Echoes of Scotland Street (On Dublin Street Series) Paperback – October 7, 2014

“You’re worth every bad thing that’s ever happened to me, because going through them led me to you.”It’s rare to find a series that book after book never disappoints, never fails to capture my attention and make me fall head over heels in love with the characters, but On Dublin Street is not only one of these extraordinary instances, it is also a series that never stopped getting better and better. Two characters oh-so easy to love, an emotional storyline that kept me glued to my seat for hours on end, literally gasping for the next page—this is a book I adored and could not walk away from even days after I first finished it, needing to re-read parts of it over and over again. I have never not loved a Samantha Young book, but this one just might be my new favourite.“Are you a hero, Cole Walker?”“What is a hero, really?”“I suppose it’s someone that saves people.”“Yeah, I supposed it is.”“So, do you save people?”“I’m only fifteen. Give me a chance.”Shannon and Cole met as teenagers, for a brief but unforgettable moment in time, and while their lives have led them onto very different paths, they both ended up becoming survivors of the cruel hands that fate has dealt them. While Cole’s childhood has been marred by neglect, and physical and psychological abuse at the hands of his only parent, he has grown into a kind-hearted and protective young man, whose ‘tatted-up’ bad boy appearance stands in stark contrast to his true character. Shannon’s emotional scars, on the other hand, come from a different but no less traumatic place. Every single relationship that she has been in has left a bad taste in her mouth, her last one leaving her battered both physically as well as emotionally. Moving to a new town might seem like the only way to escape her painful past, but she soon realises that no matter where she goes, her memories would inevitably follow.“…somehow, hopefully, along the way I was going to find the girl I’d lost because of him.”When Shannon steps into Edinburgh’s most revered tattoo studio looking for a job, she has no idea that her new boss would be the same boy she walked away from nine years before, the vivid memory of him still very much alive in her mind. But Cole’s tattoos and cocky demeanour remind her also of every bad boyfriend she has ever had, making her misjudge him at first sight. And no matter how charming or friendly he is towards her, she rejects both his friendship as well as his not-so-subtle advances, making it crystal clear what she thinks of “his type”.“…Cole Walker represented everything wrong with my life and the choices I’d made thus far.”But appearances can be deceiving and, soon, Shannon realises that she might have made the biggest mistake of her life by pushing Cole away. And that her own prejudices could cost her the affections of the best person she has ever met.“You really are the biggest disappointment, Shannon MacLeod.”While this is a truly heartfelt romance between two people you cannot help but fall madly in love with from the moment you meet them, this is also a story about knowing when to put the past behind you, learning from it but not letting it affect your future happiness. Shannon’s unfortunate past has the power to either define her or make her even stronger than she is. Having loved someone who constantly belittled her, made her believe she was talentless and stupid, and unworthy of someone like him, has not only damaged her self-esteem and confidence, but it also made her distrustful of her own ability to judge a person correctly and not to make the same mistakes again. Having someone like Cole Walker in one’s life, however, is all the motivation a girl needs to put her big girl panties on and take a chance.“That wasn’t my voice in my head. That was someone else’s and he did not get to win like that.”This is an inspiring tale of courage and resilience, framed by a beautiful and truly touching love story, and I ate up every hypnotic word of it. Ms Young never lets me down, always blows me away, and rarely leaves me in a state where I’m quite ready to enjoy another book. It’s been two days… maybe it’s time for a re-read!“I’m going to f*** every bad memory of those unworthy gits out of you, even if it takes me a lifetime. Starting tonight.”

4.5 STARSA lot can change in a few years. Echoes of Scotland Street is the story of how life can change a person so drastically that in no time at all, they're almost unrecognizable.At 15 years old, the damaged Cole Walker we've come to know and love in the previous Dublin Street books, has a chance encounter with 15 year old Shannon McLeod, a fiery young woman who seemingly has not a worry in the world. Their meeting is all too brief, but that moment in time leaves a mark on them both.The story continues nine years after that brief meeting on Scotland Street, where troubled 24 year old, Shannon, is presently alone and desperate in Edinburgh, living in a hotel and trying to find work. The course of events that follows finds her back in Cole's company, but the two are not at all the same people they once were.Who hasn't loved Cole Walker since Samantha Young introduced him to us in Jo and Cam's book? He was the beautiful young boy, trapped in unimaginable circumstances at the hands of his abusive mother. As the series continued, we watched Cole grow and thrive into the man we're introduced to in this story. Cole is not just grown. He's grown into one of the most delicious guys Samantha Young has written. He's a successful tattoo artist that has no problem catching the eye of every woman everywhere. He's perfection on a plate, really. Every word out of his mouth, every facet of his personality, his sexy demeanor combined with his bad boy profession, all make him that much more desirable.The dynamic between Cole and Shannon is achingly real. Past mistakes, the inability to forgive oneself for years of bad decisions, the pain and fear still echoing years after a horrific night, and self-blame over things beyond her control, all juxtapose to make for a Shannon McLeod who refuses to let anyone in, refuses to trust, refuses to believe she deserves joy. This presents a problem when Cole thinks he's just been given a second chance with that ray of light he met years ago. Sexual tension and an achingly slow build between the two make for a delectable road toward the unknown. Both characters are so likeable, so genuine. We're introduced to Shannon, who's a complete stranger to fans of this series, yet I connected with her immediately.Even the new faces, the secondary characters in this story find a way to infiltrate your heart, and as a reader you never want to let them go. Simon, Stu, Rae, Tony, Logan... Amanda, Tamara, Jessica... they all add such depth and complexity to this story. Some characters adding humor and joy and a refreshing layer to the story, others providing angst with the disdain you can't help but feel toward them. All of them fitting together, with Cole and Shannon and the ever growing Carmichael/Walker/McCabe/D'Alessandro/Sawyer family to make for a thoroughly complete story. One character, in particular, I was immediately taken with and I secretly prayed and prayed that there was a chance they'd get their own story... I jumped for joy when I read the very end and found I'd get my wish!Samantha Young reaches inside the reader with her words and squeezes and twists and soothes. Like all the books before, Echoes of Scotland Street made me feel so many things. Even though Cole is in such a good place in his life now, we're never allowed to forget that broken boy who still resurfaces from time to time. We're also never allowed to forget all of the characters we've come to know in the last four books. This family continues to grow, and change and adapt and we never have to leave them behind because they're always present in each story. This story is filed with so much hope, so much pain, so much joy, forgiveness, love, angst... so much that reaches inside the reader and tugs.

We've moved on 9 years from Down London rd and Jo's cute lil bro, Cole, is all grown up at 24. Now a sought after tattoo artist, he's still cute but also gawjus, hawt, ripped and sexy. I loved him to bits.Shannon has moved away from her family after a traumatic event and she's starting again. She gets a job in Cole's tattoo studio and they immediately realize they met as teenagers. They're both attracted to one another but she has a hard time trusting anyone.This was sweet and enjoyable enough but it didn't blow me away. I feel like I've read this storyline so many times before, it felt a little too predictable to truly grab me - I struggled to maintain my interest at times. Shannon' s reactions to their growing attraction felt overblown and contrived, like they were only there to manufacture a little angst in the right places. I'd read that before with Joss And Braden' s story and enjoyed it much more. I'm afraid the chemistry wasn't there for me so the smut didn't move me much either.It was good to catch up on the other tribe of characters from this series, including my beloved Braden, but I think I'm starting to feel like I've read enough about them all now.This is probably one for the fans only.

I really really love Samantha youngs books. This book touched me on such a deeply personal level as I really related to Shannon. I already knew what a wonderful and loving person cole would be how could he not with all these gorgeous and loving and talented people around him. Shannon touched me as I truly did live through books at the worst stages of my life and Samantha's first book i read Luna morte was the first Book I picked up after many years of suppressing my needs and escape in reading and I have been hooked ever since. As an author I sometimes feel they overlook that in their writing they are expressing this imaginary world with characters purging them from their mind and seeking release but readers are absorbing these and growing with them and learning from them and it truly can be lifeline. Very few authors can give you more than I have received from Samantha's writing. To have hope, to seek love, to overcome hurdles and most important to love me first and have the strength to get through the hardest times. Thank you for expanding on this absolutely incredible group of people and characters who have become my salvation.

I have to say, I absolutely loved this book, it had the same quality as On Dublin Street, maybe because it was Cole I'm not sure but I had that same feeling all the way through.I thought Cole and Shannon 's story was beautifully told from the very beginning when they met on Dublin Street at 15yrs of age and when she was being interviewed for the receptionist job at INKarnate, you just new Cole was going to be involved somehow, once the storyline started to unravel there were plenty of sad moments. Towards the end when Cole and Shannon split up from that moment it got very compelling I literally couldn't put it down, so good.Rae's character was brilliant very feisty, there's always one..!! And then of course you had Simon and Tony to balance things out, being able to catch up with all the others was special too when you think back to the beginning of the Series they've all come a long way, it's been wonderful.Thank you for a fabulous series Samantha Young, I hope we're going to here about Logan next??

I waited so along to hear Cole's story, from the first time he appeared in ODS... He had a lot to deal with growing up and his sister Jo was the only constant in his life, we watched him grow throughout the series, but couldn't wait for him to hit adulthood so we could read his love story.. It was definitely worth the wait.. In EOSS he meets Shannon and they instantly have chemistry, but Shannon has trust issues and tries to distance herself from Cole... But he's patient with her and slowly breaks down her barriers, showing her that she can trust him... Yet again Samantha Young blows me away, her stories are so beautifully written.. She takes us on a journey, with love, laughter and heartbreak... I can't wait to see what's next... I highly recommend any of the books she has written.. Read them, you will not be sorry!!!

I've yet to read a Samantha Young story that I don't fall completely in love with. That doesn't take root in my heart. That I don't absolutely adore. But Cole, well, Cole is a little bit more special.We finally get to see the adult he's become, the man he grew up to be and he is rather incredible. Not to mention incredible sexy.I laughed and cried a lo while reading this story. It was just wonderful.Sam manages to incorporate my two favourite things about a male lead in her men, sweet, yet a dirty mouth. And Cole had those in abundance. One particular favourite was their first time, well, just after.I am off to read Fall from India Place because like a fool, I didn't realise I had it!