating!

Samantha Young writes contemporary, believable stories. The characters generally act in ways you'd expect and yet create good drama along the way. I haven't read one of her books I didn't like. This one wasn't my favorite, but still worth the read.

First I love samantha young! Her books pull me in and keep me there until the very last word. This book was no different! I love the characters and this story line was different which I love! Like always I hope to see more of this couple in the future!! Thank you for writing amazing books!

There is a continuous fact about Samantha Young`s books, and that's that I always enjoy them.
Hero is no different, just proves my fact more. This one delivered a little of everything. First wit, then passion, moving onto suspense and ending with sweetness. I very much enjoyed this book!

Once again another great story from author Samatha Young! I have yet to read a book by her that I haven't enjoyed. It hit all the emotion points that I need in a book. Angsty but not too angsty, funny, sweet, alpha but not too alpha and relatability. I would highly recommend this book.

Loved it. Give me the cold arrogant hero that is thawed by the kick ass heroine any day!!! Caine and Alexa had sparks from the get go and I couldn't put my tablet down. Lovable secondary characters are just a bonus.

Loved it!!! Alexa proves in this book that you should never give up on what you love and what you want and what you deserve!!! Loved Caine as well!!! Gotta love a story with a strong alpha male!!! Gotta say I was expecting his HUGE secret to be worse but still loved every page of this book!!! It was a good story to make people see it isn't other people's love and acceptance you need just your own peace and happiness!! Strongly recommend not only this book but all Samantha Young books!!! She's one amazing author!!

4-5 Stars-Loved this story and Samantha Young just nailed it. Caine and Alexa will keep you glued to the book to see if they end up together or not. They do go through their moments and it's one of my favorites by this author. I recommend it and look forward to her next one:)

I usually love Samantha Young novels but this one didn't quite hold up to the others I've read. Is this really one of her novels, maybe an older one of her books? The first bit of the book lured me in and seemed promising as the author can write such great first meets and steamy sexual tension scenes. Soon it annoyed me that Alexa (Lexie) came across as such a lovelorn wet rag even when supposedly standing up to him. Caine was intriguing and I thought he was better written than her as the conflicted "hero" but, I overall didn't like either of them. This was over-the-top melodrama at times and could have been better, imo.

Angst! Hate! So much emotional tension! Great banter and hot office sex. Well written to the point where my chest ached with Alexa. Caine was such a hot, closed off, grumpy (at times) Alpha. Love office romances. Love hate-to-love stories. This didn't disappoint

This book had me hooked from the second page. Not many books do that. There were several surprises along the way which kept things from boring and making this a typical romance novel. Thank you for keeping me entertained. Now I won't know what to do for a few days..

Wow, 1st book I have read by you, absolutely loved this story about Caine and Lexi, had childhoods that weren't easy, fosterhomes, losing parent at a young age, then meeting, unsure of feelings, unwilling to commit, great story, really enjoyed it, worth your time.

Once again Samantha Young has not disappointed. I love her books. This one was just as good. If you like books that you can't put down, that make you cry and emotional (in a good way) this one is for you!!

I really enjoyed this book! I was skeptical because of some of the reviews. I don't understand how people allied Lexie a doormat. I found her to be the farthest thing from a doormat. She gave back as good as she got. Loved Caine and Lexie's story.

I like this author and everything she has written (even read her teen paranormal stuff)...until now. I HATED the female character. I feel like we were told she was spunky and a smart ass, so she must be. She was such a doormat with her family and with Caine. I was not sure what redeeming qualities she really had. I guess she is very organized? I have much higher hopes for what I am guessing will be next in the series - Caine's friend's story. Honestly by the end I could not stand it - I had no idea how the main characters could even end up together. Felt more like 10th grade drama - I like him, no I don't, We are dating, no we aren't. Sorry Samantha. I really do like all your other stuff!

We are here for the brooding alpha males with their dark secrets and inability to connect. We are HERE for it, but, in order to enjoy the emotionally unavailable "Hero," we need some balance. The Hero himself has to show enough signs of cracking that we can continue to root for him or he has to be juxtaposed with a heroine who can give him the bus-i-ness and tell him where to get off.

The problem in this book was that Cain's depiction was too good for too long and didn't include enough cracks to give us the warm fuzzy feelings. We needed those warm fuzzy feelings so we could keep rooting for Alexa to hang in there despite Cain's refusal to admit she was anything more than a side chick with an expiration date. Because we didn't get the warm fuzzies, Alexa became irritating in her tireless optimism about Cain's ability to open himself up. It's never good when the readers are screaming at the heroine 'Girl he does not want you, pick up your dignity and a nice handbag and move the hell on." The author needs to bring us right to the edge of the screaming fit and then reel us back in with some positive indications that the leading man is going to get his ish together. Samantha did a good job getting us to that point but she just didn't reel it back in fast enough and the relationship between Cain and Lexie became...frustrating. The kiss of death for romance readers.

***I note, this is the reason that I have mostly stopped reading books that don't have a dual POV. Hearing from the male perspective helps the reader to continue to identify with him when he is being...a man.***

The other substantive problem with the plot of this book was the explanation for Cain's unavailability. His big "secret." Most of us have read enough of these books that we're thinking, 'ok, somebody abused him as a child or something and that's why he's all brick wally.' Nope. Not in this book. I won't tell you what the big secret was (because where's the fun in that) but I will tell you that when it was revealed I was like 'SERIOUSLY, is that it? Sir, get a therapist and a new car and move the hell on with your life.' I don't know, maybe I'm too much of a free spirit because when Cain finally spilled the beans, I was like 'those have got to be the tiniest beans ever.' That made Cain's character seem weak. To the author's credit, it was one of the most interesting secrets an alpha has hidden in one of these books, it just didn't provide what I thought was an adequate explanation for the years of Cain's subsequent behavior.

Final Note: The family drama underlying the story didn't do anything for me. It was convoluted and gave me a serious case of the "meh"s.

In summary: This was a pretty typical alpha boss dominating his secretary before falling in lust/love(ish) with her story. It's better written than 90% of similarly thematic books but it's not necessarily an overall improvement on the sub-category of the genre. If you're comfortable with everything I've said here, buy it. It's not a book that I'm advising you to pass on, you just need to be aware of the facts. By the way, I happen to have really enjoyed other books by Samantha Young so even if you pass on this one, check out some of those.

*ARC received in exchange for an honest review*

When I first found out about the book Hero by Samantha Young I was intrigued. But, when I read the first two chapters - as a teaser she'd listed on her blog - I was hooked. I NEEDED to read the book. The blurb, to me, was intriguing but vague. However, the first couple chapters really sets the foundation and mood for the book. It leads you into an exciting book ride.

I will try to quickly summarize the first two chapters to help you better understand what the book is about...Alexa aka Lexi (the h) is the PA to a famous photographer. On the day she returns from vacation, she sees Cain (the H) at the current photo shoot she's working at. It turns out that he's the subject of a magazine article about successful businessmen and is there to pose for the magazine cover. She recognizes him and knows how much damage her family inflicted on him as young boy. He has absolutely no idea who she is, but it's clear he likes what he sees. When she identifies herself to him and attempts to convey her empathy and apologize for the hurt her father caused, s**t hits the fan. Let's just say he is in no way shape or form welcoming or amenable to be near her, much less listen to what she has to say. However, she is not someone that gives up easily and definitely not someone that is easily cowed, not even by the ruthless and calculated Cain who coldly refuses her and storms off. She decides she will have her say and he will listen to her, so off she goes to his office. She manages to get 5 minutes to talk to him and it's then that we really start to see her character take shape. That 5 minute meeting sets off the chain of events that unfold into a romance between two people linked by devastating events caused by their families' irresponsible and selfish actions. Cain had several layers but by bit we get to know him and fall for him. Lexi steals the show though. She's strong, assertive, smart, beautiful inside and out, honest and loyal. She stands up for herself and absolutely does not put up with being a doormat. A smarta$$ that gives as good as she gets.

Samantha Young weaves a fabulous story that in my opinion rivals On Dublin Street. Hero has chemistry exploding off the pages. Sexual tension so thick that even I felt I could cut through it. There's so much this book offers. Office romance, deep seeded love/hate feelings with a heavy dose of chemistry and a side of jealousy and possessive scenes (not OTT but very much there), sexy steamy scenes, characters that are perfectly developed, love and forgiveness.

It's clear I loved every minute of reading Hero and since I want to add it to my favorites collection I've preordered it. If you fell in love with Samantha Young's On Dublin Street, then you will love this book too. I highly recommend that you one-click Hero.

A beautiful love story. Alexa fights for her man. She stays by his side even though he pushes and pushes her away. The biggest obstacle in her way is him. He doesn't believe in love. Only sex. Nothing forever. Until he meets his match, Alexa. This is their story.

I really enjoy Samantha Young's writing but this book didn't do it for me. I didn't like Alexa, the main female character, at all. She's one of my least favorite types of heroines - pathetic and spineless! She constantly let Caine put her down but kept going back for more. She "couldn't help herself" because the sex was so awesome. She was always going to give him one last chance but never followed through and would try harder to get him to open up, even though he told her repeatedly that he wasn't interested in a relationship with her. The amount of effort she put into getting Caine was really sad.
Caine wasn't as bad (even though he was mean!) but I didn't like how he blamed Alexa for what her father did. I didn't get that at all.
This was a disappointment but still won't stop me from reading more books by this author.

Nothing like a strong heroine! I loved Alexa. Sure she had her moments but for the most part this was one tough girl who didn't take crap from Caine. I found that very entertaining.

Great story line that you knew just had more coming and it did.

Lots of angst which is typical of Samantha Young but I loved it. I couldn't put it down. The storyline was riveting and lots of steamy sex as well. Caine was hot and loved Alexa as well she was a strong female lead. Also glad that it was a standalone.

The twists & turns in this story made the sensual story intriguing. The characters were developed throughout the story. The relationship grew at a good pace. Young has a way with her characters that builds your relationship with them.

Samantha Young spices up the ho-hum working girl falls for billionaire romance with a tangled tale of two people with baggage in common weighing them down, struggling to forgive and release the pain of a shared shameful past. This satisfying good read keeps the reader guessing up to and through the final chapter.