The One Real Thing (Hart's Boardwalk Book 1)

I'm gutted to be writing this review. I've been a Samantha Young fan for ages...seriously, her number one fan and i just finally called it quits on this book at 50%. I never not finish a book. Ever. But I've been reading this book for weeks now and i normally devour books (especially Samantha Young's books) in 1-2 days. I have to move on. I miss reading. I miss enjoying what I'm reading. This book is so boring. The characters so blah. The interactions so forced. I can't get past it. They aren't growing on me. Ugh...I'm so mad because i love Samantha Young!!! I feel lost with how i feel about her future books now. It feels like they switched chefs at my favorite restaurant and completely changed the menu. I can take a change of scenery and even a change of pace (slow burn) but i can't take a forced story with uninteresting characters and little to no sizzle. Where's the heat? Where's the passion? They're older but they're still red blooded Americans, right?Ugh....I'm sad.

I hate writing this review. Because Samantha Young is one of my favorite authors. I love the On Dublin Street series -- even the books in the series that I don't love, I like better than most books I buy off Amazon. Why? Because the way Samantha Young writes about relationships between characters is beautiful. Her characters feel like real people with real problems, even if you don't relate to them.I knew going in that this was a completely different genre than ODS. I get it -- it's a lighthearted novel about a woman who moves to a coastal town and falls in love. Which is not really something I would normally read. So this review isn't about the plot -- which admittedly, is not my cup of tea.This review is about the writing. What happened? Anyone familiar with Samantha Young knows that this book is completely missing the wit, charm, and lovable characters found in her other writing. I didn't care about anyone in this dumb town. The masculine voices are too feminine (ex "...he knew she was sexy, cute, smart, and nice to spend time with." Yeah, that doesn't sound like a masculine bar owner's inner dialogue to me). And the switching between first person and third person narrative is jarring (maybe I would have liked the book better if the whole story was from Jessica's perspective?).And what's more, the language was so flowery and juvenile, and difficult for me to get through. It reads like a first attempt novel, not a novel written after several successful series have been published. I even thought the first sentence of the book was oddly worded. It only took one page before I started wondering who actually wrote this book -- not my Samantha Young!If you are looking for a quick lighthearted beach read with a HEA, maybe this book is for you. But as a fan of Samantha Young, hoping to get a book full of rich characters and raw emotion (regardless of the plot), I was disappointed by this book. I hope she dumps this series and moves on to other ideas with a little more depth because that is where she really excels.

Samantha Young has a great start in her new Hart's Boardwalk Series with The One Real Thing. It's a compelling small town series with unique characters from all walks of life. They are either natives to Hartwell, Delaware or transplants drawn to this small peaceful seaside community. Life in Hartwell revolves around the boardwalk.Dr. Jessica Huntington didn't know she was stuck in her own life. As the head doctor of the Women's Correctional and Rehabilitation Facilty, she's seen everything. She chose this job over more prestigious jobs because she wanted to be a real doctor and help those in need with compassion, integrity, and equality. Her personal life is void. She has a friends with benefits relationship with a busy prestigious surgeon. Their relationship is anything but a real relationship. Their encounters are scheduled. There are no surprises. Jessica likes it that way. She doesn't want the commitment and involvement that comes with a true relationship.When Jessica finds three letters in the binder of a discarded prison library book, it is a life changing event. These three letters date back to 1972. They are from an inmate that died shortly after the letters were written. The content of these letters is compelling. Jessica was touched by the heartfelt sincerity in those written words. A woman's quest for forgiveness and declaration of love. Jessica knows she must find the recipient of these undelivered letters.Jessica's quest to deliver the letters leads her to Hart's Boardwalk and Cooper Lawson in Hartwell, Delaware. One spontaneous moment in the rain leads her to finding everything she was missing in life. Staying at the local inn introduces her to real heart of the town.A three week vacation changes her life. She will confront her own past and insecurities.She will make the choice to become more than a doctor, she will become a part of a community that involves being in real relationships. She will become a confidant, friend, and lover. She will set new goals in her life and still be the kind of doctor she intended to be. Most of all she will learn to love herself.Cooper Lawson has lived in Hartwell all his life. He has recently went through a very nasty divorce that cost him more than his marriage. He's bitter but moving on. In the past six months he has become the town player. He's not interested in becoming involved again, he just wants to run his bar. When he meets Dr. Jessica Huntington the tables turn. He has finally met a woman that touches his soul. A woman that he can respect. A woman he can build a life with. The only problem is that she lives in Wilmington. Can he convince her that Hartwell needs her as much as he does?Samantha Young wrote an emotional and compelling story that deals with all kinds of relationships. People from all walks of life coming together to make a real home and community. The best part was Cooper and Jessica finding each other. A mature romance dealing with real life. I can't wait for the next walk on Hart's Boardwalk.

5 stars! Amazing plot and introduction to the new series of Hart's Boardwalk. Jess and Cooper's relationship is a worthy read! The laughter and tears I shed while being immersed in their challenges, up's and down's and the intensity of their attraction to one another makes for a fantastic storyline. I'm extremely excited to read the other introduced characters stories in the future. Potential for more 5 star rating novels for Samantha! Congratulations Sam, yet again you nailed it! Your novels are phenomenal! Thank you for your hard work on writing stories that are not only interesting but real and relatable.

I love Samantha Young, however, I feel like some of her other books are slightly better than this one. I did enjoy it, it had everything most of her books do, great writing, great characters, etc. It's just that I felt like something was missing. Maybe it was that some of the situations seemed slightly unrealistic, or that the heroine's decisions bothered me at times. I would still recommend this book as a great romance novel, because it is. The problem is if you have ready any of her books before and fallen head over heels in love with them, this might not seem as good.

Samantha does it again. Another great book.